Flaws To Your Perfect (PUBLISHED UNDER PAPERINK IMPRINTS)

Flaw #15

"Rookie was immediately expelled. Hindi na pumayag ang principal at ang parents mo na hayaan pa ang bully na 'yon dito. Good luck nalang kung makahanap pa siya ng school na tatanggap sa kanya without any certificate of good moral!" gigil na balita ni Shai na hindi yata hawak ang phone ngayon.

Tahimik lang akong nakinig sa mga kwento nilang lahat. They told me about everything I missed for being MIA for the whole week. Sobrang ingay ng grupo namin kaya naman agad kong napansin ang pananahimik nilang lahat nang umupo sa may likuran ko si Paige.

"Continue," aniya sa mga kaibigan naman na bahagyang nalukot ang mukha bago ngumuso.

"This takes time of getting used to." Kinurot ni Shai ang tungki ng sarili ilong.

"Ano? Bakit? Eh matagal naman na silang ganyan?" parang naguguluhan pang tanong ni Kat na nagpangisi sa akin.

"But it's different now knowing that . . . that there's . . . something!" hirap na pagdadahilan ng iba.

Naguguluhan kaming nilingon ni Kat. Pinanood niya ang pisngi ni Paige na komportableng nakapatong sa may balikat ko bago sunod-sunod na umiling. "I don't see anything new. Nasa isip niyo lang 'yan!"

"Oh how I wish everyone's mindset the same with you, Katleya." Tumatawang saad ni Paige kasabay ng paghuli niya sa mga kamay ko.

Nagpatuloy ang kwentuhan na parang walang nangyari. I can see some of my friends who looked uncomfortable watching Paige and I being too touchy but they didn't say anything. As if sinasanay lang ang sarili na makita kami ng ganoon.

The bell rang twice and that means that we needed to head straight to the auditorium for the flag ceremony. Nang makapasok kami sa loob ng auditorium ay hindi nakatakas sa mga mata at tainga ko ang ilang curious na mga tingin at bulungan mula sa ibang schoolmates namin.

I think this is the first time I hated such attention. It used to be some sort of fuel to keep me going but now? It only scares the hell out of me.

Mabilis lang na natapos ang flag ceremony. Inisa-isa na rin ang bawat sections at grade levels sa pagpapalabas sa auditorium para tumungo na sa kani-kanilang mga classrooms.

"Teagan," nakangiting bati ng first period professor namin nang makita ako pagkapasok na pagkapasok niya sa room. "It's nice to see you again!"

Ngumiti ako pabalik sa kanya. "Nice to see you too, Ma'am. Don't worry, I already did an advance to cope up with the lessons I missed."

Natawa na lamang ang guro nang makita ang pabiro kong pagkindat sa kanya. The day proceeded without much drama than I anticipated.

At the end of the day, Paige was already waiting near the exit gate. Nakasandal siya sa malaking column wall ng guardhouse at abalang-abala sa kanyang cellphone.

I bit my lower lip bago dahan-dahang nag-sneak out sa may likuran niya para gulatin siya.

"Boo!" Tawang-tawa ako ng makita ang nanlalaki niyang mga mata nang umikot siya paharap sa akin. Mabilis niyang ibinaba sa may leeg niya ang purple na wireless headphones niya bago niya ako muling binalingan ng atensyon habang nakanguso.

"How's your day?" tanong niya bago ini-offer ang kamay sa harapan ko. Nakangiti ko iyong tinanggap at pinagsalikop despite all the eyes around us.

I didn't care about those judgmental looks anymore. The contempt their gazes gives doesn't bother me anymore.

I have my family supporting me unconditionally, my friends who accept me—us, and I have Paige by my side. And it's more than enough for me.

All my life I can remember working hard to please everyone, I wanted to be liked by everyone because I thought that would be the only way I wouldn't be left alone. But what happened to me just proved all of my assumptions wrong.

I wanted to be perfect so that people wouldn't have any reasons to leave me. But then, I realized that it's very impossible to be flawless. No matter how much I try, no matter how much I give, people would always have a say about something. And I wouldn't give up my happiness just for that.

My happiness matters just as much as my family, and my friends' acceptance.

Sandali kong iginilid ang ulo ko para panoorin si Paige na naglalakad sa tabi ko. She haven't let go of my hand mula nang magkita kami kanina. And I hope she would always do that.

Hopefully ay hindi siya mapagod na hawakan ako, na hatakin ako pabalik sa tabi niya. Sana ay hindi siya mapagod na araw-araw ipaalala sa akin na ayos lang ang lahat. That no one else's opinion about us matters more than our opinion about each other.

I am so in love with this girl named Paige Bautista.

People may call her my greatest flaw, but for me? She's the missing piece that finally perfected my life.