October 18, 2017
This is probably the second closest encounter I had with Vance. Nasa iisang closed space ako kasama niya so I guess it really is.
Pinagmasdan ko ang jogging pants ng p.e. uniform ko at pagkatapos ay ang t-shirt. I think I'm fine.
Kinapa ko rin ang buhok ko at naramdaman na perpekto ang pagkakakipis noon habang nakahigh ponytail ako.
Last time I checked, which is three minutes ago, I look very neat and fresh.
Palihim akong huminga ng malalim. Nasa unahan namin ang varsity ng Taekwondo team ng school. It's p.e. class and Sir Natividad happened to be the head coach of Taekwondo in the university.
Kaya kahit simpleng p.e. class lang ng senior high, dahil siya ang subject teacher namin, invited ang ilan sa varsity na available ngayon.
"Each of you will have a partner for sparring. H'wag kayong mag-alala, hindi naman kayo bubugbugin ng nga 'yan." Tumawa si Sir habang ang puso ko'y abot-abot ang kaba.
There's a chance na makapartner ko siya! Dear heavens, grant my wish!
Lumunok ako habang pasimpleng tumingin kay Vance na nakangiti ngayon at nagmamasid sa aming magkakaklase.
"Ang mga papi!!!" Igik ni Gal sa tabi ko.
Hinampas siya ni Griffie para sumang-ayon, "Mga pogi, gurl! Kuya Vance pa din ako!" Griffie announced like they would really control who they would get.
"Alright, good seniors, get a student you would train for today!" Sir Natividad clapped as the 'good seniors' started approaching each of us.
Nasa fifth row kami ng 5 by 6 na pila. Nasa dulo pa kami kaya matagal kaming napuntahan.
Noong makita kong naglalakad pa rin si Vance ay kinabahan ako. He's still looking for a partner!
Dito po!
I wish I could yell that.
Palapit siya ng palapit at pakiramdam ko ay patuyo naman ng patuyo ang laway ko. May imagination pa akong gulo ang buhok ko na bagong suklay lang naman at parang dinilaan ng kalabaw kanina.
Nasa corner ako ng pila. Katabi ko si Gal at sa kabila niya naman ay si Griffie. Technically, Gal was the middle man with our setup. Naglalakad lang sa gilid si Vance at nasa tapat na ng fourth row pero nilampasan niya 'yon.
Nahigit ko ang hininga ko nang tumigil siya sa harap ko. Did he purposely pick me?
Damn it! I'm out of oxygen!
Nginitian niya ako. Natunaw yata ako sa ngiti niya. The smile I returned was a lot awkward because come on, I'm not used to boys. Takot nga akong ma-issue sa kahit kanino kaya mailap ako sa lalaki. Gal is an exception since he's not a pure boy and there can't be malice between us.
Vance chuckled a little at the sight of me then walked past me. Yes, he walked past me.
WHAT?!
He walked past me?!
Laglag ang panga ko habang lumalakad siya palampas sa akin. Ano 'yon? Ba't may pangiti-ngiti pa siya dito kung hindi rin naman pala ako ang papartneran niya?!
He continued walking. Lumampas din siya kay Gal. But when he's about to walk past Griffie, hinigit siya nito sa kamay at ipinirmi sa harap niya.
"Kuya dito ka na lang!" Griffie chuckled at the little shocked Vancellion in front.
Mahina ring tumawa si Vance, "O..kay." He said, quite surprised with my friend's sudden move.
He shrugged his shoulders and look my way again.
Bakit na naman?
"Griffie, ang shameless!" Gal mocked the girl beside her who was now all smiles.
Dinilaan lang siya ni Griffie bago hinarap ang kausap. They started talking. Minsan yumuyuko si Vance para marinig si Griffie.
I wasn't exactly jealous. Envious siguro, oo. I wished I had her confidence. I wished I could pull a stunt like that, too. I wished I cared less about others' opinion of me. I wished I wasn't afraid of being teased.
Tiningnan ko si Gal. He was scowling the whole time. Simangot na simangot ang loko. Hindi ko alam kung dahil naagawan siya ni Griffie sa lalaki o... haha.
Usually kasi ay makikisali din ito sa usapan. However, today, while he looks at the pair beside him who seemed to be getting close, he had an irritated face on. This is funny. Really.
Para bang kulang pa lahat ng drama na napapanood ko ngayon, a girl stopped in front of Gal. Nagkatinginan si Gal at Griffie nang babae ang tumapat kay Gal. Si Griffie naman ngayon ang parang iritado.
Gal smirked. Tinaasan niya ng kilay si Griffie bago sinimulang kausapin ang babae sa harapan niya.
These two.. do they even notice what they're playing?
Napailing ako. Bumaling na lang ako sa harap para.. para.. para atekihin sa puso! Damn it!
A man I barely knew yet had left a deep impression in my mind welcomed my eyes.
He stood straight in front of me, an eyebrow arched in annoyance and with eyes totally darksome.
Mukhang galit na naman ito.
And looking back again at what I'm doing a while ago, pinapanood ko lang si Griffie, Gallustine at Vance!
What's wrong with him and his constant irritation with me? Ang laki ba ng problema niya pag amused ako?
"Galit ka na naman.. kuya?" I asked, nakalimutan ulit ang kuya kaya halos idagdag na lang.
"Kuya.." he murmured as if that single word disgusts him.
Naghintay ako ng sagot niya pero suplado lang niyang iniiwas ang tingin para ipako kay Sir Natividad.
"Class, you ask the varsity partner you have of how to do the basic stunts. Sila ang magbibigay ng grade sa inyo afterwards when you perform it in front of them."
Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa.
"Uh.." napakamot ako ng batok. "Ano po.."
"Roundhouse Kick," malamig niyang sabi sa akin.
"Huh?"
I wasn't yet recovered when he stepped backwards. Titig na titig siya sa akin pero seryoso ang mukha.
In a split second, he raised his foot on the air and demonstrated a kick. I was amazed with how perfect his stance was.
"That's.. a roundhouse." Tatango-tango kong sabi.
"Yeah," he said, as distant as I knew him. "I'll show you more. Ask when you have to."
Wala sa sarili akong napatango.
Indeed, he showed me more of the basics that according to Sir Natividad, I have to imitate afterwards and have him grade me.
I don't see the need to ask since he did it with detailed instructions and precision. Ang problema yata talaga ay ako. Hindi ako athletic at hirap akong buhatin ang sariling paa sa isang tuwid na sipa.
Napapikit siya nang mariin nang makita akong magstruggle na sumipa ng medyo paikot.
"Hehe," awkward kong pagtawa.
Lumunok ako at susubok pa sana ulit when I heard Griffie's small laugh from the other side. Nagsisipaan silang dalawa ni Vance na akala mo ay professional sparring.
Griffie was the athletic type. Ang alam ko din ay nag-Taekwondo ito during elementary years. Hindi na siya masyadong active nang mag-junior high but she sometimes hits the training hall.
Nakaramdam ako ng kaunting inggit dahil magaling ang kaibigan at.. close na sila ni Vance.
Gallustine was frowning while looking at Griffie and Vance. Pagkatapos ay pinilit ang sarili na makipagtawanan sa babaeng kapartner who was indeed, fair and pretty.
Another laugh from Griffie's corner made me look at them.
"Eyes on your mentor, Jiana." Bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko nang marinig ang baritonong boses ng lalaki sa harap. "Eyes on me." Dagdag niya pa na halos magpakapos ng hininga ko.
Those words made me tensed. Siguro ay dahil nanggaling sa kaniya at.. medyo takot nga ako sa kaniya kaya kakaiba.
Baka pakiramdam ko kasi ay isang kalabit na lang ay pagagalitan na ako nito at isusumbong sa teacher ko.
"S-sorry po.."
His eyes shone with irritation as his Adam's apple moved a little with a swallow.
"D'you like him?"
My cheeks burned gravely. Hindi ako handa sa tanong niya! Panic started alarming my body thinking that I was too easy to read and I just suddenly lost my cool and... punched his stomach!
"Aww," he groaned while his lips are parted with shock.
Parehas nanlalaki ang mata namin nang bumaon ang kamao ko sa polo niya sa bigla-bigla kong panununtok.
"I.. I'm sorry," natataranta kong sabi.
Hindi ko alam kung hahawakan ko ba siya sa abdomen niya because that's gonna be awkward. We're not close. He's a man at kahit gusto ko siyang aluin, it would appear as kind of weird.
Ano na lang pati ang sasabihin ni Sir pag nakita niya kami?
Ang sabi ko sipa. Sipa-sipain mo ang player ko kung gusto mo. Taekwondo, Jiana. Taekwondo. Ano at naghihimasan na kayo ng tiyan?
Gano'n?!
He looked at me again. Nakaramdam lalo ako ng takot nang makita siyang kagat ang lower lip niya. He seemed a heartbeat away from punching me back! Mukhang nagpipigil na lang ito!
Sir! Sigurado ka bang hindi nambubugbog ang players mo?!!
I wanted to scream that but I don't wanna catch people's attention.
"Hala," natutop ko ang labi ko at kahit takot ay tiningnan siya pabalik. "Hala, ano..."
I was frigging lost for words!
"Bakit ka ba kasi nanggugulat?!" Pataas ang tono kong tanong pero pabulong. Ngayon ay pinalalabas pa na siya ang may kasalanan.
Unti-unti siyang tumuwid ng pagkakatayo. His eyes are still wandering on my face. Siguro ay naghahanap siya ng konsensya sa akin pero bigla kong binalik sa kaniya ang sisi.
Eh kasi naman!
"So you liked him," he concluded.
What part of my punch verified his hypothesis?! Ano at bigla-bigla na lang itong naghihinuha ng.. uh.. tamang bagay.
Madilim ang titig niya sa akin. He said those words with the same degree of disgust he had when he repeated my calling of him as Kuya.
Really? Anong problema ng taong ito?
"Sino ba?" Nagkukunwari kong tanong. "Nagulat ako kasi.. sino bang tinutukoy mo?"
Napataas ang kilay niya.
"What?" I shrugged. Breathe in, Jiana. Just breathe and pretend. You've been doing this all your life.
Ano naman kung isang tower na may intense na mata ang nagtatanong sa'yo ngayon? That's okay, Jiana. Calm down.
"Si Vance." Tuloy niya kahit sigurado naman yata siya na alam ko ang tinutukoy niya. He gritted his teeth then added, "Gusto mo siya."
Question mark, kuya! Please! Wag ka naman masyadong sigurado! Magdedeny pa ako!
"What? Sino? Yun pong kapartner ni Griffie?" Tanong ko sabay turo sa kaibigan. I suddenly want to demand for an award because you see, this is Best in Denial.
He remained looking at me blankly. Parang tinitimbang niya kung nagsisinungaling ba ako o ano.
"May iba pa ba?"
"I don't! I barely know him! Come on! You guys are older than us!" My desperate attempt to cover up for my feelings.
However, his face only turned more sour when he heard my last sentence. Para bang sa lahat ng sinabi ko, iyon ang pinakahindi niya nagustuhan.
"Really?"
Tumango ako, "Opo nga. I never.." lumunok ako at tinatagan ang mata so it wouldn't give me away. "I never had a crush. I mean, I'm not.. interested."
Ilang sandali niya pa akong tinitigan bago siya tumango.
"Good."
Kumunot ang noo ko, "Why? He has a girlfriend?"
I bit my lips when he narrowed his eyes again. Am I obvious? Is it obvious fishing?
"It's for.. my friends. They're curious."
"Ahuh," he mocked.
"It is really for them!"
I bit my lips again. Sumadsad ang tingin niya doon pero mabilis ding binawi para tingnan ako sa mata.
"The answer is no, Jiana. Wala siyang girlfriend."
"Then why is it good that I'm not interested?"
He paused for a while before whispering, "Because you're too young."
What? I'm a freaking Grade 11 student! Kung tutuusin ay first year college na ako! Knowing that a college guy's perception was like that, I'm kind of in a turmoil.
And wait, how in the world did he know my name? Tiningnan ko ang leeg ko. I'm not wearing my ID since it's P.E. class.
"Anyway, how did you know my name?"
His eyes widened a little, naghahanap yata ng isasagot sa tanong ko, but he immediately concealed it with darkness.
"Roundhouse kick," he said distantly. "I'll start grading you." He added, realizing he wasn't obliged to reply.
Damn this older brat! Nagtatanong kaya ako!