TWO
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p r i m a f a c i e
(Latin) after first view
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WITH A BIT OF HESITATION in my system, we went out to the parking lot, stopped in front of a blue Mercedes, and managed to hide the pain that we both knew we felt. It was a workout, really.
"Thank you," He opened the door to the shotgun seat for me. He played with the key fob as he made his way into the driver's seat.
"So, where to go." His hands were on the steering wheel.
"Kahit saan nga, ang kulit." To be honest, that was really spontaneous. I didn't have much time to think where I would want to go.
With the subtle click of the ignition, the engine was brought to life and we made our way out of the parking lot.
I leaned my head on the window, looking past gray buildings as they turned into a vast line of green trees. Mountains from afar obscured the ghost-white fog. I suspect we're going north dahil dito.
I rarely ask him to drive for me when I go home to Laguna. I'd rather commuting kahit na hassle. Alam 'ko rin naman na busy siya sa med school and the workload is not any different from law school.
The moody weather bled through until we stopped at a random gas station in the middle of what seems to be nowhere.
"I'll pay for the gas," I searched for my wallet at the backseat. Nandoon kasi 'yung bag 'ko.
"No need. It's on me." I was about to protest for some more but he was already out of the car. I followed suit.
"I'll just buy some food," I said, pointing at the convenience store when he asked me where the hell I'm going. I'm still oblivious where we are right now, or wherever we are going, pero baka hindi pa siya kumakain. We just had coffee earlier. What if it's going to be a long drive?
To my surprise, he held my hand to keep me from going any further, "Wait," He went to fish something out of the car's trunk as I wait impatiently. Tiny droplets of the sky's tears trickled down my skin.
"Take this." Inabot niya sa 'kin ang isang transparent na payong that I gave him when I went to Japan. "I don't want you to get sick. Malayo pa 'yung pupuntahan natin and I want you in a hundred percent good condition."
Despite the cold, I could feel my cheeks warming with red. The small gesture was enough to send my knees trembling. Epekto talaga ni Ice, matindi!
Kinuha ko 'yun, his skin gently brushed mine and I shoved my thoughts at the back of my mind.
Nevertheless, I trudged through the double glass doors. I scanned through the shelves for some chips and bread. The small green basket was dangling on my arms as I reach for instant ramen noodles. Nag-iisa na lang 'yung spicy flavor.
"Oh, sige kuhanin mo na." A guy was about to reach for the same cup of noodles at muntik 'ko pang mahawakan ang kamay niya. I wish Ice would appear from the end of the aisle to save me from this awkwardness. Ugh.
"Ummm... you can have it."
"No, sige na. It's fine. I'm not used to the spicy flavor anyways." He scratched his head lightly.
The awkward silence dawned on us.
I looked up from the basket that I was holding to took notice of his features, cause I don't have much time. Baka biglang tawagin ako ni Ice out of nowhere at madatnan pa kami na ganito. That jerk. Seloso pa naman 'yun.
Under his blue Yankee cap, his curtained brown hair was dangling just above his eyes. His brick-red windbreaker sparkled with droplets of rain, layering his white shirt underneath and ends right above his maong pants.
"Why?" I can't believe I asked. Two minutes ago, gustong-gusto 'ko na makaalis sa sobrang awkwardness sa aisle four. That just made the conversation going!
"Mmm? I just can't." He chuckled. "I can't even do the spicy noodle challenge. Hell, I can't even imagine how they could do mukbangs—"
As if I could summon him up like a demon through my thoughts, his Calvin Klein's clicked on the floor until I felt his presence behind me. It was hard not to notice.
"Laurie," The tone of his voice was an ice bucket dumped onto my head. Why am I nervous all of a sudden? It's not as if lumalandi ako sa iba. We're just having this awkward, and at the same time, a weird conversation about our noodle preferences.
He draped his arm onto my shoulders. I looked up at him, cause he's that damn tall, his face close to mine. The brown specks of his irises hued into a darker shade of autumn. His lips plastering a small smile at the guy in front. Isaiah Carson is jealous.
"Hey..." I said, feeling the awkwardness tugging at our sleeves. I wished the tiled floor would just swallow me whole.
Isaiah hardly looked at me, but instead, his gaze was planted on the guy in front.
"Kit," His face lit up with recognition. The guy just managed to give him a nod. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?"
"You know him?" naguguluhang tanong ko kay Ice.
"Oo, we're bloc mates." He said, a matter-of-factly.
The confusion was evident in Kit's face. "Oh, I didn't know you two were—"
"Here's my card. May pag-uusapan lang kami about school works. Allele frequency and stuff," He said rather to me, turning to his heels and gesturing Kit to go after him.
Wala na naman akong nagawa 'nang iabot niya sa 'kin ang credit card niya. I watched as they disappeared at the end of the aisle, leaving me dumbfounded.
I reached for the nearest counter to pay, falling in the midst of the line. The lady behind the counter gifted me with a small smile when I handed her Ice's card.
"Anong nangyari?" I asked wide-eyed when he went over to steal the paper bag that I was hugging. His hair was disheveled and sprinkled with droplets of rain.
"Nothing," He brushed his sweater. "We just talked outside.
The weather's just crazy as fuck."
"Did you cry?" I noticed his red-rimmed eyes.
"No. I have this eye condition, sensitive kapag mahangin." I never knew about that. He never mentioned anything about it nor I ever heard of such condition.
"Let's go, excited na ako for you. I promise, maganda 'yung pupuntahan natin."
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I KEPT ON making different scenarios at the back of my mind on how the conversation went that I didn't notice it was already dark out, the wet ground reflecting the spots of light from the cars passing by.
"Ice, saan na tayo?" I yawned. The time on the car's radio blinked 5:15 P.M.
"Just somewhere I used to go to when I'm feeling under the weather." He reached for the bag of half-eaten chips in which the crispness was long gone due to air exposure. "Just a sec,"
He reached for a pastel blue paper bag at the backseat. The next thing I knew, he was peeling off his squid-ink turtleneck sweater.
My cheeks flushed as I looked away. "Ano ba, Ice."
"What?" His eyebrows arched, a small smile played in the corner of his lips. "Nabasa ako ng ulan, e."
I can't help but take a quick glance at his body. Saglit lang naman. But I found myself staring, and if stares could burn, sunog na sunog na katawan mo, Isaiah.
"Ano 'yan, bakit ang laki?" My eyes found their way to a purpling bruise on his toned biceps.
"Ang laki ng ano ko, Laurie?"
"'Yung pasa mo kasi, gago!" My face turned red I swear I would die out of too much embarrassment.
"Ouch!" He flinched nang hinampas ko siya ng bag ko, quickly remembering about the Consti book inside.
His chuckle took about a minute to subside. Gago, gago, gago!
"Sorry," He gasped for air. He looked as if someone knocked the air out of his lungs. His body, again, hugged the thin fabric of the plain white shirt replacement. "Wala 'yan."
I just quickly shrugged off my thoughts again. "Saan ba 'to?" I looked outside the window. Nasaan ba kami? Tagaytay?
But he was already out of the car, carrying the paper bag and a red plaid picnic blanket.
I followed suit. He climbed up a small hill where, if I'm not mistaken, a Narra tree stood. At the back of my mind, I could hear my Forestry major brother, Laurence, screaming at me for not being able to tell. I followed until we reached a nice spot.
"The grass is a bit damp," His tongue clicked. Nevertheless, he laid the blanket out.
He busied himself as he made the place somewhat cozy.
I was mesmerized at the view that was before me. If this were a fairytale, I think I would be Rapunzel, gawking at the little scintillating lights that dotted the foot of the mountain.
I felt him watching me. The thought of how dreamy the Christmas ball would be if Isaiah would come was quickly replaced by this moment.
"Atty. Dos Santos," Ice patted the space beside him. "Ano, maganda ba?"
With a hesitant smile, I pulled my blazer a little closer, nodded, and filled in the gap on the blanket. His arms draped into my shoulders.
"Did you guys fight?" I asked. "Si Kit. Nawala na lang bigla."
"What? I'm not pro-violence, Laurie. Besides, nag-usap lang talaga kami about school." He flashed a reassuring smile.
I didn't want to press on him some more and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to hear about Allele frequencies and Mendelian patterns so I diverted the topic.
"I love this." Sambit ko.
"Love what?"
"Everything. This place. The whole trip—"
"Me? Us?" Isaiah suggested.
I shot him a dark look. But it left me thinking. Ano nga ba talaga kami?
The sound of his laughter filled in the air. I would miss that.
He fished out a liquor bottle from the paper bag. "Saan galing 'yan?"
"Mmm? I bought this earlier. Don't worry, I won't let myself get super wasted. I'll drive us home pa."
He's low tol. Weakshit. I could offer to drive naman mamaya, considering I just aced my driving test last month lang.
He poured some on my glass. "Come on, let's celebrate this moment." Then he poured himself.
Our eyes are cemented on each other. I found myself admiring his features under the moonlight, his warm honey eyes drowning me.
I lifted the glass, the clinking sound filled the air.
"To this moment, then."
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to be continued...
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