When The Rain Stops

Chapter 9 - Caught Me Staring

Chapter 9 - Caught Me Staring

Naabutan ko si Vince na naghihintay sa labas ng restroom.

"I am going home."

"I will drive you there."

"You do not have to."

"Amira, look, I am sorry for what happened." Nagpatuloy na kami sa paglalakad palabas ng building.

"Yeah sure. Your b!tches are warfreaks. Ano ba kasing pinaggagawa mo sa mga yun, ginayuma mo?"

Tumawa naman siya bago sumagot. "I do not need to use that to charm anyone, Amira."

He is kinda right tho. Edi siya na may itsura. Nakakahiya namang tumabi dito, magmumukha ka talagang alalay e.

"Marami kang babae no? Pag may sumugod talaga sakin outside the school Vince, tatamaan talaga sila sakin. Nagpigil lang ako kanina since we were inside the school."

He laughed before answering me "I just... flirted with them, Amira. And no worries I will warn them not to approach you if they do not wanna be hit by you."

"So, let's go? I will drive you." hindi na ako tumanggi kesa naman sa maglakad ako pauwi o mag commute na basa ang damit diba.

"Do you wanna go somewhere after you change your clothes?" he asked while driving

"Nah. May pupuntahan ako."

"Where?"

"Mall."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"It is not that expensive to answer properly, Amira." He stated looking amused.

"I will go buy some books. Nabasa ko na kasi lahat ng librong dinala ko mula sa bahay. Okay na?"

"Pupunta rin ako sa mall, hintayin nalang kita mamaya para sabay na tayo."

Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata coz he was being suspicious. Sinabi ko lang na pupunta ako ng mall, pupunta narin siya?

"Are you... sure?"

"Do not look at me like that, Amira. Pupunta talaga ako sa Mall." He said trying to hide a smile.

There was no point refusing him coz I am sure he will insist.

"Alright, then." I unbuckled the seatbelt at saka lumabas na sa sasakyan.

After some steps, I stopped and turned around to look at his car that did not move yet. Naglakad ako palapit at kinatok ang kanyang bintana.

"Umm. Do you want to come up and wait for me there instead?" I offered kasi alam ko namang mainit ang panahon at mali naman ata na paghintayin lang siya doon sa sasakyan, e baka matagalan pa ako, maliligo pa ako kasi ang lagkit ng katawan ko dahil doon sa soda.

"or you can just go to the mall instead, baka matagalan pa ako, ang lagkit ng sinaboy sakin ng babae mo e." I added.

"Is it okay if I come up there?" he hesitated.

"Yeah, I do not want to be rude and make you wait right here."

"Alright then. I will just park the car." He maneuvered his car to park at the side at sabay kaming umakyat sa condo ko.

"Hintayin mo nalang muna ako dito. And here are some cookies if you want." Pinaghintay ko siya sa aking maliit na sala and offered the cookies I baked last night. I learned how to bake from my mom since siya rin naman ang namamahala sa bakeshop and coffee shop namin.

"Thanks." He said before I left him and went in my room. I took a quick bath and changed into black jeans, plain white shirt, and white sneakers. I blow dry my hair before putting it into a messy bun. I wore my glasses and noticed that my vision got worse so I decided to visit the EO later, magpapalit na naman ako ng bagong eyeglasses.

Pagkalabas ko ng kwarto ay dumiretso ako sa kusina at naglagay ng cookies sa dalawang tupperware saka nilagay ito sa isang paper bag. Marami kasi akong nagawa kagabi at hindi ko naman yun mauubos ng mag-isa.

"Hey." Napatingin sakin si Vince while munching a cookie.

"Where did you buy these? They are good! May bagong shop ba na nagbukas malapit sa school?" he said while still chewing.

I looked at the plate where I placed 6 cookies and there was nothing left anymore aside from the one he is holding right now.

"Here, for Tita." I handed him the paper bag with cookies.

He stood up and looked inside the bag "You made them?"

"Yeah. Let's go." Nanguna na ako sa paglabas sa condo.

"You know how to bake?" he said while putting the last cookie in his mouth.

"You already ate 6 pieces and you are asking me that? Tell me, do I know?"

"You are good. Can you bake more next time and give me some again?" asking like a kid who wants another candy. I stopped walking and looked at his smiling face, he halted too.

"Wow. Inuutusan mo ako? Tapos libre pa? Swerte mo naman, Vince."

He just laughed at my response. "Anyway, I did not see your dog."

"Oh. Fury? Iniiwan ko siya sa nagmamanage ng condo kapag may klase" Mabait naman yun at nakasundo niya naman si Fury at tuwang tuwa rin ito kapag iniiwan ko yung aso sa kaniya. Akala ko nung una siya talaga may-ari ng building pero siya lang daw nagmamanage at kakilala nga niya si Mommy. Hindi ko naman maiwan si Fury sa condo ko ng mag-isa kasi malikot din yun at baka magdumi sa loob kapag late akong makauwi.

"So, saan ka?"

Nagkamot siya ng batok at parang hesitant na sumagot.

"Umm.. wala. Sinamahan lang kita."

"See? Gusto mo lang sumama e."

"So, san ka?"

"EO muna."

Dumiretso kami sa clinic ng EO at sakto namang kakatapos lang ng huling customer nila.

The Optometrist talked to me and checked the lenses of my current eyeglasses using a device. She then performed the Visual Acuity Test on me wherein she asked me to stand 20 feet away from the snellen chart and read the letters. And like what I had guess, indeed my vision got worse. She prescribed me a new set of lenses so I chose a new eyeglasses frame. I picked the round thin gold rimmed eyeglasses and tried to put it on and I looked at myself at the mirror.

"That... suits you." mataman na nakatingin si Vince sa akin.

"Really?" he cleared his throat, blinked his eyes and looked away before answering "yeah"

Sinabi ko na sa assistant na yun na ang kunin ko since I also think that it looks okay to me. The assistant informed us na balikan nalang namin mamaya kasi ikakabit pa nila yung lenses sa frame.

Pumunta na kami sa National Bookstore at doon ako tumingin ng mga libro. I am not actually looking for a particular book, kung may makakakuha lang talaga ng attention ko. After rounding the shelves, I spotted the Lorien Series. I have been wanting to have these on my collection, at base sa napanood ko na movie adaptation ng book 1 nito ay maganda ito. Kinuha ko na at saka napangiti, kasi naghanap na ako nito online dati pero wala akong mahanap as a set, and now I found one! Such a lucky day huh? I let out a giggle when I smelled the pages of the book, ang bango kasi.

I looked at Vince standing beside me, and there looking at me again intently.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Let's go."

"Now, what?" I can't wipe off the smile on my face coz I just feel so ecstatic to finally have the Lorien series. Who says books are no fun? Sampal ko sa inyo mga hardbound books ko e. Just kidding.

"Timezone?"

"Sure!" We headed where the timezone is at doon naglaro.

We played at the claw machine first and we both got... NONE! Ang hirap naman kasi, nakuha na nga tapos mabibitawan ulit. Sumunod kaming pumunta sa basketball shooting. Paramihan kami ng scores, I cheated and tried to distract him in shooting and I also took some of his basketball balls.

"That is unfair, Amira. Though you will still lose." It was kinda true. He was almost at 50 already and I only have 15.

I pouted at what he said coz the one who will lose on this game will get a flick on the forehead.

He helped me gain 10 shots but still the gap is not that close. So, obviously, in the end, he won.

"Ready, Amira? This is going to hurt." He said before holding the back of my head para hindi ako makaatras kapag pumitik na siya.

Tumango ako and I tightly shut my eyes, anticipating the pain from the flick. But, after 3 seconds and he still did not flick my forehead, I opened my eyes, and I saw him staring at me with a wide smile. At walang pasabi na agad niyang pinitik ang aking noo.

"Aray. Ang sakit nun, Vince a. Ang sama mo." I rubbed my forehead to at least ease the pain.

"Sorry, Amira" ngiti niyang saad at saka ginulo ang aking buhok.

"Patingin nga." Aniya ulit saka inalis ang kamay kong nakahawak saking noo.

"Oh. It is red." He just stared on my forehead and touched the area to rub it slightly.

I felt the rushing of blood to my cheeks because of how close his face to me while checking my forehead. I can't take my gaze away from his face. He looks too good. He then suddenly averted his eyes to look at mine. Nabigla ako sa agad na pagtama ng mga mata namin kaya agad akong napaatras. 

He smirked at my reaction. And I do not fvckng know what to do now.

I know. He got me there. He caught me staring! Damn.