If I have Nothing (Absinthe Series 5)

Kabanata 15

Kabanata 15

If I Have Nothing

"What are you doing here again?" I asked Rhett when I saw him waiting outside our classroom. Nakaharap siya sa labas habang ang siko ay nakapatong na sa sementadong barandilya. Sa kaniyang likod ay nandoon ang kaniyang drawing tube.

Napaayos siya ng tayo nang makita na ako. I arched a brow waiting for his answer. His cold eyes stayed on my face before the corner of his lips lifted up.

"I'll take you home. Do you have any pending things to do?" he asked. I caught how his eyes lingered a bit on the group of boys who passed by us. Ang isa doon ay nakita ko pang napatingin sa akin.

"Wala na. What are you doing here anyway? May dinner na naman ba akong dadaluhan?" kumunot ang aking noo.

Namulsa siya at mayabang na tumayo. "I said it already. I'll take you home."

"Huh? You have a condo somewhere here. Parating na iyong driver namin."

"Hindi na. I texted your mom that I'll take you home."

I sighed. I guess this is just part of our set up. Hindi naman ako nainform na kailangang hatid sundo niya rin ako. I guess this is the part where we really need to get to know each other a bit to become close.

"Sinabi ni Tita Aleah na ihahatid mo ako sa bahay?" tanong ko nang magsimula na kaming maglakad. Gumilid siya nang may grupo ng mga babaeng papaakyat sa hagdan. Some of them even giggled at the sight of Rhett. The latter just stared at them with cold eyes.

Kumunot ang noo niya at bumaling nang bahagya sa akin. "What?"

"Pinapahatid ako ni Tita Aleah sa bahay? I mean, I am sure you did not voluntarily come here just to take me home."

He shrugged. May pagkalito pa rin sa kaniyang mga mata. "Yeah...Mom did."

Sabi ko na nga ba.

Maybe it's a good thing? We almost did grew up together even though he was three years older than me. Nga lang, dahil sa pagiging masungit niya at snob sa akin, hindi ko talaga siya kilalang-kilala. I only know some minor informations about him like name, age and such. Parang pang-bio data lang ang alam ko sa kaniya.

"You have no date with your girlfriend?" subok kong tanong at baka makakuha ulit ng reaksyon. He just somehow gave me a glare sideways. Mas lalo akong tumabi sa kaniya para makita siya.

I lowly giggled. "Did you get laid the last time?"

"Syden Amaryllis..." he called my name with a trace of warning. Mukhang seryoso iyon lalo pa't malamig ang kaniyang tono.

I pursed my lips together. Napangiti lang nang may nadaanang kaklase na mukhang babalik pa ulit sa aming classroom.

Nang magpunta kami sa parking ay namataan ko na ang kaniyang itim na Navarra. He clicked the key fob. Agad ko namang tinunton ang aking pwesto.

When I sat down at his leather seat, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I immediately fished out the gadget to see who texted.

Nakita ko ang pangalan ni Marriam doon.

Marriam:
Hoy! Bakit mo kasama pauwi yung masungit?

Kumunot ang noo ko sa kaniyang text. I glanced at Rhett who just entered his car. Ibinalik ko kaagad ang tingin sa cellphone.

Ako:
We have to go somewhere. Saan ka ba?

Marriam:
Nasa parking hahaha, ikaw haaaa Dumadamoves na siguro si Ice boy kaya kayo magkasama

I almost rolled my eyes. Hindi na siya natigil sa kakatukso kay Rhett sa akin. I mean, duh, hindi naman talaga niya ako gusto. He's always cold and snob.