Come Home To You (Book 1 of You Trilogy)

Kabanata 5

"Ano ba sinabi?" 

"Nalate ka raw kaya pinagalitan ni Ma'am Gemma. Mugtong-mugto ang mga mata na pumasok sa room at parang zombie."

Humagalpak siya. Sinabayan pa ni Claui at Blue.

"Hoy kahit malaki ang eyebags ko, mas mukhang zombie ang gf mo kesa sa'kin. Excuse me? Chismosa siya ah!"

"Totoo din naman kase, han. Ano ba kase ginawa mo? Nanood ka naman ng kdrama no?" panggagatong ni Claui

Ngumuso ako. 

"Tss. Kaya ka nagiging idealistic kakapanood mo niyan eh."

"Kaya ka walang jowa, in other words." umiling si Wawa

"Excuse me? Hindi naman mataas ang standards ko ah?"

Hindi lahat ng nanonood ng love stories ay idealistic. Some prefer watching them to feel the 'kilig' they can't feel in the reality.

"Bakit mo binasted si Giovanni?"

Vanni is the school's captain of the basketball team.

"I don't like 'mayayabang' like him, Claui."

"And Chandler?"

Chandler is one of  the heartthrob campus.

"He's too flashy."

"Sus. Dami mong palusot. Sabihin mo nalang kase na kasing gwapo ni Park Hung Chik ang gusto mo."

I wrinkled my nose again, annoyed with how Wawa mispronounced the name of one of my favorite korean actor.

"What? I think it's Park Hyung Sik not Park Hung Chik."

Tumawa siya.

"Ah basta yun!"

"Duh Wawa. If I'm finding korean, then I would have liked you."

He's one fourth korean kase kaya maputi, matangos ang ilong, matangkad at manipis ang mapupulang lips.

"Alam ko namang may crush ka sa'kin-"

"Thick faced." I cut him off and faced Claui and Blue "Saan kayo now?"

"Uh, saan nga ba?" Claui asked Blue

"Starbucks."

Magdi-date pala sila. 

"Sasama ka? Wag kang maki third wheel oy!" kantiyaw ni Wawa

"Hindi naman talaga. I'm just asking."

"Una na kami, ah?"

They waved their hands to us and left nang naka HHWW (Holding Hands While Walking). Sana all. 

"Si Bench?" Wawa asked

"Saan pa ba? Edi nasa library." I wrinkled my nose

Ang sipag talaga nung magbasa. Palibhasa gustong maging teacher. Eh nakakahilo kaya ang mga maliliit na letra sa libro. 

"Can you give this to him? Laro pa ako-"

"What? Paaakyatin mo ako sa fifth floor? Ayoko nga!"

Nasa fifth floor kase ang HS library. Nakakapagod kaya. 

"Please? Sinabi ko kase sa kanya na isasauli ko ang highlighters. Mukhang nag-aaral pa naman yun para sa exam..." pagpapakonsensya niya habang iwinawagayway ang tatlong highlighters in different colors

"Tapos na kayo ah?"

Itinuro ko ang court. Hindi pa umuuwi ang players pero hindi narin naman naglalaro.

"Timeout lang, han. Hindi pa tapos."

"Where's your girlfriend? Siya nalang paakyatin mo."

Para makabawi ako sa pangchichismis niya. 

"Tamad iyon."

Wow what a palusot.

"Fine. Tulungan mo ako sa assignment ko ah." 

"Anong sub ba?"

"Math."

Hayy. Kung nahihilo ako sa letters, sumasakit ang ulo ko sa numbers. Buti pa itong si Wawa, gifted with wisdom. 

With Bench's highlighters in my hands, I climbed to the library. Hingal na ako pagkarating ko sa fifth floor. 

"Shocks. Haggard na ako agad." I said to myself

I was about to enter the library when my eyes found a tall guy leaning against the wall. He's wearing the college uniform. White polo and black slacks. May binabasa siyang libro. His hair is in a clean cut, maayos na maayos ang pagkakahapi maging ang pagkakasuklay. May silver watch siya sa left wrist and he's wearing a black shiny shoes. Nakayuko siya kaya hindi ko masyadong naaninag ang mukha. He has glasses on and he has such pointy nose. Sobrang tangos ng ilong at ang kakapal ng kilay. I can see his red lips from here too.

Who's he? 

He's so good looking! And he looked so serious while reading. Ah. Mukhang bookworm at studious gaya ni Bench.

I was about to move my feet to enter the library when he looked up. My heart beated fast when I was given the opportunity to stare at his wholesome face. Thick dark brows. Narrow and pointy nose. Angled jaw. Thin red lips. Pitch black eyes.

I was right! Ang guwapo niya nga! 

Uminit ang aking pisngi sa pag-aakalang nakatitig rin siya sa'kin. Kaya lang, sa likod ko pala.

"Khalil!" 

Naglakad ang isang lalaking nakasuot ng parehong uniporme na suot ni... Khalil? So, he's Khalil. His name suits him well. 

"Ang tagal mo." I heard him complain

He closed his book. Nakakunot na ang noo niya ngayon although he does not look that mean.

I saw how his friend, I think, whispered something to him that made him smile.

That curved lips.

That perfect set of white teeth.

He smiled.

He freaking smiled. 

Omg. I just felt my heart melt!

Sa sobrang pagkamangha sa ngiti niya, pati paglakad nila paalis ay sinundan ng aking mga mata. 

"Hoy!" 

Napaigtad ako sa gulat. Nahulog tuloy ang isang neon green highlighter. Bench picked it for me.

"Anong nangyari sa'yo? Tulala ka lang diyan? At teka teka, bakit ngumingiti yang mga mata mo, ha?" 

Pinaningkitan ako ng mata ni Bench.

"Bench..."

"Ano?"

I closed my eyes to calm myself. Kaya lang, lalong nagkagulo ang insides ko nang makita ang larawan ni Khalil na nakangiti.

"Are you crazy? Ngumingiti ka mag-isa! Creepy."

I smiled even wider as I open my eyelids. 

"Bench, may crush na ako."