Zuleen's POV
"WHY ARE you grinning me like that?"
"Nothing." Biglang bawi ni Gelai sa ngisi nito. "I'm just wondering, why are you so much affected to Garren's arrival? Does his presence makes you illiterate? You've been muted for two hours like you are winning a New Guinness World of Record!"
I rolled my eyes to her hyperbolé.
"Garren is an unknown given. He was derived as a value of Y." I stated. Naalala ko 'yung sinabi ni President Almira kanina. She will used her step brother against my formula by winning the crown again. That is the reason why I had to calculate much further.
"What?! I thought he's your X."
Isang matinding panlilisik ang iginawad ko sa kaibigan ko. Kinuha ko ang mga pera na nasa bag ko na galing sa kaniya at pinaghahambalos ko iyon sa ulo niya hanggang sa naghabulan kami patungo sa STEM Department Building. Ang lakas niyang maka-bring up ng past life ko!
"I already moved on to that numskull! Kaya huwag na huwag mo nang babanggitin ang taong iyon!" I shouted at her.
"Alright. Alright. Geez! You're overeacting. I just wanted to know if you still had feelings for Garren when you met him on the second time! Sobra ka namang affected dyan!"
"Won't you ever stop?! Kailangan na talaga kitang patahimikin. Ang dami mo ng nalalaman!" Aakmang hahampasin ko siya ng cash.
"That's dirty, Zuleen! Don't bring that close to me! Eww! Kung saan-saang kamay dumapo ang mga 'yan eh! People don't know how to sanitize their hands!" Hiyaw ni Gelai sa perang hawak ko. Ang arte.
"Pera na nga lang ihahampas sa'yo, ayaw mo pa!" Hasik ko.
Iba talaga kapag mayaman.
__(=_=)__
WE ENTERED our room and everyone got silence. They went back to their proper seats.
After I taught those STEM boys a lesson regarding to my scandal last week, nag-iba na ang pakikitungo nila sa akin. Lalo lang silang dumistansya. Everyone got scared on me at 'yung iba naman ay lalong kumulo ang init ng ulo nila sa akin. They tried to hit me with their death glares but no avail.
I'm a living bulletproof.
"Oops, my trash got spilled on my table. Silly me." Parinig ng treasurer namin, na si Ethazilla, nang tumapat ako sa upuan niya. I wasn't insulted to her behavior. Lumuhod ako at pinulot ko isa-isa ang mga cash niya sa floorings. Yes, you heard it right. Cash. They were not literally trash at all but they were f*cking thicked bundles of thousand dollars!
"Our garbage collector is here!" Anunsiyo niya sa klase. Nagpaulan sila ng pera. I was mersmerized to see the frenzy splash of paper money inside our room. Hinayaan ko ang aking sarili na maulanan ng pera.
"Magtapon din ako, beshy! Do you have any trash left inside your wallet?" Tanong ng aming Class Vice President na si Marikka kay Ethazilla. These two class officers were having the same vibe.
"I already throw them all. I only bring credits at black cards. How about you?"
"Only cheques."
"Throw them, Marikka. They're just papers same with cash."
"Oh, yes! You're right, beshy!"
Nagtapon pa sila ng pera at kinalat nila ito sa room namin. They're bullying me with their riches. Ngayon ko lang nalaman na ang sarap palang ma-bully.
I acted that I was bullied by them. Kinuha ko ang mga cash sa floor. Actually, hindi naman mahirap ang pinapagawa nila sa akin dahil sino ba namang tao ang mapapagod magpulot ng pera? Inaakala tuloy nila na uto-uto akong tao para linisin ang basura nila. Napakahuwaran ko tuloy na estudyante.
Habang naglilinis ako, nag-aaway sa harap ko ang Vice President at ang Treasurer dahil natapunan niya raw ito ng "trash" sa table. Like who's the right mind to think cash is dirty? Crazy.
"Hey! Why did you throw trashes on my table? Are you nuts! Did you know that I'm allergic to paper money?!" Marikka grabbed an isopropyl alcohol to clean her table.
"Sorry, I thought you look like money. Your ugly face resembles to their old historical face figure!" Asar ni Ethazilla.
"How could you say that?! Eat this trash, you jackass donkey!"
Nagbatuhan sila ng pera sa mukha hanggang sa nadamay ang buong klase. Habang nagkakagulo silang lahat at nagkakalat ng kanilang yaman, pasimple kong dinadampot-dampot ang mga perang iyon na nahuhulog sa sahig. I'm already soaked down by the rain of their riches.
"Shower them to me, rascals!" I crazily laughed.
Nakapameywang si Gelai habang pinapanood akong lumalangoy sa pera.
"Umayos ka nga, Zuleen! I already gave you lots of cash inside your bag para hindi ka na magpa-bully sa kanila. Hindi pa ba 'yon sapat sa'yo?!" Tinulungan niya akong tumayo sa pagkakahiga. "Look at yourself, you look like a rodent! Para kang basurera! Gosh! You're getting addictive with our garbage as if you want to jump into the trash bin." Sita niya.
"I am not, silly! I'm just cleaning." I sniffed and licked the money I got. Hinilamos ko ang pera sa mukha ko na tila nawawala na ako sa sariling katinuan. Hinila na niya ako bago pa ako masiraan ng bait. We headed to our seats at dumating na si Ma'am Sarah, our English teacher. Hindi niya inalintana ang kalat sa paligid at nagsimula na siyang magturo.
"Ugh, English." I groaned. "You got those airpods of yours?" I asked Gelai.
"No, I don't use them pretty often so I don't bring them."
"How about you, Denver?"
He didn't answer at our back. I turned to him, at wala siya.
"Where's that kiddo?"
"I don't know. Cleaning his fish nets?"
I groaned in frustration. How can I deal with this English subject?! Makita ko pa lang si Maam Sarah, nababagot na ako. Nasaan ba kasi si Denver?! Did he really skip this class meeting? Bayolente. 'Pag makita ko lang 'yung batang iyon, malilintikan siya sa akin!
I'll punished him with my Calculus!
__(=_=)__
TAPOS na ang klase. Lumabas agad ako sa classroom at ilang minuto akong nagsusuka roon dahil sa hindi ko makayanan ang subject-verb agreement na idiniscuss ni Ma'am Sarah kanina! It was a basic sentence structure but I am getting dizzy as hell! F*ck that English!
Uuwi na ang mga classmates ko at ako ang inatasan nilang maglinis ng room dahil masipag naman daw akong maglinis. Well, I highly approved to that notion, kung pera lang ang pag-uusapan. Gusto pa nila akong pagtripan for the last time. Nagbuhos pa sila ng isang bucket of coins sa sahig at nayamot ako.
"Barya lang? Is that all money you've got? Ang poor niyo naman." I chortled.
Naasar sila.
"Next time, isang bilyong papel ang ikakalat namin rito! Don't you dare us, garbage girl!" Sabi ni Marikka.
I smirked. "Now we're talking."
Umalis na sila nang lumabas din si Gelai with her GUCCI bag.
"Beshy, I'm about to go now too. You know, I'm gonna busted all my boyfies on my romantic date tonight. So hindi kita masasamahan pa. Alam ko namang kaya mo na 'yan e, after all, this trashy place is your paradise."
"Truly, beshy!" I agreed and we both laughed. Nagpaalam na siyang umalis.
Bago ako magsimulang maglinis, I let myself drown in pleasure. Hinayaan kong bumagsak ako sa mga nagkalat na pera na nasa sahig. Subalit tumama ang ulo ko sa matigas na mga barya at biglang sumakit ito. Nagsimula tuloy akong magkaroon ng glimpse of pictures sa aking utak.
My past memories.
I suffered from coma when I was in gradeschool. I was that kind of kid who was born in teenage years without having a sense of childhood memories. I don't know my past life. Ang sabi ng mga adoptive parents ko, iniwan ako ng mga magulang ko habang ako ay nakahimlay sa hospital. Lumipas ng ilang buwan, gumaling na ako. But I have an amnesia. Inspite of the injury I suffered, nakita nila na may potential ako at talas ng isipan. Magaling daw ako sa numero at aritmetiko. 'Di kalaunan, inampon ako ng isang doktor na nagmamay-ari ng pasilidad na iyon dahil sa aking katalinuhan. That is the luckiest day of my life as if life gave me an answer without knowing what's the problem I faced before. Without this kind of special abilities, wala na akong malulugaran pa sa mundong ito.
By that time, Math succumb my life being.
Inspite of all the things I spotted in my puzzled memories, isang tao lang ang naalala ko buhat nang ako ay magising. Isang batang babae na mataba. Malaki ang tyan pati bunganga. Kamukha niya si Sahee.
Come to think of her presence, she's another variable.
__(=_=)__
MATAPOS kong nilinis ang room, I noticed a bag left inside. Kinilatis ko iyon at pagmamay-ari pala ito ni Denver. He had notes and papers on his table. By reading his murderous writing, he's actually calculating his own formula. Kaya pala hindi nakakasagot sa recitation ang lalaking iyon, mayroon pala siyang pinagkakaabalahan.
It's a love formula.
There is no general love formula in Mathematics for calculating the possible ways to win someone's heart, but some mathematicians have proposed such ideas to calculate possibilities yet they were not the proven methods. They were all assumptions. Math and science can't solve love issues alone.
Inline to his solution, Denver's variable is no other than Yshie. He wanted to meet and cross intersect his x to her y. The love formula consists of various variables, such as compatibility, effort, emotions and time. It's just like solving an algebraic problem. By using his love formula, he can analyze the love between him and his ideal crush. However, Yshie is constantly a unique person to derived with hence, Denver have to endure every factors that he can apply to caught her heart. If that happened, that coño girl will be in big trouble.
I realized that those HUMSS added to my equation with no exception.
Sahee and Yshie was odd to my nerves. Parang may nalalaman sila sa past ko at tila kilala nila ako. Especially, Khrina. About naman kay Khrina, mukhang maraming nalalaman ang babaeng iyon. Kakaiba ang mga mata niya. Iba ang kaniyang pamamaraan kung paano siya tumingin sa tao. It's always up and down. Masyadong mapanghusga. In that case, she knows my value since then.
What if I asked her about my past life? I don't think she would mind it. Bati na rin kami e. May friendly picture na ako sa kaniya kaninang umaga lang. As I think of it, wala ng kaso sa amin iyon. While I set another derivative within my head, the calculations started to auto-operate by itself. To know the truth about my past, all I need to do is to tame that GAS girl for her to speak up.
"Ehem."
My eyes widened and rolled when I heard his tone. Bumalik na ang impakto.
"Do you mind to tell me why are you confiscating my things?" Denver interrogated me at my back.
I faced him. He smirked in flirtatious way as he caught me on act guilty. He went closer at me and cornered me with his broad arms as he clutch down to his table.
"I can tell you what you're really looking for, sweetie girl." He winked near my face.
As I go with his flow, I turned into a bubbly one with a strange smile.
"Oh really? Is this yours?" I giggled in excitement to show his notes.
"Uh, y-yeah?" He got skeptical at the same time uneasiness in my mood shift.
"I found that your creating a formula. How was it? I like making solutions for in-depth and real-life calculations. I can help you with that, hot guy." I said seductively.
Lumapit ako sa kaniya pahakbang to get in touch with him but he stepped back.
"H-Huwag kang lalapit!" He got shivered at nag-sign of the cross siya. What the hell?
"How could you make a love formula to a person who has no percentage of liking you back? Got fond of answering the limits of impossible finite problems? Sounds stupid, right? How about choose me instead to be your own variable? I can be more accessible to your big constant number."
I raised my legs and pulled up my mini skirt to give him some spice. I smirked.
"Damn! You're sick as hell!" He cussed.
"I'm ready to your trial operation, baby."
Aakmang huhubarin ko ang suot ko pero tinakpan niya agad ang kaniyang mga mata.
"Oo na, talo na ako! You already win! Could you just quit that?! It disgusts me! Seems like you got possesed by the devil or something."
I got dissapointed. Akala ko pa naman ay makakasabay siya sa larong sinimulan niya pero siya pala ang unang uurong. I'm just using his own medicine. What a virgin.
"You're so boring."
I walked away to our room while I carry my big bag as I exit the room alone.
"Zuleen!"
I continued to walk as I act like I didn't hear him.
"Hey, nutsy! I'm calling you!"
Now I lost my interest to glance at him. 'Coz how dare him to call me like that! Nakahabol na siya sa akin na humihingal at ipinatong ang kamay niya sa balikat ko.
"Why can't you hear me at a distance?! Don't you have ear hygiene?!" Denver asked in annoyance.
I sighed.
"It is because your shout only travels at the speed of 343 meters per second within a meter away from me. So it would possibly take 0.0029 seconds for the sound to travel and reach me and piss me off to avoid you in an instant."
He gaped in awe and raised his hands to succumb.
"Woah! You have lot of grudge there, crazy girl! I'm not here to deal along with your incredible brain damage, haha." He laughed.
Sumabay siya sa akin sa paglalakad.
"Zuleen." Tawag-pansin niya.
"Use my age to your terminology."
"Uhm, I mean ate Zuleen hehe." He shyly said.
I chortled. Baka nakakalimutan niyang sinong mas matanda sa amin. I don't know what I am going to do with this brat. Bakit ba siya nakikisabay sa akin?
"Hey, gentle boy. Do you wanna help me with my bag so your escorting service can be worth it for a while?" Alok ko sa kaniya ng bag ko dahil nabibigatan na ako. It's full of money by the way. After all, it has also a bunch of coins that I can't resist to collect a while ago.
"No problem, old hag. What's all of this stuff?" Hablot niya sa bag ko at medyo nabigatan.
"Trash."
Namangha siyang napalingon sa akin.
"Trash?! Is this one of your sidelines? I thought you were only psychopathic girl who aim to be a president council... but suprisingly, you're working as a garbage collector?! Is there something I need to know more about you?!" He said in amusement like I'm a total package.
"Why? Are you interested on me? Do you wanna be written in my exes list? I got a blank space, baby."
"Nah, I'm in everyone's list..." He said confidently but I cut him off.
"Yeah, more like in the banned list. There is a high chance that your arrogance can be equal to multiple penalties. LSGU won't worship you so minus your flirty games and save your d*ck from your chics." Pinitik ko ang banned sign niya sa uniform.
He laughed handsomely. "The hearsay was actually true. You're so fierce and daring, haha!" He winked.
"Tsismoso ka talaga."
"Na guwapo?" Balo niya.
"'Di mo sure?"
Nasa labas na kami ng STEM building at pinagtitinginan na kami ng maraming tao na mga echosera at echosero.
"Hand me now my bag. I have something to do right now. My agenda is still hanging." Kuha ko sa kaniya.
"So you're still campaigning after class? Why are you so serious to decorate your name and vote by many anyway?" Denver said lazily.
"I have personal objective." I simply stated and he was intrigued.
"Wait! Speaking of that, I forgot to tell you something important!" He exclaimed.
"No need to confess. Maba-busted lang kita."
He grabbed my shoulder to stop me from leaving.
"That wasn't my subject! Didn't you know there's a devastating event happening outside here in our area! I think you should know about it too, it may involve your political action!"
My brain clicked and my eyes got spark with a raging red as I turned back to him and grab his neck towards me.
"Spill everything you know, kid." I breathed out to his face as I turned him into a cute puppy.
He anxiously told me the news, the every moment of his journey with HUMSS and up to the last tiny bit of information he can generate inside of his ridicule brain.
As I summarized his narrative, the TVL Area was no longer inclusive in the campus. By the supreme authority of President Almira, the gate was closed in connection to all satellite areas just to give distant to those who exercising fraternity and physical harm. It means they will now have limited access to the school provisions and premises. The private school's administrative control cannot reached and secured their vocational students. Makukulangan sila ng supply ng resources at edukasyon. Kung magpapatuloy pa ito nang matagal, tuluyan nang mabubura ang TVL area na parang bula. ZSU is not committed to supervise their students for their own safety but for letting them to encourage and exercise their political partition in the student body, regardless of its danger. Iba talaga kapag ang pinag-uusapan ay politika.
Mas higit na pinag-aaralan ng mga estudyante rito ang politika kaysa sa kanilang curriculum.
Sa dami ng estudyante rito, marami akong makakalaban sa eleksyon. However, marami na akong nabasang mga student constitutions na makakatulong sa akin na makaapak sa kalagayan ko ngayon. Dahil sa pagbabasa ko ng mga laws at pangingielam sa magulong lipunan, marunong na akong makisabay sa nangyayaring sagupaan at proklamasyong nagaganap sa loob ng unibersidad na ito.
"So what's your plan?" Denver asked while I'm in the midst of my thought.
Those TVL students already lost their political inclusion and support in the campus. Nawalan na rin sila ng rights of suffrage kaya hindi na sila pupuwedeng makaboto sa eleksyon. Marami akong supporters na nangagaling mula sa area nila, and that would be a negative factor. Doon pa naman ang sadya ko ngayon para mangalap ng loyal voters gamit ang perang ibinigay sa akin ng mga STEMs at ni Gelai. Malakas pa naman ako sa mga sponsors ko.
Sa kabilang dako naman, 'yung mga Sports and Arts students, kakaunti lang ang may ganang sumuporta. They were uninterested in the student government practices because they were only focusing on their passions. Sa madaling salita, hindi sila mapolitika.
In result, sa Academic strands lang ako makakakuha ng sapat na boto para manalo. Mahihirapan ako.
Hindi ako pupuwedeng lumaban nang mag-isa lang.
Napaharap ako kay Denver at napaayos ng sirang salamin.
"I need an administrative partylist. Wanna join?"