Phoenix vs Janna

Chapter 14

Phoenix stepped on the rooftop. His hunch was confirmed. After days of chasing after her, looking for her in this blasted campus, Phoenix finally found Janna holed up in her hiding place at the rooftop of the campus library.

He unceremoniously sat down beside her on the ledge. Janna was startled to see him, but she remained silent and continued watching the sunset.

"It's not part of the deal that you hide and escape from your duties to me, Hellcat!"

She remained silent.

"What's wrong with you?"

Janna couldn't find any words to say, so the silence continued.

"Janna..."

"Hindi rin naman kasama sa kontrata na pati pamilya ko idamay mo, di ba?" Janna angrily said, triggered at the way he called her name. He usually just called her Hellcat.

"Well, no." He was puzzled.

"So, bakit pati sa bahay ko at sa pamilya ko nandun ka na? Bakit dinadamay mo sila?"

Phoenix looked at her.

"I'm sorry. Hindi ang kontrata natin ang nasa isip ko when I talk with your parents."

"Yeah, right! Ano ba 'to, rich boy? Tripping mo lang?"

"Hindi ba pwedeng I simply liked playing chess with your dad and happy to hang around them? Nagagalit ba sila?"

"Hindi! Yun nga ang masama doon! Kinakaibigan mo sila, when someday mawawala ka din pag tapos na ang deal natin!"

"Hellcat..."

"Kaya, utang na loob! Wala namang personalan dito! Trabaho lang 'to. Pwede?"

"Will you go back to your deal with me if I stop seeing your parents?"

"Oo!"

"Then sige. I won't bother your family anymore."

He kept his promise. He no longer went to the cake shop and her house. He had Rex come over to buy the cakes instead.

The days progressed into weeks. They stuck to the deal they made.

Janna still had to come over to do the weekend cleanup of his car. Although this time, he helped her with the task to finish quickly. Afterwards, they would have lunch at the BGC area or hang around the shopping malls. Sometimes they just sat in his living room watching Netflix or playing video games.

She learned that this townhouse is only one of his family's many properties, one nearest to his school, so he's the only one using it.

They made the rounds of parties that Phoenix had to go to, to keep the pretense as his girlfriend. Janna's mind reeled at the lifestyle of the rich and famous. The amount spent on these parties could feed thousands of poor families. It was hard for her to come to these events, but Phoenix, sensing this, would take her hand in his and send her a warning glance.

Things weren't much better when it was Phoenix invading her world. She couldn't get used to him hanging out with her activist friends, or eating in the student cafeterias. He was so out of place in her world as much as she was in hers.

One Friday, Janna was absent from all her classes. She was attending a rally in front of the Department of Agriculture office. They were having a sit-down protest for the plight of the farmers.

The day progressed peacefully enough. There were talks by many of the activist leaders. There were songs, poems and sketches all throughout the day.

When the TV network crew arrived, they panned the camera to the mass protesters.

Janna's phone rang shortly after. It was her Nanay. She saw Janna on TV and asked what she was doing in the rally instead of in school. She concernedly told Janna to leave the rally at once.

Janna told her she would, since the rally was wrapping up already.

No sooner did the call end, when without warning an explosion was heard. The rally speaker raised his voice over the noise, this time angry and militant. He shouted that the government was now taking violent steps to silence them and to remain unafraid. At the sound of the explosion, the police who were in standby since morning, opened the water cannons and hosed the protesters down.

It was chaos all of a sudden. Some protesters were running towards the DA office. They hurled paint bombs and stones. They threw stuff at the police.

Janna ran with some of her friends towards safety. But it was difficult with so many protesters blocking their way. The police were laying their hands on people, grabbing and arresting them. Janna got separated from them as she tried to evade being captured by the police.

She finally entered a small eskinita. She traversed it quickly. It led to a busy street full of commercial establishments.

As she stepped into the street corner, a car pulled up beside her. The car window rolled down. It was Phoenix!

"Get in!"

Janna hurriedly entered the car.

"Salamat sa..."

"What in God's name are you doing, Hellcat!"

"Ano naman sa 'yo?"

"You're supposed to be in school!"

"Ano ka, magulang ko? Wala kang paki!"

The car ran into a remnant of the police chasing protesters by the road. Janna shrank down her seat, even though the car's windows were tinted.

"When I think about how kind your magulangs are, naaawa ako sa kanila dahil sa ginagawa mo, Hellcat!" Phoenix said as he glanced at her.

Janna was silent, guilt assaulting her.

"Hindi ko kailangang ipa-intindi sa 'yo, you of all people wouldn't understand!"

Her phone rang. It was her Nanay.

"Nay, okay ako. Nakaalis na ako doon. Kanina pa!" She half-lied. Phoenix shook his head.

Her Nanay wasn't convinced. Janna could tell she was distressed.

"Nay, wala na ako doon, promise!"

"Andito ako ngayon... nasa kotse ng friend ko. Opo, Nay!"

Janna reluctantly handed the phone to Phoenix.

"Nay, si Phoenix po 'to! Opo, kasama ko na po si Jang-jang, Nay. Sige po. Okay lang po. Bye po!"

He handed the phone over to Janna. He nearly dropped it. Janna was changing her shirt, wet from the police hose down earlier. She changed as quickly as she could while Phoenix was at the call, but he still caught a glimpse of her bare midriff and pink underwear.

"Sa kalsada ang tingin, sandali na lang 'to!" She snapped at him.

"Pro na pro ka talaga, Hellcat! May dala ka pa talagang pangpalit na damit! Sanay ka rin bang maghubad ng ganito sa harap ng mga kasamahan mo?"

"Ayoko lang makita nina Nanay na nabasa ako sa rally pagdating sa bahay!"

Phoenix clenched his hands on the steering wheel. Hellcat was such a pain, but he was relieved that she got out safely from that rally.