Epic Love (Triangle)

Chapter 5

Oh, no.

"Oh, yes. Sir Gabi is being stalked by this unknown admirer who sound real love-crazed with him it was almost scary." Daniella, another English major, gossiped one Wednesday morning barely seven days since the disappearance of my precious property.

"Talaga? Have you read it?" I asked in a voice that knew nothing, with the kind of interest shown by the other girls in our circle. I hoped I didn't give myself away. Hay, I'd die if even one soul knew it was me, that psycho-stalker. How bad naman they made of me!

"No. I never had the chance. Kasi, the day it was found, it was turned over agad to Sir Gabi. Only Miss Sandy told me about it because I happened to submit to her our project when it was found." She shrugged and flipped her hair. "A teacher found it, by the way."

A teacher... I kept my face straight as I digested this information. Perhaps that teacher was in the vicinity when I got collided on. But who among them kaya? And now the diary was with Sir Peter...! The thought raised goose bumps on my arms. Peter could very well have read the entire fourteen-day entries by now. What did he think of them? Was he annoyed? Amused? How I hoped he was amused! It was harmless admiration after all. Nothing more.

"Okay, gear up," Miss Sandy intoned and almost at once, the class took their places on the stage. I scrambled to get to my place which made Miss Sandy notice me, and she frowned on my direction. "You still haven't fixed your glasses, Shanni?"

As we recite the words, script on hand, my mind was again elsewhere. These seven days my notebook was lost, I didn't hang out by the post-it wall. I was afraid to look Peter in the eye or see him because I had this perverse thought that he'd see right through me. To think I had no idea yet at that time that it was already in his hands...! Good. My sixth sense must be working.

After class, I found myself retracing my steps to the snack house, Java's.

The place was crowded but then, there was still one table and I sat down with a flourish, placed my bag atop the table, ordered, sat down again, ate the measly chips since I had no appetite for food since my losing-the-diary-episode, fumbled in my bag for my cell phone, and when I couldn't find it, tossed all the contents of my bag on the table, too.

Sometimes talaga, I could just be so ulyanin.

"This seat occupied?"

Shanni, you're conjuring up images of Peter again in your head.

But uh-oh. Loafers. Uh-oh, dark slacks. Blush, blush as my eyes went up the polo I'd seen twice already, up the collar, up the sturdy neck...

Smile. He was smiling.

Oh. It's. Him.

Peter.

He was still smiling, still poised beside the unoccupied chair, eyes so brown I instantly thought of Toffee's chocolates I loved to nibble at home, then I saw his lips quirk. Ohmigosh, have I stared longer than I intended?

Iling. Senyas that he could take the seat. I was back again like on that first day.

"May I?" He looked around as he slid his long lean body by the seat, commenting, "The other tables are full."

"S-Sure." Was that a croak?!

Then I gasped aloud. "Oh, my things..." I panicked at the sight of them still scattered on the table like a kicked trash can that I threw them all inside my bag, never mind if I'd have a hard time finding things afterwards. I was that excited! To be approached at last by the guy of my dreams, only to make him march away at the sight of my trivialities.

"What happened to your glasses?" Peter's accented voice sliced through my revelry.

"Ah...oh...natapakan po..." Blush again. What's with my hormones, dammit!