#CTG24 Chapter 24

The next few days were hectic. Papalapit na ang finals pati iyong BAR month. Everyone seemed busier and there was no time to relax. The school was pressuring everyone to study hard because they didn't want a rerun of what happened last BAR—we failed to get a spot in the top 10. They didn't blatantly say that they're disappointed, pero halata naman dahil nagtaas sila ng maintaining grade. I just felt bad for the exam takers this year because the pressure must be so high.

"May duty ka ba sa hotel later?" Rory asked.

I nodded. "Yeah... pina-require sa Torts," sagot ko.

"Okay... Ayain ka sana namin mag-aral. May bagong bukas na study hub, e."

"Ayoko kayong kasama mag-aral," I said. One time, nahulog iyong ballpen ko kaya pinulot ko iyon... And I saw...things. Simula nun, hindi na talaga ako sumama mag-aral kina Yago at Rory. Tuwing magkatabi sila, hindi ko maiwasan isipin kung ano ang nangyayari sa ilalim ng lamesa.

Rory laughed. "Grabe naman 'to! 'Di naman kami ganoon ka-ingay!"

I merely stared at her, not wanting to tell her the real reason why I didn't want to study with them. Noise, I could drown... The other Rory-Yago things? I could not and did not want to know.

She laughed again. "Finals na kaya. Seryoso naman kami mag-aral," she said. "Hanggang what time ba duty mo? Sunod ka na lang. Ayaw din kayang sumama ni Jax sa amin! Sasama lang daw siya kapag kasama ka."

"Until 1am," I said. And even before she could insist some more, I added, "Didiretso na ako pauwi."

For the rest of the class, Rory looked at me as though I betrayed her. I focused on studying. Konti na lang talaga, matatapos na ang semester na 'to... And then after this, just one more sem and I could review for the BAR and then take it. I wanted to work already because I knew that my savings wouldn't last... And I didn't want to bother my father and my brothers. I got this.

In the middle of the class, natigilan kaming lahat dahil naka-rinig kami ng drums. We all knew what the meant... and our professor allowed us to come out.

"Punta tayo sa baba," Rory said and we all followed hanggang nasa main hallway na kami. Isa-isang lumalabas iyong mga bar takers for this year. They were all smiling so widely and I couldn't help but feel proud of them... Graduating from law school was already a feat in itself... I knew the struggles they went through and though I didn't personally know all of them, I was genuinely happy for them.

"Baby, umiiyak ka na naman?" Yago asked, laughing nang makita na naiiyak na naman si Rory. Mula 1styear hanggang 4th year, tuwing send off, umiiyak talaga si Rory. Couldn't blame her, though... Medyo nakaka-iyak naman talaga lalo na kapag nakikita mo iyong mga magulang ng mga barrista na umiiyak... So I made sure na hindi ko sila tinitignan dahil ayokong maiyak sa harap nila Yago.

"Congrats!" I said when I saw Rhys approaching. He was wearing a flower necklace. I forgot... magte-take nga pala siya ng BAR ngayon.

"Thanks, Cha," Rhys said, smiling, before he continued to walk.

Nang matapos iyong procession ng mga BAR takers, naglakad na kami pabalik ng room. Naunang maglakad iyong dalawang lalaki dahil may nakita silang professor na kinausap sila.

"Naks... 'di na kayo awkward ni Rhys?"

Hindi ko pinansin si Rory at binilisan ko ang lakad para maka-balik na agad kami sa room... pero hindi naka-ligtas sa akin ang malakas niyang pagtawa.

Nang matapos iyong class, binilisan ko iyong paglabas dahil baka tanungin na naman ako ni Rory tungkol doon. That was already a non-issue... but when Rory's bored, she'd make an issue out of nothing.

Rhys told me he liked me.

I said thank you.

End of discussion.

I booked a ride to the hotel. Habang naka-pila ako papasok, bigla akong napa-tingin sa main door ng hotel. May isang grupo ng mga lalaki ang lumabas mula doon. Almost all of them looked familiar... but one guy caught my attention.

He didn't see me, but I was watching his every movement. Tahimik siyang naglalakad kasama iyong mga brodsniya. He didn't look like the Iñigo I knew from before—the one who reminded me of sunflowers and sunshine... He looked like the Iñigo who fucking told me 'subo mo na, Cha.'

I wonder who was the real one...

The line was long so I saw where they stopped. I saw them lighting up cigarettes—Iñigo included. Then, he was laughing at something someone said. I watched as he brushed his hair using his fingers, as he blew smoke from his mouth, as he nodded at one girl who looked like she was from a sorority.

And then I focused my attention on the line in front of me.

* * *

Nang maka-pasok ako sa loob, nagsign in ako para makapagsimula na iyong duty ko. Naka-upo ako sa sign-in table at sumasagot sa mga tanong mula sa mga barrister. After a while, it got boring dahil wala ng masyadong nagtatanong, so I got a codal from my bag and began reviewing instead.

"Cha? Ikaw po ba si Charisse Faith?" Napa-tingin ako sa tao sa harap ko. I merely looked at him. "Ah... Request po kasi nung isang barrister na ikaw daw po magdeliver ng LMTs niya and magwakeup call."

Agad na kumunot ang noo ko. "Hanggang 1am lang ako," I said.

"Sorry po... Ikaw po kasi request, e... Ang hirap pong tanggihan kapag nagrequest," he said, sounding really apologetic. I understood him, though. Mahirap talagang tumanggi sa request ng barrister. With all the pressure of the exam, you just wanted to do whatever they requested.

"Sino ba 'yan?" I asked. If I was requested to do a wakeup call, it meant that I had to stay until 3am or 4am... And normally, I'd be okay... but with Iñigo around, it didn't seem like a good idea. Mukha pa namang naka-douche mode siya ngayon dahil kasama niya iyong mga brothers niya.

"Rhys Arevalo po."

Ano ba 'yan.

"Mamayang 2am po lalabas 'yung LMTs. Abot ko na lang sa 'yo, Ate. At saka sa room 2018 si Kuya Rhys," sabi niya bago mabilis na umalis bago pa ako maka-sagot.

I sighed.

Nang matapos iyong shift ko, naghanap ako ng pwedeng tambayan habang hinihintay iyong materials and iyong oras ng paggising ko kay Rhys. I roamed around the hotel until I reached the pool area. Wala masyadong tao. Doon ako sa pinaka-dulo. The light was good enough so I just reviewed while passing time. And when it was already quarter to 3, bumalik ako sa HQ. Nandun na iyong mga LMTs.

"Good morning," Rhys greeted after he opened the door. Isang beses lang akong kumatok at bumukas agad... Kanina pa yata siya gising.

"Good luck sa exam," I simply said, inabot sa kanya iyong ni-request niya na LMT.

He opened the door wider. "Pasok ka muna."

"No, thanks," I said. It's already 3am. I just really wanted to go home and sleep.

"Sige na?" he asked.

"No—"

"Please?" he asked again. "Hindi pa ako natutulog."

"Baliw ka ba? Bakit hindi ka natulog?"

"Kinakabahan ako," he said with an uneasy smile.

"You're the class valedictorian. You'll pass the BAR."

His smile grew wider. "Thanks for the confidence, Cha," he replied, looking at my eyes that made me feel uncomfortable. Walang tao masyado sa hallway. Usually alas-cuatro pa ang wakeup call. Siraulo 'tong si Rhys hindi natulog. Buong araw pa naman iyong exam.

I shifted on my feet. "Sige... Alis na ako."

"Okay..." he said, actually sounding sad.

"Matulog ka—" I said, then stopped when I realized na mas mahirap kapag natulog siya tapos gigising din agad. "May coffee ka ba d'yan?"

Umiling siya. "Wala."

I clicked my tongue. "Kukuha kitang coffee. Balik ako," I said and turned my back on him and walked my way back to the elevator. Bumaba ako sa HQ and looked for the coffee station. Naka-sama ko si Rhys nung second year ako nung sumali ako sa Debate Society... but went inactive when I realized how demanding it was. Priority ko ang acads.

And because I felt weird when Rhys 'confessed.' I didn't want any distraction from school so I decided it's time to be inactive kahit nag-enjoy naman ako sa org kahit sandali lang ako naging active member.

"Here," I said. "Black and one teaspoon of sugar."

He smiled. "Thanks, Cha. Ayaw mo talaga pumasok? Daming pagkain na binigay sa 'kin, e... 'Di ko naman mauubos and 'di ko alam gagawin."

"Pauwi mo sa parents mo."

"Next Sunday pa sila dadating."

I sighed. Ang kulit naman nito. Pumasok na ako. Mabait naman si Rhys... but Dad met him once and it was obvious that he really liked him. That was why I found it so weird—and scary—when he told me he liked me. Baka kapag nalaman ni Dad, ipa-kasal agad kaming dalawa. Dad liked Rhys and he was vocal about it—plus the fact that his family was rich and Rhys is really smart.

True to what he said, maraming pagkain sa loob ng hotel room niya. There were boxes of pizzas and donus and cakes and flowers. Hindi na ako nagtaka. He's class valedictorian, he's really friendly, and marami siyang org sa school.

Rhys said that he's really nervous because of the pressure he was receiving from the admin. Dahil walang naka-pasok sa top 10 last year and nakuha ng Brent iyong majority ng top 10 spots, pressured siya na siya ang magtop sa BAR ngayon... No wonder hindi maka-tulog 'tong tao na 'to.

"Stop worrying about their expectation and just answer," sabi ko sa kanya. "Kailangan mo lang namang pumasa. Who cares if they'd be disappointed?"

He laughed. "Kayo iyong mahihirapan kapag pangit iyong results ng batch ko."

I shrugged. "Who cares?"

"Iba ka na, ah..." he said, smiling. "The old Cha I knew would've probably told me to ace the exam."

I shrugged again as I stood up, shaking off the donut powder from my pants. Ang dami kasi talagang donuts... sayang naman.

"5am na. Good luck sa exam, Rhys."

He smiled at me. "Thanks, Cha... Next year, ibabarops kita."

Hinatid niya ako palabas ng hotel room niya. I said good luck once again. Nang maglalakad ako sa hallway papunta sana sa elevator, agad akong natigilan nang makita ko si Iñigo. His forehead was slightly creased as if he was trying to make sure that he was seeing correctly.

Shit.

Ayan na nga sinasabi ko, e.

"What... are you doing here?" he asked.

"Barops," I simply replied. We hadn't seen each other since the last time he pulled me and kissed me. It's BAR month and we're all busy. I wished I finished this sem without seeing him again. Ilang araw na naman akong ginulo nung ginawa niya.

"Yeah, I know," sagot niya na parang nainis. "Bakit nanditong floor ka?"

"Ikaw ba may-ari nito?"

I saw him pressing his lips together. "Naka-check-in kami sa buong floor na 'to. Sino'ng pinuntahan mo?" he asked demandingly.

"Wala," sagot ko na sinubukang maglakad at lampasan siya, pero sino ba ang niloloko ko? He grabbed my arm, forcing me to stay and look at him. He smelled of cigarette and I hated that smell.

"I thought we had a deal?" he asked.

"What deal?"

"That... as long as hindi makaka-abala sa sched mo... pwede kitang..." he said. And even though the light was dim in the hallway, I could see how his face turned red. "Hatakin."

"Wala akong maalala," sagot ko.

His jaw clenched. "Gusto mong ipaalala ko sa 'yo?"

"Gusto mong masampal?"

He was looking at me like he was barley trying to keep it together at mapipikon na talaga siya sa 'kin.

"Sino na lang pinuntahan mo?" ulit niya.

"Wala—" sasagot pa sana ako nang marinig ko na may tumatawag sa pangalan ko. Sabay kaming napa-lingon at nakita namin si Rhys na papalapit sa amin.

"Cha," he said, holding a book. "Buti nandito ka pa. Naiwan mo," sabi niya sabay abot sa akin ng codal ko. Shit. Buti inabot niya! Babasahin ko pa naman 'yan bukas—na mamaya na pala. It's already Sunday and I just wanted to sleep already. May pasok na naman bukas. Hindi pa ako nakakapagpahinga.

"Thanks..." I said.

"Borromeo," he said, looking at Iñigo. I turned my eyes on Iñigo who was now sporting a serious look on his face. "Pasabi naman kay Yohan na sabay na ko sa kanya sa breakfast pahintay na lang ako."

"Yes, sir," Iñigo said. Kumunot ang noo ko. What was happening?

"Balik na ko, Cha. Ingat pauwi," Rhys said, his tone was softer and calmer than when he was talking to Iñigo.

Iñigo and I watched as Rhys got back to his unit. Napa-tingin ako kay Iñigo. He looked physically pissed—his jaw was clenched and his hand was balled into a fist.

"Rhys," he whispered. "Fucking Rhys," he repeated before leaving me there... confused because what the fuck did just happen?