To Begin Again (It Girls Series #1)

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Colton Ponce de Leon

"Hoy, Toby!" Sigaw ko at sinadya kong lakihan ang aking boses upang gulatin siya at nagtagumpay naman ako dahil halos mapatalon na siya sa swivel chair na kanyang kinauupuan.

He immediately snapped his head towards me and looked at me with creased brows while clutching his chest.

"Jesus Christ, Jess!" He growled.

A delicious laugh rose from my throat. "You should've seen your face, Toby."

He looked like a scared little boy that has been caught by his mother while he's watching porn.

"Ano ba kasing ginagawa mo? Are you studying your sardines again?" Tanong ko at umupo sa paanan nang kanyang kama. I roamed my eyes around his room. Puro puti ang makikita mo sa loob ng kanyang kwarto, magsimula sa walls hanggang sa furniture.

You might think that staying inside Toby's room will bore you to death because of how I explained his room. Or maybe it will freak you out because of the screaming hospital vibe but let me stop you right there...

Staying inside Toby's room isn't actually boring as you thought it would be because the aquariums around are enough to entertain you and leave you in awe. Yes, Aquariums. Plural.

Toby has this obsession with his sardines-or so how Majai and I call them. They're actually fishes, like, different kinds of fishes.

There's this aquarium in his room that I'm very fascinated with... It's placed on the left side of his bed. The wall that is parting the mini living room and his bed has an aquarium in between. Ang galing lang.

Gustong-gusto kasi ni Toby na maging isang marine biologist and his parents-tito Samuel and tita Beverly-are very supportive about it. Hindi naman siguro magiging ala Manila Ocean Park itong kwarto niya kung hindi.

Dalhin ko nga siya doon kapag umuwi kami ng pinas, baka sakaling doon na siya tumira.

"They're not sardines! What kind of brain do you and Majai have?" Bakas ang iritasyon sa boses nito. Nginisian ko lang siya nang mapang-asar bago ako tumayo mula sa pagkaka-upo sa kanyang kama at nilapitan ang huge rectangular aquarium niya na nakalagay sa right side. It was dived by three sections and per section has different kinds of sardines inside.

Sa unang section ay halos ang isda na nasa finding nemo ay nandito. "Ang cute-cute talaga ng mga Dory mo..." I leaned on the aquarium and began tapping my index finger.

"That's not a 'Dory' that's a Paracanthurus hepatus." He sounded like I've just offended his ancestors.

"Whatever... your Nemos are cute, too. Nasaan na 'yung asawa niya? Bakit dalawa na lang ito?"

I heard him silently groaned. "They're clownfish, Jess. Nemo is not a specific type of a fish. That was just a stupid name the Pixar gave to their clownfish cartoon character. Damn! Why do I have to explain this every damn time?" He cursed under his breath as he began massaging his temples.

I looked at him over my shoulders. "O, nasaan na nga yung isa? Bakit dalawa na lang sila?" I asked instead of answering his nerd language. Hindi ko naman siya kayang sabayan, I'm no nerd like him.

"It died..."

Muli kong ibinalik ang tingin sa aquarium at hinaplos ito.

"Aww, really? Sinong namatay?"

"The one that serves as the mother..." Sagot niya.

"Hala? Paano sila hahayo at magpapakarami niyan? Ibili mo na lang ng bagong chicks si Daddy Nemo!"