Chapter 2

I found out that he's too famous in his batch, kaya nung dumaan ako roon sa engineering building para sana sumilip lang, pinagtitinginan ako nung mga engineering students dun.

"Is that Lauren Williams?"

"Exactly, ang dami dami niyang manliligaw, tinataboy niya dahil may gusto pala ito kay Senior Raniego."

"She better focus herself to entertaining his suitors, hindi siya papansinin ni Senior 'no, "

I am feeling so down. I'm really attracted to that guy huh! This would be my first heartbreak.

"Oh what happened to you, honey? I like your outfit these past few days. Why are you wearing your oversized shirts again?" Mommy ranted.

" I don't like to get too much attraction, Mom," i answered lazily.

"Still no boyfriend? Lauren?" My dad asked. Nag angat ako ng tingin sakanya. I'm pretty sure he won't allow me to get a boyfriend if he found out that i like someone who's into military.

"I have no time for that, Daddy. I'm busy in school." I answered.

"Oh, that's new!" He laughed. "But if you found one, you better check first if he's in the line of military, para minus ang sakit." Biglang naging madilim ang awra niya, then i turned to my mom, nawala ang mga ngiti niya, napayuko nalamang ako sa pagkain ko.

When I was five years old. I remember how i witnessed my sister violated by a soldier. I will never forget that forest green camouflage uniform in top of the body of my sister! Napapaiyak nalang ako habang naalala iyon.

I hate soldiers! They violated my sister!

But as i grew older, I taught myself that not to hate all of the soldiers. I should only hate the soldiers who violated my sister. So, I don't understand why my parents didn't want me to have a boyfriend who's in the military.

So, should i give up on Clive?

He's planning to be soldier. Graduating naman na siya sa engineering bakit hindi nalang siya mag engineer?

Speaking of him, I'm proud of myself for not going to the engineering building for the past five days. Good girl, self.

Although, I saw him in our school fair. I didn't plan to come near him since girls flocking their booth, hmp!

I'm starting to give my number to the guys who wants to text me since I'm very bored in my life. I'm planning to flirt since i can't flirt the man who i want to flirt.

And one that afternoon, while I'm in the cafeteria alone, i keep staring st my phone that keeps beeping with so much messages, hindi ko na mareplyan lahat ni hindi ko nga alam kunsino sino na tong kausap ko eh! napapagod na ko kakapindot!

I didn't want to put a name to them so i just i let it to be unknown numbers.

"What's happened to you, Lauren? Pagod na pagod sa buhay?" Natatawang sabay upo ni Cathy

"Oh who's that?" then Madeline stared at my phone. "Kape ka ba? kasi..." Basa niya sa isang text. "What's that, girl?" Natatawa nitong sambit.

"I heard namimigay ka na ng number ha. What happened to that Clive? Ayaw mo na? Akin nalang ha." Napabangon ako roon sa sinabi ni Cathy, pagsasabihan ko sana but i stopped myself. I should stop myself adoring that guys, he's planning to be a soldier.

"As if he notice you?" Irap ko. "Nagbago na pala siya ng phone kaya di nagreply sakin, then now he's planning to be a sol-," naputol ang sinasabi ko nang yugyugin nila ako.

I noticed all of the people here in the cafeteria are looking in one direction. When i looked at my left, I saw Clive walking inside the cafeteria.

"Why is he here? Lauren? Huh?" Cathy asked.

" I didn't know," I whispered. I didn't want to assume that he went here for me, kaya nag iwas nalang ako ng tingin at inabala ang sarili sa cellphone ko.

I stopped of what I'm doing when i feel someone presence beside me. When i looked up, i saw his face.

"W-Why are you here?!" Tunog pag tatampo pa iyon!

"I just want you to check your phone. I texted you, three days ago." Napakurap kurap ako sa sinabi niya.

WHAT?

Dali dali kong hinanap ang text niya saakin na natabunan na. I even saw Madeline and Cathy whose dropping their jaw of what Clive said to me. Their looking at me like "What's the meaning of this, Girl!"

Unknown number:

This is Clive. Hope you remember me.

"I guess, you have plenty of text mates huh. Kaya hindi mo na napansin ang text ko?" He said in his deep voice.

"H-Huh? N-No it's not like that, they're just my friends and classmates."

"I see." Tumango tango siya. "I'm not going to be mad if you didn't reply to my text, i just want you to know my number since we dated last 2 weeks," he nodded to me and he exited to the cafeteria.

"They're dating?" Bulungan ng mga tao.

Oh crap!

"I love it! Honey, mabuti naman at naisipan mong mag suot ng ganyang outfit," halos magpalakpak si Mommy ng makita ang sout. I'm a wearing a plain brown pencil cut and a plain white too with deep v neck, showing a lil bit of cleavage.

"ilan na nga lang itong sout ko e, Mommy. I should shop na siguro."Sabi ko habang inaayos ang buhok ko. Nangiti ngiti naman si Mommy.

"You really like your sister." Malungkot nitong ngiti.

"I really miss her too, Mommy. Iwant to see my pamangkin, I don't even know if it's a boy or girl eh."Tumango saakin si Mommy.

"Me too,"

My sister got pregnant when I was five at dinala siya sa ibang bansa para roon mamuhay and she just only 17 years old. She didn't want to communicate to us or even to

update us her life there, when my parents chose our company over her. I can't blame my parents for doing that to her because I know they chose our company ay para

rin sakanya.

"No! It's not because we can't afford to live in States! Pinapatapon niyo ko rito para

mawala iyong kaisa isa niyong ahihiyan, and which is me. How could you! Kasalanan ko ba na ma-rape ako? Kasalanan ko ba namabuntis ako ng maaga?This is not my fault, this all your fault, Dad! If you just stop your illegal "

"Laura!," Dad shouted.

Rinig ko noong nag skype sila kayAte para kamustahin. I was crying that night, I can't do anything for her. I think she's depressed that time and she could kill her child for that, kaya I really want to get update to her at least update us if she's still alive? That's enough.

Clive:

I hate your outfit. What about the clothes you wearing yesterday?

Where is it?

Nangiti ako at nag tipa ng irereply.

Ako:

Bakit mo hinahanap? Nasa labahan na haha.

My phone keep on beeping, not because Clive is really fast in replying. He isn't!! He took him an hour to reply!

Iyon ay ang mga binigyan ko ng number ko ay patuloy parin ng text ng text. More than ten din iyon. It gives me false hope. I thought it's Clive. I should blocked these morons.

Clive:

Give it to me. Ako ang maglalaba.

Napakagat nalang ako ng labi. So possessive huh.

Ako:

Ilike hearing that phrases in person. Kailan mo ba ako kikitain? Napakabusy mo naman kasi.

I think it is because they are graduating students, kaya minsan in a day pa siya kung mag reply and yes we're almost a week

in texting each other. I never really like texting, except texting someone I like.

Pagkatapos ng limang minuto at hindi pa siya nag rereply it means busy siya. Mag rereply nalang siya after an hour, o kaya mamayang gabi na kapag nakauwi na ako.

So, I planned going now to his building since uwian naman na. Kasalanan niya 'di siya nag reply.

Sakto nung papunta na ako sa kanyang room nakita ko na siya palabas dala dala ang kanya bag.I stopped and letting him to come to me instead.

Wala na akong pakialam kung pag tinginan kami rito.

"You didn't reply," i pouted while Showing my phone. Tinignan niya iyon, kumunot ang noo siya saka kinuha ang cellphone ko.

My heart keep on pounding when he touch

my phone. I think, i have never been this excited even in this simple gesture, kahit na kay Ice? I have never felt this before

"Hmm. You have a lot of textmates huh." He said while scrolling kumunot ang noo ko sabay kuha ng cellphone ko sakanya.

"Nope! Ikaw lang. Hindi ko na yan nirereplyan. I even blocked the others." I explained.

Tumango siya. "I see, let's go," at hawak niya sa balikat ko para igaya pababa ng building. "Later,ill reply you back when i get

home."

"Okay" hindi matanggal ang ngiti ko ngayong magkasama kami. Tumingala ako sakanya nang may naisipang tanong. "San ka umuuwi?"

"Apartment,"

"Hmm..Where?"

"Sasakay ako ng isang jeep, tapos iyon na,"

"May kasama ka?," I unconsciously asked He then looked down on me and he shook his head

"Wala. Ako lang" Tangi niyang sagot.

"Pwede.. sumama?" I don't know why i said that! What the fvck, Girl? Textmates lang kayo, hindi kayo live in partners. Thinking

that we gonna be in the same roof

makes me high.

Tumigil kami nang nakalabas na

kami ng gate.

"Nope!" Sabay hawak niya sa tuktuk ng ulo ko. "It's not appropriate that the girl goes to the boy's house, it should be in other way around,"

"Should I invite you in our house then?" bawi ko. Parang mas appropriate nga iyon.

"Sure!"

Nanlaki ang mata ko na sumang ayon siya sa gusto ko at bigla nalang nag sink in saakin na hindi maaari. If I invite him to our house it means my father would ask him his ambition in life. Paano kung sabihin niya, straight to the point na gusto niya maging sundalo? Baka ipadala rin ako sa states para ipaglayo kami.

No.

No.

No fvcking way.

"Joke lang." Tawa ko. "Hindi ka pa nga nanliigaw eh. Manligaw ka muna," tumakbo ako palayo sakanya para pumunta roon sa sundo ko. Nakakahiya bakit ko ba iyon sinabi?

When i finally inside in our car, my phone beeped.

Clive:

We'll talk tomorrow.

Lalong sumiklab ang kabog ng damdamin ko. Tumili ako sa loob ng kotse nagulat iyong driver ko sa tili ko.

"Manong! Mag kaka boyfriend na ata

ako?" Tili ko pa lalo.

"Good news'yan, Maam," sabay tawa niya.

I started my day with a smile. I woke up in this morning wearing the smile that Clive gave me. The first thing comes in my mind...

Ano kaya pag uusapan namin?

Hmm. He didn't reply to me. Okay lang, ganun naman talaga siya. Anong oras kaya namin pag uusapan iyong amin? Hmm. Magkakaaminan kaya kami?

"Yes. Clive, i like you too." Sabay tili ko nang matapos ang unang subject ko.

Hmm. He didn't reply to my recent text huh.

Okay lang, ganun naman talaga siya, Baka may tinatapos lang na schoolwork alam mo naman iyon graduating na.

Im trying to be understanding, pero malapit na matapos iyong araw ko, at unti unti narin nawawala iyong ngiti sa labi ko. Hindi man lang siya nag reply man lang kahit isang beses? Baka absent? Ni hindi ko rin siya nakita, well malaki itong school. We can't just bump to each other here. Maybe i need to go to their building?

Inaagahan kong lumabas sa second to the last subject ko para lang makaattend ako mamaya sa last subject kung makakausap ko siya ngayon dahil hindi ako makakapag focus sa last subject ko kung hindi ko malalaman kung anong dahilan nito.

There's a few students when i got in in the engineering building. siguro dahil inyongiba maaaga umuwi.

Mabuti nalang may nakita akong kaklase niya na naging familiar na saakin.

"Excuse me, Uh... Nakita mo ba si Clive?" Nginoso siya ang kabilang hallway. Nilipat ko pa ang tingin ko para makita kung anong meron dun.

"Sa girlfriend niya bakit?" sabat nung isa.

"Uy," saway nung isa.

I saw a girl wearing a white skirt and croptop off shoulder standing in front

of Clive and she's trying to kiss him but he refuse that's why her kiss landed to Clive's right cheek.

"Stop it, Shin!"

Tamang tama iyong direksyon sa pag iwas niya sakto kung saan ako nakatayo at nasaksihan iyon. He saw me. His eyes widened then he shoo away that girl and he's ready to run to me when he saw that I'm crying. Humikbi ako ng humikbi. Ang sakit! My mind can't process anything, the only thing that i know is I'm hurt!

Tumakbo ako palabas bago niya ako maabutan, mahaba ang hallway na iyon tiyak hindi niya ako maabutan. Tumunog ang relo ko hudyat na last subject ko na.

Nung malapit na ako sa room, itinahan ko na ang sarili ko. Istrikto ang aming prof, may quiz pa kami baka palabasin ako nun.

"Good afternoon, Sir," bati ko at pumasok na nakayuko, humihikbi hikbi pa ng kunti. Mabuti nalang at abala ang mga kaklase ko sa pagre review.

"What brings you here, Mr. Raniego" Nag angat ako ng tingin at nagtagpo ang aming mga mata. His eyes are full of worries. Yumuko na lamang ako para di pa iyon makita. "We're having a quiz."

"Si Lauren ang hanap niyan, Sir!" Napapikit ako habang nilalabas ang notes ko kunwari magrereview ako.

"Ms. Williams?" Si Sir.

"Uh. Sir, later nalang po. After this period nalang po. I'll just wait her here." Kumalabog ang puso ko at nagdarasal na sana 1 to 1000 ang quiz.