Anchored Fault Lines

Chapter 3

Pero ang totoo, hindi naman talaga niya ako tinuturuan, he would just sleep while I study on my own! I didn't need a tutor back then, sadyang nakakalimutan ko lang gawin mga assignments ko! Ano ba ang akala sa akin ng mga tao that time? Am I so stupid in their eyes? My God.

Davino watched me from a distance, and as usual, his brows furrowed in a line with his hands resting inside his pockets. Nanatiling dikit sa akin ang kanyang tingin na may halong inis sa paraan ng paglalim ng mga linya sa kanyang noo. Wala naman nang bago; lagi naman siyang mukhang galit.

I was seated on a bench with Sydney and a few other classmates. Prelims ended yesterday, and today's Friday, I can almost hear the showers back home, and a movie marathon of mainly rewatching Legally Blonde and Clueless with a hot chocolate before bed that's been waiting for me.

The week exhausted my entire existence. After what seemed to be one of my rebellious acts with Davino last Sunday, surprisingly, I never heard the end of it from my parents—we haven't talked about it since then.

Both of my parents were casual after that, which was kind of unusual, but I washed the thought from my mind and ignored it. Though I can't help but think that their nonchalance to what happened was because it wasn't me who actually did it that night. Siguro dahil si Davino 'yun at hindi ako. Kung ako siguro 'yun, hindi pa man ako nakakalabas ng dining area ay nasigawan na ako.

Then I was greeted by the team my father assigned to me first thing in the morning last Monday. My exams start at nine. Nasa bahay na sila seven pa lang.

They were all dressed casually—not in uniform and with no IYAYU's logo, so they could blend in with civilians on campus. But at the same time they all have the same caps worn on their head for us to tell them apart from them.

Monday pa lang nagsimula na sila sa trabaho nila, and Davino was also around the perimeter of my sight, always watching from the distance, if not, natutulog lang siya.

I wasn't sure if it was part of their deal—him and my father—that he should also be around.

Davino was two years older than me, meaning he's graduating, and that he got a little bit more time on his load. Though, I know how busy graduating college students can get as well. With all those papers they need to revise and finish, and all the requirements they need to get done with.

Plus he's an athlete. The intramurals is just around the corner, surely he's been preparing for his last match as a senior, and also training the lower years that will soon replace him.

Hindi ko alam bakit dinagdagan pa ni daddy ang gawain ni Davino by having him keep an eye on me.

And it's honestly bothersome! He's hovering like a mother hen!

"Nakapag-usap na ba kayo?" Sydney whispered. Tapos na ata siya makipag daldalan. "Ganyan siya for four days now. I heard wala naman talaga siyang klase this week pero nandito siya sa campus pakalat-kalat."

Lukot ang mukha kong tinignan siya.

"What does that supposed to mean?"

Kasalanan ko pa bang nandito siya kahit wala naman siyang klase?

Sydney shrugged, pouting a little bit.

"Wala lang... Hindi ka man lang ba nakokonsensya? Bigyan mo naman ng ma-meryenda 'yung tao." She elbowed me.

Umirap ako. "That's not my job anymore. Malamang, si daddy ang nag-utos sa kanya na gawin 'yan, e'di si daddy ang magpa-meryenda kay Davino. Bakit ako?"

My classes resume in two hours. Balak ko nga sanang tumambay nalang sa library dahil mas tahimik. My life has been full of chaos lately, gusto ko nalang mapag-isa at manahimik sa isang tabi.