Penelope's POV
Matalim ang tingin sa akin ng calculus teacher ko habang inaabot ang pinass kong assignment. Halatang may suspetsiya itong hindi ako ang sumagot sa set of problems na ibibigay niya pero wala naman itong sinabi.
I don't blame him though, I never get a perfect score in any of the tests and exam so it would really be hard for him believe that my answers are very accurate and precise.
"I see you're improving Ms. Grendel. Parang kahapon lang, hindi mo nasagutan ng tama ang seat work na ibinigay ko. You learned extremely quick."
I didn't failed to catch the sarcasm in his voice but I ignored him and smiled politely before going back to my seat.
"Whoa!!! Ikaw lang yata nakakuha ng perfect score, Penelope." Lumapit sa akin si Trisha at hinablot ang papers ko. Nakuha naman nito ang atensyon ng iba naming kaklase.
"Talaga? Penelope got the perfect score!?" Litansiya naman ni Mike.
"May tinatago ka palang galing sa math, eh. Pwede bang magpatutor ako sayo? Or can we have a group study?" Sunod-sunod na alok ni Trisha at tumango tango naman si Mike sa ideya niya.
I forced a smile but didn't say anything. I guess, I shouldn't have let Maddox answer my assignment. Now I feel like a hypocrite fooling everyone around me.
After several minutes, I succeeded in leaving the room where Trisha was bugging me with group studies and stuffs. I don't like to get her hopes up since I wasn't really good in numbers so I never agreed to any of her proposals. She was disappointed of course and I feel a little guilty even though she doesn't usually talk to me. Well, I really don't talk to anyone at school and I'm really surprise that they starts to approach me since the rumors about me and Maddox starts to spread so fast like pollution in the air.
Buti nalang at hindi sila nagsuspetsiya na nakakuha ako ng perfect score. Nakokonsensiya tuloy ako. From now on, I will never receive anything from Maddox in regards with school works.
"Hey red cheeks. Good afternoon.!!" Bati ni Luke na galing sa likod ko at inakbayan ako. Napayuko ako ng bahagya sa bigat ng kamay niya.
"Hey to you too. It was already a good afternoon but then your arm is really heavy." I said sarcastically but Luke didn't attempt to remove his arm around my shoulder.
"Oh come on! Can you at least bear with it? It's not that heavy." He chuckled.
"You're forgetting I'm a girl."
"You are?!" He exclaimed with disbelief. "San banda?"
"And what do you mean by that Mr. Hemington?" I huffed glaring at him while he run away.
I followed him screaming his bloody name. "Come back here!"
His laugh echoed around the hallways as he tried to slow down so I can keep up with him. "Now you can't even run faster?"
Good thing there weren't any students around or it would be embarrassing to see us running around like children in the park.
"Says who? Naabutan nga kita." I smirked as I jump on his back.
"What are you doing?" Tanong nito na muntuk nang mawala ang balanse.
"What? You can't even lift a girl? I thought you're a guy. I guess I was wrong." Sambit ko sa likod niya. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his torso to support myself.
"And who says I'm lifting a girl right now?" Pang-aasar pa nito pero hinawakan naman ang mga binti ko upang hindi ako mahulog at nag-umpisa nang maglakad.
Binatukan ko siya at ibibalik ang mga kamay sa leeg niya.
"Ow! What was that for?" Reklamo nito na bahagyang hinarap ang mukha sa akin.
"That is for calling me a guy." Natatawang sagot ko.
He chuckled and continue walking to the parking lot with me on his back. Kunti nalang ang students dahil magga-gabi narin at kadalasan sa kanila ay wala nang klase.
"Hey where are you going?!" Tanong ko dito na nilagpasan ang parking lot at dumeretsiyo sa gate.
"I'm kidnapping you." Natatawang sagot nito at nag-umpisa nang tumakbo.
"Hey! Put me down." I tried to jumped off his back but I failed because he tightened his grip around my legs.
"Come on! People's watching." I whispered and burried my face in his back from embarrassment because people were looking at us weirdly as Luke run with me in his back not to mention he was laughing really loud.
"You owe me an ice cream." Sambit nito at pumasok sa isang ice cream parlor na hindi man lang hiningal sa ginawa nitong pagtakbo.
"Kelan naman ako nagka-utang sayo?" Tanong ko at bumaba na mula sa likod nito.
"Remember when you were crying like a baby..."
"I'm not a baby!" I retort and glared at him but he only looked amuse.
"Yeah yeah whatever you say..." Pang-aasar pa nito. "Anyway, I offered to buy you an ice cream but you refused. Gustong gusto ko pa naman nuon kumain ng ice cream." He pouts.
"At paano naman naging utang iyon?"
"You drenched my shirt with your tears, sinisingil lang kita." He said and started pushing me inside the shop.
"Now, look whose being a child?" I laughed.
"I want peanut butter puddles." He said pointing excitedly at the flavor he wants like a child in a candy store.
"Right away sir." The saleslady smiled widely showing her perfect white teeth.
"How about you red cheeks?" Baling sa akin ni Luke na tila hindi napansin ang pagpapa cute ng sales lady.
"I'll have the mocha almond fudge." I said politely but the sales woman seems to hate me as she only nodded and turned her back to us to get our orders.
"I think she doesn't like me." Komento ko habang at umupo sa isang stool.
"She have a reason to." Luke said smirking as he sit in front of me. My brows furrowed. "I mean, look at you. She must've been jealous because your a lot prettier than her."
"What non sense are you talking about? She's interested on you and she sees me as a rival that's why she hates me." Kontra ko.
"Fine, if you see it like that."
"Try flirting with her. If she reacted then she really like you." Suhesiyon ko.
"What?! Hindi ako makikipaglandian sa iba kung may kasama akong ibang babae. That's just being a douche bag. Especially if I'm with you."
I laughed. "Are you kidding me right know? I didn't know you're such a nice guy."
"Now you know." He smirked feeling proud of himself.
"But don't worry. It's completely my idea so I'm okay with it."
He sighed in defeat as the lady came back with our ice cream. Nilapag nito ang order namin nang sobrang hinhin that I almost laugh. She reminded me of Maria Clara.
"Here's your order, Sir." Sambit nito na hindi man lang in-acknowledge ang presensiya ko.
"Thank you, Jam." Luke winks as he read her name tag. The sales ladt blushed furiously and said her goodbyes before turning her back.
"Nice ass." Luke said.
I froze and the lady did too. In a matter of second, she slapped Luke in the cheek so hard it echoed inside the store.
"Pervert!!" Sigaw nito at galit na galit na naglakad palayo.
I was shock and Luke is in a total daze.
"Are you okay?" Nag-aalalang tanong ko sa nakatulalang si Luke.
"I..." He blinks twice and then anger showed in his features. "What the f*ck?!"
Agad namang lumapit sa amin ang tila manager ng ice cream shop na ito at humingi na tawad. Pinalagpas nalang ito ni Luke pero nagyaya nang umalis. At dahil nasayangan ako sa ice cream na hindi pa namin nagagalaw, kinuha ko ang mga ito bago sumunod kay Luke sa labas.
Luke is walking five steps in front of me and I silently follow him. It was my fault anyway, I told him to flirt with her. But on the other side, I didn't tell him to say such a nasty comment. I guess, I'm just gonna cheer him up a bit.
"Here." I said giving him his ice cream. Tahimik niya itong kinuha at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad.
"Hey. Just move on. Nagulat lang siguro iyong tao." I elbowed him softly to get his attention.
"I don't get it! She clearly likes me but why'd she slapped me!" He exclaimed in frustration.
"She's probably not used to hearing thos kind if comments."
"But still!!"
I roled my eyes. First time siguro nitong masampal kaya naman hindi ito makapaniwala sa nangyari. Nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin ko sa kanya at sa ice cream na hawak ko. I smirked when an idea pooped in.
"Move on already." I said and smudge the ice cream in his cheek.
He yelp in surprise. "What the---"
"Sorry, hindi ko sinasadya." Paumanhin ko na pinipigpan ang tawa.
"You forgot I also have the weapon as you do." He smirked and started advancing to me with his ice cream in right hand.
I laughed and started running away and he ran after me. "Run faster if you want revenge!"
"Just wait!! Maaabutan din kita red cheeks."
I yelp in surprise when a masculine arm slipped around my waist and I accidentally dropped my ice cream.
"Oh! Look what happened to your ice cream red cheeks. You want mine?" Luke whispered hauntingly.
"No!!!!" I screamed as he slowly smudge his ice cream in ny cheek.
After a second he was on his knees laughing so hard his face is becoming red.
"You look hilarious!!! If only you can see yourself." He laughed pointing at me.
Hindi ko na rin mapigilang matawa dahil nakakahawa ang tawa nito. Now we're both sticky and dirty.
"Gabi na pala." Komento ni Luke na nakatingin sa kalangitan. We just finish washing ourselves in a public bathroom and are walking in the busy streets.
"Oh my god! We left our car at school!" I exclaimed. "Let's just take a cab."
"Why don't we just walk? If I'm right, two kilometers nalang ang layo natin mula sa bahay mo."
"Two kilometers?!!" Sigaw ko.
"Come on! Let's burn those belly fats." He said holding my hand and started dragging me.
"Belly fats?!" I exclaimed in disbelief as I look down at my flat stomach.
After thirty minutes ay hinihingal na ako nang makarating kami sa harap ng bahay ko. My throat also feels so dry.
"Would you like to come in and drink some water first?" I asked as I open the front door.
"I'm good. I'm an athlete remember?"
"Sigurado ka?"
"Aye aye ma'am!" Sambit nito na sumaludo pa.
"Okay. Sabi mo eh."
"Good night red cheeks." He said waving his hand energetically. "Bye bye."
"Good night. Are you sure you can go home alone?"
"Of course. I'm a guy."
"And so?" I asked.
"There's only something like 30% for a guy to be molested in the streets at night and 70% for girls. So I'm assuring you, I'll be home safe." He said as a matter of fact.
"Now where's gender equality in that?"
"There's no such thing like that. It's fine when a girl slaps a guy, but can a guy slap a girl too?" Tanong nito.
"No! You can't hurt a girl." Sambit ko.
"See my point?"
"Yeah yeah. I lost this debate, now go home and take care."
"See you tomorrow." He said with a wide smile before turning his back and walking away.