Always Have Been, Always Will Be

05

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Chapter 5

Photograph

"Ang dami naman nito! Hanggang post-colonial period talaga?" Reklamo ni Freya at marahas na hinilamos ang kaniyang palad.

Iniangat ko ang aking mga mata galing sa textbook na binabasa ko at tinapunan siya ng tingin bago ibinaling ulit ang atensyon ko sa pinag-aaralan ko.

"Try mong gumamit ng flashcards. Effective 'yon sa 'kin, e," suhestiyon ni Pierce habang seryosong inaanalisa ang binabasa.

"Kanina pa ako rito pero dalawang page pa lang yung nabasa ko. Akala ko sa Math ako mababaliw sa STEM, sa Lit pala." Freya grunted.

"Siguro try mo rin yung technique na more on sa pagbabasa at less sa pagputak ng bunganga," iritadong tugon ni Adi sa kaniya, halatang nawawalan na rin ng pasensiya simula pa kaninang pagrereklamo ni Freya.

I mentally nodded.

We were in the library studying for an upcoming test in Twenty-first Century Literature or Lit for short. There were a lot of terms to memorize and concepts to be familiar with, the reason why Freya has been loosing her mind for the past hour. And as much as I wanted to empathize with her, Adi was right. I was trying my best to focus because the last thing that I wanted to tell mom the next time she would call was that I failed a test.

Euclid and Thaianara on the other hand were doing the exact opposite. Hindi ko alam kung ano yung kinaka-busy-han nila, pero matagal na silang nakikipaghagikhikan at tumitingin-tingin sa isang direksyon ng library, hindi ko lamang napagbigyan ng pansin kasi masyado akong focused na focused sa pag-aaral.

May live bold bang nagaganap?

Bahagya akong tumayo upang matingnan kung alin ang kanilang binibigyan ng pansin.

Nagkasalubong ang mga kilay ko nang makakita ng nag-iisang babae na nag-aaral sa kabilang table, naka-earphones pa siya at tahimik na sumusulat sa kaniyang pad paper. The dots connected when I realized that she was quite familiar.

She was the girl Thaianara and I saw when we went to the grocery store the day we also bought our school supplies. But why was Euclid and Thaianara looking at her, giggling and whispering things to each other? They weren't even studying like they said they would.

I just shrugged and went back to my seat to continue reviewing.

"Si Amara 'yan, ah?"

Nag-angat kami ng mga mata nang magsalita si Freya. Pati na rin si Euclid at Thaianara ay napatingin sa kaniya.

"Huh?" si Thaianara.

"Ayon, oh!" Freya pouted her lips, pointing to the girl's direction.

Euclid's eyes widened when he realized that Freya knew the girl. He turned to her and held her hands as if she was the only thing that mattered to him in the entire world at that moment.

Nayukot kaagad ang mukha ni Freya.

"Ba't mo 'ko hinahawak-hawakan? Yuck, Euclid, ayoko na sa 'yo! Sana nung grade ten pa kasi crush pa kita no'n, pero ngayon hindi—"

"Ano yung name niya nga ulit?" Euclid asked again.

Natigilan si Freya.