Ghost Husband

4: Goosebumps

"HOW DID you know my schedule, Never?" sita ni Siha dito habang magkaharap sila ni Never sa table for two sa Hot&Cold– ang coffee shop sa loob ng Evangeline University. Hinintay ng lalaki na matapos ang klase niya kanina, saka siya nito inayang magkape. She usually preferred milk tea over coffee but since it was a rainy afternoon, she decided to have hot latte instead. "You're not stalking me, are you?"

"Someone has become conceited, huh?" playful na akusa naman sa kanya ni Never, saka ito uminom muna ng espresso nito bago muling nagsalita. "Do you think I'm that desperate to see you again?"

"Considering how you chased me around during high school, then yes."

He smirked while gently shaking his head in obvious amusement. "I can't blame you. I used to follow you everywhere back in high school." Nangalumbaba ito habang nakatitig sa kanya. "It's not like I'm stalking you, Siha. Nakita lang kita kahapon sa freshmen orientation at napansin kong nasa group ka ng Communication major. Naka-post sa bulletin board ng department niyo ang schedule ng bawat section. At sa bawat section namang naka-post eh nakalista ang names ng mga students sa klaseng 'yon. When I saw your name under 1-A, I kinda looked at your sched." Tinuro nito ang sentido nito at kitang-kita niya ang smugness sa guwapo nitong mukha. "My brain can't help but remember the things I saw once. Lalo na 'yong mga bagay na importante for me."

"Someone is still arrogant, huh?" iiling-iling na comment niya na ikinangisi lang ng lalaki.

But she knew he was telling the truth. He really had photographic memory. Bago sila mag-senior high, magkaklase sila simula Grade 7 hanggang Grade 10 kaya alam niyang matalino ito. Madalas itong late at absent sa mga klase nila pero tuwing may exam, ito pa rin ang nakakakuha ng highest scores. Maybe if he wasn't tardy and rude to the teachers, he would have gotten better grades and may have even ended up as the class' first honor instead of her.

"Yeah, I'm still a jerk, Siha."

"I can see that," pagsang-ayon naman ni Siha, saka niya maingat na ipinatong ang tasa sa mesa. "But you seem to have calmed down a bit, Never."

He politely invited her to have coffee with him and even said that he didn't mind waiting until her classes were over. Kung ito pa rin ang dating Never na nanliligaw sa kanya noong senior high, baka hinila na siya nito papunta sa coffee shop himbis na ayain siyang magkape. Na-curious siya sa seemingly "reformed bad boy" na nakikita niya kaya pumayag siya.

If there was one more thing that didn't change was him being generous. Kahit noon kasi, kapag nakikita siya nito sa school canteen, inuunahan siya nitong bayaran ang mga binibili niya at hindi tinatanggap ang bayad niya.

Pero kanina, nagpaalam ang lalaki na ito na raw ang magbabayad ng coffee niya dahil ito naman daw ang nag-aya. She was surprised by his thoughtfulness so she wasn't able to turn down his offer.

"Nag-transfer ako rito no'ng Grade 11 tayo kasi alam kong mahihirapan akong magbago sa previous school natin kasi marami na kong kaaway do'n, eh. I even made enemies at our neighbor schools," pagkukuwento ni Never mayamaya. "So I decided to transfer here at Evangeline to start a new life. It was hard to be patient when I was surrounded by idiots– especially those who called me 'oppa' even though they were older than me– but I endured."

She stifled a laugh at how exasperated he sounded. He must have hated it.

"I isolated myself from idiots so I wouldn't be tempted to hit them," pagpapatuloy ng lalaki. "Hindi ko rin pinatulan ang pang-po-provoke ng mga delinquents. Mas pinili kong tawagin nila akong coward at iba pang degrading words kesa patulan sila." Inangat nito ang mga kamao. "I enrolled to boxing and other self-defense classes instead to relieve stress."