Love is a Riot

40

"Just chocolate milk?" tanong ni Imari at inilapag sa mesa ang bitbit na mga libro ko. "Nothing else?"

Tumango ako. "Yes, 'yun na lang. Thank you."

"Okay," he said. "I'll be right back. Just stay here, okay?"

Pagkatapos noon ay umalis na siya at kahit papaano ay nakahinga ako nang maluwag.

Ever since that day, the thought that Deuce might make a move anytime never left my mind. It never occurred to me that Deuce might do this to me. I know he's like that, but I also know how much he likes me. Alam kong hindi nya kayang gawin 'yun sa akin.

"Hindi ba siya nahihiya? Yuck," I heard a whisper mula sa kalapit na lamesa. It was Imari's blockmate na kasama nya noon kapag tinuturuan nya ang mga kaklase niya. "And I lost all my respect for Imari. Pipili na nga lang... God, 'kala ko pa naman, matalino."

"And do you remember that time when we were talking about her and Imari's with us? When Gelo asked if Imari can help to set him up with her?" lumingon ako sa direksyon nila and they both smiled at me, pero noong hindi na ako nakatingin, nagsimula na ulit silang magbulungan, kaya naman napasapo na lang ako sa noo ko. "God, I never knew that Imari would punch anyone!"

Natigilan ako dahil sa sinabi ng babae at napalingon ako sa kanila. "What did you say?"

Pareho silang natahimik at umiwas ng tingin sakin. Tumayo ako at lumipat sa mesa nila. "Imari punched who?"

"Uhm... Gelo..." she said stuttering. "S-So he punched... him-"

"Ayusin mo nga," singhal ko. Ang tapang-tapang kapag nakatalikod ako tapos pautal-utal naman ngayon!

"Imari got beaten up... and got suspended. Hindi mo ba alam?" the other girl said.

Napatanga naman ako sa gilid dahil sa sinabi niya.

But I was sure that he did not defend me! All I remember is that he kept quiet bago ako umalis and he never said a thing.

I remembered immediately noong tinawagan ako ni Cain para alagaan si Imari dahil nilalagnat daw siya and I realized that he had bruises that time... then are they telling the truth?

"Anong nangyari?" narinig ko ang boses ni Imari mula sa likuran ko at kaagad ko siyang nilingon. Hindi ko pinansin ang iniabot nya sa akin na chocolate milk at bumalik sa mesa namin at kinuha ang mga gamit ko bago maglakad paalis.

"Cielo!" I heard him call me. Hanggang sa makalabas ako ay hindi ko siya nilingon.

"Cielo, what's wrong?" narinig kong hinihingal niyang sabi. "Wait for me! Bakit ang bilis mong maglakad?"

Naramdaman ko ang paghablot niya sa braso ko kaya naman napaharap ako sa kanya.

"Hey," he said. "What it it? Did they say something? Are you upset?"

Tinitigan ko lang siya. I looked at his soft, wavy hair, his kind smile, his almond eyes, and his hand on my wrist.

Imari told me before that he does not care about anyone's opinion, and that only my opinion matters to him, but that's not the case for me. I care for everyone's opinion. I care for Ate Steffi's opinion, I care for what his friends think of me, I care for what his opinions are about me.

Maybe Ate Steffi was right, and I knew it all along, that someone like Imari is too good for me. He could've chosen someone better. He could've chosen someone who does not have to make him lose his friends, or does not have to make him punch someone in the face. He could've chosen someone who fits him better. He could've chosen someone who has no issues, someone who's easy to love, someone who's not complicated, someone who's good to him.