I Just Loved Too

IJLT 21 - Jerk

Hanggang sa mag-uwian ay inis na inis pa rin si Iya. She'd never met a guy that obnoxious and self-serving! And what's worse, her classmates think it was hot. Hot?! Apparently, you have to be an asshole to be considered hot. Naiiling na lamang siya.

"How's your first day?" Ken asked. Napansin yata nitong halos bumaon na sa lupa ang takong niya habang naglalakad siya kanina papunta sa kotse nito.

"Hell. I met the devil."

Ken gave her a queer look. "Already?"

"Yes!" She could feel the blood boiling in her veins. A devil named Hanson! Gusto nyang gupitin ang buhok nitong shoulder-length. Ngayon lang siya nainis ng ganito sa bagong kakilala. That guy doesn't have any redeeming quality in her opinion. Gwapo? No. Jerks were never handsome in her eyes.

"Mukhang galit na galit ka a. Want to cool it down? I know a place."

Tumango na lamang siya. Ayaw din naman niyang umuwi na galit na galit. Ayaw niyang bigyan ng alalahanin ang mommy niya. First day of school pa lang naman. Baka maging okay na rin kinabukasan. It's a long shot, but she wished that Hanson would just drop out the next day.

"Aren't you going to ask me how my day went?" tanong ni Ken.

Humarap siya rito. "Sorry. How was your day?"

He sighed. "Almost as hellish as yours."

"What happened?"

"Well, we were asked to introduce ourselves in front of the class and then this girl, Ashley, just blatantly told the whole class that she already has a crush on me. It's embarrassing!"

She doesn't want to be mean but hearing that somehow comforted her.

"Why were you embarrassed? Dapat nga ma-flatter ka. First day pa lang, may nagkaka-crush na sa 'yo."

"Hindi pa kasi yun e. Yung mga sumunod sa kanya, bigla-bigla na ring nag-confess. They were giggling as if I was not there to watch it! Nung turn ko na, inudyok ng buong klase na lumapit si Ashley sa 'kin para makipag-shake hands."

"Did your ears turn pink?"

"Red, like cherry tomatoes," he replied. "At akala nila, kinikilig ako."

"Weren't you?" she asked, trying hard not to laugh. Okay, so kumpara naman sa dinanas niya kanina, mas nakakahiya yung sa kakambal niya.

"No! Hiyang-hiya lang ako," tanggi nito.

She gave him a pat on the shoulder. "It's okay, Ken."

"No, it's not. I was cringing the whole time! And you know what the worst is?"

"No. What?"

"A gay-guy also confessed," he said. Namumula na naman ang tenga nito.

She couldn't hold back her laughter anymore.

"Gay-magnet ka talaga, Ken!"

"It's not funny!"

"Hahaha!"

This is one of the things that she loves about Ken. Hindi ito takot ipahiya ang sarili para lang sumaya siya. When he parked the car in front of an ice cream shop, she immediately unbuckled her seatbelt and gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek.

"Thanks, Ken!" she told him before getting out of the car.

Okay na siya. Wala na yung inis na nararamdaman niya kanina. She will shrug the whole thing with Hanson off and then start anew. Tomorrow is another day. Maybe, she will have better luck tomorrow.