The Edge of Paradise

Chapter 1

Crimson

"Look at you, now you're cramming. Just drop it nalang kase, mag join ka na lang sa cheering squad day madami pang men, enjoy mo pa diba." I gave Mia a smile and a grimace while I massage and stretch both my neck and shoulder, I then stared at the open laptop in front of me. 

The cover page for our school paper is half finish and hindi ko din matapos tapos dahil pa iba- iba ang decisions ko, actually tapos na talaga but I think may kulang.

Is it the color? But blue and white is our school's colour.

I temporarily put the thought away in my mind and replied to Mia who was sitting opposite me, we are occupying one of the college cafeteria's formica topped tables. Hinuhuli niya ang fishball na nasa plastic cup na hawak hawak rin niya.

"Not a chance, alam mo namang hindi ako stretchable Mey. And isa pa, I love doing this, katulad mo diba. Di mo mabitawan yang toxic mong relationship dahil napapagod ka na, pinaglalaban mo pa rin dahil yun yung tingin mong magpapasaya sayo." she then look at me with that 'cringe' look on her face, if I know totoo naman yung sinabi ko.

"Asus asus asus, apakadami mong ebas. Isa lang naman sinabi ko nag speech ka na dyan." Iniling iling niya na lang ulo niya at bumalik sa paghuli ng fishball niya.

"Pero true, not that I'm considering the thought, madami naman talagang gwapo sa squad niyo no?" she exaggeratedly made her eyes bulge and point the fishball stick in my face. I laugh at her reaction at sa nireply niya din.

"Talaga! Ang da-daks pa day, dyusko yung buhok sa kili- kili ang lalago." Tawang tawa ako sa mga pinagsasabi niya, at pinagpatuloy niya naman ang pagdescribe sa mga kasamahan niya.

"Gaga ka talaga Mia!" I just replied and closed the laptop in front of me. Maybe, I'll just do this later.

Halos trenta minutos rin kami tumambay sa cafeteria, we decide to go when it was fifteen minutes before our first class that afternoon starts.

Mga Gen ed students kami and classmates sa lahat ng subjects, so basically siya palagi ang kasa- kasama ko, I' m acquainted naman sa mga classmates ko pero hindi ako ganoon ka social dahil minsan ay tinatamad ako kaya wala wala akong clique na nasalihan, I'm kind of a friend to all, if your nice to me, then we're good.

"That is all for today, with these you are all dismissed." Prof Alcazar then put away her things inside her knapsack, as well as my classmates bigla ding umingay sa room at nagsitayuan na ang lahat. I did the same and decided to let all of them leave first dahil masyado pang crowded ang pintuan ng classroom.

"May practice kami. Nood ka?" Mia said as she fixed her slingbag, I then remembered malapit lapit na rin pala ang founder's week, a month from now actually.

"As much as I want to, but may meeting pa kasi kami Mey. Maybe after? Teka anong oras ba matatapos practice niyo?" we talked as we are walking out of the classroom ng marating namin ang hallway ng second floor ng alumni building ay tumama sa amin ang kulay kahel na sinag ng papalubog na araw.

"Hindi ko din alam, siguro matatagalan bago na kasi yung trainer. Sige na, para sabay tayo umuwi." I slowly nod at her we continued walking hanggang sa marating namin ang long shed corridor kung saan kami naghiwalay, ako papunta sa College Insider's office, siya naman ay sa gymnasium.

"See you later, maybe." I said.

Nang marating ang opisina ay nilagay ko ang bag ko sa usual na upuan ko, left third seat near the end table, bitbit ang water bottle ko ay pumunta ako sa water dispenser para uminom ng tubig. Tutal ay hindi pa naman nagst-start ang meeting. I felt a presence behind me kaya I turned around, I saw Javi, the editor-in-chief, standing there, tall and quaint, or I am just short.

"Kamusta ang cover?" he started, his tone neutral, I moved a little to the side para makakuha siya ng tubig, I stared at him for a short while bago tumingin sa mga nagkuwekwentuhang mga kasamang nakaupo palibot sa lamesa. Lumagok ako sa bitbit kong water- bottle bago magasalita,

"Working on it, ipapasa ko mamaya kay Adelina for more tweaking or kung imomodify niya."

"Good." he nods and we both go back to our seat na sakto ring pagdating ng adviser ng club.

The meeting lasts for almost forty- five minutes, kaya naman ramdam na ramdam ko ang pag-iba ng temperatura paglabas namin ng opisina, unti unti ng dumi-dilim ang paligid, at umiilaw na rin lahat ng school lamp- post na pinutakte ng mga insekto, the school is still alive dahil may mga klase pa ng ganitong oras.

"See you around." I waved at some of them bago ko tinahak ang school gymnasium, malayo layo pa ay rinig ko na ang ingay ng mga tao doon.

Kung may nakaupo man sa magkaliwaang bleachers ay kukunti lang, marami ang estudyanteng nasa gitna ng gymnasium, mga education students. Samantala, may nakita naman akong mga naghihintay sa gilid, siguro ay magpa-pratice din at hinihintay lang matapos ang isa. If I'm not mistaken mga Psychology students ang mga ito, I waved at some na kakilala ko at dumiretso na sa kaliwang bleachers at naupo sa ikalawang baitang nito.

Hinanap ng mata ko si Mia, they're not dancing, nag foformation pa lang naman sila. Well it's too early for that din naman. While watching them ay naagaw ang atensyon ko ang pagpatay ng ilaw sa loob ng VIP room na nakapwesto banda malapit sa hagdan patungo ng stage, I am still looking hanggang sa may lumabas mula sa tinted glass door nito. It was a guy, na sinundan din ng isa pang lalaki, they both took the exit na malapit doon, I revert my attention back at the practice, and regretted going here dahil na bo-bore na ako. I look at the psychology students on the side, some of them making fun of the students practising at the center.

This is boring me, and so I thanked the heavens when two minutes later their practice ended. I leaned on the railings and call Mia's attention, she saw me and she bade goodbye to some of her friends and made her way on the side of the bleachers, kung saan din ako patungo para lumbas na ng gymansium.

"It was so boring." I honestly told her while she drank from my water bottle. I took a one last glance sa mga psychology students na nagfoform na sa center ng gym bago kami tuluyang nakalabas roon.

"Yeah, yeah. What do you expect hindi pa naman yun final rehearsals. You should probably watch out for that too, bugbugan to, tingnan mo. Sir Alan was the former trainer of the DLSU cheerleading team." she excitedly relay, pero mukhang sarili niya ang kinakausap niya, I didn't reply

"WATCH OUT!" I shouted but it was already too late dahil natumba na si Mia. I attended to her and see the scratch in her elbows, lingon namin ang nakabungguan niyang mga lalaki na ngayon ay nakatunganga sa harap namin. I look up at them with my eyebrows all knitted.

"Ang sakit, dyusko para akong nabangga ng rumaragasang tite." napaungot si Mia at unti unti ding tumayo mula sa pagkakasalampak. One of the men sniggered, the other one furrowed his brows, at ang nakabangga naman sa kay Mia ay inalalayan itong tumayo na medyo natatawa pa. napailing - iling naman ako sa kalokahan ng kaibigan ko. The guy with the furrowed brows glance at me and his friends back, and ticked his tongue in annoyance.

Problema nito?

"Sorry for that miss." sabi ng nakabangga kay Mia, at naglakad na agad sila ulit palayo, pabalik sa loob ng school. My eyes remained on the spot for a moment, ang suplado ng shuta,

"Pero legit ang sakit ng siko ko dayy, para akong nag blowjob pero imbis na lumuhod, siko yung gamit ko." Mia's commentaries pulled me back, kinaltukan ko siya sa ulo at pinagsabihan sa bunganga niya, hanggang sa makalabas na kami ng tuluyan ng school at nagbantay ng jeep pauwi.