Dying Embers

Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Galit

ᯓ★ play this while reading: line without a hook — ricky montgomery 𝄞 ⋆ˎˊ-

Instead of joining Jilliana for lunch, I escaped to the rooftop. The air was cool, the breeze brushing strands of hair across my face, and for a moment, parang may peace. The city stretched far and wide, gray rooftops blending into the sky, and I thought maybe — just maybe — I could breathe here.

Pero kahit anong pilit kong mag-relax, I couldn't. Ang bigat sa dibdib. Every sound — the clang of a distant bell, the rustle of leaves, even the hum of the wind — felt like needles against my skin. Ang dali kong mairita. My frustration was a ticking bomb, waiting to explode.

I flipped through my math notebook, eyes burning from rereading the same examples I didn't get. Numbers, symbols, fractions — lahat parang hieroglyphics na hindi ko maintindihan. My brain refused to cooperate. I gripped my pen tighter, tried again, pero useless. Ang sakit na sa ulo. I wanted someone to explain it to me, someone to untangle the mess in my notes. Instead, I ended up crumpling the paper filled with ugly attempts and tossed it across the rooftop floor.

"Ayoko na!" Sigaw ko, my voice cracking as my brows furrowed. Gusto kong umiyak, but no tears came. Frustration lang — too much of it, like it was choking me. Mababaliw na talaga ako.

I glared at my notebook, its blank lines taunting me. "Isa ka pa! I don't understand a thing from you!" My voice echoed faintly against the walls.

"You know, most people don't usually talk to their notebooks, right?"

I froze. My heart leapt to my throat. The voice was calm, familiar, teasing. I turned slowly, and there he was — half-hidden on a long wooden bench, his right arm draped lazily over his eyes. His presence was so casual, as if he belonged to this rooftop more than the clouds above it.

"Kanina ka pa diyan?" I asked, trying to sound composed though my pulse betrayed me.

He didn't move much, only tilted his head slightly. "Yeah. Kanina pa. Heard all your frustrations." His lips curved into a small, amused smirk.

"And so?" I raised a brow, defensive.

Finally, he sat up, stretching his arms with a quiet groan. His hair was a little messy, and his voice carried that hoarse edge of someone who just woke up. His eyes, still heavy with sleep, locked on me.

"You just woke me up," he said.

Humalukipkip ako, narrowing my eyes. "So kasalanan ko pa ngayon?"

Amusement flickered across his face, and he grinned shamelessly. "Yep."

I scoffed. Ang kapal talaga! "And what are you doing here, anyway?"

"This is my spot, Nieve," he said simply, shrugging like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I rolled my eyes. "Your spot? Really? Do you own this whole rooftop now to call it yours?"

He pressed his lips together, pretending to think. "Do I really have to own it to call it mine?" His expression was mock-innocent, which only fueled my disbelief.

"Are you being serious right now? Malamang! Baliw ka ba?" My annoyance slipped through every word.

He nodded slowly, like he had just realized something profound. Then, with a quiet laugh, he looked at me, a smile tugging at his lips. "Kung ganon... e di tayo na lang."

I froze. My lips parted on instinct, my throat dry. "A-Anong sabi mo?" I stammered, trying to steady my voice, pero obvious ang pagka-utal. Why the hell did I stutter?