Caught Offhand (Caught #1)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Draft 1.

Went to a birthday party,

Expecting for a prize.

Only for me to be surprised,

He's there looking at me with locked eyes.

I wrote a short poem to describe our encounter. And I hate it. I hate this feeling. I knew damn well I'm doomed once I write something for a guy.

We didn't even talk!

This is a cycle, I will like a guy, admire them from afar, decides to write poems about them, then tries to confess but backs out. Ending, I'll question my worth. It's always been like that, that's why I stopped having crushes. The last time was in grade 10.

It was a waste of time and drains my energy. Although I like the dopamine it gives me, the negative feelings surfaced.

"Hello po, graham balls po!"

Someone was on our classroom's door, bigla naman akong pinalo-palo ni Patrisse.

"What the hell Pat?"

She just suppressed her smile and the took out her wallet. "Bibili ka?" she nodded. "Then why the smack?!" medyo inis kong sinabi.

She stood from her seat and ignored me. How dare she?

I continued doodling on my notes. I was bored so I wrote a short poem sa phone ko, then reality hits me so I hid my phone back in my bag.

Bumalik na sa tabi ko si Ptarisse, ang ngiti ay abot sa magkabilaang mata. The heck? Don't tell me she has a crush on that guy? Well there's like four of them, kilala ko yung isa dahil friend yun ni kuya, the rest are familiar, maybe school mates from elementary? I don't know.

"Crush mo ba isa sa kanila?" tanong ko dito matapos tanggapin ang isang graham ball.

Nag-init naman ang pisngi nito. "Stop!" she said then showed her palm. "So, you do have a crush on one of those guys..."

"Hindi! Napopogian lang." she insisted. Sabi ko rin yan dati. There were days na nakaksalubong ko si humss guy, and I always thought he's good looking, but that's it. He was one of the guys I was attracted to physically, nothing more, basta pogi lang siya sa paningin ko, but now that the school year is about to end, saka pa ako nagka-crush?

"In fairness masarap tong graham balls," she remarked. I agree, it's worth the penny dahil mas Malaki ito than the usual, may marshmallow rin sa loob. Laging nagbebenta ang grupo ng mga kalalakihang iyon sa amin, actually the whole Grade eleven building, bukod sa graham balls ay may benta rin silang pastillas. And I always thought na crush nga nitong kaibigan ko ang isa sakanila, she always buy from them at minsan nililibre pa ako.

The things people do nga naman when they're whipped, hayyyy

We're now on the last months of our grade eleven year, meaning exams na naman. Sa totoo lang tinatamad na ako but I have to study or else mapapagalitan ako nila daddy. The day was finally over then days passed to weeks, and it is already exam week. Pasahan dito, habol ng requirements, revisions of papers, and defense preparation.

I went to the second floor to give some papers sa co-journalist ko. I went to the first classroom, and I knocked on the door.

"Hi, pwede po patawag si Micah?" I said to the first person I bumped to. Nakita naman ako nito agad at lumapit.

"Hi chief."

"Hello," I greeted with a small smile. "Encode mo na muna tong mga ito then ako na maglalagay nung mga articles sa layout, for sure busy ang lahat sa exam, but we need to finish the school year end paper."

"Okay po chief."

"Yun lang naman goodluck!" She just waved me goodbye and then I decided to walk sa hallway ng second floor.

"Gregory!" May narinig akong tumawag sa name ko, but I ignored it. I knew who it was. Naramdaman ko na lang na nasa likod ko ito. "Hoy! Snobber ka ha."

"Ano?" medyo iritado kong sabi.

"Kelan mo ako ililibre?"

"Pwede ba mag review ka muna? It's exams week next week." Puro nalang ito palibre.

"Basta, yung libre ko ha."

"Oo na!"

I actually delay my treat for him to get us more interaction, I purposely ignore him para siya ang kumuha ng atensyon ko, and it works. Minsan siya na nangungulit sa akin sa chat. I hate to admit it but I am flattered. I'm just too busy right now to bring my attention to him, ang daming paper works at pagod na ako.

Diniretso ko na ang hallway pababa, dahil nasa 102 lang rin naman ang room namin, sa 205 ako galing. Mukhang walang teacher ang room nila Jance at Herriah dahil ang iba ay nasal abas.

Nakita naman agad ako ni Herriah. "Greggy!!!" she ran our distance and she gave me a hug, we were in front of their door.

"Hi, you don't have to show me na miss mo na ako ng bongga." I said while laughing.

"Nangungulila na ako sayo!" nagtatampo yata ang bata.

"I'm sorry, busy lang talaga, I promise after exam let's go on a date?"

"Sabi mo yan ha?"

"Yup!"

"Gregory!" And if I thought I can leave the place now, saka pa ako tinawag ni Jance.

"What?" I glanced at the person who called me but dropped my gaze at the guy in front of the room, he was sitting between two chairs and his eyes were on his phone. He was busy playing games so our eyes didn't meet.

"Gawa mo dito?" tanong ni Jance nang makalapit.

"May inabot lang."

Tumango naman ito, saka nagmistulang nagd-dribble at nag swing sa door frame, para bang nag dunk ito.

"Lebron James three points!" sigaw nito. Hinampas ko naman ito sa balikat, I was really stunned by his sudden burst of freaking weird energy.

"Aray ko! Sadista mo talaga best friend."

"We're not best friends moron!"

He just made a face and left, si Herriah naman ay puro tawa lang. "Baliw talaga yan teh"

"Yeah, I'm fully aware." I said and my eyes landed on the same guy who has been stuck in my head, our distance are not too close, but it's not so far that I can read his ID. Sinubukan kong basahin ang pangalan nito, but I only read 'Marcus'. I guess that's the M from Mj.

I did not stay long dahil may ginagawa rin kami, our teacher wasn't around too pero nag-iwan naman ng activity. We have reportings to prepare rin and hell, it's two days until exam! Ang hilig nila maghabol ng activities, kaya sa halip na magrereview ay gumagawa pa ako ng powerpoint, great.

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slothygg