Wala yatang naintindihan si Val sa sinabi ko dahil hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin si Kuya Jerome sa paningin ko.
"Ito rin pala, pina-photocopy ko na. Catch up ka na lang sa lessons pero sure naman akong easy lang sa 'yo 'yan." Max handed me a bunch of bond papers. Ito na raw lahat ng tinuro noong wala ako sa klase.
"Salamat." I answered coldly. Gusto ko siyang iwasan para hindi niya na ako lapitan pero kahit ano yatang gawin ko, wala siyang planong lubayan ako. "Sige na. Doon ka na kay Carl."
"Allergic ka ba sa akin? Kanina mo pa akong tinataboy." Nagtatampong sabi nito.
"Galit sa akin 'yong mga tao. Ayaw kong madamay ka." I replied. Sana naman maintindihan niya na ang ibig sabihin noon.
"Sa 'yo naman pala galit, e." He jokingly answered. After a very long day of maintaining a dull face, aaminin ko, napangiti ako sa birong iyon ni Max. "But seriously, why would I care? Isa pa, stop acting like you're the main character in this university. Not everyone's world revolves around you nor your story - not even you being the dictator's grandson. Some might get mad at you, some might idolize you, some might put their eyes on you but trust me - not everyone cares. Sa mata nila, you are just Xander Garcia. In my eyes, you are still that Lij that I adore. Not everyone knows that and not everyone cares but I do."
What he said made me question why I am acting this way. Pakiramdam ko, galit lahat sa akin but he's right. Not everyone cares.
Isa pa, this college is too hard to even deal with rumours so people really won't invest much of their time knowing who I am.
Well, except for one.
"How are you?" Symon asked as he sat beside me.
Hindi ko alam kung paano siya sagutin o kung dapat ko pa bang sagutin. Masyado nang maraming nangyayari sa buhay ko ngayon for me to entertain this energy in my life.
"He's doing better." Val spoke for me. Nagulat ako nang umupo siya sa tabi ni Max dahil wala pa naman akong bodyguard na nakikihalubilo nang ganito sa akin.
Or maybe, he's just protecting me from Symon dahil alam niya how awkward things are between the two of us.
"For a bodyguard, masyado ka yatang feeling close?" Symon frankly uttered. "Don't worry. Sa tingin ko naman ngayon, he'd rather be with me than a traitor. At least ako, kahit kailan, hindi ko siya niloko."
"Hindi. ako. traydor." Val responded emphasizing every word. "Hindi ako bodyguard."
"Sino pa bang niloloko mo, Valerio? Alam na naming lahat. Alam na ni Xander. Ano? Tinraydor mo na, lolokohin mo pa?" Symon sounded like a typical antagonist in a movie. Ang kaibahan lang, ganoon talaga ang tono niya sa totoong buhay.
Max and I were shocked when Val suddenly stood up and grabbed Symon's uniform as if he was going to punch him.
"Huy, Val!" Awat ni Max dito.
Val's eyes met mine. I saw anger, then sadness. Unti-unting namuo ang luha sa mga mata niya.