MARICON
"Chase uhm... Do you like sweets?"
He put down his book before looking at me. "What?"
"Uh. I'm just asking." I shrugged my shoulders and smiled awkwardly.
He sighed before nodding his head. "Anything sweet except chocolates."
Awtomatikong kumunot ang noo ko. Kahit ano raw matamis basta hindi chocolate? Puwede ba 'yun?
"May ganoon?" I mumbled, almost a whisper.
Napailing na lamang si Chase at nagpatuloy sa pagbabasa. Bumuntong hininga muna ako bago muling itinaas ang librong hawak ko.
Bakit ba kasi sumama pa ako rito kay Chase? He won't talk to me unless I talk to him. Puro siya libro! Magkaka-girlfriend ba siya kung puro libro ang inaatupag niya? I mean, I'm here. Puwede niya naman akong kausapin kung sakaling gusto niyang magka-girlfriend.
I pouted. Being in a library felt so suffocating. Hindi talaga ako makakatagal sa ganitong lugar.
"What are you reading?"
My eyes widened before I blinked a few more times. Tama ba ang narinig ko? Did Chase just talked to me?!
"S-Siyempre story..." I stuttered. I bit my lower lip to prevent myself from smiling.
Sabi na nga ba, hindi niya ako matitiis!
"May story sa General Math?"
Natigil ako sa pag-iisip nang magtanong niya. General Math? I looked at the insides of the book. I almost facepalmed when I saw some numbers.
"And why are you reading it upside down?" he added.
Ibinaba ko ang libro at awkward siyang nginitian. I scratched my head before looking away.
"You're so stupid, Maricon," I whispered to myself.
He sighed before continuing to read his book. I pouted. 'Yun na, eh!
"Minus points pa sa puso ni Chase," bulong ko.
"Minus points saan?" Chase suddenly asked.
My mouth gapped. Pati 'yun, narinig niya? Ugh! Epekto na yata ng sobra niyang katalinuhan kaya pati mahihinang tunog, naririnig niya.
"U-Uh... Dito sa binasa ko! Y-Yeah, here," palusot ko at itinuro 'yung isang parte sa libro ko.
"That's a positive sign, Maria Corazon," he questioned, with a raise of his eyebrow and folding his arms over his chest.
I winced. Maria Corazon? Eew!
"I am not Maria Corazon! I am Maricon," pagtatama ko.
"You are still Maria Corazon," pagpupumilit niya.
He leaned against his chair, taking on a more relaxed stance. I pouted. I hate it when people are calling me by my real name. That name sounds so old! Parang pasado na for grandmothers.
"Are you sure you don't want to call me Maricon?" I asked him.
His brows furrowed before he nod.
I propped a chin on my palm before my mouth curved into a mischievous grin. "You can call me babe if you don't want to call me Mar—"
"I prefer Maricon," he cut me off.
I pouted before going back to my previous position. I crossed my arms over my chest as I let out a harsh breath. Sayang!
Naputol ang pagd-drama ko nang tumunog na ang bell tanda na lunchbreak na. Agad akong tumayo at gumaya naman si Chase.
"Tapos na siguro si Psyche, right?" I asked him.
He nodded in return.
Just like what I predicted, Psyche is like a model slash a beauty queen. She's just like Ate Kelly. Sa tingin ko nga, magkakasundo silang dalawa. They are both beauty and brains.
Sabay kaming naglakad papunta sa cafeteria. Psyche said a while ago that she'll meet us at the cafeteria during lunch break.
I tried talking to Chase while we're walking but all he did was to answer me with a nod or he will just shook his head.
"Psyche!" I called her when I saw here ordering at the counter.
Tumakbo ako palapit sa kaniya. "Kanina ka pa?"
"Medyo nagutom na kasi ako sa paghihintay kaya nauna na akong mag-order," Psyche answered.
I nodded at her before ordering. "One serving of carbonara and one bottle of water please," I ordered.
Thankfully, maaga kaming nakarating kaya hindi na namin kailangan pang pumila.
"Anong kakainin mo, Chase?" Psyche asked Chase.
"I'll have a carbonara too," he answered.
Napangiti naman ako. Atleast kahit sa pagkain, may pagkakatulad kami. Si Psyche na ang nag-order ng pagkain para kay Chase.
Mayamaya pa ay ibinigay na sa amin ang order naming tatlo. Sabay-sabay naman kaming nag-hanap ng upuan.
We were silently munching our food when suddenly, someone approached me.
"Uh... Hi," the guy who is I think a lot younger than me said.
I looked at him awkwardly. "Hi?"
He is with two guys whom I persume is his relatives. Magkakamukha kasi silang tatlo. Are they siblings? Cousins?
"Ibigay mo na, Roshan," dinig kong bulong noong lalaking katabi ng lalaking tumawag sa akin.
Awtomatikong kumunot ang noo ko nang mag-abot siya sa akin ng hugis puso na lollipop.
Taka ko siyang tiningnan. "Magkano?" I asked.
Ilang beses siyang napakurap dahil sa sagot ko. "Magkano?" he uttered.
I tilted my head while looking at him. "Ako ba ang magpepresyo?" tanong ko.
"Presyo?" bulong niya ulit.
The guy on the right side sighed. "Hindi niya ipinagbebenta 'yan."
"Ah. Libre?"
Tumango naman ang tatlo. My mouth gapped before I nodded. Agad ko naman iyong tinanggap.
"Salamat," saad ko.
Tatalikod na sana ako para magpatuloy kumain nang muling magsalita 'yung lalaki sa kaliwa.
"My cousin likes you," sabi niya at tumingin sa lalaking nasa gitna.
"Talaga? Salamat." I shrugged my shoulders before giving them a half smile.
"That's it?" he added, looking amused.
"May iba pa ba akong dapat sabihin?"
"Hindi mo gusto ang pinsan ko?" dagdag na tanong niya.
I gave out a mirthless laugh. "Pasensya na, hindi kasi ako pumapatol sa mas bata."
I toyed a lock of my hair before smiling at them. The kid smirked.
"Pasalamat ka maganda ka," rinig kong bulong niya.
I chuckled. "Thank you."
He sighed before nudging his cousin's arm. "Let's go, Roshan."
The guy pouted before giving me an apologetic smile. Tinanguan ko lamang siya bago tumalikod at nagpatuloy sa pag-kain.
"That was the Carson cousins, right Chase?" tanong ni Psyche kay Chase.
Carson cousins?
"Stay away from them. They are troublemakers," saad ni Chase at hindi sinagot ang tanong ni Psyche.
Napangiti naman ako. Nag-aalala ba siya? I bit my lower lip before giving him the heart shaped lollipop.
"Sabi mo kanina, gusto mo ng matatamis, hindi ba?" tanong ko.
He looked at the lollipop first before looking at me. "That's yours," he remarked.
I shook my head. "I don't like sweets," I lied.
Natawa naman ako sa sarili ko. Of course, I do like sweets. Sino ba namang tao ang ayaw sa matatamis? But nah, mas gusto ko siya kaysa sa lollipop.
Tinanggap niya naman iyon at itinago sa bulsa niya. The side of my lips quirked up upon looking at him. Buti tinanggap niya!
"Hindi mo ba ibibigay sa akin?" tanong ni Psyche kay Chase.
My brows furrowed.
"I like lollipop," Chase said, almost a whisper but enough for me to hear.
Psyche sighed before smiling at Chase. She nudged his arm and smiled teasingly. "Ikaw, ah," she teased Chase.
Muling kumunot ang noo ko. Bakit hindi ako maka-relate sa pinag-uusapan nila? I pouted before drinking my water.
"Psyche," I called her.
Tumingin siya sa akin. "Hmm?" she asked.
I bit my lower lip before looking at her. "Do you like Chase?"
Ilang segundo siya natigilan bago malakas na tumawa. "Are you nuts?"
"Uh... Tao ako," I mumbled.
Mas lalo siyang tumawa dahil sa sinabi ko. She gave me a dismissive wave of hand, still laughing.
"Kaibigan ko lang 'to," sagot niya at itinuro si Chase.
Napatango naman ako. "Okay," I stated.
"Bakit mo nga pala naitanong?" she asked.
"Because I like Chase."
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