Project LOKI ②

Chapter 22: The Petrarchan Connection (Part 1)

Tiningnan ko siya mula ulo hanggang paa. Napansin kong suot niya ang white shirt ni Loki, medyo maluwag para sa payat niyang pangangatawan. Maiksi ang suot niyang shorts kaya agaw-pansin ang mapuputi at makikinis niyang binti.

"Gusto mo na bang mag-breakfast?" nakangiting tanong niya. "I've prepared meals for three!"

My eyes blinked for a couple of times. Kinailangan ko ring kusotin ang mga mata ko para makasigurong hindi ako nananaginip o namamalikmata. Si Jamie nga talaga ang kaharap ko!

"You must be surprised that I'm here." Inilagay niya sa mesa ang isang bowl ng fried rice at platter ng mga itlog. "Loki let me in last night when you were asleep."

"Last night? Dito ka natulog?"

"Alangan namang sa labas? I also brought my uniform para dito na ako makapagbihis." Sunod niyang kinuha ang mga utensil at inilapag ang tatlong plato sa mesa. "Kung puwede lang, dito na rin ako mag-i-stay kasama si Loki. Don't you think that's a good idea?"

After almost two weeks of not seeing her, she popped up in our very home and cooked breakfast for us. What was she up to the past few days?

"You two seem to be getting along."

Bumukas ang pinto sa aking likuran kaya napalingon ako roon. Kalalabas pa lang ng kuwarto ni Loki habang humihikab pa. Mas magulo ang buhok niya tuwing umaga, parang binagyo. Kinukusot din niya ang kaniyang mga nakasarang mata.

"Good morning, Loki!" Agad na dumikit sa kaniya si Jamie at hinila patungo sa mesa kung saan nakahanda na ang agahan. They looked like a young couple who had started living in.

"Your knitted eyebrows tell me that you have a question," Loki told me. There was no need to say my thoughts out loud. "You were probably surprised to see Jamie in our apartment. Just so you know, she begged to stay here until sunrise."

"That means na natulog siya rito," tugon ko. "Where did she sleep?"

"I offered our cozy couch to her. But she insisted on sleeping in my room."

"When I insist, I can be very convincing!" Jamie exclaimed. "Persuasion is one of my strong suits after all."

"Bale natulog siya sa kama mo habang ikaw ay natulog sa sahig?" tanong ko nang hindi pinapansin ang bisita namin. "Gano'n ba ang sleeping arrangement n'yo kagabi?"

"Why would I sleep on the floor? We shared the same bed."

I stared blankly at Loki, my eyes blinking. Then I cut my gaze away from him to the girl who was smiling widely as if she had a game. Seryoso ba ang dalawang ito? Or were they pulling a prank on me?

"You two . . . slept together?" I asked slowly.

"Something wrong with that?" Umangat ang isang kilay ng roommate ko. "Is there a law prohibiting a boy and a girl from sharing the same bed? Literally, if I may add."

"You know how inappropriate that looks and sounds, right? If other people hear that a boy and a girl slept together—either literally or figuratively—they might entertain some dirty ideas."

"Do you wanna know what happened last night?" Nanatiling nakangisi si Jamie, may halong pang-aasar ang boses niya. "It was quite fun actually—"

"I don't need to hear any of the details." I strode off to the bathroom, rolling my eyes. Gusto kong takpan ang mga tainga ko para hindi ko na marinig ang mga sunod na lumabas sa kaniyang bibig.

Anuman ang nangyari sa kuwarto ni Loki kagabi, wala na akong pakialam doon.