CHAOS STUDY 1: Wreck Me All You Want ✓

Kabanata 11

Aileen

Kagaya nang sinabi ni Scorch, the VIP tickets had allowed Hawk and I to sit in the front row stands during his football match.

Hawk had forced me to come to the game earlier after class. Bagsak na naman kasi ako kanina sa short quiz sa Biochem. I'd felt torn up by the result and I'd been feeling down the entire day.

On the not-so-bright side, may itinaas naman kahit papaano yung score na nakuha ko. Hindi nga lang 'to umabot sa passing grade na kailangan kong ma-attain.

Isang beses pa lang naman kasi kami nagmi-meet ni Scorch kaya naman hindi ko na inasahan na may progreso agad-agad. It would probably take more tutoring sessions in the future before there was a desired effect.

Sabi ni Hawk no'ng palabas na kami kanina ng campus ay kailangan ko raw mag-simmer down. He hated seeing me so dejected, and he just had something in mind to make me unreel a bit--by watching a football game, of course.

Which I'd agreed reluctantly. Wala na akong natitirang lakas para makipagtalo sa kanya. Wala naman din kasing magandang pelikula ngayon sa sinehan kaya pumayag na lang din ako. Sarado na rin kasi ang mga museyo sa siyudad kaya wala nang iba pang mapagpapasyalan.

So football game it is.

Talagang sport-addict si Hawk. Before becoming a business tycoon, his father was a former American Football coach back in Kansas City. Hindi na nakapagtatakang namana rin ni Hawk yung interes ng ama niya sa naturang laro.

I'd let him drag me to the stadium in exchange for hitting the bars later for a drink. Mas kailangan ko kasi ng alak kaysa sa manood ng laro. Hindi naman ako liwaliw. I just needed something strong and bitter, not enough to drunk me but enough to give me some ease. Sumama na lang din talaga ako sa kanya dahil sayang nga naman yung tickets na ibinigay ni Scorch.

"'Wag mong kalimutan yung pills mo," paalala ni Hawk sa akin kanina bago kami pumasok ng stadium.

"Nasa bulsa ko lang 'to," sabi ko naman.

Tumango ang kaibigan ko. Alam ni Hawk na napaka-unpredictable ng mga panic attacks ko kaya parati niyang sinasabi na dapat madali ko lang 'tong mahanap at mahugot sa oras ng sakuna.

Nasa tabi ko ngayon si Hawk na tumitili kasama ang mga daang-daang taga-suporta ng FU Renegades. Sa palagay ko rin ay karamihan na dumumog sa stadium para masulyapan ang laro ay mga taga-Faisser. Judging by the grey shirts, grey balloons, and grey support banners waving in the air, tama ang hinala ko. Grey was the campus's color. Parang ngang nagkalat na mga garapata ang mga taga-Faisser U dahil dito.

I was only paying half of my attention on the game. Because... strangely, my only sole focus was on the redhead standing in the green field wearing his compact gears, unaware of my eyes ogling his every move as he ran about.

I'd been thinking a lot lately. By that, I meant a lot. Dahil nais kong malaman kung bakit sa loob lang ng iilang pagkikita namin ni Scorch, ay parati kong napapansin ang mga maliliit na bagay-bagay na nauukol sa kanya. Sa itsura man niya, sa bawat damit na kanyang suot, sa bawat pulang hibla ng kanyang buhok. Sa mga inosente niyang kilos. Even down to his tiniest habit of always scratching the tender skin between his collarbone and neck, I always took notice of that. Kahit hindi naman importante.

Then, right here in the stands, realization hit me.

Alam ko na kung bakit.

There was no denying that I was attracted to Scorch Rothschild. Physically.