Chasing Darius (Chase #2)

Chapter 5

Dalawang linggo na ang nakalipas ngunit hindi pa din ako pinapansin ni Darius. Diana and I are close with his friends already except him. Madalas kami ni Diana sa gym nanonood ng praktis ng basketball kapag walang ginagawa. And Darius and his friends are basketball players so they are always there, practicing.

Diana went to the cr one morning and I was left in the door watching the students passing. Beside our classroom is the stair, kaya naman kitang-kita ko ang mga iilang dumadaang estudyante. Mag alas otso na kasi kaya kaunti na lang ang dumadaan. Wala pa si Miss Aquino kaya ang iba sa amin ay nasa labas pa.

Napangiti ako nang makita si Darius na paakyat sa hagdanan.

"Hi." bati ko nang matapat siya sa akin.

He just looked at me and resumed walking. Napasinghap ako. I am Nerva Aurelia Rodrigo and I won't take that. I ran to follow him and blocked his way.

"Hey."

Annoyed, he faced me. "What do you want, kid?"

Aba't. Tinawag talaga akong bata? Huminga ako ng malalim. Kalma. Think about your goal. "Still angry with me? What have I done to you?"

"Nothing. Out of the way, kid. I'm rushing."

Naningkit ang aking mga mata. "Do you have any grudges against my family?"

"None." maikli niyang sagot. He looked bored and uninterested with our conversation.

Dahil doon sa sinabi niya ay gumaan ang pakiramdam ko. "Then, why can't we be friends?"

"I'm not a friendly person."

"Then why do you have many friends? Ilan kayo, sampu? Ang dami nun."

"They befriended me-"

"Eh, nakikipagkaibigan naman ako sayo ah?"

"Look, why don't you just do something significant rather than insisting to become my friend?"

"Kaya napagkakamalang magkaaway ang pamilya natin, eh. Ginagawa ko ito para patunayan sa lahat na mali sila ng inaakala."

He looked at me seriously and seemed weighing everything.

Padabog kong inabot ang kamay niya at ipinag shake hands ang kamay naming dalawa. Napakabigat ng kamay! Gosh, he's like a dead person.

"I am Aure and I know you're Darius." matamis akong ngumiti sa kanya. "Ayan ah, we are friends now." binitawan ko na ang kamay niya pagkatapos kong ipag shake hands ang mga kamay namin.

Malawak ang ngiting iginawad ko sa kanya ngunit siya ay nanatiling nakakunot ang noo.

Lumapit ako sa kanya at tumingkayad para ayusin ang kanyang noong nakakunot. Gulat na gulat siya sa mga ginagawa ko ngunit hindi naman nagpoprotesta.

"Ang sabi nila gwapo ka daw, nawawala ang kagwapuhan mo kapag nakasimangot ka. Kaya dapat palagi kang nakangiti."

Again, no response from him. I smiled inwardly, atleast he bares my presence now and I am relieved we're now friends.

"Sige na. Nagmamadali ka kamo. Bye."

I smiled at him before he turned his back to me.

I walked down the stairs with a smile plastered in my face. Muntik pa kaming nagkabanggaan ni Diana.

"Woo! Saan ka galing?"

"Dito lang."

Nagtaas siya ng kilay at tinitigan akong mabuti. "Bakit sobrang saya mo yata?"