Chain of Restrictions

Kabanata 8

Anxious

The beautiful pink flowers are scattered on the floor. Almost everyone's eyes fixated on the person, who scandalously pushed the box. I'm shocked that's all I can say.

"Why did yo-" Nagulat ako nang isang magandang babae ang kaharap ko, she has these British features.

Sabog ang kanyang honey brown na buhok, pawis na pawis ang maputla nitong balat, may pawis din sa itaas nang matulis at maliit nitong ilong, naka-awang ang mapula at mabilog nitong labi, at kabado naman ang mala-almond nitong mga mata. She's breathing heavily like she ran towards me for some reason. Napansin ko ang pula niyang ID sling font, I then determine that she's an ABM student.

In USC senior high school, on the slings, they made the University of San Carlos's name in different font color, for each strand. To easily determine the students.

Yellow for STEM

Red for ABM

Green for HUMSS

Blue for TVL

"Hey you! Bakit mo hinulog yung kahon?" Kreia as she went to my side, parang maghahamon nang away. Bish, I can handle this kung hanap nito ay away.

"You! Did you touch it?" Hinihingal na biglaang tanong nito while ignoring Kreia, she then messily combs her hair using her fingers. Nagtataka man pero umiling ako.

Napayuko ito at ang dalawang kamay ay nasa tuhod. She suddenly raised her left hand and patted my right shoulder, she sighed, like she's saying that I did a great job and she's relieved.

Lumapit siya sa flowers and what she did really made me slightly pissed off. She stomped on the flowers with her heeled school shoes, nang di makontento kinuha niya ang water bottle ni Katalina na nasa lamesa namin, at ibinuhos lahat ang tubig sa sahig kung nasaan ang bulaklak.

That was a gift! How dare she?

"Kars! Why did you sudd-" May dumating na chinitang babae na naka-eyeglasses. Tiningnan ko rin ang kanyang sling. It's green, Humss. The girl is also pretty, she has these French features but her eyes are chinky under those thick eye glasses.

Magulo ang natural na blonde hair nito na naka-bun, pawis din ang mala morena nitong balat, napakafull nang mapula nitong labi, at puno ng pagtataka ang brown din nitong mga mata.

When she looked at the girl who's still stomping on the flowers ay nagulat din siya, mabilis niyang hinila 'yong tinawag niyang 'Kars', para tumigil ito.

"Kars! What are you doing!?" Hinihingal at nagtatakang tanong nito, while still trying to stop the girl. It looks like she followed this girl. The 'Kars' girl stopped on stomping the flowers, she then wiped away her sweat with the back of her hands, due to her 'extra activity'.

Hugh, then arrived shortly. As he went to my side, he looked at the flowers on the floor. Napansin ko ang kanyang abong mata, he has this mysterious glimpse on his eyes while looking down on the flowers, that doesn't look like flowers anymore.

The beautiful flowers!

"What's happening here?" Nilingon niya 'yong yung Kars daw at kalmadong tinanong ito, habang nasa tabi ko na. The girl looked at Hugh pero binalik din agad sa akin ang light brown nitong mata.

She looked around in the cafeteria at bigla akong hinila palabas doon. Hindi ako pumalag sa hawak niya because I understand that she wants this to be confidential. Because it has to be.

Agad namang sumunod ang mga kaibigan ko, si Hugh, pati na rin 'yong chinita girl. Huminto siya nang makarating kami sa likod nang kung nasaan ang Cafeteria, agad din niya naman akong binitawan at nilingon.

"I'm sorry for what I did, but I'm not sorry for the flowers." What? Before I could open my mouth to talk, she raised her right hand, right on my face. I crossed my arms and raised my right eyebrow, waiting for her 'acceptable' explanation. She sighed bago nagsimulang magsalita.

"Okay so, I was with Nich that time, when I strongly bumped into someone on our way out from school. That red box fell on the ground and slightly opened. Mabilis ko namang tinulungan 'yung tao sa pagkuha nu'n and accidentally, I touched the tip of the petal, when the person harshly grabbed it out from my grasp, and left. My fingertips then started to feel numb and pain seethed through my skin, I then realized that the flowers are poisonous, I then did the aid to stop it from worsening. I looked for that person everywhere, and while I was looking crazily. I saw you outside from the cafeteria's glass, opening the red box and was about to touch what's inside of it. Tinakbo ko ang pagitan natin and yeah that happened." She shrugged it off like she didn't do anything great. Sobra akong nagulat sa sinabi niya, I then felt this overflow of gratitude towards her.

But who would do such a thing?

"Did you recognize that person?" Hugh asks, cutting me off from what I'm thinking. Tiningnan ko naman 'yung Kars, I was disappointed when she shook her head no.

"The person was wearing a black mask and a black cap. From the looks of the body and the clothes, the person is a 'he' and his clothes look like those of a 'delivery man'. Yung nagdedeliver ng mga online things?" I'm still deep in thought, kahit na nasa bahay na ako. Even after a week had passed, ay 'yon pa rin ang laman ng isip ko kaya naman sobrang lutang ko sa klase.

Since that incident happened, sina Karsyn Pascua - the british girl at si Nicholette Padgett - the french chinita girl, ay napalapit na rin sa amin. We met regularly in the cafeteria, we talked about random things, but no one dared to talk about the flowers. Hugh and I also decided to keep if from our parents, to avoid them from worrying. Baka kasi namali lang ng pagbigay, pero kahit saang anggulo pa kasi tingnan, may taong nagbabalak akong saktan.

I keep on thinking for the possible person to do it, even the reason behind it, pero wala talaga. My parents are known for their good side, they don't look down on people, they would even help a person in need. I also didn't do anything like some criminal actions or made a person hate me. Hugh also didn-.

My thought was cut off when our maid knocked on my room's door. I opened it and Manang Lucy then smiled at me. We only have three maids, at si Manang Lucy ang pinakamatagal na nagtrabaho sa amin. She took care of me and Hugh since we were little.

"Hija, may delivery ka sa baba." Oh! Baka 'yon na yung inorder kong sapatos online, two weeks ago. Dali-dali akong bumaba, tumawa naman si Manang. Lumabas ako sa pintuan, and I saw Hugh, siya ang kumausap sa delivery man, kinuha niya 'yung box at siya rin ang nagbayad ng inorder ko. When he turned to get inside the gate, our eyes instantly met.

Nang makapasok siya sa bahay ay dumiretso ito sa kusina, he opened the drawer below, at kumuha ng cutter. Mabilis at maingat niyang binuksan ang box, he sighed loudly in relief when he saw the pair of shoes inside.

I noticed that he's been very attentive to me these past few days. Konting kibot ko lang o di kaya ay may magbigay lang sa akin ng kung ano, ay titingnan niya muna. And all I can say is, pwedeng-pwede siya maging bodyguard. Nilingon niya ako at binigay sa akin ang box, tas naglakad papunta sa living room at umupo. He may not show it, but I know that he was alarmed by those flowers.

Sinundan ko siya at nilagay ko ang box sa maliit na mesa, tas umupo ako sa kaliwa niyang banda. He was sitting while leaning back while his eyes are staring holes on the ceiling, thinking deeply.

Matagal na siyang tahimik, pero mas lalo siyang tumatahimik pag may malalim na iniisip. Kinuha ko ang kaliwa niyang kamay niya na nasa sofa, napalingon naman siya sa akin. I gently smiled.

"Hugh, what are you thinking?" I softly asked while looking at his beautiful gray orbs. He didn't answer, but instead he just stared at my face. Using my right hand, I caress his messy dark brown hair, napapikit naman ito, dinadama ang ginagawa ko.

He sighed deeply, for I don't know how many times. Hinawakan niya ang pulso ng kamay kong sinusuklay ang buhok niya at hinawakan ito gamit ang dalawa niyang kamay, inayos niya ang kanyang pagkakaupo at ibinalik sa aking ang tingin.

"Danaleigh. Salvernon." He gently called my name, using his deep voice. Nagsimula namang bumilis ang pintig ng puso ko, kaya napaiwas ako ng tingin, pero gamit ang kanang kamay ay pinabalik niya ang tingin ko sa kanya. My heart is now pounding loudly!

"Taking care of you has always been my pleasure. So whatever's gonna happen, I'm not leaving you. I promise you that." With his expressive grey eyes, he then went to me and kissed my forehead, napapikit naman ako at dinama ang kanyang halik. I felt my heart once again going on a rampage, I felt this tingling touch on my stomach, and at this moment, everything just felt right. A smile then formed on my lips. 

Me. Him. 

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sshandi

Naol di mo biya.