Nakita ko ang papalapit na baliw sa akin.
"Nothing. You shouldn't mind our business because you have your own."
Lumapit siya sa akin at hinatak ang buhok ko. "Anong sabi mo? Pakitagalog nga."
"Ang sabi ko huwag mo kaming pakialaman dahil may sarili kang buhay na dapat 'yun lang ang pinapakialaman mo. And let go of my hair!" Inalis ko ang kamay niya sa buhok ko.
"Kailan ko naman pinakialaman ang buhay mo? Ikaw nga 'tong nangingialam ng buhay ng may buhay! Nakalimutan mo na bang nagpapakabayani ka para iligtas ako? Ikaw 'tong nangingialam ng buhay!" Sigaw niya.
Tumayo ako at tiningnan siya. "Really? So am I doing that? For your information, miss, I never disturbed you. It is you who bumped into me. It is you who asked for help. It is you who made your menace that made my life a big mess. It is your fault not mine so don't blame me because it is you, who made it all wrong..."
Napakunot ang noo niya kaya nabitiwan niya ang buhok ko.
"Tell me, Clark, Kurt, sa tingin niyo ba mapapalitan nito si Sheen sa puso ko? I doubt it. Kaya huwag niyo akong tatanungin kung naka-moved on na ba ako because I will never be, kahit sinong babae pa ang dumating... Kahit sino pa. Si Sheen pa rin ang pipiliin ko." I exclaimed.
"Kaya overaction, save your energy. Don't waste it for me because I will never look at you... I will never see you the way I see Sheen. Huwag mong isipin na kaya tinutulungan kita dahil posibleng may gusto ako sa 'yo. Don't get me wrong, okay?" Sabi ko at tsaka ko siya tinalikuran.
"H-ha? Napa'no 'yun?" Rinig ko pang tanong niya pero tuluyan na akong umalis.
It is because of her that's why I am doing this. I don't want her to be involved in my complicated life. So as soon as possible I am pushing her away. If things will happen just the way I think, she'll probably be hurt and I don't want that. I still remember the day I bumped my car into her. I was afraid and scared na may mamamatay na naman dahil sa katangahan ko.
"Wala kang puso!" Napatigil ako sa paglalakad nang hindi ko inaasahang sisigaw siya. "Paano mo nasabing nagmamahal ka kung wala ka namang puso?!"
Nilingon ko siya at tiningnan. And the way she looks into my eyes, I know I hurt her... I already did. "Paano mo nagagawang manakit ng isang tao? Hindi ba't alam mo rin ang pakiramdam ng masaktan kasi hindi ka mahal ng taong mahal mo? Totoo bang nagmamahal ka? Totoo ba 'yang pagmamahal na sinasabi mo?"
Nangingibabaw ang boses niya. Tumatagos ang mga salitang sinasabi niya. "Kung mahal mo talaga si Sheen bakit nandito ka lang? Hindi ba dapat ipinaglalaban mo ang pag-ibig mo sa kaniya? Kung totoong mahal mo siya dapat wala ka rito at nandoon ka sa tabi niya! Pero bakit mag-isa ka lang? Bakit nananakit ka? Porke't nasaktan ka, may karapatan ka nang manakit ng iba?"
And then I realized, what I said really hurt her. She's fragile that even just my words break her.
"Huwag kang magsalita nang tapos, Raven Kim. Hindi mo alam kung itong babaeng nasa harap mo na ayaw mo ngayon, balang araw magustuhan mo. Hindi mo alam na 'yung nilalait mo ngayon sa harap ng maraming tao balang araw, kababaliwan mo! Hindi mo alam na itong babaeng 'to, balang araw ang mambabaliwala sa 'yo! Ang aayaw sa 'yo! Raven Kim..."
That was the first time...
She called my name...
That moment...
That f*cking moment...
Her voice saying my name gave me chills down my spine.
"...ang lagkit ng buhok mo," mahinang sabi niya na narinig ko naman.
I was frozen at the moment.
Narinig ko ang malakas na tawanan ng mga estudyanteng nakapaligid sa amin. Nakita kong nilapitan siya ng dalawa niyang kaibigan at mukhang tinatanong siya kung anong nangyari.
Akmang papaalis na ako nang pigilan ako ni Kurt. "If you're really confident that you will not fall for her then don't leave. Make her known that you're impossible to beat but I guess, tadhana na ang magdidikta." Nakita kong tumingin siya kay Clark. Naalala ko na naman ang deal namin.
I heaved a deep sigh and sit down beside them. It was all awkward for us.
"If we can't handle breathing with each other, can we please try it again? Alam ko hindi magaganda ang first impressions niyo sa isa't isa but can we just play it all over again? Can we just start trying to be friends, not enemies?" Karen breaks the ice.
"I think there's nothing wrong with us being friends because I know you can't be lovers since you hate each other's side. I mean, just friends, okay? You can't go finish this college life without friends," Kurt added trying to fix this whole mess between the four of us.
"Why do we have to be friends? We're contented with being enemies or just strangers. At isa pa, I don't want to see him ever again!" Turo ni Maine kay Clark.
"As if I want to see you. The feeling is mutual, okay? And the fact that you hate me because of that one kiss. Come on, it is just a kiss. There's no big deal about that. But then, maybe it is, for you, because it is your first and you are still a virgin."
"What the eff are you trying to say?! You're really a perverted maniac! Come here and face my palm! I really want to slap you big time!"
Napatingin ako sa babaeng nasa harap ko. Ngayon ko lang napansin na nakatingin pala siya sa akin na para bang kinukulam niya ako sa isip niya.
"Sorry kung nabangga kita. Salamat kasi niligtas mo ako ng gabing 'yon. Salamat dahil dinala mo ako sa hospital at hindi mo ako hinayaan nang mabangga mo ako. Salamat kasi palagi mo akong tinutulungan pero sana ito na ang huling beses. Ayoko nang magkaroon ng utang na loob sa 'yo. Pasensya na, Karen, pero huwag na nating ipilit. Hindi pwedeng maging magkaibigan ang lalaki at babae," she said while saying those last words to me.
"Gusto mo 'ko kapag umalis ka,"
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