Trickster of the Butterfly

Tifanny Montemayor

"Alright class, be sure to memorize each and every section of the Bill of Rights okay? Puwede ako mag-surprise recitation para sa inyo anytime. You are dismissed," and with that, Ma'am Mango ended the Pol Gov class. It was lunch time.

"Mike punta kami sa SM, may bibilin lang kami para sa nat sci project. Sisimulan na namin pagkatapos ng klase. Dun na rin kami kakain," Joy said.

"Ah okay. Diyan na lang ako sa canteen kakain," Michael said.

"Chicken chops na naman, di na talaga healthy Mike, pero sige bilin mo rin ako," Sarah said.

"Uy hindi Sarah. Sabi ko magdadiet tayong dalawa diba? Kakain tayo ng salad," Joy's words saddened Sarah. "Sige Mike mauna na kami. Alora, Hera tara na.

Michael was going to have lunch solo this time. He didn't mind. Even a little break from those gals was fine. He also planned to start on his Natural Science project one week before the deadline. Procrastination strikes again! (Kids, don't follow that attitude of Michael)

Michael went down to the canteen. Wafting in the sweet scent of deep fried chicken, "Heh, I think I'll take a break from chicken chops," he thought. He was going to try something not necessarily healthier but new.

The canteen smelled as oily as ever and students and professors alike were all around ordering lunch from the stalls. He was on his way to the hashbrown stall then he bumped into a girl holding two hashbrowns in her hands.

"Aww!" she said.

Michael then stared at her for a while and tried to recall. Those big eyes and innocent demeanor. He thought, "Wait a minute, it's you, the girl with the tall, pretty friend. The frozen lady? The mad lady? No wait..."

"HASHBROWN LADY?" Michael said out loud.

She looked at the two pieces of hashbrown in her hands. "Ahh, dun ko to nabili," she pointed to the hashbrown stall, looking really creeped out by the dude in front of her.

"HINDI IKAW TALAGA YUNG HASHBROWN LADY!" Michael insisted. He remembered now, she was the girl with the unusual appetite, that girl he tripped and awkwardly saved. Yep, those were good times.

"Hindi ako yun sir. May gagawin pa po ako kaya sorry na lang po," she said politely. Her tall friend went to her side, laughing at the weird little scuffle.

"Ikaw talaga yun eh," some students were eyeing as they passed by the scene.

Michael was able to see her ID, "Tifanny Montemayor". Nice name.

Tifanny was getting really annoyed with Michael's persistence. He couldn't help it, he never thought he'd see that girl again after he got them angry with his time powers. But he was kind of overreacting, PLM wasn't that big that he wouldn't see them again.

Now, something strange was happening. Michael felt something pulling at his whole body.

"ANO BA PROBLEMA MO SIR!? IKAW HA KANINA PA KITA PINAGPAGPASENSYAHAN. GUTOM NA KO. PERO PINIPILIT MO PADIN NA AKO SI HASHBROWN LADY MO. KUNG SINO MAN YUNG BABAENG YUN WAG LANG SIYA MAGPAPAKITA SAKIN KASI SIYA ANG DAHILAN NG PANGUNGULIT MO!" she accusingly pressed her finger at Michael. People all around stared at them.

"KASALANAN MO----" she was interrupted by a snap of the fingers freezing the whole canteen.

"Pretty ladies need not to be so angry," he thought. With a sigh, he decided to fix her index finger back to a less threatening pose. Then Michael felt it again, a tugging sensation on his very soul. Wait, was Tifanny moving?

Michael was surprised she seemed unaffected by his powers. She looked very angry at the creep holding her finger.

Tifanny pulled her hand away. She was about to punch Michael then he willed his powers to stop her. This time she was fully frozen.