1 [Part 1] | Always Been Like That
1502 Words
NOAH LIFTED his heavy eyebrows and started opening his eyes. He heaved a deep sigh. Noah looked at the alarm clock before shutting it off. How annoying. He stood up.
It was the first day of him being a second year engineering student. He finished his senior high school at Japan and started the college there as well. Unfortunately, something happen that it made him come back home.
"Why am I being nervous?" he asked himself in front of the mirror as he stopped brushing his teeth. "Noah, umayos ka nga. This is just the first day of school. It's never been different from other years. It's always been like that."
He shook his head as he continued brushing his teeth, trying to erase those thoughts worrying him. Mabilis naman siyang nakapagbihis pagkatapos maligo.
Noah immediately went down the first floor and saw his family eating together.
Blake saw him and invited him to eat breakfast. "Li'l bro," he called. "Kumain ka muna. Why are you in a rush? Sabay na tayo pumunta sa school." Noah did not say anything and just sat at one of the chair.
Their mom then started talking, out of nowhere. "It's been I guess two years since last tayong kumain ng sabay," she said, smiling from ear to ear and looks like trying to brighten the mood. "I can't believe that two years just flew fast. And now, our youngest son is here to eat with us."
Their mom seemed to wait for Noah's response but the sound of his spoon hitting his plate is what he gave back. "I'll go ahead," he said as he drank the whole glass of milk and started walking out the house.
Blake, who was startled, grabbed his glass of milk and emptied it. "I'll better go ahead, mom and dad," he said and smiled to them. "Ako na ang bahala kay Noah. Trust me, I'll take care of him."
Kaagad siyang pumunta sa labas at naghabol kay Noah. "Hey, why are you walking so fast? Nagmamadali ka ba?"
Noah stopped. "I'm not a toddler who needs your help, kuya," he said and continued talking once again. "I don't need anyone's care, I can take care of myself."
"You heard that?" tanong ni Blake na hindi sinagot ni Noah. "Well, silence means yes. Ibang-iba ka na talaga. What changed you, Noah?"
"Maybe life experiences," he answered. "Like you who changed after Kuya Chaunce came into your life. That asshole became a soft bear who likes uwu hugs of his boyfriend. I also decided to change for betterment of mine."
"Ang tanong, naging better ba?" Blake teased him and giggled. "Parang mas lumala. 'Yung pilosopo kong kapatid, ibalik niyo na. I'm not used to hearing my li'l bro answering me in full english."
"Nasanay lang," Noah answered, as if following Blake's wish to answer him in tagalog. "Foreigners ang mga kasama ko sa Japan so I would really use english as a language to use. I'm sorry kung naibahan ka."
"No, no, no," Blake denied and shook his hands trying to disagree. "I was just kidding. Kita mo, you can't even take jokes. Dati, it's me who's annoyed of you kidding around and guess what, our fate swapped."
Noah opened the door of the car and positioned himself at the passenger's seat. "Dati na kasi 'yon, kuya," he said as he slammed the door off.
Blake also went inside his car. "Oh, so you say you changed because of life experiences. Kasali ba sa life experience na 'yan 'yung Tobi na 'yon?"
"I'm afraid I have to say yes," Noah answered. "Bakit ba kailangan mo pang i-drop 'yung pangalan niya, kuya? Can you just start driving?"
"I just stated his name yet look at you," Blake said. "You look annoyed already. Pa'no pa kapag nakita mo 'yon?"
"I really hope not to see him again, and don't jinx that, please?" Ipinikit na lamang ni Noah ang mga mata bago iniwas ang mukha sa ngumingising si Blake. Blake however started driving the car.
Noah got off the car as soon as he saw the entrance of the school. "We're already here," he said and looked at Blake inside the car. "You can park your car, kuya. I can manage finding my room."
"You sure you can manage yourself?" he asked, Noah just nodded his head. "Okay then. Mag-ingat ka, Noah. We might see each other again after ng dismissal. And tandaan mo, don't make troubles."
Noah nodded. "Yeah, I already know that," he said and smiled. "Good luck on the first day of your last year in college, kuya."
Blake drove away his car. Noah faced back and looked at the gate of the school. Kaya ko ba? He asked himself. Of course, Noah. Kaya mo 'yan.
He stepped his feet inside the school's gate and directly went to the school's directory which is located at the bulletin board near the main entrance.
Madaming tao kaya pinaapaw niya muna ang tao bago tinignan ang directory. Nang humupa ang bilang ng tao ay kaagad niyang tinignan ang directory ng Electronics Engineering, ang course na kinuha niya no'ng first year siya.
"EE-2AC," he mumbled to himself. That was his section. Before leaving, he took a photo of the class schedule. "The first subject is calculus. But... where is the room for that calculus sub?" He scratched his head.
"Hello," one man greeted him. "Baguhan ka ba? Looks like you're confused."
"Yeah," Noah answered awkwardly and scratched his head. "I just transferred here so I'm not really familiar with the rooms here."
Kaagad na kinuha ng lalaki ang cellphone niya without his permission bago tinignan ang picture na kinunan niya. "Oh, calculus," he said. "Kaklase pala kita. Follow me, I know the room."
Kaagad na naglakad ang lalaki na sinunod niya naman kaagad. There they were driven by their feet to a usual college room with students inside.
Naglakad papasok si Noah kahit na pinagtitinginan siya ng tao. People must be thinking who is he. Naiwang pumasok ang lalaki na tumulong sa kaniya and was lending a hand. "By the way, I'm Chase," he introduced himself. "I'm your new classmate. Hoping for us to be friends. How about you, what's your name?"
"Noah," he said but never accepted Chase's hand.
Chase just got his hands back and smiled. Hinanap niya ang isa niyang kaibigan at kaagad na naupo ng makita ito. "Sino 'yon?" tanong ng isang babae.
"Noah daw ang pangalan, Isla," he said, both of them are still looking at Noah. "He is a transferee."
"Bet mo 'no?"
"Nope, I was just asking him if we could be friends," Chase replied. "But he never accepted my hands so maybe he isn't interested."
"Pero in fairness," Isla retorted. "He has looks. He's tall and he's skinny. Just my type."
"Tinatanong mo sa 'kin kung gusto ko si Noah tapos ikaw pala 'tong may gusto," Chase replied. "Ewan ko sa 'yo, Isla."
"Nakausap mo na ba siya, Chase?"
"Yeah," he replied. "I approached him and asked what's the problem and he said he isn't familiar of the rooms here. So I helped him get here."
"Ikaw pala nag-approach," Isla teased. "Ikaw ha, para-paraan ka."
"Wala ngang malisya," Chase defended. "I saw him struggling so I helped him."
"Tutulong ka nalang pala e 'di sana tumakbo ka nalang sa student council," Isla replied. "Pwede din palang nag-apply ka nalang as guard, giving directions ata gusto mo e."
"Bawal ba tumulong?" Chase asked back. "At saka, I saw him struggling already so I helped him. And for your info, I'll be applying for SC position next year or the year next to next year. I have already planned my future, Isla. At ikaw babae ka, imbes na mang-tsismis ka ng buhay ng iba, ayusin mo buhay mo. First day na first day, parang dinaanan ng karera ang damit mo."
"Hindi ko nga kasi na-plantsa," Isla argued. "Nagmamadali nga kasi ako. Ayaw ko ma-late sa first day."
"Ta's bukas late ka na," Chase said and giggled when Isla looked at him, just agreeing to what he's saying. "Ibang klase ka din e 'no?"
Their calculus professor came in so both Chase and Isla tidied up. All of the students stood up and greeted the professor except Noah who was just looking outside. "And who is this man who looks like he wants to go home?" the professor kidded, referring to Noah.
Chase stood up and explained. "He is a transferee, ma'am. Siguro hindi pa siya well-oriented sa school so he must be adopting to the environment. Please be mindful of his situation, ma'am."
"As expected from the top student," the professor praised, referring to Chase. Chase is a dean's lister since first year, he is a teacher's favorite, as everybody says he is, lahat kasi ng teacher sa school may amor sa kaniya. But he is that not so typical nerd student at some ways you would never imagine. The professor looked back at Noah. "Mr. Transferee, introduce yourself."
- Writer
