More Than Just A Kick

Chapter 24

JoPhanie

For a hundredth time that I kicked the punching bag in front of me, Stephen is still spacing out while sitting on the bench near me. I can see his sideview from right perspective. This man is in a deep thought, a part of me claims that he looks good in a sideview position. What am I thinking? And why am I thinking about him in the first place? Ah, I remember, after he said those nonsense words, he did not bother to guide me in my training session. I've been here for a couple of minutes and yet he doesn't have the guts to look at me. I just continue on what I was doing after staring at him.

"Oh, why are you both magkalayo? Away kayo?" Laura says with concern but I did not notice Laura and her friends would come at this early. Usually, our training begins at three in the afternoon during Wednesdays.

"No," I response. Laura shrugs her shoulder while Sandra and Clara are eyeing me.

Pumunta sila sa kinauupuan ni Stephen. From my peripheral vision, Stephen smiles at them. When Laura and her friends said something funny, he laughed like he would roll on the floor of our gym. Tss. Why do I care? Besides, he is more enthusiastic when talking to them than teaching me. He even wink at Sandra and that girl I clearly see that she almost cramps her neck and hands. "Well, they are bagay naman! SanStep, oh 'diba?" I hear from Laura not because I wanted to, but because of her loud mouth.

Until Stephanie, Marsan, Clarence and Jonel come. This make me think why Rouge is MIA, a guess his enjoying his day off with a girl. We bow on them as a sign of respect pero ang tatlong iyon ay nakalimutan yata na mag-bow sa akin. I am sure they did it on purpose, pati  kay Stephen ay nakalimutan na nilang mag-bow because of their flirtation. If I thought that they changed, well they didn't and that includes Stephen. He didn't changed at all. He is still the flirtatious boy that I've met.

"Jonel!" Stephen greets Jonel in a flirtatious manner too. The intonations rises at the second syllable while he makes it a little bit longer.

"Oh my Leila!" I did not expect that Jonel will respond to Stephen's immaturity.

"How have you been, Jonel? We did not meet for a couple of months because of my other guys." Stephen acts like he is Leila. How gross!

"I'm fine without you Leila. But I miss you so much. Look at yourself, you lost so much weight. You're not the fat Leila that I've know for years." Jonel insults Leila.

"Really, am I sexier now?" Boses babae na tanong ni Stephen.

"You've gain weight again because of what you said and I think you have such a thick skin, huh." Pambabatikos ni Jonel, hindi ko na alam kung si Leila pa ba ang sinabihan niya nung latter.

"Stop it, it's not funny anymore." Suway ni Marsan sa kanila.

****

"Sino ba si Jonel?" Nagtatakang tanong ni Stephanie.

"Nothing special, baby sister." Si Stephen iyon.

"I said for the ninth time that I am not a baby anymore." Pagmamaktol ni Stephanie na may pagpadyak pa ng kanyang paa.

"I know, I know. He is Jonel, I am surprised that you didn't know him." Stephen points Jonel using his index finger, Jonel wave as a response. Pinamulahan si Stephanie, she has a little secret crush on him. I don't know what she sees in him. Jonel is so suplado at mapanlait pa. I remember when he looks at me with his sharp eyes, tila galit na galit sa akin. I think he's like that to all girls. A woman hater? Or maybe he is a gay?

"Your little sister is not a baby but a childish one." Iyon na nga ba ang sinasabi ko. There goes Jonel "The Laitero" Alberto Cruz

"Am I childish?" Stephanie giggles.