My Love, Darkness

Chapter 33

THE transferee looks like a nerd. Has messy hair and stood much taller if Phoebe's gonna compare it to her height.

But there was something about the nerd. As his raven eyes stared back to her heaven colored ones.

"Introduce yourself," their Teacher said.

Tumango ang transferee bago humarap sa kanila.

"My name is Titus Navarro and I am fourteen years old," The transferee

Nanatiling tahimik ang lahat pagkatapos magpakilala ng transferee kaya naman nagsalita na ang Teacher nila.

"Be seated beside Miss Rhoades, please."

Nanlaki ang mata ni Phoebe at agad na napatingin sa bakanteng upuan na katabi niya.

Pakiramdam niya'y hindi siya makahinga. Lalo na't pinili niya ang seat na wala dapat siyang katabi dahil ayaw niyang makipag-usap sa kahit kanino.

Nanatiling tahimik si Phoebe nang makaupo sa katabi niyang upuan ang transferee.

As the class went on, buong oras siyang tahimik at hindi kausap ang katabi niya. May mga moment na napapasulyap siya dito at nahuhuli niyang nakatingin din pala ang kaklase niyang transferee sa kaniya.

When it was break time, tatayo na sana siya ng marinig ang katabi niya na nagsalita.

"Gusto mo?"

Lasagna ang inaalok nitong pagkain sa kaniya kaya naman agad din nanubig ang bagang niya.

Oh my gosh, Lasagna.

"Bi-bibigyan mo ako?" nauutal na tanong ni Phoebe.

Tumango si Titus. "Yeah. Kung gusto mo rin sa iyo na iyan? I am actually full."

Parang nagliwanag ang paligid ni Phoebe habang nakatingin kay Titus na nakangiti sa kaniya.

God heavens, two lasagna in one day. Hindi niya matanggihan ang pagkaing inaalok nito sa kaniya. It's her favorite food after all.

Hindi na siya nakaalis para lumabas at bumili ng pagkain niya sa cafeteria. She stayed beside her classmate and eat his lasagna.

Nakausap niya rin ito at masasabi niyang napaka-bait nito. Titus was not one of those socialites who has a bad attitude just like her first fake friends.

Mahirap lang ito at nakapasok sa kanilang eskwelahan dahil sinagot ng kapatid ng Tatay nito ang pagpapa-aral sa kaniya.

"You know, you choose the wrong university. Dapat nag-stay ka na lang sa school mo. Students here sometimes are too much handle. May naka-away nga ako but my Dad saves me," sabi niya pagkatapos ay kinain ang last na piece ng lasagna sa food container ni Titus.

"Well, hindi ko naman sila kailangan. You are already enough for me, Phoebe," ani Titus na ikinainit ng pisngi ni Phoebe.

Lumunok si Phoebe bago nagsalita. "Thank you so much talaga, Titus. Hayaan mo bukas, magba-baon din ako tapos ibibigay ko sa iyo. Paborito ko kasi talaga ang lasagna kaya hindi kita matanggihan," masayang sabi ni Phoebe.

"No problem."

Hours passed. It was their Physical Education time kaya naman lahat sila ay nagsipag-puntahan sa locker room at nagpalit ng kanilang P.E. uniform.

When Phoebe was done, sumunod na siya sa pila ng section niya papunta sa field kung saan nakita niyang halos lahat ng ka-grade level niya ay nakapili.

"Nandito na ba ang lahat?" sabi ng isang Teacher na may suot ng lapel.

Napalinga-linga si Phoebe. Hinahanap kung nasaan si Titus. Nagtataka dahil kanina lang ay nasa linya ito ng mga lalake sa kanilang section ngunit ngayon ay nawawala na.

"Let's start. Everyone, let's do the jumping jacks!"

Phoebe started to jump in sync with everyone as energetic music filled in each corner of the field.

Their physical activities went on while Phoebe is still finding Titus who's still missing.

Don't tell me he bolted?

Agad na nakaramdam ng pagkairita si Phoebe dahil sa naisip niya. Thinking that Titus is someone who skips class.

"Okay, one more time! Let's do jumping jacks again!"

Phoebe continues to jump as she felt her sweat covering her body and feel tired. They continue until someone screams.

Napalingon si Phoebe sa likod niya kung saan nanggaling ang sigaw. It was one of her classmates, looks horrified while looking at her.

"Look! Look!" Her classmate pointed at her. "She's bleeding! Oh my, she's covered with blood!"

Phoebe looked at her body. Feeling nothing but the sticky wetness in between her thighs staining her white jogging pants, blood.

"Is it what I think it is? Yuck!"

"Gosh, is this her first time? It looks like she's not aware of it.

"Oh my gosh, is it her monthly period?"

Phoebe felt so humiliated. Pakiramdam niya ay gusto na lang niya na lamunin ng lupa. She wishes to be gone from those students who look at her. Her body went still as her first period made her a laughing stock.

She can hear everybody's laughing while whispering and talking about her not being aware of her monthly period.

She felt so lost inside, feeling so humiliated not until a hand suddenly drag her out of the field.

Napansin niya na lang na tumatakbo sila ng kung sinuman ang humila sa kaniya palabas ng field hanggang sa ipinasok siya nito sa isang bakanteng classroom.

Nang malaman niya kung sino ang tumulong sa kaniya, mas lalo siyang nahiya lalo na't balot ang jogging pants niya ng dugo.

"I... I thought you're gone." Her eyes started to water. "I am not... aware. It's my first period and then, everyone. I felt so humiliated."

Hindi siya makatingin kay Titus habang seryoso itong may hinahalungkat sa sarili nitong bag. Nanatili siyang tahimik hanggang sa maglapag si Titus ng jogging pants at sanitary napkin sa harapan niya.

"Go, change your clothes now," ani Titus kapagkuwan ay tumalikod ito sa kaniya. "Go to the comfort room and change. I will wait for you here."

Tulala siyang nakatingin sa likod ni Titus. She somehow felt her embarrassment subsided because Titus talks at her.

Parang ito pa ang nahihiya sa kaniya dahil sa pag-iwas ng tingin nito sa kaniya.

"Thank you," she said, almost whispering before turning her back on him.

Habang naglalakad siya papunta sa comfort room, naririnig niya pa ang tugtog na nanggagaling sa field, senyales na hindi pa rin tapos ang Physical Education nila.

Umiling siya habang nararamdaman pa rin ang pagkapahiya sa harap ng mga estudyanteng nasa field. Unti-unti rin siyang nakakaramdam ng galit nang maalala ang mga kaklase niyang pinahiya siya.

I will definitely write their names in my diary when I got home.

Nang makarating si Phoebe sa comfort room, agad siyang nagbihis kapagkuwan ay mabilis na bumalik sa bakanteng classroom kung saan naghahantay si Titus.

Nang makita siya ni Titus, agad itong tumayo. "How are you feeling?" seryoso nitong tanong.

"Parang ayaw ko nang pumasok. But Dad will be really mad if I skipped class," sagot niya rito.

"But what do you want to do? Sa mga oras na ito, paniguradong minarkahan na tayo sa pag-skip ng klase. No one noticed that we leave the field but they will find out," Titus said and she nodded.

"Then why are you gone earlier? I was looking for you the whole time," she asked.

"I was gone because I already saw you, ahm... saw the stain in your jogging pants when you went out of the locker room so..." Titus shrugs. "Pumunta ako sa clinic and asked for a napkin and clean spare of jogging pants."

Phoebe felt something touched her heart because of Titus being so thoughtful about her.

"T-thank you," she said almost a whisper but enough to let Titus hear what she said.

"You're welcome, Phoebe. So... ano? Saan tayo? After our P.E. time, it's break time. Diretso na tayong cafeteria, gusto mo?" Titus asked, smiling.

Phoebe smiled before nodding her head. "Sige."

The day went on. She was inside a car when she realized that her day went so rough for her.

After nilang kumain, pumasok pa rin siya sa klase niya. She endured her classmates bullying her the whole time but everything wasn't so stressing especially that Titus has been keeping her occupied.

Kinakausap siya nito at binibiro kaya naman halos hindi na niya napapansin ang mga kaklase niyang inaasar siya.

Phoebe sighed. She promised herself that she'll never be friends with anyone from their university but Titus is different.

Titus seems someone she can trust. Even if he's just a stranger who just entered his first day at their university.

Hindi ito mahirap kausapin. Kahit rin na may mga times na weird ito at parang inosente sa mga bagay-bagay, hindi ito tumigil na naguluhin siya para mawaglit sa isip niya ang nangyari sa kaniya.

"So how's your day went, young lady?"

Napabuntong-hininga si Phoebe sa tanong na 'yon ng bodyguard niyang si T.

"I was bullied by my classmates," walang gana niyang sabi habang nakatitig sa labas ng bintana.

"Do you want me to report it?"

"Nah..." she sighed. "What's the point? I'm too tired to talk with Dad too. I just wanna eat lasagna the whole night."

"Well, here's your lasagna."

Phoebe's eyes went wide when T hands her a Tupperware filled with lasagna.

"Bon appetit, young lady."

Oh my gosh, this day is crazy.

After being humiliated by her classmates, she gets to eat her favorite food instead.