The Billionaire's Son

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I scrunched up my nose in disgust when the foul smell of cigarette and smoke hit my nostrils the moment Lysander occupied the seat next to me. We are all inside a bus bound to D'Bones museum in Davao. Lysander glanced at me and grinned widely.

"Are you drunk?" I squinted my eyes suspiciously.

"Not really," he shrugged, tearing his gaze away from me and flinching at himself as if the mere idea of speaking hurts his head.

Napakibit-balikat nalang ako at hindi siya pinansin. I tried scooting as far away from him as possible but it's rendered useless. Tumatama talaga sa aking ilong at hindi kanais-nais na amoy ng alak at sigarilyo. His smell today reminded me so much of my stepfather before.

The facilitator climbed the bus and checked on all of us. Matapos niyang mag-roll call ay umakyat na din ang driver. My heart leaped in my throat when I saw Sage climbing inside the bus as well, a frown on his face. The purple marks on his eye is starting to fade. Maging ang sugat nito sa labi ay naghilom na.

Most of my classmates went silent. Nakatingin lang sila kay Sage na hinahanap ang kaniyang designated seat. His partner, Laura, tensed when he took the seat next to her. Mukha itong disoriented at hindi mapakali. Some of the girls are giggling and nudging at each other habang pinagmamasdan si Sage.

I sighed. Hindi man lang nagtama ang mga mata namin.

Inilipat ko ang aking paningin kay Lysander na ngayo'y natutulog na sa kaniyang upuan. Our science professor gave him a disapproving look but didn't said anything as the bus move forward.

I leaned my head against the closed glass window of the bus, trying to get some sleep and succeeded. For the rest of the six-hour drive to Davao, both my partner and I are sleeping on our seats.

---

"I expect you to behave accordingly, you guys are college students now," our professor said. "Remember our primary purpose here. No selfies. No taking random pictures and no touching! Maliwanag?"

Our professor got a chorus of yes Ma'am before she scanned us again and nodded. Kaniya-kaniya kaagad alis ang mga blockmates ko. Nilingon ko si Lysander na bored na nakatingin sa paligid. Ang kaniyang kamay ay nakasilid sa kaniyang bulsa. He's tapping the floor with his foot impatiently, as if he can't wait to get out of here.

Scanning my surroundings again, hindi ko na nakita si Sage at ang kaniyang partner. I shook my head inwardly. We're in a field trip, rode the same bus, and we're supposed to focus on the assignment onhand yet here I am, still thinking of him even if we're here together.

"Tara na, Lysander,"

He grunted a response and followed me deeper into the museum. I was in awe, watching the perfectly lined-up bones of huge sperm whales and other animals. Kinuha ko ang aking notebook at nagsimula nang magtake-down notes dahil alam kong hindi ko naman maaasahan si Lysander sa bagay na ito. He even had the audacity to show up drunk.

Napailing nalang ako.

"Hey, Mallory, let's check that out," kinalabit ako ni Lysander at itinuro ang isang collection sa dulo ng silid. Tumaas ang aking kilay.

"We're assigned on the sperm whales, Lysander. Hindi sa small reptiles—"

Hindi na niya ako pinatapos sa pagsasalita at tuloy-tuloy na nagpunta doon. Napabuntong-hininga nalang ako at walang nagawa kung hindi ang sundan siya habang mabilis siyang naglalakad. I noticed there were only a few people aside from us, mostly because our professor didn't bother assigning a group for small reptiles kaya naman walang nagawi sa area na ito.