Scarcity of Chances

Chapter 34

Habang pinagmamasdan ko sila, hindi ko mapigilang ikumpara ang naging karanasan ko noon. I saw a glimpse of the game where Hans and his friends were teasing him and Shannon, urging them to kiss.

Going back, I firmly remember how I stormed off the room, helplessly crying like a fool. That mirrored what I am feeling now, if not, worst.

But I refuse to be the same foolish woman that I was before. Ayaw ko nang tumalikod at umiyak nang walang ginagawa. Ano man ang mangyari, at least alam ko na may ginawa naman ako, bukod sa umiyak.

I took a deep breath and started moving my feet. Naging mabilis lamang ang ginawa kong paglapit sa grupo ng mga hindi ko kilalang tao bukod kay Kylo.

"Uy, kanino girlfriend 'to?" rinig kong saad ng isa sa mga manlalaro nang mapansin ang presensya ko.

"Good morning, Miss!"

Inignora ko ang mga ito at ipinako ang tingin kay Kylo. His hand is no longer on the girl's waist while she's still clinging onto his arms like a koala.

"Van? What are you doing here?" he asked, forehead wrinkling.

My heart skipped a beat when he uttered my name. I realized how I missed hearing that nickname come out of his mouth.

"Can we talk?"

In my peripheral vision, some of the players started mumbling, while the others went back to the field. Iilan na lamang ang naiwan doon kabilang na ang babaeng koala.

"Who is she, Kylo?" the girl asked.

He ignored the girl's question and rather removed her arm on his. His stern eyes were all on me this time, but that wasn't enough to soothe me.

I liked him so, therefore, seeing another girl act like that around him is making me jealous. At kung bakit ganito ang ginagawa niya ay isang malaking misteryo din sa akin.

Why is he acting differently? Could it be that my theory is wrong? But I know Kylo! This is definitely him!

"Okay," he answered and drifted her eyes at the girl. "Uh... excuse us, Jewel."

With her mouth left open, the girl named Jewel frowned at me. Hindi ko siya pinansin at naglakad na paalis doon, habang ramdam ko ang mga hakbang ni Kylo na nakasunod sa aking likod.

Several students were looking at us but I couldn't care less about that.

I stopped at a wooden bench near the field. Imbes na maupo, nakatayo kong hinarap si Kylo na gaya ko ay tumigil din. Humalukipkip ako kahit na kinakabahan sa ikinikilos niya.

"Why are you acting like this?" diretso kong tanong.

Kylo blinked twice. "W-What?"

"Why do you feel... so distant?"

If only the question mark has a face, it would definitely embody Kylo's. Nakatingin ito sa akin na para bang nahihiwagaan at litong-lito. Pero gaya niya ay nahihiwagaan at litong-lito na rin ako.

This is way far from what I expected.

"Hold on, Van," aniya nang nakapameywang. "What's this all about?"

I felt my chest tightening at his reaction. May hinala na ako subalit tila ba hindi ko maamin sa sarili ko. Nagkaroon ng bara sa aking lalamunan, dahilan upang mahirapan ako sa paghinga.

"D-Don't you remember anything?"

His lips formed a thin line and heaved a sigh. "Let me get this straight. The last time we talked, you asked me to stay away from you, right? So again, what's this all about?"