On Serene Working

Four

| Four |

Hindi agad ako nakapag salita. I don't know, there's something within me, saying 'Arinne, go, walk with him,' and partly saying that 'I shouldn't.' Those eyes, there's something different about it.

"Aren't you gonna come?" I am still standing in the same spot, where I was at. Natauhan lang ako when he suddenly spoke. He's actually two meters away from me. Tiningnan ko naman siya, and his eyes were firmly staring at me. Nagtataka siguro siya, kung bakit hindi pa ako nasunod sa kaniya.

I was shocked. I didn't expect him to show up. Not that we're close? Are we? No, we are not! Definitely, that's why I'm a bit of thinking, about what he did. Stopping Vion to share a book with me and Kealn? He should be the one to take a look at his own book. Vion came up first to ask me if he could share with us. But him? Hindi nga man lang siya nagtanong properly eh. Kakaiba din siya ah?

I shook my head with that thought of mine. Tinignan ko siya sa mata, scrutinizing his face, his reaction, but it's unreadable. Naglakad na lang ako at nilampasan siya. Naramdaman ko din naman na nagsimula na siyang maglakad.

"We're not even seatmates," I murmured. I don't even know, kung saan banda siya naka-upo. Anhin ko pa si Vion, he's my seatmate, in the left side chair beside me.

We're not that much of students in our class, sakto lang. Because I don't really mind others, it's only Kealn that I'm always with. Kaya minsan kakasawa din, pero napagt-tiyagaan naman.

On the other hand, kilala ko din naman ang iba kong mga kaklase, hindi lang talaga ako nakikipag-usap masyado. I have friends, aside from Kealn and Cal. But they are different, they were my friends because I encountered them. I treated them nicely, with no bad intentions at all. It's just that, I don't give my trust to them fully. Something like that? Right, that's the reason, because it's hard to trust someone nowadays.

And maybe that same way goes with Laint. I cannot just trust him enough. Although, he's not asking for us to be friends. I'm just being prepared and practical? Considering his actions, this day and yesterday.

Dahil hindi ko malaman kung bakit laging nalilihis sa lugar na nandoon ako itong lalaking ito. Nung nakita ko siya sa library non, at ang eksenang pagtakbo namin para lang hindi ma late sa klase at sa cafeteria, ay hindi na kami nagkaroon ng interaction sa isa't isa. It's been two weeks actually. And I never thought that I'll be able to interact with him again.

"We're not actually."

"Anak ng!" Ang lalim-lalim ng iniisip ko dito, tapos bigla siyang magsasalita? Muntik na tuloy akong ma-out of balance, buti na lang naalalayan ko ang sarili ko. I'm quite fit, but not that so.

"Ano ba?" Medyo malapit na din kami sa building ng next class. "Nothing, I heard your whisper," hindi nga? Bulong lang iyon, how would he even heard that?

"You do?" I'm facing him while walking. Tumango naman siya, without looking at me.

"Edi ikaw na," lumiko naman ako papasok ng building. Hindi ko alam kung narinig niya din iyon. But, it's a bit louder than the whispered that he's capable to catch on.

I ran towards the elevator ng makita kong pinipindot na ng nakasakay na mga estudyante ang number floor kung saan sila pupunta. At mabuti na lang naabutan ko iyon, bago pa magsara---namin pala. Sa totoo lang una pa siyang nakapasok sa loob ng elevator. Ikaw ba naman biyayaan ng long legs? Syempre, walang wala yung kagaya kong five four (5'4) ang height.

Sa seventh floor ang klase namin, kaya I press the number seven from the numbers placed in the right side of this elevator. Hanggang tenth floor ang building na ito, medyo mataas din siya. Nang kami na lang dalawa ang natira sa loob, sa third floor kasi bumaba yung iba.