The Other Half

CHAPTER 9

ALLIE

I was eating my lunch, alone as usual, sa dining hall sa university. In my mind, hindi matapus-tapos ang ideas sa plan na papuntahin si Rodel sa bahay namin.

Sana pumayag siya. Sana rin maconvince siya ni Tito David.

"There you are!" I almost choked dahil sa gulat. Ang lakas ng boses ni Cecil. Hindi ko napansin ang paglapit niya. Sayang, sana nakaiwas ako. "Finally, I saw you Allie." sabi niya habang isa isang nilalapag sa table ang foods mula sa tray. "Are you hiding from me? You can't run away from me forever, you know?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked irritably. "I'm almost done. I'm about to leave. You should have shared a table with somebody else."

"Not so fast, Allie. You need to talk to me."

"What for?"

"You didn't call me that night."

Sandali ko siyang tinitigan. "Why should I call you?"

"Allie. I AM your girlfriend!" Lalong lumakas ang boses ni Cecil although nakasmile pa rin dahil may mga taong nakatingin sa amin. I don't know, maybe to show people that we're OK and she hasn't lost me yet.

"No. You WERE my girlfriend." Nilakasan ko rin ang boses ko. "For god's sake, Cecil! We're through. How many times do I have to tell you that? I broke up with you in that letter. Is that so hard to understand?"

"That letter!" Nawala ang ngiti ni Cecil. "That stupid letter! Do you think I will let it all go because of THAT letter? Why can't you talk to me now and tell me why?"

"You really want to know?" I asked angrily. "OK I'll tell you. I don't like you. I never liked you in the first place. I never even courted you. We just had casual sex that night. And I thought it was all clear. No strings attached. And there you were the next day, wrapping your arms around me as though I was something you possessed. I really wanted to run away from you since then. I'm just doing it now. Because I really can't be around you anymore. I don't want you to be around me as well. I'm sorry Cecil. But I am not your property. You have to set me free. You have no other option anyway."

I stood and walked away.

That bitch! Why can't she just stay away? I broke up with a lot of girls before pero siya lang ang ganito. Why can't she understand that I don't like her? If there's anything that I want, that is her out of my life.

I was in the middle of my monologue when I saw Mr. Sanchez, my professor. He's reading something on the bulletin board. This is the chance to talk to him and apologize for what I did the night he talked to me in his office.

"Mr. Sanchez."

"Oh, Hi Mr. Ibarra." he said. He didn't seem surprised. Siguro, he already saw me bago ko po siya nakita kaya alam niyang lalapitan ko siya.

"Sir. I just would like to apologize. For the way I behaved that Friday night."

He looked at me and then he smiled. Although I can see in his eyes that given his way, he wouldn't have looked at me, let alone smile at me. "No. Mr. Ibarra, I should be the one apologizing. I was weighing things over and I realized that it was a wrong move to talk to you that night. I lost tact, considering that I even saw you discussing things with Ms. Ferrer. I should have not talked to you since it's given that it was already late, you probably must be tired, or preoccupied."

I don't understand. I did not expect him to be nice to me, after what I did.

"Really, Sir. I'm sorry. I need to be absolved for what I have done."