SNIPPET OF A FAIRYTALE

Part Of The Flock.

Note: Sorry na ang cute lang talaga nila sa photo na yan! 😂

Mula prep hanggang highschool, suki na si Arci ng "most behave" award every recognition and graduation day. She is the epitome of an adult pleaser kid. Matalino, responsible, obedient, hardworking, at magalang na bata sya maging sa school man o sa bahay nila. Kaya madalas syang pinagkakatiwalaan ng mga teachers nila tuwing may listahan ng maingay, at inaasahan naman ng mga kaklase pag may group project. Never pa syang nagkaroon ng bad record buong buhay nya. Well pwera na lang nung isang beses na binuhusan nya ng sago yung kaklase nila nung grade 1, pero hindi nya naman sinasadya yon kase pinatid sya non ni Chino.

Sya rin ang pinaka-rational mag-isip sa barkada nila. Lalo pag nagkakainitan na ang ulo ang mga kaibigan sa simpleng di pagkakaintindihan, si Arci na ang pampakalma nilang lahat. There is something in her voice that calms the storm.

Kaya unang araw ng February, halos tumigil ang mundo nya nga ipatawag sya sa guidance office.

Guidance Counselor: Ms. Cabrera, I've known you for so long, and to be honest I never expected you'd do something like that.

The guidance counselor is waiting for her to say something but she doesn't know what to tell her. Hindi makatingin ng diretso sa guidance counselor si Arci, kase kahit sya hindi pa rin makapaniwala sa ginawa nya. Nakayuko lang sya habang nakatitig sa sahig, at nasa tabi ang magkabilang kamay.

The woman heaved a deep sigh, then she removed her thick eye glasses and leaned her back on her swivel chair.

GC: Wala ka bang masasabi man lang Arci?

She slowly tilted her face.

Arci: Kase Mam... That... is just... just a result of--- things that happened...

GC: Okay, would you care to tell me the whole thing, in a very detailed way, from the very start?

She nodded.

ARCI

JANUARY 27
It all started last Saturday, nakatambay kami sa shop nila Pibi. Eversince Zoey, started working there madalas na rin kami sa shop.

So we were just drinking, I mean healthy beverages, and eating some brownies when Pibi and Nathan started to have an argument. They were fighting over a piece of waffle.

At first malambing pa sila sa isa't-isa.

Nathan: Hey Pat, you should not waste food. Sayang naman yan oh. 😄

Pibi: Nate, it's fine. Busog na si tummy eh. 😁

Nathan: Kahit na, kapiraso na lang oh.

Pibi: I'm full, I feell bloated na nga eh. 😩

Nathan: Dapat kase two waffles na lang ang inorder mo hindi mo tuloy naubos.

This time napansin namin na pumihit na yung mood ni Pibi. Tumaas na ang isa nyang kilay and her lips twitched. Pero dinedma lng namin nila Rox kase couple's talk yon. Hindi yat nakahalata si Nathan kaya kinulit nya pa si Pibi.

Nathan: Sige na Patricia, eat it.

Pibi: Ayoko.

Nathan: Ang daming taong nagugutom sa mundo tapos ikaw nag-aaksaya lang??

This time, may imaginary usok na, na lumalabas sa magkabilang tenga ni Pibi.

Pibi: BAKIT MBUBUSOG BA SILA PAG KINAIN YAN HA?!

Muntikan ko na maihagis yung hawak ko na libro sa gulat nung sumigaw si Pibi.

Pati yung ibang customers napatingin sa table namin. Kuya Paul who was serving some teas to te opposite table, had to check us up.