2 [Part 2] | Making Waves
1752 Words
"No po," Isla said making Chase nudge her. She grinned. "Este no problem po, director."
"Can we already leave?" tanong ni Noah na tila buryong na buryong na. "I guess you already finished your narrative."
Natawa na lamang ang director. "Ganiyan na ganiyan din si Blake no'ng una siyang pumunta dito sa opisina ko. And look at him, he already changed." Blake just smiled at him. "By the way, the punishment is effective from today until further notice."
Noah was the first one to stand up and faced back the director. There greeted him Blake who was looking at him. "What?" he asked. "Bakit ka na naman nakatingin sa 'kin, kuya?"
"It's your first day here at napatawag ka na agad sa director's office, Noah." The older brother shook his head while making a tsk sound. "Are you okay? Let me bring you to the infirmary."
"No, kuya," Noah declined. "You can already go home. Baka nag-aalala na sina mom and dad sa 'yo. I'll stay until I don't know when kasi maglilinis pa ako sa area ko."
"Are you sure, li'l bro?"
"Yeah," the li'l bro said before passing by his older brother and approached the door. "Favor lang. Tell mom and dad na I'll go home late. I'll be the one to tell them my reason once I went back."
Noah started walking ahead the infirmary. There was a field that one will be passing before reaching the infirmary. Why am I thinking of him when I saw the infirmary?
Memories just kept on coming back to his mind. The first time he went inside the campus and was brought to the infirmary is so fresh that it was like happened yesterday. What the hell is wrong with my mind?
He stopped as he reached the entrance. The door opened itself that never bothered Noah. He turned his gaze from left to right to see whoever is in there.
At the right side of the infirmary, there was a fine man, wearing his lab gown and with a brown wavy hair. The man was facing back from him but was obvious that he is wearing an eyeglass.
"Hello," Noah said nonchalantly. "Can I ask for a help?"
"Yes?" the man said before looking turning back and faced Noah. "How can I help— Noah?"
"Kuys doc?" he asked before turning back to him. Noah's heart went heavier in an instant. Why is the pain of the yesterday coming back? "I... I better get going."
The man immediately approached him and stopped him from leaving by holding his hand. "Don't leave," Tobi commanded. "Let me... talk to you and at least dress your wounds."
Noah freed himself from Tobi's grip and started walking towards a bed there. If I leave, I can't prove myself that I'm done with him. He sat there.
Tobi, from the other side, walked after him after getting the kit. "I... heard the news of someone who was beaten by the bullies. It was a transferee and I didn't expect that it was you," Tobi said while putting an ointment to the cotton buds. "It was a long time since we last saw each other. Are you still mad at me?"
Noah was stopped for a minute before answering. "How am I mad at you?"
"You left me before telling me," Tobi argued. "You must have some hatred at me for not letting me know. I almost hated you for doing so."
"Feel free to hate me," Noah coldly said. "No one's stopping you though."
"Is it really the Noah I knew?" Tobi asked before making a sulk. Why isn't he changing? "So the bubbly Noah I knew was already gone? Sad..."
"I am Noah, the real Noah," he argued. "I am the real me if I tell myself so."
Tobi slowly leaned towards him making Noah lean backward as well to avoid. "Why are you avoiding me? Pa'no ko mapapahiran ng ointment ang sugat mo kung panay ang iwas mo?"
Noah realized what he did so he tidied himself and started not moving. "Can you make it quick? I have some areas to clean."
Tobi gently patted the wound using the cotton of the bud. Noah silently twitched after feeling the pain like he was hiding the pain. "You can show the pain by crumpling your face, acting brave won't do anything," Tobi adviced. Acting brave have something to do, I already forgot you by just doing so. Or did I? "And may nasabi sa 'kin ang director na may makakatulong na ako sa paglilinis dito after ng shift ko. Are you that person?"
Noah nodded. "Unfortunately, I am."
"What's unfortunate with that?" Tobi smiled. "You'll get to see my face everyday, ayaw mo ba no'n?"
"Ayaw," Noah directly retorted. "It's more convenient sana kung hindi kita makikita na. But because this is the director's order, I'll follow it."
"Parang kailan lang excited ka sa 'kin magpasama no'n, matatandaan ko pa you commanded me to come with you every fifteenth day because you're my responsibility tapos ngayon," Tobi paused.
"That already have passed. I also remember dati you're too annoyed with my presence, but now you like to see me here with you everyday. The audacity of you to tell me I changed."
"I just want to make it up with you. Lahat ng pagkukulang ko sa 'yo, I'll make it up for you now. I'll surely enjoy seeing you here."
Noah's brows furrowed. "Hindi mo na ako responsibility so you don't have to make up for what you're saying. We also don't have anything between us as well, so no need to enjoy the days with you here. We can just do our jobs without talking with or minding each other."
"Anong 'we don't have anything between us'? We are friends. I also treated you as my brother back then."
"Back then, not now," Noah defended. "Dati na 'yon. I have already forgotten everything between us."
"Then let's make another and let's make the bond stronger," Tobi replied while smiling from ear-to-ear. "However, whether you like it or not, you'll be seeing me everyday for sixty days."
Immediately after making Tobi dress his wounds, he left Tobi alone at his area and went to a place farther than the latter's. "Why is he acting like nothing happened before?" takang ani Noah sa kaniyang sarili. "If narinig niya ang mga sinabi ko sa kaniya no'n, he must be avoiding me. I guess hindi niya nga narinig. Now I regret, I should have told him everything para siya na mismo ang umiwas sa 'kin."
"You're talking with yourself?" Tobi asked from a distance while smiling. "Talking with one's self is not healthy. Nandito ako, why not talk with me?"
"Mind your own business," ani Noah bago napaiwas ng tingin at nagpatuloy na lamang sa pag-mop ng tiles na sahig ng infirmary.
There were a couple of minutes of silence between them since Noah decided not to talk with him anymore. At the other side is Tobi glancing back and forth at Noah that he was still not believing that Noah is already here.
"How's Japan?" Tobi initiated. He surely missed Noah that he wants more interactions of him and Noah. "Did you have a great time studying there? At saka, why did you go home? Na-miss mo ba ang pamilya mo? Or ako 'yung na-miss mo?"
Noah glanced at him in a single time. "Japan is Japan with or without me. Wala namang nagbago sa Japan kahit pumunta ako do'n," pamimilosopo ni Noah. "Had a great time there. Can I keep why I went home as a secret of mine? I surely missed my family but you..."
"Me? You surely missed me." Tobi grinned. "You're just denying it. I know you when you lie."
"If you know me when I lie, why did you not know that I..." Liked you. Noah paused as he realized what he's talking. "Never mind. I'll just clean my area."
"You what?" Tobi left the broom he's holding and went behind Noah. "You what? Huwag mo akong bitinin. I'm curious what are you talking about?"
"It's not like that rings your bell," Noah said and faced back. Napa-atras siya nang makita si Tobi sa kaniyang likod. "What the hell? Bakit ba ang lapit mo?"
"I'm just curious," Tobi said and sat on the chair near him. "Dati-rati, you always tell me everything. Nothing is a secret from you. Tapos ngayon, you're keeping a secret from me? Nakakapanibago."
"Why would I tell you then?"
"Because we're friend," Tobi argued. "Or are we? Not sure."
"We aren't friends," Noah denied. "We only share secrets to our friends. You are a stranger for me. Why should I trust you my secret?"
Tobi stood up and slowly approached Noah. The latter's brows furrowed as he don't know what Tobi's up to. "What should I do to know that secret?"
"You have to be my friend," Noah said while slowly stepping back because Tobi is continuously stepping forward. "What are you doing?"
"How should I make you as my friend?" Tobi said after stepping one more forward. "Because back then, you are the one who befriended me. How should I do it now?"
"Deal with that yourself, but I've promised myself not to befriend you anymore," Noah argued as he step back one more time. "Can you stop stepping forward? It's... It's annoying me."
Tobi stepped one more time making Noah stepped back again. Now, Noah has no space to step back more because he is now leaning at the wall. "I'm asking you one thing, Noah."
"What?" Noah raised his brows. Nagulat naman agad si Noah nang itapal ni Tobi ang kaniyang dalawang kamay sa dalawang side ni Noah. "Someone may see us and misinterpret what you're doing. Please stop."
"I'm asking you to call me kuys doc once again," Tobi said and flashed his mesmerizing smile. "And please, can we be friends again?"
Before Noah could say anything, the door opened and someone came in. "Tobi, for how many hours more should I be waiting for you outside..." The woman was stopped when he saw what Tobi's doing. "What are you doing?"
Tobi got his hands off to Noah and faced the girl. "We aren't doing anything," Tobi said and touched the woman's shoulder. "Don't even think of misinterpreting things."
Noah tidied himself before facing the woman and smiled at it. "Long time no see, Summer," he said, while brows raised. "Hope you're doing fine."
- Writer
