Tones: PINK "The Bravest"

030

"Baby, you're spacing out again"

I was brought back to reality when Neisha's voice rang through my head like an alarm or a reminder. Nandito kami ngayon sa may gym ng school. Ang sabi kasi sa amin ay may practical test daw kami para sa nalaman naming sayaw sa PE which is waltz, ang genre ng prom dance namin.

Kaso nga lang, like the other days, masyado akong out of it. Mas ikinatulala ko pala yung mga sinabi ni Ernest sakin. I don't know why pero kasi mas naguluhan ako sa sarili ko dahil doon.

I want to scream at Ernest at some point. You just don't drop a bomb on someone and tell them it's going to be alright. What was I supposed to do?

"Baby, partner mo ako ha sa practical natin" sabi ni Neisha. Naguluhan naman ako. Pwede ba yun eh may partner naman ako noon pa.

"You do know I already have a partner right?" tanong ko sa kanya baka kasi nakalimutan niya pero agad naman siyang nagalit sakin.

"What are you saying? Ayaw mong makapartner ako?" pagalit niyang tanong. I froze up again at that. Na te-tense ako parati kapag ginagawa niya yun. Yung mga tanong niya kung nasa side ba niya ako o hindi. It's like she doesn't trust me no matter what happened and I feel hurt because of it.

"Neisha you know it's like that" sabi ko sa kanya pero inirapan niya lang ako.

"What's not like that? You not liking me anymore. Ganyan naman kayo parati eh"

This time instead of pacifying her, instead I just wanted to scream so badly.

"Okay fine let's be partners Neisha" I gave in to her whinings and I immediately saw how her face lit up as well. She immediately latched herself unto me and I found it more suffocating now than sweet before.

Nandito na ang lahat sa gym at ang hinihintay nalang pala namin ay si Sir Jan. Late ata si sir. Nilingon lingon ko pa ang mga kasama ko at huminto ang tingin ko kina Klara at ang mga kaibigan niya.

She's there, the usual Klara who is unemotional and hard to read. But the Klara that I know is someone who is just hiding herself from other people.

Somehow my mind felt at ease thinking about her.

Nawala naman yung iniisip ko nung maingay na pumasok si si Jan. I winced at his shrill voice and Neisha grabbed on to my arm tight and now actually I suddenly wanted out.

"Okay let's go first with the first pairs okay. I'm sorry late ako kasi may inasikaso pa ako sa faculty" sabi ni Sir tapos hinanda na niya yung sound system para samin. "Go on na line na yung gustong mauna"

I guess those who originally have us 7 boys as a partner where silently chosen to go first that I saw how Ariene, Klarissa and more from the line that I know started standing up.

Tumayo na rin ako at napadako ulit ang tingin ko kay Klara na ngayon ay tumatayo na rin. We made eye contact at pupunta na sana siya sakin kaso umurong siya nung nakitang nauna si Neisha. Agad kasi akong niyakap ni Neisha kaya naalala kong kami pala yung partners.

Klara was just standing there and I knew that she seems to understand what is happening. Umupo nlang siya ulit kaya noong napatingin siya sakin ay nag mouth nalang ako ng sorry sa kanya.

Anissa who was beside her was glaring at my current partner.

"Okay ano pang hinihintay ng iba diyan! Places everyone!" sigaw ni Sir at kaagad ko namang hinila si Neisha papunta sa iba na nakahanda na. The last thing I needed was to fail this practical exam.

Neisha and I both got into the position. My hands are on her waist and hand while hers was on my shoulder and hand. She held on to me tightly, so tight that it almost hurt.