I Met a Guy Whose Name is Lucas

Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Gems

Friday, September 7, 2018 18:30 PHT

It was around 5:30 PM when we started to write feature article. Kanina kasi marami sa amin ang walang 5 PM class kaya pinagworkshop kami ni kuya Adam. I texted Mommy na malelate ako ng uwi today and she told it'd be okay kaya lang walang susundo sa akin kaya magcocommute ako pauwi.

"Bye guys! See you on Monday," I told them while I was getting my bag. I can go home now because I've just submitted my article. Kanina, nauna nang matapos sina Lucas at Ben kaya nakauwi agad sila, and we were like: sana all nakakauwi ng maaga. Ben was cheeky kasi sabi niya: wala ganon talaga ang mga bright. I could tell you I rolled my eyes at him.

"Huy first meeting natin bukas sa NSTP, hindi ka papasok?" sabi ni Marisa. I stared at her for a moment, remembering that tomorrow would be the first meeting of NSTP classes.

Shoot, oo nga.

"Hala oo nga! Nakalimutan ko rin!" Esther exclaims, taking her pen on the table and putting it in her bag. I suddenly feel sad, it means hindi ako makakapunta sa bahay nila ate Adie kasi may pasok pala kami bukas. Nagsabi pa naman ako na sige kanina when I received her text message.

Saturday class sucks. Papasok ba ako o hindi? Syempre papasok ako, first meeting 'yon. Kainis.

"Okay, see you tomorrow." Dahil nawalan ako ng gana, lumabas agad ako sa office.

Sigh. Umuulan pa, too bad for me for I forgot to bring my umbrella. When I stepped out of the building, naramdaman ko agad na nababasa ng ulan ang eye glasses ko kaya tinanggal ko muna ito. I put it in the left pocket of my slacks. It was a bad move kasi madilim na rin, but I needed to kasi hindi ko rin naman makikita ang daan kapag moistened ang eye glasses.

I took my phone from my right pocket and turn on the flashlight. Tinapatan ko ang dadaanan ko hanggang sa makarating ako sa abangan ng sasakyan. Minsan talaga inisip ko na ang malas ng araw ko, like now. Umuulan na nga at wala akong payong, wala pang tricycle na dumadaan. Gabi na rin kasi at wala nang mga estudyante.

I use my bag to cover my head. Hinawi ko na rin pataas ang bangs ko, because it covered my eyes to see the way. I look up in the sky, the horizon is dark from the time and the cloud covering the faintest color of light blue. It's twilight, but the sun has already set down from the horizon, giving me the feeling that the day has ended.

I shut my eyes closed, praying to not hear a loud reverberating thunder after the flash of lightning that I'd just saw. For a moment, I hoped that Javi was with me, but who was I kidding? We are over. Five-long-month over. I snicker at my own thoughts. Why did I even think of him?

Ahh, right. Javi used to cover my ears when we see lightning. Because of that memory, I feel undeniably gloomy and really sad. I feel insecure of myself again, because I am only secure when Javi is with me. Now, here comes the questions I have been asking myself since he wronged me, racing on my head. What's wrong with me now? I thought it was long done? I thought I was finally okay?

Hays. Saktong sakto lang ang pageemote ko sa weather. Parang nasa music video lang, sana pala nakinig ako ng music.

I am blankly staring at streetlamp, not minding the rain that starts to pour really heavy and it hits my skin a little hard. The streetlights are the only thing I can clearly see in this dark and dull street. I am alone and scarred like a piece of melancholic wood where tons of unsaid words are engraved in a fancy calligraphy but in a chaotic order left in the middle of a desolate forest.