After Her Last Straw (Dream Series #1)

Special Chapter

Special Chapter
Zanashi

"Dude, those girls from higher years are looking at you. Kanina pa."

I throw my glance sideways to confirm it. I could see two girls from grade ten, sitting on the bleachers, and both were keen enough to avert my gaze. They immediately opened their books and pointed at certain page with their furrowed brows, as if they were really interested by its content.

Mula sa kanilang dalawa ay dumapo ang tingin ko sa isang babaeng nakaupo malapit sa kanila, tuwid na tuwid ang upo, at ang mata ay nakatuon sa librong hawak. Unlike those previous girls, this girl seemed to be too serious from reading her book. Ni hindi gumagalaw ang ulo, tanging mga mata lang.

"Shit! I lost my control, sorry.." said one of the players from grade eight as the ball immediately made its way towards her.

The ball had hit her right leg but instead of being startled, she remained unbothered. Heck, she didn't even move to check whoever had hit her. She's literally drawn with that book, isnt she?

Hindi na nagtagal pa ang tingin ko sa kanya nang mabilis na gumalaw iyong grade eight para kunin ang bola. Bago pa iyon ay nakita ko ang mabilis niyang pag-ayos sa buhok at pagpunas ng pawis sa kanyang noo. I clicked my tounge frustratedly and clutched his shoulder to stop him.

"Ako na.." I firmly said, slightly pissed with the idea that he did that intentionally. Nagpapapansin ang loko. 

I jogged in her direction while brushing my hair through my fingers. I wiped my forehead that was covered with beads of sweat and I even sniffed my armpit absentmindedly. Narinig ko ang mahihinang tili no'ng dalawang grade ten pero hindi ko sila binigyang-pansin.

I stopped momentarily beside her, thinking she would probably lift her head up to see who the heck is this person standing beside her. She, however, was not disturbed by my presence.

I cleared my throat but she didn't budge. Bahagya kong tiningnan ang kanyang binabasa. Talagang seryoso, ha? I cleared my throat once again and decided to speak first. Sasagot ito, sigurado.

"I'll just get the ball, Pantorilla."

She flipped over the pages of her book and talked without even looking at me.

"Hawak ko ba?" 

I bit my lower lip but the corner of it rose, suddenly amused by her answer. Sumagot nga... sa paraang Pantorilla.

She's different from other girls I've met. Really different. For such young age as her, her mentality seems more mature than students our age. She's the perfect portrayer of what they said prim and proper student.

She's really intelligent but not in an arrogant way. She's not really the kind of person who always threw her hand in the air if a question was being asked to the class, even if she certainly knew the answer. Hindi siya nagsasalita hangga't hindi tinatanong, pero sa oras na lumabas ang mga salita sa bibig niya, you couldn't just help yourself from being amazed and amused.

"Ang yabang talaga niya.." my seatmate once said after Aphra has answered our teacher's question flawlessly.

"Sumagot lang, mayabang na agad?"

I couldn't prevent myself to take her side. Pabiro ko itong sinabi pero talagang seryoso ako. Hindi ako natutuwa sa mga salitang itinatapon nila sa kanya. Whenever she's doing well in our recitation and other activities, they were always talking behind her back. Walang natutuwa, lahat ay may hindi kaaya-ayang komento.

I was always the first one to clap after her every answer. Dahil siguro sa hiya ay nakikipalakpak na rin ang iba. It almost disgusted me how they clap their hands after someone has actually clapped for her. She did nothing wrong to them, why the hell would they hate her like this? She don't deserve any of this shit.