The Start of an End

Chapter 4

Simula non ay madalas ng magkasama si Cherrie at Ryle.

Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari pero parang mas naging close ang dalawa. Siguro ay nagkasundo lang talaga sila? Diba ganoon naman yon? Usually naattract tayo sa mga tao na kaparehas natin ng hilig at pananaw sa buhay.

" Boyfriend ba ni Cherrie yon?" rinig kong bulong ng kaklase ko dahil nasa tapat ng classroom ang dalawa at nag uusap.

Cherrie even looks more beautiful nowadays, with her baby blue puff dress and long wavy hair she looked like a goddess.

Napaisip tuloy ako kung kailan kaya magkakauniform. Mauubusan na ako ng tshirt sa araw araw na pasok.

Ryle just nods at everything Cherrie is saying, mariin ang pagkakatitig niya sa babae. It seems like she is the only one he sees and hears. Bagay na bagay sila. Parehong magandang nilalang.

At dahil laging magksama si Cherrie at Ryle I was left alone most of the times. Okay lang naman sa akin dahil mas komportable ako kapag mag-isa.

Naupo si Cherrie sa tabi ko at hindi maipinta ang ganda ng pagkakangiti niya. She's blooming.

" Ang pogi talaga" She said to herself

Dumating na ang prof namin sa chemistry at nagsimula nanaman lumutang ang isip ko.

Pagkatapos ng klase ay parang ubos na ubos ang pagkatao ko dahil sa dami ng diniscuss ng prof namin. I hate numbers so much, and I even hate it when it is combined with letters. I just really hate math.

I feel so exhausted, aaralin ko pa ang mga lessons mamaya dahil ang bilis ng pagkakadiscuss kanina. Tumungo ako sa arm chair at pumikit, god, ano ba tong pinasok ko?

Ramdam ko ang pagsisialisan ng mga kaklase ko sa room, huling klase na namin ito ngayong araw dahil may meeting ang faculty para sa darating na foundation.

Cherrie is busy putting powder on her face, kailangan ko ng hangin, chemistry is suffocating me.

" Sa labas na ako Cher"

She just nodded and continued on what she was doing. Nasa 3rd floor ng building ang room namin. Humawak ako sa railing at tinanaw ang baba, may mga estudyante na naglalaro ng volleyball, siguro ay PE nila.

Napapikit ako sa malamig na simoy ng hangin. I put my hands on the pocket of my jacket. Cold weather, my favorite.

Nakarinig ako ng dribble ng bola papalapit kaya napamulat ako ng mata at tinignan kung saan galing iyon. It was Ryle and another man, ang kasama niya na may hawak ng bola ay kakaiba ang uniform. But based on his ID lace, i think he is from the Engineering department.

I took my eyes away from them, so much for staring and analyzing things Dorothy. Ang dami mo pang kailangan intindihin sa chemistry!

Tumigil ang dalawang lalaki sa tapat ng classroom at tila may sinisilip. Cherrie waved at them.

Mukhang dinaanan ni Ryle si Cherrie? Inakbayan ni kuya engineer si ryle at tinatapik tapik pa ang likod.

I'm like watching a love story and they are the main characters, and i am just one of the many side characters who just observes and rarely getting a dialogue.

Cherrie smiled from ear to ear, at kinuha na ng lalaki ang bag nito. Baka sila nga talaga? Wala naman sinasabi sa akin si Cherrie.

Baka MU? uso pa ba yon ngayon? Bat ko nga ba sila tinitignan? I need to understand chemistry first.

Paalis na sana ang grupo ng nahagip ni. Cherrie ang mga mata ko.

" Dorothy" she came near me, sumunod din ang mga lalaki.

I caught Ryle looking at me intently, bahagyang nakakunot pa ang mga noo. Parang ipinapahiwatig niya na bakit ako nandito.

Did I do something wrong with him at ganito siya makatingin? Was being late in a meeting a crime now?

I flashed a small smile and just nodded at him, acknowledging his presence, even though he could kill me with his stares. He is still the president of my org, i need to show respect.

" Alis muna kami Dorothy" malambing na sabi ni Cherrie

" Dorothy?" Nagtatakang tanong ni kuya engineer, he then look at me from head to toe, nahiya ako bigla.

" Can I ask what's your full name?" he asked. I was now able to look at him up close.

Ang isang kamay ay nakalagay sa bulsa ng kanyang pants at ang kabila ay hawak ang bola.

His hairstyle is mullet,  his hair is messy but it looks good on him, he has some strands of hair lying on his forehead. His eyes are clear I can even see my reflection, even with his polo and black slack pants, I can see that his muscles are toned, and not to mention that he his tall.

We are a family of tall people, I am taller as compared to Cherrie but with tall men like him and Ryle, I feel so small.

I was about to speak up kaso naunahan ako ni Cherrie.

" She's Mary Dorothy Ilarez, Bakit mo natanong Arch?"

'Arch'

Hindi pinansin ni Arch ang pagsagot ng babae, instead he kept looking at me at tila ba inaantay akong sumagot.

Nilabanan ko ang titig niya, " I am Mary Dorothy Ilarez"

He softly laughed, may nakakatawa ba sa pangalan ko?

" What a coincidence, so you really are the 'Mary Dorothy'?"

I nodded, slightly confused on what he is talking about.

" Anong meron?" sabat ni Cherrie

" Arch, we better get going" dagdag ni Ryle

Ryle slid his arms around Cherrie's waist, like it's a normal thing to do, but his eyes are still on me. He is really killing me with his stares.

" Yeah, I think they're waiting now" sagot ni Arch , at sumilip sa relo niya at nag dribble ng bola.

" I'm gonna formally introduce myself to you soon Mary, and pls say my regards to Tita Therese"

" Tell your mom, it's from Fourth, see you around" he added

" Let's go" Ryle said at tumalikod na.  Cherrie waved at me bidding her goodbye.

And I was left alone standing in the middle of the hallway still confused on what the heck just happened.