CHAPTER 6

"IKAW! Ano na naman ginagawa mo dito?!" Banas na tanong ni Gemini nang makita niyang

bigla-bigla na lamang pumasok si Tarius.

"Bakit ba nagagalit ka? Dapat nga ako 'yung magalit eh, muntik na akong matamaan kanina—"

"—Multo ka 'di ba?! Buang ka ba? Sa tingin mo paano ka matatamaan niyan?! Kahit ilang gamit

pa ibato ko sa'yo hindi ka matataman! Common sense nga!"

"Sabi ko nga," Tanging tugon na lamang ng binata. "Paksyet buti na lang talaga multo ako kun'di

na-headshot ako nang tigre." Pahabol na bulong ni Tarius sa hangin.

Muling nagbato ng kung anong bagay si Gemini na kanyang nadampot. Huli na nang

mapagtanto niyang 'yung saklay niya pala ang nakuha niya. She doesn't anyway.

Napangiwi si Gemini.

Damn, kaya pala mabigat.

Tumama ang saklay malapit sa kinaroroonan ni Tarius. Nanlaki and mata ng binata at hindi

nakagalaw sa kanyang kinaroroonan.

"Hoy, ano na naman ba?! Ba't ka namamato?!"

"Bubulong ka na nga lang 'yung naririnig ko pa!"

'Asal tigre talaga. Ang bangis.' Tarius said at the back of his mind, then, grimaced.

Napatalon sa gulat ang binata nang muli na namang may gamit na lumipad sa kanyang

direksyon—it's a flower vase to be exact.

'Paksyet!' Sigaw ni Tarius sa kaloob-looban niya.

"Holy mother of God! What on earth happened in here?" Parehong napalingon ang dalawa

nang makarinig sila ng isang pamilyar na boses ng babae.

'Fuck! Si Ninang!'

'Oh? Si Doktora pala.'

Both of them said on their own mind.

Napasinghap si Leanna sa nakikita niya. Sobrang gulo ng kwarto. Nagkalat ang mga unan sa

paligid at may kung ano pang nakakalat sa sahig.

"What happened, hija?" Tanong nito sa dalaga ngunit wala siyang nakuha kahit na isang salita sa

dalaga bagkus pinag-iwasan lamang siya nito ng tingin.

Naiiling na dinampot ni Leanna ang mga unan at inilagay niya ito sa isang gilid. Gamit ang

intercom na malapit sa kama ni Gemini, tumawag siya ng dalawang nurse at isang tagalinis.

"Ayusin mo na ang sarili mo, Gem, ililipat kita sa kabilang private room. 'Yung malapit sa opisina

ko para madali kitang madalaw at matignan ang kalagayan mo. This room is a mess." Mahinhin

na sabi ng Ginang.

Palihim na napanguso ang dalaga dahil sa kabaitan ng Ginang. Kahit kailan ay hindi itinrato ni

Gemini ng mabuti si Leanna, puro kamalditahan lang ang ipinakita nito sa kanya ngunit patuloy

pa rin ang Ginang sa pagiging mabait sa kanya. And she hates it.

Why are you being nice to me, Ninang? I don't deserve that. How I envy Shanaz and Cawie, both

of them has a nice and loving parents... while me, my family is a bunch of assholes and bitches.

But instead of those words she is saying, she said, "Yeah, whatever. I don't like here anyway," as

she rolled her eyes.

Gemini carried herself then slowly sitted on the wheelchair beside her bed. Sinadya niyang

dumaan sa harapan ni Tarriud at may balak pa sanang gulungan ang paa nito ngunit naalala niya

na multo pala ang binata.

Peste. Kung tao ka lang talaga, gugulungan kita hanggang sa mapitpit ng tuluyan 'yang paa

mo. Motherfucker.

***

MAHIGIT ilang linggo na ang nakalipas nang makalipat ng kwarto si Gemini. The room is nice but

what irritates her is thw ghost named Tarius

Just like now, he kept on staring at her while she's sipping her smoothie gave by Weather.

Bumabawi ang loko. But still, this isn't enough yet.

In the past weeks, Tarius became...

... what do you call that? Hm, sweet... and caring? What the fuck?

It's making her cringed but her heart is beating wildly. Even just a simple words like, 'be careful'

her heart suddenly beats a lot louder and faster than the normal. She have an abnormal heart,

indeed.

Gemini groaned, "Stop staring at me, will you?" She glared at Tarius but the ghost didn't even

blink instead he just stared at her with a pointed look.

Gemini placed her smoothie on the table beside her bed, annoyed. She was about to yell at Tarius when she noticed that Tarius wasn't eyeing on her. He was glaring at ths smoothie.

Gemini can't help not to grimaced on what shd is seeing right now. 'May saltik ba 'to? What a

weird ghost.'

"Hoy, abno!" Pagkuha nito sa atensyon nf binata. Tarius looked at her annoyed but his

expression immediately softened.

Indeed, Tarius is such a weird ghost—a Galto to be exact.

"Problema mo?" Nakataas ang kilay na tanong ng dalaga ngunit hindi siya nakakuha ng kahit na

anong sagit mula s binata. Tarius took a glance at the smoothie then frowned. He averted his

gaze on the window.

Gago talaga.

Umirap sa hangin si Gemini at umupo sa gilid ng kama. Akmang aabutin niya ang crutches nang

bigla itong lumapit sa kanya. She wasn't shock anymore. Of course she's with a ghost.

Gemini rolled her eyes before assisting herself. She stood up with the help of the crutches.

"Hey, dahan-dahan lang." Tarius said with full of worry making Gemini's beat faster than the

normal, again.

Gemini felt her cheeks heating up with an unknown reason. "Oh, shut up! Your voice is making

my blood boil!" She said with a gritted teeth just to reduce the redness of hes cheeks that reddened for no reason.

Hirap man, sinubukan pa rin ng dalaga na bilisan ang paglalakad at dumeretso sa banyo. Ini-lock

niya ang pinto saka dumeretso sa inidoro.

Itinabi niya ang kanyang saklay at inalalayan ang kanyang sarili. Hawak ang laylayan ng kanyang

hospital gown, akmang itataas na niya ito nang biglang sumulpot sa kanyang harapan ang

binata.

"What the fuck?!" Gulat na ani ng dalaga. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?!"

Tarius felt embarrassed for what he did. "Oh shit, sorry! I thought you'll..." Tarius didn't bother

finishing his sentence when he saw Gemini grabbing something. He instantly jumped, not

remembering he's a ghost when Gemini threw him a hairbrush.

"Fuck you, Tarius! Napaka-manyak mo gago!" Was the last thing Tarius heared before he got out

of the bathroom.

Crap. Malay ko bang iihi siya? I thought she'll locked herself again.

Inis na ginulo ng binata ang kanyang buhok. Malalim siyang humugot ng hininga at marahas niya

itong ibinuga.

Bobo mo talaga, Tarius.

Lumipas ang ilang minuto, lumabas si Gemini sa banyo na may busanggot na mukha. Nang

makita siya ng dalaga kaagad siya nitkng tinapunan ng masamang tingin.

"Lumayas ka nga sa kwarto ko!" Bulyaw ng dalaga. Nagulatang si Tarius kaya kaagad siyang

tumalima. Sa isang iglap bigla na lamang nawala ang binata na parang isang bula. Gemini is

trying to calm herself when she felt something.

"Lalayas ka o tatawag ako ng Pari?" Lolokohin pa siya ng multong 'yon, baka nakakalimutan

niyang nakikita at nararamdaman niya ang binata.

That bastard.

***

"GOOD morning, hija," masayang bati ng bagong pasok na si Leanna sa silid ni Gemini.

Gemini didn't bother to reply. She just ignored Leanna. Pinagpatuloy lamang niya ang

pag-i-scroll sa instagram. Napailing na lamang ang Doktora sa ugali ni Gemini.

"Uh... so, I have some news!" Saad ni Leanna.

"No one asked," Gemini said nonchalantly.

Instead of being annoyed, Leanna's smile remained plastered on her lips. "I know. But I bet you'll be excited about this... well sort of."

"Hmm?" Gemini hummed, still don't give a single damn.

"The good news is you'll be discharge after a week!" And that what got Gemini's attention.

"Huh?"

"Yes! And the bad news is you need to go to school as soon as possible since your Periodic Exam

is getting near and you still need to finish all your requirements since you're a graduating junior

student, soon you'll be a Senior Highschool. But you'll be staying at your house for a week

before your exam because you still need to rest your leg."

Shit. I hate school. But I hate Hospitals more.

Gemini remained her stoic face. "Are you finish? If yes, then leave." She said while signalling

Leanna to leave.

Napailing na lamang si Leanna bago nagpaalam sa inaanak. Nang makaalis na ito, nangingiti

naman si Gemini habang nakatingin sa screen ng kanyang cellphone.

"Ah, finally! After weeks of staying in this disgusting place, I can finally go out!" She exclaimed

happily.

"Someone's happy."

Napahinto ang dalaga at napalingon sa bintana. Nakapwesto doon si Tarius habang

nakahalukipkip. Seryoso ang mukha nitong nakatitig kay Gemini.

Gemini smirked at him, "Of course, who wouldn't? Finally, I can go out again."

"Hmm. You're that happy, huh?" Nakaramdam ng kilabot si Gemini sa paraan ng pagtanong ng

binata. Hindi niya maintindihan ang emosyon sa boses nito basta ang alam niya lang wala sa

mood makipagbiruan ang binata.

"Yeah, you bore me. Wala ka namang ibang magawa dahil isa ka lang multo. You can't even do

what normal people should do. Oh, how stupid of me. I almost forgot the you're just a ghost,

useless." Gemini harshly said. Huli na nang napagtanto niya ang binitawan niyang salita.

Fuck, I didn't mean that! He's kinda annoying but he's not 'that' boring or useless. I mean... fuck,

why would I bother explaining to him? He's just no one to me.

Tarius looked shocked hearing her last sentece. He also looks... hurt. He's hurt and that made

Gemini's heart ache.

What the fuck is happening to me?

Tumikhim ang binata bago umayos ng tayo. "A-Ah is that so?"

Silence. The four corners of the room filled with silence.

"Tarius..."

"Uh, I need to go. I'll just... nevermind." And with that, he left. He dissappeared like a bubble

making Gemini feel guilt.

What did you just do, Gemini?