"WHAT the hell?" Rant ran over the trash can where the red card was thrown. Ni hindi man lang binasa ng babae ang nilalaman noon. "Deym, magluluksa nito si Dalmatian dude. Pa'no na yung isang libo mo, baka bawiin." Dismayadong komento din naman ng pinsan niya.

"Sabi mo heartthrob yung kumag na yun? Bakit parang hindi naman? Binasura lang siya nung babae." Rant smells the scented card kung amoy pabango pa ba o amoy basura na. Mabuti na lang, nasagip nila agad bago mabulok sa basurahan. That woman is just plain rude! Hindi man lang kinonsider ang effort ng pagbigay nun. Not everyone has the courage of sending a letter to someone they admire and she just.. treated it like a trash.

"Mas sikat pa yata ako dun eh." Garry also noticed the girls on this Literature building squeals over his cousin. Buong-loob namang nagpacute si Rant sa mga ito.

"I give you that. Pero ano ngang gagawin mo dyan? Suplada yung babae. Kaya pala itinawag na sa'yo dahil mahirap iapproach." Rant ended his winking and smiling session at tinuunan ulit ng atensyon ang pinsan.

"Narinig mo ba yung kaibigan mong tagiptip? Yung isang libo, downpayment lang yun. Kapag napapayag kong makipagdate sa kaniya yung babae, tri-triplehin niya ang bayad kaya hindi ako pwedeng sumuko. Baka naman chocolates ang trip nun. Corny nga naman ang loveletter sa panahon ngayon." Still, Rant kept the letter to his bag if ever he'll encounter the girl again. He'll just give it himself and ask her to date his client. By that, makukuha niya na ang karagdagang bayad sa kaniya. Easy!

"Nagugutom na ako. Kain muna tayo." Nag-aya nang kumain ang pinsan niya. It's almost passed half lunch time. Kalahating oras na lang ang meron sila to eat. "Una ka na. May mga bagong librong dumating sa library. Duty calls." Rant walks leaving.

"Sabihin mo lang, tinitipid mo na naman sarili mo! Kita na lang tayo mamaya sa klase." Humiwalay na sila ng kani-kaniyang daan. Garry headed to the nearest cafeteria and Rant to library for his other call.

He's a psychology student. Graduating din this year. He's the famous call-boy in town ika nga ng mga nakakakilala sa kaniya. Whatever calls it is as long as money involves, he's all willing to do the chores. Sa sobrang in demand, may calling card na din siya lagi sa wallet na butas.

"Happy lunch, Ms. Helga! May gawain ka para sa'kin?" Rant peeks to the librarian from the top of file of books. "Rant, mabuti naman nandito ka na. Nag-lunch ka na ba? Okay ka nang magayos dito? Hindi pa kasi ako nagla-lunch." Mabilis na tumayo ang babae mula sa pagkakaupo habang chinecheck ang bawat libro pagkakita sa kaniya.

"Yes naman, sure madam! Ako na'ng bahala dito. Enjoy your food!" Masiglang pumalit sa pwesto ng ginang si Rant at dinampot ang listahan ng mga libro. "Oh sige. Maiwan na kita dyan. Siguraduhing mong tama ang pagcheck mo ha." Bilin pa ng madam.

"Yes, ma'am!" Iniwan na siya ng babae at lumabas ng library. Walang napansing tao si Rant kaya naman less hassle ang pagduty niya. Wala siyang kailangang ientertain na mambabasa.

He checks each book na nasa list. All complete kaya sa pagaayos naman siya tumungo. Isa-isa niyang binitbit at inilalagay sa tamang section ang mga bagong dating na libro. He works fast kaya mukhang matatapos siya bago magumpisa ang unang klase para sa hapon.

He's on the last book nang mapadungaw siya sa nakahawing kurtina. Airconditioned ang buong library kaya nakasara ang mga bintana. Natanaw niya ang tila pigura ng isang tao sa rooftop. Babae. Ang laylayan ng suot na bestida nito ay umaalon sa hangin habang nakatayo sa isang delikadong parte. He felt alarmed.

The woman opens her arms in the air. In thought of something dangerous, Rant quickly ran out of the library. Hawak pa nito ang huling librong isasaayos niya sana sa shelf nito.

"Rant! Ayos na ba--" Nilagpasan niya si Ms. Helga na nakasalubong niya sa pasilyo. Nagtataka lang naman itong napasunod ng tingin sa kaniya. Out of focus, naalala ni Rant ang hawak na libro saka binalikan ang ginang.

"Ma'am kayo na po ang bahala dito. Huli na 'to ma'am. Babalik na lang po ako mamaya!" He dashed away to the stairs. Matulin niyang tinakbo ang bawat baitang paitaas hoping it's not yet late for that girl.

"Wag!" Rant shouts while running to the woman planning to jump from the rooftop.

NAGTATAKANG in-off ni Gayle ng isang earphone sa tenga nang parang may narinig siyang sumigaw. She's just unwinding up there. Seeing the city from where she stands made her realize how big the world for her. She had hard time coping up with her family issues and what more would it be like to try meeting up the world's expectation. She's staring at the sun. May shades siya kaya hindi siya nabubulag sa init nito. Then someone pulled her from behind down from the cemented rail.

Her body fell off-balance. Her shades fell from the rooftop to the ground below. Her body bumped to a solid body. Arms encircled around her shoulders and waist. Matibay sa pagkakatayo ang taong humablot sa kaniya kaya hindi sila bumagsak sa semento. Gayle was dumbstruck being in an embrace of someone.

"You'll be fine. Kung anumang pinagdadaanan mo, lilipas din yan. Trust me." The guy even patted her back gently comforting her from whatever he thought she's going through. She is really going through something but she's not going to jump. The pain she felt is still unbearable for her to commit suicide! Mahinahon pa ang boses nito na kinakalma siya. She's calm seconds ago until he grabbed her.

She pushed herself off the guy at tinuhod ito. The guy bends to reach his knee that is hurting from her kick.

Hinanap niya ang bag at lunchbox na wala nang laman. She threw another look to the guy recovering from the pain on his knee. It was the guy with the other hiding behind the pillar sa may locker. Ito din yung bumunggo sa kaniya kaya muntikan siyang mahulog sa hagdan kanina. She's remembering someone's face now. This is annoying. Gayle gritted her teeth. She's about to leave nang hawakan ulit siya nito sa pulsuhan. Sandali pa siyang tinitigan din nito.

Rant remembers her too. Not just the girl Dalmatian asked him to set up to him nor the woman he bumped into the stairs. He remembers her to be that rude woman who ignores him when he ran to take the bus earlier this morning. She's also that woman from that house he climbed to get some ripe mangoes. The woman peacefully sleeping on the hammock. Even the woman from the church who let him hide inside their car, it was her. The one he gave a candle.

Remembering all those, this really isn't their first time meeting each other. Gayle felt alarm nang napangiti sa sarili ang lalaki. Hindi nito binibitawan ang kamay niya kaya hindi siya makaalis.

"You're quiet a woman. I mean literally quiet. Naniniwala ka ba sa tadhana? Feeling ko kasi, pinagtatagpo talaga tayo eh hanggang dito sa eskwelahan." The guy started talking to her as if she's also happy to see him.

"Ako yung nanghingi ng mangga sa bakuran niyo. Yung nagbigay sayo ng kandila kahapon sa simbahan, tanda mo?" Ito lang ang natutuwa sa mga naalala. He's even proud that he tresspassed their yard. What a shameless guy. Sinubukan niya ulit hilahin ang kamay pero ayaw pa din nitong bumitaw. Konti na lang magsasalita na siya. But she only talks if its the only choice left.

"Ah, hindi ka nga pala nagsasalita. Teka, hindi ko akalaing pumapatol pala sa pipi yung Dalmatian na yun?" Pero bigla niya ding naalala ang narinig na pustahan ng mga barkada nito. To what he recalls, pinagpustahan nga lang pala ng mga ito kung mapapapayag makipagdate ang babaeng kaharap niya. He suddenly felt bad for her. She's too innocent to be played.

Abala ang isipan ni Rant kung gaano kawawa ang babae kung sakaling pumayag itong lumabas kasama ni Dalmatian. He's too occupied that he was surprised when Gayle talks.

"Hindi mo ba ako bibitawan?" Sa sobrang pagkabigla thinking she's mute nabitawan niya ang kamay ng babae at napaatras. He even looks around flustered to what he heard.

"Teka-- Nagsasalita ka?" Gayle just turned her back at umalis na ng rooftop without saying more. Rant followed her embarassed. He's suddenly reflecting to all he said assuming she's mute and deaf. She must be offended.

Gayle just ignored the guy that's walking behind her at diretsong tinutungo ang pasilyo patungo sa susunod niyang klase hanggang sa nawala na ito sa likuran niya. Inis niyang pinatong ang bag sa desk. Dahil sa lalaki nahulog yung sunglass niya. Tsk.

After class hour, balak niyang mamili ng bagong damit at pares ng shades pantakip sa mata. If she hadn't dropped that, hindi sana siya makikilala ng lalaki kanina. She wouldn't even had talked to stranger.

Kinuha niya na ang bike pagkababa ng hagdanan palabas ng campus. Katulad ng plano, she bought a pair of pants and blouses. She chose three pairs of eye glasses too. The darker its shade, the better she could ignore people. Hinugot niya ang credit card na bigay ng mommy niya para magbayad. She suddenly felt wrong to spend this money to clothes her mom wouldn't like for her. Dresses are part of being a woman, her mom always reminded her. Maybe at their situation right now, hindi na siya nito pakikialaman sa kung ano'ng susuotin. Her mom would possibly be busier preparing to migrate to Switzerland than commenting to her clothes. She had dinner at one of the restaurant sa mall by herself before going home.

Shelovesrain❤