Treasure My Heart

CHAPTER 27

TW// ABUSE

"No, may boyfriend ako."

Wow! Boyfriend?! Parang natawa ako saglit sa sinabi ko. Para akong baliw na inaangkin si Hailes!

Hindi pa halos patapos ang araw na ito at marami na ang humihingi ng number ko lalo na ang mga Juniors. Jusko, ano ba kinain ng mga ito at bakit ang ganda ko?!

But I can't help but to smile at their compliments. I didn't know I was this pretty. Hearing their compliments boost my confident. It might seem weird pero napapaiyak ako kapag may lumalapit sa akin at sabihan akong maganda. 

Nawala lang bangs at salamin ko, naging maganda na ako? Naks, araw-araw na akong mag-aayos kung ganito lang pala.

No one has ever done this to me before.. Hindi ko rin nagawang i-appreciate ang sarili kung hindi nila ako napagsabihan ng mga ganitong magagandang salita. I always acknowledge myself as someone who is plain and unattractive. I'm not modest as my mother; I was never someone's standards; and my features are not even that alluring. I was just a normal woman. Walang bahid ng make-up sa mukha at hindi man lang nag-aayos kahit kunti. There's really nothing else to admire about me.

But hearing the compliments made me doubt about everything I think about myself. All this time I was pretty?

"Pst, Hevrea!"

I stopped from what I'm doing to look back to see Stella running to me with her tennis uniform.

"Na-injured raw ang isa niyong ka-team sa tennis!"

"Ang aga aga naman para ma-injure," Sagot ko at ibinalik ang tingin sa camera.

I heard her cursed. "Dali na! Totoo nga, hanap ka ng leader niyo!" Bago pa man ako makasagot, hinatak na niya ako.

Halos madapa ako dahil tumatakbo na ito habang hinihila ako. Baka matuluyan na talaga kasi sa suot kong sapatos na may takong pa. Tumigil rin kami sa tapat ng isang classroom at binuksan niya ito. Nakita ko lahat sila sa loob ay naka-yellow kaya teammates ko sila.

"Tawag niyo raw po ako?" Tanong ko sa leader namin na hindi ko kilala. Basta leader daw.

"Yes, Hevrea. Iane mentioned to us you play tennis before?" Sinabi ng isang matangkad na lalaking nakaupo sa desk, moreno at chinito.

I looked to find Iane and saw her sitting in a couch with Francis. I arched a brow, "Really, Iane?"

"It's partially true! Badminton player iyan noon kaya may experience niya kung paano humawak ng racket! Kaya nga lang, shuttlecock ang gamit hindi tennis ball." Iane snickered.

"Well... You do have a point." The leader's eyes averted from Isa to me."Are you willing to replace, Liele?"

"Wait what? Replace?!"

"Yes, she got injured and our team in tennis might be disqualified if we won't have a new player to replace her." He sighed. "We picked you because you're the most available one among us, and you're also a former athlete. Malaki ang advantage mo, Hevrea. You use to be a badminton player in our school."

I bit my lip, contemplating. Tennis lang naman diba? Hindi naman siguro nakakasakal ito dahil hindi naman siya badminton. As much as I want to avoid stepping inside the court again, I can't really resist this one. I felt behind my heart, a place is hidden for my first love. I still want to try but I don't even know if I could. Baka hahawakan ko palang ang racket, masisira ko na ito..

I don't know. I kept on remembering the days how Mom forcibly took all my things for badminton and threw them away. Even my trophies and medals. It's disgusting to remember those. Ayaw ko mag-rewind ng past!