CHAPTER 23

"What's your bus number?"

Binuksan ko ang maliit na papel na nabunot ko kanina.

"3"

Tatlong bus lang pala kami. The university divide the graduating student. We are about 400 student the other half I heard kahapon pa sila umalis.

Kalee pout her lips "2 akin"

Nag bunutan ang mga head teacher kung anong mga courses ang mag sasama sama sa isang bus. You know why they shuffled the student? Because they want them to keep quiet the whole trip. Naniniwala sila na kapag hindi nila kilala ang kasama nila mananahimik sila.

They have a point, though.

Civil Engineering at Pharmacy department ang kasama namin and you know what? Sa bus 3 din si Sandro.

I can't even avoid him, so I don't have any choice.

"Sit" he said.

"Can we change our sits?" Tanong ko sakanya dahil gusto ko ako yung nasa tabi ng bintana.

He just stared at me.

"Sandro" I called his name but he's not looking at me. He's so mean.

Ako nalang ang naka tayo sa loob ng bus at pinagtitinginan na ako.

"Hey"

Tumayo ito at lumipat ng upuan. "Happy?" Naiiritang sambit nya.

Ngumisi ako "Thanks" labas sa ilong na sagot ko.

Nakaka lungkot nga dahil hindi naka sama si Grayson sa school trip dahil may emergency daw sakanila and I know what it is kahit hindi nya sabihin saakin.

"Do you have some candy?" I asked Sandro. He didn't answer me. May kinuha sya sa bag nya at ibigay saakin.

Candies.

"Thanks"

The department head of the Civil Engineering check the attendance. Tsaka ko lang narealize na kasama pala namin si Steven at Symon sa bus nung natawag ang pangalan nila. The three of them. Kaya pala kanina pa nagbubulungan ang mga kasama namin na babae, dahil sakanila.

"Hi, Allison!" Steven waived his hand to me. Yumuko ako at nag tago.

Nakakahiya talaga sya kahit kailan. Please can you act like we don't know each other?

"Okay class, take your sit. Aalis na po tayo"

Kinuha ko ang earphone sa bag ko and played some music.

I received a message from kalee and I can't help but to laugh.

"Damn it, you wouldn't believe it. Ang baho ng katabi ko. He smell like bulanglang. I'm so annoyed 😤😤"

"What are you laughing at?"

Dahil hindi naman ganon kalakas ang earphone ko naririnig ko pa din si Sandro.

"It's none of your business"

"Hey!" Hindi ko maiwasan na hindi sumigaw dahil hinablot nito ang aking cellphone.

"Nakaka inis ka!"

He just stared at me at ibinalik sa kamay ko ang aking cellphone. Ano bang trip ng lalaking to?

"You sleep" then he closed his eyes.

Sobrang haba ng eyelashes ni Sandro.

"Staring is rude"

Nag iwas ako ng tingin at lumayo sakanya.

"I know I'm handsome"

"Whatever" I rolled my eyes.

The trip was really so quiet. Sino ba naman hindi tatahimik? Kasama nila si Sandro sa bus. One wrong move masisira ang buhay nila just like what happend to me.

Whenever I think about it I can't help but to laugh. I don't really care about the other people but I don't know what push me to help that girl.

So here I am now. Paying for the price.

Though I know, Sandro is not that bad. Minsan napapansin ko gusto nya lang ng may pumansin sakanya.

"Do you want some cookies?"

My eyes widened because Steven and Symon is sitting infront of us right now. Bakit hindi ko napansin na lumipat pala sila dito?

"No thanks" I answered and closed my eyes

Steven will probably bother me the whole trip. Buti nalang ay malapit nakami.

"Do you have some drinks?" Tanong pa nito.

Ibinigay ko sakanya ang C2 na nasa side ng bag ko.

"Thanks!"

"Ashh. So annoying" Sandro whispher and he lean his head on my shoulder.

I was about to push him when he suddenly snore.

Seriously?

"Ahhhhh. That was so tiring!" Reklamo ni Symon pagbaba nya ng bus.

Si Sandro naman halos papikit pikit pa ng mata dahil inaantok pa ito. Ayaw nya ngang bumaba ng bus kanina.

"We should have use our own car. Damn it" rinig kong reklamo pa ni Symon.

Rich kid huh.

"You have no choice. No trip, No allowance" pang aasar ni Steven bago nya kami lagpasan.

"Reese!" Tumakbo papalapit saakin si Kalee. Naka mask ito at naka kunot ang noo.

"I'm so annoyed!"

I can't help but to laugh "Poor Kalee. Don't worry I'll talk to Ms. Catherine about your sit okay?"

She pout her lips and nod her head.

"Bakit kasama mo sya?" Pabulong na tanong nito. Pa simple ko syang siniko.

This place is like a forest? And there's a lot of tent. Maybe we're going to sleep in a tent. The thought of it kinda excite me.

It's like a camping.

"Okay, class. You see, field trips enrich and expand the curriculum, strengthen observation skills by immersing you into sensory activities, increase your knowledge in a particular subject area and expand your awareness of your own community."

"As you can see, we are in a community where the native people live. As part of our activity, you are all required to plant your own tree. We have prepared a lot of activities for you guys. For now, choose your partner, every tent can occupy 4 students." Ms. Catherine, the department head said.

"We need two"

I looked around. I don't really have a lot of friends. The only friend I have is Kalee.

"Charlotte! Luna!" Tawag ni Kalee sa dalawang babae na naka tayo lang sa may gilid. The other girl looks kind but the one with short hair kinda look mean.

"Classmate ko sila" Kalee blurted out.

"Can we share tent with you guys?"

"Sure" sagot ng isa na may pag ka chinita ang mata.

"By the way, this is Reese, my bestfriend. Reese, this is Luna" she pointed the chinita girl na sobrang gaan ng awra. She smiled at me so I smiled back.

"Hi" Luna said.

"And this is Charlotte" sya yung short hair na mukhang mean!

She looks at me from head to toe. Can't help but to raised my eyebrow.

"She's mataray" Kalee whispher in my ear.

Wala naman akong ibang choice dahil halos sila ay may mga kasama na. Mag iinarte paba ako?

"Wala na bang iba?" Rinig na rinig ko nag rereklamo yung Charlotte.

Bakit ba ang arte nya?

"May problema kaba saamin?" Deretsahang tanong ko sakanya.

"Reese" Kalee held my wrist.

"I'm sorry. Can you understand her nalang? May sumpong kasi" paumanhin ni Luna.

All in all we have 50 tents here. 25 for girls and 25 tents for boys.

Nasa kabilang side ng tent ng mga boys. I'm telling you sobrang lawak dito.

"Before we start our first activity, you should eat your lunch first"

They prepared a boodle fight that can feed everyone of us. Hindi mo halos maipinta ang mukha ng iba.

Seafood na nga yung nasa harapan nila arte pa porket mga rich kid. Di naman galing sa bulsa nila yung pera na ginagastos nila.

"I'm so exicted!" Tili ni Kalee sa tabi ko.

Nagulat ako dahil bigla nalang lumipat sa tabi ko si Sandro kasama ang mga alipores nya, kaya tumabi lahat sila.

"You're going to eat?" I asked.

Sandro nod his head. "Kainis bakit tumabi pa sya dito. Ang sikip tuloy" rinig kong reklamo ni Kalee.

Inilagay ko sa harapan ni Kalee ang paborito nyang lobster.

Sa isang buong dahon ng saging maka kain ang sampung tao. Kaming dalawa ni Kalee, Si sandro at ang limang kasama nya. Kulang pa kami ng dalawa pero wala ng gustong sumali saamin dahil nandito sila Sandro.

"Do you know how to eat shrimp?" Tanong saakin ni Sandro.

I looked at him. "You mean mag balat?"

He nod his head. "Why?" Tanong ko ulit.

This is one of the moment na nakakausap ko si Sandro ng maayos.

Binalatan nya ang mga hipon na nasa harapan nito at inilagay sa kanin ko.

"Iw" Kalee whispher

"Yieee" pang aasar nga mga alipores nya na hindi ko alam ang mga pangalan.

"Shut up, Trevor"

So they shut their mouth.

"You don't need to do that"

He didn't say anything. Patuloy lang sya sa ginagawa nya.

"You eat" he calmly said.

If you keep doing this, I might end up falling in love with you Sandro.

Everyone was busy eating but here I am staring at Sandro.

I know staring is rude but I can't help it. Ang gwapo nya sa puting plain tshirt na suot nya.

You psycho. You need to pull yourself together Reese Allison Cohen.

"Staring is rude" He said then he looked at me. Nakaka lunod ang titig ni Sandro.

I can feel my heart beating so fast.

"You have some stain here" pinunasan nya ang gilid ng aking labi.

I feel like kaming dalawa nalang ang nandito.

I can hear my heart pounding.

What the hell is this?

"Allison"

What are you doing, Sandro?

"Reese Allison"

"Sandro"

I like you.