By: Ace
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CHAPTER TEN
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It didn't feel like what I expected, It wasn't electrifying or anything. It felt kind of wet and awkward.
I don't know, its basically just skin touching skin, why does it have to feel anymore special than when someone touches your elbow or something. Maybe its just movies that put too much spotlight on it.
It was the first kiss from someone who wasn't related to me. He basically stole it. With all my dumb looking classmates as witnesses. Either someone saw and didn't give a shit or its normal and no one cares.
"I told you I'd steal something from you if you space out again Hanz..." Rei reminded...
"EEEWWWW Rei." Was the only thing I could say. I looked at his face and he looked like he was proud of what he did. He was smiling, those dimples again.
"You say eeww, but just like yesterday you looked like you enjoyed drinking that dr.pepper. Your cheeks look redder than an apple." I didn't know how I looked like godamit I don't have a mirror with me.
"At least that was sweet, your kiss was lame." Wait what? I think I said that wrong. He might interpret that I wanted a sweeter kiss. What would a sweeter be kiss anyway? Put sugar on your lips?
Is he just fooling around? Is this how boys are supposed to act if they start to discover themselves?
I was confused, I mean how should I feel if someone kissed me. Should I jump for joy.
My head felt kind of hot and so were my cheeks. I think I have dengue.
"Remeber we'll have lunch later, be sure to buy a lot of food." He told me that before he returned to his seat and talked with a group of my classmates who were bringing magazines.
Why does he keep on annoying me on purpose. Why doesn't he go to the other extra characters. I'm sure someone will want his annoying antics. I'm not used to people being close to me. I'm allergic.
I noticed Dan still lying on his shirt. With his fists clenched. He looked like he had some sort of nightmare. I dunno, never seen someone sleep and look angry at the same time. Well that's how he looked. Maybe he just sleeps like that. He looks like he's dreaming about fighting or something?
The teachers were done with their meetings and we got to have boring discussions about what we need to cover how we'll be graded all the useless stuff that have no real life application.
Lunch.
"HAAAAAAANNNNNZZZZ!!"
Before I could say anything, he was opening my bag and rummaging through my things and looking for my lunch.
I punched his head. Lightly of course, I don't want to give him amnesia.
"Rei, wth are you doing?" He doesn't seem to care that its my bag.
"Obviously looking for your lunch, I mean. MY lunch." He's fking annoying again.
"Oooooo. toblerone, can I have this?" I should let him have it, just in case its poisonous.
Dan stood up beside me, I mean towered beside me. Looking at what Rei was doing.
Rei didn't seem to mind him at all. Dan looks kind of threatening if you don't know him.
"No Rei, its mine." I had to claim it back.
He pouted his lips like a kid.
Who cares if its poisonous. Its still chocolate, I'd still die happy.
"Hey Dan, want to eat lunch?" I asked him.
Well if he didn't have much friends, so did I. At least he's not annoying.
Maybe he's the perfect friend I'm looking for. Someone who doesn't talk much or gets exited about almost anything. Like some sort of imaginary friend you don't need to talk to.
The exact opposite of annoying Rei.
Ok, so awkward silence is all I get for inviting him to lunch. Did he even hear me? Wait is he waiting for me to get out of his way to the door? I thought.
Dan rummaged inside his bag got another extra shirt and stood there. Maybe I should move out.
"Dan treat us to lunch! You treated Hanz yesterday. You don't even do that to any of us in the team or even some of our classmates. You should be fair!"
Rei doesn't seem know the meaning of the word shy at all.
Dan just nodded.
"So does that mean he's treating us to lunch? or eating lunch together?" I was confused in my head.
Rei went outside first and I just followed him, Dan was behind me walking with our pace. We went down and got on to a cramped canteen. We found a few chairs that had all kinds of leftovers in it.
I didn't want to sit there. Our room is so damn far that when we get here, everything is already taken.
Rei spoke first "Lets just get some food first and sit on the bleachers or somewhere, we can eat anywhere we want anyway."
Yeah, I did notice, students just sitting anywhere they want. At the side of the fields, under those creepy old trees even on the stairs. They just eat where the heck they want. Seemed like a good idea.
I didn't want Dan treating me to food again, it kinda seems like overdoing it. I don't like to owe anything to anyone. I just didn't like the feeling that someone was expecting something from me just because they gave me something for free. I think I'm borderline paranoid.
Rei already had his plate loaded with beef steak and extra rice. Also pestering me to get more food so he can eat my food later. Greedy and annoying, two words that can summarize Rei.
Dan had an unusual menu. Salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, a boiled egg, some sort of gooey soup and a piece of bread.
I got honey glazed bacon and fried rice. fk diets.
So Dan went ahead of us since he didn't need to go to the cashier. I brought my food and the guy just made an ok sign and told me there's no need to pay.
I said, I didn't want to be treated to lunch.
What will I do? Argue with the cashier that I want to pay for this? So I just stepped aside and waited for Rei, who was made to pay for his lunch.
Funny, so that means... Never mind. I laughed at how he tried to look for his money. I'm sure he thought Dan was going to treat him to lunch.
"Where's that huge gorilla, I though he was gonna treat US to lunch, he didn't say YOU only. Damn."
He sounded annoyed. Serves him right. Being so shameless.
Dan was in one of the bleachers putting down his lunch and If my eyes were right, smiling to himself. I'm sure he set up Rei. I thought that was odd of him to do that. I guess he works in mysterious ways.
So we squatted on the bleachers which were wide enough. Dan was beside me and Rei was in front.
Before Rei started to eat his steak, he was already taking half of Dan's bread and dipping it on his soup as well. Ok so its already usual for him to take other people's lunches.
Dan must be used to it already, he didn't seem to mind. He was slowly eating his salad.
"Hanz, you want some soup? Before Rei gets all of it?" Dan was looking at me with those captivating eyes.
"Its ok Dan, It won't be enough for both of you. Especially your pet pig." Dan just smiled at my reply.
"Who are you talking about HANZ pork and beans?" Rei held his tongue out, he's being annoying again. I just ignored that. It wasn't funny, at least to me. Dan and Rei we're laughing. They looked so carefree.
"But let me just taste it instead." I got my spoon and tried it a bit.
Cream of mushroom. Bleghhhh. It tasted like an old tree, not that I've tasted old trees before, but it kinda felt like an old tree, I don't like mushrooms to start with anyway. Its probably because I've never eaten sweet mushrooms before.
I pretended to like it, I didn't want to offend him.
"MMmmmmm." I sounded so fake, hurhur.
I was already finished with my lunch, Rei was still on his second extra rice. Dan still looked like a goat munching random grass. I eat really fast. I'm not really picky when it comes to food, as long as it has hints of sweetness in it. Its fine. It can pass.
I remembered my cute toblerone.
I took it out and started opening it.
But Rei was already holding out his hand.
I didn't want to share.
So I slowly opened it, then it had three cute triangle thingys. I broke one off, I was about to hand it to Rei.
Kidding, he can go die. I'm not giving up my chocolate.
I ate all of it.
"Haaanzzz!! Nooooo! You greedy bastard!" Rei then put one of his hands on his eyes as if wiping his imaginary tears. He looked like a cute little rascal.
I opened my mouth and showed him the bits and pieces of toblerone being munched down inside my merciless mouth.
"This is so not me, his craziness is being contagious." Inside my head I'm not acting like myself. Maybe I should make a separate crazy personality that I could use in school...
Not likely for me to have bipolar tendencies.
I didn't notice Dan trying to surpress his laughter.
He splat out some of his salad, which I think was becuase he was trying to stop laughing and he had some sort of cough at the same time.
None of the bits went to me because I was beside him.
Rei had green pieces of chewed salad on his pants.
Because he was still keeping his head low. Most of it went to Rei's plate.
Dan looked so red.
I just burst out laughing. I couldn't help it.
"FFFFFUUUUUUkkkk, Dan, you ruined my meal! Pay for it godamit!" Rei is so touchy when it comes to his food. Even though he already finished ninety percent of his meal. Not much he can do, but cry over it.
We ended our meal with that. We still had forty minutes left for lunch. I had no idea what to do.
Even though they just finished eating they were already heading to the p.e. room. Dan had already exchanged his ID for a ball. Some of my classmates were around and they decided to play. There we're so many hoops around the gym.
They couldn't have Dan and Rei on the same team since it would be unfair. They were supposed to be some sort of superstars. I didn't care. Basketball was one of the sports that I could not understand. There was no point in shooting those balls through the hoops.
To prove what? Well not that I hate sports but... Ughh.. I was about to start a discussion again.
"Do you want to play basketball Hanz?" Dan was asking me to join.
"Be in my team Hanz, I'm sure we'll win. You don't even need to do anything. Just pass me the ball." Rei was already claiming me. Air head.
So what reason am I gonna come up with. I don't like the sport. I don't want to offend them.
"I don't play with balls." I wanted to say that, but it would sound weird.
"Sorry guys, I'm not really into ball games. I prefer marathons, movie marathons to be precise."
What a lame excuse, coupled with a bland joke. I'm bad at this. Who cares as long as I have some reason not to join them.
"Awww, too bad Hanz we could have won against Dan, don't worry I'll still win though." Rei there's a limit to
everything, including your pride. Though you still have no clue.
Dan was just his usual, sad self.
I don't like competing with anyone. Its never been in me to excel at anything. I like to watch how people tirelessly improve themselves. The dedication to their passions is something amazing to me.
I've never felt anything like that. I've never found something that I want to do for a while.
I'd see something new and afterwards I get bored. My attention span being short might be one of the reasons. I've never been devoted to anything, except chocolates maybe. But that's an exception.
They were playing three on three.
At the start the game was casual, passing balls here and there. I thought it was a serious game, they didn't even keep tabs on the score, or their violations. They just played, its a game. They're supposed to enjoy it.
Rei is right, Dan transforms when he's playing.
No longer the guy who had silent admiration for the floor.
His head was straight, he was focused. I could see it in his eyes, the constant flicker and his shirt blotched with sweat. Though he still didn't talk much, his eyes were fast. His head would turn towards Rei and while keeping tabs on his teammates, but he was more intent at keeping a close watch on Rei.
Dan was taller than Rei by around three inches.
That didn't stop Rei from doing what he could inside the court.
He was skilled, he made up for the few extra inches by knowing how to take advantage of the players.
He knew who to pass on to. He was very strategic. He knew that he can't make it past Dan. Rei was a team player but wasn't the type that enjoyed being in the side lines too much, he wanted to shoot as well but Dan was keeping him from doing that. I could see the tension building between Rei and Dan.
They were focused in their game.
No longer the annoying Rei that I usually see. He was serious as well..
They were both dripping in sweat. They didn't take their eyes of each other. I couldn't help but imagine how these two would play together as a team. they were wary of each other's movements. I could see them eyeing each other carefully. They both held the ball when they could. The other players were now starting to matter less and less. They didn't keep tabs on who was winning or not. They were just there to play.
I could see the four classmates who joined them getting tired of the play.
They still were serious with each other. I assumed both of them didn't want to show off or compete directly with each other. So this must have been a venue for them to do that without making the tension too obvious. The tension between the two rookies rose with every successful shot they made.
I could read it in the heavy atmosphere. the way they looked at each other's movements as if assessing the next move one will make, wary and observant of the other.
They continued to play even though some of my classmates were already sitting down.
they were one on one by now. The tension between the two was getting more and more obvious.
They kept on playing, Dan who I thought was scoring more than Rei. But rei could block some of dans attempts as well. He could still level the playing field by knowing when to act.
Dan was the kind who would rush forward despite the obstacles. He would push on and on, tirelessly
maybe that's why he sleeps alto in class because he plays too much he must have little time between practice his homework and school.
The bell rang the tension between the two dropped, they stopped. Dan returned the ball.
They both grabbed their uniforms on the bench where I was seated at.
Dan was smiling at me, his dimples showing. He was proud of what he had done, I don't know whats going on behind that head of his. He is very hard to fathom his hazel eyes could drown you with the stare. If you look once, you'll be spell bound to keep on looking, As if your soul was drawn to its very depths. Trapped.
His smile had the air of a sweet little boy who had just done something good to make his mom happy.
He had played the best he could and he was damn proud of it,.
He must play like this on all his games, he gives it his all.
If only he could apply that to school and his personal life.
Rei is a different story.
He wasn't smiling he was sitting down.,
Still trying to catch his breath. His head down, sweat dripping from his nose and short cut black hair, his shirt now completely damp.
I punched his shoulders lightly.
"You did well Rei, never thought you could play good as well.."
He smiled back at me. He then breathed a bit heavily a small fog withdrew from his mouth. He was still too tired to talk or reply to me. Which is good in a sense that he isn't too annoying.
Rei sat beside me without saying a word, still resting. He looks better when he's tired. He stays still.
Dan was on my left, not wearing a shirt. Finely built body with clearly defined muscles. Lean and light.
The right body type for basketball.
He didn't look as tired as Rei, just sitting there.
Resuming his head down position. He was breathing evenly.
"We should go up, her royal majesty is gonna be paying us a visit. We don't want to be late for that."
I grabbed my bag slung it over my shoulders and jumped from the bleachers. I was trying to go ahead of them, I didn't care if they followed or not. I don't want to give dragon lady any reason to breath fire on me.
They both jumped and followed me as well, Rei was still wearing his jersey wet with sweat. Dan still shirtless, I could notice other students looking at him. It might be natural for them to admire or be envious at this walking Greek sculpture.
Rei was beside me and Dan was following from behind. He might have noticed that people were already staring at him since he wiped himself with his extra shirt, then rummaged inside his bag for the uniform and started changing while still walking now slowly catching up beside me.
I looked like I had two body guards, I wanted to walk faster. I didn't want their tribal fans club, stalking me or shooting me with arrows from afar.
Rei must have noticed since he would always try to keep my pace.
Dan just casually put his hand on my shoulders. Not the all over my shoulders type, just his left hand on my right shoulder as if telling me to stop or maybe slow down. My tactic didn't seem to serve its purpose.
Instead of losing the two gorillas, one was now holding me down. The other one was sticking closely.
Dangerously close that he stepped on my left foot.
"AWWWWW, Rei! Tread carefully?" I complained.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to do that... You walk too fast, slow down a bit will you its not like we're going to be late." He apologized.
Because I had to grope my foot just to make sure it was alright. Dan wasn't holding my shoulder anymore he was standing there looking at me. Waiting for me to stand up, I was taking my damn sweet time trying to massage my foot. It didn't feel accidental. It hurt. ANNNOOYINNNGG REI.
When I stood up, Rei casually placed his right arm around my left shoulder and left it dangling a bit on my
right chest. He felt kind of warm, his body was so close, I could smell the salty sweet smell emanating from him. I couldn't describe what sort of perfume or deo he uses, but it smelled something like Mossimo.
It didn't smell bad even though he was a bit sweaty. He was a bit heavy, but it felt comfortable.
"This is better so that you don't walk to fast and I'll make sure I wont step on you." He smiled at me.
Dan went up, ahead of us. Whats wrong with him. I wanted to catch up to Dan but we were already close to the stairs and everyone was congregating and it was somewhat cramped. I lost sight of him we were still on the first flight of stairs and he was already on the second.
Plus Rei was heavy on my shoulders. I didn't mind though or I didn't care. I just wanted to go up, sit down and listen to my teacher talk about how boring the world is.
I forgot, bitchirella is gonna be teaching (read torturing) us. Her royal hugeness handled filipino, which I had a hard time paying attention to. I'd already read the classics of Filipino literature. From my sister's books. I knew what we were gonna talk about so paying attention will be hard for me. I have the attention span of a humming bird, two minutes max. Exaggerating again. I just get bored too easily.
I didn't want to bother Dan, he was too busy staring at the floor again. The only thing different from when he stares at the floor normaly and when he stares at the floor when he's thinking about something is his eyes are somewhat off. It looked kind of dead he didn't blink too much nor did he notice that I was looking at him...
He looked sad.
I stopped staring at him, because if I see his puppy eyes I might begin to feel sorry for him again. Or maybe give him a treat or scratch his ears. Hahaha.
I didn't want to talk to him either, Sauron was keeping watch. Even if she has her eyes on a book. She has a third eye somewhere surveying anyone who might be talking while we were supposed to read a chapter in our books.She asked mundane questions, which anyone could easily answer if we just read the damn chapter. She never called me, maybe one of her tactics so that she would have no reason to give me a score in participation. I didn't care.
She ended her lessons without anyone fainting or dying.
I was too busy thinking about what Dan had in mind. I'm not psychic but you can tell a lot of things by the way that people act or the choice of words they make.
If you applied that to me, you'd probably have an idea that I have some sort of mental disorder.
I didn't want to disturb him or ask him why he was acting strange. I'm not very intrusive, I don't ask if you don't want to tell. There's no need to. If you want to share I will listen, if you don't I won't mind.
I wasn't good at keeping secrets, because I easily forget things I do not have any use for...
He suddenly stood up and spoke softly "Can you go to the canteen later?" He then walked outside.
Okay, so no need to respond then? He should have just forcefully dragged me.
So calling me to the canteen and not going with me there...
Seems like a good idea of a way of inviting someone.
I didn't want to, I wasn't that hungry and I didn't want to see that tribe which seemed to use the canteen as their hunting spots. Maybe they lived there too.
What am I supposed to do now...
So walking towards the canteen was the total opposite of my plan. Which was head straight home.
I wasn't sure what intrigued me, Dan's invitation or seeing tribal aborigines in their natural habitat.
Who knows, I might learn a thing or two about primitive communities or why Dan invited me.
He was seated farther to the right. On a table that was thin and rectangular, so you had to sit beside each other. I'm sure he was expecting me to come because he was already staring at me approach.
It made me feel conscious. I didn't want to return his stares, I didn't want to look at his eyes.
The tribe chief was there as well. With his tribesmen, there were five of them now. Staring at me.
All of them had raised eyebrows. One of them, whispered "here comes the whore" when I passed in front of them. Keeping my stride slow just to annoy them. I pretended that I didn't hear them, because it wasn't creative enough for me to keep in mind. They could have said I had "accommodating morals" it would have made me think more. But sadly they cause dullness in themselves and others just by existing.
I'm thinking all high and mighty again. I promised myself I wouldn't look down on other people. Mehh.
Thats not like me. So I decided to look down more on them.
I was planning to annoy them later, I'm sure they're gonna watch me...
To be continued...
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