Boylets (pArT 1: TRoLL)

"Troll" July 1994, Marikina Watershed. Tina, Benedick and I were the last to alight from the bus, hoping to catch a glimpse of our respective ‘miels’. Sophomores first, so we patiently watched them get off one by one. Jason, with his pristine white teeth, got off first, he was a sight to behold as far as Benedick is concerned, his smile stealing every girl’s breath, his tsinito eyes making skirt-clad gals weak on their knees. Benedick couldn’t help but swoon. Fifteen more sophomores after, I finally caught a glimpse of my “Bong” –his pants about to fall off—God bless whoever thought of hip-hop fashion! His sexy little eyes sent shivers down my spine—and when he smiled, I uttered the most pathetic excuse I could think of in his defense—“Di bale nang bungal, gwapito naman!” “Bong” is Antonio Brillantes in real life. He’s got this chunked off front tooth that could have turned me off in an instant, but irony of all ironies, it is the one thing that makes him so adorable. My neck as elongated as Benedick’s was as we forged our heads out the window to see where they are headed to. Alas! They stood just a meter away from where the bus halted…waiting for us, we wished so. Tina, on the other hand, was getting so impatient—her ‘Troll’ hasn’t gotten off the bus and she had to content herself with just the sight of his top shaft. A couple more second years and voila, ‘”Troll’ came off the bus straightening his shirt, his hair looking fresh from the shower room, not a bit ruffled. I muttered aloud, ‘how many tons of gel does he use in a day?’ as Tina gave me dagger looks and went on keeling over how gorgeous he is. Trying to veer my sight away from the crowd that obstructs my view of Bong, I caught Troll’s unassuming eyes—that was the first time I ever set sight on him closely—not really closely but more intently. To my surprise, he flashed me a grin and heavens! I was struck with immediate attraction. Tina’s voice jolted my senses as she and Benedick slowly made their way to the bus door. I couldn’t shake off his smile. Why did he smile at me, I obsessed. Benedick and Tina have alighted and frantically waved at me, urging me to hurry up for everybody’s queuing up at the entrance. After agonizing shoves from eager freshmen, I found my way out the bus, joining my friends just a few steps from where our guys stood. It was drizzling already and I cursed myself for having worn open-toed sandals at the muddy tree-planting site. Our army of other friends joined us three and we noisily made our way to the tree-lined watershed. The rain was pouring heavier by the minute, most of us already drenched as we anxiously tried to place our bags above our heads. A stone-peppered trek covered with mud came to sight, girls shrieking, trying to tip-toe their way out the mud. Benedick was aghast having lost sight of Jason. I, on the other hand could perfectly see Bong chatting with a classmate of his just beneath a huge tree—but I minded not for my eyes are searching for someone else—‘Where could he be?’ Tina asked the very question on my mind right that minute. A couple of CAT officers then came to the rescue, offering a hand to fragile looking girls who couldn’t make their way out the muddy stone trek—me and my friends included. When it was my turn to be held by the hand—I almost fainted when I saw the gentleman trying to rescue my inner damsel in distress—I swear I heard Tina scoff at having gotten off the filthy trek ahead, for it was her precious “Troll” who held my hand tightly and slowly guided me out the puddle of mud. ‘Madulas, ingat…’—he cautioned me. ‘Thanks,’ I replied with a sheepish smile. Tina’s litany of regret went on and on from the time we planted the trees to the time we had lunch. I shrugged off her ‘parinigs’ and prodded Benedick to transfer to the empty seat beside me—‘Mare, ano ‘yon ha!’ I smiled wickedly at him and whispered—‘Wag ka maingay kay Tina, I think I like him!’ Benedick nudged me off my seat and playfully wagged his finger and said, ‘Bawal tumalo ng papa ng may papa!!’ I just smiled at him and stood up, still obsessing about the way he held my hand, his smile etched in my memory. * * * ‘Late ka na naman!’ Joy said, tinkering with her eyebrows at the restroom when I rushed there to pee. ‘P.E. ngayon, dib a?’—I asked her while fixing my skirt, realizing just then that I didn’t bring with me my P.E. garb. ‘La ko uniform! Practical test, di ba?’ I asked looking clueless. Joy eyed me for a second or two and retorted, ‘Lagi ka naman ganyan! Una na ko, late na tayo!’ She left hurriedly and went back to our room. I looked down the window and caught a glimpse of the quadrangle and there he was—Tina’s Troll’! I rushed to join the whole class scattered around the tennis court. An angry Mrs. Mirales snapped at me for showing up in skirt again. I meekly apologized and offered another bout with asthma the night before as the most believable excuse I could think of. I settled myself in a comfy bench near the corridor windows as I watched my classmates play ball. The worst thing about not being in uniform is sitting out the whole hour just watching the others make a fool of themselves on the court while I keep their towels company. I was close to biting my nails in boredom when I heard two sophomores giggling just a few steps away from me. I frowned at how ‘kilig’ they sounded. Then voila! At a sudden turn of my neck, I saw him again! Conversing animatedly with ‘my Bong’! I straightened my skirt and gazed at them dreamily… After the P.E. class came Chemistry, then recess. Benedick and I decided to just get ourselves a glass of coke at the kiosk set up at the corridor leading to the library. “Hoy, nakita mo si Bong kanina nung PE? Benedick asked. ”Yup! He’s with “Troll” nga eh!” I answered with a wide-toothed smile. “Naku, mare iba na ‘yan!”, he exclaimed, eyeing me with feigned consternation. I was about to offer him an explanation when out of nowhere, I heard somebody spoke behind me—the voice was pretty familiar. It would have annoyed me sensing somebody breathing at my nape but when I saw who it was, my knees shook and my palms got sweaty. Heavens! It was ‘Troll’! Benedick playfully elbowed me and purposely shoved me nearer the object of my desire. ‘Excuse me, miss—coke medium isa!’ his voice penetrating my disheveled senses. Benedick pulled me back and chided, ‘Enough na ‘yan! Stats na! ‘ I gave ‘Troll’ one last look and kissed him on my mind… * * * First Friday of the month. There’s a mass at nine o’ clock as usual. Most of our classmates were anywhere but the classroom. Benedick, Joy and Aiko were somewhere on the ground floor practicing with the whole choral group while most of the guys were either huddling at the CAT office or at the Boy Scout headquarters. I was animatedly chatting with Gem when Bench, our class prexy came rushing in and announced that we need to get our asses off the chairs and line up for the mass. First Friday masses get you acquainted with the who’s who in the HS department. Who dresses dull, who holds whose hands, who pairs well with who, who’s smart, who’s a total ass? My friends and I see the event as a golden opportunity to check out the hotties–from wide-eyed freshies to overgrown seniors. I’ve spotted quite a few headturners when I, Gem, Mimay and the rest of gang made our way to the church. They come in all shapes and sizes, in all makes and models—if I were to put it that way. We found a spot about seven rows from the altar—a strategic vantage point for ‘sightseeing’—if you ask us, the experts on Boy Hunting 101. From where we’re seated, we could let our eyes linger from front to back and side to side with much ease. It took about twenty minutes to get everyone seated but it took a lot longer to quiet down the place, what with everyone chatting like pagans on the loose. Our group fell silent for a while as the choir belted out the opening song to usher in the mass. (2-b-continued)