Blood Menace

18- Sophomore

Let's not be strangers.

It had been eight months since Kam last talked with Cole.

Let's not be strangers.

That's exactly what happened to them. They became strangers to each other.

It took awhile for Kam to accept it. Nahirapan siya na hindi man lang siya kayang tingnan ni Cole. Ni hindi na sila muli naging classmates.

At ngayon...

New semester. New classmates.

But nothing much changed with Kam. She had the same hairstyle, same look, same drive.

"Tell me you're kidding. Si Stan, inaya ka ng date?" tawa nang tawa si Nova habang pagulung-gulong sa gitna ng kama ni Kam.

"Imagine how awkward I was. But I had to be polite because we were in front of many students kaya sinabi kong pag-iisipan ko," napapailing na sagot ni Kam na nakaupo naman sa harap ng study table niya.

Tumawa si Nova.

Classmate nila si Stanley ngayong second semester ng Sophomore year nila. Galing ito sa ibang block last year kaya hindi nila ito nakikala before.

Last week lang, sinigawan siya ni Stan kasi naapakan n'ya ang makintab nitong sapatos. Parang tanga kasi sila ni Nova at naghabulan sa loob ng classroom.

Hiyang-hiya ang dalaga n'on kasi ini-report pa siya nito sa admin. Walang-hiya talaga. Sapatos lang eh.

Now, one week later, he asked her out. He wanted to know her better.

"Manigas s'ya. Mas mamahalin n'on ang sapatos kesa sa'yo. The nerve of that dude," bulalas ni Nova.

Napailing na lang si Kam. Hindi n'ya inasahan ang twist na ito but she didn't really mind. Ano naman kung may magkagusto sa kanya?

Pero tulad ng dati, wala siyang panahon makipag-date. If she let Cole Bloodworth go for that reason, why would she date other men now? Everything she let go would be in vain.

She wasn't that stupid.

Tila biglang bumigat ang pakiramdam niya nang maalala si Cole. It's been eight months since they parted ways. Nawawala na ang kirot pero naroon pa rin ang lungkot. Ang panghihinayang.

Nakikita n'ya pa rin ito around the campus pero hindi na sila nag-uusap.

Let's not be strangers, he said.

That's exactly what happened to them. It didn't even take long.

"By the way, babalik na ako sa bedroom ko. Marami pa akong pag-aaralan," tumayo na si Nova. "Dinner sa labas mamaya?"

Tumango si Kam at tuluyan na ngang lumabas si Nova. A few seconds later, narinig niya ang pagbukas at sara ng kabilang kwarto.

Si Nova na ang bago niyang roommate nang grumadweyt si Tryx. Kam felt sad when her first roommate left for real-world Sentry duties but she was also glad to be closer to Nova. They have become the best of friends.

Kam went back to her studies. Nagkaroon s'ya ng isang mistake sa exam n'ya kahapon. Kailangan n'yang bumawi.

Nasa kalagitnaan na siya ng pag-aaral nang mag-beep ang kanyang cellphone. Ayaw n'ya pa sanang pansinin nang bigla naman iyung nag-ring.

She groaned in annoyance before picking up the apparatus.

Agad na nanlaki ang kanyang mga mata nang mapagsino ang tumatawag. This didn't happen often so she felt nervous.

May nagawa ba siyang mali?

"H-Hello, M-Mom..." nanginginig ang boses na sagot niya.

She had not seen her parents since she left for college. Almost three years nang hindi niya nakikita ang mga ito. Ang tagal kasi ng byahe. Almost one year.