Happy first day of October, guys! New, month, new chapter! DawnCent? ReDawn? Which side are you in? I already added a photo in the media box! Yay! Kaya walang photo or vid sa mga previous chapters kasi ang bagal ng net ko at ang nagagawa ko lang eh mag-save ng text dito. I can't search Google or go to YouTube. Pero ngayon, okay na ulit, kaya meron na ulit laman ang media box! Check it out, guys! :)
***Vince's POV***
First day of Senior year! Yup! We're back in Monte Carlo High School! The vacation was short, yet, meaningful. Oo, ako na ang nagiging makata at cheesy. Playboy na kung playboy, bolero na kung bolero. Pero itong nararamdaman ko, totoo talaga. Nagbunga lahat ng hirap ko nung bakasyon kasi kami ni Dawn... hindi pa rin kami. Pero okay lang din, kasi hindi ko naman siya minamadali at mas lalong hindi ko siya pinupwersa. Willing talaga ako mag-antay kung kailan siya magiging ready.
Sigurista ba kamo? Alam mo yung feeling na alam mong may mangyayari pero nag-aantay lang ng tamang tyempo? That's exactly what's happening between me and Dawn. I could feel na the feeling was mutual, just on different levels, she's just hesitant about it. I don't know, baka ina-assess niya pa yung sarili niya kung ready na ba talaga siya to get into a relationship? Pero ang sigurado ako, I already had a spot on her heart.
"Ang aga mo, ah? You usually come in late." Red's always the first one to come back from vacation. Masyado kasi siyang keen sa oras at naka-manage na lahat ng activities niya for the day. Sa isang araw na ang simula ng school year at excited na ako para doon.
"Pare, hindi ba pwedeng mag-bago kahit konti?" We then laughed together. "I still had to check on some things with the Admin, kaya din ako bumalik ng maaga. May mga bagay na sasabihin si Principal Abad para maganda ang pasok ng school year na ito." The room became silent for a minute. Pareho siguro kami ng iniisip ni Red tungkol sa mga nangyari nitong nakaraang school year. Kaya mas determinado akong makabalik agad para malaman na ang mga update tungkol sa kaso ng Villanueva twins. Dawn's still freaked out about the incident at talagang ayoko nang bumalik siya sa dating Dawn dahil sa mga ganitong insidente. I would do everything just to keep her safe in our last year here in Monte Carlo.
***Dawn's POV***
"Ang sabi ko kasi sa'yo, huwag mong gagamitin yung mga gamit ko! Ayan tuloy, nakalimutan mo ibalik sa akin yang laptop ko! Ano na lang gagamitin ko ngayon dito?! Kung hindi ka ba naman kasi isa't kalahati-- Naku, ewan ko sa 'yo! Basta, dapat ihatid mo yan sa akin ngayon o kaya bukas! Sa isang araw na kaya ang start ng klase! Siguraduhin mo, kasi talagang isusumbong kita kina Mama at Papa! Sige, bye!" I waited until the girl inside stopped ranting over the phone bago ako pumasok ng kwarto.
"Hi." Pagbati ko sa kanya when I came in. I smiled at her but she just stared at me. Baka mainit pa yung ulo niya? I walked towards my side of the room and put down my bag on the floor. "I'm Dawn, by the way. Dawn Dominguez."
"Freshman?" Umiling ako at naupo siya sa gilid ng kama ni Rachel. Este, kama na pala niya ito ngayon. "Sophomore?" Umiling ulit ako bago sumagot.
"Senior." She sighed and I saw her shoulders slumped.
"Joyce Montilla. Sophomore." She was wearing a yellow sleeveless blouse and a pair of white jeans. She looked so young, pwede pa siyang mapagkamalang elementary. She had her things scattered all over Rachel's place at hindi pa rin ako maka-move on na wala na si Rachel sa side na iyon ng kwarto.
"Need help unpacking?" It was the same question Rachel asked me on my first day here. I was pulling out some new clothes out of my bag that I brought from home at isa-isa itong inilagay sa loob ng closet ko.
"No, I'm okay. I'll get this cleaned up in a bit. Sorry, na-buwisit lang kasi ako sa kapatid ko, hindi kasi binalik yung laptop ko dito sa bag. Matagal ka na dito?"
"Nope. Last year lang ako nag-transfer dito."
"Last year lang? From what school?"
"Sisters of Mary."
"Sisters of Mary School for Girls? The number one all-girls school in the country! Wow! Bakit ka umalis dun?" She started picking up her clothes mula sa sahig at isa-isa itong nilupi at inilagay sa aparador niya.
"I got bored." It was the same exact answer that I gave Rachel and the others who asked kung bakit ako lumipat from Sisters of Mary to Monte Carlo last year. Joyce stopped folding her clothes and stared at me.
"Totoo ba yung mga patayan doon na hanggang ngayon unresolved pa rin? My mom wanted me to go there, pero natakot ako, kaya sabi, pass muna." What a question to ask on your first day!
"They're true but they will not remain unresolved for long." Kasi tatapusin ko na ang misteryong ito sa lalong madaling panahon. She folded one shirt and asked me another question.
"Totoo ba na may namatay na rin dito? I researched for this school's background and found nothing related to that news. Monte Carlo's known for it's high security, so I'm guessing na rumors lang ang kumakalat na info." I looked at her and saw that she's really serious about knowing these information. Magsisinungaling pa ba ako, eh malalaman niya rin naman iyon, sooner or later. I took a deep breath before answering.
"The authorities are already doing the best that they can to solve the cases--"
"So totoo nga! Oh, my gosh! Buti kinakaya niyo pa'ng tumira dito?" She shivered and looked around the room for any signs of something not ordinary.
"Lakas lang ng loob. And we're here to study, not to scare ourselves." Now this time, I had to lie. I didn't want to be the cause of a new student running off because of knowing the truth. She was quiet for a few moments, maybe pondering on everything I said. She stood up and put in her clothes inside her closet.
"Yung...dati mong roommate. Asan na siya?" She asked in a whispered tone. Iniisip niya ba'ng...
"She graduated." At nakita kong nakahinga siya ng maluwag. At iniisip niya talagang namatay na yung kasama ko dito? Grabe ang imagination nitong batang ito! She was about to say something nang umalingawngaw na naman ang mobile sa labas ng Dorms. Nagulat pa si Joyce sa lakas ng tunog at agad siyang lumabas ng kwarto.
"Anong nangyayari?" I follwed her outside and looked down the grounds.
"The Principal will make an announcement."
"Good day, students of Monte Carlo! This is Principal Abad speaking. A mass will be held tomorrow morning at the campus grounds. Make sure to be there at six fourtyfive in the morning. Dorm gates will be closed by seven and further announcements with regards to some new school regulations will be given tomorrow. That's all for today."
The mass ended at sinabihan kaming huwag umalis sa pila. We were lined per year, per section, and Principal Abad stood in front of the podium after she escorted the priest to the Principal's Office. I was tying my shoelaces nang may tumawag sa akin from behind. I stood up and saw Vince smiling at me.
It was the first time we saw each other again here in campus. He walked up to me and handed me a small box of chocolates. I thanked him and smiled back at bumalik na siya sa pwesto niya sa pila. I noticed sharp eyes at me at dineadma ko lang sila. I opened the box and saw a small note inside. I opened the note and smiled at the simple phrase written on it: smile for me, sunshine :)
I looked back and saw him waiting for me to look at him again. I smiled at him and he gave me a wink. I put the note inside my pocket and got one chocolate from the box. I tapped the person in front of me at inalok siya ng pagkain ko.
"No, thanks. He really saved them for you." His boring tone rang in my ear and he turned his back at me right away. What's with him? I took a step closer to him at tumingkayad ako para maabot ko ang tenga niya.
"May problema ka ba, Domingo?" I whispered in his ear. Umiling lang siya pero hindi niya ako hinarap. Weird. I was about to ask him more pero nagsimula nang mag-aanounce si Principal Abad.
"Welcome to school year 2015-2016!" We applaud and waited for her to say more. She went on with her speech about Monte Carlo's history, vision and mission which bored a lot of students, especially the old ones. "And as part of our continued campaign for security, we added CCTVs on your Dorms hallways, on the Main Building's hallways, in the Admin Building's hallways and in the other areas around campus as well, like the Cafeteria and the Library." That caught our attention. "That's all for today. New students please remain for the distribution of your school uniforms. Please approach your adviser for assistance."
Kakalabitin ko sana si Domingo, pero agad siyang lumakad palayo sa pila. Ano na namang topak nung taong iyon? Naramdaman ko na lang na may tumapik sa balikat ko at nakita ko si Vince when I turned.
"Nagustuhan mo ba?"
"Oh, yeah. Isa pa lang nakain ko, pero masarap siya. Thank you ulit."
"You're welcome. Si mama gumawa niyan, actually. Sabi niya, ibigay ko daw sa 'yo."
"Wow, talaga? Naku, pakisabi sa kanya, salamat. I really liked it."
"Kain tayo. Nag-breakfast ka na ba?" Umiling ako at lumakad na kami papunta sa direksyon ng Cafeteria.
"Vince..." I waited for him to respond pero wala. "Vince?" Deadma pa rin. "Vince!" I stopped walking and he stood in front of me, smiling. "Bakit ayaw mo sumagot?"
"Gusto ko lang marinig na sinasabi mo yung pangalan ko. Ang sarap kasi pakinggan, eh!" Hindi ko napigilang mapangiti. "What's with you and names, anyway? You call everyone by our last names, except Miss Rachel, tapos ngayon... you're already calling me by my first name."
"Yung mga tinatawag ko sa first name nila, those are the people that I considered close to me at pinagkakatiwalaan ko."
"So you have trust issues?"
"Medyo ganun."
"Wow. So, dahil tinatawag mo na ako by my first name, ibig sabihin you trust me at close na tayo?"
"Oo."
"Sabihin mo nga ulit yung pangalan ko, please?" Ang aga magpa-cute nitong taong 'to! I rolled my eyes at him and laughed.
"Halika na, gustom na ako, Vince!" At hinatak ko na siya papasok sa Cafeteria.
"Dalawang order po ng pancake with orange juice." Vince ordered for the two of us. I carried my own tray at sinundan ko siya papunta sa isang bakanteng table.
"Alam mo, parang mamamatay na ako."
"Ano?!" He asked as he settled himself on the set across from me.
"Kanina pa kasi ako tinititigan ng masama ng mga babae." Nakahinga siya ng maluwag at sabay tingin sa paligid namin.
"Akala ko naman kung ano na. Please, Dawn, don't use that term again. Okay?" He held my hand and gave it a soft squeeze. I responded with a nod and we started eating.
"Excuse me, pwedeng maki-share?" I heard a girl's voice from behind me at nakita kong tumango lang si Vince sa kanya. The girl sat beside me and I had this curiosity to look at her.
Dahan-dahan ko siyang sinilip from my peripheral and saw that she's wearing a pink dress. She had a pink coat over it and she's also wearing a pair of pink wedges. Umangat ang tingin ko and she was having baked mac for her meal. Napatigil ang pag-oobserba ko nang bigla siyang magtanong.
"Excuse me. Seniors?" Alam kong si Vince ang tinatanong niya and he looked up from his plate to give her an answer.
"Yup. Newbie?"
"Oo. Senior din ako." Mahina niyang sagot.
"That's good! Welcome to Monte Carlo, then! Vincent Pineda." He stretched his arm to offer her a handshake. Putulin ko kaya yang braso mo! Can't help being a playboy, huh? They shook hands at agad ibinalik ni Vince ang kamay niya nang makita niyang masama na ang titig ko sa kanya. He was about to apologize nang magsalita ang katabi ko.
"Nice to meet you, Vincent. I'm Khione. Khione Saavedra." Agad akong lumingon sa katabi ko. I saw a long-haired, slim and white-skinned girl looking at me. "Princess Dawn Dominguez? How are you?"
---END OF CHAPTER 10.01.14