Somewhere Between Friends

4th Stop

"He joined the school varsity!"  Anton sits beside me.  She is one of my friends at this school.  

"Are you talking about Mason?"  tanong ni Messie.  Nakangiting tumango si Anton.  

Dalawa lang ang masasabi kong close friends ko.  They are Melissa or Messie and Antoniette or Anton.  Were in the same school since we reside here in the Philippines.

Napailing na lang ako at muli kong ibinalik ang tingin sa hawak kong libro.  

"Cam, as his girlfriend, aren't you excited about that?"  bigla akong napatingin kay Messie.

"Girlfriend?  Okay ka lang?  Nanloloko lang iyon and besides, we are too young for that!"  inirapan ko siya.  "And you know what, I really cannot understand why you guys are after all the news about him.  Kulang na lang, pati pag-hikab ni Alex, bilangin ninyo."

Nagkatinginan sila at nakangiting ibinalik sa akin ang mga tingin.  "We counted it, in History class!  At pareho kami.  He yawned twenty times!"  

Napailing na lang ako.  "You two, are hopeless.  I cannot understand why you became my friends."

Inipit nila akong dalawa at nagpa-cute.  "That is because you love us, Cam,"  sabi ni Anton sa akin.  "Kahit naman kunwari, you doesn't care about us, you are doing the exact opposite of it.  Am I right, Messie."

"Yah.  you are right, Anton. She......"  we heard some buzzing noise from our back.  

"OMG!"  It's Pinky's voice.  "He's so cute in his basketball uniform!"  

Napa-angat kaming tatlo ng paningin para lang mapasimangot ako.  Si Alex lang pala.

"Cam......ang cute cute ni Mason!"  Kinikilig na naman ang dalawa.  "Kung ginawa niya sa akin ang ginawa niya sayo, for sure, I will say yes without a second thought!"  Messie hugged herself while saying those stupid things.

"Cute are for dogs,"  inis na inirapan nila ako.  

"Eh di, he's not cute!  Handsome na lang!"  I rolled my eyes when Anton grinned at me.  

"He is not handsome,"  I corrected her.  

"Who is not handsome, Princess?"  bigla akong napatingala.  He's all sweaty.  I pulled back when he tried to touch me.

"Don't touch me, Alex!  You are stinky!" the guys who are with me laughed.  "Pawis na pawis ka, why don't you clean yourself first!" I crooked my nose and looked up at him with an annoying look in my eyes.  

"I will, Princess,"  he smiled.  Tinignan niya ang hawak kong libro.  "Studying? Tsk! Tsk!"  and shook his head.  "Not good."

Lalo akong napakunot sa sinabi niya.  "Why do you have to read it over and over again?"  iniwas ko ang libro nang tangka niya iyong kunin.  He just shrugged his shoulders.  "You are smart, Cam, and I know that you already memorized the topic that we will discuss today.  I know you can get a perfect score so you don't have to worry about that."

"Maze,"  he looked at Kuya Drix.  "Let's go and change,"  he nods.  

"See you later, Princess,"  he waved at me before he walks away.  

"Bakit ganun? Kahit hindi ako ang kausap ni Mason, he rendered me speechless?"  and she sighs dreamily.  

I just gave Messie a glance before I close my book.  I cannot help but smile as I  look at Alex's back.  He is still the boy who likes to follow and annoyed me.  But I must admit that I found it sweet when he showed that he cares for me.

Maybe I should try to befriend him.  I think, there's nothing wrong with that.

"Cam!"  bigla akong napatingin kay Anton.  "I am asking you why are you smiling like that?  I am having goosebumps!"  

"Why is that so?"  I stood up and took my back.  "Masama bang ngumiti?"

"No....pero ang makita naming ngumiti ang isang Cameron Marie, is really creepy,"  sabi naman ni Messie.

Natawa na lang ako at umiling.  "Mga sira!  Sige na.  Let's go.  Baka ma-late pa tayo sa next class."

"Nga pala, Cam.  Join na tayo sa Cheering Squad,"  aya sa akin ni Anton.  "I really want to join, kami ni Messie."

"Then join.  I am not interested,"  I started walking and they followed.

"Ano ka ba, Cam!  Some extra activities will add up to your popularity as a major student in here," napatingin ako kay Messie.  "We know that you are smart pero hanggang doon ka lang namin nakikita.  Since we are on our second stage here in school, you should start to join these things.  Huwag lang books nang books."

"Still not interested,"  they both sigh but I ignored them.  

Hindi nila ako mapipilit sa isang bagay na ayokong gawin.  And extracurricular activities are really not my cup of tea.  Ayokong pinapawisan.  That's gross.

~~//~~

"Hi Princess,"  he greeted me.  "Naligo na ako."

Since I decided to be nice to him, I smiled.  "Dapat lang."

"Oho!"  his eyes widen in surprise.  "My Princess just talked back at me!"

"Sira.  Maupo ka na nga,"  I pulled him to sit on his chair.  "Ikaw nga, after ng practice ninyo, deretso ka nang maligo hindi yung nagpapa-cute ka pa sa mga girls."

"Selos ka?"  I rolled my eyes and I noticed that he frown. "Stop doing that Cam."

"Which one?"  I asked him.  Umayos siya ng pag-kakaupo at inilabas ang ballpen mula sa bag.

"Stop rolling your eyes.  That's rude,"  napasimangot ako.  Gawain ko na iyon dati pa lalo na kapag hindi ko gusto ang naririnig ko.  "If you were doing that before, stop it.  Hindi bagay sa magandang katulad mo."

I know that I blushed when I heard that so I simply touch my cheeks.  

"Ready ka na for the quiz?"  tanong niya sa akin.  I nod.  

"Always," mayabang kong sagot.  Because he attended the basketball practice, for sure, he will not get a perfect score now.

"Mrs. Ambrosio told me to join TMC," napalingon akong bigla sa kanya.  "She invited me."

TMC is an advanced math club in our school. Mga piling estudyante lamang ang kasali doon. I really feel threatened now that Mason is here.  If Mrs. Ambrosio invited him, that means something.  And I know, we will fight head to head in presidential position.

"Are you going to join?" I know that it is stupid to ask but I cannot help it.  

"I don't know if I can but I love to," tumingin siya sa akin.  "I will run for student council president."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko.  I cannot believe what I heard from him.  

President of the Student Council for a newbie is a big NO NO!

Nakakaramdam na naman ako ng inis.  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.  

"Cam, are you alright?"  I felt his hand on my arms.

I opened my eyes and look at him.  I smiled.  "Yes, I am."  'I am not, you idiot!  You are stealing fame from me!  Kaya pala wala pang nag-aalok sa akin na tumakbo as student council president is because of him!'  "Who......in which party?"

"Independence,"  I clenched my fists.  That was my previous party!  "And I am inviting you to run as my Vice President."

'The nerve to ask me to become his second?  I am Cameron Marie and nobody can put me down from my pedestal because that is mine and mine alone!'

~~Mason's POV~~

I might be insensitive to ask her that knowing that Independence was her party.  When I agreed to run as a president, I didn't know that she was the previous president.  Huli na nang malaman ko at hindi na ako makaka-atras pa.  

She's smiling but I saw how she ground her teeth and clenched her fists.  Napabuga na lang ako ng hangin dahil mukhang magagalit na naman siya sa akin.

"I.........I....."  she looks at bored.  "I will think about it, Alex, and thanks for the offer."

Hindi na ako nagtanong pa dahil halatang na-bad trip siya sa sinabi ko na lalo pa yatang nadagdagan nang makuha namin ang result ng quiz.  We both got a perfect score.  

Nagdadabog siyang kinuha ang mga gamit.  "Cam wait!" I hold her arm.  She gave me a sullen glance.  "Come with me.  Let's.......let's take a walk."

"I am busy, Alex,"  I hold her arms tighter when she took a step.  

"Please......I don't know why suddenly you are acting like that.  We were okay earlier,"  her lips became one-liner but she tried to smile.

"Alex, busy lang ako at alam mo namang marami tayong assignment .........."

"Then we will do it together. I will tell my Mom to drop me in your house......or I can go with you when your Mom picks you up."

"You are not going to give up, are you?"  I just smiled.  "Sige na nga!  Baka lalo mo lang akong kulitin."

I hold her hand and I didn't let her go though she's trying to pull it.  "I will not let you go, Princess so stops resisting."

"Hindi ako sanay ng hinahawakan ng kung sino, Alex,"  inis na tumingin siya sa akin pero nginitian ko lang siya.

"You have to get used to it.   Ako ang Prinsipe mo kaya kailangan, lagi akong naka-alalay sa iyo," narinig ko ang mahinang pag-tawa niya.  "See?  Napapatawa na kita."

"Nakakainis ka na kasi kaya idinadaan ko na lang sa tawa," sabi niya sa akin.

Tumigil ako sa paglalakad at tinignan siya.  "You are really beautiful, Cam.  Smile more often."

"I know that.  You don't need to say it over and over,"  hinaltak na niya ako.  "And stop staring.  That's rude."

Natawa naman ako.  "How can that be rude?  Masama bang tumitig, ha?"

"Ikaw, Alex, kapag may makarinig sa iyo, aakalain na totoo ang sinasabi mo,"  inirapan niya ako pero nakangiti pa din.  "Mamaya, makarating pa ito kay Daddy, lagot ako."

"Si Tito Troy magagalit?  I doubt it,"  nagtatakang napatingin siya sa akin.  "Your Dad likes me and he knows na good boy ako kaya there is nothing to worry about."

"Alam mo, ang yabang mo!  Tawagan mo na nga si Tita Bea at mag-paalam ka na.  Tell the bus driver not to wait for you as well.  Aantayin ka namin ni Mommy sa parking."

Nang naghiwalay kami, agad akong pumunta sa paradahan ng school bus para hindi na ako antayin pa habang nagpapaalam ako kay Mommy na agad namang pumayag.

I was about to go to the parking where their car is when I saw that my shoelace is untied.  I raised my feet on the bench and tie the lace when someone tapped my back.

"Hi,"  a girl, about my age, is smiling at me.  She is so beautiful!

"Hello,"  I smiled back.  I haven't seen her face before because a face like her is impossible to ignore. 

"I am looking for the Principal's office.  May I know where is it?"  she has blue eyes.  

Foreign girl.

"I can walk you there,"  I offered her my help.  

"Really?  Hindi ba nakaka-abala?"  nagulat ako ng marinig ko siyang nag-salita ng Tagalog!  She laughs softly.  "Nagulat ka, ano?"

Natawa din ako.  "Yes...of course!  Who will not be?  How come........"

"My Mom is a Filipina and my Dad is half,"  she walks with me.  "Kaya marunong akong mag-tagalog."

Napatango na lang ako pero hindi pa rin nagsi-sink in iyon sa akin.  "So, why are you looking for the Principal's office, if you don't mind me asking?"

Umiling siya at muling ngumiti.  "I will attend your school,"  another surprise for me.  "By the way, I am Erica Louise Villaluz."  She offered her hand.

"Alexis Mason Falcon,"  I took her hand.  "Hope we can see each other again."

She nods.  "Of course.  Kung dito ako mag-aaral, imposibleng hindi tayo magkita."

We stopped at the Principal's Building.  "So, see you then?"

"Yeah.  Thank you,"  she climbed the stairs.  I waited for her to enter the building before I took a step back to the parking.

"What took you so long, Mason?  Akala ko, naligaw ka na?"  inis na tanong sa akin ni Cameron.

"Sorry.  I showed a new student where the Principal's office is.  Hi Ninang,"  I kissed her cheeks. "She's lost."

"Hello, Mason.  One month na kayong nakapag-start, may lumilipat pa rin sa school ninyo?"  I nod.  "She's already late so how she can cope up with the lesson?"

I just shrugged my shoulders and look outside the window.  That pretty girl, for sure, will become popular in the school.  No doubt about that.