I’m not sure if Gal is in between being astonishing or being preposterous kasi I told her naman na we could just commute home at sayang gas kapag nagdala pa siya ng car pero eto, Gi’s smiling wider than me at may sundo daw kami for today.

     Impeccable din naman yung timing niya at sabay sabay kami ng block mates ko na palabas ng gate, later than usual kasi nagdismiss si Sir so there’s just a few more other blocks other than ours na may classes pa, only our voices could be heard throughout the halls while me and Gi already saw Rid up front the school gate. Naka-hazard siya so we need to walk faster.

     ‘On purpose or what?’ ‘On purpose how?’ she just smirked at me. Itong si Giselle eh, nakukuha na din ang antics ni Ning.

     I told her about Rid fetching us after school pero like me, she just thought na magbbyahe lang kami pauwi. ‘Does she know how many suitors you have in our block?’ ‘Si Alex lang kilala niya’

     ‘So may purpose nga’ I looked at her dead in the eye. She seemed fascinated with how I’m acting. If I didn’t know better, iisipin ko na kakontsaba ni Rid tong si Gi sa trip niya.

     ‘Gi,’ she brought her eyebrows up, a hand snaking around my waist as she plans on keeping me close. ‘Ang tanging purpose niya kaya she’s here is to fetch us, nothing else’ I blankly said. My cheeks growing into a shade of pink as I felt it heat up after realizing what I said.

     ‘To naman, ayaw mo i-flex yang Gal mo?’ she suggested. For someone who’s in her period right now, I’m glad that she’s not her usual grumpy self at nagagawa pa niya akong pakiligin over the fact na my manliligaw is by the gate waiting for us.

     Nabuhayan tuloy yung inner flirt ko. ‘I don’t see a reason why not. Tara daan tayo garden’ I pulled her to the other set of stairs that leads to the side of the school and not to the front, siya nag suggest, samahan niya ako ngayon.

     Nakauwi naman na siguro si Mang Ronie, sana hindi siya magalit sa gagawin ko.

     ‘Uy nakatanggap nanaman si Cat ng flower’ tignan mo tong si Kyno, kaya ka hindi sinasagot ni Gi eh, ma-issue ka kasi. Just because I’m holding a flower does that mean na someone gave it to me?

     Buti nga hindi kami nakita ni Gi nung nagnakaw ako sa garden nitong Gumamela. Malalagot talaga ako kay Mang Ronie neto, I can already sense my conscience acting up.

     ‘Baliw’ ‘Siya kumuha niyan’ me and Gi said. Hindi na niya siya pinansin pero since he’s at my side, I can’t help but notice na papalapit siya. ‘Ay may pagbibigyan?’

     ‘Meron’ masungit kong sabi. Hindi na niya dapat malaman kung sino pero kung gusto niya, alamin niya.

     Ayan na siya o, nakasakay sa kotse. Gusto ba niya pababain ko pa?

     ‘Hi bebs’ bati ni Ning, nagbaba pa siya ng bintana eh bababa din pala siya from the passenger seat. ‘San punta?’ ‘Dun ako sa likod, hindi ako ang jowang hilaw’ nagtawanan naman sila ni Gi.

     Aasarin nanaman ako nitong mga to.

     ‘Ay, jowang hilaw daw, payag ka nun Cat?’ pinanggigilan ko sila ng tingin. Ni-lock ni Rid yung doors kaya hindi nila mabuksan bigla.

     ‘Hi’ I greeted her as I went in.

     ‘Hoi’ umamba naman ng sapak si Ning kaya binuksan niya na din agad.

     ‘Hi, for me?’ she pointed on the flower I was holding. It’s nothing kasi it’s not usual naman na roses grow on anywhere here in the Philippines but still, a flower is a flower. A small gesture for my small Gal. ‘Yes’ I gave it to her, she gladly took it off my hands before placing it on her lap.

     Sakto sumara naman yung pinto sa likod. ‘Thank you’ ‘Oh may tao sa likod, baka gusto mo na gumalaw’ ah right, I wore my seatbelt, nasa harap nga pala ako. ‘The guard’s glaring at us’

     ‘Ang sungit ng guard niyo ha, sinabi ko na pati block niyo parang ayaw pa niya kami pagbigyan’

     ‘We’re on a road kasi’ sabi ni Gi. Even she doesn’t use her car when going to school kasi limited ang parking talaga dito.

     ‘Naka-hazard naman ako’

     ‘I told you we should commute nalang’ she turned to me for a sec, smiling before looking back up front.

     ‘Next time Wako’ her tone was light. It made me anticipate for that next time.

Rid

     Since maaga pa naman, nagyaya yung dalawa sa likod na kumain daw kami, kahit sa Mcdo lang ganun. Si Gi kasi kung maka-suggest, Manam agad ganun. Nagkaron pa tuloy ng sumpaan na the next time we all eat lunch together eh sa Manam kami kakain.

     Biniro pa ni Ning, basta daw siya magbabayad, aba gora naman si Boss