I woke up the following day seemingly much relax and refresh. I could finally breathe in and out easily, and my heart rate seems to achieve its normal beating speed. But for unknown reasons that I couldn’t name at all, I find myself clearly on my dormitory’s bed, and I’m already on my pajamas.
I try to remember what happened last night, but my head goes directly onto one very abrupt stop once it hits the boundary of what I remembered.
My bedroom door opens up slowly causing me to reach out for my butterfly knife underneath the mattress and point it dangerously at arm’s length to threaten the intruder of my room. Hell, I couldn’t even remember what happened last night and found myself here… I am starting to grow paranoid that someone kidnapped me. But when the door opens up wider, I so wished that I am pointing the knife so threateningly and deadly to that stranger, who touched me, other than my childhood friend.
Sam stands frozen by the doorway half-naked, with only his jean pants on, and he instantly holds up his hand in total surrender as his face shows a clear physical description of fear. He chides to ease me down since I completely have no intention of placing down the knife, “Wait… wait, you’ll regret killing me.”
I roll my eyes. “Don’t tell me something that you’ve memorized so well from your scripts. I want you to stay there as I ask you questions.”
“Just… damn, bring down that knife and I’ll honestly answer all of your questions. Please,” he pleads and he slowly sits down upon closing my bedroom door, dropping against it onto the floor, as I lower the knife as well, but not deciding to return it. He breathes out heavily. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me just yet. Remember that I still have a weapon.”
“I know that you won’t dare to do that.”
I bite my lip. “What are you doing here? How come I end up here? My clothes, and you…” Damn, I could never even take a look at his body! “Hell, what did you do?!”
“Easy,” he says in defense. “Just one question at a time.” He smirks. “You were pretty loud, though. I bet everyone outside could hear you. I didn’t know you had it in you.”
I throw him a deadly glare, wishing to incinerate him at that very moment. But I know too well that teasing is one of Sam’s forte as well. “Yeah, whatever. Even if we’re the best of friends, let me remind you that I’m still a girl. I demand to know everything that happened.”
He laughs. “First of all, what is the last thing you remember before waking up here?”
“I am at the Acquaintance Party,” I answer. “I lost sight of Airin and Peter, and I…”
WHAT THE HECK?!
I look at Sam with wide-eyes, causing him to raise one eyebrow of his. He then tells me, “Continue.”
“A man touched me, inviting me for a dance. And I—”
“What?” It is not a question to be exact, but the shocked on his face and his sudden abruptness as if ready to punch someone is very visible on his usual charming and soft features.
“It’s fine,” I assure him. “Nothing happened. I slipped from his grasp before anything could have happened.”
He relaxed, but the tension on his face is still visibly taunt.
“I try to move away from the crowd and finally make my way out of them, because the place starts to suffocate me. Before I finally lose my consciousness, I saw someone…” I eye him for a while.
Sam nods and remarks, “That man was me.”
I look at him, trying to find something to hint that he is lying or perhaps that he’ll laugh about it. But he didn’t. He remains cold and stoic, completely not in the mood to joke about what happened.
“You’re lucky that I found you at the right moment,” he continues as he looks away. I thought at first that he’ll blush or whatever, but he didn’t. His expression stays calm and sturdy. “I’ve returned from New York just this morning. The news are all in frenzy, and I used the moment to completely slip out from their eyes. I won’t be able to do so unnoticed if Brent didn’t simultaneously make a press conference on my behalf.”
I haven’t known Brent personally, but I’ve met him already. Sam introduced me to him as a friend. Brent Larkin is his agent. I mentally remember: he just leave the acting industry. I should have used a ‘was’ right there.
“The moment that the plane landed, I received that photo of yours from Airin. And since no one expects me to return, not even my parents or my siblings, I used the opportunity to completely go here. I couldn’t imagine you wearing such hideous dress,” he trails off but keeps his eyes somewhere else than to look at me. “I never thought that you’ll wear one that completely expose majority of your skin. And it got me thinking what will happen if that’s the case. You’re charming and beautiful. Countless of boys are going to take you for advantage.
“So when I found you, I am so at ease and worry at the same time that something happened to you. I don’t know if I’ll be able to forgive myself if someone took you by force. I am lucky enough to find your dorm keys by your pocket and thank Heavens that it has a location of this place. I can’t just leave you all alone in here, be surprised as well that you’re on your bed already.” He stops for a moment. “I’m sorry if I must change your clothes into your pajamas. But I swear that I didn’t look or touch you impurely. I stay all night and I need to remove my shirt in order for it not to wrinkle. I didn’t have majority of my clothes after all when I left all of my clothes in New York to keep my leaving much easier. Anyway, I am still sorry about…”
Wait a minute… did he just said I’m charming and beautiful? I never heard Sam say something like that to me. It makes me wonder what had come over him to start acting like this and say words like that.
I didn’t realize that my heart will empower my mind. That even without my mind processing the action, I find myself kneeling next to Sam and embracing him tightly. Surprisingly, I’ll find myself shaking with how unknowingly and involuntarily I’ve acted, but it appears that I’ve been at too much ease just by being like this.
I didn’t feel Sam tense up but that causes him to stop from whatever he is saying. But he didn’t relax either.
Only when I mutter close to his ear that he finally managed to relax: “Thank you.”
We stayed that way for a few more minutes before we finally think of it best to let each other go.
---------------------------------
I didn’t see or even heard from Airin or Peter until the first day of classes. I didn’t even wonder what happened why they didn’t even try to find out about me at all; it appears that both of them experienced terrible hangovers despite being the ones who are so used with drinking alcoholic drinks. And it’s also a fault in me to remind them that I am fine since Sam stayed with me all throughout yesterday to ensure that I am safe being all alone. He didn’t even leave until it is way too late at night.
“I am so, so sorry, Mi Adá,” Airin cries out as we heads down the stairs of Roebuck. “I am deeply sorry.”
I wave a hand at her, wishing to wave off her apologies because I am really not angry at her. “Stop it, Airin. I am not even angry at you or Peter about what happened.”
“Darn you, girl,” she pouts. “Every time that I apologize, you always accept. Is there a time that you can’t handle me continuously apologizing all again?”
“You know what kind of people I hate in this world.”
“Are they those who don’t appreciate gratitude, or those who are so bold enough to test the limits of your patience?”
“Both.”
“That’s way too hard.”
“I can still tolerate you.”
“I’m flattered!”
“You’re welcome.”
Airin narrows her eyes at me. “Is that the way how you say you love someone?”
I smile. “That depends.”
“What’s with that smile?” We’re already by the bicycle racks and the two of us head on to where our bikes are. We deftly does the lock and before we go on our separate ways for our own college buildings, she questions again, “What’s with that smile, Ada?”
“Oh, I wonder what you are talking about.” I mount my bicycle and head to the College of Engineering. “Later, Airin!”
“Hey, wait!” she calls on, but I am already off, heading onward to the start of becoming much closer in attaining my dreams. Perhaps, that’s the reason why I am smiling without me knowing. Because to tell the truth, I don’t even know why I’ve been smiling since yesterday.
------------------------------
My first class starts at nine in the morning, and I anticipate the professor I will be having for a subject such as Chemistry will arrive on time. Since the first year for Engineering tackles the basics, not all of us twenty-seven are taking up the same course. To be honest, enrolled for Chemical and Bioprocessing Engineering on this class are only five, including me as the sole girl to dare take this course. But according to our professor, there should be six of us, based on the record of students he has.
It’s only when halfway before the class ends that the entire room goes eerily quiet when someone knocks against the door. Everyone inside the room turns toward the sound in unison, but it’s only the professor’s view who could figure out whose standing outside the room.
He sighs heavily, stops from his discussion, and turns to everyone, announcing, “Everyone, listen up. Know too well that I don’t take tardiness in my class. But for today, being the first day, I’ll allow him.” He walks to the door to unlock it and open it wide enough for everyone to see, and for that late student to finally enter in.
And I certainly drop my pencil when I glance at the doorway just like the others. The once quiet room erupts in few squeals and murmurs. After all, who would have thought of it?
That the sixth student enrolled in the same course as mine will be someone like the once actor Brión Siadhail.
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