I am not sure what kind of face I showed at that moment. But what I felt was a mixture of different emotions; shock and anxiety are the most obvious one.
"Anong sinabi mo, Margaret?" si Clarissa nang lumipas ang ilang segundo na hindi pa rin ako nagsasalita.
The former turn around to face my friend. "Kilala mo si Mavin Jaranillo, 'di ba? Iyong transferee sa second section? Nakitang kasama si Akila kahapon. Akala nga nila Ange nagkataon lang... Pero nang kapwa tumigil sa harap ng faculty room ng Math at nag-usap..."
Sinadya niyang tumigil doon at nilingon ako. Napatingin din tuloy ang mga kaibigan ko sa akin. Gusto kong pumikit nang makita ang mga mata nilang dalawa. In their eyes, it seems like they are telling me that I hide something important from them... that I don't trust them enough.
Sa huli'y hindi ko na napigilan at napapikit na ako. I squeeze my eyes for a second and heave a sigh. Then I meet their eyes. "I can explain..." was all I can say.
"Talaga? Sige nga, Akila. Anong meron sa inyo ni Jaranillo? Kayo ba?"
I shot Marga a look. Na agad namang nagpatikom ng bibig niya. But I remain staring at her until she get the message. Na hindi naman nagtagal.
"A-Ahh, sige. Iwan ko na kayo... Mukhang marami pa kayong pag-uusapan..." at dali-dali na siyang tumalikod at bumalik sa upuan niya.
"Care to tell us what's happening, Akila Fiorella?" Tricia shot a brow at me.
I chewed my lower lip and force myself to face my friends. I awkwardly smile at them but they remain glaring at me. I pouted and decided to just spill it.
"Uh, he help me with the Math test--the quadratic functions part."
Tricia narrowed her eyes at me. "At anong nagtulak sa kaniya para tulungan ka? Magkakilala na kayo, Akila? Kailan pa? Bakit hindi namin alam?"
Napangiwi ako. "I just met him coincidentally... for a couple of times," lumiit ang boses ko sa huli.
Naningkit ang mga mata ni Clarissa. "Kailan?"
Napalunok ako at inalala kung kailan nga ba nagsimula. Dahil nasa huling linggo na kami ng Agosto... I shut my eyes and remember those unexpected encounters. I can't remember the date of our first encounter so I just settle with the date I remember.
"August 4... I think that's when we had an unexpected encounter for the f-first time."
Matagal bago sila nakapagsalita. Napakurap si Tricia at may sinabi kay Clarice na 'di ko gaanong naintindihan. Maya-maya ay inilabas ni Clarice ang cellphone niya at kinalikot ito. Ganoon din si Tricia. Pero nawala ang atesyon ko sa kanila nang maramdaman ko ang pagba-vibrate ng cellphone sa bulsa.
Wala sa sarili ko itong inilabas. Nang mabasa kung kanino nanggaling ang text message ay napatitig ako dito. Lumipas muna ang ilang segundo bago ko ito binuksan.
Mavin:
Are you free right now? I'm outside your room.
Agad akong napatingin sa labas pagkabasa noon. Napairap ako sa ere nang makitang nakasara lahat ng blinds. How can I tell if he's really outside? But on the second thought... Mavin hasn't bluff to me yet.
Bigla ay hindi na ako mapakali. I bit my lower lip unconsciously as I type a reply.
Ako:
Lalabas na ako.
Pagkasend ko noon ay inabot ko ang bag ko at hinanap ang libro. Nang makita ito ay agad na akong tumayo.
"Saan ka pupunta?"
As if on cue, I stop on my tracks and slowly turn my head to look at them. "O-outside. May gagawin lang... I'll be quick!" humakbang na ako.
"Teka..."
Napabuga ako ng hininga saka pumihit upang harapin sila. "Fine. Come with me. He's outside."
Napamaang silang dalawa sa akin.
"...Who's outside?"
I licked my lips and gulped. "Mavin," I said softly.
Kapwa agad na nanlaki ang mga mata nilang dalawa. "Seryoso?!"
Napairap ako sa ere at tinalikuran na sila. "Up to you if you'll believe me or not. I'm going..."
Inignora ko ang titig ng mga kaklase namin. Sooner or later ay malalaman din naman ng lahat. It's Marga who go to know it first so it wasn't a probability anymore. Nagkakatotoo na ang inaalala ko noong isang araw. It's strange because I feel that it's just fine. Na okay lang na malaman ng lahat ang ugnayan namin ni Mavin Jaranillo.
Pagkalabas ay hindi ko agad siya nakita. Napalinga-linga pa ako sa paligid. Hindi ko naman alam na siya pala iyong nakasandal sa colonnade sa pagitan ng classroom namin at ng kabilang classroom na pinapalibutan ng ilang katao. Someone from the group pointed my direction causing him to turn his head to look at me. I automatically brought a small smile to my lips when our eyes meet. Sa kanilang banda, kinalas naman niya ang pagkakahalukipkip at lumayo sa colonnade.
As I cross our distance, my eyes move to the people crowding him. One of the faces seems familiar. Saka ko palang natanto na si Siggy pala iyon nang ngisian niya ako. Nang tuluyan na akong nakalapit kay Mavin ay nagsilayuan na ang mga lalaking pumapalibot sa kaniya kanina, kasama na doon si Siggy.
My eyes followed Siggy when he entered the classroom right next to ours. The truth is I'm bewildered by the fact that he's just right next to our classroom. Why didn't I notice him before? That kind of face wouldn't go unnoticed in a crowd. But then my line of vision was interrupted when someone blocked it.
Napakurap-kurap ako at nag-angat ng tingin kay Mavin. "Kanina ka pa ba?" tanong ko sa kaniya.
He raised a brow. "Sorry to break it to you but Sigfrid isn't available now."
My jaw slowly dropped. "Hey..." I whined. "I wasn't interested in him in that way." I emphasize each word.
Nanatili siyang nakatitig sa akin pero kalauna'y umangat na ng isang gilid ng labi niya. "Oh yeah?"
I sneered at him jokingly as I shove the book lightly unto his chest. He was quick to hold it, therefore even caught the half of my hand that's still holding the book. His hand is warm. There's slight roughness on it despite its softness.
"I see. Gotten more comfortable with me now that we're getting touchy, aren't we?" he teased, a smirk plastered on his lips.
Agad naman akong pinamulahan. I draw my hand back to my side and cleared my throat after.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to," I murmured, looking anywhere but him.
Ngumiti lang siya.
"You're friends are standing there..." he said after a while.
Nang tumingin ako sa kaniya ay itinuro niya gamit ang mga mata ang sinasabi niya. My eyes unconsciously move towards it. Nang makita nga ang mga kaibigan na nakasungaw ang kalahating katawan sa pintuan ng classroom namin ay agad akong ginapangan ng hiya.
"Sorry for my friends..." I said almost like a whisper.
Ako ang nahihiya sa ginagawa nila. They make it seem like it was a big deal. I mean--yeah it's kind of a big deal because it's Mavin we're talking here--but we're nothing except... friends. Yeah, we're just friends.
"Why? You're friends seems interesting..." he said playfully.
I shot him a glance. Gustong i-clarify na 'he has the interesting group of friends' pero hindi ko na ginawa. After all my friends are interesting in a way.
Mayamaya ay nagdesisyon na ang mga kaibigan ko na lumapit. So I am forced to introduced them to Mavin and vise versa. And Mavin being the polite guy he is, he asked my friends how they are. Na kinuha namang pagkakataon ng mga kaibigan ko upang magtanong-tanong ng mga bagay-bagay kay Mavin.
I cleared my throat. "Girls, it's already time for class," pasimple kong bulong sa mga kaibigan in pretense of just smiling.
"Ha? Ano 'yon, Akila?" si Tricia na sobrang engrossed sa pagkausap kay Mavin.
Dahil doon ay lumipat ang tingin ni Mavin sa akin. He look at me questioningly. Awkward naman akong ngumiti sa kaniya habang pasimpleng kinukurot sa braso si Tricia. Mayamaya ay para namang biglang may natanto si Mavin.
"I guess it's time for class... Uh, see you around girls?" si Mavin.
I know it's weird but... Halos sabay na napalunok sina Tricia at Clarissa pagtapos sabihing iyon ni Mavin. Sabay rin silang nagpaalam sa huli at nang tumalikod na silang dalawa ay napangiwi ako nang makita ang dismayado nilang mga mukha. I can't believe how they are able to go from being overjoyed to depressed in an instant.
"Akila," that made me turn my head at him. I slightly raise my brow. Ngumiti naman siya ng kaunti kasabay ng pagbulsa sa isang kamay niya. "I'll see you around."
Ah. So that's it.
Umangat ng kaunti ang labi ko. "See you around, Mavin..."
He showed me his book. "Thank you for carrying this one."
Habang pinapanuod ang likod niyang papalayo ng papalayo ay hindi ko maiwasang isipin ang nakita kanina sa canteen. I want to ask him what's up with him and Eulace Mariano. But on the other hand, I don't want to. Pakiramdam ko ay kapag tinanong ko siya noon ay ine-invade ko na ang privacy niya.
Umikot na ako nang makita siyang lumiko na sa may hagdanan. Pagkapasok ko sa classroom ay agad kong namataan ang mga kaibigan na mukhang kanina pa naghihintay. I silently search for my seatmates because my friends kick them out of their seat. Nang nakita silang nasa upuan ng mga kaibigan ay napahinga naman ako ng maluwag.
"What's up?" I asked them nonchalant as I take my seat between them. Agad naman nila akong hinarap. And I suddenly feel like I'm being cornered.
"Tell us. Paano mo talaga nakilala si Mavin Jaranillo?" pagsisimula ni Tricia.
My brows furrowed. "Is he really that of a big deal?"
I mean it as a jest but they remain serious as they wait for me to answer their question. Napatikhim ako at nag-iba ng pagkakaupo.
"What is it? He help me with my dog, that's where it all started. Is he--well, being a 'Mavin Jaranillo'--that sort of a big deal? Dahil ba sa mukha niya--"
"Akila," Clarice said with all seriousness.
Napakurap ako dahil 'di sanay na makita siyang ganito kaseryoso. "Yeah?"
"He's really 'that sort' of a big deal..." she added. "If you're not aware—no offense, na obvious naman—he's the grandson of the most loved and respected governor of this province, former Governor Salvador Jaranillo. He's from that certain clan."
Umawang ang labi ko. "W-What?"
"Totoo. Hindi mo siguro alam dahil hindi ka lumaki dito... But members of the Salvador Jaranillo clan are really a 'big deal'," si Tricia.
Napalunok ako. Patuloy sila sa pagsasabi sa akin kung gaano ka-'big deal' ang former governor at ang pamilya niya. Pero dahil windang pa rin ako sa nalamang apo ng pinakamamahal nilang gobernador si Mavin ay hindi maiproseso ng utak ko ang mga lumalabas sa bibig nila.
But why is there no one in school that's talking about him being the grandson of that particular former governor?
Pero nasagot din ang katanungang iyon sa isipan ko nang sabihin ni Tricia na hindi naman ito lihim, pero dahil wala lang nagtatangkang pag-usapan ito publicly kaya hindi kataka-taka na hindi ko alam ang bagay na iyon. It's like a common knowledge that don't have the need to be tackled.
Hindi ako mapakali kinagabihan. I know that I shouldn't ask him that through text--more so shouldn't even ask him that thing--but my drive to hear it from him is so great that I didn't think twice when I sent the text message I compose five minutes ago.
Ako:
I heard something about you... You're the grandson of the former governor? Is it true?
Nang tumunog ang cellphone ko pagkaraan ng halos sampung minuto ay halos mapatalon ako sa kinauupuan ko. I'd been waiting for it for a while now that when it's finally here, I feel coward suddenly. Lalo pa nang makitang sa kaniya galing ang text. I don't know why... So what if he's the grandson of a governor? Nameet ko na nga ang anak ng may-ari ng RSJ Industries... Ah—oo nga pala.
I'm reacting this way because I never thought that he's kind of a big shot in this province. Akala ko ay simple lamang na may kaya sa buhay ang pamilya niya. Of course, way wealthier than us.
I bit my lower lip. Nanginginig pa ng bahagya ang mga kamay ko habang kinakalikot ang cellphone ko. And so I read his text.
Mavin:
So you finally heard. Can I call?
But then, my heart pounded rapidly when my screen flashes his name as he call me.
I cleared my throat. "Hello?"