The Sacred Rule of Love - (PUBLISHED 2019)

Chapter 27

***Chapter 27***

            There was that awkward silence after that announcement. Hindi ko rin alam kung anong sasabihin ko nung simula. Even Robin na madaldal, wala ring masabi. Everyone was just staring right at us. Kung hindi pa siguro may nagsalita, lahat kami doon magtitinginan na lang. “Wow naman parang movie!” I heard someone say.

            Nagsilingunan lahat doon a pintuan at nakatayo si Jax doon. Nakangiti lang siya at nagsimulang lumakad kung nasaan kami nakatayo. Alex announcing that he plans to win me back to the whole school is pretty much trouble already. Pero kung lalapit pa si Jax at makikigulo, that’s trouble not just times two, but… ten. Or more. People started whispering to each other. Yung iba na-catch ko pa while I was listening in, ‘Si Zoe na naman?’ sabi nung isa at ‘Yan yung boyfriend niya dati na hindi nagpapakita?’

            Umakbay naman si Jax sa akin nung nakalapit na siya which caused Alex to literally jump from the other side of the table, to the side kung nasaan kami nakatayo. Ang taas-taas nung pagtalon niya it almost looked like he flew. Nagsigawan pa yung mga tao.

            Quite frankly, it’s not very human of him to do that. I gave him the look pero parang hindi niya ako napansin. “Hi Jaxon” narinig ko na sinabi niya nung binati niya si Jax.

            “Wala lang ako buong umaga dahil may baseball meet tapos pagkabalik ko may nanunulot na kay Zoe?” he tilted his head habang nakangiti pa rin kay Alex na alam kong may ibig sabihin, “Past is past bro. She has a new boyfriend now and that’s me.”

            Binigyan ko siya ng masamang tingin, “Ewan ko kung saan na naman galing yan…” I said.

            Alex looked at Jax as if he was playing that staring game. It was so weird dahil sobrang seryoso niya. “Don’t lie.” Alex told him in a very stern voice.

            Tinignan ko naman si Jax and for the first time in my life, kahit maliit na bagay lang, he actually listened to Alex, “Fine. We’re not together—“ he told him before he added, “—yet.”

            Nakisabat naman akong bigla dahil itong dalawang ito eh sumosobra na. “Anong ‘yet’ ka pa diyan? Talagang hindi dahil ikaw,” tinuro ko si Jax, “never kitang naging boyfriend and at this rate I don’t think magiging boyfriend din. At ikaw,” lumingon naman ako kay Alex. I was about to tell him na tigilan niya ako dahil ‘ex-boyfriend’ ko na siya pero napansin ko na hawak-hawak niya yung ulo niya. He had his eyes closed as if he was in pain. Instead of saying what I was originally about to say, medyo nawala yung inis ko at napalitan lang ng concern, “Alex, okay ka lang?”

            Napaupo siyang bigla doon sa gilid and he dug both of his hands doon sa buhok niya na parang masakit yung ulo niya. Lumapit naman ako sa kanya at hahawakan ko na sana siya sa balikat niya nung bigla na lang siyang tumayo, “I-I’m okay” he said before running outside.

            He didn’t show up sa school the whole afternoon.

***

            Inabangan ko talaga si Professor V sa pagbalik niya doon sa meeting niya dahil ayaw ko naman na takasan na naman niya ako. Kanina ang rason niya eh may meeting siya kaya hindi niya ma-explain sa akin, pero ngayon na wala na eh dapat lang sabihin niya sa akin kung anong nangyayari.

            I camped out of his office dahil wala naman na akong klase. Naupo ako doon sa pintuan niya at nilabas ko lang yung laptop ko habang ginagawa ko yung spreadsheet ng expenses nun event ko. Marami na rin akong nagawa and it’s all taking shape. Imi-meet ko na lang yung mga tao doon sa hotel at para makita ko rin yung function room nila. It’s better to see it early kaysa naman magka-problema pa ako later on.