Eleven
"I can say the same for you"
"Ang gwapo talaga ng pinsan mo, Dawn!" Sabi ni Hayley habang nginunguya ang baon niyang Pringles.
Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang pinsan kong abala sa paglalahad ng kanyang speech. Gwapo, matangkad at mayaman si Chance Adams kaya hindi na ako magtataka kung bakit halos lahat ng babae sa school na pinapasukan niya ay nagkakagusto sakanya. Heck, kahit nga ang mga college students dito ay nagkakainteres sakanya.
"Ewan ko ba sa'yo, Dawn. Ang dami-dami kong ipinapakilalang gwapo sa'yo, tinatanggihan mo naman lahat. Ang gwapo talaga ni Chance!"
Kasalukuyang kaming nasa auditorium ng Adams University. Orientation lahat ng freshmen at nakatayo sa stage ang pinsan kong si Chance Adams. Kahit highschool pa lang si Chance ay naging tradition na ng Adams University na imbitahan siya bilang guest speaker taon-taon dahil siya ang magiging tagapagmana ng buong eskwelahang ito.
"Yuck ka, Hayley ha. Child abuse na yan."
"Maka Child Abuse ka naman, limang taon lang naman tanda ko sakanya no'. 'Age is nothing but a number, Dawn.' Tsaka ang isa pa, ang sabi ko gwapo siya, hindi ko naman sinabing makikipagrelasyon ako sakanya."
Inirapan ko siya at patuloy na lang akong nakinig sa speech ni Chance.
"Dawn." Hindi ko pinansin si Hayley dahil alam kong tungkol sa pagpapantasya na naman niya kay Chance ang sasabihin niya. Simula nung tumayo si Chance harapan ay puro ang kasexyhan at kagwapuhan ng pinsan ko ang lumalabas sa bibig niya.
"Dawn?" Nagulat ako dahil nag-iba ang tono ng boses niya. Napatingin ako sakanya at nakakunot ang noo nito. "Dawn, tignan mo, nakatingin yung mga varsity players sa'yo." Bulong nito.
Nagulat ako sa sinabi niya kaya napatingin ako sa grupo ng mga basketball players na nasa right side ng auditorium. Nakangisi sila habang tinuturo ang kinauupuan namin.
Nanindig ang balahibo ko. Hindi, hindi ako ang tinitignan nila. Kung meron man dapat silang pagmasdan ay iyon ay si Hayley.
Kabaligtaran ko, maganda at morena si Hayley. Mahaba ang makinis niyang legs. Natural ang kulay brown niyang kumikintab na buhok. Kung hindi lamang siya nag-aaral bilang pharmacist ay mapagkakamalan mo siyang model ng sikat na sikat na brand na 'Victoria's secret'.
"Ikaw yung tinitignan nila, Hayley." Sabi ko naman sakanya ng pabulong habang nakaharap sa stage.
"Ikaw nga kasi." Pagpipilit nito. Halatang kinikilig siya. Dati pa niya ako pinapares sa mga gwapong schoolmates namin. Mahilig siyang mag-ala kupido pagdating sakin. Naniniwala siyang kailangan ko daw ng lovelife para hindi puro libro ang kaharap ko.
Baliw talaga itong si Hayley. Bakit naman magkakainteres sakin ang mga Varsity Players?
Katamtaman lang ang aking tangkad. Mahaba ang boring kong itim na buhok. Ang tanging gusto ko lang sa aking katawan ay ang maputi kong balat. Pero minsan, dahil sa sobrang puti ay napagkakamalan akong 'espasol' ng mga tao. Hindi ako attractive at boring akong kasama. Wala din akong special talent, pero kung masasabi mong talent ang pagiging matalino ay siguro masasabi kong talented talaga ako. Pero hindi, walang special sakin. Ang yaman lang ng pamilya ko ang nakakapagpaganda ng aking pangalan.
"Diyos ko, Dawn, kinikilig ako!" Pabulong na tili ni Hayley sa tabi ko. Napairap nalang ako at tinignan kong muli ang varsity players sa kabilang side ng kinauupuan namin.
Hindi na sila nakatingin saakin at mas lalong hindi sila nakikinig sa mahabang speech ni Chance. Nakikipagkwentuhan lang sila at naghaharutan habang hindi nakatingin ang coach nila. Pinasadahan ko sila ng tingin isa-isa at nagulat na lang ako nang may nakatitig saaking kamyembro nila.
Mapaglaro ang ngisi niya at hindi ko gusto ito.
"Bakit nakatitig sa'yo si Ash Valdez?" Tanong ni Hayley na punong-puno ng pagtataka.
At ang sagot sa tanong niya ay hindi ko din alam.
Napabangon ako bigla. I cursed while I'm catching my breath.
It's just a dream, Fierce. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko.
The question is: why would I dream something like that? Iyon ang unang beses na napansin ako ng isang Ash Valdez. Kung hindi dahil sa panaginip na iyon ay nakalimutan ko na ang pangyayaring 'yon.
Tinignan ko ang nasa paligid ko, madilim pa at sigurado akong hindi na ako makakatulog kahit subukan ko pa. Napailing na lang ako at kaagad na bumangon para maghilamos.
****
"Fuckshit." I gasped before I slammed the door shut.
Seconds later, I heard another knock from my door.
"Damn it, Fierce!" Ash yelled from outside the door.
"Keep your voice down. People might recognize you." I hissed.
"Then open the door."
"What do you want from me, Mr. Valdez?" I said to him through the door.
"Open the door, Fierce. You don't want to be late, do you?" I glanced at my watch and my eyes bulged. It's already seven-ten and I'm supposed to be there at exactly seven-thirty!
"No. But I can ride a cab to my office." I said calmly.
"And where will you get the money to pay the driver? I'm pretty sure that they don't accept credit cards."
Oh fuck. I haven't thought of that.
"Well, there are other ways." My eye twitch because I'm not also convinced with my own answer.
"Open. The. Door." He said, emphasizing each word.
"No." I said, using the same intensity.
"Okay." I raised my eyebrow. I never thought he would give up that easily-- "I'm just gonna destroy it then."--Of course not, I should have known.
After he said that, I heard a banging sound at my door. My eyes widened in shock when I realized what he's doing.
He's gonna fucking destroy my door!
"Stop! Stop! Okay, calm down, Mr. Valdez! I'm gonna open the door--Oh fuck it!" I winced when my toe hit the edge of the door. It freaking hurts!
"Oh my God! You're gonna be the death of me!" I complained. "What are you doing here anyway? Your job description doesn't include pestering the hell out of me."
He shrugged. "Since we're on the same company and we live from the same building, I might as well give you a ride."
"I don't have any say on this, do I?"
"Nah." He said and raised his eyebrows playfully. "Here." He said and threw something.
I barely caught it. I studied his face and my gaze landed on the box on my hand. My eyes widened a bit.
Naalala niya.
Ngayon ko lang narealize na wala pa pala akong phone.
"I can buy my phone, you know." I said, hiding the thoughtfulness in my voice.
"I know, but you don't still have one until yesterday, do you? So I thought I'll just buy one for you.
Look here, Fierce. Alam kong kaya mong bumili kahit ilang unit ng phone na hawak mo, pero inisip ko na kailangan mo yan. Don't worry, kung ayaw mong magkaroon ng utang na loob sakin, ibabawas ko na lang sa sweldo mo. What's important right now is that you have your own phone."
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, slightly baffled.
I'm shocked by his words. I've done terrible things over the passed few days pero nandito pa din siya.
"So that what happened yesterday won't happen again. Let's go. You're late."
****
"Twilight!" I groaned.
"What the fuck is he talking about?" Ash asked silenty.
"He's probably referring to me. You know, he doesn't know my name so he kind of made a nickname for me." I said glumly. I don't want to be called 'Twilight'. I'm not a vampire.
"Figures." He chuckled. "First time ko atang marinig na walang nakakaalam ng pangalan mo. You were pretty popular, you know. Nakakapanibago."
"Maybe masyado siyang focused sa sarili niya."
"Right." He agreed. "He's such a pain in the ass. Lagi siyang nasa news every week. Minsan namamangha ako sa pagkafamewhore niya."
"I can say the same for you." Sinabi ko sakanya habang paakyat ng stairs.
"Oh please, I'm handsomer. People love my face."
"Handsomer is not even a word." Natawa lang siya.
Pagbaba ko ng sasakyan ni Ash ay nakangiti sakin si Bench. Tumingin ako sa paligid ko at tama nga ang hinala ko, nakatingin ang karamihan ng mga fans nila sakin.
"Let's go inside." Mariin na sabi ni Ash.
"Saan ka ba nagpunta kagabi? You know I was looking for you all over the place!" Nagkatinginan kami ni Ash at natawa sa accent ni Bench.
"Just speak in english, shithead. You sound like a drowning whale when you speak like that." Sabi ni Ash.
"You know I wasn't talking to you, dick."
"Good. I don't want to talk to you either."
"You--"
"Will you two stop? You're not five." I should have known that Ash and Bench's presence in the same place is a recipe for disaster. I rolled my eyes.
"Yes, your highness." Ash muttered sarcastically.
"So where have you been?" Tanong ni Bench.
"I have to walk my goldfish so I went home." He looked at me blankly.
"My brain says 'goldfish don't walk'."
"Wow. You're brain isn't just a waste of space in your head. I'm really glad to know that it's working!" He glared at me while Ash is laughing his butt off.
"Shocker, Twilight"
"Would you stop calling me that?" I snapped, rolling my eyes even though he couldn't see me.
"I will as soon you tell me your name." He replied with a chuckle.
"Not happening."
"Just google it, moron." Ash suggested.
Idiots.