Chapter 2

"Shara! Anong oras na oh, baka nagstart na ang basketball practice nila Ziro"

Maureen keeps on pulling my hand while I was busy writing an essay for our English subject. 'Yong ibang mga kaklase ko ay nagmamadali rin dahil baka mapuno na 'yong covered court at maubusan daw sila ng pwesto. I just shook my head, not planning to go with them. Why would I? Tataas ba ang grades ko kapag nanood ako sa basketball practice ng mokong na si Caseth. Well, when it comes to him, it's expected that almost all of the students in the Academy would watch him. Siya pa ba?! 

"How many time do I have to tell you, Mau?! I don't have time for that. Nagsasayang lang ako ng oras sa mga ganyan, hindi naman 'yan importante." Pinagpatuloy ko ang pagsusulat pero hindi talaga ako makapagfocus dahil sa kanya. 

"Don't be so cheesy, Shara. Isang oras lang naman 'yon at hindi naman papasok si maam. Let's go, the court might be fully occupied right now!" Hinila niya ako patayo kaya wala akong nagawa at ibinalik nalang sa bag ko ang mga gamit ko. 

Argh. Porket crush na crush na si Ziro ay dinadamay niya na ako sa mga kalokohan niya. Honestly, I don't want to go there. I'm not even interested in basketball especially that the Trio will going to play. Si Caseth, Ziro, at Hades and tinatawag na 'Trio' dito sa Academy. Like, they were the campus heartthrobs all over the Academy. Pero sa totoo lang, wala akong interes sa isa sa kanila.

 Caseth, the ultimate bully wasn't on my list. Nililista ko kase 'yong mga crush ko sa diary ko pero wala siya do'n. Simply because I don't like his attitude and the way he treat others. Ziro, who was known as the kindest one has been Maureen's long time crush since the first year. Okay lang naman siya pero parang hindi parin siya pasok sa'kin. Hades, the happy-go-lucky looks so childish that's why I'm not that attracted to him. Siya ata 'yong may dala ng sakit na nakahawa sa lahat pati natin sa mga kaklase ko. 

"Go baby Caseth! You're so handsome like goddess"

"You did a great job Ziro! Keep going"

"Yepey! You did it Hades. So proud of you"

The cheerleaders that was suppose to cheer them with a song were shouting some disgusting things. Nakakadiri pakinggan ang mga I love you's nila kahit hindi naman sila pinapansin. What's the purpose of doing that anyway?! Bukod sa hindi sila pinapansin ay nagsasayang lang sila ng laway at boses. If I were them, I won't do some stupid things like that. They're just humiliating themselves in front of them.

"Ouch! Ang sakit!" Napahawak ako sa noo ko ng biglang tumama yung bola sa'kin. Gad! I felt so dizzy. 

"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?! Grabe, buhay ka pa ba?" Inalog alog pa ako ni Mau kaya mas lalo pa akong nahilo. 

Takte! Wala ba siyang common sense?! Kita niya namang sa ulo ako natamaan tapos tatanungin pa ako kung okay lang ba ako. Aish. Stupid, Mau. 

Hindi naman ako nahimatay para hindi malaman kung anong nangyayari sa paligid ko. I'm just feeling dizzy at naghihina rin ako ng konti. I even heard some rumors around us and one thing I knew was someone carried me away. Seems like it was a guy kase may biceps siya at matigas din ang dibdib niya. Hindi ko madilat ang mga mata ko and my vision looks blurred. All I want right now is to rest since my head hurts a bit. 

"Nasa'n ako? Anong oras na? How many hours did I slept?," sunod sunod kong tanong kay Mau nang makita ko siyang pabalik balik sa paglalakad. 

Agad naman itong lumapit sa'kin at umupo sa kama ko."Gaga ka! It's already 4:00 o'clock at nagring na yung bell. Ganun ba talaga ka lakas ang impact sa'yo nung bola?! You've been sleeping for almost two and a half hours."

"What?! How about our subjects? Hindi ka ba pumasok kanina?" tanong ko rito. 

She just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms."How could I?! Edi walang magbabantay sa'yo ritong shunga ka! I told you, don't stand near the ring. Alam mo namang minsan hindi nila ma-shoot 'yong bola kaya ayun sa'yo tumama. Mukha kaseng airport 'yang noo mo eh."

I throwed the apple beside me on her stomach."Are you really my bestfriend, huh?! Imbes na mag-alala ka, iniinis mo pa ako. Tara na nga, our adviser might lock our room."

I was walking slowly while she's at my side, watching every actions that I did. Duh. Okay na kaya ako. Hindi naman na masakit ang ulo ko dahil nga ikang oras akong nakatulog kanina. The bad thing is, hindi ako naka-attend sa 3 subjects ko after lunch. Amp. I don't even know their topics and the worst is, I missed the attendances on my subjects. Wala na akong plus points. 

"Wait, I haven't asked you about the guy who brought me to the clinic. Sino ba 'yon?" I asked with full of curiosity. 

She raised her eyebrow on me."Seriously?! Alam mong lalaki yung nagbuhat sa'yo tapos hindi mo makilala kung sino?! Are you kidding me?"

"Feel ko lang kase na lalaki eh pero blurred talaga yung paningin ko. Just tell me who is it?!" Napasapo ako sa noo ko ng maalala ulit ang nakakahiyang pangyayari kanina. Gosh! 

"It was Racer, you're admirer. Alam mo namang siya ang palaging nandyan sa'yo 'di ba?" sagot niya at nagpatuloy sa paglalakad na para bang wala siyang pakialam. She has a crush on him once but she said that no one would replace Ziro in her heart. Psh. 

"I'll just thank him later if ever we've met."

Nagpatuloy lang kami sa paglalakad nang bigla naming makasalubong ang Trio kaya lumingon ako sa ibang direksyon para kunwari hindi ko sila nakita. As much as possible, I'll avoid him so that I won't be in trouble. Kung sino ang kasama niya, napapahamak. He target those students who were weak and loner, most of them were nerds. Hindi naman ako isa sa mga 'yon pero mas mabuti narin yung sigurado 'di ba?! 

"May irereto ako sa'yo, Shara. See that guy walking in the hallway? He's almost perfect, right?" Tinuro ni Mau yung lalaking sinasabi niya kaya napalingon din ako. She's right but I'm not interested on that kind of things. 

"Yeah. But if yo---Aray! Fishtea!" mura ko ng biglang may bumangga sa balikat ko kaya muntik na akong matumba. If Mau didn't hold my hand, I would probably fall in the ground. 

Damn him! He's getting off my nerves!

"What's your problem?!" I asked him tauntingly. Hindi naman ako makikipag-away pero nakakainis talaga siya eh. 

He looked around, making sure that he's the person I'm talking to."Me? I don't have any problem."

"Then why did you bump on me intentionally?! I almost fell on the floor, you know that?!" I hissed because of anger. I badly wany to punch him, promise. 

He shrugged his shoulders and turn his back on me, walking away."Hindi naman 'yon mangyayari kung hindi ka rin tanga, 'di ba? It's your fault not mine."

Argh. You fucking moron! 

"Hayaan mo nalang siya bess, nakahithit lang ata ng katol. Mabuti pa si bebe Ziro ko, ngumiti sa'kin. For sure, I couldn't sleep tonight because of him."

I didn't answer her and closed my fist because of rage. Why does he have to do that?! May galit ba siya sa'kin?! But I didn't do anything to him. He's completely an attention seeker. Palagi lang siyang gano'n, hindi ko nga alam kung anong meron sa kanya. 

"Oh? Akala ko habang-buhay ka nang nahimatay," bungad sa'kin ni Fiona ng makapasok kami ni Mau sa room. 

I just rolled my eyes on her, looking so irritated."Baka ikaw ang habang-buhay mahimatay kapag nasampal kita. Don't disturb me, I'm not in the mood right now."

"Sige, Shara. Her face needs to experience 360 degrees slap so that she would realize her role in this room," singit naman ng enemy niyang si Roses. Siya lang naman ang mahilig mambara kay Fiona that leads them to fight. 

"Uy! Napicture-an ko ang mukha mo kanina, Shara." Winagayway ni Josh and phone niya at nakita ko ang picture ko doon."Look, you're so ugly while you were panting earlier. Whenever I remembered your reaction, it's so priceless." Tumatawa pa siya kaya lumapit ako sa kanya at binatukan siya. There's no other word that will come out on his mouth but 'ugly'.

That's his famous line... 

Mau took his phone away and I thought that she would delete but she just laughed after seeing my picture."Ay gagi! Oo nga. Bess, you really look like a witch. You're expression was so epic!"

Hindi ko nalang sila pinansin at pumunta sa upuan ko para kunin ang bag ko. I was about to walk away when Jelo blocked my way while holding a mop. He's smiling widely at me and it makes him creepy on that expression. What's with him?! 

"Anong nakain mo pres at nagkaganyan ka?! Could you please get out if my way? Aalis na ako, may trabaho pa akong kailangan gawin," sambit ko pero hindi parin siya umalis sa pwesto niya. 

He scratched his head and his smile faded."Uh, sabi kase ni maam cleaners daw tayong lahat. We couldn't attend the Acquaintance Party this Thursday if we won't clean this whole room together."

Kumunot naman ang noo ko."Huh? Acquaintance Party? Don't worry, I won't attend that kind of event. Aabsent nalang siguro ako sa araw na 'yan at aatupagin ko nalang 'yong trabaho ko."

"C'mon, Shara. Bibigyan nalang kita ng pera kung gusto mo, just attend on Thursday. It's an important event in the Academy," singit naman ni Lorie, ang secretary ng section namin.

I just let out a sigh."I want to earn money in my own hardwork, Lorie. Ano namang mapapala ko sa pag-attend ng ganyan?!."

"Shunga! Performance task natin 'yon, uy. It's 75 percent on our grade if we could participate. Bahala ka kung ayaw mo." Tumayo si Mau para kumuha ng walis tambo kaya wala akong nagawa kundi sumunod sa kanya. 

"If you guys were lying to me, better prepare yourselves. I'm gonna rip your neck for sure."

Honestly, I'm not into attending events. Kung hindi lang talaga para sa kapakanan ng grades ko, of course I won't attend. But I need to maintain everything on my academics to graduate. Isang taon na lang naman.... kakayanin ko na lang.