TBBM XXXIV. Lactose Intolerance    

"'H-he' hasn't come back yet," I murmured.

"Who's seated next to you?" the professor asked.

"McIntyre," Cy answered for me.

I didn't really like to say his name. But at that moment, I felt like I started to worry. Somehow, I could hear me wishing for him to come back... wishing that nothing bad had happened to him.

"Where is McIntyre?" the professor asked me.

I shook my head.

"Call him up and tell him to come back."

"I don't have his number, unfortunately."

"I do!" Angie rose from her seat confidently. She pressed on the dialler and waited.

"He calls me flirt but he gave her his number," I rolled my eye.

"Unattended," Angie stomped her feet on the floor.

"He must have told you where he was going," the professor sounded like she was blaming me. "Can't you recall---"

"Restroom. He said he was---"

"Guys, we observe buddy system here. When we go out of our classroom, our buddy is our accountability. Off you go. Find him."

"M-me?" I pointed at myself.

"Buddy system," she grinned, but more like sarcastically.

+++

I didn't really want to go to the men's room but it wasn't the peak hours so there weren't very many people out there. At that point, I somehow felt sorry that I wasn't paying much attention to him.

"Do you think something happened to him?" I unloaded my burdens on Roma. She joined me as we looked for Red.

"He's strong. I trust he'll be okay," she assured me.

My feet started to hurt as we ran from one comfort room to another. It was the first time I wore the boots we purchased yesterday so my feet were not yet familiar to it.

"Where is he?" I sighed.

We reached the door of the comfort room near the end of the parking space after a few minutes. We tried to call on him from outside at first before actually going inside. We failed to see anyone in but we heard something.

"Someone's vomiting," Roma exclaimed.

"Red?" I bolted in, forgetting how much I didn't want to talk to him. It was him. I saw him on the floor. I wanted to get down and hep him but it felt wrong somehow.

"Everyone's looking for you," I reminded him, coyly. "Come on! It's past thirty."

"He looks really bad," Roma remarked. "What do you feel, Red?"

"I ate the munchkin. The other one. How much milk does it have?" he asked weakly, holding his stomach while his forehead sweated heavily.

"You can't blame it on the food. We all ate it," I censured.

"Probably, allot," Roma answered. "It's milk and cheese."

"Lactose intolerance," he puked again, more than the first.

All the while, I thought he was just acting. I had no idea why I thought that of him but I just... in my mind, I never pictured him weak like this. I took my cardigan off and dried his face and neck with it.

"Are you... that bad?" I asked, almost inaudibly. I couldn't ignore him anymore.

"You look nice when you care," he smiled.

"Cut the tease," I looked down.

"Bring me home?" he sounded really sincere, inviting. But he kept flinching in pain, too.

Weirdly, I felt pained watching him. I felt like I wanted to share his pain. I helped him up. He was much bigger and heavier than me but I managed to get him off the floor.

"I should better tell the Professor," Roma said. "Red, you should go home."

Take this, then leave.

Don't be mad at me anymore.

When a guy---when I insult you---I don't mean it.

Don't cry because of me.

I wouldn't do it again... about the bread---and about that night.

I kept hearing him. I still about hated him. But I couldn't stand seeing him like that. When he had nothing left to puke, I sat him down the plant box outside the comfort room. His temperature was high. But he was also sweating really bad. I crushed the fever tablet and made him swallow it straight down. We didn't have potable water.

He obliged.

"You shouldn't have come, really," I meant it to be a reprimand but it came out short of anger.

"I wanted to see you," he stared at me, with those brooding eyes. They were beautiful.

"Why? You wanted to make fun---"

"I worried sick about you. I don't know what I'll do if you didn't reach home safely that night. I felt really bad about that night---"

The professor and a few of my classmates arrived before he could even finish his dialogue. I wanted to tell him that I felt really bad, too, for ignoring him. But I thought that was too much for a girl to say.

"I'm sorry, Professor," he broached, his tone was different, as if he was trying to maintain his strong visage. "I'm afraid I can't carry on with this trip."

"Good Lord!" the professor cried. "You don't look very well, Mr. McIntyre."

"I'll take a cab home," he announced.

He turned his phone on. I saw an unsaved number registered as an unanswered call. Was that Angie? I wondered why he ignored her.

"Are you sure you can go all by yourself?" the Professor came closer.

"Yeah," I agreed. "He should definitely go now."

Roma and the professor were giving me rough faces. They thought I was being nonchalant.

"I'll manage on my own, I guess," he said, occasionally crouching in pain. He gripped his stomach with his left hand. "Hickey doesn't care about me, anyway. She definitely changed since she became cute."

"Huh?"

My classmates started screaming and cheering at the hear of it. They were very loud, that the people around started being nosy. I saw Angie walked out, looking disappointed. How could he still choose to play me like that when he was already badly sick?

I saw Roma signaling me to join him.

I shook my head.

She definitely changed since she became cute.

She definitely changed since she became cute.

She definitely changed since she became cute.

She definitely changed since she became cute.

Dear Saint,

Dub dub. Dub dub.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

I can't silent my heart.

"I'm cute?" I copied him.