"Chill, Jeysi. I'm on my way."
I immediately ended the call and didn't even bother to wait for his response. Kanina pa siya nagagalit at tumatawag. I was drunk and wasted last night; which was the reason why I forgot about our sudden appointment for today.
Palipat-lipat ang tingin ko sa kalsada at sa aking relo. Ilang minuto na lamang ang natitira ay magsisimula na ang meeting. Masyado pang mabagal ang usad ng sasakyan dahil sa traffic.
I opened my small pouch and took some of my cosmetics. I grabbed the opportunity to apply some of it to fix myself. I need to look glamorous and presentable in front of our clients.
After a few minutes, ay umusad na ang trapiko. Nakalampas na ako sa Balintawak, kaya naman naging magaan na ang daloy ng mga sasakyan.
The security guard, and some of the employees, greeted me when I arrived at Phoenix Quantum. It is one of the top leading Engineering Firms in the Philippines. I smiled and greeted them back before heading straight into the conference room.
Wearing my corporate attire; a black velvet diamanté belt blazer dress, paired with a black sharp stilettos, with matching jewelry to complete the look. I confidently entered the room.
Thank God, they haven't started yet.
"Sorry, I'm late," I apologized as they shifted their gaze towards mine.
The smile on my lips quickly disappeared, my breathing seemed to stop for a while and I can also feel my knees shaking.
"It was nice seeing you again, Tatiana."
I saw a familiar built of a man and a woman. Ghosts that are part of my past that I never expected nor dreamed to meet again. It gave me shivers, but I still manage to compose myself.
"It was really nice seeing the two of you again, Ate." I paused for a while, then gave them my sweetest smile before shifting my gaze to the man sitting beside her. "Leo."
It seems like they were enjoying this game, pretending that nothing happened from the past.
The sound of my stilettos echoed throughout the entire room. I am confident in every step I take because confidence is the most beautiful and sexiest thing a woman can wear.
In this little reunion of ours, I realized one thing.
Masyado akong nagmadali noon kaya ako nasaktan at nagkamali. But one thing is for sure, I won't repeat the same mistake again. No one can fool me, nor hurt me again. Never again!
Mark my words, because I am now Engineer Tatiana Cara Corsanes. Stronger, fiercer, and bolder.
'May we invite everyone to please pause for a while, and observe silence as we pray the Angelus.'"Finally," I said as I let out a sigh of relief, glancing up at Engineer Olvido, our instructor in Basic Calculus.Mabilis akong tumayo at ganoon din ang ginawa nang mga kaklase ko. I felt relieved that the sudden test was canceled. Well, thanks to the prayer leader for that very good timing.'Let us pause for a while and pray with me the Angelus. Please all stand...'Malalapad ang ngiti nang ilan sa aking mga kaklase dahil katulad ko ay maaaring gutom na rin sila, at wala nang lakas pa para sumabak o makipagbakbakan pa sa mga numero.Numbers are like boys, they'r
"MM, push ka. Tank, huwag mong iniiwan 'yong MM natin.""Pharsa, bot bilis!""Gather, nasa Lord sila. Tara din doon, p're. Sama-sama lang tayo.""Retreat, 'yong base natin mga ulol!""Defend lang kaya pa 'to.""DEFEAT."Ibinagsak nila ang kanilang mga cellphone at pinanood ko kung paano magsumbatan ang mga kaklase ko. They were playing Mobile Legends; at mukhang sunod-sunod ang talo nila. Nagsisisihan sila at nagtuturuan kung bakit natalo. Napailing na lamang ako dahil sa ingay na naidudulot nila."Liz, patikim ako!"Agaw-atensyon
"Tatiana, nagreview ka?" Vettinah asked as I entered the classroom."Sakto lang," I replied. Hindi ako masyadong nakapag-review dahil tinamad ako, kaya nag-sound trip lang ako at nakatulog din kalaunan.Ibinaba ko ang mga gamit ko, inilabas ang journal, at tsaka umupo. I tried my best to focus and to review my notes."Ayan tayo sa mga ganiyang sagutan e. Sakto lang daw, pero mamaya siya nanaman 'yung highest."Napa-angat ang tingin namin kay Ernisha, na kararating lang din. Hindi niya suot ang kanyang salamin, dahil ayaw 'to ng boyfriend niya. Sa totoo lang, ayaw namin sa kasintahan niya dahil pilit niyang binabago ang kaibigan namin. Maling mali 'yon, dahil kung talagang mahal mo ang isang tao dapat tanggap mo siya mula ulo hanggang
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and turn." We cheered as we danced along to the beat.Cheer stunts definitely add a lot of excitement to any routine, but they can be difficult to execute well. I rolled my eyes dahil pagod na ako at nakakaramdam na ng uhaw.Cassandra, Vettinah, and Ernisha are part of the cheerleading team kaya nasama rin ako. Required na each student ay kasama sa isa isang organization, kaya noong organization day ay wala akong choice at nagpahila na lang sakanila. Pero qualified din ako mag-join sa student council, at namimili pa ako ng partido na sasamahan.For now, cheer dance muna ang iniisip ko. We started practicing for the opening of APSTAP Sport League. We still have two more months to prepare. Medyo hassle lang kasi malapit na ang finals namin
"Hindi nga ako papayagan!" I hissed for the nth time. Kanina pa ako kinukulit nito at kanina pa rin ako tumatanggi."I'll talk to your mom. Ipapaalam kita," pagpupumilit pa ni Vettinah. She's very persistent. Gagawin niya talaga ang lahat maka-sama ka lang sa gala."You're just wasting your time, hindi ako papayagan non."Our school organized a small welcome party for the varsity. It will be held at Monte de Cafe and Bistro, gabi yon kaya maliwanag pa sa sikat ng araw na hindi ako papayagan."Ako nga bahala," she said over the phone. "Give me some minutes pupuntahan kita."My mom, especially my dad was too strict and a bit kill joy. Hindi nila ako pinapayagan masyado sa mga gala kaya
"What are you doing?"Inis kong inalis ang pagkakapulupot ng kamay niya sa aking bewang, at tinitigan siya ng masama. He's being possessive and I don't like it."Protecting you.""Protecting me. Wow!" I almost rolled my eyes out of irritation. "Nakikipag kaibigan lang 'yong tao!""He's obviously hitting on you.""So what if he is? Ano naman sayo ngayon?"Ang ibang varsity ay napapatingin na sa amin, dahil medyo tumataas na ang boses naming dalawa. Natahimik siya at halatang nagulat sa biglaang pagtaas ng aking boses."Nag-uusap lang naman kami a," I explained and tried to lower dow
I was already late. Well, I still had a few more minutes before the Meeting de Avance starts. Pero kahit na, nakakahiya pa lalo na at isa ako sa mga candidates.I picked up my pace and almost bumped into someone. Ito yung moment na lagi kong nababasa sa mga novels at napapanood sa mga movies. 'Yong you bump into a cute dude and then boom! May potential boyfriend ka na."Tatiana?"My eyes widened as I saw his familiar face."Oh, bistro boy. The vocalist," gulat at may pagka-mangha kong sabi.He smirked. "Glad you remembered me," he said playfully between his smirks. "Sorry! Nag-away ba kayo nung boyfriend mo?""Uh, no!" Agad kong tan
"Where do you want to eat?" I asked.Nandito kami sa mall near our Campus. Open gate kami during lunchtime, but we were only given 30 minutes to take our lunch. Buti na lang at hindi regular class ngayon, kaya maaga kaming pinalabas."Kahit saan," tipid nitong sagot. May mga iilan na napapalingon sa amin dahil sa kasama kong bakulaw.I rolled my eyes. "Greenwich, Plaza Mocha, Gilligans, Wingstreat, Wendys, Mang Inasal?" I enumerated, "C'mon, choose.""Ikaw bahala, ikaw manlilibre e.""Ikaw bahala, ako kawawa."He just chuckled. Nagiging center of attention na kami, may mga iilang napapatingin sa direksyon namin. Nandito kami sa gitn
I got a full night's sleep, and yet I still feel tired. Can't believe it's already Monday, the suicidal day for STEM Students like me.Sino ba naman ang hindi mamamatay, kung 8 hours straight ang math niyo. Four hours for Basic Calculus and another four hours for Statistics and Probability, paniguradong magugulat ka nalang sa mga numero na makikita mo.I opened my journal, trying to read and understand it. But sadly, kahit ilang beses kong basahin at subukang intindihan, ay tila ayaw makisama ng utak ko.Wala kaming quiz or what, pero minsan ay baliko ang utak ni Engineer Olvido. Bigla nalang may graded recitation or first ten.Madalas naman kapag nakalimutan nito, ay biglang pinapaalala ng mga bida-bida sa klase. Jollibee amp.
My fingers made their way to the end of my ponytail. I automatically smiled, as I saw myself in the mirror.Inuutusan ako ni mama, na mag-grocery. Tinatamad ako, pero wala akong choice. Kailangan ko munang maging sipsip for a while para payagan ako ulit gumala sa susunod."Tatiana!" Rinig kong sigaw ni mama habang ako ay naglalakad pababa sa hagdan. "Sa grocery store lang ang punta mo, wag ka nang magpaganda.""Ma, maganda na ako kahit hindi ako magpaganda."Binigay nito sa akin ang listahan ng mga kailangan kong bilhin. "Mag-ingat ka," paalala pa nito sa akin bago ako umalis."Opo, Ma. Mag- iingat ako kahit hindi ako iniingatan."
"Get a room, guys!"Nandidiri at mapaglarong sigaw ni Vettinah, nang maabutan kami sa ganoong posisyon. Dahil sa gulat, ay parehas at kusa kaming napalayo sa isa't isa.That was too close!"Maharot kang pokpok ka!""Tangina mo, sabi mo sa CR ka lang e."Pagbibintang nang aking mga magagaling na kaibigan. I manage to compose myself and gave them my sweetest smile."That's not what you think," I said trying to convince them that what they saw was nothing."Palusot amp," tila hindi naniniwalang sabi ni Cassandra. "May mata kami, hoy!"
"Don't mind him," I said trying to ignore his presence. Gusto kong kumbinsihin ang sarili ko na hindi ako apektado at wala akong pakealam. But, I can't! Hindi ko alam kung bakit naasiwa ako kapag nakatingin siya."Are you tired?" Alvin, asked. Marahil ay nahalata nito ang biglaang pagkawala nang aking gana. Naging marahan ang pagkilos ng aking balakang at tila hindi ko na nasasabayan ang beat ng musika.Umiling ako at binigyan ito ng tipid na ngiti. But it seems like he doesn't believe it. "Are you bothered by his presence?" He suddenly asked.I faked my laugh, trying to hide my nervousness. "Of course not," I lied."Hindi mo ba talaga siya boyfriend?""Hindi nga," I answered. "Pauli
"All my friends are wasted.And I hate this club. Man, I drink too much.Another Friday night I've wasted. My eyes are black and red.I'm crawling back to your bed."We sang along to the band and dance along with the beat. Everyone in the crowd seemed to be enjoying the moment. Nag-uunahan sa pag indayog ang aming mga balakang at halos mapunit na ang aming lalamunan dahil sa pasigaw na pagsabay sa kanta.Nandito kami ulit ngayon sa Bistro. As usual, ipinaalam ako ni Vettinah kay mama, at sinabing may kailangan kaming tapusin na requirements. I don't want to lie but, I have no choice. Kung hindi kami magpapalusot, maliwanag pa sa sinag ng araw na hindi ako papayagan.We decided na bumalik na sa table namin. I removed my denim jacket bef
"Nothing happened, okay? Kumain lang talaga kami. That's it," I explained.Pilit nilang inuusisa kung ano ang nangyari kahapon. They were concluding that something happened between me, and Leo. They were accusing me, itinatago ko lang daw ito at ayaw sabihin sakanila."Feeling ko talaga, crush ka niya," Cassandra concluded."Nope. Were just, friends?"To be honest, natatakot ako every time na may bagong tao na papasok sa buhay ko. I have trust issues and sometimes iba ang mindset ko like maybe it is better to be alone because you are more assured that no one would hurt you. But sometimes, I also like the feeling na alam mong may taong interesado makinig sayo, sa mga rants mo at mga kalokohan.
"Where do you want to eat?" I asked.Nandito kami sa mall near our Campus. Open gate kami during lunchtime, but we were only given 30 minutes to take our lunch. Buti na lang at hindi regular class ngayon, kaya maaga kaming pinalabas."Kahit saan," tipid nitong sagot. May mga iilan na napapalingon sa amin dahil sa kasama kong bakulaw.I rolled my eyes. "Greenwich, Plaza Mocha, Gilligans, Wingstreat, Wendys, Mang Inasal?" I enumerated, "C'mon, choose.""Ikaw bahala, ikaw manlilibre e.""Ikaw bahala, ako kawawa."He just chuckled. Nagiging center of attention na kami, may mga iilang napapatingin sa direksyon namin. Nandito kami sa gitn
I was already late. Well, I still had a few more minutes before the Meeting de Avance starts. Pero kahit na, nakakahiya pa lalo na at isa ako sa mga candidates.I picked up my pace and almost bumped into someone. Ito yung moment na lagi kong nababasa sa mga novels at napapanood sa mga movies. 'Yong you bump into a cute dude and then boom! May potential boyfriend ka na."Tatiana?"My eyes widened as I saw his familiar face."Oh, bistro boy. The vocalist," gulat at may pagka-mangha kong sabi.He smirked. "Glad you remembered me," he said playfully between his smirks. "Sorry! Nag-away ba kayo nung boyfriend mo?""Uh, no!" Agad kong tan
"What are you doing?"Inis kong inalis ang pagkakapulupot ng kamay niya sa aking bewang, at tinitigan siya ng masama. He's being possessive and I don't like it."Protecting you.""Protecting me. Wow!" I almost rolled my eyes out of irritation. "Nakikipag kaibigan lang 'yong tao!""He's obviously hitting on you.""So what if he is? Ano naman sayo ngayon?"Ang ibang varsity ay napapatingin na sa amin, dahil medyo tumataas na ang boses naming dalawa. Natahimik siya at halatang nagulat sa biglaang pagtaas ng aking boses."Nag-uusap lang naman kami a," I explained and tried to lower dow