Champorado

22

JIYA is walking to Regis with her laptop open to review with Van when she stops at the guardhouse.

Nasa ilalim ng footbridge si Migo, may stick sa mouth niya, about to light it.

Alam ni Jiya nag-quit na 'to no'ng pa-second year na sila.

He looks up and meets her eyes, hand freezing.

She averts her gaze and focuses on her screen na nakapatong sa kamay niya and goes up the stairs.

Pero Migo's voice behind her stops her. "Valle, wait." Tinakbo niya 'yong unang steps paakyat na hinakbang na ni Jiya. His hair is over his eyes, the stick still unlit in his mouth, nakakagat sa ngipin. He takes off his jacket and steps closer to her.

Jiya stares at him as he wraps it around her waist.

"Naka-skirt ka," he mutters when he pulls back, not looking at her face.

"Thank you," she tells him, and then goes up the footbridge.

Sana hindi niya i-light 'yong stick.

Nag-review sila ni Van sa Black Scoop. In-ask na rin siya ni Inggo kaninang umaga kung kamusta siya, slowly reaching out to take her wrist with a small smile. Jiya smiles back at him and says, "Better," no'ng na-wrap na niya fingers niya sa wrist niya and she doesn't shake.

Pababa siya to the examination room for orals with her reviewer when she sees Migo at the stairs, wringing his hands, may hawak siya na can of coffee.

Jiya thinks about stepping back inside, pero Migo already sees her, swallowing thickly. "Hey."

"Hi," she says quietly.

He hands her the bottle, pursing his lips. Inalis ni Jiya ang tingin niya sa mukha niya. "Here. And good luck."

Free. Jiya takes it without touching his hands and brushes past without looking at him. "Thank you. Ikaw rin."

"Valle, wait, please."

He wraps his arms around her from behind bago siya makababa and breathes in shakily, dropping his head on her shoulder.

Jiya stands there, shutting her eyes.

"Can I touch this?" he murmurs close to her ear, hand going down to her arm.

She nods once, staring at his fingers.

Migo wraps them around her wrist gently. Then he turns her around, stepping back, and Jiya looks at him.

He brings her wrist to his mouth and kisses her skin, eyes on hers. "I'm sorry," he says quietly, parang whisper lang. "I shouldn't have put you in a place where you felt like you had to compete with Elois."

"Alam mo kung bakit ako galit? Kasi ikaw lang ang bobo na 'di makakita na gusto ka niya and she's taking advantage of your friendship para i-disregard and i-disrepect ako," Jiya snaps, chin held high even as shivers run up her spine nang i-brush ni Migo ang thumbs niya on her wrist pagkatapos niyang halikan. "Sinabi ko na sa 'yong ayokong makipag-agawan kahit kanino, hindi dapat ako nakikipag-agawan kahit kanino, I will not beg for you, Migo, I swear to God, and sabihin mo sa 'kin ulit na nauurat ka na sa inis ko, ikaw ang dadalhin ko sa ER. Naiintindihan mo, bwiset?"

He blinks at her. And then he nods once. "Yes po."

Jiya rolls her eyes with a sigh, curls her hand around his nape to bring his head down to her level, kissing him.

Migo grips her wrist, shutting his eyes, pero hindi tinanggal ni Jiya. She likes his hold on it.

"Hindi ka lasang sigarilyo," Jiya mutters, pulling away, brushing the hair away from his forehead. "Good. Don't smoke."