Andy eyed me curiously. I bit my lip. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang sasabihin ko sa kanya. Nahihiya ako.
"Ah. Yung kulang kong mga activities nung...ah...absent ako." Sana ay hindi ako tumunog na parang guilty.
Well, bakit naman ako maguguilty? Wala namang gusto sa akin si Sir.
Binitawan na ni Andy ang kamay ko. Napakamot siya sa kanyang batok saka ako masamang tiningnan.
"May utang kang kwento sa akin." Bulong niya bago ako itinulak na palayo.
I waved at him and walked near Sir. I tried to hide the nervousness and excitement I'm feeling.
Sir motioned me to follow him. I silently trailed him behind. Laking gulat ko ng buksan niya ang shotgun seat. Napatingin ako sa paligid bago pumasok sa sasakyan niya.
He slid into his and looked at me before opening the engine of his car.
"Scared huh?" Napaiwas ako ng tingin dahil sa sinabi niya.
Sino ba naman ang hindi matatakot? Masyadong kumplikado ang isip ng ibang mga tao. Baka isipin pa nila ay may kung ano sa amin ni Sir.
"Ah, hindi naman po. Akala ko kasi may concern about sa acads ko." I said, half-meant.
"You did great." Nanlaki ang mata ko dahil sa sinabi niya.
"You...watched?" I cannot believe it!
But of course, all of the faculty members watched! Assuming na naman ako masyado!
He pursed his lips. "Yes. To support our students."
'Our students' , that line, it kinda sting. Tinanguan ko na lang ang sinabi niya dahil oo nga pala, estudyante niya lang naman ako.
Nanaig ang katahimikan sa aming dalawa. He started driving. Traffic sa centro kaya alam kong hindi siya dadaan doon.
Sir drove to Magsaysay. Marami rin kasing kainan dito. He parked his car near yellow cab.
What? Is he going to treat me? Hindi ko na tuloy maiwasan na hindi mag-assume.
"Treat for doing great awhile ago." He said before going out of his car. Naiwan naman akong tulala. Nabalik na lang ako sa katinuan ng buksan niya ang shotgun door.
I quietly went out and followed him. He's not wearing anything that could make him look like a prof. Good thing, though.
"Why are you treating me?" I panicked after what I had said. He eyed me so casual that it made me feel that nothing is special about this.
"I mean, you could've treated us." I shrugged my shoulders.
Halos maubusan ako ng hininga dahil sa malalim niyang tingin sa akin. Umalis ako sa harapan niya at saka naghanap ng mauupuan, kahit na ang totoo naman ay maraming bakanteng mesa.
I chose the table near the left side window glass. Hindi kasi iyon kita ng mga nasa counter.
Hinintay ko na makaupo si Sir sa harapan ko. I scribbled my phone and open my facebook account. Marami akong nakita na naka-tag sa akin. I gave it a heart reaction.
Umangat ang tingin ko kay Sir na kakaupo lang. I put down my phone and looked at Sir.
"Sorry about my question awhile ago." Magsasalita na sana siya kaso ay dumating na ang drinks namin.
I quietly sipped on my cucumber juice. He is still busy watching my move, though.
"Do you want me to treat your co-majorettes?" Mukhang ang tagal niya atang pinag-isipan iyon.
I gulped and played with my straw. Alam kong marami ang may crush kay Sir. Hindi ko nga alam kung ako lang ba ang nililibre niya or marami kami.
I shrugged my shoulders. "Ikaw bahala. Pera mo naman yan, besides I'm your student. Technically, I don't have a say on that." Nakaramdam ako ng init kahit naka air-con naman dito.
Wala siyang naging sagot sa sinabi ko. Mukhang nakasobra na naman ata ako.
Ang awkward tuloy habang kumakain kami. Walang ni isa ang nagsalita.
Tahimik din kami nang lumabas sa Yellow Cab. The atmosphere feels suffocating.
"Uh, saan tayo sunod pupunta?" I asked him while my chest seems to explode.
"I'm taking you home. Unless, you have a date or something." Tunog pang-aakusa niya sa akin.
I shook my head and went inside his car. Hindi masyadong traffic kaya nakarating din ako agad sa amin. Mukhang nasa plaza ang karamihan.
"Uh...you wanna come inside?" Nahihiya kong tanong kay Sir.
Mataman niya akong tiningnan. "You're inviting me to come over because your Dad is not there?" He sounded as if he cannot believed what I had said.
"You can come na even Dad's around!" And I sounded so eager to let him stay for awhile. "I can tell him that..." Hindi ko matuloy-tuloy ang aking sasabihon.
"That?" He squinted his eyes at me.
"That I hired you as my tutor." Nahihiya kong paliwanag gamit ang maliit na boses.
Hindi ko alam kung pumayag ba siya pero kusa na rin siyang lumabas sa kanyang sasakyan. I didn't let him open the door for me. I quickly opened it by myself.
"Wait! You can park your car inside." I told him.
Saglit itong tumango bago binalikan ang kotse niya. I rang the doorbell and let our guard open it.
"My tutor's car will come inside. Please open the gate, Manong." I politely told our security guard.
Mabilis din itong kumilos upang papasukin ang kotse ni Sir. Naglakad na ako papasok sa amin at saka hinintay sa may bukana si Sir.
He swiftly went out of his car. I think I'm losing my mind while watching him walk near me.
Tango lamang ang naigawad ko bago siya iginiya papasok sa amin. He remained behind me.
Nahuli ko itong pinagmamasdan ang kabuuan ng aming bahay. I gulped while I saw him staring at our family picture.
I sadly smiled. "That's my Mom." Nanatili ang tingin ko sa maamong mukha ni Mommy.
Sabi nila ay halos pareho ang itsura namin ni Mommy. It's just that morena si Mommy habang ako mestiza, iyon ang tanging namana ko kay Daddy.
"I am sorry about your Mom." I felt the sadness and guilt in his tone.
"Ano ka ba! It's okay. My Mom's happy and at peace now." I assured him.
Nang mawala si Mommy, parang nawala na rin ang saysay sa buhay namin ni Daddy. But Dad never made me felt like Mom's gone. The light of our home never dies. Dad live up to it.
"Ay, Donna!" Agad kaming napalingon kay Manang. Kuryuso ang mga tingin na iginawad niya kay Sir.
"Ah, Manang. Magpapahanda po sana ako ng meryenda. Tutor ko nga po pala, si Sir Gab."
Sir Gab lend his hand to Manang. She gladly accepted it.
"Saan ko ba dadalhin ang meryenda? Sa kwarto mo ba o sa study room?" Ang awkward naman kung sa kwarto ko. The sight of...stop!
"Study room na lang po." Manang nodded.
I looked at Sir and told him to follow me.
"Sir Gab pala ha?" He teasingly said.
"It would be too formal to address you as Sir Lacson." Pagpapalusot ko.
I must admit, Gab sounded better. Maybe because it feels like I can reach him.
Pumasok na kami sa study room. It was surrounded by bookshelves habang nasa gitna ang parisukat na wooden table. I opened the aircon and sat down.
Pinagmasdan ko si Sir na naglakad patungo sa science section. He looked amazed by our study room.
"Miss Pascal." Tumikhim ako dahil sa bigla niyang pagbanggit ng apelyid ko.
"Remember when I told you how your parents raised a monster." Sumikip ang dibdib ko. Because I know how true it is. That I really am a monster. "They raised a very beautiful monster the moment they raised you being you, Donna."
I don't know where should I be flattered. Should it be because he called me beautiful or because he called me on my first name?