Just The Benefits (PUBLISHED)

Kabanata 22

#JustTheBenefits

Kabanata 22 

He was acting strange! Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit hindi ako pinapansin ni Shiloah... A part of me was telling me that maybe he's jealous... but why? Hindi ba't mayroon na siyang girlfriend? Sobrang sweet nga niya kay Candy na minsan ay gusto ko na lang masuka kaya naman bakit? Wala akong makitang dahilan para magselos siya.

At isa pa, wala naman siyang gusto sa akin. That's one of the things I was certain about.

Kung ganito lang din naman na hindi niya ako kakausapin, e 'di sana hindi na lang siya nagpaiwan dito. Daig pa namin ang nasa North Pole dahil sa sobrang lamig ng pakikitungo niya sa akin. He was giving me the cold shoulder. I should have been used to it dahil palagi niya namang ginagawa ito sa akin but every time, the experience would be worse than the last. Every freaking time.

"Ikaw ba 'yung kumanta kanina?" a girl asked. She looked star struck nung nakita niya si Shiloah. Palagi namang nasa campus si Shiloah at naglalakad pero hindi nila napapansin... Ngayon na kumanta, daig pa niya ang may groupies.

But I couldn't deny the fact that something about him changed... His new found hostility toward me aside, mayroon talagang nagbago kay Shiloah. It's more than how he looks... it's more of how he carried himself. Para bang nagkaroon na siya ng confidence. On the outside, that is. Sa loob niya, siya pa rin ang Shiloah na kilala ko. Siya pa rin 'yung tao na ayaw sa atensyon at mas gusto na mapag-isa.

Maybe he'll always be that Shiloah.

Shiloah nodded and the girl blushed. Ako naman, tahimik na nakaupo lang. I long gave up the idea of talking to him dahil kanina niya pa ako hindi pinapansin. I could only endure so much.

"Sobrang galing mo kanina!" the girl gushed. "Sobrang feel na feel ko 'yung intensity ng kanta mo! Siguro may hugot ka, noh?"

"Not really..." mahinang sagot ni Shiloah.

"Really?" hindi makapaniwalang sagot nung babae. "I really felt the emotions kasi. As in intense. Akala ko tuloy may pinagdadaanan ka ngayon," she said. "But then again, maybe it's just me."

"It's just you," I told her. Kanina pa ako nakaupo rito at para bang mapapanis na ang laway ko kaya naman napagpasyahan ko na sumali na sa usapan nila. "May girlfriend si Shiloah kaya sigurado ako na masaya siya."

I looked at Shiloah and I was surprised to see him looking back at me. "Right?" But he didn't answer me verbally. We just stared at each other as if doing so would answer the hanging question.

"Oh," sabi nung babae. "Good for you," she said. "Anyway, medyo weird na ngayon lang ako magpapakilala but I am Celine and my uncle owns a bar just outside the campus. I was just wondering kung interesado ka na kumanta roon? Like hindi naman every night. And chill songs and minsan, mayroong request na songs from the patrons." She handed a card to Shiloah. "If you're interested, you could call me and we can talk about the schedule. Flexible naman ang sched."

Wow. Nung una, medyo nainis ako kay Candy dahil pinipilit niya si Shiloah na lumabas mula sa comfort zone nito pero ngayon, natuwa ako sa kanya. He's so talented and because of her, nakikilala na si Shiloah. I was happy for him but at the same time, medyo nalungkot ako.

It was a farfetched thought but Shiloah's something... and one day I'm pretty sure he'd go big... and the thought of him being so out of reach brought a pang in my chest.

"Sige, I'll let it sink muna," Celine said. "I'll be going na. Nice to meet you, Shiloah and..."

I smiled at her. "Imogen."

"Right. Nice to meet you, Imogen," she said before she left us. Nakatingin lang si Shiloah sa may calling card ilang segundo matapos umalis ni Celine. Gusto ko siyang tanungin kung ano ang plano niya pero natatakot ako na baka hindi niya na naman ako pansinin. It was totally uncalled for. I was trying to be nice to him pero ginaganito niya ako. Sobrang naguguluhan na ako sa pagkakaibigan namin. Minsan okay kami, minsan hindi. Parang panahon talaga si Shiloah... hindi mo maintindihan kung ano ang mangyayari.