labing-anim
No one
"Thank you and goodnight!" Naghiyawan ang mga students nang kumaway si Vortigern at may malaking ngiti sa labi nito.
The butterflies in my stomach caused havoc as did the fastened beating of my heart. Vortigern's smile always affected me, emotionally and physically. My gaze remained on the now empty stage and the crowd dispersed in the booths and food stalls. An hour or so was still left before the last performance, closing the event and welcoming our second semester.
Kinalabit ako ni Maeve, "Tara, let's go to the washroom. Maghuhugas lang ako kamay, ginagawa na 'kong baboy dito ni Helios kakakain namin." Tumayo siya at pinagpag ang kanyang derrière.
Tumango-tango ako na wala sa huwisyo. Hinila ako patayo ni Maeve nang makita niyang nakatulala lang ako sa kawalan at hinatak ako papunta sa pinakamalapit na washroom. Si Helios naman ay busy sa pagkain at may lumapit din sa kanya na kakilala galing ibang school. Maraming masusugid na manliligaw 'tong si Helios kaya hindi na nakakapagtataka kapag may lumalapit sa kanyang mga babae 'pag may events ang Northride. I caught the way Maeve's eyes rolled at the giggling girls around him. Well someone's jealous...
"I cannot believe he noticed that! He even performed it just for you, Hate can you believe that he did. Oh my goodness, Vorti—" I clamp a hand down her babbling mouth. Her pupils dilated at my sudden action. I hover my pointer finger above my lips, shushing her.
"H'wag ka ngang maingay! Baka may makarinig sa'yo ta's ma-issue pa si V. Baka 'di ako lalo pansinin no'n 'pag nangyari 'yon." I said to her as I lowered my hand.
Rolling her eyes, she turned to the wide mirror. Taking out her coral red lipstick and carefully swiping it on her full lips. "It's not like they'll care whether or not he likes you—"
"They would! Hindi mo ba narinig ang mga babaeng nakapaligid sa'tin kanina? K'onti nalang ay halos magpatayan na sila!"
"Napaka-O.A. mo Hate, hindi 'yan. Tignan lang nila mangyari sa kanila 'pag inano ka."
I wiped both palms on my cheeks, stretching down the skin of my under eyes before groaning at her ignorance. "Y'know what, fine! Basta 'pag ako naaway ng kahit isa man sa kanila, I'm blaming you."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Umiling ako sa pagpapatuloy niya sa paglilipstick. Buti nalang at may event ngayon kaya hindi gaano ka-strict ang staff sa pagmamake-up, meron nga ding naka-all out make-up akong nakita kanina. A surge of coldness corsed through me when my eyes fall to Vortigern conversing with Helios, who looked well cleaned and no longer cradled food in his arms. My body turned into stone as his eyes captured mine. He nods his head to Helios as a form of farewell and clasped their hands together, doing the typical one shoulder bump, hug thing. My mind blurred when he jogged his way to me. In state of franticness, I twirled around as if that would've help him not notice me.
"Hate!" napapikit ako ng mariin nang tawagin niya ako.
My shoulders sagged and nag buntong hininga ako. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko rin alam kung ba't ako nagtatago. Siguro dahil na rin sa hiya at hindi ko alam kung pa'no s'ya i-approach tungkol sa sinabi niya bago sila mag-perform. Hindi ko alam kung nagjo-joke lang s'ya, why would he dedicate a song for me. A whole ass performance?! I don't know if I'm overreacting, I don't even know if it really was for me!
H'wag assuming Hate, 'wag mag-assume... Pero pa'no 'pag para sa'kin pala talaga 'yon? Argh, stop it Hekate! Stop assuming. Umiling-iling ako sa sarili ko. Nababaliw na ata 'ko, kinakausap ko na sarili ko. Normal pa ba 'to? Hay.
"Hey," I jumped in fright as arms clamped down my shoulders.
"Ay pusang gala!" my arms swung across his face, fortuitously punching him. His head whipped to the side, my hands hovered above my mouth as I gasp at my actions.
Oh no...
Vortigern craned his neck and cupped his right cheek, pain evident. Internally wincing when I saw the redness of his skin. I didn't mean to punch him! It was unintentional, really! Imbis na tulungan at mag-sorry, sinamaan ko s'ya ng tingin.
"Why were you sneaking up on me?" humalukipkip ako, my hip popped out as my eyebrow plucked up.
Rubbing his the right side of his face with a pout, "Ikaw na nga 'tong nanakit, ikaw pa galit." my vision spiraled. "I wanted to see you, why? Masama?" bakas ang panunukso sa tono ng kanyang boses. I dropped my hands to my sides, averting my gaze elsewhere.
"D-diba may iba ka pang babatiin?" 'yan, tapang-tapangan ka pa kanina ta's nagyon nauutal ka na!
Arms snake their way around my waist from behind, Maeve perched her chin on top of my shoulder. "You and me together~ Through the days and night~" she sang in my ear with full intention of embarrassing me further than I already am.
"No one. No one!~" I swatted her using my left hand as she toppled in laughter. Nang maubos na ang tawa niya, nahagip niya ang gawi ni Vortigern na awkward na nakatayo sa harap namin but he still seemed so cool. "Oh, Vortigern. Bakit ka nandito, 'di ba kakausapin mo pa 'yong-!!" Helios clamped his hand down her mouth, muffling her cusses and screams. "Ano ba!" iritadong sabi ni Maeve nang buhatin siya ni Helios.
"We're gonna go. Bro," tumango siya kay Vort at tumango naman ito pabalik.
Napakurapkurap ako during their whole exchange, what just happened?
"Tara na," he grabbed my hand and entwined our fingers together, smiling down at me before bending down to reach me at eye level, bridging the inches he towered over me. I retracted my chin to my neck, decreasing our closeness. "Let's eat ice cream."
"Ha? Ba't tayo kakain ng ice cream, eh 'di ba kakanta ka pa-"
"Shut up." he cut me off and pulled me to the nearest DQ ice cream stall.
The ice cream fills up my vision, cold blocks in a multitude of hues, each one of them so frozen until a touch of warmth transforms them into sweetness. I quickly licked the ice-cream to right it, it had begun to slump precariously to one side and there was nothing worse than loosing an entire scoop to the dirty cemented ground. Vortigern's hand came to view, a tissue was held in front of me. I stared at it with blinking eyes. Ano gagawin ko d'yan?
I open my mouth with the intention of asking what the piece of tissue was for, but he suddenly caught me off guard when he wiped the corner of my lip.
"Ang kalat mo naman kumain," he mumbled more to himself rather than pertaining to me. He must've spoke his thought unconciously. I focused my vision to the trailing liquid down the cone of his ice cream, dripping down to his hand and eventually met the cold floor.
"'Yong ice cream mo..."
Hindi n'ya 'ko pinansin at nagpatuloy sa pagasikaso sa'kin. Sa mata siguro ng iba, we would look like the typical couple. But we were far from that. I didn't even know what we were, we occassionally flirted... but, we're not exactly lovers. He hasn't called me a friend, too. More than friends but less than lovers, maybe? Charot. Ayokong mag-assume at baka hindi naman pala friends or lover tingin niya sa'kin, baka isang dumi sa ilalim ng paa niya lang pala tingin n'ya sa'kin e'di napahiya pa 'ko.
Hindi na ininda ni Vortigern 'yong ice cream niyang tumutulo sa sahig, he tucked the strand of my hair behind my ear as it almost sticked to the ice cream. Sinakop n'ya ang buhok ko gamit ang isa niyang kamay. Nang matapos siya sa pagaasikaso sa'kin, tinapon niya na ang ice cream at humila ng isang pirasong wet tissue na nakapatong sa ibabaw ng ice cream freezer.
Sayang pera... Masarap pa naman 'yong flavor na pinili niya, ngumuso ako.
Tumaas ang kilay niya nang bumagsak ang kanyang mata sa nakanguso kong labi. "Oh, why are you pouting? Gusto mo kiss?" He languidly leaned forward.
I placed a hand on his chest, preventing him from going any further. "Sige subukan mo, ipapakulong kita!" I glared at his laughing eyes.
"Don't worry, Hate. Hindi naman kita hahalikan. Ayoko pa'ng makulong." tumawa siya sa sinabi niya.
Umiral na naman ang katarayan ko at iniwan ko siyang nakatayong mag-isa do'n. I fastened my pace as I heard him call out to me. My heart raced along with my legs, pa'no ba naman kasi! Kung hahalikan niya ko, 'di lang 'yong pagpapakulong sa kanya ang problema, first kiss ko 'yon! At ayoko namang ibigay ang first ko sa kung sinu-sino lang, 'no! Gusto ko do'n sa magiging first love ko. Tulad ng sa mga pelikula, I dreamed of my first kiss to be a foot popping one! Like the princess diaries, when Mia and Michael first kissed. It was magical. With foot pop! That's how I imagined my first kiss would be. A childish superstition.
"I have to be on stage for the closing performance... wait for me down the stage, alright?" Bilin niya habang naglalakad kami pabalik sa open field.
Nang ibalik niya 'ko kina Maeve, nagtatalo na naman ang dalawa tungkol sa heaven knows what. People were staring at them, curious of their banters. I shook my head at the sight of those two. Vortigern chuckled beside me before planting a small kiss on the side of my forehead, his lips lingered on my skin causing a tingling sensation. Blood rushed up to my cheeks, dito pa talaga niya ginawa sa kung sa'n maraming tao! He bid me a small farewell before jogging up the steps. Lumapit ako sa dalawa kong kaibigan na hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin natatapos ang pagtatalo.
"Tama na 'yan." my hand gently placed on Maeve's arm. They stilled when they noticed me. In a snap, natigil din sila. I eyed them suspiciously. May tinatago ba 'tong dalawang 'to?
"Bwisit." Mahinang bulong ni Maeve.
My mind clouded with thoughts and suspicions that I couldn't even decipher what was going on in the stage. Why did they suddenly stop when I was there, usually they pay no heed and just continue on. Helios even looked away when we made eye contact. What was going on?
"Thank you and good night, Northride Charter! Welcome your second semester with a warm smile!"