It's been a week since the party and all of us are busy preparing for the exam week. My routine since then was only class-library-study with none other than the ever masungit Maxine. I'm not going to complain about her attitude towards me anymore, our routine would start after our classes that every vacant ko na match sa vacant niya we would meet of course alam na nang lahat ng tao sa department namin na alalay ako netong masungit na to.
We would drop by our usual coffee shop and study there, I introduced her to the kids.. Summer is the most ecstatic when I introduced Maxine, crush niya ata eh while Three the ever quiet kid na isa pang masungit din likes her a lot—same flock eh. Lagi silang nililibre ni Maxine sometimes kahit na di kame sa coffeeshop pupunta she would order food for them and have them delivered to the coffeeshop. Kaya feeling ko talaga may galit itong si Maxine sakin kase minsan ako yung uutusan niyang maghatid kase hello? tinitake advantage niya yung Bar Ops at officer siya.
"What would you like to eat?" She asked nung makarating kame sa Wildflour.
pansin ko lang after the party medyo naging lenient siya sakin tapos lagi akong nililibre sa kung san-san pero minsan nahihiya na ako kase di naman kame close kase di pa din niya ako gaanong kinakausap kapag nasa dorm nalang kame, nagsasama lang talaga kame during study sesh—like today we just finished studying for Remedial Law for her & Tax 2 sakin and we decided to just eat after the sesh or kapag may iuutos siya sakin pero laging niya akong nililibre of course I like libre! Who doesn't? but sometimes I tell her she really doesn't have to pay for everything I eat, drink or buy.. because literally everything I buy even at the convenience store, NBS, or even sometimes mapadaan kame sa mga botique she would pay for it, she would immediately say "if you want that, I'll pay for it I don't take No as an answer" yan lagi yung linyahan niya—feel na feel ko tuloy na may sugar mommy ako minsan.
"Maxine.." I gently whispered
"Hm? Have you decided what to eat?" Busy pa din siya tignan ang menu
"I'll pay for today's lunch, you've paid enough already" napaangat siya ng tingin saka ko tinignan yung paper bags na nasa floor malapit sa paahan ko—yes, napa daan kase kame kanina sa Uniqlo to buy some pambahay and pajamas tapos siya ulit nagbayad kase inagaw niya yung Shopping bag na dala ko.
"Who says that you can pay? Like ever?" She said tinaasan ako ng kilay—long debate na naman.
"Look, I know you have the means to pay for anything.. but you don't really have to do it. I wanna treat you today so please let me pay for our lunch, okay?" I pleaded kase nasstress ako sa gastos niya
"No. I don't take libre" matigas pa din ulo niya saka siya nagbasa ulit ng menu
"You don't have to pay for anything while you're in my service, magtiis ka nalang til next year" she said plainly
"But it's too much, look, I have money too.. " I showed her my black card and she's not even fazed about it
"I have cash" kibit balikat niya she have all sorts of high end cards & credit cards too, di ata ako mananalo dito like ever.
"Why don't you just let me pay just this one? Hmm?" Frustrating as it sounds.. ganon talaga nararamdaman ko
"Pick your food first then we can argue right after" she said—just to dismiss the argument.
We ordered our food then she just kept on dodging the topic about paying stuff by gluing her eyes to her phone—napaka petty! kakainis.
"Bat pag si Sky okay lang na nililibre ka and why is that whenever I pay for something suddenly it's a big deal?" She asked
"Sky.. Sky is my friend, lambingan lang namin yon" I truthfully said tapos parang biglang mas naging cold pa siya
"How about me? Am I not your friend then?" Napanganga ako sa sinabe niya
