Head in the Sand (Erudite Series #3)

Kapitulo 29

"Ano'ng kanta?" he asked.

"Killing Me Softly yata, if I remember correctly."

"Ano'ng sayaw?"

"I forgot what it's called, basta by-partner siya."

"May partner? Ahh, parang ballroom ba?"

"I guess, but it's not hardcore ballroom dance, chill lang naman."

"Kailan kayo sasayaw?"

"Next week," I thought of the exact day. "May 29."

"Puwedeng manood?" horrified at the thought, I shook my head. "Sa gym kami sasayaw, students lang puwede ro'n."

Ang tigas-tigas ng katawan ko tapos panonoorin ako ni Graham? Ayaw ko! I'm not proud of my dancing skills. He may have already seen me act and dance a bit when I was preparing for Miss U-Belt, but my dancing ballroom skill was different.

"Bawal? Sayang, gusto ko sana makita sayaw mo." Umiling ako sa kaniya at natawa siya. "Ayaw mo?" I groaned and he laughed more.

Pagdating namin sa cafe, siya na ang um-order para sa aming dalawa. Ako ay umakyat na at nakakuha ng libreng la mesa. Pag-upo niya sa tabi ko, I asked him about his mother since it had been a while since the incident.

"Walang nagbago. Umuutang pa rin sa mga sari-sari na malalapit sa amin para sa alak."

He sighed and put his elbows on the empty table.

"Do you guys ever talk?" I tread carefully. "Hindi, kauusapin niya lang ako kapag gutom siya. Hihingi siya ng pera. Hindi siya humihingi ng pang-alak niya, hindi ko kasi siya binibigyan."

I nodded. "She doesn't work?"

"Mayro'n, pero hindi regular. Tapos, maliit lang sahod. No'ng buhay pa si Kuya, siya ang nagbibigay ng sustento sa 'kin. Nang mawala siya, nahirapan ako sa sitwasyon namin ni Mama. Bibigyan lang ako ni Mama ng five hundred kada week, tapos wala ng kasunod. Kaya naman nagtrabaho ako ngayon."

We are so different. I can't believe we feel the exact same way for each other despite our differences, it's like magic.

"How about you? How were you growing up?" I stared at his face for a moment. 

"I was... comfortable," I admitted, "Mommy took care of us, Dad was a doctor so he was usually in the hospital. But he was still present at important events in our lives."

Two people from the table on the floor leaves.

"Mabuti na lang at sa science high school ka, wala masiyadong kailangan na gastos," sambit ko.

"Pa'no mo nalaman na galing akong science high school?" I held his hand full of scars. "I saw it on your Facebook account when I first messaged you."

He showed a puzzled expression. "Nakalagay sa Facebook ko 'yon?"

"Yeah, you didn't know?" umiling siya. "Si Lara kasi ang gumawa ng account ko dati, e."

"But you also have UST there, nakalagay na you study at UST." I explained.

"Iyon, nilagay ko, pero 'yong sa science high school, 'di ko nilagay. Kaya pala alam na no'ng mga kaklase ko agad na galing akong science high school..."

I laughed. Ang cute niya naman, hindi niya pala alam na nasa Facebook niya 'yon. Hindi niya siguro napapansin dahil madalang din naman siya mag-post o mag-share ro'n.

"Hindi ka masiyadong nagfe-Facebook, 'no?"

"Oo, ikaw rin, 'di ba?" I nodded. "Mas gusto ko ang Instagram, pero minsan lang din ako mag-post do'n. Ikaw, wala ka pang post do'n ni isa."