Marahuyo

Special Chapter

Gian's POV

I don't believe in love at first sight. Like, how could a person suddenly love someone after seeing them for the first time? In my own opinion, love is such a big word for that. The idea of instantly falling in love with a person seems unbelievable, but after I experienced something similar to that, I don't know what to believe anymore.

Well, you don't instantly fall in love. You don't say that you love that person. It is just... you can't take your eyes off them. You're suddenly trapped, but in a good way. You wanted to be trapped and be in that moment forever.

Sabay naming sinagot ang nagmamaneho ng tricycle nang tanungin niya kami kung sasakay ba kami. Nang lumingon ako sa babaeng kasabay ko, sumalubong kaagad sa akin ang nakakatunaw niyang ngiti.

A smile that can melt anyone's heart.

A smile that can hold you captive.

And is it possible for eyes to sparkle?

Hers just did.

No matter how mesmerized I was, I need to look away. I don't want her to think that I'm a creep. We just met, so I shouldn't keep having long eye contact with her.

But I think I'm really a creep. Because how in the world was I able to know her name on the day that we first met? Pero hindi ko naman kasalanan na narinig kong tinawag siya ng kaibigan niya habang nasa labas kami ng gate ng school.

Arianne. Her name suits her a lot.

On our second encounter at the waiting shed, I was so nervous. Kasabay kong pupunta ng campus si Phillip, and one of the things that I hate about my brother is that he can read me like an open book. If I show a little interest to the girl who just joined us, he will tease me.

I just like the way she smiles, nothing else.

Pero nagulat ako nang bigla silang mag-ngitian. Magkakilala ba silang dalawa?

Since when?

Sinubukan kong alamin kung paano sila nagkakilala. My hunch is that they're classmates, pero ngayong school year ko lang siya nakita sa school. Probably a transferee?

Nasa sala noon si Phillip habang abala sa laptop niya. Nakabukas ang TV, pero hindi siya nanonood. Kinuha ko ang remote control at tumabi sa kan'ya sa sofa bago naghanap ng magandang channel na pwedeng panoorin.

Palihim akong sumilip sa laptop at nakita na nagi-edit siya ng campaign banner ng partylist niya. Sa susunod na linggo na magsisimula ang school election campaign, kaya abala siya dahil tatakbo siya bilang SSG president ng senior high.

It's a relief that my teachers agreed I only run for SSG vice president of junior high. They probably don't want us to dominate the school government.

Habang nakatingin ako sa campaign banner niya, may napansin akong pamilyar na mukha. Instinctively, I pointed at her, and I read that she's running for Grade 11 representative.

"Siya 'yong kausap mo sa waiting shed na nakasakay sa tricycle noong isang araw?" tanong ko.

He nodded, but his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at me. "Oo, si Julie. Bakit?"

May halong pagtataka ang tingin niya. Tumikhim ako at nag-iwas ng tingin. "Wala."

Bigla niyang isinara nang malakas ang laptop na ikinagulat ko. Plano yata niyang sirain. Hindi lang naman siya ang gumagamit no'n.

Tumayo siya at naglakad papunta sa kwarto niya. Napabuntong-hininga ako. Mukhang nagalit dahil nadistorbo ko siya. Hindi ko man lang natanong kung paano sila nagkakilala ni Arianne. But at least I found out that she's a Grade 11 student.