Meet Me In Mabini (City Series #2)

Chapter 1

#MMIM01

I looked around the campus and saw probably every type of student here at SLU. I held my phone by my ear while looking around, hoping to find Claude nearby. Ang sabi sa akin nina Franco, dumiretso daw sila dito.

"Hello?" sagot ni Claude. "Tapos ka na sa klase mo?"

"Kanina pa. Hindi mo ako hinintay," I complained. "Nag-taxi tuloy ako!"

I heard him laugh at the other line. I could already hear the whistle of their coach and the sound of the rubber from the shoes of his teammates.

"Akala ko ba we're meeting today?" I told Claude, trying not to sound angry, even though I was pissed!

He's been ditching me so much these past few weeks. Even though we both go to the same campus, nagugulat na lang ako kapag sinasabi nina Franco na naka-alis na agad siya. I guess it's because of his training and tune up games, so I should be more understanding. Malapit na rin ang BBEAL, eh.

"Nakalimutan kong may tune up, eh," he said. "Bawi ako. Where do you want to eat later?"

"Ang dami mo nang utang sa akin, ah!" I told him while sitting down on a bench by the fountain.

Nandito ako sa main campus ng SLU ngayon dahil akala ko nga lalabas kami ni Claude after his training. May game pa pala sila, at paniguradong late 'yon matatapos. Of course, wala rin naman akong karapatan na magalit. I'm just his childhood friend, after all.

He laughed. "Nuod ka game namin mamaya against UB, kain tayo after."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see me. Binaba ko kaagad yung call at humalukipkip.

I sat there quietly. Nakakunot lang ang noo ko habang naka-titig ako sa fountain. A lot of students looked like they were going home already. Sabagay, medyo pa-gabi na rin. Uuwi na rin lang siguro ako.

"May loner dito," I heard a guy say from the other bench.

Napaawang ang bibig ko. He looked so familiar! I swear, I've seen his face before...

That's right! I remember his face kasi sinastalk siya ni Margaux nung isang araw lang. Sabi niya siya daw yung gwapong kaibigan ng kapatid niya, pero hindi ko naman kita! Sobrang onti lang ng pictures niya on social media. Guys literally take one good picture and use it for years in all their social media accounts.

Well maybe I should give him a piece of my mind! He chose a wrong day to mess with me. Ang init na ng ulo ko kay Claude, dadagdag pa talaga siya!

"Excuse me, may hinihintay ako dito. Hindi ako loner. Baka ikaw! You're just sitting there on your phone, judging other people who sit alone?! What kind of loser does that?" sabi ko sa kanya.

He looked up with his forehead creased. Tinanggal niya yung airpods niya at tinitigan ako.

"Huh?" It looked like he was about to say something pero bumalik ang tingin niya sa phone niya.

"Bakit ka kasi nagsosolo? Patay ka tuloy," he said. "Ihahatid pa ba kita pauwi, Raf?"

I already felt my face getting red. Oh God. Hindi ako yung tinutukoy niya!

"I'll just wait for you guys here sa fountain," sabi nung lalaki.

Mukhang inexit na rin niya yung game na nilalaro niya kahit na hindi pa tapos. Bumalik ang hiya sa sistema ko nang tignan niya ako.

"What were you saying?" tanong niya sa akin.

Kinuha ko kaagad yung bag ko at sinuot 'yon. It's a good thing I still look cute.