Shades of Kagan

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Avian Burn's Point of View

I'm not a stranger to the darkness. It's been my longest friend since my stay here in the city. I thought I would always be alone but look at me now, staying in a waiting shed with a guy I barely knew. What's happening right now is outside my daily routine. I should have been resting at the school dormitory, but I was caught up in an odd situation. Bigla na lang akong napatampal sa aking noo. This is what I get for putting my nose in the wrong direction. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa mga nangyari. Maybe I acted on my instinct to help him, just like how he helped me with the bread earlier.

"Wow. I didn't expect you to do that. That was so out of your character." Basag niya sa katahimikan. Napakunot ang noo ko dahil sa kanyang naging komento. Why is he always speaking as if he knew me? Sa totoo lang ay hindi ko rin inasahan ang ginawa ko kanina. I just drove his motorcycle to nowhere not until it started to rain! Ngayon ay nakatigil kaming dalawa sa waiting shed na una naming nakita. We're both wet by the rain and I'm really starving. Besides, I am also thankful that no one asked for my driver's license. Alam ko lang kung paano magdrive pero wala akong driver's license. This guy seems like he doesn't mind that I drove his motorcycle. He just let me. The important thing is we escaped from the commotion earlier.

"Sorry for asking, but how do you know my name?" Hindi ko na napigilan itanong ito sa kanya. I couldn't bring it up earlier, but I'm sure he said Burn earlier, which happened to be my freaking surname. I saw his lips lifted to the side. He was grinning. Moments later, I heard a soft chuckle coming from him. Lalo lang kumunot ang noo ko dahil sa naging reaction niya.

"Really? Aren't you Avian Burn?" Turo niya sa akin at agad naman akong tumango nang dahan-dahan. This is getting weirder.

"I'm just making sure that you're Avian Burn. I didn't expect you could be this dense." He pauses for a minute before he continues speaking.

"We are in the same class, y'know. I recognized you earlier while buying the bread." He narrowed his eyes at me, and I could see his face clearly. If we're both in the same class, he must stand out. At dapat matandaan ko ito. His visual is a head-turner.

"You're kidding me," I told him, face straight. I saw him shrug his shoulders and sit on the benches near me as if it wasn't a big deal.

"I'm not kidding you. It's pretty normal not to know your classmates in class but I remember you since you're always late and enters at the back door." Ohh! Napakamot na lang ako sa aking batok dahil totoo ang sinabi nito. Lagi akong late pumapasok dahil anong oras na ako nagigising. And in order not to get attention in class, I sneaked in from the back door.

"Don't worry, all I know about you is your name, and I haven't seen you talk in class. Are you usually the quiet type?" Napatingin na lang ako sa baba. I put my trembling hands on my legs. This is the longest conversation I have had in the past years. I'm afraid to open up my mouth and accidentally speak about Emma. I know Emma was always there. She's just waiting for me to speak up about my crime. Nakabantay lang siya sa akin palagi. Hinding-hindi niya ako lulubayan. After all, Emma is now a part of me.

I open my mouth but no words came out. Good thing he's quick-witted so he didn't push it further. Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin ko kaya nanaig ang katahimikan sa aming dalawa. Ang tanging naririnig ko lang ay ang patak ng ulan mula sa bubong nitong waiting shed. I counted inside my head before having the courage to speak.

"What's your name?" I initiated to ask. Isn't it unfair that he knew my name and I don't? I waited for his answer, which took him a lot of time. Mukhang pinagisipan muna niya nang mabuti bago siya sumagot sa akin. It's just a name. Why does he look like he doesn't know the answer to my question?