The betrothed (COMPLETED)

EPILOGUE

Trevelyan

“Alam mo na ba? Dito raw nag aaral ang anak ni Gilbert Torillo.” ani ng isa sa aking mya frat brothers. Tumaas ang isang kilay ko at tumango.

I don't even know why things like this is such a news. Noong isang araw pa ako sinasabihan ng mga kaibigan ko tungkol dito. It's not like we own the school, anybody could study here. Iyon sana ang gusto kong isatinig ngunit nanatili akong tahimik.

“Gusto mo bang pahirapan natin?” one even suggested.

I smirked, engaging in conversations like this is such a drag. Besides, I don't pick on little girls.

She's what, twelve? What would I do with her, scare her? She may be a Torillo, but still, it would be unfair. Wala naman talaga akong pakialam, but somehow, I'd like to know what kind of child she was.

I had high expectations about her. Lahat iyon, masasama. Kagaya na lamang ng lahat ng angkan niya. But then, when I met her, I realized she was just a kitten. She's gentle, soft spoken, and shy. She's too shy. Halos wala siyang kaibigan sa mga kaklase niya. Others look down at her so much, dahil utal-utal pa siya kung magsalita. What the hell is wrong with her?

She sucks at socializing, not that I'm curious about her but I've been... keeping an eye on her. Nagkaroon nga siya ng kaibigan, pero hindi naman pagkakaibigan ang intensyon sa kanya.

This stupid boy likes her, can't she see that?

I shook my head. Nakita ko ang maliit na ngiti niya habang kausap ang kanyang lalaking kaibigan, her brown hair danced with the wind. Kinuha niya ito at pinirmi sa isang balikat. Still attentively gathering all her attention to the boy infront of her, her brown eyes danced as she listens. For a moment I saw her purse her lips. What could she possibly be thinking, at talagang aliw na alow siya sa kuwento ng isang to, ah?

I sighed, she's too naive. She needs to be taught. Someone's got to look after her.

Hindi ko maintindihan ang sarili ko. I tried all the ways just to get her to talk to me, kahit pa ang takutin siya. It won't work out like that, I know. Since she's kind, I just had to ask her a little bit of something.

I wasn't even listening at whatever she was trying to teach me. Alam ko na ang patungkol sa leksyon. I just want to get her to hangout with me. I don't care if what she's teaching me is right, I just... had to be her friend.

I don't understand why I'm doing all these. Following after her, like a damn underdog. I don't even have an excuse. If this gets to my father, I'm sure he wouldn't like it. Just what the hell, Trevelyan Di Marco...

“Hindi kaya naaawa ka lang sa kanya?” Paul looked at me as we both took of our boxing gloves, “I mean, wala kasi siyang kaibigan. Tsaka... mukhang ayaw pa ng mga kaklase niya sa kanya.” he shrugged.

Even my friends like her, it's nice having her around. Pakiramdam ko ay para siyang kuting na kailangan naming protektahang lahat. I know she didn't need protection from anyone since her name could, but the young girls her age seem to not understand. Well, it scares them, somehow. Kahit kailan ay hindi nila siya ginalaw.

“Is it possible that you like her? She's just a child, Trevelyan.” he warned me seriously.

His warning fired back to him when he loved Tori, as crazy as it sounded, as he said, he liked her the very first time he talked to her.
I wish I was just like him. He could easily express himself and figure out what he was feeling. He's vocal, too.

I've always been indenial of my feelings until that incident. That night, in that very moment of anxiousness and panic, I realized how much I didn't want to lose her. Na ganito pala kapag naguumpisa ka nang magmahal. Nakakatakot pala kapag mawawala nalang silang bigla.