One Step Ahead

05

[a/n: Happy birthday, Joshua! You deserve all the good things in the world, luv u!]

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"Alam niyo ba, may psycho raw sa school!"

"Totoo ba?"

"Oo, ilang studyante na ang nawawala dahil napagtitripan sila ng psycho na 'yon,"

"Baka naman mga gang 'yong may kagagawan. Alam mo na, uso ang gang war ngayon eh,"

"What if ang gang leader ang psycho killer?"

"Killer agad!? Nagdrop out lang 'yong mga umalis,"

"Nasa pa-OA-an challenge na naman kayo?"

Despite having the desire of stopping school, pinanghawakan niyang naghihintay ang lola niya sa diploma. Gustong-gusto na nitong huminto lalo pa't ngayon naman ay siya at si Dominick na ang usapan.

There are pictures of her being chased by Dominick, also pictures of her crying inside the internet cafe with him beside her, looking intently at her crying soul.

Gusto niya nang magpakain sa lupa dahil sa hiya at takot. They wanted her to speak up and spill how she get to seduce the untamed president. But they are never close to each other.

Hindi nito matandaan kung gaano katagal siyang nagstay kakaiyak kasama si Dominick. He doesn't even have to be there with her. Hindi niya maintindihan kung bakit may kasama siya noong araw na iyon.

Dahil nakakaluwag-luwag na siya ay nakabili na rin siya ng panibagong uniporme na sakto sa kaniya. But still, it's a struggle everyday to deal with people in their campus.

"Ligaya, nakapatong ka na ba kay Clara?" She almost jumped in surprise.

"Sure 'yan! Nagmomol na sa cubicle eh!"

"Anong feeling? Given na 'yong masarap, Clara na 'yan eh! Ano pa? Anong amoy? Sige na kwento ka!"

"Magsalita ka naman, beh!"

"Sabihin mo, akin nalang ang kapatid niya," ome of her blockmate told her.

"May kapatid si Joss?"

"Oo! Nasa Medical department, ang pogi rin!"

"Ang balita ko nga ay gang leader iyon!"

"Gusto ko 'yan, red flag!"

"Magpapabuga ako ng yosi sa mukha basta galing sa bibig ng mga Clara,"

"Pakilala mo ako, ha. Sabihin mo kami ang next scandal,"

She wants to go out immediately. Parang nagdudugo na ang kaniyang tainga sa lahat ng mga naririnig niya. Hindi sila tumitigil hangga't hindi niya binubuka ang kaniyang bibig.

One of her problem is the people who always try to get involved. She wanted to handle things quietly but after being with Dominick in an issue, she couldn't find peace. Now, mas natatakot na siyang pumasok lalo na't may sariling fanbase si Dominick.

Feeling nito ay hinuhugsahan na siya ng maraming tao. Para siyang hinuhubaran sa tuwing nakakasalubong niya ang mga admirers ni Clara.

She went to the garden to breathe. The campus is unsafe for her but whenever she is here, she can breathe at least. She massaged her back, her rib still aches, ang feeling niya ay hindi nalang ito basta-bastang pilay.

"Magpapacheck up na ba ako?" She asked herself.

"Paano kung malala?" She worriedly asked again.

She doesn't want to be a burden. She'd been in the hospital before and it hurts to see her grandmother getting worried about her health.

She also wanted to consult her panick attacks but she has no courage to do it. She is scared.

"Next week nalang, mag-iipon muna ako," she told herself. She doesn't even know kung matotolerate niya pa ang sakit ng katawan at grabeng atake ng anxiety hanggang next week.

She wanted to go home already, napagdesisyunan nitong i-ditch nalang ang last class niya with Professor Gil. She went out of the garden, just to see Dominick passing by.

He noticed her, he went closer. Her mouth agaped after seeing the cuts on his lips and band aids on his forehead and eyebrows. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Do things still bother you? Do you breathe properly na ba?" He added.

"Bakit ang dami mong sugat? Nakipag-away ka ba sa kanila?" Tanong nito pabalik.

She is completely worried, she knows that after that incident, the gangster will link her to him kahit na wala naman talaga silang koneksyon sa isa't isa.

He chuckled, "No, it's not because of them,"

"Sinabi ko nang tigilan mo na ako eh. Nadadamay ka na," her shaking voice naghed at him. "Hindi kakayanin ng konsensya kong madamay ka pa,"

"I swear it is not because of you," he raised his hands as defense.

Hindi siya kumagat, "Kalat na kalat nang may nangyayari sa ating dalawa,"

"Did we?" He asked her.

She gulped, didn't answer his question. "Bakit affected ka? You must focus on healing yoursel--"

"Hindi mo talaga ako maintindihan!" She ruffled her hair in irritation.

"Then ipa-intindi mo sa akin. I will listen and comprehend, I swear I am worried," he said in calmer tone.

She just sighed and pass by, annoyed. Wala siyang panahon para makipagtalo, mas gugustuhin nalang niyang umuwi lalo na't night shift siya mamaya sa store.

Dominick looked back at her, watching her walk across the street, until she fade away.

He knows why she doesn't want him to be involved. She'd been through this alone and now that somebody is trying to help her out, she might get a weird feeling about it.

He will still continue to help silently, such as removing all her bullies in the campus.

Dominick just got released from the campus' clinic after his brother, Jaiden, cleaned his cuts. He was punished from taking actions without any order from the head of the gang which is their father.

Apparently, the news came into his father's ears that his son, one of the heir of his company had assaulted a lot of members lf their gang who are studying within their campus.

It is not very Dominick-like. He would rather try to fix things without involving his fist. But seeing how Dawn reacted, and how hard she tried to breathe properly, he can't just keep it cool.

He reasoned out that these people had been using their gang name for illegal and immoral purposes such as blackmailing and violating women which is true.

Their father was convinced but Dominick still received such punishments for him not to do those things afain without his father knowing.

"I guess she doesn't really want to be saved," he shrugged.