Verse 3
"Grace me with your presence after you get a high mark? Really?" I gave Gio Benitez a narrow look of disbelief. Buti na lang at naabutan ko siyang palabas na sana ng building.
Humalukipkip ako at nagtaas ng kilay. Surely, he knows what I am talking about.
"Woah, that was fast. May grade na agad ang gawa mo?" he smiled.
"No, but my professor noticed it. Now, explain why I had those markings at the back of my project? Bakit mo ginawa iyon?" Humalukipkip ako sa kaniyang harapan. I couldn't let this go, of course. Paano na lang pala kung parte iyon sa grading? Eh di madedehado ako sa neatness pa lang. There shouldn't be anything on that paper aside from my sketch and important details, kahit pa nasa likuran iyon ng papel.
"It's just the back of the paper. Hindi naman iyon kasama sa grading. Anyway, bakit wala pang grade?"
"Bakit mo nga ginawa?" I said, ignoring his silly question. Ngumisi si Gio at gumilid sa hagdan. He leaned on the railway and looked up at me.
"Wala lang. I thought you wouldn't mind it."
"Obviously, I am minding it right now. If my prof hadn't been considerate, maybe she'd deducted a few points for that. Hindi kasama sa illustration ko ang ginawa mo."
"Well, luck you." Sumipol siya.
Nagsalubong na ang aking kilay sa kaniyang sinabi.
I don't get this guy at all.
"I am not interested in you." I plainly said to end this conversation. Alam ko naman ang ibig-sabihin ng sulat na iyon pero ayaw kong paunlakan. I am not going to get fooled by a man from the show business. They're nothing but just trouble on the personal lives of other people.
"I know that. But I wrote those the night before I returned them to you. Sorry, then." He half-assed apologized.
"Do you always think that everybody likes you?" pagalit na ang aking tono.
"Bakit, hindi ba? Ikaw lang naman ang hindi ako gusto."
"Coz I am not 'everybody'. Kaya sinasabi ko na sa'yo, I don't like you nor will I be interested in you." I gave him a stern look before I turned my back against him.
"You're not sure about that," rinig kong pahabol niya. Nabitin sa ere ang aking paglalakad at nilingon na naman siya ulit. Salubong na ang aking kilay. He had the audacity to give me a playful look.
"Again, I am not interested in you o kung sinuman kayong nasa industriya. I don't like actresses and actors or musicians. You get that?"
Tuluyan ko na siyang tinalikuran at naglakad na ako pabalik sa classroom namin. Rinig ko ang yabag ng paghabol niya sa akin at kahit gaano man kalaki ang aking hakbang ay nahabol niya pa rin ako.
"Hey, I'm sorry," aniya nang mahuli ang braso ko. Tila isang preno iyon para tumigil ako sa paglalakad at hinarap siya. My eyes glared immediately at the annoying face of Gio Benitez.
"Apology not accepted, Mr. Benitez. Ayusin mo muna 'yang ugali mo bago ka mag-sorry sa akin. Sincere ba 'yang sorry mo? Kasi kung hindi, ulitin mo na lang sa susunod na araw."
Akmang kukunin ko na ang kamay niyang nakahawak sa akin nang magsalita siya. My eyes flitted back on his face.
He licked his lower lip. "I'm sorry, Saoirse. It was wrong to do that but...I just want to be friends with you."
