**
"PAPASOK ka?"
"Yeah,"
"Nakausap mo na ba siya?"
"Sandali lang. Kagabi."
Before siya makapagsalita ulit, nagsalita na ko. "See you sa school. Have to buy something pa, bye."
"Bye. Mag ingat ka ha. Aagahan namin ngayon ni Arisse para may kasama ka agad. Let's meet in Coffee Bean."
"Thank you girls. Love you."
"Love you too."
Bago ko ilagay ang phone sa bag, umupo muna ako and tried composing a message to him. Ano namang sasabihin ko?
Good morning? Like nothing happened? Ganon? Like there's no article na kumakalat ngayon sa campus? God. Kagabi nga nung nakausap ko siya medyo...medyo hindi okay eh. Wala kami masyadong napagusapan. Nagmamadali kasi siya. Basta sinabi niya saking, we'll be fine.
Tapos nabasa ko yung mga comments. Mga lima pa nga lang 'yon pero di ko na kinaya.
My name was there. In that freaking article. May pictures pa nga. And I really don't have any idea who took those.
Basta papasok ako. Alam kong mahirap ngayon yung situation but kakayin ko 'to. Wala kaming class sakanya ngayon. Pero papasok rin naman siya kasi may class siya sa iba.
I was holding my phone tight. Ano na? Ano nang sasabihin ko?
Hay, bahala na nga.
Hi, good morning. Nasa school ka na?
Ngunit nakasakay na ko, nakabili na ko ng kailangan kong bilhin, nakasakay na ko papuntang school lahat-lahat, wala pa rin siyang reply. Ang pagkakalam ko, 10am pa pasok niya, e. Eh 9:30 pa lang naman.
Bumaba ako sa coffee bean, sa tapat ng school. May iba rin akong schoolmates dito and I swear, kung nakakamatay lang ang pagbubulongan ka, wala na ko sa Earth.
Alam mo yung gaya ng sa movies. Kapag pumasok ka or nakita ka, automatic silang iiwas ng tingin at magkukunwaring hindi ka pinaguusapan kahit halata naman. Tapos yung iba pa, sobrang halata, nakatingin pa.
I sighed and searched for a seat. Ayun, sa medyo dulo. Naglakad ako, walang pakealam sakanila. Bahala sila sa kung anong isipin nila. Kung anong gustong sabihin nila. Umupo ako and acted normal, comfortable as I can kahit na ang hirap. Ramdam na ramdam ko yung mga tingin nila. May narinig pa akong nagsabi ng, "Landi nga eh." , "Kaya pala nasa DL."
Wow. Fck you all. Ipmed Trina and Arisse kung asan na sila, and they both said na malapit na. Si Arisse medyo traffic lang mula sa village nila. Si Trina naman, yun talaga ang malapit na 'cause malapit lang ang condo niya sa school.
Nakatingin ako sa thread ni DJ. Wala pa ring reply. Ano na bang nangyare dun?
Napaigtad ako nang may tumusok sakin sa tagiliran. "Trina!"
"Hi, wala pa si Arisse."
"Yeah," I said and looked down. "Look how they stare at me."
"Hay. Mga inggit lang 'yan." Tinignan ko siya. "Trina..."
"Tsk, as long as hindi kayo pinapatawag sa office. You'll be fine."
"Tss." Nakakatulong sobra. "Halos sumabog na nga yung inbox ko sa facebook, e. Puro tanong sila if totoo raw. Plastik pa yung iba, kunwari concerned kunwari nagce-care pero gusto lang makichismis."
"Wag mo nalang replyan."
"Kaya nga, e. Isa pa si DJ, he's not replying simula nang dumating siya sa bahay nila kagabi."
"Baka naman busy lang? Hehe."
"Come on, I can feel na something's up."
May sinabi si Trina pero hindi ko na narinig kasi masyadong naagaw ng kakarating na text ang atensyon ko.
It's DJ.
Pinapatawag tayo sa office. 2pm. I am sorry.
--
"Maghihintay kami sa canteen, ah. Kung kailangan mo ng resbak, we're here."
"Sira." Tawa ko pero may halong nginig. Kinakabahan kasi ako. Feeling ko nga maiihi na ko na maiiyak.
So ayun, pumasok na ko sa office ng Dean. At, nakita kong nakaupo ron si DJ...I mean, Sir DJ. Andun din si Dean. At andito rin ang Tito ko. Kapatid ni Daddy. Prof din siya rito.
Napatingin silang tatlo sakin.
Tumikhim si Tito pero walang bakas ng galit ang nakikita ko sakanya. Just disappointment.
"Sit down Hija," Sabi ni Dean at tinuro yung upuan sa tabi ng Tito ko. Umupo ako ron.
"So....I wanna ask you first, how was your day?" Napatingin ako kay Tito. Hindi siya nakatingin sakin pero nakikinig siya.
"I, it was fine."
"Hmm. We would like to let you know that we've already sent an email to your parents."
Dang. Napalunok ako. Umawang pa nga ang bibig ko. Sh-t. "Regarding this issue. And, we didn't expect you to deny this case because Professor Ford, on the other hand, admitted..your relationship." I looked up to him at hindi niya ko matignan.
"Uhm..."
"Or will you deny this? Whatever that is going on between you two?"
It took me seconds before I could answer. "No, sir."
Napatingin sakin si Tito. Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko pero napailing siya ng isang beses.
"We would like to let you know that we're keeping your Sir Daniel in this academe. We will command the staff of this campus' news paper to delete that article, and we will also clear your names." Ngumiti siya pero napahinga siya ng malalim. "Regarding this issue. Kami na bahala ron." He smiled to me with assurance. At some point, I felt relieved.
"But of course,..." Ayun na, kinabahan na ko. Tumingin siya kay Tito. It's like he's asking Tito to continue or be the one to explain things to me. Humarap sakin si Tito.
"Hija, they decided to send you out of the school."
Nanlaki ang mata ko at pati na rin ang bibig ko. What?
"W-what?" Tumingin ako kay Dean. He's just looking at me. Tumingin din ako kay DJ--na hindi naman nakatingin sakin. But he looks...sad and I don't know.
Bakit parang ang unfair naman non? Hindi ko namalayan na tumutulo na pala ang luha sa mga mata ko. Tinignan ko siya ulit, he can't even look at me.
Nagsalita ulit si Tito. Pero nanatili akong nakatingin sakanya. Kay DJ.
"Don't worry, in the papers,you are the one who decided to transfer. For experiencing being bullied because of this rumor--which is not true. So..the..the school will help you fix your papers and they told me, Kath, that it will be clean as long as we cooperate..."
So I don't have to worry? Ganon lang yon?!
"Tito..."
"Nakausap ko na ang Daddy mo. He's on his way back here."
Sh-t. Wow. Huminga ako ng malalim at tumayo na.
Nakita kong tumayo rin si Tito at sumunod sakin palabas.
"Kathryn,"
"Bakit ako? Bakit ako yung papalabasin?! Tapos hindi siya nagsasalita!" Hindi niya man lang ako matulungan? Or hindi niya man lang maangkin yung pwedeng gawin sakin? That's what hurts me the most! The mere fact that he doesn't care of what's gonna happen!
"Kathryn, we can't do anything about it."
"What? Why--"
"Hindi mo siya kilala!"
"What do you mean?"
Napahilamos si Tito ng mukha niya gamit ang kanyang palad. Frustration is all over his face.
"The dying wish of his Mom is for him to serve here for 5 years. And after that, he is expected to run their firm, Kathryn. He can't fail. He can't just mess up everything because of you. Because of love. And that's just how easy it is for him to let you go. Because you are not his priority. You are not the priority of DJ. The nephew of the owner of this University. You are not."
All in one day.
**