Hate List

No. 10: Burn

Hate List
No. 10: Burn

Nagulat ako nang may tumapik sa kaliwa kong balikat at kumurot sa hips ko. Si Gab. What the? Oh, shoot. Nabitawan ko tuloy ang phone ko sa gulat. I then fuss to catch it.

Pagyuko ko ay nag-talukbong sa ulo ko ang hood ng jacket na suot ko. Nasagi ko pa ang bag ko at nag-kalat ang mga laman nito.  Sheppers, I must've look stupid. Nakuha ko ang phone ko but thanks to my trembling hands, it slips out and hits the ivory tiles with an awful crack.

My goodness. I pick it up and inspect every millimeter of my iPhone. Napa-hinga ako ng malalim ng wala naman akong nakitang crack. When I looked up, everyone is staring at me like I've grown excessively long nose hair. Well, everyone except Calliope, who's giving me the evil eye. Goodness. Will she ever get over it? Her eyes intensify once she realizes I'm staring back at her. Nah, I don't think so. And Herald, who's busy picking up the things that spilled from my bag. How gentleman-like. I internally light up. Until I zero in on the things he's currently holding. My eyes widen in horror as Herald's widen in sick amusement.

Putocuchinta.

Having a good look at my horrid expression, napa-tingin silang lahat kay Herald. Pati si Ma'am, curious ding tumingin sa mga hawak ni Herald.

Herald smirked at me. I try to grab my things but the asshole raised them above his head in display. I hear Ayi gasp. "Baby kitten, bakit may birth control pills ka?"

Namula nanaman ang mukha ko. Ma'am looks at me in obvious disappointment while Thiern and Ayi looked thoroughly shocked to the core. Lalo akong namula nang i-wiggle ni Herald ang mga kilay niya provocatively. Sa utak ko ay paulit- ulit ko s'yang sinaksak ng balisong. And I cut off his itchy tounge, too, para masaya.

Papatayin na talaga kitang asshole ka. Isa pa yang si Gabriel na utas ng tawa. Letsugas lang. I can be brutal too, you know.

I feel like hydrogen and oxygen forced to physically bond together. Explosive.

"She's a slut, that's why."

Para akong inilibing ng buhay ng mga salitang iyon. Gab stops laughing just like everyone stops whatever was going on earlier.

At ako pa ang may gana n'yang itinuro. My eyes water and a sob gets stuck at my throat. Relax, Sera. Don't let her get into you.

"She uses the pills to regulate her menstrual cycle. Right, Seraphim?" pag-explain at agarang tanong sa akin ni Gab. I think he's trying to make an effort in helping me. He looks serious.

I just nod. I'm too angry to speak. Pero hindi nagpa-awat si Calliope. She glares at me with full, unadulterated hatred. She looks murderous. As if she's going to pounce on me any second now. She looks at the others to get their full attention.

"Do you know why she transferred?" tanong niya. Nanuyo ang lalamunan ko. Of course, she knows. She's just going to tell the nasty version. Warm beads of water drop at my crossed forearms. No, don't cry, Sera. You'll just let her win.

"She---"

"Ms. Marcelo." Ma'am warned her. But Calliope slammed down her hands on her armdesk, making everybody flinch a little.
"I do not tolerate this kind of behavior in my class." Ma'am imperiously adds. Pero hindi pa rin nagpa-awat si Calliope.

"Then don't. You don't even understand. She's a slut from where she came from." she snaps at Ma'am. Ma'am's eyes widen with disbelief. Guess no one ever talked back to her. My heart sank. Ma'am is one of the nicest instructors I've met here.