Kabanata 29...
Responsibility
"Ano bang ginawa mo kagabi?" Tanong ni Eyan.
I'm sitting at my desk, my head banged against it. It's not because I'm hungover, it's because of what I said and did last night.
How can I assume that Alessandro was flirting with me?! And I want to call him Ali?!
Well, I kind of want that nickname... but still!
After my trip to the comfort room, Alessandro said we're going home. Hindi na 'ko umalma dahil feeling ko kailangan ko na rin naman umuwi. I remember we argued about his driving me home, and I didn't win, which is why I left my car and keys with Emil, and he did drive me home while I slept in his car.
God, forbid it took him so long to wake me up because I was so deep in my sleep.
"Wala naman," huh...
Liza snorted and I just rolled my eyes at her.
"Akala ko ba walang nangyari? Nasa labas s'ya, 'Te,"
Agad akong napaayos ng upo sa binanggit n'ya.
And for goodness' sake, he really is outside our faculty room!
Hindi na'ko nag aksaya ng oras at agad tumayo at nilabas s'ya roon.
"What's with you?"
Alessandro chuckles. "Kadarating ko lang, ang bilis mo namang magalit." He glances inside the room and smiles, probably sending regards to Liza and Eyan.
"Whatever, Alessandro. Bakit ka nga narito?"
Lumakad na 'ko palayo sa faculty room, at hindi nga 'ko nagkamali nang sumunod s'ya sa'kin.
"What happened to your Ali?"
Mabilis naman akong napatigil doon. Nagpupuyos ang mata kong tiningnan s'ya. Ramdam ko ang pag-iinit ng muka bago s'ya bahagyang sipain sa binti na nagpatawa lang sa kan'ya.
"Shut up!"
"What? I said I like it," he reasoned, laughing.
"Ewan ko sa'yo, Aga." Nakakrus na ang mga braso ko. Kung ano mang plano n'ya, mukang alam ko na 'yon. He's probably here just to piss me off.
"I really like Ali though..." mahina n'ya nang banggit. "Bumisita lang ako to check on you. You were pretty wasted last night,"
"I was not wasted last night, for your information."
Alessandro raises an eyebrow, matching it with an astonished smile.
"Really? Muntik ko na ngang piliin matulog na lang tayo sa kotse ko, pero baka kasi sumakit ang likod mo kinabukasan at may pasok ka pa,"
Suminghap ako. Wow! Should I be thankful that he's telling me all this?! I was just tipsy!
"That's very thoughtful of you, Alessandro. Really, thank you very much," tumango-tango pa 'ko para ma-realize n'ya ang sarcasm ko.
He proceeds to laugh, holding his head back, before looking at me while holding his chest.
"Ali for me, Marjorie,"
Umirap ako sa kan'ya.
Sabay kaming napatingin sa bulsa kong nasa blusa nang tumunog iyon. I picked my phone up and saw Jyair calling me.
Kunot ang noo kong tinitigan iyon.
"You won't pick it up?" The impatient Alessandro butted in.
"Wait lang kasi," sagot ko bago tinanggap ang tawag. Nagtataka lang ako. Jyair doesn't call me often when he knows that I'm working. Baka naman he just wants to check on me...?
ESTÀS LLEGINT
Ineffable Euphoria
Novel·la juvenil𝐼𝐼𝐼 | It's as if Pride and Prejudice all over again, taking a modern twist, tearing love apart into two compelling narratives. Her pride clashes with his prejudice, creating a magnetic tension that neither can escape. Lalapit s'ya, at s'ya namang...
