Chapter 7

"Are you satisfied now?" Crezst boringly asked and glanced at her waych. "We're seven minutes late already. Luckily, our teacher hasn't arrived yet."

"Okay, let's go." I smiled then nodded in jubilee.

They both sighed. Helen shook her head before looking at me. "Is that the effect of not having a boyfriend these past few months, Slaine?"

"No. I don't need a boyfriend right now. Rafus alone is enough. I have to put all of my attention on him. He's getting more handsome as days passed by. Mahirap na baka may umagaw, mas mabuting mabakuran ko na."

"Grabe, Slaine! Ikaw na talaga ang baligtad ang ulo! Dapat ikaw ang bakuran hindi 'yong ikaw ang magbabakod," pagtatama ni Crezst.

"Time will come, he'll be head over heels in love with me."

"That'll be thirty years from now, Slaine." Helen teased that made me frowned.

"Tuyo na ako no'n! Hindi ako papayag, Helen!" Giit ko at kumibit-balikat lang ang dalawa.

We continued walking until we reached our classroom. The first thing that got my attention the moment I stepped inside is Jangkit. He's sitting between Dom and Lowell, which is very unusual.

Is he turning to be straight? Does he find his true self now?

The next following days, we became very busy with our PowerPoint and the preparation for our finals. It's very frustrating due to the fact that our teacher's returning it if she finds mistakes.

It's my third attempt, yet she returned it to me again. I have no time in flirting Rafus. My grades are shaking and on the brink of failing, so I need to stay focused.

I'm on my way to the library, carrying the netbook I've borrowed from the computer room. Library is the last card where I can have my piece of mind. I picked a book from the shelves before finding myself a place to sit. It's slightly shady, so I need to open the lamp on the side of the table to read better.

I felt a presence beside me, but I'm too preoccupied to lift my head up. I'm not done revising my work, and I have to find more information in the book. Maybe I lack in those.

"This part is wrong," a baritone voice filled my ear, which made me stop from encoding.

His delicate finger is pointing at the first part of my tenth slide. I tilted my head, and my heart skipped a beat as I saw his handsome face! His lips were in grim line, but it made my cheeks burnt red. I looked away, just enough to hide the thrill I'm feeling.

"Wala akong baong pick-up line, Rafus. Bukas ka nalang magpakita, siguradong naka-practice na ako ng script ko para mawindang ka sa'kin."

"You're talking nonsense," he seriously uttered before returning his attention to the book he's reading.

I badly want to focus, but my damn flirty side is dominating my body, even my sanity! I crossed my legs and smiled sweetly at him. "What are you reading?"

"A book, obviously."

"I aware that's obviously a book," I grimaced.

He stopped reading, then glanced at me with the same expression, still stoic. "What are you reading is different from what book are you reading," he corrected me in a monotone voice.

"I'm sorry, genius."

"Be spefic next time. Words that come from your mouth might have a reciprocated meaning than what you mean."

"Fine, fine. My bad. I'm sorry," I sighed, then raised both of my hands to surrender. "Let me revise my question. What book are you reading?"

He continued reading, playing deaf to my question. I've waited for a few seconds but I still haven't gotten a response. "You don't need to know, it's not your cup of tea..."

"You only said that," I mouthed, then made face. "What's that all about anyway?"

He sighed deeply. "It's Biological Science, specifically the endocrine system."

"Then what hormone is responsible for enhancing the libido of a person?"

I saw how his jaw clenched. He then cleared his throat and didn't glance at me. "Inaral mo 'yan noong junior high. I'm certain you know the answer to that question."

"Makakalimutin ako sa mga bagay bagay..." Sambit ko at bahagyan napakagat-labi. "Pero pagdating sa'yo, hindi ako nakakalimot."

"Testosterone," he said, not even shaken.

"Huh?"

"That's the most influential hormone when it comes to sexual desire."

Napabusangot ako. Hindi man lang ba siya nayanig sa sinabi ko? Next level talaga ang pagiging cold niya!

"Baby, wait..." Hinawakan ko ang kamay niya para pigilan siyang umalis.

"I'm not your baby."

"Oo, ngayon hindi, pero soon baby na kita at baby mo rin ako."

I saw him sighed in disbelief.

Tumikhim ako bago sumeryoso. "I'm so stressed lately because of my PowerPoint. Can you check it and point out some mistakes?"

Mataman niya akong tinignan, tila hindi kumbinsido sa sinabi ko.

"Please, Rafus? If I won't do my PowerPoint well, it'll have a great impact on my acads. Payag ka ba na babagsak ang mapapangasawa mo?"

I saw him smirked and fixed his glasses before sitting beside me again. "Fine, I'll do this once."

He started dictating words and helped me revise my PowerPoint from beginning 'till end.

"Nakita ko si Mama..."

He paused to look at me with curious eyes.

"Ang ibig kong sabihin, si Mama mo pala..." Hilaw akong natawa, nadulas ako sa sasabihin ko! "Na magiging Mama ko na rin kapag naging boyfriend na kita."

"I think you just lack sleep."

"I lack sleep because every time I close my eyes, you're the one that always enter my mind. It makes me wide awake and dream while looking at the stars in the night sky."

I feel like intoxicated to his stares as our eyes met. My heart throbbed, and I had to place my hands on my thighs to pour all the thrills I felt at this moment.

His eyes were mysterious. The way he looks at me feels like his diving until he can reach the deepest part of my emotions.

He averted his eyes to the netbook. "It's done," he said with finality. He stood up then stormed out of the library while carrying the book.

The next day felt like seventh heaven for me! My echoserang teacher just accepted my PowerPoint presentation!

Thanks to my baby for helping me yesterday!

"I'm quite impressed, Miss Aranza," she said after examining my PowerPoint.

Ma'am, it's Mrs. Cattaneo, not Ms. Aranza! I wanna correct her, but I don't want to sound like a goddamn smitten. I smiled at my teacher before heading out of the office. While walking in the corridor, my eyes are searching for Shey in the waves of people.

Kumunot ang noo ko nang makita ang grupo nilang may kasamang lalaki. Sa pagkakaalam ko ay puro babae silang magkakaibigan. Kay Shey pa mismo nakatabi ang lalaki.

"Ate!"Bumalik ako sa huwisyo dahil sa sigaw ni Shey.

Ngumiti ako ng pilit habang hinihintay siyang tuluyan na makalapit sa akin. "Bakit ka nandito? Class hours ngayon ah?"

"Papunta po kami sa Science Laboratory, Ate." Ngumiti siya pero hindi ko sinuklian. Mataman ko siyang tinignan, mukhang nagsasabi naman siya ng totoo.

Dumukot ako ng pera sa bulsa at inabot sa kaniya. "Baon mo," malambot kong sabi. "Umalis ka na baka mahuli ka sa pasok niyo."

"Sige po. Salamat dito, Ate," pinakita niya sa akin ang pera. Tumango ako at tumalikod na siya sa akin para bumalik sa mga kaibigan niya.

Bumalik na ako sa classroom pero sa labas palang ay may ideyang pumasok sa isip ko, hindi ko maiwasang napangiti. Nasa tapat palang ako ng classroom, umiyak na ako para kapanipaniwala. Confident ako dahil wala si Ma'am sa room at naagaw ko ang atensiyon ng mga kaklase.

Unang lumapit sa akin ay si Crezst na nagtataka at nag-aalala. "Hoy Slaine, anong nangyari sa'yo? Ayos ka lang ba?"

Imbes na sumagot ay mas lalo lang akong napahikbi at ipinakita sa kaniya ang mga mata ko na punong puno ng luha.

"Gaga ka talaga, Slaine! Sagutin mo 'ko hindi iyong iyak ka nang iyak diyan! Masisipa talaga kita pabalik sa sinapupunan ng Mama mo!"

Nagdadalawang isip pa ako kung sasabihin ko ba o mamaya pa. Baka kasi mahalata ni Crezst na nagbibiro lang ako, batok at sipa aabutin ko.

"Crezst, hinay hinay lang! Talsik laway mo uy!" Sigaw ni Helen habang lumalapit sa akin at dinaluhan ako. "Bakit ka umiiyak, Slaine? May masakit ba sa'yo?"

Tumutulo parin ang luha ko habang tumango sa tanong niya. Hinampas ko ang dibdib ko at inawat nila akong dalawa.

"Ano ka ba Slaine?!" singhal ni Crezst.

"Si Rafus..." nanghihina kong sabi. "May baby na... ang sakit! Sobra. Ang sakit ng puso ko."

Narining ko ang pagbuntong-hininga nila. "Iyan na nga ba ang sinasabi ko Slaine! Huwag ka ng umasa roon sa Rafus na 'yon! Sa kapwa niya nerd siya pumapatol!" Pangaral ni Crezst.

"Ano Slaine? Aakitin na ba namin ang baby niya para sa'yo mapunta si Rafus?" Alok ni Lowell. Hindi ko inakala na narinig niya pala iyon.

"Magmove-on ka na lang, Slaine! Tutal andami mo pang listahan ng mga crush," si Jangkit na pinapagaan ang loob ko.

"Huwag ka ng malungkot diyan, Slaine. Oorder na ako ng tatlong tupperware ng graham balls. Tahan na, mukha ka kasi tanga kapag umiiyak." Sabi naman ni Dom.

Nanatili akong nakatingin sa sahig. "Sino ba 'yang baby ni Rafus, Slaine?" Doon lang ako napaangat ng tingin sa tanong ni Helen. Pansin kong pati si Dom, Dani at Jangkit ay nakatingin sa akin at naghihintay sa sagot ko.

"Bakit ako umiiyak? Dahil ito sa tuwa. Sumasakit ang puso ko dahil sa sobrang saya..." Sinubukan kong palungkutin ang boses ko pero makalipas ang ilang segundo ay tumayo ako at pinagpagan ang sarili saka pinunasan ang luha.

"Ano'ng ibig mong sabihin?" Sabay tanong ni Jangkit at Dani. Kunot noo rin sina Lowell at Dom na nakatingin sa akin.

"Rafus' baby is no other than... me, Slaine Amaris Aranza-Cattaneo." I proudly uttered with a nice poise and showed them my sweetest smile.

Silence was deafening the whole room, and I could barely hear the cricket. All eyes were glued at me, looking like I had said something ridiculous.

I've seen an incoming notebook towards my direction, but my reflexes reacted a little bit late the reason why it hitted my face.

I groaned in pain while caressing my forehead. My eyes were menacingly looking at Crezst, who's wearing a winning face on the right corner.

"What the fuck was that?" I hissed.

"You're too delusional honey. I just woke you up in your deepest illusion," she mocked.

Kung hindi ko lang kaibigan itong si Crezst, kanina ko pa siya nakalbo. I felt a pang in my heart because her words just hitted the nail in the head.

"Can you atleast sugarcoat your words?"

She shook her head. "Nah, I'm not good at that. You often need to get slap by the truth in order to gain your sanity back."

I stilled when I felt a sudden tap on my shoulder. I turn to look at the owner of the hand but I was welcomed by Helen's faint smile.

"Though I'm still wondering why you're profoundly into Rafus but... I'll try to understand you just don't go overboard." Helen said and heaved a sigh.

"Ang galing mong umakto Slaine grabe! Pwede ka ng maglakad sa red carpet at pangaralan ng Assumera of the Year Award!"

Sinamaan ko ng tingin ang humahagalpak sa tawang si Jangkit. Dumako ang tingin ko sa dalawang kaibigan kong lalaki, parehas silang umiling habang nakangisi.

"Sana lahat si Rafus na kinababaliwan ng isang Slaine Amaris Aranza," labas sa ilong na sabi ni Lowell.

"Kaso mukha nga lang psycho," hindi nakaligtas sa pandinig ko ang binulong ni Dom kay Lowell.

Pinulot ko ang notebook mula sa sahig at ibinato iyon kay Dom. Natamaan ko ang braso niya pero hindi ko aakalain na makikita sa gilid ng paningin ko ang panlilisik ng mata ni Jangkit sa'kin.