Drizzling 02

"You've got to be kidding me," I said as I heard what Fraille said. Even though we haven't talk much lately because of my academic and her career, we still try to make time for each other.

"Brent told me. Said your ex was enrolled in your university."

Ugh! Of all the school in Manila, why it would be on my university!

I heard something the background. Like someone was talking to Fraille. I heard her sighed heavily.

"Tinatawag na ako ni Derek. I'll call you later, Cass."

"Okay. Thanks for informing me." Then the line went dead.

I sighed heavily. I looked at the white ceiling of my room as thought came into my mind. Mason, my ex was enrolled on my university. Stellar University was huge but there's still chance that I might passed at him.

I imagined Mason, walking in one of the hallways of the school, while other students were scattered all over the place. Some are facing their lockers while some are leaning there, having flirty conversation to their opposite sex. Mason was looking at me with a smug on his face...

Chills run through my body. Umupo ako sa kama at saka pumikit at huminga ng malalim.

Inhale... Exhale...

I need to think of a solution for this. It's not as if I am bitter of him. I just couldn't stand the sight of him. After all of what he had done, he's still an asshole who walk with proud. But I am done with him. He's just a reminder of how stupid I can be because of that stupid love. And I don't want that reminder slapping me every time I will have a chance to see him.

I looked around searching for answers when an idea entered my mind. I smiled to myself and get my phone above the side table.

"Hi Rencey!" I greeted energetically so he will know why I called.

"What was it?" tanong niya kaagad na ikinairap ko. Hindi man lang ako binati!

"Is Enrollment on your university still on going?"

"You're transferring?" I heard something on the background. Like what an oven does when the timer ends. Napakunot ang noo ko.

"You're about to eat breakfast?" Nahiga ako sa kama.

"Yeah." I heard movement on the other line, kaya alam ko na naka-loud speaker na ako dahil my ginagawa siya.

"I think I'm transferring."

"The enrollment was done then."

I rolled my eyes. "Asshole." I knew it. He doesn't want me in his school no matter what.

"Language, Siddy." I snickered by what he called me. Umagang-umaga ganito ibubungad niya sa akin?!

It's been his call name for me if he wanted me annoyed. I mean, the name wasn't pleasant on my ears at all. And another thing, sinisita niya lang ako kapag siya 'yung minumura ko!

One time, nalasing ako ta's may muntik pang makaaway dahil I pretended as his girlfriend. I cursed the girl a lot but only then when I said fuck you to him saka niya lang ako sinuway. Napailing ako sa naalala. Ibang klase rin.

"Mason enrolled on my university." The other line went silent.

"Where are you? Sasamahan kitang mag-enroll," he said seriously making me laughed.

I knew it! He's still overprotective of me!

A triumph smile will surely never fade on my face today!

I heard him relaxed with the kind of his sigh. "You should laugh a lot."

Hindi ko maiwasang itaas ang aking kilay. "Okay," I said slowly, confused. "What was that?"

"Nothing. It's just good to hear you laugh. Just stop being grumpy, you know."

"Okay, I'll pretend I haven't heard the last sentence. But hey! Why are you being mushy at all?" I laughed again. "Baka nakakaalimutan mo 'yung deal is if ever na thirty na tayo saka pa lang tayo magpapakasal. Saka you're waiting for your girl! Don't throw me romantic lines! Sige ka, kapag ikaw inagaw ko sa babae mo..." I threatened with a playful tone making him chuckled.

We seldom laughed hard--at least not in front of strangers. Kaya nagtataka rin 'yung iba naming kaibigan o 'di naman pinaghihinalaang may relasyon kami. Ewan ko rin ba. Hindi ko rin gets. Mataray ako, tapos siya cold naman—sabi nila. I smirk a lot. But everything wasn't like that when we are together. Maybe it's because of the fact that we grow side by side. We knew each other's ups and down, kaya naman sobrang carefree lang namin sa isa't isa. Sobrang comfortable.

And that deal? That was a stupid drunk deal with our friends in US.

"Prepare your papers. I'll meet you at 8:00."

"Copy!" I said excitedly. I need to go to the mall to buy my things rin!

+++

Nakabusangot ako nang pumasok ako ng room. I knew I was late for the first day, but I was shocked to see the table in front was empty. I looked around and search for my seat but the only seat available was the one on the left corner of the room. There are only three chairs remaining at the back; the available seat, a seat with a black men's backpack and the seat where a man I knew since childhood was seated.

I rolled my eyes at him as I saw him staring. Nakita kong napapatingin pa sa akin 'yung ibang estudyante habang naglalakad ako papuntang upuan. It was a block section kasi and since I'm a transferee, naging irregular na 'yun class ko kaya we enrolled on the same course na lang since minors lang naman. Magkaiba lang kami ng program. I am taking business management while he took engineering.

I slummed on my seat the same time the door opened kaya napatingin kami lahat sa pinto dahil baka prof na iyon. I still didn't look at Terrence.

"Free cut daw for first day."

I heard the roaring reaction of my classmates and because of that, nagkanya-kanya na silang ligpit at labas ng room. Kinuha ko ang cellphone ko kung saan ginawa kong wallpaper ang aking schedule. Physical Fitness. Gymnasium.

"Seriously? May P. E. pa rin sa college?"

"Walang Chuckie, dude. Vitamilk lang."

"Thanks."

Napatigil ako sa ginagawa ng may boteng inilapag sa table ko. Terrence was on my right, sa may bandang bintana at nasa kaliwa ko naman 'yung upuang may bag tapos kasunod noon ay 'yung upuan ni Terrence.

Humarap ako sa paligid nang nakakunot ang noo at hindi pinansin ang naglapag nito. Kunyari ay hindi ko siya nakikita. I was tempted to get the chocolate drink pero pinigilan ko ang sarili. Damn, that's chocolate, paano ko made-deny 'yon?!

Tumingin ako sa lalaking kinuha 'yung bag sa kaliwa ko. He has a clean cut and untrimmed stubbles on his face. Mas napakunot ang noo ko ng makitang pamilyar ito.

"Zyle?"

Doon lang niya tinapon ang tingin sa akin. He studied me for a moment, parang iniisip kung saan niya ako nakita.

"Am I that forgettable?" I asked him, raising a brow. That wounded my ego. Almost two months lang kaming hindi nagkita nakalimutan na agad ako?

When I looked around some students on their uniform who remained in the room are gaping at the bottle on my table while some were on me. They have this questioning look like who I was.

"She's Cassidy." Hindi ko pinansin ang nagsalita kaya tumayo na ako. Nakita kong bumakas kay Zyle na naalala na niya kung sino ako. I rolled my eyes.

"Cass." Terrence called me but I still acted like I didn't hear him. I heard him sighed and gave the bottle to Zyle. Gusto ko na sanang umalis pero napagitnaan nila ako saka my upuan rin sa harap ko.

"Please gave it to her. I'm under the invisible treatment again."

Kumunot ang noo nito pero tinanggap ang bote saka inalok sa akin. Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay. "What's this?"

"Apology gift." I acted that I didn't hear what Terrence said and just looked at Zyle.

"Apology gift," he repeated.

I furrowed my brow. "I can't remember you did something wrong to me." He looked at me as if he's asking if I am seriously ignoring my friend.

"It's from Terrence."

"Terrence who?" Isinukbit ko ang bag sa aking mga balikat. I heard Zyle heave a defeated sigh.

Poor him, nasama pa sa trip ko sa buhay.

"Wait, I do remember you offended me when I asked you to have sex with me, then you totally forgot about me." I smirk. Finally! A reason so I can get this Vitamilk!

Magsasalita pa sana si Terrence pero tumunog na ang kaniyang phone. Nang wala na akong narinig ay doon ko napagtantong sinagot na niya ito at lumayo na nang kaunti sa akin.

"Hello," sabi nito. Makita kong tinapik niya muna si Zyle nang makalapit rito. "Ikaw muna bahala sa kan'ya dude, hindi niya pa kabisado 'tong univ." Tumingin ito sa akin pero hindi ko siya pinapansin.

"It's urgent. Alis muna ako, Siddy." Hindi na niya hinintay ang sagoy ko at umalis na ng room. Naiwan kaming dalawa ni Zyle roon. Napairap ako.

Agad kong kinuha 'yung bote saka binuksan gamit 'yung keychain sa bag ko. Uminom ako saka naglakad na paalis sa kinatatayuan ko. Naglakad naman sa tabi ko Zyle.

"You're always like that?"

"Like what?"

"Banting at each other."

I looked at him. "So now naaalala mo na ako?"

He just shrugged. "What's your next class?"

"PE."

"Did you two get the same sched on minors."

"Yup," I answered, not bothering to ask him the same question and enjoying my chocolate drink.

Pinindot niya ang down button ng elevator. Walang tao sa hallway dahil on going ang klase sa ibang room. "Engineering ka?" I asked, wondering if they have the same program.

"Multimedia Arts." Sabay kaming pumasok sa elevator pagkatapos ay nanahimik na kami.

Nang nasa ground na ay nauna akong lumabas sa kaniya.

"See you later." Itinaas ko pa ang kamay ko sa kaniya para kumaway.

"Saan ka?"

"Mall. Will buy gift for Rencey. Sama ka?" I asked him. Wala naman kasing gagawin dahil free cut naman na. 'yung PE class naman namin ay mamayang after lunch pa. Since wala pa akong gagawin ay bibili na lang muna ako ng birthday present. Birthday niya na kasi sa Sabado kaya ngayon pa lang ay nag-iisip na rin ako ng preparations for his birthday.

He just shrugged pero sumunod sa akin hanggang sa parking lot. I pressed the key fob and my car make a sound.

"I'll drive."

"Nah, I can manage. Marunong ako mag-drive 'no."

Sumakay ako sa Driver's seat at iniwan siya. Inilagay ko sa likod ang aking bag at ilang sandali pa ay pumasok na rin siya.

"I didn't say you don't know how to drive." I just rolled my eyes and started the engine.

Nagpatugtog ako at sumabay sa kanya nang magsimulnag tumugtog ang mga kanta sa aking playlist. I don't know how I became a fan. Noong una ay naririnig ko lang ang mga kanta nila hanggang sa isang araw, nagising na lang ako na puro kanta nila ang naririnig. I'm kinda sad though since they've been in hiatus.

"One Direction?" tanong niya pero tumango lang ako habang sumasabay pa rin sa kanta.

"They have solos, right?"

"Yup. And there are rumors that there will be a project on their tenth anniversary."

I drove while singing, hanggang sa makarating kami sa mall. Nang makapasok kami sa mall ay ay napahinto ako. "What should I buy?" Tumingin ako sa kaniya, nanghihingi ng suggestion.

"Ha?"

"You're a guy. What do you want the most?"

He was just staring at me. Like he was thinking about something. His eyes are so deep I couldn't understand what those orbs meant.

Then he stared at nothingness. "Her."

Napaawang ang mga labi ko sa sinabi niya. I blinked him. "What do you mean?" Kunot noong tanong ko sa kaniya. Parang bigla siyang natauhan at ipinaling ang kaniyang ulo sa isang gilid.

"Nothing... Let's try on the department store." Nauna itong maglakad sa akin. I shrugged and followed him.

+++

"Gaano na kayo katagal magkakilala ni Terrence?" tanong ko bago sumubo ng kanin na may kasamang baboy. We ate to a restaurant serving Filipino cuisine. I ordered sinigang and some vegies.

Inabot nito ang basong may iced tea at uminom roon. "We... met because he's a cousin of C. Sinama siya sa swimming namin." Nakita kong parang natulala siya ulit kaya napakunot ang noo ko. What is he thinking? He kept on acting... strange.

Tumingin ito sa akin at binigyan ako ng maliit na ngiti. "Pasensya na kung lumulutang ako. May naiisip lang."

"It's fine," sabi ko pero parang dama ko pa rin ang kunot ng noo ko.

"Don't frown." He chuckled. "Anyway, we met again on the enrolment day last year."

He brought the spoon on his mouth and started eating again. I sat there, just staring at him. His chuckle seems... fake. Like it was hiding something I couldn't name.

"Why?" he asked nang makitang nakatitig ako sa kaniya. "May dumi ba ako sa mukha?"

Napairap ako sa narinig. "You're not the girl here so don't asked me that cliché line."

This time, he laughed genuinely. Like there was nothing holding him back even though the laugh was short. "Why are you staring then?" There was amusement on his face while gazing at me.

"You just faked a chuckle earlier. The earlier, earlier." I frowned at myself. "Wait, am I making sense?" I asked but it seems mostly for me.

Napaawang ang mga labi nito saka nagpilit ng ngiti. Para namang nairita ako sa ngiting iyon.

"Sorry--"

"Don't fake a smile if you don't feel like doing it. It's fine not to be fine, okay?"

Tumango ito at tumitig sa akin diretso sa mata. Parang binabasa ang aking emosyon. Nakatitig sa aking ng ilang segundo.

"But you're not fine the first time we met, aren't you?" I stiffened by what he stated. He gave me a weak smile as he read my actions.

"I hide with a smile. You hide yours by distracting yourself. Aren't we just the same?"