Chapter Five

" So naughty! I like that."

Yun agad ang bumungad sa kanya sa hallway ng building nila. She could see everyone has their own group and laughing over something. It's like a deja vu for her but one thing is for sure hindi siya ang pinagtsitsismisan nito.

Now that she's on college, condo at skwelahan lang ang tungo niya kung aalis man siya madalang lang din yun pag nag-aaya lang si Riza o di kaya ay si Athena.

Athena is taking a course related to film and directing while Riza and I took accountancy. Halos pareha kami ng schedule ni Riza liban na lang kay Athena na naiba.

Walang gana siyang naglakad sa unang klase niya at di nalang pinansin ang nagkukumpulang estudyante. Masyado pa rin kasing maaga para sa unang klase nila kaya may oras pa ang iba na magdaldalan.

Pero ang dahilan talaga kung bakit siya pagod ay dahil tinanggal siya sa pagiging waitress niya sa isang korean restaurant matapos magreklamo ang isang customer sa kanya, nilalandi raw kasi niya ang asawa nito. Hindi siya mapanglait pero napakapangit ng asawa nito at mukha pang manyakis asa siyang papatulan niya ito. Gusto niya sanang umapila pero alam niyang wala rin siyang magagawa kaya tumahimik na lang siya.

Nang makapasok sa room ay agad lang siya dumiresto sa madalas nilang pwesto nakita niya pa si Riza na nakipagdaldalan rin sa iba. Hindi na lang siya lumapit dito at naupo nalang at napatungo sa upuan niya.

Naramdaman niyang umupo na rin ang kaibigan pero ramdam yata nito ang galit niya kaya hindi na lang muna siya nito kinausap.

She just close her eyes and took a nap while waiting for there professor to come in. Hindi niya alam kung ilang minuto siyang nakayuko sa desk niya pero nang mag-angat siya ng tingin ay wala pa rin ang professor nila when she check her watch they still have two minutes before the time.

"Gusto mo?" Riza handed her a yakult with a smile on her face. Seeing her smile she started to feel scared.

"What is it?" she directly asked her and folded her arms letting her know that one yakult won't solve anything.

Mas lalo lang ngumiti ang kaibigan pero hindi naman nito magawang tumingin sa mga mata niya ng diretso.

"Nauhaw kasi ako kaya pumunta ako ng canteen kanina at naisip ko na bilhan ka na rin ng paborito mong yakult.. tagal na rin kasi ng huling nilibre kita." nilapit na nito ang yakult sa kanya at nilapag sa lamesa. Pang korean kasi ang itsura ng lamesa nila at upuan nila.

"Ba't mo ako naisipang ilibre?"

Her friend may look like a nerd but she can lie without stuttering. She's a real deal.

"Coz' you look like you're trouble and.. as a good friend I just want to make you happy."

Napataas siya ng kilay sa sinabi nito. Tama rin naman ito, she really is pissed. Hindi siya naniniwala sa reasoning nito pero nasasayangan din naman siya sa yakult na bigay nito.

" Arte mo" nasabi na lang niya sabay kuha sa yakult na nasa harap niya. She didn't buy her excuse but I guess she'll just have to wait and see the consequence.

Nagsibalikan ang ibang classmate nila kaya ng napatingin sa harap ay may nakatayo ng assistant sa harap nila. Binati niya muna kami bago nagbigay ng gawain sa amin wala pala ang prof namin kaya ang assistant na lang nito ang nagbigay ng task sa amin na magiging assignment na rin namin.

They distributed the papers and when it was her turn she only take one and pass the other paper to the person on the back, Riza also did it.

She look at the paper and see that it was to pages and back to back equals four pages all in all. Pagak siyang natawa sinusulit talaga nito ang dalawang oras na klase nito kahit absent ito.

"Nicks.."

Pagkuha nito ng atensyon niya pero binalik din agad niya ang tingin sa papel niya.

"O.."

" You know the latest" patuloy nito na sinagot na lang din niya. Hindi siya ganoon ka interesado sa tsismis na nangyayari sa school nila pero Riza knows it all madalas itong magkwento sa kanya pero tahimik lang siya kaya napapalo siya nito ng maraming beses dahil hindi raw siya nakikinig. Nakikinig naman siya dito madalas nga lang tulala siya sa tuwing nagkukuwento ito.

"Hindi." She flatly said and she flipped the second page.

"Everyone in the school knows that you saw Allen fucking someone in the shower last friday."

"O, okay" she said.

Wait. w-what?

Nanlalaki ang mata niyang bumaling sa kaibigan na awkward na ngayong nakangiti sa kanya sabay tango pa nito.

"WHAT?"

Tinakpan nito ang bibig niya sabay tingin sa mga kaklase nila. She remove her hand on her mouth and throw a glare on her.

Ito pala ang kapalit ng yakult na bigay nito. I knew it may ginawa na naman itong kalokohan.

"Well hindi naman talaga nila alam na ikaw ang nakakita pero they knew that the guy was Allen."

Parang nanghina siya sa sinabi nito at biglang uminit ang mukha niya sa galit. "Do you think that would make any difference?"

"Well everyone would never know that it was you who spread the rumor but the catch is Allen knew that it was you" nagawa pa nitong ayusin ang salamin nito habang nagngingitngit siya sa galit. Halos malukot niya ang papel na hawak niya nang makita nito ang ginawa nita ay sinubukan nitong kunin ang papel sa kamay.

"Sorry! Na kwento ko kasi kay Athena yung nangyari and she was drunk when accidentally blurted it out to her friend and her friends also told their friend about it. So there."

Pagkukuwento nito na parang wala lang at Inayos pa nito ang papel na nagusot niya. She know that the sorry was true but she could also see amusement on her eyes.

"That's it." Her heart started beating fast that the sound of it came out low but strong. Her friend only nod her head and wasn't really affected by her anger. When she was about to smack her shoulder when somebody called her name and an extreme silent in the room.

"Nicah Flores may naghahanap sayo."

Napatingin siya sa lalaking nakaupo malapit sa pinto and there nakita niya ang lalaking hindi niya inaasahang maghahanap sa kanya. Kaya naman pala natahimik ang lahat. Allen Preston Javier was leaning on the door and was only looking at her.

Isa-isa niyang tinignan ang lahat ng tao classroom pero ni isa walang naglakas loob na magsalita at basagin ang katahimikan para lang din silang nag aantayan kung sino ang maunang magtanong. Kahit ang katabi niya ay parang napipi at nakalimutang magsalita. Napaawang pa ang bibig nito sa gulat.

She couldn't read his eyes clearly but she knows that he was furious at her. Allen was only wearing a white t-shirt and slacks and she couldn't see his feet since it was block by the table.

She point herself before looking all the people around her. Nakatingin ang lahat sa kanya kaya medyo kinabahan siya ng husto. Wala siyang nakuhang sagot pero nakita niyang tumalikod na si Allen at nag-eexpect na yata na susundan niya ito.

Para siyang mabibingi sa sobrang tahimik ng klase na kahit paglabas niya ay wala siyang narinig na ingay. Hindi niya nga tuloy naalala if nakapagpaalam ba siya kay Riza bago sundan si Allen sa labas.

Isang dipa ang layo niya dito at nakatingin lang siya sa likod nito kaya ng tumigil ito ay napatigil din siya. Tsaka niya napansin na nasa gilid lang pala sila ng building nila.

Walang salita lang siyang nakatayo sa harap nito. Ramdam niya ang nakakatusok nitong tingin sa kanya kaya nag-angat siya ng tingin at na kumpirmang tama nga ang hinala niya. Mariin itong nakatingin sa kanya.

"Why did you do it?" that was the first sentence he said after two minutes of being silent.

"Do what?"

" You what I'm talking about Flores."

"No, I don't know what you're talking about Mr.Javier" matapang niyang saad dito sabay tingin sa malayo.

"Really.. you told everyone that it was me doing it in the shower room."

"No. Hindi ako yun"

" It was only you outside the room and no one else, now tell me again it wasn't you."

"Hindi nga ako nagpakalat no'n"

I frustratedly told him that while he remained calm and both hands is in his pocket.

" Do you even know what could happen to me after what you did." It was his name and reputation that we are talking about but he remained composed... and patient at her?

Natawa siya sa sinabi nito at pinagkrus ang dalawang kamay sa dibdib niya.

"What about you? I was traumatized with what I saw. So you can't expect me to stay quiet. Of course I needed someone to talk to forget what I witness."

"Flores, we both know you weren't traumatized by it, seeing how you overreacted after you saw that it was me. So stop acting....Saw? What did you saw? Did you saw me doing it?"

Nagulat siya na malamang alam nito na umaarte lang siyang natakot kunwari sa nakita. Para siyang nanlamig sa turan nito.

They are college student already and yes it wasn't really a big deal to witness something sexual dahil ilang party na rin kasi ang napuntahan niya at madalas ang ganong eksena but this one is different because Allen is known for being a model student and it is a big deal if his name is tainted, they could give him punishment if they want. Okay fine! She admit to overreacting but the rumor she has nothing to do with it.

" Fine! I did overreact pero hindi pa rin ako yun"

"It doesn't make any difference. You still told them about it."

" Fine I'm sorry okay na?" ayaw niyang sigawan ito pero sa sobrang emosyon yata ang naramdaman niya naging singhal ito.

He shifted a bit but his hands is still in its placed. "It wasn't me." He said but she heard it differently, it sounded so soft na parang nanunuyo.

She grin. "Talaga! Sige nga pa'no mo ipapaliwanag kung bakit ka nandon. O baka naman horny ka kaya naki-"

"Stop it!" ngayon alam niya nang galit ito dahil nagbago ang tono ng pananalita nito. Salubong na rin ang dalawang kilay nito at kita na ang gitla sa noo nito. He clench his teeth and his hands is already on his side. At dahil dakila siyang pasaway mas lalo niya itong inasar.

He glared at her.

"Threesome"

"FLORES!"

"Don't call me that."

She also throw glares at him. "... at isa pa pangalan mo lang yung nasira ko. Tsaka ka na magreklamo kung buhay mo na ang nasira ko."

Hindi na niya napigilang magsalita ng masama kahit siya naman talaga itong may mali. Mas pinili na lang niyang tumalikod kaysa makipagtalo pa dito na baka pagsisisihan din niya sa huli.

She wanted to slap herself. How could she easily say those words without actually realizing how much weight it holds. Allen is a role model in the school kaya natural lang ang naging reaksyon nito. Pinairal na naman niya ang pagiging m*****a niya na sa halip humingi ng pasensya ay nakipagtalo pa talaga siya.

"Nicah!" she heard him call for her name but she didn't bother to stop and just went on.

Nakasimangot siyang pumasok ng klase nila ng bigla nalang pumalakpak ang mga kaklase niya na may kasamang sigaw. She was startled for a bit but she only gave them a frown.

Walang ibang nakatayo sa harap bukod sa kanya samahan mo pa ang mga matang nakatingin lang sa direksyon niya. Sa sobrang lakas ng hiyawan nito ay halos hindi na niya maintindihan ang mga sinabi nito sa halip puro pang-aasar na hiyaw ang naririnig niya.

Hindi nalang niya pinansin ang mga ito at dumiretso nalang pabalik sa upuan niya. Her friend was smiling from ear to ear while watching her walk hanggang sa tuluyan siyang makalapit sa pwesto nito.

"Did they-"

" Nope. Hindi nila alam na sayo galing ang rumor pero they assume that you were the girl he was with sa shower room. Congratulations!!"

TANGINA!