So Confused

Chapter 17

“Sa tingin niyo anong nagyare sakanya?” Zylea murmured while pointing at Maki who looks awful.

Nakaupo kami palibot sakanya. Kanina pa naman kinakausap pero puro tango lang.Tulala siya tapos yung buhok niya, himalang hindi nakatali ngayon. There are visible dark circle under her eyes.

“Hindi ko alam, wala pa siyang nakwekwento saakin” Abi said.

“Hindi kaya nakipagpalitan siya ng kaluluwa, yung parang sa Your Name” Zylea suggested. We all look at her indisbeleif.

She flashes a smile and peace sign.

“Baka nabasted ni Brent?” I suggested. Wala naman kasing ibang reason para magkaganto siya. Maganda naman yung standing niya sa Acads, saming lima siya ang may pinakamataas na GWA, mahal na mahal naman siya ng magulang niya. Imposible namang magutom siya dahil mayaman naman sila.

“Believe me Amelie, kung nabasted yan, hindi yan ganyan. Ilang beses na yang binasted ni Brent eh wala namang talab sakanya.” Abi replied

“I agree” sabi ni Zy at pinagkatitigan nanaman si maki

She clicked her tongue three times while squinting her eyes.

“Where did she go yesterday?” hazel asked abi

“Saan pa ba?”

Malamang kay Brent. Wala naman siyang ibang pupuntahan.

“Then it must be all about Brent” Hazel said.

Maya maya pa ay kumunot ang noo ni Maki and look at us like she was asking us that something wasn’t true, then after a second, she bursted in tears.

“BAKIIIIIITTTTTTT” she said in between her cries. Yung iyak ng bata na naagawan ng candy

“Ano bang nangyare?” I asked her. Tumulala ulit siya at tumingin sa malayo.

“Yung lakad niya….” She said in very low tone.

“Yung ngiti niya….” She added

“Yung mga pilantik niya….” She continued and then cried again.

“Bakit hindi ko nahalata na bakla siyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?” she screamed. Napatangin naman ako sa paligid at nag awkward smile sa mga kumakain.

Hazel look a bit shock while Zy and Abi are laughing silently.

“Sinabi niya ba yan sayo?” I asked her

“Oo kahapon. I thought mechanism niya lang yung para lumayo na ako sakanya, pero pinagmasdan ko ang lahat ng galaw niya tapos HUHUHUHUHUHUHUHU”

“HAHAHAHAHAHA. Ngayon mo lang talaga nahalata?” Zylea blurted when she can’t carry it anymore.

Tiningnan siya ng matalim ni Maki

“Easy girl. Eh halatang halata naman talaga eh”

Maki cried again. Napa-iling iling na lang si Zylea at kumain ng spaghetti. I looked at Abi but she just shrugged her shoulder, hazel just flashes her i-don’t-know-either- smile.

.

.

The night came and I can’t sleep. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, hindi kami nakapagtraining ngayon dahil ginamit ang gym for a symposium. Kaya na lang siguro hindi makatulog ang system ko.

I reached for my phone and texted Karlwin a simple ‘hi’. Buong araw ko siyang hindi nakita, sabi ng mga team mate namin ay busy na daw ang mga graduating ngayon dahil sa thesis at ibang requirement. Kami ngang mga second year eh halos hindi magkaugaga sa mga requirements, sila pa kaya.

In just a minute he replied to me saying that he is sorry dahil hindi niya ako napuntahan.

To: Engr. Rivarez

No, its fine. Kumain ka na? ginagawa mo?

From: Engr. Rivarez

Yup, just proofreading something.

To: Engr. Rivarez

Can you call?

It took him 5 minutes before he replied, akala ko nga hindi na eh

From: Engr. Rivarez

Sorry, I have lot of things to do. I’ll see you tomorrow on your vacant time.

I sighed. Gusto ko sanang marinig ang boses niya but I don’t want to disturb him. Alam kong mahirap magmulti-task.

To: Engr. Rivarez

Okay :)

After sending my reply, I opened my data and scroll on f*******:. Hindi naman talaga ako mahilig mag f*******:, but its kind of boring now, wala akong assignments or projects na kailangan gawin.

I was laughing at some memes ng maisipan kong magstalk kay Karlwin. I had never done this, hanggang profile niya lang ako tumitingin at recent post niya dahil noon ay wala akong oras.

Wala naman masyadong laman ang account niya but what caught me is an Erika named girl that was mentioned several times sa mga post niya. She was always mentioned by Mari Aguilar which is their common friend.

I have been curious about this Erika, una ko siyang naencounter kay Lola Mira. So imbis na si Karlwin ang istalk ko, ay si Erika Elodie Embleo ang inistalk ko. And to my disappointment, nakaprivate ang account niya, I would no longer add her as a friend dahil nagmumukha na akong disperada. All I can see is her profile pictures, lahat yun stolen shots. She has long black wavy hair, tapos ang puti niya, putla rather. She has this innocent smile at medyo skinny din siya. Overall, she is pretty. Who is this girl?

I was stopped stalking by chat head of Grant in my screen.

Grantbunso:

Oy ate! Sabihin mo na kasi!

I frowned after I read it. Dapat pala hindi ko na lang binuksan, mangungulit nanaman siya. Rereplyan ko to tapos hindi ko na ulit bubuksan.

Ameliekaliwete:

Stop bugging me, go to sleep

I continued stalking this Erika but Grant keep on sending me tons of message. Sobrang kulit niya. Halos maging isang buong kanta na yung notification sound dahili sa dami at bilis ng mga messages niya.

I rolled my eyes on the screen and turned off my data. Bahala ka jan, napakakulit mo.

The next day I woke up early dahil may klase akong 7:30. Major subject yun at kailangang pasukan.

By 7:15 ay dumating na ako sa school, baka kasi may ma-miss akong chismis, minsan kasi may quiz pala tapos wala akong alam, kaya simula noon, palagi na akong maagang pumapasok. As expected, cathy was there. Wala naman sigurong quiz dahil hindi naman siya nakasubsob sa reviewers niya at napapalibutan ng sandamakmak na highlighter.

Naupo ako sa upuan ko at nag cellphone. I bit my lower lips to stop myself from smiling ng mabasa ko ang ‘good morning’ text ni Karlwin. Fck it, napakasimpleng bagay pero grabe yung epekto niya saakin. I was never like this to Jolo, I never get cheeky with simple greeting message.

“May quiz ba?” Abi asked me. Dumating na kasi siya at naupo sa katabi ko.

“I guess wala naman ata, Cathy is not studying.”

Napatango naman siya at binuksan ang cellphone niya.

“How’s Mackenzie?” I asked her.

She smirked and rolled her eyes “She is fine”

“Fine?”

“Yes fine, like she was not dramatic yesterday”

“That’s fast, I guess titigilan niya na si Brent”

“It’s the otherwise Amelie. She is more desperate now.”

Npailing na lang ako at sabay kaming tumawa ni Abi.

.

Karlwin texted me to meet him in a food house just outside the university. He knows my schedule kaya alam niyang may 1 ½ oras akong vacant.

When I got there I saw him typing on his phone seriously, just like the old Karlwin, parang aburido nanaman. I can’t help myself but to smile as I approach him.

“Hey” I called his attention. He looks up to me and smile.

“Sit, what do you want?”

“You know what I want” I said and smiled.

He squinted his eyes and smirked, then pouted his lips.

I blink three times, and look at him awkwardly. “Whats that?”

It looks cute on him whenever he pouts. Para siyang angel.

“Kiss” he whispered.

I gulped and averted my gaze. He chuckled and pulled my chin so that I could face him

“My, my, Amelie, don’t be shy”

Pinandilatan ko siya ng mata. I don’t want him to see me blushing kaya nilagay ko ang kamay ko sa pisngi ko “I want ice cream you maniac”

He chuckled even more “Maniac? I didn’t feel any protest from you Amelie so it is not molesting. How could I be a maniac?”

“Wa-wag nating pag usapan. I want ice cream”

“Okay, ice cream for my lady” he said and left me to order.

Gosh, nagpaypay ako ng kamay ko. Bwisit na karwlin, how could he make me feel this nervous and hot by his simple words?

I was busy fanning my face when I felt a vibration from the table, his phone is ringing. I know I should not peek on it, but maybe if it is important, I can call him.

Ekay calling…

Who’s this Ekay? I never heard of it from him.

Since I don’t know who is it, and I would not dare to answer it either, I watched it until the call dies. Eksakto naman na dumating si Karlwin na may dalang rocky road full of mallows and chocolate bits.

I gleefully smiled at him as I see my ice cream. Hindi ako magsasawa sa pagkain na ito.

“paborito mo talaga no?” he asked.

I nodded as response kasi pinuno ko ng ice cream ang bibig ko. My God, this was more than satisfying.

After I swallowed my first bite ay pinunasan ko ng tissue ang bibig ko.

“Someone called you, tingnan mo na lang”

He looked at me confused at pinunasan ang kamay niya bago tiningnan ang cellphone niya.

His eyes widen and looked at me.

“Who’s Ekay?” I asked for the first time.