Strings of Memory

Chapter 9

Beyond the Track

"Good morning, Wynther!" bati ng babae sa katabing upuan ko. Hindi kagaya ng dati na hindi ko pinapansin ang mga bati niya, ngayon ay tinanguan ko siya. Acknowledging her greeting, and that seemed to make her happy. Mas lumaki ang ngiti sa mga labi niya at para bang mas gumanda ang mood niya.

I don't know why, but I found myself not being as annoyed as I was before with this woman. Maybe it's because of what happened yesterday. Her tears seemed to have done something inside me, and that made me feel like this.

"Luna, Elliot's looking for you."

Napatingin ako sa tumawag sa babaeng katabi ko. A guy with a Korean guile haircut. He's as tall as I am, and he looked quite feminine for a guy.

"Sabihin mo, wala ako dito." sabi ng babae sa katabing desk ko. It looks like the guy she was talking to before is still not giving up. I commend him for being persistent, but can't he take a no for an answer? This woman already told him that she doesn't want to, but he kept insisting.

Tumango ang lalaking nasa harap niya bago napatingin sa akin. Nginitian niya ako at kinindatan bago nagpunta sa pinto kung nasaan ang lalaking tinatawag nilang Elliot.

His wink made me uncomfortable. I'm not judging or anything, but... is he... gay? That wink isn't really something a guy would do to another guy.

Inalis ko sa isipan ang nangyari at nagfocus na lang sa discussion nang dumating ang teacher namin. Nang magbreak time ay pumunta ako sa cafeteria para bumili ng isang Chuckie.

Naglakad ako pabalik sa classroom nang makita ko ang dalawang taong nakaharang sa daraanan ko. The woman beside my desk and the guy named Elliot.

Tumigil ako sa pagsipsip mula sa straw at nagpakawala ng isang buntong hininga. Sila na naman? Bakit ba sa tuwing magkausap ang dalawang 'to, lagi ko silang na-wi-witness? Hindi ba pwedeng mag-usap sila kapag wala na ako sa paligid? Ugh.

"Come on, Luna. Just join us." Halos magmakaawang sabi ni Elliot.

Umiling ang babae sa harapan niya. "I can't," sabi niya at napatingin sa direksyon ko.

Fuck. She saw me again. I'm sure she'll use me as an excuse again. I better get out of here.

Lumingon-lingon ako sa paligid para makahanap ng ibang daanan nang maramdaman ko ang isang pamilyar na init ng mga kamay. Kahit hindi ako lumingon ay alam kong siya iyon.

Walang sabi-sabi niya akong hinatak papunta sa kinaroroonan ni Elliot. Huminto kami sa harap niya at tinitigan niya akong mabuti.

Shit. Maybe I should stop going out of the classroom every break time. I'm always at the wrong place at the wrong time. Palagi na lang akong nadadamay sa mga ganap sa buhay nitong babae sa tabi ko.

"I already told you, Eli. We're in a club," sabi ng katabi ko.

She's still using that excuse? I'm sure this guy won't believe it because the last time he heard that excuse, I left the both of them while they were still in the middle of discussing it.

Tinitigan kami ni Elliot ng mabuti bago umiling. See? He doesn't believe her because it's such a lame excuse.

"I don't believe you, Luna. You're just using this guy so I would stop recruiting you. But I won't. Our team needs you," sabi niya.

Pinakiramdaman ko ang babaeng nasa tabi ko. Hindi kaagad siya sumagot sa sinabi ni Elliot kaya naman binaling ko ang tingin ko sa kanya.

Her look made my heart stop for a moment. She looked... quiet sad. But why? Is she sad that she has to decline this guy's offer? But she doesn't have to decline him if that's making her sad though.