The Hater 2: Love to Hate Me (The Hater Trilogy #2)

3 [Part 2] | Driving Through Puddles

"Yes, thank you for the answer, Mr. Ricci," the professor said and continued discussing the lesson. "So, likewise what Mr. Ricci said..."

"Iba talaga kapag honor student," Isla murmured while looking at Chase. "Sana all kasi may brain na ganiyan. Sa'n ba pupuwedeng bumili ng gan'yan?"

"Hindi 'to binili, Isla," Chase said while pointing his finger to his head, referring to his brain. "Ginawa 'to ng nanay at tatay ko. Gusto mo ba ikuwento ko sa 'yo kung pa'no nila ako gumawa?"

"Huwag na, please. My innocent mind shall not be ruined." Isla became silent for minutes before she again talked to Chase. "Huy."

"Bakit ba? Busy ako magsulat ng notes," Chase uttered without even looking at Isla. "If you have anything to tell me, sabihin mo na agad. May kokopyahin ka bang assignment? Saang subject at nang maibigay ko na."

"Hindi kasi," ani Isla at napa-pout habang tinitignan si Chase. "Hmm..."

"Tumigil ka nga, ang panget mo," wika ni Chase na hindi pa rin tumitingin sa nasa kanan niyang si Isla. "Tumigil ka nga, para kang jowa ko kung maka-siksik ka. Ano ba kasing mayro'n?"

"Ano kasi..."

"Ano?"

"Hindi mo..."

"Ano ba kasi?"

"Hindi mo ba talaga ip-pursue 'yung sinabi ko sa 'yong transferee?" wika ni Isla na tinignan ni Chase ng may annoyed na mukha. "Nakita ko na siya and bagay kayo. Please lang, i-pursue mo na. Kapag naging kayo, titino ako sa pag-aral."

"Wala akong pake kung bumagsak ka, girl." Tinaliman ng mata ni Isla si Chase. "Kanina mo pa ako inaabala para lang diyan? Alam mo, hindi mo mapipilit ang hindi naman dapat. Stop imagining things, Isla. Kumalma ka at magsulat ng notes."

"Kung hindi kita mapipilit..."

"Titigil ka na?"

"Hindi," Isla said and saluted her tongue. "Kung hindi kita mapipilit, bahala ka at pipilitin pa din kita."

---

"ABOUT WHAT happened yesterday," Tobi paused while following Noah's steps. "Ako na mismo ang mags-sorry. I know masakit 'yung ibang mga nasabi ni Summer but..."

"Why are you asking for sorry?" Noah asked coldly. He seem to does not care but actually care inside. "Wala ka namang kasalanan sa 'kin."

"I'm telling sorry in behalf of my girlfriend." Noah rolled his eyes. That fatass word. "Sorry talaga."

It was Noah's second day of punishment. Nandoon sila sa infirmary ni Tobi. As usual, they are cleaning buddies, which Noah denies.

Everyday seeing Noah feels so good for Tobi. He doesn't know how to explain but having a long-missed friend beside him feels so good.

"I'm sorry talaga," Tobi said before grabbing his broomstick and started cleaning around. "As much as possible, pwede huwag mo nalang patulan si Summer, Noah?"

Noah turned his gaze and looked at Tobi. "Oh, so ako pa pala maga-adjust?"

"Nope." Napakamot na lamang ng ulo si Tobi. "You know, sana kung makita mo siya, huwag mo nalang patulan. Knowing both of you are stubborn and hard-headed. I can't let you both enter the same room."

"Bakit ako ang kinakausap mo?" tanong ni Noah habang naka-angat ang kilay. "Don't you think mas mabuting 'yung girlfriend mo ang kausapin mo?"

"You're the one I'm asking kasi ikaw lang naman ang makikinig," Tobi replied. "You know naman ever since, between you and her, mas madali kang kausap."

"Bakit mo kasi jinowa?" Noah uttered which caught Tobi's attention. "You, ikaw mismo ang nahihirapan sa ugali ng girlfriend mo pero ba't mo pa binalikan?"

"Mahal ko—"

"Stop with that reasoning." Nasasaktan ako everytime I hear that reason. Noah turned his gaze back. "I heard that reason, I think, many times already. You know what, walang magagawa ang pagmamahal kung hindi ninyo naman gets ang isa't-isa."

"But that is the reason why I got her back," Tobi said. "I got her back because I still love him though."

"So are you telling me I should get you back?" Noah said and stopped before realizing something. "Never mind."

Tobi's brows furrowed. "Never mind what? I never heard anything though."

"Then, that's good," Noah said and never talked again, instead he continued mopping the tiles. "You should finish what you're doing. Baka naghihintay na ang girlfriend mo sa labas."

"He isn't going home with me," Tobi replied and stopped brooming first. "Why are you not calling me 'kuys doc', Noah? Didn't I already told you to call me how you called me back then?"

"I already told you also that I don't want to," Noah declined. "At saka, I also told you na tatawagin lang kitang gano'n kapag friends tayo. Kailan ba tayo naging friends?"

"Hard-to-get naman 'to," Tobi kidded before smiling. "Hindi naman kita nililigawan. Can we not really be friends nalang again? I missed the bond we had.

"I have already forgotten the bond we had since I left the Philippines two years ago."

"Why would you forget it?"

"I just like so," Noah said while still mopping the floor. "Ginusto ko lang, bawal ba? Mind your own business."

"For you to forget what we had back then, siguradong may hidden anger ka sa 'kin," Tobi said before walking after Noah. "Ano ba kasi 'yon? Tell me. I'll make it up for you."

"You wanna know what?"

"Yes, tell me already," Tobi intertwined both his arms. "I really wanna know why."

"Actually, it's not a sin," Noah said without looking back at Tobi. "It is a mistake."

"What mistake?"

"My mistake," Noah turned his gaze only to meet Tobi's hazelbrown pupils. "My only mistake is meeting you. Now I'm regretting for the second time around."

---

"HINDI KITA masasamahan pag-uwi, Chase," Isla muttered before standing up and prepared her things. "Dad has appointed me to some sort of blind date. Nakaka-what-the-f**k nga e pero you know wala naman akong magagawa."

"Awts, iiwan mo nalang ba ako sa lagay kong 'to?" Chase kidded and smiled. "Shoo, go na. Mabuti nga't wala nang dadaldal sa 'kin."

"Mag-senti ka lang diyan, malay mo dumating si Heath ta's tumabi sa 'yo," ani Isla habang natatawa-tawa. "Aalis na ako, legit na. Huwag mo 'ko ma-miss masiyado."

And then, Isla ran away and entered a black acura car. Naiwang nakaupo sa waiting shed ang naghihintay ng masasakyang jeepney na si Chase.

A man in a black hoodie and a wavy hair inside the hood came in the scene. May dala itong bag ng gitara sa likod at may nakasapak na headphone sa tainga nito. Weird but I think I saw him somewhere already.

Inilagay ng lalaki ang gitara sa tabi ng kinauupuan ni Chase bago lumuhod sa harap nito. Chase was, of course, shocked of what the boy did but remained calm as many people are looking at them already.

The boy knelt down to tie his untied shoelaces. Napansin nito na tinititigan siya ng maraming tao kaya ito ay nagtaka. Nabalik ang tingin niya sa kaniyang sintas nang makakita ng sapatos malapit sa sapatos niya.

Unti-unti niyang iniangat ang tingin simula sa sapatos pataas sa mukha ng lalaki. Sakto din naman nang naiangat na ng lalaki ang ulo nito ay napatingin si Chase sa gawi nito.

Their eyes met. They both seem to have seen each other before, hindi nga lang nila maalala.

The people around them continued on looking at them. It was like a scene from any drama that'll surely spot the heart of audiences. Some of them are also taking pictures.

A jeepney came so the boy who knelt down stood up and grabbed his guitar immediately and quickly went inside the jeepney.

Little did he know, his ID fell in the process of him getting inside the jeepney and Chase saw it. Chase stood on his feet and approached the fallen ID.

He grabbed it and tried to call the boy who left the ID. "Dude!" he scowled but the boy never turned his gaze to Chase. "Dude, you left your ID. Bakit ka ba kasi nakasuot ng headphone?"

It was late already. The jeepney is already heated and started its engine once again. Chase, left choiceless, sat on his chair and just took a look at the ID. "Heath Lassither Riego," he read the name on the ID. "Kapangalan niya 'yung sinasabi sa 'kin kanina pa ni Isla," he paused as he realized something. "Or is he the one Isla has been talking about?"