Everything in Me

Chapter 3

Padabog kong ibinagsak ang bag sa upuan at ipinasok ang mga gamit loob. Last subject na namin when I suddendly remembered his reply again. I reasoned to myself not to get mad at his reply but I couldn't help it since I expected more. 

"Punyetang wala 'yan, edi wala kung wala," I mumbled to myself.

"Hoy, ano 'yan ba't bad trip ka na naman?" Tanong sa'kin ni Claire.

"Wala lang, alam mo namang trip kong magalit 'di ba?" Sagot ko na ikinatinginan ng dalawa kong kaibigan. Jace just shrugged when Claire gave him a questioning look.

The two who was standing in front of me rushed to their seats when our professor came in. She started with the lesson but before letting us off, she announced the grouping first. We were 30 in class and was grouped in 5.

"Four group 1. Kryan, Danica, Van, Sheena, Gelo, and Patty."

I waited patiently for my name to be called but Claire who was grouped in the third group sulked in her seat. 

"Putangina naman," malutong na mura nito. "Siya na naman ang kagrupo ko."

"Sino?" 

"Si Crisan! Binuhat ko na 'yan last year tapos bubuhatin ko ulit ngayon? Tangina talaga." Inis na bulong nito sa kaniya.

I was about to react when my name was called. "Faith, Jayda, Kino, Gio, Anaya, and Kai for group 5."

"Tangina nga," I said to myself.

Jace went to us after our professor left. He was already packed and ready to go home. Tuwang-tuwa ito dahil masipag ang mga kagrupo niya. We were given two months to finish the  paper, pero 'di pa nga nagsisimula, stressed na ako.

"Oh, ba't ang sama ng mukha niyo? I would understand Claire but you?" turo nito sa'kin. "You're the most lucky among us. Complete package kaya ang grupo niyo." 

"Right." Pagsang-ayon nalang niya. Claire and I got up from our seats but before I could walk away, a hand grabbed my arm.

"We have a group meeting after this, around 4:30 at Fate's Café." Kai said in a monotonous tone. 

I told my friends to go first and joined my groupmates. All six of us went, chattering about what kind of research we would do. Pagkababa sa jeep ay naglakad pa uli kami para marating ang cafe'. Habang naglalakad ay napansin ni ko na unti-unting naging tahimik ang grupo dahil wala nang mapag-usapan. 

Nagpahuli ako para makasabay si Kai na kanina pa walang kibo. Pinanatili ko ang distansya sa pagitan naming dalawa. Tama si Claire, may gusto ako kay Kai. Kaya nga sa bawat lapit nito, bawat tawag ng pangalan ko, bawat hawak, ay halos mapugto ang aking paghinga. 

Isa, dalawa, tatlo, binilang ko ang mga nadaraanang bulaklak na nahulog sa semento at nanatiling nakayuko para mabaling sa ibang bagay ang aking paningin kahit na panay naman ang sulyap sa paa ng kasabay. Kahit iangat ang tingin ay hindi ko magawa kaya nagkunyari nalang na busy ako sa phone.