PRANKED BOOK 1 (published with BOOK OF LIFE PUBLICATION)

Chapter 4

"IT'S A PRAAAAAANNKK!" naniningkit ang mata kong nakatingin sa papalapit sa'kin. "Marvin?" I confusingly asked. "Brad, we got you pranked!" he laughingly said. Mas lalo akong nalilito. "What is this? Stop recording!" I said complaining as he focused his phone with active video recording in my face.

"Sports lang, Brad." He said laughing. "Okay, mga kaigan. Nakaganti na tayo kay Christian Harold AKA pepeng malupit sa pagprank niya sa akin almost two years ago." Lumingon siya sa'kin. "You remember, Brad?" 

"Gago." I laughingly pushed him. "Gago mo talaga." I looked around. Where's Aliza?

"Nanunulak ka na, ah. By the way, Brad, 'di mo ba nakikilala si Carl?" Itinuro niya ang tinutukoy. "Si Carl, ang mayor ng kasal mo. Gago! Nagpagupit lang hindi mo na kilala!"

Lumingon ako kay Carl at napamura, "Putang ina mo, Carl. Hindi kita nakilala!" Lumapit siya at nagkamay kami at nagyakapan. "Gago ka, Brad. Hindi ka na long hair!" Hindi pa talaga ako natatapos sa pagmumura dahil walang katapusang tawanan ang naririnig ko sa paligid habang ako ay pa-iling-iling sa ginawa nila.

'Yung kagaguhan talaga naming mga lalaki, lalo na kaming magbabarkada ay hindi natatapos at talagang hindi natutukoy sa edad. Halos magdadalawang taon na ang nakakalipas ay heto nga, napagtripan ng barkada si Marvin na i-prank. Itong gago naming barkada na si Eliazar ay nagdala ng supot na may dumi ng aso, at ako na may matalinong pag-iisip, inagawan ko ng ice cream ang kaklase naming babae na may gusto sa'kin (siyempre umamin 'yung chick sa'kin, gwapo kaya ako). Ideya ko ang lahat na ilagay sa ice cream cone ang dumi ng aso at pakana ko ang lahat na ikalat sa mukha ni Marvin ang mga dumi. Napasobra ata ako at nauwi kami sa worst scenario. May mga duming pumasok sa ilong at mga mata ni Marvin, hindi namin alam kung may nakain ba siya kaso ayaw naman niyang umamin --- hanggang ngayon.

Prank accomplished ika-nga pero ilang buwan naman kaming hindi nagpansinan ni Marvin pero nagkaayos din. Binura namin ang vlog na iyon bilang respeto sa kanya kahit umani ito ng maraming views at reactions sa social media. Bago ako pumasok sa training camp at mag-undergo ng military training ay kinausap ko si Marvin. Humingi ako ng tawad sa mga nagawa ko. Nag-inuman kami magdamag at doon nagkaayos ulit ang buong brakada.

Everyone is laughing and whispering each other. "Okay, I got pranked!" Both hands in the air I said. Everyone gave me their laughing expressions and clapped their hands on my declaration. "Okay, everyone, attention here!" Marvin announcing. "Gather here and shout, 'We got you pranked, Pepeng Malupit!', come here everyone." Pepeng Malupit is my pseudonym when I was high school until before I enter the military. Together with these old friends, we make video blogging just for fun.

At first, our video blogging is to keep our memories as a group, so that when we become old, we have memories to remember. Until the social media made us popular. We shared our videos to uplift everyone's mood and give good vibes to our followers. We are not earning millions of money from vlogging because we occasionally post our videos, especially when we friends meet up. Despite of less compensation, we earn followers and friends online that kept us uploading more videos --- that kept us become 'gago' even we finished college.

"Saan si Aliza?" Anthony asked. "Isama natin si Aliza sa closing video natin. Malaki ang tulong niya para ma-prank si Pepe!" walang katapusang tawanan na naman ang naririnig ko until Aliza came.

"Galing lang ako sa restroom." Aliza said. She's now wearing a denim pants, a white shirt with off shoulder blouse above it. She's not wearing the flower crown anymore. Tsk. Bagay pa man din sa kanya 'yun. I frown of the thought.

"Oh, ayan na si Aliza. Ang ultimate crush ni Pepe n'ung high school hanggang college pa tayo!" ang sabi ng madaldal na Marvin.

"Hindi naman kinakaila ni Pepe 'yan, 'di ba?" Junry said.

"Okay, okay." I said in surrender. 

"Dito ka na, Aliza, sa tabi ni Pepe." Marvin guided Aliza to my side, the other make a way for her.

"Aliza, prank ba?" I grin. I don't know if I see this right but, napapalunok siya at parang balisa. Ako naman ay nilalamig. Hindi ko alam kung dahil ba sa air conditioner o dahil ba kay Aliza.

She looked at me, "Yes, I'm sorry." She said in a lower voice.

"Camera rolling..." The videographer getting our attention. "...in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." 

I put my hand on Aliza's shoulder and pull her closer to me. "We got you pranked, Pepeng Malupit!" Everyone cheered except Aliza. Pero may lahi ata talagang demonyo si Aliza, itinaas niya ang kanang kamay niya na may suot na singsing. This was the ring I wear to her during our false wedding and she smiled, "We falsely married each other, and I got you pranked." 

My grin slowly fading. I took off my hand on her shoulder. I looked at the camera and said, "Life is so unfair. The one who you truly love, just... easily... just easily make prank and play with your feelings. That makes my heart broken. I thought this was all true." I looked at Aliza. "I thought my teenage dream already came true, but then, it was all a lie."

I heard everyone gasping and followed by a total silence. The next thing I feel is someone grabbed me by my collar and my lips is against hers. "You will never be heartbroken to me, Christian." She smiled.

"Jodie?" I slapped my own forehead. I was shocked when I heard my slap sounds louder. I again heard everyone gasp.

"Aray!" What is happening to the world?! "Bakit ka ba nananampal, Aliza?!" An angry Jodie Ree Bulli exclaimed.

"Wala, gusto ko lang." Aliza turned her back from the angry Jodie and that... that... that made me feel... Aliza is amazing.

"Wait, wait, wait! Tapos na ang palabas natin, let's proceed to the 10th floor para sa get together natin." Marvin cut off the heated situation.