Akasya

Chapter 7 | One Over Zero

MAAGA AKONG pumasok ngayong araw sa apat na dahilan. Una, kailangan kong humabol sa afternoon classes, dahil absent ako noong nakaraang araw. Pangalawa, since ako ang topic of the week ng mga estudyante, kailangan kong umiwas. Pangatlo, namiss ko ang kakulitan nina Choral at Keevah. And top most priority, pang-apat, may utang pa si Zero sa akin kaya't hindi ko palalagpasin ang pagkatataon na ito.

Guess what happened yesterday? Para kaming batang puslit ni Zero kahapon, dahil naghabulan kami habang naliligo sa malamig na ulan. Sumali pa nga sina Cace at Gene Karim sa amin. Tuloy naisahan at napagkatuwaan ako. Paano ba naman, tatlo sila tapos ako nag-iisa lamang. Ang nakaiinis pa ay nakatakas sila nang nakapunta na kami sa School Dorm. Nagmukha tuloy pinagdaanan ng bagyo ang itsura ko kahapon.

As of this moment, naglakad ako ngayon sa main hallway ng paaralan. Mukhang napaaga yata ako ng sobra, sapagkat bilang lang sa mga darili ko ang mga estudyante. Well, that's good! I also needed to prepare sa tatlong bibe na 'yon. Hindi pwedeng hindi ako lalaban. Ano ba yan, magpapaapi na lang ba tayo palagi sa mga lalaki, girls?!

Padabog kaagad akong tumapak sa tahimik na stairs papuntang second floor. Come to think of it. Why do Zero loves playing crooks with me?!

Upon I stepped on the next stair where I am on wide square flatted middle part, I snapped out of my own trace nang may nakita akong paa na nakasuot ng black rubber shoes sa harapan ko. When I involuntarily lifted my head upward, I left frozen. Hindi ko rin naiwasang lumunok sa kaba at damahin ang matinding takot as our gazes collided.

What the... Ang aga-aga pa, pero matindi makabigay ng regalo si tadhana.

Mabilis pa sa alas-singko akong umiwas at tumingin pababa. I bit my upper lip, trying to figure a way out to this unexpected scenario. We're too close, facing each other's paces. Then an idea hit me. I move and step to walk to his opposite way. However, my eyes bulge down when he block it quickly. But it didn't stop me and move back again to the first direction. But damn, he blocked my way again. Teka? Gusto niya bang magpatintero kami forever?

With a little courage left to me, I faced him, eye to eye. He also did. Ilang minuto kaming nagkatitigan, tila nakabibinging tahimik ng umaga ang yumanig sa mga tenga namin. Walang nagpatalo, subalit ako na ang unang nadulas ng bigla siyang humakbang paabante sa akin. Dahil sa takot at kaba, napaatras ako ng hakbang. Hanggang ito'y umulit ng umulit, habang hindi niya pa din hinihiwalay ang matinik niyang tingin sa akin. Then, it alarmed my whole body system as I felt the cold wall against by back. Oh Crap!

As much as I want to push him or escape from him, I am too late because he already cornered me with his arms, where his both hand leaned against the wall. Damn this position. He's too close for me to normally breath and still, he didn't snap his frivolous gaze to me. It alarmed me. He's stares is giving me a pernicious warning na kinakailangan kong paghandaan.

Fear and fright is now drowning me down. I know I slapped him back then, but should he just slip it away and not take a revenge on me at this moment? Would he take the chance?

"Se-- Selikth, please. Let me go." I stuttered, looking back and forth dahil sa naiilang ako sa sobrang lapit namin sa isa't-isa.

The next thing he did bombarded my ruptured thoughts as he tilted my head using his right hand, facing me at him.

"You think I'll just glide every single hell you did?! I don't guess so?" He asked, anger arising within him while maintaining his eye contact to me.

A silence ensued again. My tongue held in as I don't know the exact words to say. We only stare one another with irascibility. For once, only one thing for sure I knew the significant end of possibility. And that's maybe I'll taste more than hell from him. How inevitable it is.