Pretending with the Snob (Pyxis #1)

Chapter 18

Hindi niya ako pinakinggan, patuloy lang siya sa paglalakad habang hawak ako. Naka-ready na akong sipain siya nang may biglang humatak sa kabilang braso ko.

Si Austin! "Hey, she said let go. Bitawan mo siya, bro."

Huminto si Orange. Dahan-dahan siyang humarap at saka sinamaan ng tingin si Austin. The famous death glare! He looks so deadly, mukhang handa na siyang makipagbakbakan any moment.

"Don't bro me. Ikaw ang bumitaw sa kanya." Orange says slowly and deadly habang nakatingin sa kamay ni Austin na nakahawak sa braso ko.

Austin is taken aback, at bahagya pang nanlaki ang mata. Humigpit ang hawak niya sa'kin, "Alisson, why are you with that guy? He's dangerous!"

"Uhm..." I try to explain pero bigla akong hinatak ni Orange kaya nabitawan ako ni Austin. Sa inis ko, hinarap ko si Orange at sinamaan din ng tingin. "Ang sakit na ah! Bakit ka ba hatak ng hatak?!"

"He's touching you!"

"So what if he's touching me? Ikaw ba ang hinahawakan? Ha?"

"I don't like him touching you!"

"At bakit?" Pinamaywangan ko siya, "Nagseselos ka ba?"

"Tch, fuck no! He might have germs in his body, I'm just trying to protect you."

"You know I don't need protecting."

"You might get dirty!"

"Kailan ka pa naging germophobic?"

"First of all man, I'm not dirty." Biglang sabi ni Austin, hinawakan niya ulit ako at hinatak palapit sa kanya, "Why don't you go and pick a fight somewhere else? It's what you Pyxis are good at. Leave my friend alone."

Hinatak naman ako pabalik ni Orange, "Why don't you go fuck yourself and leave my girlfriend alone?"

So yeah. It's like a tag of war between Orange and Austin.

And I'm the tag.

Austin's jaw drops, then he looks at me like he's waiting for an explanation.

Tumingin naman ako kay Orange. We don't really have to pretend in front of Austin, right? And as if he hears my thoughts, lalong sumama ang tingin niya.

Napabuntong hininga na lang ako, "Austin, this is Or—Tyler, my boyfriend. Tyler this is Austin, my friend and classmate in middle school."

I can see the frown forming in Austin's forehead, and also the questions forming in his head. I know for sure na nagtataka siya.

Bigla na naman akong hinatak ni Orange, at this time bumitaw na si Austin. "Can we go now?" naiinip na tanong sa'kin ni Orange.

I sigh again. Kahit kailan, panira talaga 'tong Orange na 'to. I smile at Austin na mukhang shook pa rin. Pinagmasdan ko siyang mabuti, hindi naman siya mukhang nagseselos o nanghihinayang na sa iba ako napunta. He just looks confused, and genuinely concerned. "Alis na kami... see you around, Austin."

To my surprise he grabs my wrist again and leans closer for a whisper, "If anything happens, if he hurts you in anyway, physically or anything call me. Do you have your phone right now? I'll give you my number."

Pinigilan kong tumawa, "Relax, Austin. Orange is not like that. He's not as dangerous as you think. At least to me though. He won't hurt me, not physically I guess so don't worry. If anything, he's the one always protecting me. Overprotective sila ng Pyxis minsan, kaya nakakainis but it's good. So if he somehow hurt me, lagot siya sa Pyxis. At lagot siya sa'kin."

Austin stares at me as if he's looking at a different person. Well, I never show him my true self. Sa harap niya kasi noon, medyo pa-demure ako, ma-poise at medyo pabebe. Kaya hindi siya naniniwala sa mga nagsasabi sa kanya na basagulera ako.