THE LOVER : Lucius Marco

[Dose] HALLWAY

"Chamba lang 'yon." Pagrarason pa ni Emmanuela at silang tatlo ay mapahinto sa paglalakad nang makarating sa sarili nilang locker na magkatabi lang sa isa't isa.

"Asus, chamba ka d'yan. Ang gaganda nga tingnan ng mga luha mo eh." Kyline complimented as she laughed afterwards, as well as Emmanuela while shaking her head.

Kinuha ni Emmanuela ang mga bagay na kailangan niya para sa klase ngayong araw, ganoon din sila Kyline at Frudo.

"Try mo nalang, Ela. Sayang talent mo sa pag-aacting." Ani Frudo sabay sarado ng locker niya pagkatapos niyang kunin ag dalawang libro niya para sa morning session ng klase nila.

"Oo nga naman, Ems. Malay mo, maswertean ka at makapasok. O, edi may kaibigan na kaming artista!" natatawang saad ni Kyline sabay na pabirong itinataas-baba ang sariling kilay niya.

Napatawa naman si Frudo at Emmanuela.

"Nah, 'wag na. Kailan ba naman ako sineswerte?" pabirong tugon ni Emmanuela pero alam ng dalawa na may bahid iyon ng katotohanan na naging sanhi nang pagpigil nila sa kanilang tawa.

Emmanuela just smiled upon witnessing how her friends adjusts for her. But it vanished immediately when she stared to hear those soft gossips again.

"Ikaw talaga," Kyline tried to lighten up the mood by wrapping her arms around her shoulder. Frudo silently followed the two girls as they start to walk to their classroom.

"Nga pala, Ella. How was your appointment yesterday with Dr. Bergara?" Mahinahong tanong ni Frudo.

She weakly smiled. She might not have been lucky with her family, atleast she is in her friends.

"It was fine. She said that I'm improving." Emmanuela smiled.

"Omg, that's great, Ems!"

"Naks naman, Emmanuela!"

They commented.

"We should celebrate this!" Dagdag pa ni Kyline.

"I heard na sasali ka sa audition? Bawal baliw do'n, sis." Napatigil ang tatlo sa paglalakad nang biglang magsalita ang isang babang dumaan sa tabi nila. Soft laughs ruled the hallway when this girl passed by the three of them, twirling a group of strand of her hair on her index finger while looking at Emmanuela playfully. Sarcastically playful look. She continue to walk away.

"Aba—" Akmang susugurin na sana ni Kyline ang babae pero agad hinawakan ni Frudo ang balikat neto.

"Tara na. Ems is improving, don't make a scene baka bumalik na naman anxiety niya." He whispered softly. Too soft that Emmanuela's eyebrows furrowed, didn't heard what he whispered to Kyline.

Kyline just rolled her eyes as she walked with Emmanuela and Frudo at the opposite direction. The woman stopped walking then looked back at them when she didn't felt like they were going to confront her. Halatang nagpapapansin.

"O, sa'n kayo pupunta, Kyline? Akala ko susugurin mo na ako—" She got cut off when Kyline spoke.

"Sige, Shane. Ituloy mo. Tutal wala naman yang preno ang bibig mo. Gusto mo tapakan ko? Tutal kasing dumi lang naman ng lupa ang lumalabas sa bibig mo." Banat ni Kyline sabay lingon nang panandalian kay Shane na sanhing ng paghihiwayan ng mga estyudante sa hallway.

Frudo grabbed her arm. "Ano ba, Ky? Sabi ko na 'wag nang magsalita, 'di ba?"

"Hayaan mo na nga lang ako." Pabulong na tugon ni Kyline kay Frudo bago ito binalin ulit ang atensyon kay Shane.

"Ganon? Atleast hindi kadumi ng budhi mo."

"Araw-araw ko 'to hinuhugasan ng PH care mint. Try mo, umabot na sa bibig mo ang baho ng budhi mo eh." A small smiled plastered on Kyline's face after saying those words.

"Ky." Pabulong na tawag ni Frudo, maotoridad ang tono ng boses.

"Pabayaan mo 'ko sabi—" natigilan si Kyline nang hawakan ni Emmanuela ang balikat niya.

"Stop na, Kyline. Let's just go." Mahinang saab ni Emmanuela. Akmang magpoprotesta na sana ni Kyline pero hindi niya magawa, halata sa mukha ni Emmanuela na mas gusto nalang niyang umalis kaysa makipagaway.

"Natahimik ata kayo?" tanong ni Shane. The three of them looked at her. Both Emmanuela and Frudo held Kyline's arms just in case she won't be able to control herself and grab Shane's hair.

"Pwede ba, Shane? 'Wag kanang manggulo." Saad ni Frudo, halatang naiinis na.

"Aww, the knight and shining armor. Akala mo lalaki eh halatang bakla naman." Shane said with a sarcastic but annoying tone.

"Sabunutan kita?" Pabiro ngunit nanggigigil na saad ni Frudo. Bahagyang napatawa nalang si Shane pati ang ibang estyudanteng nakatingin sa kanila.

"Tara na." Emmanuela grabbed Frudo and Kyline's hand, grewing tired enough with the scene they're making.

"Aalis ka na naman, Besar? Aatakihin ka na naman siguro ng kabaliwan mo 'no? Kagaya nung highschool." Patawang saad ni Kyline. Like a lightning struck, the memory of how Emmanuela cried out loud in highschool while clutching the fabric of her uniform blouse on the chest area and how her throat during that day felt like something was blocking her airway

She can still recall how Shane and other girls tied her wrist and feet because they were thinking she was possessed when in fact, Shane made fun of her vulnerability.

"At kagaya nung highschool, insecure ka pa din." Narinig ni Emmanuela ang sinabi ni Kyline pero nanatili lamang nakatitig sa sahig ang mga mata niya, pinipilit na maging ayos ang sarili niya.

Shane scoffed, "I am not insecure."

"Yes, you are. Dahil lang nalamangan ka ni Emmanuela sa top achievers nung highschool nawawala na ang respeto mo sa mga taong kagaya niya, napakababaw mo, Shane." Seryosong sabi ni Frudo. Napatingin at ang iba ay napanood sa eksenang nangyayari sa hallway.

"Kagaya niya? Ano? Baliw?" natawa ulit si Shane. Akmang magsasalita na sana si Kyline at Frudo pero natigilan sila.

"I am not crazy." Malamig ang tono sa boses ni Emmanuela nang magsalita ito't nilingon si Shane.

Shane snickered. "Yeah, you are."

"I am not, you're just dumb enough to understand my situation." Emmanuela said. Napatigil si Shane at kapwang napatulala si Kyline at Frudo. Hindi tipo ng tao si Emmanuela na magsalita upang depensaan ang sarili, ito ang una.

"Excuse me?!"

"You know what, Shane? I think you should move on and grow up. We're in college already yet you're still acting like a highschool bully. Nakakaawa, walang self improvement." Nang walang emosyon sa mukha, sinabi iyon ni Emmanuela.

Tahimik ang paligid, lahat ng estyudanteng nakatingin ay tinitikom nila ang mga bibig nila, dahil sa naramdaman nilang mainit na tensyon galing sa dalawa.

"How dare you?!" Shane raised her hand and was about to slap her. But Emmanuela stopped her hand by holding her wrist.

Then Emmanuela's hand landed on Shane's right cheek, creating a strong slap sound in the hallway that caught Shane off balance. Emmanuela looked down on Shane, her face not even expressing pity towards her.

"Nakakahiya sa parte mo, mas nakakaangat pa din kahit papaano ang tinatawag mong baliw." Pati ang boses niya'y walang emosyon nang sinabi niya 'yon.

The students in the hallway went speechless, the gossiping stopped. Emmanuela walked through the hallway in silence, only the steps of her shoes can be heard echoing in the hallway until she reached the classroom of her first subject.