Liberty heaved a sigh.
Hindi niya alam kung ang nararamdaman niyang pagkabalisa ay dahil sa takot ma-huli sa quiz niya o dahil sa mag-aabot ng scientific calculator.
She has a habit of biting her lower lip whenever she feel anxious or nervous- which is now. Habang nakatayo sa split landing ng hagdanan, naiimagine niya na lahat ng scenario kung paanong haharapin si Justice.
Kahit na nakikita niya ito paminsan sa campus, it would not be nearer than 10 meters, dahil magkaiba naman ang building nila and whenever she sees the man's silhouette she would try her very best to avoid him.
Bakit ba ako kinakabahan sino ba siya?!
Before she can make another set of argument inside her head, she heard footsteps coming below the stairs and finally stopped in front of her.
She smelled a familiar scent, ang inaasahan niyang pagiging magulo ng sistema niya ay hindi nangyari. The refreshing scent somehow calmed her nerves and put her at ease-
Not until she heard him talk with his deep calming voice.
"Liberty.."
Tinititig nito?!
"Y-yung calcu?"
What is he still looking at??
"Before I give it to you, let's stay here for another 5 minutes."
Para saan?!
Parang biglang nabuhay lahat ng kaba sa loob niya, she didn't sign up for this!!
The nervousness she's feeling is like of those lovers who had secret afairs in a stairwell.
"Mal-late ako sa quiz!"
"You still have 8 minutes before your quiz, I'm only asking for 5."
Walang nagsasalita, naturally she wouldn't start a conversation with him.
The silence led her thoughts flying again.
Not long ago, she used to tell him everything she found interesting. When it comes to him she would always become talkative. Kahit sobrang maliliit na bagay, she used to say it all to him because things seems to be very interesting whenever she shares it with him, maybe because even when he doesn't talk much, he listens well.
That was the time when she learned how the seemingly aloof Justice Silva is actually a little funny, he had habits of an old man that is very contradicting to his overly handsome image.
Hindi niya namalayang napatitig din siya dito kaya kinurot niya ang sarili niya nang pa-simple.
5 minutes!! lagpas na ata eh.
"Aalis na ako 'pag 'di mo pa binigay 'yan."
Habang iaabot sana nito ang calculator, her phone rang she didn't have the time to remember what it's for so like an instinct, she raised her phone to see who's calling.
Napatingin sila ng sabay sa notification na lumabas sa lockscreen while it kept ringing.
Justice's bday
Her eyes widen and it's like her world had stopped.
She felt his gaze raised from her phone to her face.
Dapat talaga hindi ako pinapabayaan mag-isa. Gumagawa talaga ako ng sariling katangahan.
"Ano, nagpalit kasi ako ng phone ng two years tapos ngayon ko na lang ulit ginamit 'to, nakalimutan ko magdelete." Even the words she spoke now were blurted out by instinct.
Clearly, she could have mulled it over to come up with better arguments but she doesn't have that ability at the moment!!
She saw a glimpse of him nodding with the words she said like saying he believes her but the smirk on his face was telling her otherwise.
Without waiting for him to say anything again, she snatched the calculator and ran without looking back.
Her face became redder as she heard his chuckle through the quiet stairwell.