Chapter 2:

Sheya's POV:

It was 6 o'clock in the morning. I was getting ready for school. 

I was smiling while strolling down the staircase. I am so excited to see the school and my classmates. It was such a beautiful day.

"Good morning!" I said cheerfully. Pero agad nawala ang ngiti ko nang hindi ngumiti si Mama, Ate at Kuya. 

"W-what is wrong guys?" I asked. 

Mom forced a smile and pulled a seat for me.

"Nothing, anak. Magbreakfast ka na. Baka malate ka sa school," she said. But it was obviously not just nothing. Something is really up with them. Ilang araw ko nang napapansin na laging seryuso ang lahat. Sobrang seryuso.

I mean, I thought that everything is fine. Mom told me that. Pero mula noong nagpunta ako sa office mas lalo lang lumala at bumibigat na pakiramdam ko.

Hindi naman sila ganito dati eh. I am the family's youngest at kinagigiliwan ako ang lahat lalo na si Daddy. Pero matamlay ang lahat ngayon. Kuya Lourde was seriously looking and typing on his phone. Si Ate naman nakatulala at pinaglalaruan lang ang kutsara sa plate niya. 

Then my sight reached to Dad's seat. He's not there. I wasn't surprised at all. 

"Si Daddy po?" tanong ko kay Mom.

"Maaga siyang pumasok ngayon anak. Marami siyang gagawin sa opisina. Si Kuya Lourde muna ang maghahatid sayo ngayon ha. Wala pa kasi si Mang Roly," sabi ni Mom.

I nodded to agree. 

"Sha nga pala anak, umuwi ka ng maaga mamaya. May pag-uusapan tayo," sabi ni Mom.

Ano naman kaya ang paguusapan namin? Lagi naman kaming naguusap ha. Tsaka bakit hindi nalang ngayon? Bakit mamaya pa.

Bagama't nagtataka sa mga ikinikilos nina Mom ay tumuloy ako sa pagpasok. Hinatid ako ni Kuya Lourde sa school. Hindi ko siya nagawang makausap sa biyahe dahil kausap niya ang secretary niya the whole ride. He must me very busy. Poor Kuya Lourde.

Everyone is happy. I can see students laughing and smiling around the quadrangle to the hallway. Kanya kanyang bati at kwento ang lahat sa mga kaibigan nila. I wonder where is Jencel. Ang tagal niya naman.

So instead of hanging out in the benches and on the quadrangle, pumasok ako sa classroom namin. Then I went to sit on my seat.

Every first day of school, nakasanayan ko nang maglagay ng pangalan sa mapipili kong upuan. Ayoko ko kasing nagpapalitpalit ng upuan. Ayoko rin na may ibang umuupo rito kaya nilalagyan ko ito ng sticker na may pangalan ko.

Last year ko na pala sa eskwelahan na ito. Excited na akong magcollege. Ngayon palang naka-ayos na lahat ng plano ko. 

Yung love life? Uhmm... Wala pa sa plano ko yung...

Napatingin ako sa pintuan nang may kumatok mula rito.

"Excuse me. Ito ba yung classroom ng ABM Grade 12 Section 1?" tanong ng isang lalaki saakin.

The man was downright gorgeous and charming. His hair was long enough to cover his forehead to his eyes. Maputi ito and mataas. Maayos din ang pagkakasuot nito sa uniform at backpack. 

Wala akong maipintas sakanya. I really like him na. Wait. Hindi naman ito ang first time na nagkagusto ako sa isang lalaki. Pero iba kasi siya eh, I may like someone the first time I saw them pero mabilis naman akong madiscourage lalo na kapag may hindi ako nagustuhan sa kanila.

Well, pwede pa naman sigurong magbago ang isip ko tungkol sa love life diba? 

"Excuse me, Miss?" Pinukaw niya ang diwa ko sa muli niyang pagtawag.

"H-ha? Ah oo. Ito nga," nauutal kong tugon sakanya.

He smiled saka pumasok sa loob ng classroom. He seated across the aisle. I can't help smiling habang nakangiti siya saakin.

Really? Lord ang aga naman ng blessing mo. 

"Sheya," a voice whispered near my ear that caused me to halt in my seat. Napatili tuloy ako sa gulat.

"What the heck! You scared me, Jencel!," I said. Para talagang kabute itong si Jencel. Bigla nalang itong sumusulpot at bigla nalang din nawawala.

"Sorry. Kanina ka pa ba?," he asked and seated beside me.

"Yes. Kanina pa." 

I looked at the guy across the aisle again and he smiled when he caught me looking at him. Kaya ningitian ko siya ulit.

And when I turned my gaze upon Jencel, nakita ko ang nakakunot niyang noo while looking at me.

"What?" Pagtataray ko sakanya. I raised a brow to him.

"You look like you have found a new crush huh?" he asked and smiled mischievously. I immediately covered his mouth with my hands tsaka ko siya pinandilatan.

"Shut the hell up, Buenavista or I'll rip your throat," I said. He nodded and agreed while pulling my hands off his mouth.

I straightened my uniform and smiled at the guy again. Laking gulat ko nalang nang humarang si Jencel sa sight ko. 

"Hi, I'm Jencel Buenavista," pakilala ni Jencel and raised a hand for a handshake. Napatayo ako sa gulat.

"And this is my friend Sheya," he said and pointed my direction.

Tumayo naman ito and politely accepted Jencel's hand.

"Hi, I'm Centaurus Yusef, but you can call me Cent. Nice to meet you Jencel," pakilala nito habang nakangiti.

And the most awaited part... He then looked at me and smiled. 

"Ay, hi. I'm Fritzsheya Pomela Alcantara, Sheya for short," pakilala ko tsaka kami naghandshake. 

Jusko. Ang lambot ng kamay niya! Ayoko nang bitawan ang kamay niya. My gosh! I could die now.

But later than that, I realized that I was holding his hand for almost 15 seconds so agad ko itong binitawan. Then I awkwardly smiled to him before turning back into my seat and Jencel do the same.

Doon ko lang napansin na marami na palang tao sa loob ng classroom. 

Jencel then looked at me with some sort of disgust or distaste.

"Ang weird mong kiligin," he commented.

I snorted at him.

-------

The day ended too soon. Matapos ang club meeting ko sa campus journalism ay sinundo ako ni Kuya Roly, ang driver namin.

I run excitedly inside the house with a smile on my face and found my whole family in the living room. 

It seems like Dad and Kuya was fighting. Kaya hindi muna ako tuluyang pumasok sa sala. 

"I told you not to agree Dad! I told you. We could pay that dept. We can!" Kuya Lourde was raging with fury and lividity. 

Mom was stopping and pulling Kuya away from Dad. Umiiyak naman sa tabi si Ate Loureen. Namumugto ang mga mata niya at nakatulala sa hangin.

I didn't know what's happening and yet it is giving me a depressing feeling.

"I told you, I have no choice! Sa tingin mo ba papayag akong ipakasal si Sheya sa anak niya kung may choice ako?"

Biglang namanhid ang tuhod ko. I couldn't even manage to take step forward. I was taken aback of what I just heard.

I didn't get it at first. Dad's words kept on replaying over my head.

"Sheya anak." Mom hurried to stand beside me.

Tama kaya ang narinig ko? Did I heard it right? I knew I did. But I'm still hoping that I'm wrong.

I wish I was in a middle of a prank or something. Pero seryuso ang lahat. Walang bahid na biro ang mukha nilang lahat. But still I was hoping that this is just a nightmare.

I scoffed and laughed fakely but my eyes were flooded with tears already. 

"This is a joke right? Come on guys. I'm not buying it," I said scoffing.

My Mom shook her head while crying. Hanggang sa hindi ko na rin mapigilan ang mga luha ko. These tears are betraying me. I don't wanna cry as much as possible because I was still hoping this is some kind of a prank. Like what they always do. Tiyak na tutuksuhin ako ni Kuya pagkatapos nito.

"Kuya, Ate, come on, say it. This is just a joke right?" I pleaded my siblings but they shake their heads.

"I'm so sorry, anak. I'm sorry for doing this. I'm trying to fix it," Dad said.

"Dad kanino? And please tell me why." Pinunasan ko ang mga luha ko.

"You have met Mister Chua right? He's not just a new investor but he's the one who helped me get back our business. We were scammed. I put everything we had on that fake investment kaya muntikan nang mawala ang lahat saatin, even this house. Mister Chua helped me and now he's asking you to marry his son bilang kapalit ng utang ko sakanya," Dad said. 

I couldn't believe it. So that's what is really happening. That's the truth behind them being so busy.

"No! Tell me hindi kayo pumayag right?" tanong ko at saka ako napatayo. I do not know what to feel but I was so upset about hearing these words from them. I couldn't even imagine myself having a boyfriend, tapos ipapakasal nila ako sa taong hindi ko pa nakikita? This is so cliché!

"Dad, this is so unfair! This is crazy!" I said sobbing. Mom embraced me with so much love while crying.

"No Mom. I will not marry anyone. Ang bata ko pa para magpakasal. I'm just 17," I said between my sobs.

"Anak, I'm so sorry. We'll try to fix this. We still have time. Hindi naman minamadali ang kasal," Mom said.

"I told you Dad. Hindi ka na dapat pumayag sa gusto ni Mister Chua," Kuya Lourde said.

"I'm afraid na kukunin niya ang lahat ng meron tayo kung hindi ako pumayag sa gusto niya," sagot ni Dad.

"Bakit kailangan niyo akong ipambayad utang? All my life, I have always following what you want" I said and sniffles.

"Anak, mahal na mahal ka namin. Pero kailangan naming gawin to para sa future mo. I know Nathaniel, he is a good boy. He would take care of you like how we do," Mom said. 

I looked at Mom and couldn't believe that she said that. I didn't expect Mom to actually believe that I would learn to accept this bullshit!

I couldn't hear more about it. Running away is the only option I know to stop hearing anything about it. I had enough and the thought makes me exhausted all of a sudden.

I run towards the stairs up to my room. Unintentionally, I slammed the door and locked it. 

I was dumbfounded when I felt my knees trembling, I gave up. I collapsed on the floor.

I just can't believe that my Dad would set me up on this kind of situation. Pero kahit ano pa man ang gawin ko, I know that I will never ever change my Dad's decision. So who ever is that Nathaniel Chua, I will make him think twice and stop this freakin' marriage.