~*~
Matthius
"Gallego, Zarethan Lee Ross!"
She raised her hand and said: "Present, ma'am!"
I glared at her. "Gallego?" Her friends asked; the girl named Vanessa that they shortly call Vans smiled at her. "Edi legally adopted ka na ni Mayor? Naks naman," she teased.
"Anak ka na ni Mayor Nik, bongga!" Aya chirped with her tiny voice.
Zarethan nodded and with her nonchalant tone, "Oo," she replied. "Tss, so what now? Sa papel lang naman yun nirerespeto, it won't change the fact that I'm not one of the Gallegos," she added.
The stupid voice inside my head became more annoyed when I saw myself caught between being happy or nonchalant, too. "We're in the same water," I thought.
Pakiramdam ko ay ayaw niya ring maging Gallego siya. It's just my father, Mayor Alfonso Nikanor Gallego, who wants her adopted. Sa pagkakaalam ko ay matagal nang iniiwasan ng nanay ni Zarethan ang usapin tungkol sa adoption process niya but my old man got his way anyway, no matter what.
"Yow, may bago ka na palang kapatid?" Peter whispered, mas nairita tuloy ako.
"The news travelled like a wildfire huh? Kailan niyo pa alam?"
He shrugged. "Last month pa. I think it was Mayor Nik's best move -- "
"Bad publicity is still publicity."
"Yan, ganyan nga ang nasa isip ko but some others actually liked the idea."
"So, Zarethan?" Chad piped quietly. He smirked then patted my shoulder.
"Please, sir, the other Gallego sit beside each other."
"Tawag ka na, Mr. Other Gallego," my friends teased. Napasimangot tuloy ako but I just shrugged it off, ako naman ang tunay na Gallego at ang mga kapatid ko. This Zarethan Lee here is just an unwanted ad-on, pampabango sa pangalan ni Dad when he runs for the gubernatorial position -- he always wanted that.
Imagine, adopting your other woman's daughter is another level of charity. Si Alfonso Nikanor na talaga ang martyr, wala siyang ibang katulad. Usap-usapan na nga sa buong munisipalidad ang ginawa niya and I guess he gained the respect of some others. He's a helpless type of people pleaser at wala na akong magagawa doon.
I walked towards the third row chairs and we both arrived at the same time. Nasamyo ko ang pabango niya, she smells pleasantly musky and sweet but not too sweet, tropical but not earthly just refreshing -- what am I doing? Bakit ko ba nilalanghap ang amoy niya? "Hey, I should take the first chair mas nauna akong tinawag kanina," I demanded instead.
Zarethan just nodded. "Okay," she curtly said. Umiwas siya sa unang upuan, she gave way to me. Nang makaupo ako ay sumunod naman siya and we sat there in silence while our homeroom adviser continued arranging us alphabetically.
I watched her every move like a hawk from my peripheral vision. From her bagpack, she yanked a B5 size sketch pad and a drawing pencil. Later, I just found myself admiring her skills; for the first time, she had humored me that I found myself enjoying what she's doing. Ito ba ang lagi niyang ginagawa sa balcony?
"Okay class," the teacher said.
I inwardly groaned when Zarethan shut her sketch pad close para lang makinig. Bawal ba siyang mag-multi task? Gusto kong sumimangot pero hindi ko ginawa.
"This will be your permanent sitting arrangement until the school year ends," the teacher said. Marami akong narinig na umalma pero tila nagbunyi ang kalooban ko. "This is so wrong," I told myself. I'm sitting beside the girl I hate.
"What are you looking at, Gallego?" she asked.
I snapped back to reality. Napatanga ako sa harapan niya lalo na nang ngumisi siya sa'kin, then her eyes danced and twinkled. Ganito ba lagi ang mga mata niya? Bakit ngayon ko lang nakita?
"What are you doing, Ross?"
"Ikaw itong nakahawak sa notebook ko," she retorted.
I looked down and true to her words, hawak ko nga ang sketch pa niya as if nakikipagbuno pa akong huwag niyang itago ito. Kaya parang napapaso ay mabilis akong napabitaw, I let go and made a passive face. "It's a sketch pad," I said. "I thought it was mine, may katulad kasing akin," I answered. "Akala ko pati notebook inaangkin mo na."
I know I'm beating under the belt here but if I can let go the sketch pad, I can't let go of that easy punch that hits a nerve. Hindi pwedeng ako lang ang miserable sa buhay.
"What if your father hears that?" she talked back. "Ooops, dapat pala 'dad' na rin ang tawag ko kay Mayor."
Nangunot ang noo ko. "Inaasar mo ba ako?"
She smirked. "It's up to you."
Without thinking, mabilis akong napatayo kasabay ng paghila ko sa kanyang kwelyo. I towered over her and I know her feet is hanging while our faces are close to each other. "Gago ka ah," I gritted my teeth and glared at her. Doon ko napansin ang perpektong hulma ng mukha ni Zarethan.
Makapal ang kilay niya, her amber eyes are almond in shape, matangos ang ilong na perfect ang triangle, and she has red plump lips and a heart-shaped face. Hindi niya kamukha ang nanay niya but her face looks familiar, someone I might know but I just can't point my finger to whom.
"Mr. Gallego!" I heard our teacher roared loudly.
Mabilis akong dinaluhan nina Peter at Chad para awatin -- they tackled me down, perhaps thinking I'd hit a girl in a different way. Si Ma'am Priscilla naman ay kay Zarethan umagapay but she shrugged off whose ever hands that come to console her. Later, we were left to watch her exit the classroom door without asking permission and all the attention was drawn into me. I know, this news will come to my father's door.
"Nothing happened!" I shouted in exasperation and without defense, I came to shut my mouth later on.
"Hoy, hindi porque't papa mo si Mayor ay sasantuhin ka namin. Mamaya ka sa'min sa gate ng school," one of Zarethan's noisy friends said, it was Shin. Nanggigigil ang hitsura nito na pinipigilan lang ng mga kaibigan niya.
"Stop that! Gusto kong bumalik kayo sa ayos!" our teacher shouted. She slammed the board twice and made me sit. "Tumigil nga kayo, parang mga bata kung umasta. Maupo kayong lahat, except you Mr. Gallego...you need to follow me to the Guidance Office, now," she demanded.
"Yes, ma'am," I curtly replied.
---x
