Salem's Eyes (COMPLETED)

16 Salem

First week of college and I was already damn stressed. Hindi ako sanay na wala si Amara sa tabi ko. She was one building away from me and our schedules doesn't click. Wala na akong choice kung hindi ang mag-commute araw-araw dahil kahit oras ng pagpasok at paglabas ng school ay hindi kami magkasabay.

Friday na ngayon. I just got out from my two-hour class. Isang oras lang ang vacant ko pero nagamit nung prof 'yung thirty minutes ng lunch break ko. I didn't have any choice but to head to my next class without eating lunch. May recitation kami mamaya sa susunod na subject kaya kailangan kong mag-review.

I felt relieved when our next room was already available. May mga kaklase na akong nandoon. Ang iba ay kumakain ng sandwich habang nagbabasa ng hand outs. Sana pala nagbaon rin ako kapag ganitong hectic 'yung schedule ko.

Sa last row ako naupo. I didn't have any friends yet as expected. Kaya kahit kanino lang ako nakikitabi dahil wala naman akong choice. Pagkaupong-pagkaupo ko, kinuha ko na 'yung hand outs ko para magbasa.

My phone vibrated from my pocket. Kinuha ko 'yon. I almost groaned when I saw it was Caius.

"What?" I asked when I answered the call.

"Nasaan ka?" he asked. He was probably waiting for me at the cafeteria. Sa loob ng halos isang linggo sa school, hindi pa kami nagkikita. Minsan, kailangan na n'yang pumasok kapag lunch ko na or vice versa.

"Room." tipid kong sagot. I flipped over the pages and gone through the terms that I highlighted last night.

"Mamaya pa 'yung klase mo."

"I'm really busy. B--"

"Hindi ka kakain? Miss na kita!" singhal n'ya.

I didn't know when he started being too comfortable with me. He stopped holding back his real feelings. Kung naiinis s'ya or galit s'ya, hindi na s'ya natatakot na ipakita 'yon sa akin. Unlike before, he was like a saint and he rarely show me his immaturity. But now? My goodness. I have been dealing with his childish attitude for few weeks now. Take not, he was already in the final phase of showing his real color. Imagine me putting up with his immaturity-- full freaking pledge immaturity.

Don't get me wrong. He stayed true to his words. Hindi s'ya namilit kahit isang beses. How do I explain this?

He once stayed in the coffee shop for the rest of my shift. He said he was bored at home. Nagulat pa ako noong biglang pumasok si Junie. He talked to me for a bit. He apologised for what happened back then. Tapos naupo na s'ya sa table ni Caius. And then they fúcking turned the coffee shop into a game den. He didn't bother me on my work. Really. Basta buong araw lang silang naglalaro sa cellphone nila at nagtatawanan o nagmumurahan. Talagang kinakausap n'ya lang ako kapag umoorder sila ng pagkain at drinks.

That day, hinatid n'ya ako hanggang sa gate ng village namin.

Amara stopped working in the coffee shop by then because she was busy going God knows where. I already talked to her about that matter because I was getting worried. But she dismissed me saying that she was fine and safe. She told me her sideline requires her to go from place to place. What stopped me from bothering her about it was when she told me that she was finally at peace.

"I can't." sagot ko.

"Pupuntahan kita d'yan." Nasapo ko ang ulo ko dahil sa sinabi n'ya.

"I'm fine."

"Basta." he said and then dropped the call.

Tignan mo. Marunong na s'yang umattitude ngayon. Ano pa bang magagawa ko? He knew my schedule and rooms. Kasama ko ba naman s'yang mag-enrol.