Chain of Restrictions

Kabanata 2

Friend

Since today is Monday. The traffic is quite heavy and we're currently jammed in the road. I saw Manong Roel let out a sighed as he finds a way to escape this situation.

Tiningnan ko ang relo sa pulsuhan ko. Hindi ko rin mapigilang magpakawala ng isang buntong hininga ng makitang 7:16 am na. 7:30 am pa naman ang start ng klase. We're dead, first day pa naman. Itong katabi ko parang walang pake, natutulog pa rin. I can even hear his slight snore!

Pagkarating sa University of San Carlos - Main Campus, ang aming pribadong paaralan. Dali-dali kong ginising si Kuya, inangat niya ang kanyang ulo. Nagmamadali kong binuksan ang pintuan sa aking banda at lumabas sa sasakyan dala ang bag.

I checked my wrist watch again 7:25 am. I hold the strap of my sling bag as other students take their line. Dadaan kasi kami sa entrance ng gate kung saan may Guard naatasang tingnan ang aming verification paper. Kahit malapit na ang magtime, marami ring kapwa estudyante ang nasa labas pa ng paaralan, siguro dahil first day.

Habang nasa linya may napansin akong naiwan. Pag lingon ko sa aking likod, doon ko lang naalala na may kasama pala ako, si Kuya.

Where the hell is he?

Nahagip ko siyang inaantok na naglakad, sa likod ng linya. I glared at him pero agad ring naputol ng pinapasok na ako ng Guard.  Hinintay ko siyang makapasok habang naiinis na napakagat labi.

Sobrang bagal naman nitong maglakad hindi man lang nag effort magmadali! Ilang minuto na lang malelate na kami!

"Kuya!" Mahina pero madiin kong tawag sa kanya. Nakita ko pa siyang ngumanga, yawning!

Hindi na nakatiis sa panonood sa kanyang mabagal na paggalaw, hinawakan ko ang kanyang pulsuhan at hinila ito para tumakbo papuntang classroom namin. May nakita akong munting ngiti na namutawi sa kanyang labi habang ang mga mata at nakatingin sa hawak ko sa kanyang kamay.

How can he have the time to smile?!

"Ba't ba ang bagal-bagal mo! It's already almost 7:30! Quicken your pace! Use those long legs of yours!" Hinihingal ko siyang pinagalitan habang tumatakbo. Tumawa lang ito habang nagpapatianod sa aking hawak. I always wonder why he's the older one when sometimes he would act younger than his age. Parang ako pa ang matanda sa aming dalawa.

Nakita ko na rin sa wakas ang room number namin, inayos ko muna ang aking sarili. As soon as I open the door, the bell rang, tanda na magsisimula na ang klase.

"What are you doing? Get inside and find your chairs." May mahinahong boses na saad ng kung sino. When I looked it was a woman, and by the looks of her, she's a teacher.

I nodded and went inside, still holding firmly Vaughn's wrist. I looked for a vacant chair and luckily I found two at the back. Umupo na kami habang pinapanood ang pagpasok ng babae. She introduced herself, she's Ma'am Denise Castillo, our first semester adviser.

Napalingon ako sa kaliwa at nakita ang natutulog na Vaughn. Ulo ay nakayuko sa itaas ng kanyang kamay. What is he doing in class? Goodness!

"Kuya! Wake up!" Galit na pabulong ko sa kanya pagkatapos kong hampasin ang likuran niya. Kita sa kanyang mukha ang sakit ng aking pagkakahampas. Naiinis na binalingan niya ako ng tingin habang inaabot ng kanyang kamay ang hinampas ko.

His eyes are closed as he patted his back. "Stop hitting me Leigh! Kanina ka pa ah!" He loudly complained.

And of course, dahil malakas ang boses ng gago, lahat ng nandito sa room ay nabaling ang atensyon sa amin. I chuckle awkwardly as I my left hand move to his side, to pinch it. Hinawakan niya ang aking kamay at blanko ang mukha na tinanggal niya ang aking pagkakakirot. Naiiling akong tumingin sa harapan.

It's our first day and he's sleeping? What a waste of money!

"You two at the back. Since you just stole the attention, why don't you introduce yourselves?" Ma'am Castillo said, making me look at her. I hesitatingly stood up.

What a way to start our first day. Very remarkable. Tatak na kami sa utak ni Ma'am.

"Good Morning, My name is Danaleigh Salvernon. 16 years of age. Nice to meet you all." I smiled after that. Ma'am Castillo nodded signaling me to take my seat.

My brother then stood up after nudging him several times. Kailangan pa talagang pilitin.

"Vaughn Hugh Noriegez. 17 years old. Nice to meet you all." He casually said in a monotone way. Patago ko muli siyang kinirot sa tagiliran.

Gagong 'to parang bored lang.

He winced but sat down after introducing. The teacher took the stage, and continued introducing all of our classmates. We are actually forty-four students in one classroom.

Naglakad si Ma'am Castillo sa harapan at tumayo sa likod ng lamesa. "So, This class is a STEM strand and section 1A of that. So, I'm thinking that some of you are planning to be a Doctor and Engineer. Am I right?" Ma'am Castillo started the orientation for our strand.

I took the STEM strand because I want to take up Medicine in College. But what type of field is still undecided. While Kuya wants to be an engineer. He's great at doing math kaya hindi mahirap sa kanya iyon. But me on the other hand, bobo ako sa mathematics. Two plus two nga kinacalcutor ko pa! Hindi kami kailanman naging malapit ng Math Subject.

The orientation went on. Sabi ni Ma'am Castillo, ngayong week daw ay half day lang muna ang magiging klase, which is a good news for me. Kakasimula pa lang kasi kaya gano'n.

The bell rang, snacks time. Naglalakad kami ni Kuya ngayon papuntang canteen para bumili ng snacks. Ayaw pa nga sana niyang sumama pero para saan pa at mapipilit ko siya?

Tumigil kami sa isang stall na may tindang burger. Kukuha na sana ako ng pera sa wallet ko nang may askidenteng makabangga ako. Matutumba na sana buti na lang at nasa likod ko si Kuya. Inalalayan niya ako muli sa aking pagtayo. Napatingin ako sa ibaba at nakita na lahat ng laman ng aking wallet ay natapon sa sahig.

All my cash is all out, before I could get down to get all of it. Kuya was already picking all of my belongings along with the wallet itself. While the guy on the other hand, was holding the wallet size family picture of us.

It's a picture that I took when we had our family picture taken. I place one on my wallet so that when I open it, my wallet can be lively without money on it.

Umangat ang kanyang tingin mula sa litratong hawak at binigyan ako ng isang malakaibigan na ngiti. "You have a beautiful family. I'm sorry for bumping on you. Here, I'm Carter by the way." He introduced and passed me the photo. Pero bago ko pa maabot 'yon, Kuya harshly got it out of his grasp.

Nanlalaki ang mga matang napatingin ako kay Carter at kay Kuya bago siya mahinang pinalo sa braso. "Kuya! You're being rude! I'm sorry about that and okay lang. I'm Danaleigh." I offer my right hand to shake his. Napangiti ako ng kinuha niya iyon. I nudged Kuya to say something but he just grunted as he keeps ny wallet on his hand.

Tumingin muli ako kay Carter. Oh! He looks foreign. May lahi siya. He has these blue eyes, his hair color is in a shade of chocolate brown, natural pink lips, thick eyebrows, and he has the same height as Kuya. He's wearing a simple white shirt and denim jeans and black sneakers. Where he actually looks... hot.

A cough distracts me that made me stop staring. Nang tumingin ako sa mukha ni Carter, he has a cute smirk on his face. A cough was again heard, kay Kuya pala 'yon. Oh! I forgot!

Humarap ako sa kanya at tinuro ang katabi. "Carter this is Vaughn my broth-" Kuya cutted me off by placing his arm on my right shoulder, pulling me closer to him.

What's wrong with him? Why is he being rude? Nakakainis na ah.

"Not blood related." He said suddenly, which took me off guard.

I thought this topic is kind of sensitive to him?

"Oh! I thought." Carter awkwardly scratches the back of his head. Dama ko ang paghigpit ng hawak ni Kuya sa aking balikat, sakto lang na hindi nakakasakit.

From where I'm standing, I raised my look at him as I saw his lips potruded a bit. "Well, you thought wrong." Kuya rudely answered back, which made my forehead creased, wondering why he's acting like this. 

Before I can even say something, the bell suddenly rang, grabbing our attention. We didn't even have a chance to buy the burger.

Well I'm really not that hungry so, it's fine I guess?

I looked at Kuya again when I felt him squeeze my shoulder. "Leigh, let's go?" He asks me sweetly. I saw how his gray orbs have this confident spark. I watched him  looked back at Carter, with a smug expression.

Okay things are weird and Vaughn's acting way out from his character.

_________

sshandi

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