DAMA: The Princess Bitch

Chapter 36

"Well... look who's back!"

"Reema?"

Reema crossed her arms. "That's Student Council President Reema Onchangco for you. What are you doing here? Tapos na ang rehab mo?" nakangisi nitong tanong.

"Actually, I'm under medication. I still have anger issues, you know. The doctor said the psychopath in me might come out anytime, especially when provoked."

Bahagyang nabahala si Reema. Dama smiled. Yeah bitch, be afraid. Be very afraid.

"W-Why are you released?!"

She shrugged. "Anyway, why are you wearing uniforms? Naghihirap na ba kayo at wala na kayong maipambili ng damit?"

"It's called cost-cutting. Mahirap na ang economy ng bansa. Kelangan ng magtipid," paliwanag nito.

"So? I'm not affected," she replied blandly.

"Siguro ngayon hindi mo pa nararamdaman. Hindi kase ikaw ang kumikita ng sarili mong pera."

"Kaya nga. Mayaman kase ako."

Ngumiti ito sa kanya. "Parents mo ang mayaman, hindi ikaw."

"Whatever. I want everything back to normal starting tomorrow. Lose those crappy uniforms. Magmumukha tayong public school."

"I can't just do that! As the student council president—"

"About that--" putol  niya. "You should step down. Hindi bagay sa 'yong maging figure of authority. Wala kang commanding power."

"Of course I do!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Wanna bet on that?"

Without waiting for an answer, she called someone out.

"You with the hair, come here."

Lumapit ang isang babaeng ala-Princess Lea ang ayos ng buhok.

"Bakit po Miss?" nag-aalangan nitong tanong.

"Give me your ID," utos niya.

"Don't," tutol ni Reema.

"I said give it!" paglalakas niya ng boses. The girl scrambled to get the ID off her neck saka nito iyon ibinigay sa kanya.

She smiled victoriously at Reema. "See?"

Reema stomped her foot in anger. "It's not supposed to be this way! They're just scared of you!"

"They should be," sagot niya. "No uniforms tomorrow. Cascade that message to the school or else..." sinadya nyang bitinin ang sasabihin.

She knew all too well how to scare people. She's been there. She's been scared. She's been lulled into thinking that she should be afraid of her mom. So she used those techniques para naman makapanakot sa iba.

"Akala ko pa naman, nagbago ka na."

 

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard that familiar voice. Marahan syang napalingon sa nagsalita.

"Oh... it's just you," disappointed nyang sabi nang makitang si Krauss lang pala ang nasa likuran nya.

"What? Expecting someone else?" kunot-noo nyang tanong.

"No. I'm just plain disappointed because I saw you. Honestly, bat parang pumapangit ka ata?"

Krauss rolled his eyes. "I see you still wear your horns proudly."

"Yeah," she said with a shrug. "They go well with my halo. Well anyway, I'll leave you two alone. Pag-usapan nyo yung utos ko. I want it to be implemented pronto."

With that, she walked off to some place inside the school.

Napagawi sya sa cafeteria nila. And she stopped on track when she saw that one of her favorite hangouts was gone.

"Oh my gosh! What happened to Starbucks?!" pasigaw nyang tanong. Pinagtinginan sya ng mga estudyanteng nakatambay sa lugar.

--

After talking to the administrator, napapayag nya itong ibalik ang paborito niyang Starbucks. It was almost lunch time kaya hindi na rin sya pumasok sa subjects nya. She just went around the school, showing everyone that she's back.

When she got tired, tumambay sya sa isang restaurant. Napansin nyang ilag pa rin sa kanya ang mga estudyante. She wanted to shrug that empty feeling but remembering her other school was hard. She had friends... yun ang masaklap.

Yung naranasan nyang magkaroon ng mga kaibigan and then later on, mawawala rin sila.

Parang... ang sakit lang. Na sana hindi nya na lang naranasan yun. Eh di sana hindi nya alam yung pakiramdam ng may namimiss.

"Ouch—ano ba!" Paasik nyang tiningnan ang isang estudyante na sa sobrang pagka-klutz ay natisod ang upuan nya. Muntik na tuloy malaglag sa damit nya yung chocolate cake na kinakain nya.

"S-Sorry po."

"Nerd!" gulat nyang sabi ng makita kung sino ang estudyanteng patanga-tanga.

"M-Miss!" Mas nagulantang naman ito ng makita sya.

Nginitian nya ito. For some weird reason, she felt oddly comfortable with her.

"Sit down," she said to her.

Agad itong sumunod.

"How have you been?" she asked.

"Po?"

"Tinatanong ko kung kumusta ka na."

"Okay lang po," nag-aalangan nitong sagot.

"Ano ka ba. Don't be shy with me... para namang wala tayong pinagsamahan nyan eh!"

Napakunot ang noo nito sa kanya. She was so embarrassed with herself that she had to fake a laugh. Nakalimutan kase nya—wala naman talaga silang pinagsamahan.

"Kumain ka na?" pag-iiba nya ng topic.

"Hindi pa po," sagot nito.

"Drop the po, will you? You make me feel older than I should be."

"S-Sige."

Dama raised her right hand. "Waiter!" she called. Isang lalaking nakaputing polo at black pants na may apron sa bewang ang lumapit sa kanila.

"Order whatever you like," she said to the nerd.

Tumango ito. "Pesto," maikli nitong sabi sa waiter.

"Yun lang?" tanong niya.

"Hindi naman kase ako gutom na gutom," sagot nito.

"Okay. One pesto," she said to the waiter.

Inulit ng waiter ang order nya bago ito umalis. She diverted her attention to the girl.

"Listen, I know you don't treat me as your friend. And I feel the same. But just so I have someone I can hang out with—can we be friends for, say, at least a month?"

"Uh—okay?"

"Good."

"Welcome back Miss Dama." Sa wakas ay ngumiti na rin ito sa kanya.

xxxxx

AN: Sorry kung sabaw. Limang araw na akong inaantok. Hahaha...