Craise's POV
I'm Shirley Craise Montes. Everyone calls me Craise, especially my best friend Vens; but most of my family calls me Shirley. Pero I prefer yung Craise kasi medyo ang tapang pakinggan. Best friends kami ni Venisse since elementary. Parehas din kami ng ugali niyan.
Super Maganda siya, at ako rin naman.
Mabait siya, pero MAS Mabait ako.
Matapang kami pareho.
Mayaman kami, pero MAS mayaman sila.
Yeah, third famous yung company namin. We also own lots of properties like Venisse family do. Me and Venisse are like true sisters na. Halos kami na nga lang niyan ang laging magkasama kasi yung parents namin laging busy sa work. Both our nannies took care of us, and we treat them as our second mothers, cause they're always there when we need them. Not like our own parents na nakakaisip at nakakaalala lang umuwi pag may business agendas sila sa country.
Well, kaya nga ganito kami niyang si Vens eh, hindi naman sa nagrerebelde kami pero, gusto lang namin mapansin at pagtuunan kami ng parents namin ng kahit konting oras man lang.
Alam niyo, si Venisse lang talaga naging friend ko ever since. Nakuntento na ako sa kanya. Ang dami kasing tao na kakaibiganin ka lang due to your popularity, o dahil sa mayaman ka. Pero si Vens, iba talaga siya eh. Di ko nga ineexpect na magiging best friends kami niyan.
Naaalaa ko pa nga kung paano kami naging mag kaibigan. We were on fourth grade back then...
"Jasmine, akala ko ba best friends tayo?" tanong ko.
She and her friends exchanged glances before laughing.
"Really, Shirley? Do you really think I would like you as a friend?"
I bit my lower lip. I don't understand. Did I do something wrong for her to act like this?
"Look at us. We are a group of pretty girls. Tingin mo ba maganda ka para masali sa grupo namin? Just look at yourself. You can fully occupy three persons with that size."
I'm fat, I know. But it never crossed my mind that friendship has a requirement.
"Aren't you disgusted by yourself? Having you in our group would just ruin our image."
Maluha-luha akong napayuko sa narinig ko mula sa kanya. I thought I was already accepted by them. I thought they were fond of me. I thought giving what they want would satisfy them. I thought I finally found someone who—
"Hey!"
My thoughts got interrupted when someone came. Pinunasan ko kaagad ang iilang luhang dumaloy sa pisngi ko. Tinignan ko 'yung bagong dating na batang babae.
If I'm not mistaken, she's that new kid that transferred to our school last week.
"Do you need something?" Nakapamaywang na tanong ni Jasmine sa kanya.
"I was looking for the restroom. I thought it was here."
Is she that bad at directions?
"Restroom? At the garden? Are you stupid?" They all laughed at her aside from me.
Just looking at that girl will already give you a hint not to get on her bad side. She has this cold image that will make you hesitate to even look into her eyes.
But Jasmine is Jasmine. She's not afraid of anyone.
"T-the restr-room is inside, n-next to the clinic." I said, hesitant and afraid. I quickly lowered my gaze after telling her. I don't even want to meet those cold stares of her.
"Y-y-you h-heard h-h-her."
Mas lalo akong napayuko nang pagtawanan nila ako after Samantha mimicked my stutter.
"Thanks. I actually thought it was here after following that stinky smell my nose picked up."
I tried sniffing the air. Jasmine and her friends did the same. Wala naman akong naamoy na mabaho o mabantot.
"I don't smell anything."
"Ako rin."
"Me either."
Bahagya kong sinulyapan 'yung bata. Sira ba ang pang-amoy niya? Or does she have an enhanced smell?
"I can still smell it." She said and started sniffing on the air.
Everyone was looking weirdly at her especially when she started sniffing Jasmine's group. I wonder if tge rumors about her are real.
"You weirdo! Why do you keep sniffing us?!" Angela freaked out.
"I can smell it. It's coming from here." The girl said pertaining to them.
"Are you making fun of us?!"
I don't like where this conversation is going.
The girl distanced herself from them and covered her nose.
"I don't. 'Di niyo ba talaga naaamoy?"
"Sira 'yang pang-amoy mo!"
"I don't think so. Kaya nga ako pumunta dito dahil abot hanggang classroom namin 'yung umaalingasaw niyong pag-uugali." She remarked, uncovering her nose as the side of her lips slowly rose.
Pfft. I almost laughed at her remark if only Jasmine didn't throw me a glare. Napayuko tuloy ako ulit.
"Are you enjoying this, Shirley?" Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa mukha niya at umiling.
"It seems like she does, Jas."
Tinignan ko si Angie at umiling. "Hindi. Hindi talaga."
"You don't have to deny it if it is really funny." Tinignan ko 'yung bata na nakatingin pala sa'kin. Natataranta tuloy akong iniiwas ang tingin ko, pero nasalubong ko ang galit na mga tingin nina Jasmine kaya naman nagpakayuko-yuko nalang ako.
"I am so disappointed with you, Shirley. I never thought that you have that kind of side."
I bit my lower lip. I shouldn't have smiled. Now I'm really gonna lose my friendship with them.
"You don't always have to feel sorry for yourself." Napatingin ako ulit doon sa bata na nakatingin sa'kin. I think she's very tough, unlike me. "You must feel sorry for them instead." Napatingin ako kina Jasmine. "They are more pitiful than you are."
"Are you looking down on us?!" I can feel the irritation in Jasmine's voice.
"Oo. 'Yun naman ang ginagawa sa toilet bowl, right? You have to look down to see it."
"How dare you compare us to a toilet? Don't you know who I am?"
"I don't. And I don't plan to know who you are."
"My lolo is a retired judge! Isusumbong kita sa kanya—pati ikaw!" Turo niya sa'kin na ikinagulat ko. "I'll make sure na pati family niyo madadamay."
Bigla akong nag-alala at natakot knowing that my parents will get called at school if that ever happens.
"Jas, wala naman akong ginag—" the girl stopped me.
"Go on. Tell your grandpa tutal doon ka naman magaling, ang magsumbong."
"Talagang isusumbong ko kayo lalo na ikaw!"
"Sige lang. Gusto mo samahan pa kita."
"You... stupid weirdo! You just wait!"
"I can no longer wait."
"Humanda ka lang."
"Sure. I can prepare a feast just for you."
Parang puputok na si Jasmine sa inis sa pang-aasar niya, pero tila kalmado pa rin siya.
Jasmine shrieked at the top of her lungs and I quickly covered my ears. "I hate you both!!" Last she said before marching out with her friends.
I sigh. Now I have to think if how would I'll tell my parents about what happened. I'm sure pagagalitan na naman ako ni Daddy.
"Come with me." sinundan ko ng tingin 'yung bata.
"Saan tayo pupunta?" tanong ko pero hindi niya ako sinagot at naglakad lamang paalis.
I was hesitant to follow, pero sumunod nalang ako kasi natatakot ako sa kanya. Laking pagtataka ko nang dalhin niya ako sa canteen.
"Anong gusto mo?" tanong niya sa'kin.
Hindi ako umimik. Ililibre niya ba ako?
"Uhm..." tinignan ko yung mga paninda. "Orange juice na lang—atsaka chocolate cake." nahihiya kong sabi. She quickly ordered them from the canteen staff at pinapanood ko nalang siya sa may tabi.
After giving our orders, naghanap kami ng mauupuan and luckily, we found an empty seat. I helped her put our orders on the table before taking a seat.
"Thank you nga pala." panimula ko.
"For what?"
"For the treat, and for earlier."
"Okay."
Hindi na siya umimik pa pagkatapos n'on. Maya't maya tuloy akong napapasulyap sa kanya.
I heard rumors about her. Everyone says that she's weird. Some said that her family is a part of a syndicate. Others said that she's a child of a witch. Almost everyone are afraid of her at talaga namang iniiwasan siya.
But I think those are just rumors. I think she's a good person.
"I'm Shirley Craise nga pala. Ikaw? Anong pangalan mo?" nahihiya kong tanong. Nag-anhat naman siya ng tingin at tinitigan ako.
"Venisse. Vens nalang."
I smiled after hearing her name.
"What?" umiling ako agad at itinuloy ang pagkain ko.
I asked a lot of things about her at sinasagot niya naman lahat 'yon. Sa kakatanong ko, napag-alaman kong hindi pala nalalayo sa isa't isa ang mga bahay namin.
That's why when school time ended, for the first time, I came and brought someone at home.
Ipinakilala ko siya agad kina Daddy and Mommy. Surprisingly, my parents both know hers. Kaya mas lalo akong natuwa.
And I think, it was fate that brought us together. It was then that our friendship has started.