I Brought My Heart To Hong Kong

Chapter Eleven: Results

Chapter Eleven
Results

Chloe and Won don't know how to put their feud in place. Parang kailan lang sa Victoria Peak, may hindi sila pagkakaintindihan. Ngayong araw, mukhang meron na naman. Totoo nga siguro 'yung kasabihang habang tumatagal, nate-test ang relationship. In every little way.

Bumungad ang salubong na kilay ni Chloe habang pumapasok ng kwarto ko. Kagigising ko lang, halos katatapos lang maghilamos tapos narinig ko siyang kumatok.

"Anong nangyari sa'yo?"

"Nothing," she said but it was pretty obvious something was wrong. She crossed her arms habang pinapanood akong magsuklay.

I sighed and went to sit on a wooden chair beside my bed. If this is how she acts, siguradong may nangyari na naman. Alam kong hindi lang problema ni Chloe kasi kung sarili niyang problema, kay Zywon ang punta niya. Pero kung hindi, ibig sabihin si Zywon mismo ang problema.

"Ano na namang pinag-awayan niyo?"

"I did not pass, Hailey," she began with hints of dismay on her face.

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Did not pass?"

"Querencia," she replied. "I didn't pass the exam. Not even waitlisted in any of the five branches across the country!"

Nanlaki ang mata ko. "May results na?"

Dahan-dahan siyang tumango. Humilamos ang kamay niya sa mukha habang yumuyuko ang ulo. Dinaluhan ko siya at tinapik sa balikat.

"Check it again, Chloe. Baka namalik-mata ka lang."

Umiling siya saka lumingon sa'kin. "I did. I refreshed it many times."

Hindi agad ako nakapagsalita. Chloe looked dishearten about it. Ipinakita niya pa 'yung sa screen ng phone niya at nabasa ko pa lang 'yong 'we are sorry to inform", hindi ko na tinuloy pa ang binasa. Hinimas ko ang likuran niya nang mapayuko siya ulit. I hope that was enough for her to feel my empathy for her.. kahit na kinakabahan din ako sa sarili kong result. Querencia's exam is not a joke.

For the four long hours of taking it, I'd say I wasn't very consistent. Sa huling isang oras, minadali ko na ang iba kasi natatakot akong kulangin at hindi matapos. I just shaded and trusted the power of C because I was too drained to even analyze the other questions! Lalo na sa reading comprehension na sobrang haba ng passages! Paglabas ko ng testing room, gusto kong maiyak.

"I should have taken it more seriously," Chloe murmured.

Bumuntong-hininga ako.

"Kaya ka ba nandito kasi ayaw mong sabihin kay Won?" naitanong ko. "Siya ba, nakapasa?"

"He already knows it," she spilled. Naisubsob niya ang mukha sa braso ko. "He passed. I didn't."

"Tapos? Anong sabi niya?"

"That's what we argued about, Hails," she began. "He wanted to turn that down. Sabi niya pa, okay lang na hindi ako pumasa. Kasi kung saan ako, doon din naman daw siya."

I pressed my lips firmly.

It's not like I wasn't expecting Won will say that.

"If.. if that's what Won wants to do, why not?"

Tiningnan niya ako at umiling. "Querencia is one of the best universities in the country, Hails. The most promising among univs that Zywon tried to admit himself. And the course he wanted to take, it's one of the best Querencia can offer!"

"And?"

"What?" she asked unbelievably. "What I'm saying is do you think I should just let Zywon give that up for me? That's a real deal! We're talking about his college!"