"He did not even greet me good morning." My arms were crossed while I was listening to every tantrum Stacey was saying while Mina's in front of her. Then here I am sitting beside her, with my RBF or resting bitch face. We're here in a café and I think we're here for hours already.
"Baka naman busy? Stacey, stop the overthinking and overreacting."
"We were just so sweet last night. Okay naman ang lahat. Bakit naman biglang nagkaganito." She sighed and looked at her phone. "I do not know why I am overreacting, but my instinct says that I should."
"Just call him, save yourself from overthinking," I said with my face looking so fed up with Stacey. Ikaw ba naman ang makinig sa tantrums niya nang ilang oras.
I looked back at Stacey while she was looking at us. She was holding her phone while waiting for Travis to answer her call and after a few rings, he answered it. I can see how wide Stacey's smile was. Gosh, is this what happens when you are in love? I would rather stay single for the rest of my entire life.
"Susunduin mo ako? We're going on a date?!" I chuckled after seeing her looking so stupid while talking to her boyfriend. She's so damn whipped when it comes to Travis.
"God, keep me single for the rest of my life," I whispered and Mina laughed a little. I just find couples nowadays so cringy. Ginagawa nilang mundo yung isa't isa, like what the hell? They cannot even be separated, like they would die if they did.
"Baka kainin mo yung mga sinasabi mo, Nevada Dior Del Valle."
Travis came. He went directly to the cafe together with his sister and I can see how Stacey and Mina wanted to laugh so bad after seeing something—on his sister's nose to be exact. It was a bugger, and these girls were trying to hide their laughter.
"You have a bugger." Napanganga sina Stacey at Mina nang deretsa kong sabihin ito sa kapatid ni Travis at parang napahiya siya. Agad siyang tumakbo papunta sa restroom ng cafe.
"Gaga ka talaga!" sabmit ni Mina sa akin at natatawa na lamang sa amin si Travis nang bahagya. Anong masama sa pagsabi n'on? Kaysa naman may iba pang tao ang makakita, o ang mas malala ay mas dumami pa ang makakita.
Matapos akong umuwi mula sa café ay deretso naman kami ngayon dito sa restaurant. Nandito kami ngayon nina dad and mom sa isang sikat na restaurant kasama ang pamilya ng isang business partner nila. As expected, nirereto na naman nila ako sa isang lalaking nagngangalang Kaden. Mukha naman siyang mabait at mukhang napipilitan lang din katulad ko.
Migo was the one who drove the family car for the three of us. My parents interrupted his dinner slash lunch just for this. It's already seven post meridiem and why do I know that he is still not eating? Nagkaroon ng general cleaning sa house at lahat sila ay sobrang daming ginawa at nang matapos at kakain na dapat sina Migo ay bigla naman siyang kinailangan ng parents ko.
I do not know what I even thought but after seeing wrapped burgers, I immediately took two of it and placed it inside my pocket. I can still remember how Migo bought sopas for me and maybe I will just consider this as payment for his kindness.
"Mom, restroom." My Mom nodded and continued chitchatting again while they did not even notice that I did not walk on the way leading to the restroom. Instead, I walked out from the restaurant.
I saw Migo leaning on the car while playing something in his Nokia phone, yung hindi touch screen na phone. I guess it is a game related to a snake eating something. 'Yon lang naman yata ang laro sa kaniyang phone. Lumapit ako sa kaniya nang hindi niya man lang ako napapansin.
"Hey." Tumigil siya sa kaniyang paglalaro at agad na binulsa ang kaniyang phone. Binigyang atensyon niya ang aking presensya.
"Uuwi na ba?" He sounded so excited, and I can really sense that he is starving already.
"No, matatagalan pa, yata?" I can see the disappointment in his face, but he still managed to let out a smile at me, exposing his dimples again. I showed him the two burgers I took, and his brows furrowed. "I know na hindi ka pa kumakain. To clarify things, I am not concerned I just want to repay you for buying me sopas."
"Salamat." His smile became wider, and he took the burgers on my palm. This guy is really something. Kahit sa maliit na bagay ay parang sobrang saya na niya. "Hindi ka na dapat nag-abala pa, naabala ka pa yata sa pakikipag-usap sa kaibigan nina Ma'am Daniella."
"I don't like it there naman," I said before looking around the parking lot. "It's malamok here."
"Oo, pero ayos lang," he said after taking a bite on the burger. "Pumasok ka na sa loob baka hinahanap ka na nila at saka baka makagat ka pa ng mga lamok."
"I will, you don't need to say it."
Pumasok kami na deretso sa mansyon matapos kaming makababa sa kotse at naupo sina dad sa sofa. I was about to walk upstairs when he called my name.
"Is it true na nasa party ka ng mga Nimedez kagabi?" Napatigil ako sa tanong ni dad at bahagya na lamang ako napatango. "Sino ang nagdala sa 'yo roon? Sino sa mga driver—"
"I called my friends to fetch me." Ayoko nang mandamay pa dahil alam kong kayang tanggalin ni dad si Migo sa kaniyang trabaho kahit ngayon mismo.
"Partying without our consent, Nevada? That's so not you," my mom said. You are right, it is not me. Right from the start, it is always not me. I have been living as the girl you both wanted me to be and not the girl that I want me to be.
"I just want to try something that I can't experience because both of you want me to be someone I don't even know." I even managed to say those words with my calm, low, and polite voice even though I can feel the annoyance in me.
"Who you are, what you are, and all those things you have right now are all from us. We are turning you into something that you will be proud of, so don't put the blame on us, Nevada," mom said while dad was just quiet, but I can sense his disappointment in me after me saying those words.
"I'll just take a bath and rest."
It has been five hours since I woke up and I can feel the boredom right now. Walang pasok for one week dahil sa school namin ginanap ang laban sa sports ng mga private school. Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko; masyado na akong nilalamon ng boredom.
This boredom makes me want to go to some country, oh wait! Agad akong tumayo at kumuha ng mga damit na pwede kong isuot.
The van stopped in front of the school. I am only wearing a vintage oversized white shirt, black biker shorts, and white shoes from Balenciaga. I am using my new white wave collection chain bag from Louis Vuitton.
Tinaas ko ang shades at tila naging isang headband ito sa aking buhok. I stepped out from the van and walked to the entrance of the school ignoring everyone.
Nakikita ko ang mga tingin sa akin ng mga estudyanteng mula sa iba't ibang school at agad kong nakita ang dalawa kong kaibigan na sina Stacey at Mina sa isang table kasama ang barkada nina Travis.
Nilapag ko nang pabato sa table ang kanilang mga passport na pinakuha ko pa sa mga magulang nila kasama na rin ang mga ticket nila.
"Pupunta tayong Japan," sabmit ko sa kanilang dalawa, dahilan upang manlaki ang mata nilang dalawa. Dahil ang pamamaraan ng pagsasalita ko ay tila ba nasa kabilang kanto lamang ang Japan o tila ba walking distance lamang ito.
"Huh? What for?" Stacey asked looking so confused.
"What do you mean what for? Because I am hella bored." I turned my back on them after covering my eyes with my shades. "Five minutes. Pag wala pa kayo sa van, Japan ang dadalhin ko sa inyo."
Naramdaman ko na ang presensya nila nang makalakad na ako palayo at nang makasakay kami sa van ay mukhang wala nang halong gulat sa kanilang reaksyon. Ganito ako sa kanila pag wala akong magawa sa bahay; biglaan ko na lamang silang pinupuntahan para pumunta sa ibang bansa.
"Kaya pa ba this day, Mina?" Stacey asked with her joking tone while we were all holding our own shopping bags from different brands. Mina and Stacey looked so exhausted already. I also feel a bit tired already but shopping sometimes is really my stress reliever.
"What's wrong with going to Japan?"
"Well, little marquee, you don't just go to Japan just because you're bored," Mina said sarcastically and I rolled my eyes before stepping inside a shop here in Shibuya.
"Hindi man lang ako nakapagpaalam," sabmit ni Stacey habang nakatutok sa kaniyang phone. Pinagpaalam ko naman na silang dalawa.
"Japan lang naman 'to, anong kailangang ipaalam?" They both rolled their eyes at me.
"Whatever, Dior."
Pagod na pagod ako nang makababa ako sa van. Grabe nagagawa ng boredom ko. Dederetso na sana ako para umakyat sa taas nang mapansin kong biglang may isang babaeng katulong ang nakabangga ng mamahaling vase ni mom dahilan upang mabasag ito.
"Manang Delia!" Napatingin ako kay Migo na mukhang nagulat din sa pangyayari.
"Nako! Paano na 'to?" Manang Delia looked so nervous, and she was about to pick up some piece from the broken vase when Migo stopped her.
"Manang, mabububog ka lang po."
"What happened here?" Hindi nila ako napapansin sa kung nasaan ako. Nanlaki ang mata ni mom nang makita niya ang nangyari sa vase niya na ngayon ay basag na. "What happened to my vase?!"
I can see how the maid started to tremble in fear.
"Pasensya na po, ako po ang nakabasag." Napailing na lamang ako kay Migo nang akuin niya ang kasalanan ng ibang tao.
"Are you stupid or what? Pinag-aaral ka ba talaga namin? Bakit tatanga-tanga ka pa rin—"
"Mom, I'm home," I said and the three of them looked at me. "You can ignore that vase, Mom. I saw a vase in Japan, I am sure you will love it. That vase looks so cheap din naman."
"Well, I think you're right, Nevada." Mom looked so convinced then she looked at Migo. "Clean that broken vase, ngayon na."
I can see how Migo looked at me. I ignored him and walked away from the scene after telling mom that her vase will be delivered tomorrow.
Puro solving lang at kung ano-ano pa ang mga ginagawa namin dito sa school matapos ang event na naganap dito. Parang binabawian kami sa activities dahil kulang na kulang na sa oras lalo na ngayon at malapit na ang prelim namin for the first semester.
"Am I right, Dior?" Stacey asked after showing me her solution and answer.
"Yeah, I got the same answer."
"Nagsagot kayo?" Mina looked so confused after knowing that we all answered a problem written on the board.
"What the hell, Mina? We need this for our grades!" I rolled my eyes and took another paper and wrote down her name.
"One minute," our teacher said and the three of us were a little nervous while I am copying my answer.
I gave her the paper with correct answers and her name on it. I may look so mean, mukhang walang pake sa kaibigan, but when it comes to the people important to me like these two, I will do everything just to save them or to protect them from trouble.
"Thank you!" Mina said and she gave me a flying kiss through her pen with a big red lip on the top of it.
"Whatever. If you're sick, don't attend class. You'll just spread your virus."
"Gaga, wala akong sakit pero noted, little marquee." Mina laughed and I rolled my eyes before packing my things. Uwian na at nang magawi ang tingin ko kay Migo ay mukhang hinihintay niyang lumabas ang mga estudyante.
"Salamat," he said nang makalapit siya sa akin. Napansin kong kami na lamang dalawa ang nandito sa room.
"For?" I raised a brow. I am really lost, and I really do not know why he is thanking me.
"Yung sa kahapon. Kung wala ka roon, siguradong lagot na ako—"
"I don't accept 'salamat'," I said and I was about to walk away when he grabbed my backpack in his own gentle way and it made me face him, with my annoyed face.
"Libre kita?"
"Are you even serious? Gusto mo bilhin ko pa yung tindahan kung saan mo ako dadalhin?" This guy is unbelievable. He let out his deep chuckle again. Can't this guy even be a little aware of what he is doing? Women are falling for those kinds of gestures from him.
"Street food. Ang alam ko kasi hindi ka pa nakakakain ng mga gano'n—"
"Sige, tara na."