CHAPTER 5

WEEKENDS didn't last that long. Monday na naman at may pasok ulit ako. I quickly took a bath and did my daily routine.

Isinabit ko na sa likod ko ang bag ko. Lumabas ako ng unit ko at sakto namang naabutan ko yung dalawang lalaki na kakalipat lang sa kabila. It's Finn and Lucas.

“Hi, Scarlet!” masayang bungad sa akin ni Finn.

“Good morning,” bati naman ni Lucas at nag simula nang mag lakad patungo sa elevator.

Tahimik kaming tatlo sa loob ng elevator. No one dares to talk. Finn is using his earphone and I bet Lucas is not really that talkative. He's weird, nice and rude sometimes.

Nang makalabas kami ng elevator, I used my bike to go to school. Hindi ko na sila liningon pa at dumiritso na sa school.

When I arrived, I showed my ID to the guard and went inside. Ipinarada ko ang bike ko—

“—ouch!” I exclaimed when something hit my head. What was that?

“Shit, gago ka Ivan bakit mo kasi binato,” ani nung lalaki habang papalapit sa akin at tinulungan akong tumayo.

“Bakit ka kasi umilag?” sabat nung isa at nag tawanan ang iba nilang kasama.

A soccer ball hit my head. Bakit kasi sila nag babatuhan dito ng bola sa daan? Alam naman nilang may mga tao.

“Are you alright?” the guy named Perseus helped me. I saw his name on his ID.

“Oo. Salamat.”

“Sorry, hindi ko sadya,” the guy who threw the ball apologized to me, “I'm Ivan by the way.”

“Sabay ganun, Ivan?” the guy with a guitar said.

“Nag papakilala lang, eh. Epal ka talaga, Dustin!” Ivan said while punching the guy named Dustin, jokingly.

“Thank you again. Una na ako,” saad ko sa kanila.

Lakad-takbo kong tinahak ang hallway at hagdan papunta sa classroom ko. Nang makarating ako, agad akong pumunta sa upuan ko at inilabas ang notes ko. I started reviewing to kill some time.

As usual, Yuri and her friends keep bothering me. Like what the heck is really wrong with them. But it's better to just ignore them dahil hihinto din naman sila pag nag sawa na sila kaka-asar nila. I'm not a war freak ‘no.

Our professor came in and started the discussion. And as expected, we will be having a quiz but luckily it is not a surprise quiz.

After the quiz, our professor collected all the answer sheets then leave. I took a deep sigh and fix my stuff inside my bag. Just an ordinary day again. Nothing special.

“Scarlet,” Amy called me.

“Hmm?” nilingon ko sya.

“May nag hahanap sayo,” aniya.

Tinignan ko kung sino ang tao sa labas. Oh, it's Lucas! What is he doing here? Tumayo ako at pinuntahan sya.

“Hey, Lucas.”

“I--uh, fuck!”

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Want to eat with me?” he asked.

“Like--uh, now?”

“Mamayang recess malamang. May utak ka ba?” he suddenly bursted out. Nag aya sya na kumain ako mamaya kasama sya tapos nagagalit sya bigla.

I stared at him. I'm trying to read what's going on his mind. He's a little bit weird. He's nice to me sometimes at masungit naman madalas. Hindi ko alam kung saan ba talaga sya doon sa dalawa.

“Ano? May klase pa ako,” reklamo nya while pointing at his wrist watch.

“Sige. Susunduin mo ba ako dito or sa canteen na tayo magki-kita?”

“Sa canteen na.”

“Okay. See you later.”

He put his hands inside his pocket before leaving. He looks cool while walking. But he's still a mean guy. But he's nice sometimes.

Pumasok na ako sa loob at nag antay na lang sa next professor namin. Kinalabit ako ni Alecia kaya lumingon ako sa kaniya.

“Boyfriend mo si Lucas?”

She knew Lucas?

“We're living in the same condo building,” I told her.

“Crush yun ni Yuri, lagot ka. Umiwas ka na kay Lucas tyaka isa pa mas bagay naman sila ni Yuri—

“—Alecia, shut up,” Yuri suddenly spoke up from my back, “kahit anong sabihin mo hindi talaga makaka-intindi pag malandi,” she said while glaring at me.

“Friends lang naman kami ni Lucas--ouch! Yuri, masakit!” Yuri suddenly grabbed my hair. It hurts!

“Wala ka bang utak or sadyang bobo ka lang? Walang babae at lalaki na mag kaibigan lang, Scarlet.”

“Yuri, masakit! Please.” she's grabbing my hair too hard na para bang matatanggal na ang anit ko. Dumidiin pa ang matulis nyang kuko na mas lalong nag papadagdag ng sakit.

“What's going on here? Yuri, what are you doing?” it's Sir Ethan.

Thanks goodness!

“Hindi na kayo elementary, my goodness. Yuri, at my office. Now.”

“Bwiset,” Yuri whispered before leaving.

Napa-yuko na lang ako dahil sa hiya. I fix my hair using my fingers at nanatiling naka-yuko. Sir Ethan told us that we are free today because he have to handle Yuri.

Dumating na din ang oras ng recess. Lumabas na ako ng room at dumaan sa hagdan. Lakad-takbo ako dahil baka hinihintay na ako ni Lucas.

“Hey, wait!” someone just suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Yeah?”

“Hey, it's me Perseus, the guy earlier. Friend ko yung naka-tama sayo ng bola kanina, remember?”

I just remembered, “may kailangan ka ba?”

“Where are you going, anyway?”

“Recess ngayon so obviously sa canteen.”

“Oh,” he chuckled, “silly me. Oo nga pala. Anyways, may kasama ka ba? Gusto sana kita i-libre.”

“Ililibre mo ako? Bakit?”

“Bilang sorry sa nagawa ng friend ko and you're pretty cute so I want to treat you.”

“You don't have to, nag sorry naman na yung friend mo, eh—

“—tyaka may kasabay na syang kakain sa cafeteria.”

“Lucas...” why is he here? I thought sa cafeteria na kami magkikita?

“Oh, cool. Okay, uh--see you around, Scarlet.”

“Same,” I smiled at Perseus before he left.

Lumingon ako kay Lucas habang sya naman ay naka-sandal sa may hawakan sa hagdan. He looks like a model while doing that pose.

“You don't have to pick me up here—

“—masyado ka kasing matagal at ayaw ko ng pinag-hihintay ako.”

“Sana nauna ka na lang kumain.”

“Seriously?”

“What?”

“I don't know if you're being sarcastic if you're just dumb.”

“And I don't know if you're being nice to or you're being mean. Again,” I fought back.

“Let's go.”

Nag simula na kaming mag lakad. I noticed that he's walking behind me at hindi sya sumsabay sa lakad ko.

“Bakit nasa likod ka?” I asked him.

“I just love to watch you walk.”

For some reasons that made me blush and made my heart skip for a bit. Why does he have to say that out of nowhere?

“Do I look good? The way I walk?” I asked shyly.

“No. You look like a penguin.”

Napahinto ako sa paglalakad, “hey, that's mean!”

Binilisan nya pa ang pag lakad hanggang sa nauna na sya sa akin. I just hissed at him before walking after him. Tumakbo ako nga kaunti para maabutan sya. I noticed that hanggang balikat nya lang pala ako. And pogi talaga sya kaya gusto din sya ni Yuri.

“Hey, Lucas.”

“What?”

“Anong kakainin mo?” I asked at sakto naman ang pag pasok namin sa cafeteria.

“Anything.”

Lucas told me to find a seat for us. Luckily, nakahanap naman ako ng bakanteng table at doon ako nag hintay.

After some few minutes, dumating na sya na may dalang tray—wait a minute...

“Hey, how did you know that I want strawberry cake and strawberry milktea?” I asked him and it took a while before he answered.

“Hindi ba, strawberry ang favorite ng mga taong walang utak kagaya mo?” he's being mean again.

“Everyone loves strawberry and we're not dumb. You're such a meanie,” I looked at him, “I never knew that you're talkative.”

“Me? Hell no.”

I smiled, “bakit mo pala ako gustong kasama kumain?” I asked excitedly.

“Can you just eat and stop asking?”

Sungit talaga nito. I continued eating. Masaya ako sa kinakain ko today. Strawberries!

Napansin kong hindi ginagalaw ni Lucas ang pagkain nya. He's staring at me the whole time. I suddenly remembered a scene like this. That's it. The white cat who followed me in a cafe. The cat is just staring at me while eating. Deja vu, huh?

I wonder where's the cat now?

“Hi, Lucas.”

A girl suddenly approached Lucas, it's Yuri. Nabaling sa akin ang tingin ni Yuri and she's glaring at me like she want's to kill me or something.

Lucas didn't respond. He took bite in his sandwich instead and continued eating it.

“Lucas, I—

“—can't you see that I'm eating?”

Walang nagawa si Yuri kung hindi umalis na lang. Mas lalo na naman na dagdagan ang galit nya sa akin.

After namin kumain, nag hiwalay na kami ng landas ni Lucas. He went back to his classroom at tinahak ko naman ang daan papunta sa akin.

I bumped into Perseus again in the hallway.

“Hey, Scarlet.”

“Hello ulit.”

“Oh, wait,” bigla syang lumapit sa akin at pinahid ang gilid ng labi ko using his thumb, “you have a strawberry icing on your lips.”

“Oh, thank you. That's embarassing,” I said before laughing.

“Anyways, uh--the guy earlier, is he your boyfriend?”

“Lucas? No.”

“Oh, great. I thought--nevermind but uh, I hope I can eat with you too.”

“Sure thing. I'm always free so you can invite me anytime.”

“Cool, I have to go back to my room. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Pumasok na ako sa loob ng classroom ko at nag handa para sa susunod namin na lesson. Gladly, I heard that Yuri is still not allowed to enter our classroom because of what happened earlier.

LUCAS’ POINT OF VIEW

(before he invited Scarlet to eat with him)

BINATO ko si Finn ng earphone nya Naiingayan ako sa tunog ng phone nya. He's playing a video game in a high volume dahil mas masarap daw mag laro naka-high volume. Nag dala pa sya ng earphone kung hindi nya naman pala gagamitin.

“Let's invite Scarlet to eat with us mamayang recess,” Finn suddenly said.

“Hindi na tayo makakain pag hindi sa kasama?”

“Baka ikaw ang hindi makakain pag kasama natin sya.”

“Ingay mo.”

Pinatay nya ang laro nya at pumunta sya sa contacts. I saw that he clicked Scarlet's number—wait bakit my number sya ni Scarlet?

“Thinking why I have Scarlet's number? She gave it to me because I'm nice to her,” saad pa ni Finn na para bang nang-aasar.

“Ano na naman ang sasabihin mo sa kaniya?”

“Aayain ko nga na sumabay sa atin.”

Our professor suddenly came in kaya itinago agad ni Finn ang phone nya. I'm little bit disappointed na hindi nya na invite si Scarlet. Why am I disappointed anyway?

“Sir?” I raised my hand.

“Yes?”

“Can I go to the bathroom?”

“Okay make it quick.”

Lumabas ako ng room at pumunta sa room nila Scarlet. I told her classmates to call her and she went outside immediately.

“Hey, Lucas!”

“I--uh, fuck!” why am I panicking? This isn't great.

I told her that I want to eat with her mamayang recess. And gladly, she agreed. I went back to my classroom immediately dahil baka mag taka na ang teacher ko kung bakit natagalan ako.

“Nag CR ka lang pero pawis na pawis ka? What did you do, Lucas Gnome Fuertigo?” bungad sa akin ni Finn.

“Your mind is so dirty, Finn. Shut up.”

After few more hours, dumating na din ang recess. I told Finn na mauna na sya sa cafeteria. Nakikipag-talo pa ako if susunduin ko si Scarlet o hindi. But I decided to just fetch her up.

Naabutan ko sya sa may hagdan na nakikipag-usap sa isang lalaki. Matagal pa ba matatapos ang usapan nila?

“Bilang sorry sa ginawa ng friend ko and you're pretty cute so I want to treat you,” the guy said. What a lame reason.

“You don't have to. Nag sorry naman na yung kaibigan mo, eh—

“—at may kasabay na syang kakain sa cafeteria,” putol ko sa sasabihin ni Scarlet. Why the hell did I interfere in their conversation?

Umalis na ang lalaki at nag simula na kami mag lakad ni Scarlet. For some reasons, I want to walk behind her. Siguro nasanay na lang ako because I always walk behind her. And I love to watch her from behind.

When we arrived at the cafeteria, sinabihan ko sya na mag hanap ng mauupuan. I ordered food for the both of us and I remembered that she loves strawberry flavored foods.

I don't even know why I remember the stuff that she likes.

I think...

I'm starting to like her...