Every Bad Thing

Chapter Fourteen

"Now, junior boys pair up with the senior girls according to your height. Senior boys naman sa mga thid year girls natin." sunod na utos ni Ms. Cerna. Sinundan niya ulit iyon ng dalawang palakpak.

Napasinghap ako nang maisip kung para saan ang mga ito. They're starting to arrange the participants by partners! And Silas will be partnered up with a senior girl! Halos mapatayo ako sa konklusyon na nabuo sa utak ko.

I watched for Silas as they moved beside the line of the female seniors. Kung kanina ay wala akong interes na tingnan ang ibang participant, ngayon ay pinilit kong tingnan kung sino ang naka-pares ni Silas.

Umuwang ang mga labi ko nang makita kung sino. Si Rachel Castella. Shit! If I'm dubbed as the flirt of our year, then she holds that title in their year and she's a bigger flirt than me! Pati younger level ay pinapatulan niya. 

At kung ikukumpara kaming dalawa ay mabait pa ako habang siya ay sadyang bitch talaga. I can barely count the stories I've heard about her and her encounters with girls. Sobrang kawawa ang mga nakakaaway niya, iyon ang usap-usapan.

My fingers dug on my palm as I watched Rachel smile like a Cheshire cat when she realized how she hit the jackpot with her partner. Alam ko ang ngiti niyang iyon at kitang-kita ko malagkit na tingin niya kay Silas. I know her moves. She's like the older version of me, just ten times worse and mean.

She offered her hand. Her lips moved. I knew she was trying to introduce herself. This flirt! Halos malukot na ang mukha ko habang pinapanuod sila mula sa malayo. Nalaglag na ang panga ko sa sahig nang tanggapin ni Silas ang kamay nito.

It's like an active volcano just sprung within me and it's preparing for an eruption, my insides were violently shaking as a direct effect. I don't like it! I don't like this! I don't like seeing him with another girl! I don't want him talking to somebody else! I don't want him touching any girl! I don't want him to be with somebody else.

Naunang bumitaw si Silas sa paghawak nila ng kamay. Agad siyang lumingon sa direksyon ko. I could clearly see how his eyes widened a little when he realized I was watching him, or maybe he's more shock of how I was looking at him right now. I'm sure my face shouted murder.

Madiin na kinagat ko ang labi ko. Pakiramdam ko ay magsusugat at dudugo na iyon sa sobrang diin ng pagkakagat ko. I can't contain this. Gusto kong tumili sa inis. I've never been this unsettled. Parang gusto kong sumigaw. Parang gusto kong maghagis ng kung anong bagay.

I thought I could watch him practice. Ang plano ko pa nga ay araw-arawin ang panunuod. I failed to realize that I'll be watching him be with some girl, too! At hindi ko yata kaya. It's pure torture to me. Seeing him with somebody else... is worse than hell.

Huminga ako nang malalim. Kinuha ko ang phone mula sa bulsa ng aking palda at binuksan ang message application.

Me:
Canteen lang ako. 

I didn't bother looking at Silas when I stood up. Itinago ko ang phone sa aking bulsa at naglakad na patungo sa canteen. Iniwan ko na ang bag ko, to assure him that I won't leave the campus. Gusto kong umuwi pero baka bigla niyang maisipan na sumunod sa akin kapag ganoon nga ang ginawa ko. I don't want him to miss another practice because of me.

The staffs were already starting to clean up. Magsasara na kasi ito dahil dismissal na. Most of the lights were already off. Umupo ako malapit sa table na hindi pa naipapatong ang mga upuan sa ibabaw. I let out a heavy sigh.

My phone pinged for a new message. It was from him. 

Silas:
Please stay.

Matagal na tinitigan ko ang screen. Parang may humahaplos sa puso habang paulit-ulit na binabasa ang text niya. It's like something warm spread across the center of my chest. It managed to calm the waves of ire, swallowing my heart and mind.