Barcelona Escapade

Chapter Twenty-One: Before

Chapter Twenty-One
Before

I let out a deep sigh of relief the moment I went out of our room. The professor let us out, provided that we've already finished the midterm exam. Wala pa mang result, I am pretty convinced I nailed it after keeping a track and reviewing every subjects I encounter. I would say I'm already getting a hang of engineering, though, a part of me still longs for architecture.

Kasabay ko si Jayden sa paglabas. He finished few minutes after I did. Nilingon ko siya nang magsabay kami palabas ng building.

"How was it?" tanong ko, exam ang tinutukoy.

"Survivable."

I nodded in concurrence.

My relationship with him now is something civil. Simula noong sabihin niya sa akin ang tungkol kay Jayren, hindi ko na rin naiwasang makipag-usap sa kaniya sa tuwing may oras. He's usually my partner in lab works kaya nagkakaroon ako ng oras na tanungin siya tungkol sa kanila ni Hailey, si Jayren, kung bakit kilala niya ang Vastia niya na 'yon at ibang bagay katulad ng isyu ng Lola ni Hailey sa kaniya.

I was told Hailey's grandmother from Hong Kong landed in Manila just last week. Though, it didn't sound like she likes Jayden for her granddaughter. I recently figured out her grandmother's a biggie abroad and that she's managing a hotel and also investing in its chains in the other countries.

"How's dealing with Hailey's grandmother like?" tanong ko habang sabay kaming lumalabas ng building.

Hailey and I just tried to forget what happened before and made it vanish and not affect our today. Hindi ko na rin kakayanin pang hindi makipag-usap sa kaniya dahil miss ko na siya!

"I don't really deal with her," sagot ni Jayden sa'kin. "Almira doesn't like me crossing paths with her grandmother."

"Okay ka sa ganoon?" hindi ko napigilang itanong.

Hailey's still fortunate that her grandmother doesn't seem to have a profound hatred for Jayden. Kasi kung ayaw niya talaga, baka sa una pa lang pinaglayo niya na silang dalawa.

And the thought itself is something to be anxious about... which is why the last time I went out with Eros, nag-dinner lang kami sa hindi mataong restaurant 'pagkatapos ng taekwondo. I actually don't want to take it as our first date. I want it somewhere nice and special at ayoko namang isipin na 'yon ang una namin.

If I would be asked, mas gugustuhin ko pang 'yong unang beses naming magpunta sa Sagrada ang unang date namin simula noong magkakilala!

"It's not like I can do something about it. Her grandmother's just worried for her," halos mahinang sabi ni Jayden sa gilid ko.

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Worried about?"

"Guys she date," he replied.

"Hindi ka naman delikado," I said with rolling eyes. The corner of his lips lifted somehow. "Weren't you with her in Hong Kong, in the same house? Bakit mag-aalala ang Lola ni Hailey kung ikaw ang boyfriend niya kung nag-stay nga kayo sa isang bahay at wala ka namang nagawang masama."

"I think she wants the best for her granddaughter."

Umawang ang labi ko. "Are you not the best?"

Umiwas siya ng tingin. "In her grandmother's eyes, maybe not."

I frowned. He has to claim he is! He has to claim he's best and he's worth it to be Hailey's pick! If in the first place he can't see himself as one, how does he expect others will?

"Why? What could be her standards that you can't level with?"

He didn't answer. My question then led me on to thinking about what kind of a woman Hailey's grandmother is.