Artistry of Love (Abstract Series #3)

Chapter 6

"Hindi ka kakain ng breakfast, Ely?"

Nilingon ko si manang na nakatingin sa akin habang sinusuot ko ang sapatos ko. When I was done, I stood up and grabbed my backpack from the floor.

"Sa school na lang po," I replied, beaming as I rushed out the door.

I'm fed up with being alone. I'm tired of eating by myself. I don't want to come home and find no one welcoming me or wondering how my day went or if I had any hardships. Nakakapagod na pero wala akong magagawa kasi ganito na ang buhay ko ngayon.

I was walking to the subdivision entrance on a cold morning when I came to a standstill when I noticed Trip seated in front of their house, dressed in his school uniform and clutching his bag. Kumunot ang noo ko nang biglang natumba ang ulo niya dahil nakatulog pala siya.

I was about to walk past him and ignore him, but he quickly recognized me and hollered my name. Mabilis siyang lumapit sa akin, inaayos pa ang suot at buhok.

"Good morning," nakangiti niyang bati habang naglalakad kami palabas ng gate.

I didn't return his greeting since I saw the guard drinking coffee and instead acknowledged him. Malaki ang respeto ko sa mga taong kumakayod sa buhay para lang makapagbigay ng pagkain sa mesa ng pamilya niya. I'd never known about the difficulties before, but when I determined to be self-sufficient and not rely on my family fortune, I discovered how extremely challenging it is.

"Yong good morning ko?" tanong ni Trip nang tuluyan na kaming makalabas.

I glanced at him. "What about it?"

He gasped in disbelief. "Grabe! Alam ko namang suplada ka pero kapag binabati ka, batiin mo rin pabalik!" He went so far as to make hand movements, which was extremely amusing.

"Okay." I shrugged. "Binabati kita pabalik."

My brow furrowed when he sniggered and caressed his stomach. He ceased laughing and scrunched his lips to disguise his smile when he saw my blank expression.

"Why are you heading to school so early?" tanong ko dahil kadalasan naman ay mga alas otso na siya pumupunta. Okay, I'm not a stalker. Because we share a seat, I am always aware of his presence in the classroom.

I'm not sure if I'm dreaming things, but his face flushed. Nawala din agad lalo na nang nakita niya ang kuryoso kong tingin.

"Wala naman." He smiled widely. "Masarap kaya maglakad kapag maaga pa! Exercise!" He stretched his muscles as though he were actually working out.

Hindi ko na lang siya pinansin at naghintay ng bus. Ako kasi palagi talagang maaga dahil mas komportable akong manatili sa school. It's reassuring to be accompanied by so many people, pretending to be motivated by the fact that I'm not fighting alone when, in reality, I'm the only one who understands my struggles.

Nang huminto ang bus sa harap namin, nauna akong sumakay bago sumunod si Trip. As I stepped inside, I noticed him using his bag to cover my legs.

"Wag mong kalimutan sa Sabado ha?" sabi niya nang nakaupo siya sa tabi ko.

I simply nodded before pulling my ear pod from my bag and inserting it into my ear, which was humming a soothing tune to compliment the morning's beauty. Sa bahay nila namin gagawin ang finishing work ng reporting namin. On Monday, we will present our work, which will be our final assignment before the start of the students' day.

"Ely," tawag niya ulit pero hindi ako sumagot. Because I'm wearing my earpod, he might just assume I didn't hear him. Pinikit ko ang mga mata ko at sumandal sa upuan.

I rapidly opened my eyes when he snatched one of the earpods, and wore it with a smile on his face, apologizing for his behavior. Kukunin ko na sana pero pumikit na siya at sumandal din katulad ko.