ALLAYNA

"Kuya! Kuya! Patulong naman."

The girl with braids walked towards me holding her pink notebook. She looked so troubled walking with fast strides avoiding every disoriented armchairs of our classmates. She reached my spot and didn't hesitated to place her notebook infront of me.

She didn't gave me the time to open my mouth to refused as she immediately opened flipped the pages to show me what's troubling her.

Hindi pa man nakarating sa tamang pahina ay alam ko na kaagad na physics ang pinapatulong nito sa akin. Bukod sa nasulyapan ko ang mga pigurang ginagamit namin doon sa mga pahina ay ito lang naman ang palaging pinagkakaguluhan ng buong klase.

Her hands stopped flipping showing me our homework that our teacher gave us last week. Kumunot ang noo ko nang makitang wala pa siyang ni isang nasasagutan.

"Wala ka ba talagang naiintindihan?" Tanong ko. I didn't expect her to freeze after I said that. That's when I realized I was too straightforward and too serious.

There are times that you should be indirect to people! Hindi lahat maintindihan na maganda ang intensyon mo.

I cleared my throat and asked again.

"Mahirap ang mga ibinibigay ni Sir. Naalala mo naman siguro ang pinaka-unang gagawin?"

She hesitated pointing the first number.

"I... Mu-mulutiply ito?"

I shooked my head and patiently explained everything to her. Tahimik siyang nakinig sa tabi ko. Pagkatapos kong magpaliwanag ay tumingin ako sa kanya.

"Understood?"

She cheekily grinned and shooked her head.

"Pahiram nalang kuya ng notes mo. Next subject na 'to eh. "

Wala akong nagawa kundi ibigay sakanya ang notebook ko. She happily went back to her seat and copied my answers. I sighed. She was not the first one to ask me about our physics assignment. Probably almost the whole class had asked me about it. Ang iba siguro ay nahihiya lang na sa akin diretsahang magtanong.

I am two years older than most of them. Probably because I look at them like younger brothers and sisters that they feel like I'm approachable. I don't smile nor joke around with them but also I always used my calm façade leaving them the impression of me being a big brother.

Sometimes deep inside I'm unwilling to help them because I feel like they always use my private space whenever it's vacant. But something just tells me not to reject their need of help.

I played with my pen for a long time wjile waiting for my notebook to be returned. Kumunot ang noo ko nang makitang ipinasa niya ito sa katabi niya. She faced me and pointed her seatmate and I can't do anything but nod. Nasa katabi na rin niya ang notebook kaya ano pa nga ba ang magagawa ko.

Even though all of them treated me nicely, I don't have any close friends within this class.

Maybe because I am a transferee?

Or because of my age?

It can also be both.

It's not that needed one anyways. I can take care of myself without anyone being here with me. It's more likely the other way around- they needed me and my answers for their assignments on physics.