September: Beneath The Hoodie She Wears

CHAPTER ELEVEN: PAST PREFERENCES // STORIES

ODETTE

From: guy in the cafe

Are u going today?

Napabuntonghininga ako ng makita ang message na iyon, I shouldn't have given my phone number. He's been texting for almost a month now, he doesn't care if I don't reply.

I guess I was wrong, maybe something did change now that he knows. Or maybe he's just normally like this it just so happens that this time he knows my phone number. I don't know.

Ang hirap niya basahin.

Sinara ko ang librong binabasa at pinatong ang ulo ko doon. Tinitigan ko yung bintana kung saan makikita ang kalangitan. Nandito ako ngayon sa 3rd floor ng library, supposed nagaaral pero masyadong magulo ang utak ko.

I was about to drift to sleep when my phone vibrated. Napairap na lang ako at kinuha iyon, agad din naman ako napatayo ng mabasa yung message.

From: Honeybunch

Sa Gate 2 ako

I packed my things and immediately headed to gate 2. Oo nga pala may pupuntahan kami ni Mon ngayong hapon.

"Sure ka bang okay ka lang?" Nabalik ako sa reyalidad ng magsalita si Mon.

Kanina niya pa ata ako kinakausap. Agh, ano ba ngyayari sa akin?

"Huh? Ah, yeah," sabi ko na lang.

Ayoko naman kasing pinaguusapan ang tungkol sa nararamdaman ko. I barely know what I'm feeling and sometimes I'd rather not know.

"You seem out of it since we came back. May ngyari ba sa inyo?" Tanong niya at napailing naman ako.

Wala namang ngyaring kakaiba, sanay na din naman ako. And I'm just thankful na because I went home I'd have an excuse to miss a lot of future events. Come to think of it, halos bilang lang sa daliri ang mga times na umuuwi ako sa amin sa isang taon.

Sometimes I'd even miss Annika's birthday. Not that they really care, birthday lang naman ni papa ang hindi ko pwedeng mamiss.

"Saan nga pala tayo pupunta?" Pagiiba ko ng topic.

I reached out to get his phone and changed the song playing. 

"Remember how you said you wanted to go volunteering?" Tanong niya kaya naman nangunot ang noo ko.

Volunteering?

"No? Baka nakakalimutan mong I'm introverted," sabi ko kaya naman natawa siya.

Gumagawa na naman ata siya ng kwento e. I might be a bit fogetful sometimes but I know what I want and what I don't.

And isa na doon ang makipaghalubilo sa mga tao. I'd rather donate.

"Well, I signed the two of us up." Hindi makapaniwalang napalingon ako sa kaniya.

He was smiling widely and even slightly taping the steering wheel, showing how much he is in a good mood. Too bad I'm not kind enough not to ruin his mood.

"Are you being serious? Without my consent?" Malamig na sabi ko pero tinawanan niya lang ako.

"Diba nga? I thought you told me you wanted to go volunteering, maybe I heard wrong?" Natatawa ulit na sabi niya.

Napabuga na lang ako ng hininga, clearly speechless because of what he did. 

Agad kong pinalitan ang kanta at pinlay ang isa sa mga kanta ng NCT 127. Sumulyap ako kay Mon at nakita kong unti-unting kumunot ang noo niya kaya naman marahan akong ngumiti at nilaksan pa ang kanta.