Chapter 5: Mixed Signals
846 Words
Monday morning came faster than expected. Lisa stood in front of her mirror, brushing her hair while trying not to look too bothered. Pero sa totoo lang, she barely slept last night. Hindi niya maalis sa isip ang ngiti ni Mark, ang paraan ng pagkakatitig nito sa kanya, at ang huling tanong niya sa sarili bago siya nakatulog:
"Nahuhulog na ba talaga ako?"
She shook her head, trying to brush away the thought the same way she brushed the loose strands of her hair. Focus, Lisa. This week was going to be full of reports and exams, and she couldn't afford to get distracted.
Pagdating niya sa campus, everything seemed normal. The usual energy of students rushing to class, the morning sun glaring on the concrete grounds, and the loud laughter from the benches where barkadas usually stayed. But for Lisa, everything felt a little different.
Maybe because she was different.
"Lisa!"
Napalingon siya sa pamilyar na boses. It was Joy, her blockmate and closest friend sa klase. Joy jogged toward her, slightly out of breath. "Kanina pa kita hinahanap. Sabi ni Prof, sa lab tayo mag-meet ngayon. May experiment daw na kailangan nating tapusin."
"Talaga? Akala ko next week pa 'yun."
"Advance daw kasi siya ng topic. Let’s go?"
They walked toward the laboratory building, and just as they were about to turn the corner, Lisa's phone buzzed. A message.
Mark: Good morning. Kita tayo sa hallway later? May ibibigay lang ako. :)
Her heart did a little jump. She stared at the screen, unsure how to respond.
"Sino 'yan?" usisa ni Joy, peeking over her shoulder.
Lisa quickly locked her phone. "Wala, school update lang."
Joy raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but didn’t press further.
By lunchtime, Lisa found herself sitting under their usual tree spot, trying to review her notes while waiting for the next class. She tried to focus, pero paulit-ulit lang ang binabasa niya. Her mind wandered back to Mark's message. She hadn’t replied yet.
Should she meet him?
Before she could make a decision, she heard footsteps approaching. A soft thud. Then a familiar voice.
"Lisa."
She looked up. And there he was. Mark, in his usual plain white shirt and faded jeans, hair slightly tousled by the breeze, holding a brown paper bag.
"Hi," she greeted, unsure of what to say next.
"Di ka nag-reply, akala ko 'di ka sisipot," he smiled, handing her the bag. "Bumili ako ng egg tart. You mentioned dati na favorite mo 'to."
Lisa blinked. Did she really mention that? She couldn’t even remember.
"Thank you," she said, taking the bag.
"Wala lang. Naalala lang kita nung nakita ko 'yan sa bakeshop kanina."
Silence stretched between them. Lisa felt her cheeks warming up. She wasn't used to this kind of attention, lalo na galing sa isang tulad ni Mark. He was kind, thoughtful, and he noticed things—small things.
"May klase ka pa ba after this?" tanong ni Mark.
"Meron. Lecture sa Gen Psych. Ikaw?"
"Wala na. Pero baka mag-stay ako sa library. Gusto mo sabay tayo mamaya? Tulungan na rin kita mag-review kung gusto mo."
Lisa hesitated. Studying with him sounded tempting—too tempting. "Sige..." she replied, surprising even herself.
"Text mo lang ako, ha."
With a smile and a nod, Mark left her spot under the tree, and Lisa was left holding the brown bag, her heart beating just a little faster than it should.
By late afternoon, they were already seated at one corner of the library. Mark had brought his own notes and some highlighters. Lisa had hers spread out too, but for some reason, her focus was split.
Every time their hands accidentally brushed, she felt a jolt. Every time he leaned closer to explain something, her heartbeat raced. And when he smiled... she didn’t even hear half of what he was saying.
After almost an hour, Mark leaned back and stretched.
"Gutom ka na?"
Lisa laughed nervously. "Medyo."
"Tara, bili tayo ng snack. Treat ko."
"Hindi na, okay lang."
"Lisa," he said, with a tone that almost sounded serious. "Let me treat you. Hindi ko kasi alam kung makaka-bond pa tayo ulit like this."
That made her pause. What did he mean by that?
"Bakit naman?"
Mark looked away for a moment before answering. "Wala lang. Busy rin kasi ako minsan. And I don’t want to miss chances."
She didn't know how to respond to that. So instead, she smiled faintly and nodded. "Okay."
Later that evening, Lisa lay on her bed, the lights off, and only the moonlight slipping through the window. She held her phone close, reading their short exchange of messages.
Mark: Thank you for today. I enjoyed our time together.
Lisa: Me too. Salamat sa egg tart.
Mark: Next time ulit?
Lisa: Tingnan natin.
She didn't want to seem too eager. But the truth was, her heart was already writing possibilities she wasn't sure she was ready for.
She placed her phone down and turned to her side, a soft smile forming on her lips.
She was falling.
And she was terrified.
- Writer
