Kabanata 26: Ang Unang ImpresyonTiniklop ko ang aking maliit na foldable mirror matapos maglagay ng lip oil. Binalik ko na rin ang mga gamit sa loob ng backpack saka sandaling inayos ang buhok na naka-high ponytail.Sumunod ay ang pagbukas ko ng cellphone upang mai-chat si Caio.Personally, I prefer to chat online rather than texting but Cai is not really into his social medias, especially on online messaging platforms. It's easy to send him a message through text if you have his number. But, since chatting is much convenient for me, we decided to communicate often through online.To Cai:Nasa school na ako.How are you doing? I hope you've eaten already ^_^"Ma'am, pumipila na ata sa gymnasium ang mga estudyante. Baka mahuli ho kayo," paalala ng driver sa akin habang ang tingin ay sa mga sabik na sabik na mga estudyante.Napatingin rin ako sa tinitingnan niya. Napanguso ako. Halos lahat ay maraming kilala, maraming kaibigan. Pakiramdam ko, dito ko mararanasan ang maging outcast. P
Kabanata 27: Ang Sundo"May sundo ka ba?" Becca asked, her attention on my small mirror that she was holding."Uy grabe, ang ganda nito!" She pressed her lips and made a popping sound after applying a lip oil."Try the other shades too next time! Magdadala ako." Sabi ko naman at sinulyapan ang suot na relo.Alas quatro na at wala pa ang driver. Siguro, papunta na rin iyon dito."Manong might arrive sooner or baka na late 'yon.""Mahal 'to, ano?" Vyann asked as she gave me the lip oil she just used. Nilagay ko na iyon sa pouch at saka sa bag."Hmm...I think. Maybe," I shrugged."Maglalakad tayo? Maganda ang baywalk dito!" Ani Tamara na siyang handa nang lumabas ng room. May mga kaklase pa kaming naglilinis pero kaunti na rin iyon."Uy! Pwede! Ano, G ka ba Lath?"Hindi ko na ako nagdalawang-isip pa na sumama sa kanila. Si Drew ay nakasandal sa kanyang sasakyan sa parking habang kausap ang iba naming kaklase. Umayos siya ng tayo nang mamataan akong papalapit."Wala pa ang sundo mo?" Tano
Kabanata 28: To Love“Why didn't you called me? Susundo ka pala! You should've told me beforehand! Nakakahiya kaya—”“You're ashamed of me?” Kaagad niya akong pinutol. Bumaba ako ng kanyang sasakyan. Mabilis din siyang lumabas at sinundan ako.“It's not like that! Pero hindi mo ba nakita ang daming students kanina?”Totoo naman iyon. Baka isipin ng mga guro o kahit ng iba na masamang impluwensya iyon sa mga kabataan. Hindi ko alam kung gaano sila ka konserbatibo rito sa lugar nila. Pero, alam kong hindi sila gano'n ka open-minded sa mga gano'ng bagay kung ikukumpara sa Amerika.“Or you're embarrassed because that Failaga boy is watching you?”Kumunot ang noo ko.“Huh?”“He's been posting a lot of pictures with you lately. Ayaw kong pag-usapan natin sa cellphone. So, you're not telling me you're with him all this time?”“What? Magkaklase kami kaya gano'n, Cai! What do you mean? I did not told you? Kasi ganito. I know you'll get jealous!”He bit his lip and it shows how much he is contr
Kabanata 29: TogetherSince classes began, my parents and Nicolai are often in the city, Manila, or even on other countries because of business. Not only business but also to check our various foundations. Gano'n din ang parents ni Caio at maging siya. Kaya alam ko namang hindi kami madalas magkikita kapag magsisimula na ang klase.I really miss him a lot. Kahit isang oras pa lang siyang nawawala sa tabi ko, hinahanap ko na agad siya. Hindi ko inakalang sa loob ng dalawang buwang magkasama kami at palaging magkadikit ay masasanay na ako sa kanya nang bonggang-bongga. Surely, I miss my family too. Ever since Dad came home on the week of our fiesta, we often had our family bonding.Two months. It felt like time is really slow when you are living at the present. Things seem to happen slowly and gently. But when the day is already over, it feels like it just happened in a blink of an eye. Ang bilis lang.The moment I realize how fast time flies, how moments come to its end, I can't help b
Kabanata 30: Illegal"Hala!" Napaupo sa iyak si Vyann nang buksan ang isang maliit na box na niregalo ko sa kanya.I've attended many debuts of my classmates, all were special and their parents were really supportive. Even though they are not wealthy, they managed to save up for their daughters' birthdays. Nagsisitalsikan lang ang mga alaga nilang mga baka, kalabaw, o anu-ano pa hanggang sa magkaroon ng sapat na pera para sa bonggang handaan. Hindi naman sila nagsisisi dahil napasaya nila ang anak nila. They said, reaching 18 happens only once in a lifetime.I cannot help but envy them. Only if I agreed to that kind of party...maybe, that incident never happened."Happy birthday!" I greeted happily while holding the microphone.Napaiyak siya at nanginginig ang kamay na nakahawak sa susi. Lumapit sa kanya ang kanyang mga magulang at niyakap siya nang mahigpit. She's been sharing that her father, a taxi driver lost his job because of an accident where the taxi he was driving was heavily
Kabanata 31: Help"I stand before you today to address the recent allegations concerning our company's distribution of these lethal, destructive, and harmful vaccines. Let me make it clear that these accusations are unfounded and baseless..."Nakahalukipkip ako sa sofa, tahimik lang habang pinapanood sa telebisyon sa isang international news channel ang conference na dinaluhan ni Daddy. Napatayo sa Mommy at pabalik-balik na naglalakad sa parehong direksyon."We're not keeping this as a secret to you, Latisha. We just don't want you getting involved with- you know you've been in a controversy. Mas malala ito ngayon-""Mom, I understand! You don't have to explain. I just wanted to know if-""Do you think your father could do that?!" Napasigaw si Mommy at mariing napapikit.Nasapo ko ang mukha at ginulo ang buhok."I know...he can't...but this is...very serious...""Our company has always upheld the highest standards of quality and safety in producing vaccines for various health conditio
Kabanata 32: CaliforniaIt will be few more months left before our graduation. Masyado na kaming abala sa mga school works at tambak na nga ang mga dapat naming ipapasa. Marami pa kaming dapat i-perform. Kahit na December break, hindi kami tinantanan ng mga gawain sa school.Sa sumunod na buwan rin ang susunod na hearing. Sa susunod na taon na rin iyon. The situation keeps getting better and better. It is now safe to say that we are winning. Subalit, may iilang investors nga ang nag-pull-out.Nagsalubong ang kilay ko at kaagad na napatayo sa gulat sa anunsyo ni Daddy.“We are working on our thesis, Dad! We will spend the whole break preparing for it! You were rushing to get me back here in the Philippines tapos biglaan ding babalik sa Cali? What for?!”“It's just a week, Latisha. It is for the sake of our company—”“And why am I involved already? Akala ko ba ayaw niyo muna akong makialam? Why am I suddenly getting into all of these? Ano? Don't tell me I'll assume one of the highest po
Kabanata 33: Helpless"No! I am not going!""Latisha! Makinig ka naman muna, please! We do not have a choice! This is the only way...for now!" Sinigawan ako na kuya na siyang nagpatahimik sa akin.I cannot help but to look at him fiercely. Parang ibang tao na siya simula nang magkanda-leche-leche ang kumpanya. He became as cold as ice. He looks heartless, something I never imagined him to be. Laging seryoso ang kanyang mukha at modo. Hindi ko nga alam kung ayos pa ba sila ni Ate Alloha gayong puros trabaho sa kumpanya na lang nag inaatupag niya."You want me to marry him?!" Hindi makapaniwalang sigaw ko pabalik.I did not have any communications with Cai since they told me to break up with him. Kaya pala. Tama nga ako ng hinala.They will set me up for Aldrake? Nahihibang na ba sila? Ano 'to? Joke lang?Now I get it. Kaya pala parang aatras sina Daddy noon nang pag-usapan na ang tungkol sa amin ni Cai dahil dito! The Desmunds helped us and keep helping us because this is what they wan