Wayne's POV
We decided to go to Tristan's after our last class for the day. Exam was over and we needed the evening to relax and recharge instead of going out to party. That, and Nick and Tristan were broke as a joke after paying for their tuiton so they'd be able to take the exam. And I didn't want to go out anyway. It gets tiring; cheap women, loud music, hard liquor... same old, same old.
We took turn playing video games. I was absently watching Nick and Seth play while Tristan and Axel were talking about something I wasn't really paying attention to. My mind was elsewhere. Damn! It had been a full week since the last time Tanya and I saw each other. She asked if it was alright if we don't see each other for awhile. Sabi niya kailangan niya ng konting panahon para makapag-aral para sa exam at ayaw niyang ng distraction. She needed to study so she could qualify for the scholarship for next semester. I had no choice but to say yes but not seeing her for days was starting to drive me mad. We'd text now and then, see how we were doing then she'd stop replying after the 'how are you's. Damn! Not being able to see her or talk to her was starting to drive me mad.
I went out of Tristan's apartment to get some fresh air. I stood by the railings from across Tristan's door and watched the people down below. Borrowed a cig from Tristan before I went out, put it in between my lips and lit it up. I wasn't much of a smoker as compared to him, actually I wasn't at all, I get by with a stick a month or maybe none at all but right now, I felt like I needed one.
I could say that Tanya and I had a special understanding. There was a connection we both shared but didn't exactly understand. It had always been there since the beginning. I didn't believe in love at first sight but I was starting to believe that a very few people, if they were lucky, they might meet someone who would make sense of their existence. I guess I was one of the luckies.
Since the party, she started to ease up at me. It didn't happen all of a sudden. It wasn't like a floodgate gushed open. We take it easy. Easy and slowly,... like a child learning how to walk. Sure, she was still shy and soft and gentle but I thought it was just her nature. Now we could casually talk. We play board games everytime we hang out at my place. She even tutored me for my exam the last whole week we spent with each other. I hated algebra with a passion, if it weren't for Nick, I wouldn't be able to pass it last semester. Siya ang pinakamagaling sa math sa amin at sa kanya kami kumokopya tuwing may test at exam. She was very smart, she takes a few advance classes, I found out that I was two years ahead of her and felt embarrassed that she was the one tutoring me. She said I was smart and I catch up fast, I just lacked focus and attention. I answered most questions in the exam without needing to copy to Nick and I was confident that I'd pass it.
I saw her, her slender and delicately beautiful form walking smoothly. Even from up here, I knew it was her. That form, the way she walks, her long hair, she was all too familiar to me. I would know if it was her even if she was ten miles away. I blinked. Damn! Maybe I was just imagining her. I think about her all the time and I was starting to imagine her. This wasn't healthy anymore. I blinked again, she was still there. She went up the left building, went and I saw her walking to the open air corridor on the second floor. Got her keys from her bag and opened the fourth door.
I hurriedly went down the stairs, to go to the left building. I needed to see her. I needed to know that it was really her and that I wasn't losing my mind. I went up the second floor and stopped in front of the door where she went in
I had to knock four times before someone answered and opened the door. A petite older lady stood in front of me. She didn't exactly looked like Tanya but she had that same fragility that Tanya had. Her eyes were big and deepset, giving her a look of exhaustion and weariness. She looked sickly, thin and pale but right away, she had a welcoming warmth about her.
