Every Flight Counts

Chapter 3

I mean

Kaya nang sumapit ang unang araw ng klase ay siniguro ko nang plain lang ang isuot at hindi iyong may design. Hindi na iyon pansinin tulad ng floral.

Sa totoo lang ay bago pa man umalis sa bahay kahapon ay napansin ko ngang medyo kita ang panloob ko. Ngunit wala naman akong maipang-palit dahil nadala ko na lahat ng ibang damit ko sa boarding house. Iyon na lang palang floral ang naiwan ko sa probinsya. Hindi ko naman inakalang may walang hiyang pupunahin talaga yun.

Nakakainis! Tuwing naaalala ko ang nangyari ay kumukulo pa rin ang dugo ko sa lalaking yun.

Pinilig ko ang ulo at tinali na nang maayos ang buhok. Hindi talaga ako magsasawang titigan ang sarili ko sa salamin habang suot ko ang uniporme namin. Pakiramdam ko ay ang lapit lapit ko na sa pangarap ko.

Ngumiti pa ko sa salamin bago sinukbit ang bag at lumabas ng kwarto. Tatlong palapag ang boarding house na tinutuluyan ko. Sa ikalawang palapag ang kwarto naming mga babae habang sa ikatlo naman ang mga lalaki. Sa first floor naman ay may living room at kusina.

"Oh, Ellie kain," aya ni Axl pagbaba ko.

Nginitian ko siya. "Tapos na, maaga akong gumising kanina."

Nagpaalam at nakisuyong sabihan na lang din niya si Nanay Beth na umalis na ko. Si Nanay Beth ang may-ari ng boarding house na kasa-kasama rin namin. Kabilang ang pagluluto at paglalaba sa binabayaran namin na siya rin ang gumagawa para sa amin.

Hindi na naging mahirap ang pagtunton sa classroom dahil sa campus tour na naganap. 

I know we already got to peak inside each classroom but the view still amazed the hell out of me. It was far from the usual room setting I was used to in the province. The ambiance screams professionalism. I feel like I'm studying in an international school. Partida normal na classroom pa lang 'to pano pa yung mga special facilities.

Nilibot ko ang tingin at namataan si Spencer sa may likuran. Nasa may gilid siya at naka-krus ang matipunong braso sa dibdib. Nakabaling ang ulo niya sa labas. Tahimik na nakatanaw sa may bintana.

His side profile highlighted his well-defined jaw. The muscles on his arms look like its gonna pop out of his sleeves. And oh, did I already mention that he looks dashing in his uniform? I did? Well, I'd say it again cuz f**k, he really do.

Tumuwid ako ng tayo at napagdesisyonang umupo sa bakanteng silya sa tabi niya. Aktong hahakbang na ko nang may dumaan sa gilid ko at marahang dumikit sa braso ko.

Napalingon ako at nakita si Zaid na seryosong nakatuon ang mata sa cellphone. Dalawang kamay niya ang nakahawak sa nakapa-higang cellphone niya at base sa mga tunog na naririnig ko roon ay mukhang naglalaro siya.

Saglit na umangat ang tingin niya sakin bago agad ding bumalik sa screen. Nawala ang pagkakakunot ng noo niya at ngumisi habang abala roon.

"Hi, Ellie." he greeted without looking at me.

His eyes are still busy on his phone. Mukhang hindi naman siya umaasa ng sagot mula sa akin kaya nagpatuloy na siya sa paglalakad habang naglalaro pa rin.

He sat beside Spencer and immediately mumbled things with brows still seriously furrowed on the game. It looks like Spencer just gave him a one line answer without giving him a look too.

I sighed in defeat. No matter how much I don't want to admit, the Zaid guy also looks so freaking gorgeous. Hindi lang naman siya actually. Marami akong lalaking nakikita rito sa school na parang ang gwapo-gwapo tignan sa uniform nila. Nakaka-gwapo nga ata talaga ang pagpipiloto.

With slumped shoulders, I chose a different vacant seat. Pinili ko ang nasa likod din at sa kabilang dulong bahagi naman. Iyong nasa pinakagilid din.

Hindi naman nagtagal ay dumating na rin ang unang propesor. Pormal itong bumati at nagpakilala.

"Nandito raw yung topnotchers?" 

Napakurap-kurap ako sa biglaang tanong. Sumagot ang mga kaklase namin at tinuro kaming dalawa. 

Nakangiting tumango-tango ang guro habang makahulugan ang ekspresyon ng mukha. Sinabi niya na lang na aabangan niya raw kami. Hindi ko lang alam kung saan.

Wala pa namang mahirap na pinagawa ang prof. Binigay lang ang syllabus at ang course requirements. Sa ibang subjects ay ganun din. Nagpakilala lang sila bago ipakita ang guidelines. Maliban lang sa Physics 101.

"I'd like to measure your prior knowledge on this subject so I have to let you take this diagnostic test,"

Agad na dumaing nang mahina ang marami. Kumpara sa mga naunang prof namin na mga bata pa ay may katandaan na ang guro namin sa subject na ito.

"Don't worry, your scores for this won't be recorded,"

Sa kabila ng sinabi niya ay bagsak pa rin ang balikat ng lahat. Kahit naman kasi ganoon ay hindi pa rin mawawala ang pressure. Pagbali-baliktarin man ang mundo ay exam pa rin iyon.

Sariwa pa sa alaala ko ang ilan sa mga topic na nakita ko roon pagka-abot ng test paper. Tuwing may panahon kasi noong bakasyon ay medyo nag-aral din ako dahil alam kong iba pa rin talaga ang kalakaran sa kolehiyo. Alam kong ibang lebel ang pag-aaral dito kumpara sa high school.

"How many are still answering?"

Twenty items lang iyon kaya't hindi rin naman nagtagal. Yung dulong bahagi nga lang ay walang choices at puro problem solving.

"Okay, let's check."

Everyone grunted before exchanging papers. Sa multiple choice part ay dinikta na lang ni Ma'am ang mga sagot. Sa bandang dulo lang siya nagtawag kung saan wala nang choices. Nagtaas ako ng kamay sa ilan at tama naman ang naisasagot ko.

"For the last item.... yes, Ellie?" 

"50 Newtons, Ma'am." I answered.

She looked intently on the paper she's holding then she scrunched her nose.

"No,"

My lips parted. I then saw Spencer raised his hand.

"46 Newtons," he uttered with his deep voice.

The prof smiled. "Correct." she then started fixing her things. 

"Okay, class, that's it for now. Submit your papers and I'll see you next meeting,"

I slowly walked on my feet to get near her.

"Hi, Ma'am. Can I ask for the solution of the last item?" I politely asked.

She smiled at me. "Yes ofcourse, iha. But what I have here with me are only answer keys. I can show it to you during my consultation hours," she willingly said before giving me her schedule.

I sadly looked at it thinking how I might not be able to sleep tonight while thinking about this one problem.

Bumaling siya sakin. "Or you can just ask Spencer about it," she suddenly suggested. "It would be more convenient, I guess." she shrugged.

Nagliwanag ang mukha ko. Nagpaalam na siya at nagpasalamat naman ako.

Hindi na ko nagdalawang isip pa at nilapitan si Spencer.

"Spencer.." I uttered to call his attention. I was successful because he looked at me. My heart beat raced. 

"Pwede ko bang makita yung ginawa mo sa last item? Nireview ko kasi yung solution ko and... I can't seem to find out where I went wrong," I said while looking at my scratch paper on my hand. I suddenly can't look at him. I can't match his gaze.

He stood up to level with me. His familiar scent filled my nostrils. I almost closed my eyes. We walked a little to reach the long table at the back of the room.

"Can I see?" 

I shivered at his voice. I mentally shook my head and handed him my solution paper. 

He looked at it with so much focus. It was astonishing. I can see his forehead slowly creasing as he scanned through it.

I cleared my throat. "These are the masses linked by the massless string through the frictionless pulley..." sabi ko sabay turo sa papel dahil baka hindi malinaw iyon.

He nodded. 

"You just forgot about the tension," he simply said.

Napaawang ang labi ko at napakurap-kurap sa papel habang tinititigan ito nang maigi.

"Oh, shit." I muttered, totally losing my composure at that. "It was in my diagram but I failed to include it in my analysis," I shut my eyes at my stupidity. 

"You've set up the FBD correctly though," he commented. 

I opened my eyes and look at him. He was still looking at my paper. His forehead's now free of any lines. His expression is now atleast pleasant, I guess.

"You drew well," he said.

He lifted his eyes at me and our gazes locked. 

My heart fluttered. Being able to look at him this close made me dizzy. Plus he was staring back at me.

"Looks good.." he hoarsely added.

My heartbeat tripled its speed. The way he muttered the words while looking at me brought me in daze. My eyes blinked tenderly.

He thinks I look good?

"I do?" I mindlessly whispered.

His lips parted. 

His eyes blinked in confusion.

"No," he tensely muttered in an abrupt. "I mean the drawing, Ellie." he said then turned his gaze on the paper. "The drawing looks good,"

My lips slightly parted.

I should get offended right? But no, I was distracted.

He called me Ellie.

He knows my name.

The way my name came out from his luscious lips looks and sounds like heaven. It made me feel like I'm on some sort of cloud nine.

It was perfect.

I've never really loved my name until this moment.

My lips slowly curved into a smile.