Bad for You (GU #1)

six

Six: When the Lucky Number Becomes Just Unlucky

Mabilis na lumipas ang mga araw and before I knew it, Friday na. Last day of class. I've got two subjects for today. One in the morning and another after lunch.

I looked around, masayang nakikipagkwentuhan ang bawat isa, yung iba naman busy sa gadgets nila. Paano, fifteen minutes ng late yung prof namin and everyone is taking advantage of it.

I sighed. Everyone's chatting and as usual, I was all alone.  I just shook my head. Kinuha ko ang iPod sa bag at isinuksok ang earphones sa magkabilang tenga. At least I have music.

I turned it into shuffle at yung The Way ni Ariana Grande ang agad kong narinig. It was a song about a girl having a bad boy as her boyfriend. Yeah, a bad boy.  At hindi ko naman alam kung bakit bigla kong naisip si Slade. Argh.

Speaking of that jerk, hindi ko na siya nakita pa since Monday. Kahit nga doon sa Montereal Place di ko din naramdaman ang presensya niya. And here I thought na papaalisin niya na talaga doon dahil sa inasal ko sa sa kanya sa parking lot. But he didn't do anything. Atleast, for now.

Kinuha ko ang iPod at inilipat na agad ang kanta. Time to stop thinking about that jerk.

After thirty minutes, naisipan na din ng professor na pumasok. Inalis ko ang earphones sa tenga at sinubukang magconcentrate sa anumang sasabihin niya. She called us, one by one, this time just for attendance.

"Santana, Celestine Noelle."

I winced as I heard our prof calling my name. Hindi pa din talaga ako sanay na may tumatawag sa akin sa buong pangalan ko. Especially, that first part of my name. Pero wala akong magagawa since I would hear that almost everyday. Bago pa ako tawagin ulit ng prof, itinaas ko na ang kamay ko sabay sabing, "Present."

She looked at me for a moment tapos tumingin na naman sa list niya at tinawag na ang limang araw ng MIA kong seatmate. "Silverio, Miles..."

Nang walang sumagot, inulit ng prof na tawagin ito pero katahimikan lang ang sumagot sa kanya. Realizing my seatmate wasn't here, binalik niya na ang tingin sa papel at sinulatan ito. And that was the beginning of the boring day.

-=-=-=-=-=-

"How was your day, so far?" tanong ni Kimberly mula sa kabilang side ng table. Sabay na naman kaming maglunch. Actually, with the whole week being this as our set-up, parang okay na din sa akin si Kimberly. Isa pa, she didn't bother anymore asking me to be her friend. And so far, safe naman ang nagiging topics namin. And all of them were about school.

"The usual," sagot ko. Ayoko ng ielaborate pa kung ano ang nangyayari sa loob ng classroom.

Tumango lang siya at nagpatuloy na sa pagkain ng pasta. Maya-maya, tumigil na naman siya at tumingin sa akin. "May class ka pa mamaya?"

Tumango ako. "Yeah, history."

"Hanggang anong oras?"

"It's a three-hour class so probably four pwera na lang kung magpapauwi ng maaga," sagot ko. Suddenly, I was confused if why she was asking that. "Bakit mo natanong?"

She gave me a bright smile. "May bagong showing na movie kasi, wala akong kasamang manood kaya aayain sana kita."

I creased my forehead. "Kimberly, I already told you I don't make friends."

"I know that CN," sagot niya agad. "At hindi kita inaalok na maging kaibigan ko, inaaya lang kitang manood ng sine."

Hindi ako sumagot at tinignan lang siya. Malay ko ba, friends do that right? Going to movies together, shop together. I'm not going to tell her that though, hahaba lang ang usapan. For sure, idedefend niya lang ang sarili niya. "I'm sorry Kimberly but I already have plans for later. Why don't you ask your friends? For sure they'd love to watch with you."