You Me Maybe

Chapter 6 | To Seat Beside My Girl

[RYZE]

First day as third-year college students.

Naglalakad na kaming magkakaibigan papunta sa may canteen kung saan malapit ang room 227BM Financial Accounting. Pinagitnaan ako ni Nica at Ernel. "Ryze tara sa CR tayo,” yaya ni Ernel. Hindi pa man ako nakasagot hinila na nila ako papapuntang restroom. "Kayo na lang. I’ll wait here."

Ang main restroom ng college building ay malapit sa hallway ng canteen di kalayuan so social hall. Kung saan gaganapin ang first-year students and transferees orientation after our morning classes.

"Hindi pwede besh kailangan sumama ka,” pilit ni Nica. Tinangay na nga nila ako. Paano pa ako makakapalag hawak ng dalawa ang magkabilang braso ko. Daig ko pa ang kriminal at nakagawa ng kasalanan. Hindi pwedeng tumakas. Pagdating sa restroom, hinila ako ng dalawa sa pinakamaluwang na cubicle. Si Ernel mabilis na tinanggal ang scrunchie sa aking buhok na pinaghirapan kong ayusin. Kulot ang buhok ko at buhaghag nahihiya akong ilugay dahil mukha akong bruha. Sinimulang suklayin ni Ernel at nilagyan ng kung anong likido marahil ay anti-frizz control. Si Nica naman naglabas ng face powder at lipgloss. After a few minutes, that felt like forever to me...

"Ta-da! Ayan ready ka na!” Nica commented.

“Let’s go to our Financial Accounting class now.” aya ni Ernel.

Paglabas pa lang namin sa restroom pinagtitinginan na ako ng mga estudyante.

“Si Ryze ba yan?” tanong nung isang estudyante.

“Oo si Miss VP nga,” kumento ng isa pa.

"Ano ba ginawa ninyo? Bakit ako pinagtitinginan? Pahiram ng mirror mo Nica."

“Kasi maganda ka,” magkasabay nilang komento.

“Yeah, right! Stop pulling my leg. Alam natin ang totoo, kulang na lang nga mang hiram ako ng mukha sa kabayo.” She laughed.

Marami-raming estudyante ang bumabati saakin. Dati rati naman kahit pa vice-president ako ng student council ay parang hangin lang akong dumaraan at hindi pinagtutuunan ng pansin. Maliban na lang sa mga avid fans ng Tropa Band.

Sa wakas, nakarating din kami sa room 227BM. Kasi naman itong mga kaibigan ko may nalalaman pang slow motion ‘walking in the moon’. Pakiramdam ko sinadya ng mga ito na lakarin ng kalahating oras mula restroom to Business Management Building. On normal days, dati rait naman wala pang 5 minutes eh nasa classroom na kami.

When we entered the room, our classmates darted their eyes on me. Ang iba dito ay block mate namin simula pa freshmen year. Nahiya talaga ako. Kahit na sanay ako sa maraming tao kapag nag-perform ang banda—hindi naman ako ang pinagtitinginan nila kundi ang mga gwapo kong katropa. Hanggang dito, kahit saglit lang hindi nila ako pinagbigyan manalamin. Wala pa ang professor namin. Usually kapag first day of school getting to know each other ‘introduce yourself’, attendance, and submitting class cards lang, then dismissed. Kapag naman tamad ang professor after submitting class cards, mag-bibigay ito ng syllabus, and the next meeting will be on prelims, midterms, and finals. We end up doing self-study the whole semester. A typical college life in a province. Nakita agad ni Ernel si Liam.

"Ano namang ginagawa ng ugok na yan dito?"

"Tahimik ka nga Ryze, malamang classmate natin." "Hi, pogi! Kumusta? May nakaupo na ba sa tabi mo?" Ernel excitedly asked.

"Hi! I'm fine. Nice to see you girls. The chair is vacant.” He replied.

"Can we sit beside you?” Ernel added.

"Yeah, sure. Hi Ryze! Hi Nica! Classmates pala tayo.” He greeted.

"Hi, Liam!," bati ni Nica.

Wala sa loob na nginitian ko lamang siya. A not friendly smile more of ngiting aso. Ceasefire muna wala ako sa mood makipaglaban ngayon. I am not comfortable with what my friends applied to my face. Felt like I have a heat rash.

I remained standing. Iniisip ko kung saan ba ako mauupo. Susunod ba ako sa dalawang ito na tumabi talaga kay Liam o hahanap ng ibang mauupuan ko. Kung sana kasi alphabetical order na lang tulad ng highschool.

"Are you okay strawberry? Care to sit beside me?" Liam asked. I just nodded and sat beside him.

"Are you alright?" I nodded again. Hindi ako nag-salita, muted pa rin ang matabil kong dila.

"Ernel is she alright? She seems quiet today?" Liam turned to Ernel.

"Hayaan mo bipolar kasi yan, hindi mo ba alam,” sagot ni Ernel dito.

Ano raw bipolar? Nangangati na kaya ang mukha ko at ang init-init, parang na sun burn tapos sasabihin bipolar ako. Batokan ko kaya ang babaitang ‘to. Tinakpan ko ng panyo ang mukha ko para hindi ko ito kamutin. Pero hindi ako nakatiis at sinagot ko ang kumento nito kanina.

"Hindi ako bipolar! Tumahimik ka nga Teresa! Sa dami ng sasabihin mo bipolar pa talaga?" I took off my handkerchief covering my face. Hindi ko napansin umalis pala ang dalawa sa tabi ko at iniwan ako sa tabi ni Liam.

"OMG! What happened to your face? Have you decided to come to class like a clown? Last year you are a monkey. Now you are a clown? Poor girl. Tsk...tsk...boys wouldn't dare like you. Kahit anong gawin mo panget ka pa rin! Matalino nga panget naman! Panget!,” mapanglait na litanya ni Vanessa sa akin.

Alam ko naman kung ano itsura ko. Deadma. Wala akong narinig na panglalait at hindi ko siya pinansin. That’s how you fight sa mga taong papansin. Silent treatment kapag hindi kapatul-patol ang kaaway.

Si Liam nakatingin lang kay Vanessa nabighani yata sa mala dyosang binibini sa tapat ko tapos tiningnan niya ako. Haist!!Vanessa kung hindi lang ako nagtitimpi sayo at hindi ako ma discipline office matagal na kitang pinatulan. Ang sarap bunutin ang peke mong pilikmata.

"Excuse me Reaghen that’s my seat,” aniya Vanessa.

"Liam sabi mo walang nakaupo dito,” baling ko sa katabi ko.

"Nobody seating there since I got here. So, I assume, its' nobodies seat,” he confirmed.

"Oh, well! He said, its' nobody seat so its' mine now. I should be sitting beside the university's new heartthrob. I'm the queen and your the monkey so move! Chupeee! Get out of that chair!” Vanessa chased me away.

“Pahamak ka talaga kahit kailan cupcake.” I mumbled. Tumayo ako and grabbed my bag,”Eh di sayo na ! Tubuan ka sana ng pigsa!” Turan ko sa malditang babae na retokada naman ang mukha.

Tinalikuran ko sila naupo sa tabi ni Nica na may dalawang bakanting upuan pa. ‘Nagengglish nga mali mali naman. I should be blahblahblahblah with the new heartthrob.’

"How are you Alexander?” pa charming na flirtatious move ni Vanessa kay Liam.

Si Liam galit kapag tinawag na Alexander. He told us last week how he hates it being called by his first name. Kaya tumawa lang kami nila Nica. I gazed at him and he caught my eye. Ernel waved at him to sit beside us.

" Excuse me.” sabi niya kay Vanessa.

Tumayo ito at nagpunta kung saan kaming magkakaibigan nakapwesto.

"Alexander, where are you going?” maarte nitong tanong.

"To seat beside my girl," Liam smirked and turned away.

Sa lakas ng pagkasabi niya at mabilis niyang paglipat sa tabi ko lahat ng classmates namin nakatingin sa akin. Nagbulong bulongan sila "Who's that 'my girl' you talking about Alexander?" asked Vanessa. Liam just looked at her, leaving Vanessa's question unanswered.

“Sila ba?,” tanong nung classmate namin na mahilig sa purple.

“Di ba nagkasagutan sila last week?,” sagot naman nung isa na makapal ang kilay.

“Oo nga, nagsigawan pa nga sila, right?,” maarte namang tugon ng gay namin na classmate na si Lemuel na part din ng student council.

“Queen, why they look so close?” I heard one of Vanessa’s minions mouthed.

“Eh ano bang pakialam ninyo kung close sila? May magagawa ba kayo? Ano naman kung sila nga? May angal kayo huh? At ikaw Vanessa,” dinuro ito ni Ernel sa mukha na nakapamaywang ang isang kamay. “Makalait ka sa kaibigan namin kala mo ang ganda mo. Eh plastic surgery naman yang pagmumukha mo. Look at your nose, it's crooked and your face, too oily. Can’t you afford to buy face toner?” Ernel snarled.

Itong si Ernel talaga may pagka war freak hindi man lang makagpigil. Infairness, she is a reliable friend na ipagtatanggol ako kanino man. I wasn’t in the mood to pick a fight. My face is already as hot as fire. I couldn’t contain the itchiness of my face anymore. May mga maliit na rashes na animo’y acne ang unti-unting lumabas sa mukha ko. I could feel the rough tiny bumps.

"Did you girls applied something on her face? Pressed powder? Any kind of face powder?” Liam questioned.

"Yeah, light lang naman. Tingnan mo ang ganda kaya,” aniya Nica.

" Her face is all red, what's pretty about that? I thought you guys are best friends? Don't you know she’s allergic to cosmetics?”

At the back of my mind. 'Kanina niya pa ba ako tininignan? Paano niya naman nalaman allergic ako sa cosmetics? Sino naman kaya nagsabi sakanya?' Tapos bigla niya na lang hinawakan kamay ko.

"Get up! Lets' go." He dragged me out of the room forcefully.

"Okay lang ako. Kanino mo nalaman na allergic ako sa mga ganung bagay?”

“I just know. I don’t like questions, okay?” He responded.

Then he gently holds my hand hanggang sa may restroom.

"Wash your face! I'll wait here,” utos niya.

Hala parang ang Papa ko makautos. Hindi ko na rin matiis ang init and its' super itchy na talaga. Pagkatapos ko maghilamos ng mukha lumabas na ako ng restroom andun pa rin siya naghihintay.

"Saan ba ang clinic?” He asked.

"Ano naman gagawin natin sa clinic?"

"What you think?” He smirked at me. We’ll have a lecture there?,” sarcasm rang in his deep voice.

“Pilosopo, nagtatanong ng maayos.” She snapped.

“Just tell me where the clinic is, no questions allowed.” He turned his head and looked at me.

“Doon po sir, makautos ka daig mo pa Papa ko!”

Tinuro ko naman ang daan dahil katapat lang naman iyon sa cafeteria malapit sa restroom na pinanggalingan namin. Hinawakan niya ulit ako sa kamay tapos hinila papunta sa clinic. “Taking advantage na siya pero okay lang take that moment Ryze.” I mumbled.

"Are you sayin' somethin'?" He asked me with his slang British accent.

“A–ah w–wala s–sabi ko nga pupunta tayo sa clinic." I stuttered.

"You need antihistamine so your face doesn't get swollen."

“Hindi naman mamamaga ang mukha ko. Rashes lang naman 'to.”

Touch naman ako caring naman pala itong ugok na ito. Tama siguro sila bestie give him another chance.

"Thank you," I said sincerely.

"Thanks for what?"

"For doing this."

"I almost killed you once. I will never let that happen again." His voiced laced with concern.

Natahimik lang ako. Tameme talaga walang nasabi walang response. Biglang na blank si brain pati si mouth na pipi pero si heart jumping pumping to the maximum level in an unexplainable feeling. Binigyan ako ng Benadryl tablet ng nurse sa clinic. After ko makainom ng gamot niyaya ko na siya bumalik sa klase namin baka andun na si Prof. Lopez. Nang makaalis kami ng clinic. Hindi niya pa rin binibitawan kamay ko. "Liam kamay ko bitawan mo na, okay na ako."

"Oh sorry. Hindi ko sinasadya.” Binitawan niya pero wala pang one second he holds my hand again.

“Ang sabi ko bitawan mo ang kamay ko.”

“No! You might stumble and fall strawberry.”

“Hindi ako lampa cupcake, kaya ko maglakad ng hindi mo inaalalayan. Hindi pa po ako matanda I can manage to walk by myself."

“Baka kasi matisod ka. Matisod sa puso ko." a slow grin quirked his mouth, " I'm afraid my heart couldn’t catch you but my hands, certainly can hold you,” a smile creased on Liam's face.

My face crinkled in confusion. “Anong sabi mo? Wala akong naintindihan?,” I said, opening my eyes

wide"

Nothing, I said, I still want to hold your hand, okay lang ba? If you allow me too." He asked me, a whimsical look in his eyes. Hindi pa man ako nakasagot ng yes-he took hold of my right hand. Hinawakan na nito ulit ang kamay kong nanlalamig na sa sobrang kilig. She heard it very clear but she couldn’t process in her mind, no in her heart.

"We're friends right?" He asked out of the blue while they are walking back to their classroom.

"Huh? A–ah y–yeah. R-right. I-I guess W-We're f–friends,” stuttering her stomach giving her a curious twist as she said those words.

"So, it's okay?"

"Tinatanong mo pa kung okay? Eh hawak mo na. Ano pa magagawa ko? As if you giving me a choice to say no.” He was grinning from ear to ear and intertwined our hands.

Pagdating namin sa classroom wala pa rin professor. Nilagay ko ang mga kamay ko na hawak pa rin ni Liam sa aking likod. Para walang makakita. No one knows that we are actually fighting over holding hands because we are both whispering in annoyance “Cupcake, let go of my hands classroom na tayo.” I hissed.

"What if I don't like to? What will you do?" He asked whispering.

"Pipilipitin ko ang mga kamay mo hanggang mabali ang mga yan para hindi mo na mahawakan ulit ang mga kamay ko. Tú entiendes?" She said in a low, fierce voice.

"You're so violent strawberry," he said slowly loosening his grip.

"Bitawan mo na ang kamay ko at maupo na tayo bago ka pa sumemplang sa kinatatayuan mo. Kanina ka pa kaka strawberry Liam!" I said in a threatening tone at pinandilatan ko ito ng mga mata.

We were both whispering as we continue bantering when Ernel and Nica noticed me.

"Ryze sorry, okay ka na ba?" Ernel asked.

"Yeap,” smiling smile hanggang tenga.

"Sorry talaga besh.We didn't know allergic ka pala sa cosmetics." Nica uttered.

"Bakit hindi mo saamin sinabi kanina bestie?," asked Ernel.

"Eh you cornered me, may choice ba ako sa pamimilit ninyo kanina?"

"Sorry talaga Ryze," they said in unison.

"I'm fine, no worries. It's no biggie. Okay na ako."

Lumipas ang halos isang oras dumating na sa wakas si Professor Lopez nagkolekta lang ng class cards at attendance tapos dinissmiss na ang klase first day raw kaya relax muna.

"Why you didn't say anythin' to her earlier?

"To who?"

"That girl."

"Ah kasi she’s.” I showed him a hand signal telling him 'because she’s crazy’ using sign language.

"What you're crazy?"

"Not me, Vanessa!"

"Ah! Vanessa."

~~~