Awkward: This is Stupid.

Chapter One: Apple

"Watch me as I burn through your darkness and glow through your soul" seriously what on earth does that means? Who wrote this stupid phrase on that tree anyway? Uggh this cigar taste so cheap, of course what will you expect from a cheap one? A taste of gold for the price of hay? Oh shit. Is that Mam. Hayden? I better hide. I dont wanna get expelled, again. I kinda like this new school. I noticed that the sky is bluer today, the wind is cooler and the weather is really fine unlike the past few days. 

I huff my way to the very end of this cheap cigar before throwing it away and satisfying its flavor, feeling the nicotine getting into action.

"Oy mauricio andyan ka lang pala. Eto na yung math notebook ko." Hmm look who's there.

"What did I told about calling my name pong pong?" I said calmly.

"Well what did I told about calling me pongpong" she said mockingly trying to mimic me.

"Uggh. Tsk. Okay you win. Hand me the notebook and go away. Dont want to see your face."  I closed my eyes trying to nap.

"Oh talaga? English english ka pa nasa pinas ka naman. Ulol."  She dropped the notebook on my lap making me bolt in surprise but I continued closing my eyes, I can almost see her annoyed face, stomping her feet before walking away. She is the last thing I think of before drifting away. I wish I wont end up with a bad dream.

"Oy mauricio. Oy oy oy oy"

"What do you want" Its lunch time. Yes. I skipped my boring 2 hour-long Biology class.

"Ay mamaya na. Ehehehe" I see, she has something nanaman. I guess it'll be as humilliating as the last time.

"Libre mo ko lunch. Heheheh" Thank Jesus. I thought she'll be making me dance in front of the people again.

"Tsk. Dont you have money? Why is it always me buying you stuff?"

"Ha, kasi we have a deal deba deba. Ehehe. Kasalanan mo yun yabang mo masyadow. Ahe ahe. Ay look may lasagna sila ngayon" tsk tsk. I didn't know why Im keeping up with her and I didn't know I got that patience either. And wow, "Jeez pongpong you prounounce it as lah-san-ya, not lah-sahg- na, where is your breeding" she then stopped skipping and turned to me. Woah, what is she up to now?

"Hoy hoy hoy mauricio, ako walang breeding? Dyosa ako noh, ano pake mo kung betsung ko i prounounce as lah-sag-na. Hmmmp!" She then stick her tongue at me then rolled her eyes, jesus christ. I wanna grab her and throw her in a river if it wont cause me a lawsuit. Dyosa dyosa sya. Di kaya.

"Oy bilisan mo na dyan mauricio, baka maubusan tayo."

"Okay,okay." She then grabbed a food tray then raced her way to the line.

"Oy bilisan mo na mauricio."  I sped up my pace and walk toward her side. "Ikaw na dito pumila at hahanap ako ng upuan. Lah-sag-nah aken ha tapos isang apple tapos apple cake tapo--" I cut her off before she ended up buying every single damn food in the cafeteria. "Okay okay. Jesus christ now go find a sit."  "--whatever. Hmmph!" She did a sharp turn with her hair hitting my face. Jesus christ help me and God thats stings. But I shake it away. I am almost immune to her annoyingness I am not even annoyed. Wow.

"Pogi ano sayo?" Oh. The lunch lady said with a kind smile.

"Uhmm ano po. Two lasagna, two apple, one apple pie and 2 iced tea." 

"Okay, yun lang?" She asked nicely still smillng.

"Opo" I see her smile a bit more hearing my stupid tagalog accent.

"Okay. Hehehe. Ang cute mo naman iho mag tagalog. 120 pesos lahat" 

"Thank you po. Here" I hand her 150.

"Eto na sukli mo pogi." She was about to hand me the change but I insist. "Nanay, keep the change na lang po." I  flashed her a smile "Salamat iho. Kabait mo."  She smiled back at me.

I carefully but quickly scan the room for pongpong. Where is she. I squint my eyes more. Where is that wom- oh. There she is, waving like an idiot. As I walk toward her, I noticed that she is scribbling something in a paper. As I come closer I saw someone's name written across it. What is she really up to. As I come nearer, the smug on her face grew into one sinister smile. Jeez.

I sat infront of her putting the tray at the table as well. "Whats that?" I grabbed one small plate of lasagna and hand her the other one cause Im a gentleman, she immediately took it from my hands and put aside the paper with someone's name in it. I was about to eat when she spoke to me, "Mauricio wait lang! Hawakan mo muna to." She took the paper with someone's name in it and hand it to me. I was confused at first until the idea came to me like a wrecking ball. Tsk. This is one of her "Fansign-for-pay" tricks. She really is something. I read it first, "Angela Marie Gomez" who is this poor girl Pongpong tricked into paying her. "Dalian mo na, wag mo na basahin! " she told me while holding her phone ready to take a picture of me holding this stupid piece of paper. I obediently hold it with both hands at each end and the name facing the camera. I gave one of my "chinito smiles" as she called, cause it sells more than my "annoying blank face". Uggh. "Wait isa pa." She cued. "Okay" I sigh. She took more than 5 pics today.

We started eating after she did her thing. "Ang kulit nitong bata to! Kanina pa ko kinukukit para sa pansayn nya. Hayst. Hehe sorry mauricio" she said as she dig in her lasagna. I just nod. I can't argue with her cause I'll just end up losing, with her screaming across my face. I guess losing is not bad for once.

"Mauricio may date kana sa Valentine's Ball" she asked. "None." I said as I grab the juice I bought earlier. "Ako na lang" I immediately choke on the juice Im drinking. I was taken back of what she said, what? Did I hear it right? "What?" "Sabi ko, ako na lang date mo sa Valentine's okay? Ayaw kong forever alone sa Ball." Is she crazy? "Who told you Im going. Tsk. No. Go find someone not me." I wiped my mouth with back of my hands, trying to wipe away some juice that drips away from my lips. "Ako. Bakit? Pag hindi ka pumunta you are breaking your promise. Hayst. Akala ko man of words ka?" She said while raising one eyebrow and smirkinh. Tsk. She is using our deal against me. Her sarcastic tone makes it worse making my tailbone quiver. What should I do now? I guess I have no choice. "Tsk. Bahala ka sa buhay mo." She cupped my face in happiness and pinch my cheeks "YEHEY!! WUHOOO. Buti naman pumayag ka. Hahahahaha akala ko papa-hard to get ka pa!" "Take your hands of my face! You stupid girl!" I swat her hands away from my face and rubbed my red swollen cheeks. Damn this girl. "Arte mo. Che." She said flipping her hair. "Hey you owe me 20 pesos." Yeah, she do owe me 20 pesos. And asking her to pay me can replace the food she ate today, not much but yeah. "Heh! Akin na yun" she resisted, crossing her arms. "Tsk. Just give it to me. I'll use it to pay for the hand-outs later." Letting out a sigh, she finally give in. She opened her bag and took a pen? Oh and her wallet. She pulled out 20 pesos and placed it on the table. I was about to take it when she slapped my hand away. Oooookay? "Wait lang nga. Excited much?" I gritted my teeth in annoyance. She then wrote something on the 20 peso bill. I watched her do her thing and at last she finally gave it to me. "Oh ayan na." She wrote something:

"To the person who'll get this on 2021, call me!! My number is 09xxxxx9xx0 and my email is PrudenceQt@ymail.com. If you are a girl, try to just pay this away. If you are a boy, immediately contact me!!! Okay okay!!! :) :) :) <3.

xoxo,

Prudence @ 16. 20814. "

I got really curious with her scribbles "What is this for?? And isn't this illegal?". "Hindi ano! Oa nito. Ibabayad mo lang naman. Saka wala ka na doon noh. Akin na lang yun." She replied but not enough to feed the curiousity inside me. "Just tell me. Please" I plead. What the hell. "Ayiieee dahil nag please ka. Okay. Chika ko sayo. Pag 2021, 24 na akes, then kung sino man mag contact sakin through that eh baka yun na soulmate ko, pinadali ko lang ang trabaho nyang hanapin ako. O diba sweet" she finished with her eyes fluttering. Uggh "Gross.". I muttered which she heard, earning me a killer glare from her. I suddenly fear for my life.