The First Class Officer Hates Me: My ROTC Senior Enemy

Chapter 4: The Rain

I thought Saturday was over after PE.

I was wrong.

My PE ended at three in the afternoon. My body was tired. My green jogging pants were dirty from the wheelbarrow relay. My white PE t-shirt was wet with sweat. My hands were still shaking.

I wanted to go home. I wanted to sleep.

My friends, my Parekoy, had already left. Realyn had to help in her family store. Wilma had to babysit her nephew. Angelica had to fix her cousin's laptop. They hugged me before they left.

"Parekoy, rest, okay?" Wilma said.

I smiled. "I am okay."

I walked to the tricycle terminal alone. The sky was dark. It was June. Rainy season in Bulan.

I was waiting for a tricycle when the rain started. At first, small drops. Then heavy. So heavy that I could not see the road.

Everyone ran. I also ran to the waiting shed.

The waiting shed in our campus is small. Old wood and rusty roof. It can only fit ten people. When I entered, there were already eight students inside.

And one officer.

Aris Gotladera.

He was also stranded. He was in his PE uniform, same as me. His hair was wet. He was standing in the corner, arms crossed, cold, silent, never smiling, strict even when stranded.

I stopped at the entrance. I wanted to go out and get wet rather than stay with him.

But the rain was too strong. And I was too tired to walk home in the rain.

So I stayed. I stood at the other corner, far from him. My arms crossed too. I was pissed off.

For five minutes, no one spoke. Only the sound of the rain on the rusty roof. The other students were whispering, looking at us.

Then one girl said, "Dela Torre and Gotladera, partner in PE and partner in rain! So romantic!"

Other students laughed, "Bagay!"

I looked at them, pissed off. "We are not!"

Aris did not say anything. He just stared at the students who were teasing. When he stares, cold and silent, people stop.

They stopped teasing. They looked away.

Then the other students started to leave one by one, even in the rain, because they did not want to be in the same shed with a strict First Class Officer.

After ten minutes, only me and Aris were left.

Only the two of us. The rain was still heavy. The wind was cold.

I was shivering. My PE t-shirt was thin. My body was already tired from ROTC at four in the morning and from PE fitness test.

_I work like a carabao, I am strong,_ I told myself in my mind. _I wake up at two in the morning every Saturday. I work as store helper Monday to Friday. I tutor during break time. I do catering on Sunday until eleven at night. I am middle child of seven. I can handle cold. I can handle rain. I can handle everything._

I hugged myself. I tried not to show that I was shivering.

Aris looked at me once. Then he looked away.

He took off his jacket. It was his ROTC green jacket with his name patch: GOTLADERA.

He walked to me. He did not speak. He put the jacket on my shoulders and went back to his corner.

No words. No "Wear it." No "You will get sick." Just action.

I looked at the jacket, then at him. I was pissed off.

In my mind, I was shouting: _I don't need your jacket, Sir! Only here in PE you are not my officer! You are not my officer here in waiting shed! You might forgot the rules that even out of ROTC time and out of campus you are my senior officer? I remember your rule! But I don't need your help!_

But I said nothing out loud. I just rolled my eyes.

The jacket was warm. It was big for me. The sleeves were too long. It smelled like rain and clean soap.

I wanted to take it off and throw it to him. But I was so cold. And I was so tired. My pride said no, but my body said yes.

So I wore it. But I looked away, far from him, so he would not see my face.

For a few minutes, we just listened to the rain. No talking. Only me shivering a little, wearing his big jacket, and him sitting cold in only his white PE t-shirt, wet from rain.

I was still pissed off at him. Really pissed off. In my mind, I kept talking: _Why do you always target me? Why always Dela Torre, push-ups! Dela Torre, wash your face! I work hard every day, Sir, you don't know. If I am not strong, who will feed my siblings? But I will never tell you that. I will never let you see me weak._

Aris did not talk. He did not show any interest in talking to me. He just sat there, cold, silent, never smiling, strict, looking at the rain.

Then the rain became small. A tricycle arrived.

The driver shouted, "Bulan! Bulan!"

I stood up. I took off his jacket. I put it on the wooden bench, not directly to his hands, because I was still pissed off.

I walked out of the waiting shed into the small rain. I did not say thank you. I did not look back. I acted strong.

In my mind, I said: _Thank you, Sir, but I am still pissed off at you._

I rode the tricycle.

From the window of the tricycle, I saw him still in the waiting shed. He took his jacket from the bench. He wore it. He did not look at my tricycle. He just stood there, cold, silent, strict, waiting for the rain to stop.

That night, I could not sleep. Not because of kilig, but because I was still pissed off. And because his jacket was warm. Why?! Louella are you dumb?!!