Ocean of Feathers

Chapter 81

The short story is dedicated to Jennilyn Mariano. Thank you for helping me during the muting days!

Chapter 81

He is my rival since we were kids. I don't know if we actually inherited it from our parents since our fathers were also competitors before.

Si Mommy mismo ang nagkwento sa akin ng lahat ng pinagkompetensiyahan nina Daddy at Tito Arthur. I even asked her if she was one of those competition, luckily my mom was not one of the lists. Para lang din daw kami ni Arious, nagkakataon na nagkakapareho ng hilig.

At first, we were competing for the rank one during Elementary and Highschool days, and now that were in College, I didn't know that we will be on the same program again. Ngayon naman ay best thesis ang pinaglalabanan namin!

But what's the most annoying part of our competition? If my father used to win against Tito Arthur all the time (they're already friends) ako naman, hindi ko pa naranasan manalo kay Arious. He's always the fucking rank one!

And he's making fun of me all that time!

"Hi, Miss Rank two..." a silly whisper sent shivers down my spine. Halos mapatalon ako para lang maiiwas ang sarili ko kay Arious na may mga matang nang-aasar na naman sa akin.

Look at this mayabang.

Naningkit ang mga mata ko. Kalalabas lang nila sa conference room dahil sila ang unang nag-defense. Gusto ko siyang i-straight punch sa mukha para matanggal iyang pang-asar niyang ngisi sa akin.

"Hi your face."

"Pang-ilan kayo sa magde-defense?" he waved his hand to his thesis mates. May kanya-kanya rin ang mga iyong ngisi nang sumulyap sa akin.

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't talk to me." Inangat ko ang notes ko at nagkunwari akong nagbabasa.

"You can do it, Jennilyn. Ikaw pa? It's just that... you're good but I am always better."

"Whatever."

He grinned before he turned his back and walked away from me. I should focus with my notes but I suddenly found my eyes locked on his back.

Arious is always like that. He will always say those kind of words... like he truly looked highly of me, and then he'll tease or annoy me.

Napailing na lang ako at tumingin ulit sa notes ko.

"Jennilyn Mariano." Tawag ng isa sa professor mula sa conference room.

Huminga ako ng malalim at tumango ako sa mga kasamahan ko. We can do this.

It took an hour before we finally ended the defense. Nahirapan kami sa mga tanong nila pero nasisiguro ko na wala naman kaming maling isinagot. I am confident that we properly defended our paper.

Halos magyakapan kami ng mga kaibigan ko pagkalabas namin ng conference room. Gosh! Makaka-graduate na kami.

"So, kain tayo sa labas?" I asked them.

Nangunot ang noo ko nang walang sumagot sa kanila sa akin. Sa halip ay nakatitig sila sa may likuran ko. So, when I looked back, I saw the culprit.

Hindi pa nagpapalit ng formal attire si Arious. "Hey, let's celebrate."

"H-Huh? But me and my—"

"Sige na, Jenny! Mauuna na kami."

"But—"

Hindi na ako nakaangal pa nang nagmadali na ang dalawa kong kaibigan na iwan kami ni Arious.

Arious tried to ask me to eat with him but I always decline him. I am annoyed with him, bakit ko pahihirapan ang sarili ko na sumabay sa kanyang kumain?

"Are you going to reject my invitation again?"

"Why do you keep asking me, Arious?"

"Why do you keep rejecting me?"

"Because we're rivals!"

"Huh? Can't we eat together because of that?"

"It's awkward."

Nagsimula na kaming maglakad ng sabay.

"Awkward because we're rivals? Or awkward because of something else?"

I laughed. "What something else, Arious? Gago ka ba?"

"You're smart, Jennilyn. Pero sobrang manhid mo o nagkukunwari ka lang talaga."

Natigil ako sa paglalakad at napatitig ako sa kanya. "Huh?"

"Let's end this rivalry, Jennilyn. I've been trying to impress you... but it turned like this. I like you. If you're thinking about you not beating me in anyway? You're wrong, babe. Matagal na akong talo... matagal na akong naghahabol, sobrang bilis mo, Jennilyn and I can't catch you."