Can You Hear Me?

Chapter Seven

Reid

          After Christmas, nagsipasukan na lahat. I was so worried of how Maeve handled chrismas alone. Alam kong matalino si Maeve para hindi kunin yung sarili niyang buhay pero hindi ko maiwasang mag-alala.

          First period just started and she hasn't come to school. Kinabahan naman ako sa kung anong pwedeng nangyari sa kanya.

          "Ok class, I have sad news. Ms. De Vera transferred school." Sabi ng adviser namin who made herself clear. Napanganga na lang ako sa sinabi niya. I was dumbfounded. I even have good news for her. I wonder why she did that?

          After class, nagpunta agad ako sa bahay nila. Pagdating dun there was no one there. I stayed for a while. Paalis na sana ako nung nakasalubong ko siya. She was wearing a different uniform. I know where that uniform came from.

          "You went back there? Once a Fairy, always a fairy huh?" Biniro ko siya pero awkward ang naging kinalabasan. People who came from Denver Academy are considered as blue fairies or Denvistas, while people who came from Randall High are called Red Anubises. Well, wala naman talagang ganung term. Kasi iisa lang naman si Anubis, the god of the dead in Egyptian mythology or Randallians.

          She didn't speak to me. She just went passed and opened the gate. Ang weird niya ah! She wasn't like that before.

          "Come on, Maev, ano bang problema mo? Pwede mo naman akong kausapin diba? I don't know why you would push me away at times like this. I'm your friend aren't I?" I reasoned with her. Baka kung ano nang mangyari sa kanya if I let her live like this. She's like garbage.

          "Maev, Maev!, MAEVE! Can you even hear me? Do you have your implants?" I pulled her arm at inipit ko yung hair niya sa tenga niya to see of she was wearing her implants or if it was turned on. Kaya pala! She turned it off.

          I turned it on for her. Sakto naman na may dumaan na motor na humarurot at sobrang sakit sa tenga. Bigla na lang siyang napabalikwas. Wrong timing. Ang sama pa ng tingin niya sa akin after nun.

          "Bakit mo ginawa yun?! And why did you come here?!" She shouted at me. It's the first time I've seen her this mad. Maluha-luha na rin siya sa galit. I couldn't answer her. I don't know exactly what to say. She just started hitting me. I let her hit me hanggang sa mapagod siya.

          I pulled her together at pinasok na siya sa bahay niya. Ang kalat grabeh! Hindi na siya naglinis siguro simula nung huli kong pagpunta dito. She just sobbed as I sat her down.

          "Maeve, please, get a hold of yourself. I know how hard it must be for you to lose everything, pero hindi naman yun sapat na dahilan para itapon mo na rin yung buhay mo. Do you think anyone will be happy for you doing all this?" I lectured her. She heard me this time dahil alam kong naka-on na yung implants niya.

          She wouldn't respond to me so I just grabbed a lot of her clothes and necessities at linagay ko sa isang malaking bag. She seemed surprised with what I did. She tried to stop me pero nalagay ko na sa sasakyan yung gamit niya. I pulled her with all my might at naipasok ko na siya sa sasakyan. I told our driver to take us back home.

ᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜ♥ᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜ

Maeve

          Ano bang ginagawa niya?! He just took a lot of my clothes and stuff and now he is taking me somewhere. Why can't he just stop?! Hindi ba niya nakikita na unti-unti na akong nahuhulog sa ginagawa niya?!

          Hindi rin naman ako bobo para hindi maisip na it'll just get me in trouble if I spend too much time with him. I transferred back to Denver Academy because I can't even stand all the bullying there. How can I take care of my grades if I keep on getting bullied like that. Mas lalo akong mabubully kung lagi ko ring kasama si Reid.

          I can't get myself into trouble. It'll look bad on my record. I might not become the psychiatrist that I wanted to be. I might not become what I promised my parents that I would become.

          "Can you just stop? Ayoko nang madawit pa sa kung anong kalokohan ang balak mo. Gusto ko sanang makagraduate ng tahimik at may magandang record." I told him while we were on our way to somewhere. This is simply kidnapping.

          "Ano bang problema mo? I'm not even doing anything to you! Wala naman akong sinabing irisk mo yung reputasyon mo para sa akin ah?" He told me.

          Hindi ko na siya inimik. I just kept on looking outside. This looks like the way to his house. Hindi ko naman ineexpect na ganun kalaki yung bahay nila. I knew they were rich but I really did not expect them to be this rich.

          He pulled me out at ibinilin yung mga gamit ko sa maid nila. He pulled me inside his house. Nandun naman yung mom niya sa living room nila. She looked like she was expecting me.

          "Buti at nakarating rin kayo. Pinaayos ko na sa mga maid yung guest room." Sabi niya at naunang umakyat, sinundan din namin.The room was really prepared. Parang handing-handa na sila sa pagsestay ko dito.

          "Uh, Tita, hindi po ako magsestay dito. Uuwi na po ako." Paalam ko at palabas na sana ako ng kwarto kaso she stopped me.

          "Hindi, you'll stay here. I'm very sorry but we actually looked inside your house habang nasa school ka pa and we saw that you weren't living like you a normal high school girl should be." She told me. I can't believe it.

          "With all due respect, going inside my house without my permission is trespassing. Its against the law. At bakit? Normal na high school student din ba ako? I'm impaired, and now, an orphan. Anong ineexpect niyong klase ng buhay ang meron ako?"

ᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜ♥ᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜ

Reid

          I didn't mean to offend her. I was only thinking of her well-being. It was all because of me. Tama nga si Cosima. No matter what I do, magmumukha pa rin siyang masama sa mata ng ibang tao, as long as she is with me.

          The least I could do is give her my farewell gift...