Finding Her

Chapter 2

"Tol, paano na 'to?" Drew chuckled. Showing me his phone."For the first time in the history of our reality na talo kita! Sa sarili mo pang laro."

I looked at him, annoyed. Distracted lang ako. Distracted from an out of character experience I had yesterday. Pero hindi ko kailan man isasabi sa kaniya 'yan. Drew's my bestfriend. Eversince elementary ay kilala ko na ang gagong 'to and not once has he ever beat me in a game. Nakakainis lang.

Lawrence and Basti are cousins, but their relationship is more of familial than of best buds. Basti's bestfriend was Joline. But hindi namin alam kung anong nangyari at kung bakit bigla nalang siyang umiwas sa amin. Was it because we were boys? That was impossible. Now though, I think Basti's okay. May Ian na siyang kasangga sa kalokohan.

Lawrence however, was always more like that friend who was everyone's bestfriend. Ngunit kahit kailan ay wala kang nakakitang nagiging malapit talaga niyang kaibigan. And to think, he's now bestfriend was the guy he called a "feeling close" and is the only guy who knows what goes on his mind. How life works is really interesting.

"Di ko kasi feel eh." paliwanag ko. Shrugging and looking outside for a better effect.

"Eh? Palusot mo." he said. "I won fair and square. Sore loser ka lang."

"Rematch?" pag-aya ko. And we had one. For most of the minutes, I've been busy trying to prove him I wasn't feeling it. Distracted ako eh. Not that I will admit that.

And I won. Drew's been bitching about how it was not fair. Kasi rematch daw eh. Ang daya. Sore loser lang talaga ang puta.

But all my laughter and Drew's bitching were drowned by a new thing. Padabog na inilagay ni Basti ang kaniyang bag, while Lawrence was just...indifferent.

"Ano ang nangyari diyan?" kunot noong tanong ni Drew kay Lawrence. Umiiling-iling nalamang si Lawrence.

"Grades and uh...girls." paliwanag ni Lawrence.

"By the way, hinahanap kayo ni Ma'am Verna." dagdag niya pa. Bakit naman?

"Something about that folk dance presentation sa intrams? Ewan ko. Pero kasali raw si Ian." he explained. So sumali na naman talaga si Damian? What's new?

"Pinasali kami?" tanong ni Drew, na itinaas ang kaniyang kilay.

"Ewan ko." and that's all he said.

Lumabas na kami ni Drew. The two remained there. Silent. Too silent if you ask me.

"Ano kaya ang nangyari sa isang 'yun?" tanong ni Drew sa akin. I just shrugged. I don't even know what happened to him. Uncharacteristic.

"Baka na pagalitan..." I said. Although, alam kong hinding hindi mapapagalitan si Basti. He is special to them. Masyadong paborito.

"Doubt it." he snorted.

Nang nakarating kami sa room ni Ma'am Verna ay nakita naming magulo ang kaniyang klase. She wasn't even there! But I saw Damian, talking to one of the students. Wait, that's Joline's cousin Mira. What are they talking about?

"Ian!" tawag ni Drew, causing most grade ten students to look in our way.

"Great job, Andrew." saad ko. Glaring at him. Drew just smiled weakly and signalled Damian to come to us.

Like a puppy, the guy obviously followed.

"Hinahanap daw kami ni Ma'am Verna, nasaan siya?" tanong ni Drew kay Damian. I, however, just observed the whole grade ten students.

Medyo magulo sila, granted walang teacher. Ngunit nakita kong may ginagawa silang activity. They are probably like this kasi naghahanap ng mga answer. I saw Mira, Joline's cousin and Amaya answering some sheets. Ngunit kumunot ang noo ko nang napagtanto ko na wala sina Sydney at Brooklyn doon. Even that  girl from yesterday was not there. Nasaan sila? They were in the same section right?

I tried to ignore the question in my head as I tried to listen to whatever Andrew and Damian were talking about. Hirap naman pala. I was looking for that specific girl again.

"Hoy." tawag ni Andrew. I rolled my eyes at bumaling sa kaniya.

"Ano?"

"Di ka na kinig no? Pupunta tayo sa faculty gago, hahanapin natin si Ma'am." saad niya. I just nodded. Then I realized, tinawag pa nito ng gago. I slightly pushed his head in annoyance.

"Maka gago parang siya hindi." irap ko sa kaniya. He just smirked sabay akbay sa akin.

"Kaya mag kaibigan tayo eh. Parehas tayo." he chuckled and I just rolled my eyes. Ginagago na ako nito eh.

When we got to the faculty, I frowned in annoyance. Nasaan si Ma'am? Akala ko nangdito siya sa faculty?

"Puta." Andrew whispered nang nakalabas na kami sa faculty. "Napahiya tayo dun."

"Uto-uto ka kasi." saad ko nalang at nag simulang mag hakbang palayo sa faculty room.

"At ikaw hindi?" tanong niya, raising his eyebrow.

"Mas ka eh."

He just huffed and I chuckled, parang bata tung lalaking 'to. Wonder how we became best friends?

That's when I saw someone. Her familiar form was neariing the faculty room. Kasama pa niya sina Brooklyn at Sydney. They were laughing at something, all crazily. Para nga siyang baliw while she was describing something, I'm sure of that. Yung kamay niya eh.

"How about we approach them?" tanong ko kay Drew, sabay turo sa tatlong babae na tila patungo sa faculty room.

"H-ha? E-eh, nandun si Brooklyn eh." saad niya. Like that changes everything.

"So?" tawa ko sabay taas sa isa kong kilay. He looked like he was about to vomit in seconds! Talagang obsessed na ito kay Brooklyn. Somehow it made me wonder kung ano ang naiisip ng kuya ni Brooklyn.

"Tara. We'll just ask." paliwanag ko sa kaniya.

As we neared them, nakita ko ang pag siko ni Brooklyn sa babaeng hindi ko parin kilala, as Sydney just looked...carefree? Tila walang pake at tumatawa na lamang. I was just serious as I neared them, ang katabi ko naman ay parang gusto nang magpakain sa lupa. I mentally rolled my eyes at him, torpe.

I cleared my throat as I approached them,"Excuse me? Grade Ten, nakita niyo ba si Ma'am Verna?"

The girl who I still don't know the name of looked shocked as the other two tried to form an answer.

"Ah, eh..." she stuttered. Ang cute lang.

"Nandun sa college building kasama si Ms. Romero." paliwanag ni Sydney as Brooklyn also answered.

"Malapit sa office ng HRM department." dagdag ni Brooklyn. I nodded. Still looking at the girl, namumula siya.

"Ah, eh, salamat." saad naman ni Drew habang tumango naman sila. Sydney immediately took that girl's hand and dragged her to the faculty. Medyo napagiwanan na si Brooklyn kaya siya nalang ang nag paalam.

And with that they left. I inwardly smiled as I look forward to more days like this.