MISTAKENLY MEANT FOR YOU (Special Edition)

Chapter 1: Ice

"Ate! Alam mo ba na lilipat sa school natin si JFK?!" excited na tili ng nag-iisa kong kapatid na si Ingrid.

I mentally rolled my eyes. At sino na naman 'tong JFK na to? isip ko habang patuloy na nag-ba-browse ng available e-books sa isang site.

"Ate! Didn't you hear what I said?"

"I did," I replied.

"And?" she prodded. "Aren't you excited?" she added as she eagerly waited for a reaction from me.

"Gosh, Ingrid, isn't JFK already dead?" I blandly answered.

My sister stared indignantly at me. "Irina Ysobel Samonte, am I getting this correctly? You do not know who JFK is? Ikaw, Ate, na Student Council President ng St. Bernadette, consistent top 1 student since you were in nursery, presidente ng Debate Club, Math Club, Science Club at kung anu-ano pang nerdy clubs ng school natin, ikaw na Editor-in-Chief ng The Saints, and my only sister ay hindi alam kung sino si JFK?"

I hid a laugh. Ingrid is really overly dramatic. Hindi na ako magtataka kung magiging artista 'to pagdating ng araw...

"Ate! Please, h'wag mo naman akong ipahiya!" she exclaimed.

I wheeled my ergonomic chair around as my sister theatrically collapsed on my queen-sized bed. "Oh, gosh, I can't stand this...my own older sister doesn't know who JFK is...I feel utterly humiliated..."

"Of course, I know who JFK is," I said.

Ingrid immediately perked up jumping to her feet. "You do?" she asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

I nodded. "Wasn't he assassinated on November 22, 1963?"

The expression on Ingrid's face nearly had me laughing out loud.

"Seryoso?" she asked.

"Bakit, may iba pa bang JFK?"

"Ate Ice!"

"What?"

"Ewan ko sa'yo," she grumbled. "Sabagay, what do I expect? Nag-aaral ka nga, eh, kahit wala pang pasukan..."

"Hindi ako nag-aaral, nagbabasa lang ako."

"Same thing. Sino namang tao ang nagbabasa kahit wala pang class, ano?" she asked pouting as she sat on my bed. "So, ibig sabihin, hindi ka nakikinig sa akin because I always talk about Kuya JFK..."

"Kuya JFK? Since when do we have an older brother?"

"Ate Irina, you are hopeless!"

"Okay, fine, who is this JFK at kulang na lang ay awayin mo ako d'yan dahil hindi ko s'ya kilala?"

My sister instantly shrieked. "Wait lang!" she said before running towards the door. "Ate, wait ka lang d'yan, ha, h'wag kang aalis!" she hollered.

"At saan naman daw ako pupunta?" I replied laughing. "'Yung batang 'yun talaga..."

She was back less than a minute later clutching a magazine to her chest. "Here!" She pushed the magazine close to my face. "S'ya 'yan!" she added pointing at a photo of some random teenager.

"Ano ba, bakit naman kailangan mong iduldol sa mukha ko?"

"Para makita mo s'ya nang malapitan!"

I laughingly pushed the magazine away. "Oo na nakita ko na," I lied.

"So?"

"Anong so?" I asked.

"Guwapo s'ya, 'di ba, Ate?" Ingrid asked grinning. "Alam mo bang star player s'ya ng basketball team ng St. Lorenzo, Ate? At hindi lang 'yan, model din s'ya! Sobrang dami n'ya kayang pictures sa mall sa teen's apparel section! Kaya nga, 'di ba, na-sold-out kaagad itong magazine na 'to when they featured him kasi sobrang guwapo n'ya, Ate, as in!"