Chapter 14

Hindi ko alam kung ilang araw ba akong iniwasan ni Liam. I would messaged him on messenger but to no avail, it'll ended up ignored.

"Lover's quarrel?" Panunuya sa akin ni Ella.

Kasalukuyan kasi kaming nasa canteen ngayon. Wala si Sir Elmer kaya naman vacant kami ngayong umaga.

I shrugged my shoulders. "You want me to talk to Liam?" Charm offered.

Umiling na lang ako sa kanya. Ayoko na silang madamay pa sa choice ko. I chose to not to admit it to Liam. I'll suffer the consequences alone.

"Yan na nga ba sinasabi ko! Jowa pa!" Rose hissed before sipping on her juice.

"Palibhasa kasi wala ka nun!" Ella spat back.

"At least walang sakit sa ulo." She said mocking Ella...or us.

Sinubsob ko na lang ang ulo ko sa mesa. Liam and I never talked again. It frustrated me a lot.

It's been weeks since he started to ignored me. Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman ko.

Kahit anong pilit ko na wag siyang isipin ay papasok at papasok pa rin siya sa aking isipan.

I would tried to read anything or watched anything just so I can get him out of my head. But to no avail, he would quietly slipped on my mind.

"Tara na!" Pilit akong hinihila ni Ella patayo sa aking upuan.

Our class ended early. It was just around quarter to four.

"Uuwi na lang ako, Ella." Tinatamad kong saad sa kanya.

"Ano ka ba! Wag ka ngang magmukmok diyan!" Humalukipkip ito at saka ako tinasaan ng kilay.

"Hindi niya na nga ako kinakausap e!"  I hissed.

Rose was busy scrolling on her phone. Charm's gone. Siguro ay kasama na si Dale.

"So what? We're just going to watch! Nandoon na si Charm sa pav!" Irita niyang sambit bago nagsimulang hatakin ako patayo.

I rolled my eyes at her. "If you want to watch, then go." Walang gana kong saad sa kanya.

"Would you rather think about him alone or think about him while seeing him and his hotness inside the court?" 

Mabilis kong binatukan si Rose dahil sa pinagsasabi niya. Tinago niya na ang kanyang cellphone at saka tinulungan si Ella na hilahin ako papunta sa pav.

May tune up game kasi ngayon ang BSU kontra USI. Noon pa man ay full support na talaga ang BSU sa kanilanh student athletes. Kilala kasi ang aming escuelahan sa larangan ng sports. Indeed, enhance where your strengths are.

Agad kaming kinawayan ni Charm. Player din kasi si Dale. Sa middle bleacher siya nakaupo. Masyadong malapit sa players ngunit malapit lang din sa pinto.

I chose to sat near the door. Para mas mabilis makatakas kay Liam.

Nagwawarm up pa ang mga players. I saw Liam wearing the hottest jersey I've ever seen. Number 14. I heard his birthday's on the 14th of April.

Masyadong tutok si Liam sa pagshoot ng bola. Pagkatapos niyang maishoot iyon ay tatakbo sila papunta sa pinakadulong pila. He didn't even looked around him.

Nagkamayan muna ang mga players bago nagsimulang pumito ang referee.

Kasama sa first five sina Liam, Dale, Andy, Von, at isang senior na hindi sa akin pamilyar.

Agad na uminit ang labanan sa pagitan ng dalawang kupunan sa pagpasok ng unang quarter. Parang hindi isang tune up game ang nangyayari.

Sa pagkakaalam ko ay laging nakakalaban ng BSU ang USI sa mga championship games. There agressiveness maybe because of it.

Pagpasok ng second quarter ay nakaramdam ng matinding tension ang mga nanonood. I can see a heating fight between Liam and one of the player from USI.

Tinapik ni Dale ang balikat ni Liam ng mag break sila sandali. Pinalitan si Liam ng isa pa nilang player hanggang sa matapos ang second quarter.

Hindi naman magkamayaw sa pagsisigaw si Charm tuwing hawak ni Dale ang bola. How I wish I could also shout for Liam's name.

"Ano ba, Von! Ishoot mo na!" Gulat akong napabaling kay Ella na mukhang hook na hook na sa laro.

Halata rin ang pagkagulat sa mukha ni Von kaya naman hindi pumasok ang bola pagkashoot niya. Inis nitong ginulo ang kanyang buhok. Andy smirked at Von. I saw how Andy's eyes went to Charm...or baka it's just me.

Umapela ng foul ang grupo nina Liam matapos itong itulak ng isa sa mga player ng USI.

"Bakla naman kasi!" The guy from USI  angrily screamed at Liam's face.

Inis itong kinwelyuhan ni Dale kaya naman nagkagulo ang lahat. Few were looking at my direction. Ella would raised her eyebrow at them.

"Ang lamya mo na maglaro ah, Imperial!" Paghahamon ng manlalaro ng USI. "Nahawaan ka na ba ng jowa mong bakla?" He laughed so loud that I saw how Liam fisted his hands and in a snap, the guy fell on the floor.

"Nanununtok din pala ang mga bakla!" Nagawa pa nitong tumawa bago tinulungan ng kanyang mga kasama.

Andy held Liam. He's whispering something to Liam. Our eyes met...and for that second, I don't know what to feel.

Mabilis akong naglakad palabas ng pav. Sinubukan akong pigilan ni Rose ngunit mas mabilis ang naging hakbang ko.

Sa backgate ako dadaan ng sa ganoon ay mas malapit ang kailangan kong lakarin. Kaunti rin ang mga estudyante roon.

I wiped the tears that shamelessly fall on my face. Sinira ko ang isang perpektong tao sa paningin nila. I destroyed his reputation. I destroyed their game.

"Jerard." Halos tumama ako sa dibdib ni Liam.

Hinihingal pa ito habang tinatanya ang tingin ko.

Mabilis kong inalis ang aking kamay mula sa kanyang pagkakahawak. I let out a deep breathe and looked at him in the eye.

"Sorry for destroying you. Just...leave me alone...continue leaving me alone." I said before walking away from him.

"I'm sorry." My knees tremble upon hearing those two fucking words from him.

Nanatili akong nakatalikod sa kanya. Mabilis akong tumango at saka nagsimulang maglakad palabas.

I was left frozen on my spot the moment I felt Liam hugging me from behind.

Unti-unti kong naramdaman ang nagwawala kong puso. Mabilis na nanikip ang aking dibdib. Kahit pawisan na siya ay amoy na amoy ko pa rin ang mamahalin niyang pabango.

"Bitiwan mo na ako." My voice croaked. I'm sure he noticed it. He tighten the hug as I felt his head shaking...disagreeing from what I want.

"I'm sorry I got mad. You didn't tell me it wasn't you..." His voice was laced with betrayal. Sinubukan kong lunukin ang malaking bara sa aking lalamunan. "But...you're always making me crazy. I-I can't get you out of my head." Nahihirapan niyang paliwanag sa akin.

Umiling ako sa kanya. Nanghihina kong inalis ang kanyang pagkakayakap sa akin.

Liam looked defeated by my sudden move. "Liam..." I trailed off. "Hindi mo ba nakikita ha? Sirang-sira ka na...dahil sa akin." My voice croaked as I tried to let him understand the reason why he needs to stop being with me.

"Hindi lahat maiintindihan ka...maiintindihan tayo...hindi lahat kagaya ng mga kaibigan natin. There are a lot of girls parading in front of you...why can't you just like them?" My heart was being shattered into pieces upon saying the last sentence.

It was like a suicide...Liam's happiness  and freedom from people's judgments  is my own kind of suicide.

"Because I like you a lot...that I see nothing special about them." He smiled...but I know how fake is it. "I don't care about the poems. I don't care about the people around us. I don't care about there opinions on me...on us... I don't even care about my image in here...you're just...all I care about."