2nd Chapter

"GOOD MORNING, Key. What the hell happened to you?!" sumigaw pa ang bruha sa harapan ko nang makita ako papasok sa classroom.

"Wala."

"Anong wala? Wala ka riyan, para kang zombie dun sa Trip to Busan!"

"Trip? It's Train for Christ's sake."

Katatapos lang naming panoorin 'yong palabas nakalimutan na nya kaagad ang title. Ni-emphasize ko pa talaga para sa kanya.

"Nevermind. So what happened? Hindi naman kumalat ang eyeliner mo hindi ba? Natural yan."

"Oo, natural ito."

Eto namang kaibigan ko napakasweet. Sarap tusurin, e.

"I cried last night, happy?"

Napasinghap sya sa sinabi ko.

"Oooh. Sorry, beshy. I didn't know. Just don't lose your sanity. After that, tell me everything, okay?" she went back to her seat after saying those sincere words to me.

I just don't get it. I just don't! Why would God gave me a love problem like this? Unrequited love ito at alam ko iyon. Hindi ko sinasadya na magkagusto sa taong walang gusto sa akin. Ano ba itong istorya ko? I am not in the prequel or sequel of 'The Girl He Never Noticed'. Dylan is not a ruthless billionaire, I am not Jade Collins who wears black wig and fairytales don't exist. Fairytales don't happen in real life. I do believe in fairytales since I was a kid. I lived by that belief that someday if I got caught by a very bad witch and cursed me to hell, someone in a red-caped prince riding on his white horse will come and save me but... fairytales just don't exist.

First period passed, but I'm still in the depths of my despair. Recess na ngunit wala akong ganang kumain. Sana pinatay na lang ako dahil sa sobrang sakit na nararamdaman ko ngayon. How I wished I'm Megan for Dylan to notice me and finally know how much I like him since grade school.

"Oy, huwag ka nang emotera diyan," Frost placed some foods on my table.

"I didn't ask for any."

"Alam ko. Kaya nga binibigyan kita ng makakain para hindi ka mamatay kaiisip sa problema mo."

Tinitigan ko lang iyong pagkain. Chocolate cake, my favorite!

"Sabi ni Lord, bawal tanggihan ang grasya kaya kumain ka na riyan!" dagdag niya.

Alam ko naman yun, e.

"Thank you," medyo nag-alinlangan ako sa pagtanggap no'n.

"Why do you love chocolate, besh? Dati naman, ayaw na ayaw mo talaga ng matatamis pero isang araw ang takaw-takaw mo na."

"I don't know. I forgot."

Totoo iyon. Nakalimutan ko na kung bakit ko gusto ang chocolates. Maybe it's just tasty.

I ate a lot to relieve my stress at gumana siya kahit papaano... at least, for now. Buti na lang at may kaibigan akong caring and loving tsaka maganda. Mabilis natapos ang oras at uwian na namin. Konting biology and physics lang naman ang lessons. It's easy for me since I've been studying those subjects in advance.

"Haay, hindi ako nakinig ng maayos kanina kay Sir. He looks boring. I wished we have a new teacher. Yung mas mukhang bata tsaka fresh grad," kinilig pa siya sa kanyang iniisip.

Ang choosy masyado ng kaibigan ko. Well, she's damn serious about that.

"Don't ever think of flirting with our teachers. Mag-aral ka, gaga!" I said, closing my locker with my force.

"You're right. But seriously, Key I want a fresh grad teacher. Iyong makakarelate sa generation natin? Ugh, how I wish God will send him here."

We both went outside where my car was parked and found a guy waiting beside it.

"Who the hell?" Frost exclaimed.

Hindi ko masyadong mahagilap ang kanyang itsura pero alam ko kung kaninong features iyon. I forgot to tell you that I am wearing eyeglasses right now since I cried last night and my eyes went foggy.

"Oh, my gosh! Dylan! It's Dylan." I giggled. "Pero bakit siya nakatayo sa gilid ng kotse ko?"

"Maybe he's waiting for you. Oh, my God! It's your time to shine," hinampas nya pa ako sa balikat bago siya kinilig. Loka-loka talaga.

"S-Stop joking, Frost. It's not funny, and he's not waiting for me, okay? He's waiting for Megan." I forced myself not to feel the excitement. Baka kasi nag-a-assume lang ako at masaktan ulit.

He quickly changed his expression nang makita ako.

"H-Hi!" bati niya.

Ako? Ako ba ang kanyang kinakausap?

*Lingon rito*

*Lingon roon*

I point myself. "Ako ba?"

"Y-Yeah, sino pa ba? You're the only person I know here," he smiled at me.

Ako nga! Ang haba naman ng hair ko.

"Ehem!" parinig ni Frost.

Aish andito pa pala si Frost.

"Um, besh. Kotse muna ako, ha?" paalam ni Frost. Binigyan niya pa ako nang nakakalokong ngiti.

I nodded. Walang hiya ka talaga, Frost kahit kailan ka. Hindi ka talaga mapagkakatiwalaan pagdating sa mga ganitong bagay.

We were just staring at each other. Waah, hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko. Tapos, tapos, tapos iyong puso ko ang bilis-bilis. Yung paghinga ko parang hindi ko maabutan. I have to talk or else–

"Can I talk to you for a bit?"

"We are already talking." I chuckled.

He shyly scratched his head. That's cute. However, the pain in my heart is still inside. Naaalala ko lang iyong sinabi niya sa akin kahapon. Hay naku!

"Yeah, you're right. I know this is getting out of hand because we just talked yesterday, and now I'm feeling close to you like we've been friends for a long time and..." he said nervously.

I don't understand what am I going to react or think. I don't understand what he's trying to say to me.

"May gusto ka bang sabihin?" naiinip na ako.

Nakakainip naman kasing maghintay sa wala lalo na't alam kong hindi naman ako ang interes ng lalaking ito.

He heaved a deep sigh. "I want to ask you a favor, Key."

He said my name! Sa tuwing sinasabi niya pangalan ko... kinikilig ako ng sobra.

"Ano iyon?" kinalma ko ang aking sarili. Kaharap ko pa naman si Dylan, ang crush ko.

"Can I have your number?"

Dugdug.

Parang nagslow-mo ang mundo ko at kaming dalawa lang ang andito ngayon sa parking. Maghunusdili ka, Key. Hindi siya nanliligaw sayo, nag-aasume ka lang kasi napaka-assumera mong tao!

But... Did I hear it right? Does he want my number? As in phone number? Wait, baka nag-aassume na naman ako nang wala sa lugar.

"Cellphone number?"

"Yeah?"

"B-Baka lang kasi lotto number or plate number or house number," napalingon ako sa gilid after makita ang kanyang nagtatakang reaksyon. Ang corny ko rin kasing magjoke. Sana hindi sya naturn-off sa ginawa ko.

"Cellphone number lang."

"Oo ba!" nakangiti kong sagot. Yung ngiting abot Baclaran talaga.

This is it, this is really is it is it nang bonggang-bongga. Napapansin na ako ni Dylan my babe.

Ibinigay ko kaagad sa kanya ang aking cellphone number, pero hindi niya man lang ibinigay sa akin iyong kanya. Ang damot naman, e. Tatawagan niya lang daw mamaya iyong numerong binigay ko upang makasigurado.

"Thanks, Key. Nice meeting you."

"Bye, De– Dylan." Muntikan ko na siyang tawagin sa ipinagbabawal na pangalan.

"Bye, Key. Have a good night sleep," kumaway siya sa akin kaya ganoon din ang ginawa ko.

Pumasok ako sa kotse at doon nagsisisigaw dahil sa kilig. Kanina ko pa ito pinipigilan, at ngayong umalis na si Dylan, magagawa ko nang hampasin ang mga gamit dito sa loob ng kotse.

"Just let it out, besh. Kaya mo iyan, go lang nang go," tinapik niya pa ang aking balikat.

"Can you believe that? He asked for my number. He's starting to notice me." I said, giggling.

Hindi talaga ako makapaniwala sa nangyari. Grabe!

Frost just gave me an unexplainable smile until my phone vibrated and received a message from someone. Chineck ko iyon and it's from an unregistered number– it's from Dylan.

Malakas ang pakiramdam ko na siya ito.

"Who is it?" si Frost.

"Unregistered."

"Anong sabi?" usisa ni Frost.

"Hi lang naman," ngisi ko.

Napatingin ako sa aking cellphone habang kinikilig na parang gaga nang bigla itong nagring.

+6309******** Calling....

"Oh my gosh! He's calling me! what am I going to do?" nagpapanic na ako.

Hindi ko alam kung ano ang dapat sabihin kasi first time itong nangyari sa buong buhay ko.

"Answer it!" she pressed the green button for me. Oh my god, that was fast.

"H-Hello?"

"Si Key ba 'to?"

For pete's sake, ang ganda pala ng boses niya kapag nasa call. Shit!

"Yup, but I wasn't expecting you will call me agad."

Actually, kanina pa ako nag-eexpect ng tawag mula sa 'yo

"Just checking if this is really your number. Glad it is."

Hindi naman ako magsisinungaling sa 'yo, Dylan! Mahal na mahal kita, e.

"Bakit ko naman kita bibigyan ng maling numero, Dylan?" tawa ko. "Well, naconfirm mo na."

"I guess. Well, good night, Key. Be careful on your way home."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Agad kong ibinaba ang tawag pagkatapos naming magpaalam sa isa't-isa. Parang guguho na ang mundo ko kanina dahil sa sobrang pighati but now, it changed. Totally changed.

"Glad you smiled again, Key," natutuwang sabi ni Frost.

Hinatid ko muna si Frost sa kanila bago ako umuwi. I can't believe this, Dylan notices me now.

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