Brat
I woke up early the next morning for my first class. Xander texted me that he couldn’t pick me up early since his first class would start later in the afternoon. I decided to drive my car on my way to school. I have familiarized myself with the road so I wouldn’t have any problem going there.
I shivered when the cold wind kissed my skin. The rainy season is approaching and the weather is starting to get chilly.
The streets are still filled with fog even when it’s seven in the morning already. I slowed down when I couldn’t see the road because of it. Later on, the fog faded.
I noticed a figure walking on the streets. He’s wearing our school uniform. My brows furrowed when I tried to see who it is. It was that man from yesterday. That Santiago Lopez. His hands are in his pockets while walking in an almost striking way.
I suddenly remembered what happened at the sight of him. The mere thought of him embarrassing me still angers me until now. I was just trying to be polite to him and yet I get that in return. He’s arrogant, to think that he’s only poor.
I rolled my eyes and focused on the road instead. I drove past him and arrived at school not long after.
My phone rang when I was about to go out of the car. I smiled when I saw it was Xander who was calling me.
“Hi!” I greeted him.
He chuckled. His hoarse and husky voice tells me he just woke up.
“Good morning, Cian. You’re in school?”
“Yup, I just arrived. Why?” I couldn’t help smiling.
I bit my lower lip to hide my excitement.
“Good to hear that. I thought you got lost,” he laughed.
I stopped walking when I heard his joke. Gosh, he’s teasing me again. He knows I can’t get back at him cause he’s not here.
“I told you, I’m not a kid anymore.”
He just laughed. We talked for a few moments until I reached my classroom. A few of my classmates were already there.
“Cian, can you do me a favor please?”
“Of course, what is it?”
“I forgot to get some files from Santi yesterday. I badly need those for tomorrow. Can you get them for me?”
I stopped preparing my books and pens when he said that. I was thinking if I heard him right and if he said that.
“Why don’t you just get it from him later? You see each other every time, right?”
I tried so hard not to sound so displeased with the idea. The thought of seeing and talking to that man is annoying enough. I want to help him of course, just not with that snob.
“I was thinking of doing that but I forgot he doesn’t have class later.”
“Just tell him to bring it to your place later.”
“His house is far from mine and he doesn’t have a car. He’s only walking from his house to the school. I don’t want to bother him especially now that he still has to harvest mangoes after class.”
I was left with nothing to say. I can’t think of reasons to refuse him. I don’t even know why I dislike the idea of seeing that man so much. When all I need to do is to get that file or whatever. I’m sure it won’t take long.
“Please?”
I sighed, defeated.
“Fine. Just tell him I’m getting it. And where will I meet him?”
“Nice! Thank you so much, Cianna! I owe you this one. I’ll tell him to meet you on the school grounds since it's where near both of you. Thank you.”
“It’s not for free. You have to make it up to me,” I joked.
“Anything for you, Cian.”
Maisie and Elize came not long after. We chatted for a moment until the professor came in.
“Oh gosh, we’re having a test? On the first day?” Maisie ranted.
I shook my head as I listen to her rants. Elize hushed her though I can also hear the whispers of complaints from our other classmates.
It felt like the longest two-hour class. Time passed by painfully slowly. The thought of meeting that man made me thankful time went slowly. My peace was taken away from me when our class ended which means I’d have to go to the school grounds.
“You girls go ahead. I need to go somewhere. Just wait for me in the cafe,” I said as I arranged my things.
They both stared at me curiously.
“Where are you going?” Elize asked.
“School grounds. Xander asked for a favor.”
They both nodded. I went out first and walked my way to the grounds. It was not long before I got there. He sat on one of the benches alone under a big shade tree. His wide shoulders got emphasized by the tight cloth of his uniform. His back is against my direction so he didn’t notice me.
I went in front of him and blocked his view of the field. His brow shot up the moment our eyes met. I tried so hard not to roll my eyes to show my annoyance. I’m already irritated even when he’s doing nothing.
“Where is it?” I held my hand out for the file.
His brows furrowed and opened his bag to get the folder. I took it from him abruptly and turned my back to leave.
“Tss,” he snorted which stopped me from walking.
“What?” I spat when I turned to look at him.
He smirked. His brow shot up and stared at me closely which irritated me even more.
“Nothing. I was curious how a brat would act. Now I know.”
“What did you just say?” I hissed.
I think I heard him wrong. Or not? Did he just call me a brat? The hell?
“How dare you call me that? You don’t even know me,” I couldn’t help but show how angry I am.
“Your words and actions tell it all. I don’t have to know you to see if you’re a brat or not.”
It took me great strength to stop myself from insulting him back. No, I won’t.
I won’t stoop down to their level. There’s no use defending myself from people like him. And someone like him doesn’t deserve any explanation from me. Who does he think he is to waste my time like this?
I smirked even when I was about to explode inside.
“You know what? I don’t give a damn what you people think of me. You can all go to hell for all I care.”
I rolled my eyes and walked out. My chest is booming with anger.
I slid the folder inside my bag as I continue to stride my way toward the cafeteria. I stopped when a bunch of girls blocked my way. I was about to walk inside the cafe when they blocked me.
“Is she the one who stole your boyfriend, Trina?” The girl on the left asked.
I stared at them with nothing but indifference. What nonsense are they spewing? Did I steal someone’s boyfriend? Stupid.
“It’s her. Someone saw her talking to Lance the other day.”
Lance? Montenegro?
I was about to go the other way when the girl called Trina blocked my way again. Now I can’t help but be angry. It’s past ten and I still have class. I haven’t even had my snack because of Xander’s favor and I think I would also be late for class because of these girls.
“Isn’t she with Xander the other day? Or is she two-timing Lance and Xander?” The other girl laughed.
“What do you want? I don’t have time for this.”
“Cianna Juarez, right?”
“So?” I asked.
The girl in the middle smirked.
“Nothing. We just want to warn you. Stay away from Lance while we’re being nice. And mind you, not because your family is known and rich we would be afraid of you. Not us darling.”
I rolled my eyes. Gosh, this is so dramatic. Are they seriously trying to bully me? Me?
I chuckled and they seemed insulted even more. I tilted my head as I look at them from head to foot. They got angrier with what I did.
“Why don’t you tell your man to stay away from me instead? He was the one who approached me. And it’s not my fault your boyfriend got bored with you,” I looked at her in the most insulting way I know. “I can see why.”
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment and glared at me. Some of the students noticed our arguments and some even stayed to watch. They were taken aback a bit when they noticed we pulled the other students’ attention. I smirked.
They were just brave because I was alone. Now that students are watching they’re starting to get embarrassed. Except the girl called Trina.
“You, bitch!”
My eyes widened when she was about to lunge toward me. And as a reflex, I tilted my body to the other side. She lost her balance and toppled to the ground. While I was still shocked by what she did. Everyone gasped but laughed at her later on.
Her friends didn’t move an inch. I walked towards her. She stayed on her knees while glaring at me. I went closer to her and smirked.
“Don’t try to mess with me. You’ll just embarrass yourself,” I whispered. “And one more thing. Put a leash on your boyfriend and tie him around your body.”
“What the hell are you doing?!”
My eyes widened when I heard that low but loud baritone. I lifted my gaze only to see Santi’s angry eyes directed at me. His eyes are full of disappointment and blame. Trina got up and went to him, crying.
What a two-faced bitch.
“Santi,” she cried louder.
I stood straight and brush off the anger that he was throwing at me. Trina went near him and cling to his arms. It irritated me even more.
What right does he have to judge me when he didn’t even see what happened? I glared at him more. I leveled the anger in his eyes.
I remained silent. If he’s expecting I’ll explain and try to defend myself, he’s wrong. I don’t need his validation. It wasn’t my fault and I don’t care about what he’s thinking with what he saw.
“Being rich doesn’t give you the right to hurt other people. Especially to those people who have a low standard of living compared to you,” he said slowly trying to suppress his anger.
I gritted my teeth. What is he trying to imply here? That I senselessly hurt people just because I am rich? Hah! I can’t believe his nonsense.
He turned to look at Trina.
“Are you okay?”
Trina nodded and turned to look at me. Her expression was scared and tender. I snorted and smiled sarcastically. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
“Believe in whatever you want to believe. I don’t give a damn,” I snapped.
I turned my back on them. Maisie and Elize went to me. They looked worried.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded. Bitterness filled my system when I realized what just happened. They can all go to hell for all I care.
“Of course,” I said as I swallow the lump in my throat.
To be continued...
Afraid I jolted with the loud sound of the water when Xander jumped from a big rock. I laughed at him when his face turned red from the impact of his dive. This is what he meant when he said he’ll make it up to me – a picnic date in a waterfall within their land. The Del Rio’s owned a vast land here in Malolos. They also own the biggest Food Manufacturing company in the whole province. Most of their properties were inherited from their grandfathers who are natives here in Malolos. I heard his ancestors were not well off back then during the war. But they managed to grow their business to what it is now with the help of his grandmother, Donya Esmeralda Zalduaga Del Rio. I don’t know his family’s history. And all I know about them is everything I heard from my parents. Ever since my family moved here, we became good friends with the Del Rio’s. And as an only child, I have been close to their family ever since. Tita Alondra and Tito Thomas are very fond of me. It is maybe because th
Confess The staff greeted me politely upon reaching the stable. They have known me since I was a kid. Most of the trustees of the Del Rios have been serving them for a long time, even before my family got here. If there are new people, if they are not my age, they already know me because I have often wandered here since then. I shook my boots to get rid of the dirt then I turned to look inside the stables. The horses were eating when I went inside. The rows of cages looked like bedrooms for them. I went to Gustave's. The one feeding him immediately looked up. "Is he alright?" I asked referring to the horse. “A little, ma'am. That's why the vet said not to let him run and his legs might be sprained." I nodded and went near Gustave. I gently touched his face until he relented. I smiled. "Is senyorito going to ride with you?" He asked after a while. I was a little stunned. I remember my arguments with Santi. The mere thought boiled my anger. "No," I breathed. "Senyorito seems to
Tease His smile faded and he became serious. I got even more nervous with his reaction. This is not something I anticipated. I expected him to be shocked but not calm, like this. "Cian, I-I'm sorry," he shook his head. He stood up and went near me. I was taken aback in shock. Why is he saying sorry? "What do you mean?" I asked, quietly preparing myself for the worst. "I don't love you that way," he said disappointedly. "And I don't want to hurt you in any way. You are special to me, that's why. Even if I did notice something, I ignored it because I don't want to give you the wrong impression. I'm sorry, Cian.” My chest tightened as I tried to swallow his words. I cleared my throat to get rid of the lump in it. But I also couldn't stop shedding a few tears. I blinked them away. "Hey," he held my shoulders when he saw it. I avoided it a little and tried to smile. "W-Won't you even think about it first? M-Maybe even a little, y-you also have feelings for me?” I asked desperately.
Cry "Please?" Lance has been asking me to be his model for a while now. It's for their preliminary project in a major subject, that's why he's begging me to agree. I am in the middle of waiting for Elize and Maisie for lunch. While waiting for them, Lance found time to approach me and talk to me. I glared at him. He kept on pestering me which pissed me off. I also want to blame him because Trina's group is picking up on me. But I refrain myself. There's no point in bringing that up now. I hope they don't bother me anymore. I blinked fast when an image flashed into my mind upon remembering Trina's group. It's been days since that thing happened. To this day I still remember the feeling. I shook my head. Gosh! What is wrong with me? "I'll do anything! Everything! Just for you to be my model," Lance pleaded. I rolled my eyes and turned to him. "I said I'm not doing it," I insisted. "Why not make Trina your model? She's your girl, right?" If I give in to him, Trina's group will onl
Hate I don't know what's gotten into me and why I did that. I just felt the need to rely on someone, to ease the heaviness inside me. And he was the one who was there, in front of me. His manly scent filled my nose. It's intoxicating that I almost forgot why I am doing this. It took me a while to calm myself. He kept hugging me, comforting me. Silence filled both of us until I realized what I just did. I quickly let go and wiped my tears. "I'm sorry," my voice hoarse from all the crying. Now that I've cleared my head, I've only realized how shameful what I did was. He didn't say anything. He kept staring at me, with pity in his eyes. Seeing him pity me is insulting. But anyone would probably feel the same way. After all, he heard my confession and how I got rejected, not just once but twice. "Don't look at me like that. I don't need pity. Also, everything doesn't end here," I said firmly. He scoffed and smirked sarcastically, but I saw the anger that immediately appeared on his
Punishment I tilted my body sideways and did another pose. The wind gently blows my dress. I smiled at the camera before projecting another pose. *click* “Nice! Now a little fiercer!” Lance shouted from the beach. He decided to do his little photo shoot here in Tagaytay. And as part of our agreement, I became his model. In return for what he did for me. I don't know exactly what happened after. He didn't even tell me what happened after he successfully punctured the tire of Santi's delivery truck. Yes, I made him do that. That's not even enough of the shame I felt because of what Santi did. My feet and legs were slightly wet from the seawater. A few minutes later, Lance called for a break. I slowly walked to my sun lounger. I looked at him as I sip on my drink. "Are we not done yet?" He was walking in my direction when I asked that. "Few more shots and we're good," he smiled. I nodded and he continued looking at the pictures. It's good that we'll be done in a while. I've been
Consequences "Are you sure you're wearing that?" He raised an eyebrow at me while looking at my clothes with a scrutinizing gaze. My brows furrowed as I looked at my clothes. I'm wearing an above-the-knee floral dress that I layered with a cardigan. My strap sandals completed my look. It's weekend and now he's going to make me pay for the damage I made to his delivery truck. If he gets satisfied then he won't report it to the police. Although against my heart, I also agreed in the end. Even though he didn't even tell me what I had to do. It's better than going to jail though, I suppose. I almost had a heart attack when Manang woke me up early to say he was outside my house to pick me up. “You have a visitor!” She exclaimed while opening the curtains on my windows. I was blinded by the sunlight but that didn't make me open my eyes. I was about to drift off to sleep when she came to me again. "Wake up, hija! Your guest has been waiting for you for a while." I frowned and looked
Lost I stared at him for a long time when he handed me a long stick that looked like a saw and a net on its edge. For a moment I forgot why I am here. Right, I have to help harvest the mangoes. And I don't freaking know how to do it! "W-What am I gonna do with this?" I asked confused, totally clueless about how I'm gonna use this thing. Sighing, he came to me and held it. We haven’t even started yet he seems to be getting tired already. "This is what you will use as a lever," he said. "Make sure you get the right ones.” He showed me how to do it while giving instructions. It looked so easy to look at when he was doing it but when it was me, the pin almost didn't reach the fruit. I can't balance it well. I was out of breath already but I didn't even get a single fruit. "It's not working!” I complained, frustrated with what I'm doing. "Is there anything else I can do aside from this?" "Nothing.” My bitchy self is up again. I glared at him angrily and he just ignored me. Instead, h