Fortitude Divine (ONGOING)

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3

 "Class dismiss," our Professor in last subject announced. 'Yan lang naman ang hinihintay ko kanina pa. Kaya naman agad kong niligpit ang aking mga gamit at lumabas na. Kikitain ko pa sina Maxine at Celesta. 

In two weeks since the class started ay nagkikita naman kami. Hindi nga lang katulad noon na halos oras-oras ay magkakasama kami. Magkakaiba kasi ang schedule namin ngayon, minsan lang magka-pareha.

The formal class has started, but I still don't have my uniform. Ganito raw talaga rito, uniforms arrived late, so I am still wearing something and feeling nerd in my geeky-glasses. I would also remove it when my uniforms arrived. Wearing eye glasses is not really easy. It's also a hindrance. Gayunpaman ay hindi pa rin mawala-wala ang paglingon sa 'kin ng mga nadaraanan kong kapwa estudyante.

Why are they looking at me? Simple lang naman ang ayos ko kumpara sa ibang babaeng estudyante rito. Ang iikli ng mga skirt. Well, gan'yan pala talaga ang uniform dito. Paano kaya kung ganiyan na ang suot ko? Gosh, I kennat. Ang kakapal pa ng makeup ng mga kababaihan, iyong labi nila namumutok sa lipstick. Sabog na sabog na.

When I arrived at the cafeteria where we would meet, I immediately noticed them. Sa lakas ba naman ng bunganga ng isang ito, it was easy to get attention. As if she had swallowed five microphones.

"Hi!" I greeted them and sat down next to Maxine. We are facing Celesta who is talking.

"Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh!" I just winced at the intensity of her voice.

"Ano ba, Les! Lower your voice! Nandito lang kami sa harap mo pero kung makasigaw ka akala mo naman nasa kabilang bayan pa ang kausap," sita ko sa kaniya.

Umirap naman siya. "E, kasi naman po pinagpi-piyestahan iyang pangalan mo rito sa campus!"

"So?" Malamang dahil transferee ako kaya siguro kalat ang pangalan ko sa campus. I didn't mind at all.

"Anong 'so' ka riyan?! Bali-balita na nililigawan ka raw ng isang Drich Alvarez!"

"What?! How?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, because you two are close to each other. Mag-ingat ka sa lalaking iyan, Beatrix. Marami ng pinaiyak na babae 'yan."

I rolled my eyes heavenward. "Then, what do you think of me? One of those stupid girls who cried just because of that arrogant playboy? Tss."

She rolled her eyes, too. Walang originality. "That's not what I mean. What if you two will develop into each other?"

"That's no sense. We're just nothing... Seatmate? Classmate in one subject?"

In the past two weeks, that arrogant Playboy is always pissing me off. He's really getting into my nerves. Hindi ko na nga pinapansin pero lagi pa akong kinukulit, 'yung tipong parang naghahanap ng paraan para lang mapansin. Hindi ko alam na gano'n pala siya ka-desperado para sa isang babaeng sasaktan niya lang din naman sa huli. That was really cheap.

After we talked about something that didn't matter ay nagpaalam na rin kami. Nagpasundo lang ako sa driver since alam ko namang umalis na si Cloud, laging kasama ang barkada hanggang gabi.

"Baj!" Hindi na ako magtataka pa kung sino iyon.

"Hi, Dad," balik kong bati sa kaniya at agad siyang niyakap. Hinalikan naman niya ako sa noo.

Ngayon ko lang ulit siya nakita, because he was left in Italy to manage our business there. Umuwi naman siya ng isang beses sa Maynila pero hindi na dumaan dito dahil marami pa siyang dapat asikasuhin. He was my companion in Italy and taught me how to handle business. I have learned something, but I went home immediately after my first year of college. I can't take the environment there, I mean hindi ako sanay na malayo sa pamilya ko. Our home here in the Philippines is my safe haven.