I Love You, Sir

Chapter 23: Lies

"Wala pa rin si Sir? Himala! Ngayon lang 'ata hindi pumasok ng on-time si Sir Ezequel." One of my classmates wandered around the room, asking about Kerleigh for the nth time.

Magkatabi kami ni Toffie pero walang nagsasalita sa aming dalawa. I'm just having a weird feeling right now. He stole a kissed from me last night! Simula pa kanina wala kaming imikang dalawa pero napapansin ko naman ang pagsulyap niya sa banda ko. 

"Sabi daw ng mga 4th year hindi rin daw pumasok si Sir Ezequel sa kanila," banggit naman nung isang babae habang naglalagay ng blush on sa pisngi. 

Narinig ko ang usapan nila kaya napayuko nalang ako habang pinaglalaruan ang dalawang kamay. Hindi siya pumasok ngayon na siyang nagdagdag sa'kin para mas lalo akong kinabahan, maguluhan at magtaka. 

Knowing that I saw him cry last night made me feel even worse. What happened to him? Bakit hindi siya pumasok? Nakauwi kaya siya ng maayos? Umuwi kaya siya kagabi?  These are the questions that I keep asking myself right now.

"Nag-usap kayo kagabi?" Toffie asked flatly, his eyes were fixed on nowhere and not on me. I frowned as I looked at him. Is he talking about Kerleigh?

"Nakita mo ba siya kagabi?" Umiwas din ako ng tingin. Hindi siya sumagot. "Bakit mo ginawa 'yon?" I asked back in a low voice.

"Yes. Nakita ko siya kaya ko ginawa 'yon," sagot niya agad. Pareho kaming hindi nakatingin sa isa't-isa. 

"Alam mong mali 'yon pero ginawa mo pa rin. Naging mabait ako dahil mabait ka sa'kin pero sana 'wag mo bigyan ng kahulugan lahat ng 'yon." I sighed. 

"May gusto ka ba sa akin, Toff?" I didn't hesistate to asked anymore.

Tumingin ako sa kanya at napalingon din siya. He simply stared at me, as if he couldn't say what he really wanted to say. As if something in his mind was stopping him from talking.

"Kung nagkagusto ko sa akin, sorry hindi ko intensyon na mahulog ka. Alam ko naman sa lahat ng ginagawa mo, hindi lang pang-kaibigan 'yon pero hindi ko inisip pa kase alam kong kaibigan lang talaga kaya kong ibigay sayo. I'm not ready to enter into a relationship. Hindi ko pa kaya," I confessed. I just want to make things clear between us.

"I know," He responded with a weak laugh. "You like someone else, right? And I know it's him."

My eyes widens and at loss for words. What did he say? I like someone? At sino naman yung tinutukoy niya? I tried to act as if I'm not affected. 

"What are you talking about?" mahinang sabi ko sa kanya at tumingin sa ibang kaklase na nasa harapan. I can't look at him. It's making me...nervous.

"I used to be one of his student last year. He didn't look any of his student like that. Like how he looked at you." He paused and glanced at me. "Unang kita pa lang natin nung sinamahan kita kay Sir Adolfo, kahina-hinala yung mga tingin niya sayo. Nung first day of school, mas lalo na akong nagtaka. Kalaunan, sayo na naman ako naghinala. You two used to know each other, right?" Tanong niya. Napakunot ang noo ko dahi sa pinagsasabi niya. I found myself speechless.