3 [Part 1] | Driving Through Puddles
1701 Words
"LONG TIME no see, Summer," Noah said before grinning at the woman in front of him. "Hope you're doing fine."
"What..." Summer can't even finish her sentence as she was not expecting to see Noah inside with Tobi. "What are you doing here? Aren't you in Japan?"
"Umuwi na ako, kasi kung nasa Japan pa ako, you wouldn't see me here," Noah asserted. "How are you with him? Staying strong ba? Sana all."
"Oh, so the one who wants to get my Tobi away from me is back?" ani Summer bago siya pinigilan ni Tobi. Tinignan niya lamang ito. "Why? Totoo naman 'di ba? He's doing everything to get your attention away from me."
"Summer, just stop," pagsaway ni Tobi. "Noah's here to study and was here for his punishments. He isn't doing anything so stop accusing him."
"Think what you think, Summer," Noah said, raising his brows. "Wala naman akong pake."
"Alam mo hindi ka na sana bumalik, Noah," Summer said before jerking her brows. "We're happily together ni Tobi while you're away for two years. Now I'm getting curious why did you get back here."
"Oh, so you're concerned to me? How is that even happening?" Noah rebutted. "Stop showing your fake concern, Summer. Sanay na ako na tignan kang peke so hindi mo na kailangang mag-alala ng peke sa 'kin."
"Noah," Tobi uttered. "Maybe we should go ahead. Nasa table ko ang susi, you can get that after cleaning your area."
"I'm not yet done with him," Summer interrupted but Tobi pushed her towards the door. "Wait, hindi pa nga ako nakakapag-hello ng formal sa kaniya."
"Summer, stop this bullshit for once," Tobi scowled. "Let's just go home. We'll talk there."
There, Tobi and Summer successfully went out the infirmary. They're going strong as it is. E 'di wow sa inyo. Noah grabbed his broom and started cleaning his area.
When he felt that everything is already done, he put back the broom to where he got it, also the one that Tobi used.
Kaagad niyang pinuntahan ang desk ni Tobi. There greeted him a glass with Tobi's name engraved there. "Woah, so he's already the head of the university's infirmary? I thought he wants to be a hospital doctor, bakit siya nag-settle dito? And why am I thinking of that?"
Binuksan niya ang drawer sa ilalim ng desk ni Tobi. There were things inside that drawer but something got his attention. "A diary?" Noah mumbled to himself. "I know mali ang mag-invade ng privacy but let's take a sneek peek."
Before he can open the diary, someone knocked in the door. He immediately closed the diary and put it quickly inside the drawer and turned his gaze to the one who knocked. "Kailangan nang saraduhin ang infirmary."
It was the guard. Noah smiled. "I'm already done naman po kuya, I just got the key so sasaraduhin ko na rin naman po talaga ito."
---
"CHASE, MAY tsismis ako sa 'yo," Isla initiated a talk between her and her friend. "Bilis na kasi. Parang wala kang interest sa sasabihin ko. Anong klase kang kaibigan?"
"Palagi ka namang may tsismis e, ano pa bang bago?" Chase grabbed a cracker in his table and munched it. "Ano bang mayro'n? May issue ba ang school? May scandal? Pa-send nalang."
"Itong lalaking 'to kapag scandal ang bilis ng radar mo," nandidiring ani Isla sa tumatawang kaibigan. "Hindi nga kasi, may transferee din daw sa architecture department. Kapareho din daw natin na year."
"Tapos?" tanong ni Chase na tila walang pakialam. He focused on his papers that he needs to answer while munching his cracker. "May transferee din naman sa faculty natin, 'di ba? Si Noah. Why are you talking about the transferee there?"
"Ang sungit mo naman," Isla complained. "Gusto ko lang sabihin na kagaya ni Noah, pogi daw din 'yung transferee sa archi."
"Tapos?" tanong ni Chase bago napa-angat ng kilay. "Bakit mo ba sa 'kin sinasabi?"
"Alam mo, mas masahol ka pa sa mood swings ng babaeng may regla. Ikaw nga matanong ko, may matris ka ba?" panunukso ni Isla bago natawa. "Sinasabi ko lang sa 'yo kasi baka type mo."
"Ano ba kasing tingin mo sa 'kin?" tanong ni Chase bago napatigil sa pagsusulat. "Ang dami mo nang sinabi sa 'kin na pogi tapos hindi naman. 'Yung iba pa do'n, pa-astig pa wala namang laman ang utak."
"Ibahin mo 'to, p're." Isla showed her wide, mischievous smile. "Loner daw kasi 'tong transferee. Doesn't seem to mingle around. Introvert to be exact. Laging may nakapasak na headphone sa tainga niya. I bet you'll like him, gano'n mga trip mo 'di ba?"
"Naka-headphones palagi?" tanong ni Chase na tila nakuha na ang atensyon. "Ano daw ba ang pangalan?"
"If I'm not mistaken, Heath ata."
Heath? Seems familiar. "Heath? I don't know but the name rings my bell."
"Baka kasi siya na talaga ang destiny mo," ani Isla bago ginalaw-galaw si Chase. Fujoshi talaga ang gaga. "Patulan mo na. Sikat na sikat sa girls, p're. Pa'no ka niyan makaka-iskor?"
"Ba't ba no'ng nalaman mong lalaki ang gusto ko, palagi mo nalang akong inilalapit sa kung sino-sino?" Chase retorted while looking straight at Isla. "Alam mo kaysa ako ang hanapan mo ng jowa, why not ikaw?"
"Hindi ko kailangan ng jowa," said a fujoshi. "I need two handsome boys flirting in front of me."
"Go to Japan," Chase replied. "Maraming gano'n sa Japan, 'di ba?"
"Anong mayro'n sa Japan?" tanong ni Noah na kakadating lang at napa-angat ang kilay. "Sorry kakadating ko lang."
"Hindi, kasi 'tong si Isla, may nakilala daw na transferee."
"Tapos?" Noah asked. "Galing din ba sa Japan? Anong pangalan, I might know him or her."
"Heath daw ang pangalan," Chase replied. "Pero no, hindi siya galing sa Japan. Ito kasing si Isla, inilalakad na naman ako do'n sa walang-muwang na lalaki. Kesyo yaoi daw."
"Yes! Fujoshi kasi is me," Isla happily shrieked. "Gusto ko lang naman sila makitang maglandian sa harap ko. Feeling ko kasi bagay sila. Parehong pogi, sakto uke 'tong si Chase."
Chase slightly nudged Isla. "Huwag mong intindihin 'yung sinasabi niya? Hindi mo naman gets, 'no?"
"Gets ko. Uke is bottom, if we're talking about sa positions. I always hear that sa mga kaklase kong babae na fujoshis do'n sa Japan," Noah retorted na nag-iwang bukas sa mga bibig nina Isla at Chase. They did not expect Noah to know yaoi things. "Speaking of Japan, nasa'n sa sinabi ninyo 'yung Japan?"
"Ahh, 'yung Japan ba?" tanong ni Chase. "Sinabi ko lang kay Isla na kung gusto niya ng dalawang lalaking naghaharutan sa harap niya, pumunta siya sa Japan. Hindi ba madaming yaoi cafés do'n?"
"Marami bang gano'n do'n sa Japan, Noah?" Isla asked while imagining things. "Aww, parang gusto ko tuloy makapunta sa Japan, as in now na. Ikaw ba Noah, nakapunta ka na ba sa mga gano'n?"
"Yep, maraming gano'n sa Japan. Umaasenso ata business nila because of my female classmates na baliw sa yaoi," Noah paused and sipped a soda. "Pero hindi pa ako nakakapunta sa mga gano'n e. Sorry."
"What if hanapan din kaya kita ng yaoi partner?" tanong ni Isla kay Noah na humihigop ng biniling soda. Agad naman na nasamid si Noah sa sinabi nito. "OMG. Anong nangyari sa 'yo? Okay lang ba you?"
Noah waved his hand saying he's okay. "I'm... fine," he said as breath came between his words. "Namali lang ata ako ng paglunok."
"Hinay-hinay sa paglunok," ani Isla bago tinignan si Noah nang may malisya.
"Sabi ng lola ko, kapag daw nasamid ka, ibig sabihin no'n may nakaalala sa 'yo," Chase replied while munching his cracker. "Give me number."
"Bakit?"
"Just give me."
Noah thought of a number and gave it immediately to Chase. "Twenty..."
"A... B... C... D..." Chase uttered while counting in his fingers. "T! May nakaalala sa 'yo na nagsisimula ang pangalan sa letrang T. Sino kaya? May kakilala ka bang T?"
Natahimik lamang si Noah. "I don't know anyone na nagsisimula sa T ang pangalan..." he lied. I've always known Tobi.
"Weh?" Isla doubted. "On the glimpse of your eyes kaninang sinabi ni Chase na T ang unang letter ng pangalan ng nakaalala sa 'yo, natigil ka e. Baka naman may kilala ka, hindi mo lang sinasabi. Isip ka pa, dali. Preferably, dapat lalaki."
"Wala talaga," Noah denied. "Baka may isa akong tito or tita na naalala ako. You know... baka lang naman."
"Proper noun kasi, hindi common. Think of someone starting from the twentieth letter of alphabeth na malapit sa 'yo. Baka may kilala ka."
"Theo!" sigaw ni Isla. "Wala ka bang kilalang Theo?"
"Wala..."
"Tristan kaya? Wala ba?"
"Wala din..."
"Matchmaking game ba 'to or guessing one?" reklamo ni Isla. "Hmm, baka naman may kakilala kang Toni?"
"Wala nga kasi," Noah complained. "At saka, ba't puro kasi lalaki ang sinasabi mong mga pangalan—"
"Tobi?" Chase asked stopping Noah from talking. "The name suddenly popped out of my mind."
"Napahinto ka, Noah! Ibig sabihin may kakilala kang Tobi," ani Isla at napa-tingin kay Chase bago ito binigyan ng high-five. "Galing mo naman, pa'no mo 'yun nahulaan?"
Napa-angat ang kilay ni Chase. "Wala e, I'm just good at everything."
"Nagyayabang ka na naman, Chase. Sige, sige. Ngayon lang, deserved mo naman." Isla turned her gaze to Noah who's just sipping his soda silently. "Ano na? Sino 'tong Tobi na 'to? Pakilala mo naman sa 'min."
"Parang may kakilala akong Tobi inside the school vicinity," Chase said and thought of such thing. "Isn't he one of the doctors of the infirmary—"
"You both know, late na tayo para sa next subject," Noah alibied. "Teka nga, magkaklase ba tayo sa next sub?"
"Hindi ata, wait," Chase grabbed his phone inside the pocket of his jeans and looked at the schedule. "Hindi nga. Mauna na kami ni Isla. Terror 'yung prof namin e."
"Bye, Noah!"
---
"HYPERBOLA IS a curve formed by the intersection of a double right circular cone with a plane that cuts both halves of the cone," Chase answered for a recitation. "And so is a hyperbola is also essential to our dear course because it also tackles something about a distance between a two fixed points being constant."
- Writer
