How We Fell

[18]

X a v i e r

"Mr. Buenaventura!"

Ngumuso ako at dahan-dahang nag-angat ng tingin kay Sir Bonzon. He just caught me. Great.

Tumaas ang kilay niya. "Texting in class, huh? Give that to me."

Huminga ako nang malalim at saka inabot sa kanya ang phone ko. Ni hindi ko pa nga nae-exit 'yung conversation namin ni Ruther. Now, he's definitely going to read it. Even greater!

I saw how he arched his brow more. "Don't you think your 'missing you' messages to Ms. Fernandez can wait until break time, Mr. Buenaventura?" Lumipat ang tingin niya mula sa phone ko papunta sa akin.

I sheepishly grinned.

Nakita kong umamo ang ekspresyon niya. "Y-you should be thankful that I like you as my student or else, nasa guidance ka na ngayon." Nag-iwas siya ng tingin at inabot ulit sa akin pabalik ang phone ko. "Turn that off and put it in your pocket. I don't want to see that the whole afternoon. Got me?"

Tumango ako. "Thanks, sir."

"Okay..."

I swear I saw a smile almost slip on his lips before he turned his back on me. Oh, god. No.

*

This is really crazy. Isang araw pa nga lang siyang nawala pero namimiss ko na kaagad? What the hell. It shouldn't be like this... Her effect on me shouldn't be like this.

"Ever heard of flying pigs?"

Unti-unti akong napatingala sa kung kanino man nanggaling ang boses na iyon. I wasn't wrong. I watched him put his tray on the table and sat in front of me.

I clenched my jaw. Really? He has the guts to sit here with me?

"There's no such thing as that." Seryoso lamang akong tumingin sa kanya.

"Yeah. And there's no such thing as you, getting a chance on Jamie," mataman niyang sinabi at umiling-iling. "I can't let you do this, Xavier."

Oh, really? Just watch me.

Naglaro ang ngisi sa mga labi ko. "I already am."

Umigting ang panga niya dahil sa sinabi ko. "Where is she? What do you know about Jamie's absence?" Even with the anger in his tone, his expression stayed blank. Hindi ito ang Keith na kilala ko noon. Of course, even he changed.

Tinagilid ko ang ulo ko at mataman siyang tinitigan. "First of all, why do you even care?" Why does he even care if apparently, he's actually the reason why Ruther's sick right now? Damn, if only she wasn't that hurt seeing him kiss somebody else.

"You know why I care."

I kept my stare on him for a few seconds, before I spoke.

"She's sick," I said, finally, before he could even shed a tear.

"What? Why?" nag-aalala niyang tanong. I wanted to laugh. Hindi niya talaga alam 'yung dahilan, ano?

"I don't know. Basta alam ko, nilalagnat siya. That's all." I shrugged. That's the only details you'll get, Keith. You don't have to know more. You don't deserve it.

"Give me her number."

Are you stupid? "Why would I?"

Tumalim ang tingin niya sa akin. "She's mine, you know. She's only mine."

I laughed with sarcasm as I shook my head. No, dude. She's not.

"Pare, gago ka pala talaga, ano? May Andy ka na nga, 'di ba? Tapos pati si Ruther, inaangkin mo pa rin? Aren't you just selfish, Keith Kenneth. You never really changed."

Mabilis ang paghinga niya. "This is still about her, isn't it?" tanong niya.

Napatigil naman ako sa pagtawa dahil doon. That's good! Now he finally gets it.

"It's still about her, that's why you won't stop bugging me? That's why you just won't stop until you get what you want?"

My expression suddenly became cold. "Why? What's about her, Keith?"

"Please, just leave me the hell alone. Why can't you just move on?" His eyes are pleading. Wow, sorry... but I'm not even sorry.

"Katulad ng ginawa mo?" I asked and shook my head. "Sorry, Keith, pero hindi ako gago katulad mo. I am not like the selfish, heartless asshole that you are. Alam ko kung paano masaktan. Alam ko kung paano maawa."

He shook his head. "Just because you think that I have moved on, doesn't mean I don't think about it anymore. You think I don't care? Sa tingin mo, ganoon ba ako ka-gago? Ganoon ba talaga ako sa mga mata mo, Xavier?"

I sarcastically smirked. "Do you really have to ask?"

He clenched his jaw even more. "I would like to think of it as a nightmare I wish would've never happened. You know why, Xavier?"

Come on, tell me more. I impatiently looked at him waiting for the words I badly want to hear.

"Because it still haunts me every single night."

I hope it does, Keith. I really hope it does.