Embracing the Troublemaker

Chapter Fourthy Eight

Jael's Point of View

Kamot ulo akong nag pa alalay kay Ross pabalik nang silid tulugan ko habang sya naman ay nag pipigil nang mga ngiti.

"Wag mo kasi ako ginugulat!" reklamo ko. Tuluyan nang lumabas ang mga ngiti na kanina nya pa tinatago.

"I'm sorry, you're spacing out po kasi." aniya.

Pabiro ko syang sinamaan nang tingin pero lalo lang syang tumawa. Kanina pa 'to masaya eh.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" I blurted out unexpectedly.

Nahinto kami saglit sa pag akyat ng hagdan. Ross looked at me with a grin. "No..."

"Weh? Eh bakit sabi ni Apollo ikaw din daw dahilan kung bakit nag hiwalay sila ng girlfriend nya?" Bakas sa tono ko ang pag ka tampo. Hindi ko mapigilan!

Ross chuckled. "If you only knew, Jael..."

"Huh?" I didn't catch that.

He shook his head, and we continued going upstairs. He seemed to notice I was waiting for his answer, so he playfully messed up my hair. "So, you think Apollo's ex and I had a thing?"

I hesitated for a moment. Sinabi ko ba yon? "So, hindi?"

Ross pinched my nose. "Nope, not at all. It happened four years ago. Nicole broke up with Apollo, and then Apollo blamed me again for their breakup, saying Nicole liked me."

"Paano mo nalaman?" I asked curiously.

"She told me she loved me," he answered.

I slightly nodded. Sino ba hindi mag kakagusto kay Ross? Gwapo na matalino pa tapos mabait. Parang nasa kanya na nga lahat nang mga hinahanap ng mga babae. 

Pano kaya kapag umamin ako sakanya? Ma r-reject din kaya ako? Hindi imposible yon.

Pag karating namin sa kwarto inalalayan n'ya akong maka higa. Akala ko aalis na agad s'ya para matulog sa sarili n'yang kwarto pero umupo lang sya sa may side table.

The room was dimly lit with only the lampshade providing light through the thick curtains. I tried to sleep but felt Ross's eyes on me. He seemed teary-eyed and sniffled a few times.

Nakaka concious naman, baka mabaho na ang amoy ko. Hindi pa naman ako nakaka ligo.

Iniwasan ko ang tingin n'ya at tumingala sa kisame. Nag bibilang ako nang mga baka sa utak ko para maka tulog. Sinubukan ko na rin na kumurap nang ilang beses para mapagod ang mata ko't kusa nalang pumikit pero wala pa rin talagang epekto.

"I'm not dreaming, right?" His words made me turn to him with a frown.

"Why?"

"Nothing... I just can't believe you're here with me," he said in a hoarse voice. "If this is just a dream, I don't want to wake up. I want to stay like this forever."

I pouted. Hindi ko kasi naiintindihan yung mga sinasabi n'ya. Parang may pinapahiwatig pero hindi ko malaman kung ano.

We were silent for a few minutes until he spoke again.

"When... when you first saw me, were you scared of me?" he asked, hesitantly.

Inisip ko nang mabuti yung una ko s'yang nakita sa classroom. "Hindi naman sa natakot, na intimidate lang." sagot ko. "Pero nung nalaman kong nang b-bully ka raw tapos nakikipag basag ulo, natakot ako."

Ross chuckled. "I had my reasons, though."

"Kahit na, bad din 'yon 'no! Baka mapahamak ka, kay Apollo pa nga lang eh..." I argued.