Your Universe

#YU24

•RICHARD•

Last class namin before the semestral break and our teachers gave us projects to work on our break. Hindi man lang masyadong maeenjoy yung break kasi may dalawang reaction paper kaming gagawin. One for Filipino, one for English. Tapos meron pa for El Fili. Nilingon ko si Maine at nakita kong nakabusangot na naman siya.

"You okay?" I asked her. She's scribbling something in her notebook, her El Fili notes. "Nakasimangot ka diyan?"

"E kasi ang daming gagawin, RJ," she said. "Di maeenjoy yung break."

"Kaya natin gawin yan in two days, Meng. Gawin natin together okay? I'll help you then you'll help me para maaga tayong matapos okay?"

She nodded and smiled at me. "Okay."

I saw Gracie, one of our classmates, giving me the signal that what I planned for Maine is already done kaya tumayo na ako at inabot yung kamay ko sa kanya. I saw her brows furrowed when she saw me. "Saan tayo pupunta?"

"Diyan lang sa corridor," hinila ko na siya palabas ng room namin. Pinatayo ko na siya sa may railings but facing our classroom.

"Huy, anong meron bakit di ako pwedeng humarap?"

"Highschool dance is tomorrow right?" she nodded. "I should have done this last week pa pero sorry, hindi ko nagawa agad because of the games. But Maine..."

I let her turn around and look down as our friends were holding placards designed intricately with the words 'Will you go to the dance with me, Maine?'

Hinampas hampas niya ko ng pamaypay niya habang nangingilid yung luha. "Ano ka ba ang dami mong paandar!"

Free period kasi kaya students were all looking at us and screaming, lalo na yung mga babae na kinikilig. Niyakap ko si Maine and started stroking her back. "Huy, are you crying?" I asked her.

"Grabe ka kasi!" she said while crying... and laughing. "Pwede mo naman akong tanungin ng simpleng 'Maine will you go to the dance with me?' ganern! Tapos may paandar ka pang ganito grabe kaaaa."

"Syempre para sa'yo naman yan," I chuckled. "You haven't answered my question yet, Maine."

"Oo naman sasama ako! Hello, kanino pa ba ko sasama diba? Pero grabe ka, di ako maka-move on sa paandar mo. Akala ko sa mga tv series lang yan."

I pulled her towards me and kissed her temple. "That's dual purpose actually," I told her as I saw Karla and Gio walking towards us. "Meron pa yan."

Maine's forehead creased. "Ha? Anong sinasabi mo?"

"Anong meron, bakla?" tanong ni Gio kay Maine pagkalapit sa amin. Gio leaned on the railings and saw the boys holding the placards and then it was the cue. Binaliktad na nila yung mga placards, specifically making Kevin hold the placard with Gio's name on it.

"Huy, sinong nagtatanong nito?!" Gio looked and asked us. Hindi kasi masyadong kita si Kevin kaya hindi niya rin siguro napansin.

"Baka naman isa sa mga classmates natin, bakla," Karla told her. Walang alam yung mga girls sa plano namin ni Kevin. Si Paolo kasi naaya na si Karla last week kaya hindi na siya nagpaganyan. Tumulong na lang siya para maghawak ng placards.

"Baka naman si Kevin?" Maine answered. "Hindi ko pa nga yun nakikita kanina pa," lumingon siya sa akin. "Nasaan na ba yun?"

"I don't know—" she started pinching my left arm. "Aray naman, Meng! Inaano ka ba?!"

"Alam ko yang mga tingin na yan—"

"Giovanna!"

We all leaned on the railings and saw Kevin, ayun nga, hawak yung placard na may name ni Gio.