How to Break a Heart (To be published by LIB)

Four

 Allie

Nagising ako sa sobrang ingay na pagtunog ng isang cellphone. It doesn’t sound like my alarm because it’s too metal for my liking. Mas lalong hindi naman ganyan ang ringtone ko. Hinintay ko na mawala ang nakakabulabog na tumutunog na iyon pero nakalipas ang ilang minuto ay hindi parin ito humihinto. It stopped for ten seconds, and I was grateful but it quickly resumed as soon as the twelfth second passed by. I cursed in annoyance and stood up para kunin ang phone across the room to press the snooze button pero hindi naman ito alarm kundi tawag. And it’s from my number.                  

Agad napakunot ang noo ko sa pagtataka pagkatapos ay naalala ko na nagpalit nga pala kami ng cellphone ng baboy na si Arron. At naalala ko rin ang pagbato ko ng phone kagabi dahil sa obscene videos na nakita ko.

Baboy.

“What?” I groaned.

“Goodmorning, kitten.” tiningnan ko ang orasan sa phone at mas lalong maguluhan ng mapansin na tatlong oras pa bago ang ten o’clock class ko. Seven is too early for a girl like me who’s always exhausted and needs sleep!

“Arron, do you know what time is it?”

“Yup, seven oh’ five. Why?”

“Why? Nagtatanong ka pa kung bakit? Ten pa ang first class natin you disgusting pig!”

“Ahhh. So you’re a growling lion in the morning. Question answered.” na-imagine ko bigla akong pagtango-tango niya sa kabilang linya habang sinasabi ito.

I wiped my face with my whole hand. “Ginising mo ako, three hours bago ang klase ko. And you’re wondering why I’m–you know what… Nevermind. Ano bang kailangan mo?”

“Just wanted to remind you na susunduin kita. I’ll be there in exactly… one hour and twenty minutes.”

“What? May usapan ba tayo na susunduin mo ako?”

“No, but we have a deal na tutulungan kita. So, I’m helping you ignore Dominic. Susunduin ka ng boyfriend mo ngayon diba?”

“Paano mo nalaman?”

“Doesn’t matter. The main point is, kailangan mong umalis bago siya makarating diyan. Unless you want him to see how I’ll be driving you to school?”

“Of course not!”