KABANATA 4

The ball is approaching kaya nagsimula na maghasik nang lagim ang mga kaibigan ko.

They wanted me to make Mr. Reynolds jealous, pero sure akong hindi ito magiging effective. Hindi nga ako type no'n noon, magugustuhan pa kaya?

However, they were determined to make it happen kaya hinahayaan ko na. They picked out a stunning black backless dress for me, and Marie promised to do my hair and makeup to perfection. Determined to make me drop-dead gorgeous!

"Ay, ganda ganda na ng disney princess na yarn! Pak!" Palakpak pa ni Marie.

"Truth, sis! Tingnan natin kung hindi titingin si Ethan baby mo na iyan!" ani rin ni Shanti at nag apir pa sila nitong kaibigan ko.

"Kanino ka ba talaga kampi? Kay David or Mr. Reynolds?" I asked playfully.

"I'm a David stan, through and through!" Shan declared excitedly. "Gusto ko lang makita kung may effect ka talaga sa kaniya, sis! Diba, Marie?"

"I don't know, Mr. Reynolds is pretty hot too," Marie admitted.

"Akin iyon, sis" I exclaimed, tapping her arm.

"Akala ko ba moving on era ka na?" asar niya sa akin.

"Last day today. Palugit lang!" natatawang saad ko.

We laughed together, excited for what the night would bring. Pagkatapos ng ilang minuto ay dumating na rin si David. With his black tuxedo matching my dress, he's really damn attractive. 

"Pogi, ah?" asar ko habang naglalakad kami palabas ng apartment.

"Nagpapapogi 'yan, pusta ko!" asar ni Shan at bahagya pa kaming pinagdikit ni David habang tumitili. 

Tumawa lang naman si David kaya natawa na lang din ako. 

Malakas ang tugtog ng ballroom pagkarating namin. Agad din kaming sinalubong ng iilang kakilala at nag-uusap usap. Si Shanti ang may pinakamaraming kilala sa amin kaya nang makita nila kami sa isang tabi ay maraming lumapit sa amin.

Marami silang pinakilala sa akin but I cannot really memorize it all. I am bad with names. Only those who are the important ones.

"Yes, guys! Getting to know each na iyang dalawang iyan!" ani Shanti at tinuro kaming dalawa ni David. 

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko pero tumawa lang naman ulit si David.

"Bro, good pick! I heard Olivia is an intelligent woman! Narinig ko pa nga siya salutatorian niyo noong highschool?" 

"Naexpire na talino ko, huwag kang mag-expect!" I joked at David's friend na nakalimutan ko kaagad ang pangalan. 

"Yes, Inigo! Lagi iyan nag-ooral recit sa klase namin. Highscores pa sa mga exams," pagmamayabang ni David sa mga kaibigan niya na parang siya ang nagpalaki sa akin.

Agad ko iyon dineny at nagpahumble effect dahil sa totoo lang, hindi naman na ako kasing sipag ngayon gaya no'ng sa highschool. Sa Literature lang naman ako masipag mag recit kaya ganoon. 

Tama nga siguro ang sinabi nila, "ang batang masipag, paglaki pagod." So me.

 We twisted and twirled on the dance floor, conversing with fellow students, and soaking up the fun atmosphere. My heart was racing with excitement, and I could hardly wait for Professor Reynolds to finally notice my presence next to David, just as we had planned.

Sa kabila ng aking mga pagtatangka na mag-move on mula sa aking pagkagusto sa kan'ya, hindi ko maiwasang makaramdam ng nakakatuwang sensasyon sa pag-iisip ng kan'yang magiging reaksyon.

Magagandahan kaya siya sa akin? 

Alam kong imposible pero kapag ito hindi mag-work, aamin na ako sa kaniya. Para magiging klaro sa akin na wala talaga akong chance sa kaniya. 

As the night wore on, my eyes kept looking around for Professor Reynolds, whom I heard was also present at the event already. 

"Mr. Reynolds is here na!"

Hindi ko maiwasan na kabahan nang sobra sobra.

"For sure he is..." I tried to sound unattentive para kunwaring hindi ko talaga siya hinahanap pero alam ko sa sarili kong nahanap na rin agad siya ng mga mata ko kahit dim ang paligid. 

Tila abala siya sa pakikipag-usap sa ibang kasamahan, at hindi ko matukoy kung nakita na niya ako dahil medyo malapit lang din naman siya sa puwesto namin.

A part of me yearned for his attention, while another part dreaded the possibility of rejection.

I stared intently at the woman accompanying him, trying to ascertain if she was his type. As Shan had suggested, she was a mature woman with a captivating physique, seemingly around the same age as him. Hindi iyon si Xandra pero sa nakikita ko, she's more beautiful than Xandra. 

"Let's dance, Via! Maganda ang song," ani David at inilahad ang kaniyang kamay sa akin. 

"Parang tanga ito!" Natawa ako at tumayo na.

Hindi naman iyon slow music para maging pormal siya sa pag-alok sa akin. In fact it's a sexy up-beat song kaya mapapaindayog talaga ang kalandian mo sa katawan.

On the enchanting dance floor, I surrendered to the rhythm, closing my eyes as each movement wove a tale of desire. The neon lights painted a sultry scene, and the music became the pulse of a secret seduction. Lost in the dance, I indulged in the tempting allure of my private world, where every step whispered a story of longing and passion.

Naramdaman ko ang bahagyang hawak ni David sa aking baywang kaya napalingon ako sa kaniya. Ngumisi lang siya sa akin at bahagyang binigyan ako ng space pero nakahawak pa rin siya sa baywang ko. 

As we swayed to the music, I caught Professor Reynolds stealing glances in our direction. His brows furrowed slightly, and my heart skipped a beat. Was he watching me?

Just then, Marie approached me with excitement in her voice. "Akin muna siya, David, huh?" 

She smiled at him before dragging me while still dancing. Napabitiw si David sa akin nang dumating ang kaibigan. Nasa dance floor pa rin naman kami pero chumismis pa rin si Marie sa akin.

"Via, he's noticed you. I saw the look on his face. Keep it up!"

"Really? Should I retouch my makeup?"

The moment's thrill was too much to handle, and even Shan chimed in to say, "No need for retouching, gaga! You're already stunning!"

With newfound confidence, I continued to enjoy the evening stealing glances at Ethan. I don't know if he noticed my secret glimpse of him but I want him to know that I enjoyed his stolen glances too. We laughed and danced. And all the while, I couldn't shake the feeling that Professor Reynolds was watching. 

Pagkatapos naming magsayaw ay nagpunta kami sa iilang mga kaibigan bago nagpunta sa bar station. After a few more shots, I felt David's hand on my lap. My attention, however, was fixed on Mr. Reynolds, trying to catch a glimpse of him. Every time our eyes met, my heart skipped a beat, especially when his gaze darkened.

Parang hindi ata matutuloy ang bounce back era ko, ah. Continue ko pa ata itong delulu era ko!

But...is he really jealous? Or am I just really delusional plus very supportive friends?

Hindi tuloy matigil ang bibig nina Shan at Marie kahit two days na ang nakalipas mula noong ball. It ended in a peaceful way pero hindi iyon peaceful sa akin dahil parang mas lalo akong naguguluhan dahil sa mga tingin ni Ethan sa akin. 

Distracted tuloy ako sa mga klase at noong oras na para sa Lit class, wala rin ako sa mood at hindi ko kayang matingnan si Ethan. Good thing, he didn't do an oral recitation today dahil baka mapapahiya pa ako.

"Sandali lang, Miss Dela Vega." 

Professor Reynolds stopped me with a curious glint in his eyes as I walked out of class,

Napalunok ako at napatingin sa kaniya. This is the first time our eyes met each other today. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit hindi ko siya magawang tingnan. 

"P-Po?"

He looked at me seriously, "I couldn't help but notice you at the university event. You seemed to be having a blast."

My heart skipped a beat as I tried to play it cool. "Yes, Prof, it was an amazing evening."

He raised an eyebrow. "Among all my students, I think it's only you who didn't approach me."

Nawalan ako ng sa sasabihin sa gulat. "H-Huh? Ah... I was busy talking with...ano, other people po."

He nodded and I felt like he sensed that I was lying. "I had no idea you were close with David. I don't recall seeing you two talk in my class before."

I couldn't help but laugh. "That's because we only started talking recently, thanks to a mutual friend."

A mischievous grin spread across his face. "It seems like he likes you."

My cheeks flushed at his comment. "I guess so. And I happen to like him too," I replied with a playful giggle.

Suddenly, his smile faded, and he nodded thoughtfully. "I'm glad to hear that. Students need to have a healthy balance between their studies and personal life. Keep up the good work."

Napakunot noo ako. I got kinda confused and happy, trying to understand what he meant. Was he a bit jealous, o guni guni ko lang ito? After Ethan left, I kept thinking about the stuff going on, like the feelings in the air.