Good To Me

Chapter 8

I am done preparing for school and I am just waiting for Mang Domingo to fetch me at ihatid because mang ga- galing pa sya sa house and it's not really far from here but there's traffic.

This is why I hate Kuya Gio. He didn't allow me to learn how to drive and own a car kahit kayang kaya ko naman. He said it's dangerous for me at may mga driver naman daw.

I crossed my legs while sitting at the sofa and then dialled our driver's number. He picked it up right after.

"Hello maam, nasa may Dalisay na ako kaso may ginagawa yata na kalsada maam eh. Dalawang linya lang ang nadadaanan," balita ni Mang Domingo.

Kumunot ang noo ko sa pag a- alala. "Manong I'll be late na po. Paano po 'yan?"

Of all the days of the week, ngayon ako hindi puwedeng ma- late or else I'll be dead.

If he's already at Dalisay but got stuck, it will probably take him another hour bago makarating and I can't wait for that long because I have to present the video na pinagpuyatan ko to edit.

Tamad ako but I don't like it pag nasasayang ang mga effort ko.

"I can drop you off your school before I go to office."

Inangat ko ang paningin ko kay Kuya Dominic fixing his tie. He came from his room at naka bihis na sya saka dumiretso sa kusina to pour him a bowl of cereal for breakfast.

Tumayo ako at lumapit sa kanya. "Really?"

I inhaled the scent of his perfume and it sent some tingling sensation on my brain. Ang pogi na, ang bango pa.

Tumango sya. "Yeah. Hindi pa naman ako nag mamadali. Mag breakfast ka muna."

Umiling ako. "I'll just wait for you to finish," sabi ko.

It's just right because the video's still rendering and by the time that he's done, okay na rin ang video project ko.

"What time will you be out later?" tanong niya.

"I don't know. My last class ends on four but I might stay a little bit later because we'll probably start to discuss about our thesis," sabi ko.

Tumango sya and pointed his fingers upwards then swallowed his food. So I looked up, too. "The light isn't working. I turned the switch on but it didn't lit up."

I reached on my phone. "I'll call the maintenance so they could fix this. What's their number?"

"Hindi na. I'll fix that later pag dating ko and we're also going out whole day and they can't fix it without us," aniya at tumango ako.

For few days na kasama si Kuya Dom, hindi sya mabigat kasama sa bahay because he always offers to help kahit pa he's doing something.

After eating, hinatid ako ni Kuya Dominic sa school and I am glad he offered because kung saan- saang street pa kami umikot and it saved us thirty minutes of being stuck.

Perks of being alumni of Pontevedra College.

He stopped just in front of the gate of our college and I took mutime to unbuckle ng seatbelt, got my bag and the laptop bag on the back seat.

"Wait up," aniya. Bumaba sya ng kotse and then pinagbuksan ako.

He's holding the door for me. While his hand is on the top of my head, to make sure that I wouldn't bump in to the door.

Hindi ko na sana papansinin kaso some of schoolamate, especially girls, are giving us attention. They would stop walking to look at us.

"They're all looking at you," naka ngising sabi ko kay Kuya.

Wala namang bago roon. He's really catching every people's eyes whenever he's out.

Umayos ako ng tayo and sumulyap sa mga taong naka paligid sa amin and it baffles me because they don't even try pretending that they aren't curious.

"No, they're not. They're all looking at you Yve," he countered.

I wrinkled my nose at sumimangot. "Or both. They're probably curious as to who is this handsome guy with me when I just had my break up with Travis. If are you my new one? Did I cheat on Travis to be with you?"

Kumunot ang noo ni Kuya Dom. "That's ridiculous, Yvette. It's probably not that."

I looked at hik intently. "Trust me, it is."

Whenever I do something, people around me would always think the lowest of me. It's always me who's the problem.

Huminga ako ng malalim and tapped his shoulders saka binigyan sya ng isang ngiti. "But Odette Alejo didn't raise me weak. Hindi ako naturingang maldita ng kuya ko to just be in the corner ugly crying. They give me nightmares but hell is what I give back."

His face remained troubled pero ngumiti rin sya. "That's more like you. You'll cry but beautifully."

Lalong umangag ang ngiti ko because he now knows me quite well.

"Anyway, thank you for the ride kuya. I'll text you kung pauwi na ako."

"Alright. Update me from time to time."

Kuya Dominic beeped the car twice before dashing away. I just watched him hanggang sa hindi ko na makita 'yung kotse niya.

I looked at my surrounding as I turned and some of them are still deliberately looking at me.

My gosh!

Is this how boring their life is that they're looking at me and following my life like I am some sort of an entertainment?

"Why? Do you need anything from me?" taas kilay na tanong ko.

And they all disappeared like a thin air.

Not minding the stares of the people at me, I mindlessly walked at the hallway of YJH Building where my class room is nang biglang may humatak sa akin sa braso at iginilid ako.

"What the f- Travis!"

Halos lumuwa ang mata ko when my ex boyfriend is now in front of me.

The butterflies that I was feeling for him before didn't appear but instead, fear is what flowed to my whole being.

Nangangatog ang tuhod ko pero hindi rin ako maka galaw because he's still holding me but I gotta stand for myself.

"Who's that guy?" tanong nya.

I blinked a few times and stared at him intensely. "Why do you care?"

"Sya 'yung sumundo sa 'yo sa cafe. Sya rin yung sumagot sa phone mo. Hinatid ka. Why are you cheating on me? Bakit mo ako ipinagpalit sa lalaking 'yun?" tiim bagang na sabi nya.

I tried to shrug off his hands that's holding me pero hindi pa rin matanggal. Lalong dumiin ang pagkaka hawak nya sa akin.

I looked around, hoping that someone would interrupt but nobody did.

Susulyap lang sila and they'll pass by.

Nobody wants to jump in and stop Travis because they're all afraid to do so.

They don't want to get on the bad side of a Solomon.

"Bitawan mo ako, Travis." I looked at him sharply. "I don't have to explain to you. We're done kaya bitawan mo na ako."

"No!" he shouted in whisper at inilapit ang gigil na mukha nya sa akin. "We're not yet done, Yvette. Not until I say so."

Itinaas ko na ang kamay ko at hinawakan ang kamay nya sa braso ko to remove it but the more I try to remove it, the more he holds it tight.

"Do you think I'll come back to you after all of this? No. You're creeping me out, Travis! Stop stalking me!" ani ko sa kanya.

Lalong namula ang nga ugat sa mata ni Travis. Inikot nya ang katawan ko and then he almost slammed my body and pinned it in the wall.

Ilang inches na lang ang pagitan ng mga mukha namin kaya ipinilig ko ang ko.

"No!" he really shouted. "You are mine, Yvette. Walang iba sa buhay mo, dapat ako lang. Tingin mo hahayaan kita na mapunta sa iba?"

"We're already have broken up. Wala ka nang karapatan sa buhay ko, Travis. Whether you like it or not, tapos na tayo. Huwag mo nang guluhin yung buhay ko puwede ba?" pakiusap ko sa kanya.

Unti- unting umangat ang sulok ng labi nya and it turned into a sinister smile.

"Hindi pa tayo tapos, Yvette. Not until I say so." Naramdaman ko ang pag bitaw nya sa braso ko.

His hand reached for my cheeks and his hand brushed it softly kaya mabilis kong sinagi iyon ng kamay ko.

"I kinda like this, huh. I like chasing after you," aniya at lalong lumapad ang ngiti nya.

His stares that used to feel me like I could melt before is now making the hair on my skin stand up. Sobrang creepy!

"Mapapagod ka lang. Wala ka rin namang mapapala sa akin."

Using the little energy that I have left, buong pwersa ko syang itinulak just so he could get away from me. Napa atras naman sya but it wasn't enough to make him fall down.

"See you around, love. I'll make sure na hindi kayo sasaya ng lalaki mo and you'll come back to me."

As if.

Because we now have a space in between us, ginamit ko iyon to walk away from him at mahigpit na hinawakan ang strap ng bag ko as if it's the string of my energy.

I don't care kung isipin ni Travis na Kuya Dominic's with me. I don't have to explain things to him and maybe it'd help him realize na hindi na talaga ako babalik.

Never again.