11 PM

CHAPTER SIX

After that long chismisan na nangyari kauwi ng boarding house, we just did what we needed to do. Nagluto si Dale, Cathy watched series and me scanning some lectures, baka sakaling may activity or surprise quiz man bukas.

It’s already past ten in the evening kaya we are ready to sleep na. Habang nagpaantok I check my social media accounts and out of nowhere a message from Mika pop up.

Mika:

‘hi!’

‘still up?’

Natawa na lang ako sa message niyang iyon. ‘still up’ my ass.

Parang kanina lang may kasama siyang babae, accountancy student pa. hindi naman niya siguro kapatid iyon? What a jerk. I just sigh because of that.

But I don’t know what's gotten into me at hindi ko namalayan na I just open his message and reply to him.

Me:

‘yeah, why?’

Without any minutes nagreply naman siya.

Mika:

‘want to go for a ride?’

Me:

‘Huh? What?’

Mika:

‘roadtrip tayo ngayon, dali’

just like the first time we have a conversation like this. He never fails to make me confuse

Me:

‘now? as in right now?’

Mika:

‘yup!’

‘go change na, I’ll give you 10 minutes’

Sunod na message niya pa sa akin? What the hell man?

Walang sinayang na segundo at nagmadali ulit akong nag-toothbrush, naghimalos even though I just did it an hour ago.

“Catherine..” I said habang ginigising si cathy, dahil baka maalimpungatan nanaman ito at hindi nanaman ako makita, kauwi ko mapagalitan ulit ako.

“Catherine, huy gising!” pamimilit kong gising sa kanya. Nalimot ko na tulog mantika pala ‘tong babaeng ‘to.

“5 minutes pa Dan hmm…” sagot niya pa sa akin at nagkulubot pa sa kumot.

Natawa na lang ako. She really thought na umaga na. I just laugh at her before answering her.

“Cathy, aalis ako sandali…” sagot ko at umiwas ng tingin. Kahit na alam kong hindi pa siya talaga gising.

“Hmm… sige ingat” She said to me. Natawa na lang talaga ako sa kanya dahil for sure akala niya panaginip lang ‘to

“Nako! Catherine kukuritin talaga kita kapag sinabi mo na namang hindi ako nag paalam sayo”

Sabay tayo at saka kinuha ang mini bag pack na aking dadalhin. I’m wearing an oversize hoodie pairing with my denim short and sneacker shoes. 

Before pa ko nakalabas ng kwarto I heard the sound of engine which I assume na si Mika na ‘yun, and there I receive a message from him na he's already in front of our house. Kaya nagmadali na kong lumabas without making any noise.

I got inside of his car welcoming me with the familiar scent of lavender. I face him with a smile at ganoon din naman ginawa niya. He’s wearing a short and a black shirt with his jacket and a pair of white sneakers. Not gonna lie but he’s so gwapo in this outfit. He’s always been naman.

“So… where we go?” asking me with a bright smile on his face

“Sure ka ba diyan? Ikaw nagyaya sa akin huy” sagot ko naman sa kanya, and he just laugh at saka na niya pinaandar ang sasakyan.

He just did something on the radio and there he connected his phone to have some music.

Natatawang tumingin ako sa kanyan the moment I heard the song it’s ‘Our song’ by Taylor Swift.

“What?” He asked as if he didn’t do something.

“Seriously” He just laughed.

“It’s on shuffle mode babe” excuse me?  babe? What he did just call me? “the song really suits our situation huh” he’s still laughing at umirap na lang ako habang natatawa rin.

The night sky, city lights just the music on the radio- what a vibe. This is what I want just a chill feeling after a long day. I closed my eyes while feeling it.

“Does your friends know?” napatingin ako sa kanyan nang bigla siya magsalita

“I don’t know”

“Huh?” natawa naman ako sa kanya, confusion is all written on his face. cute

“Nagsabi ako,” facing him “pero ‘di ko lang sure kung malinaw ba”

“What do you mean?” can’t just his eyes focus on the road. Akala mo ‘di makapag-usap ng hindi natingin sa isa’t-isa.

“She’s still half sleep nung nagsabi ako” and again he just laughed. “the important is nakapagsabi ako” I said while still looking at him. ang gwapo niya, iniwas ko na lang ang tingin at baka matitigan ko pa siya ng matagal.

“Wala ka bang maistorbong ibang kaibigan at ako ang inaya mo?” pabiro kong sabi saka binalik ang tingin sa kanya. 

I mean what about the girl na kasama niya kanina? He should invite her instead of me. We’re literally just met yesterday? Why me?

“I don’t know ikaw agad pumasok sa isip ko” naging seryoso bigla ang mukha niya. Me? probably he just saw me online siguro, I don’t want to assume anything. “Saka gusto mo rin naman diba? di ka naman siguro papayag kung ayaw mo” saka siya tumingin sa akin with his wide smile. cute

“Excuse me di ako pumayag,” paglilinaw ko sa kanya “you said na you will give me 10 minutes to change” habang nakataas ang isang kilay ko.

“There’s nothing you can do nakaalis na tayo sainyo” I noticed na ang dalas niya matawa, lahat ng sabihin ko lagi siyang natatawa. Parang tanga. Ah nevermind.

“What do you want to eat pala?”

Saktong nasa Crisanta Park na kami nang magtanong siya sa akin. There I saw some vendors selling street foods. And I suddenly craving for it now. hoping that they sell some calamares and balut there.

“Ayun” sabi ko sabay turo sa mga street foods na nakahilera sa tabi ng daan. Walang tanong-tanong naman at kaagad siyang naghanap ng parking for his car.

Malapit lang sa university ang Crisanta Park, also sa tabi nito ay isang public high school. That’s why every day especially when it’s weekdays you will see a lot of high school students in here practicing, some are resting o kaya ang iba naman nakatambay. This probably one of the best Park here in Tarlac.

Nang mai-park na niya ang sasakyan pumunta na agad kami sa mga nagtitinda para makabili ng pagkain. A lot of street foods ang nandoon. 

It’s probably already quarter to 12 at ngayon ko lang nalaman na kahit ganitong oras na ay marami paring nagtitinda at marami-rami din ang mga nakatambay dito sa park. 

Tinuro ko lahat ang gusto kong kainin at si Mika na ang bahalang magsabi sa vendor kung ano ang bibilhin namin. Tutal he said a while ago na his treat naman.

We decided na mag-stay na lang muna dito sa Crisanta Park to eat our foods and to plan something. Dahil we both don’t know what are we going to do and where we go.

“Mauubos mo ba lahat ng ‘to?” hindi makapaniwalang tanong niya habang hawak-hawak ang mga pagkaing binili niya.

“Huh? Di ko naman ituturo ‘yan kung di ko kayang kainin lahat” sagot ko sa kanya “saka kasama naman kitang kakain diyan” habang tumatawa

“Nag-dinner ka ba sainyo ha?” natawa na lang ako sa kanya at tumingin.

“Saktong nag-crave lang kasi ako ng street foods that’s why.”

“Dinaig mo pa mga nagmu-mukbang sa youtube” saka siya napailing nang sabihin niya ‘yon.

We just sat on the grass, and he immediately take off his jacket and gave to me dahil naka denim shorts lang ako. Ang sarap ng simoy ng hangin sa totoo lang.

“Yung road trip na sinasabi mo dito lang pala sa park” pang-aasar ko sa kanya “dapat sinabi mo agad, nag-jeep na lang sana ako” sabay tawa

Sinamaan naman niya ako ng tingin and then he smirks.

“Wala na ring jeep sa oras na’to” Seriously boy? Ayaw niyang magpatalo.

“Where do you want to go ba?” bakit ang perfect ng taong ‘to? kwek-kwek lang kinakain niya but the way he eats it parang pati yung pagkain naging sosyal. 

“para mapaghandaan natin kung sakali man” sabay tingin sa akin kaya bigla akong napaayos ng upo at umiwas ng tingin. Nakita ba niya? Nahalata ba niya? Na nakatitig na’ko? Darn.

“Monasterio” agad ko namang sagot, gusto ko ulit pumunta doon matagal na noong last punta namin doon, dad and mom are so busy tas si Cathy ayaw naman niya.

“Ohhh nice I also want to go there 2 years ago pa ata nung nakapunta ako doon” rinig kong sabi niya, pero di na pa ako nag-abalang tumingin ulit sa kanya dahil nahihiya ako. I can’t just stare to this man the whole time?

“When will we go ba?” I asked him habang kumakain parin ng calamares, ang sarap ng suka nila. I hope makatulog pa ako kauwi sa apartment mamaya sa sobrang busog ko.

“Kailan mo ba gusto? After the concert or before?” doon na ako napatingin sa kanya. I thought matagal pa, didn’t know na he really wants to ge there agad, mas excited pa siya sa akin.

“It depends, hopefully walang masyadong ipagawa sa school” I shrug while saying that. I heard him frown naman after niya marinig ang sinabi ko, wala pa sa kalahati ng academic year but grabe na yung pag-papahirap sa amin.

“Yeah, sobrang dami pinapagawa mag-midterms pa lang, umay” reklamo niya that’s why I giggle. Marunong din pala siyang magreklamo kahit papaano.

“Maybe when we go there, I’ll ask Cathy and Dale to join us” for sure naman na papayag ang dalawang yun, they don’t want to be outdated when it comes to me.

“Sure, tanungin ko rin mga kaibigan ko, if they want to go” kasama na siguro si ate girl na accountancy doon, dapat pala di ko sinabi na yayayain ko sila Cathy, palpak mo Dan. Kidding aside, he can invite whoever he wants. It’s just me again being so bitter kakakilala ko pa lang sa kanya.

“They will also go to concert ba?”

“Yeah, Dawn and Viel will also go” I just nod at him.

“MSU din ba sila?” sunod na tanong ko habang busy kong tinutusok ang calamares sa barbecue stick dahil ayaw niya pakuha. But 30 seconds have passed na ata still Mika doesn’t say anything kaya tumingin na ako sa kanya.

Nagulat naman ako nang magtapo ang mga mata namin. Why he’s staring at me? haggard na baa ko sa paningin niya?

“Why? May dumi ba ako sa mukha?” tanong ko saka hinawakan ang mukha ko baka may sauce na palang natuyo nakakahiya. I become conscious bigla dahil sa kanya.

I heard him laugh kaya mas lalo akong naguluhan.

“What?” natatawa ko ulit ko na tanong

“Nothing, you’re just cute” he sighs after saying that. Baliw

“Yup, sa MSU din sila, Civil din we’re classmates.”

So dumb of you Dan to forget the chismis kanina na narinig niyo ni Cathy sa comfort room ng EB about the ‘ghoster thingy’. 

Naalala ko naman and I want to talk about it but baka maging uncomfortable siya sa topic na’yon. Maybe next time kapag we’re close na talaga.

“Daniel…” first time niya ‘ko tawagin sa pangalan ko

“Hmmm” naubos ko rin ang kinakain kong calamares and I’m so full pero gusto ko pa, sarap maybe I should buy ulit? Bili rin ako ng isaw.

“Do you want to be my road-trip buddy?” I stared at him after he said that, and he does.

The night sky above us, the background noise of other people surrounds us, the light that passes through our faces, there’s nothing so special, but the way he makes it perfect just at this moment is so enchanting.

“Yeah, Sure” I said with a bright smile this midnight.

“Roadtrip sa Crisanta Park” dagdag ko pang sagot and we just both laughed.

We spend there until 1 am because he also has a morning class, na bandang huli na lang niya sinabi. Kasi baka daw hindi ako pumayag kapag nalaman kong 7 am ang class niya mamaya. 

Of course, I won’t atleast me 9 am pa ang class ko later. I hope hindi siya ganoong kalutang mamaya sa class niya. imagine the popular ghoster Mika sobrang sabog sa firs subject niya. but I doubt na sanay ito sa puyatan.