Be the First (Love in Rivalry #1)

21 : Schemes

"This isn't like you, Dani. What has gotten in your mind and hurt the Council President?"

Inangat ko ang kaliwang kamay ko para hawakan ang kalmot na ginawa ni Stella sa pisngi ko matapos naming magkagulong dalawa kanina nang sugurin ko siya.

Nakabawi rin naman ako and I think I did enough damage on her hair. Kahit na napagtulungan ako ng mga kaibigan niya, I know I was able to fight back and hurt her too.

Kaya nga siya humahagulgol ng iyak ngayon.

"Dani, naririnig mo ba ang mga sinasabi ko?" Napaangat ako ng tingin sa adviser namin. Oh, right. She's still scolding me.

"Look at her, Miss, she's totally gone nuts!" Iyak ni Stella na hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin matapos ang kadramahan. She is actually making it more dramatic on purpose.

"Girls, please. 'Wag niyo nang pasakitin ang ulo ko." Napahilot si Miss Mendez ng ulo niya at halatang-halata na sawa na siyang umawat. "I want you to talk about the problem and fix this now. Napapadalas na ang pangalan ninyo sa Prefect of Discipline, and trust me, you won't like the consequences."

I looked over at Stella who is seated across from me. Ilang minuto na ba kaming hino-hold ni Ma'am? I'm a little hungry.

"Kasalanan niyang lahat ito, Miss. Siya ang sumugod sa amin kanina. She even accused me of something I didn't do. Sabi niya tinanggal ko raw ang friends niya sa cheering squad dahil sa conflict of loyalty!"

Kung titignan mo si Stella, para talagang kawawa siya at hindi makapagkakailang siya ang biktima dito. Napangiti ako ng kaunti sa kanya nang tignan niya ako sa mata.

She pointed at me. "Did you see that, Miss? She is smirking! Nababaliw na yata siya. She's lost it!"

"Dani," this time kay Miss Mendez naman ako napalingon. "Paano mo maipapaliwanag ang sarili mo? Totoo ba ang sinasabi ni Stella?"

I stared at her. The disappointment in my teacher's face is very evident. What kind of answer would she like to hear?

Even if I say no, I'm afraid hindi 'yon ang nakita ng lahat. What the students saw was it was me who started it all.

In their perspective, I am the monster wearing the mask here.

I'm the bad guy.

And what do bad guys do? They play along.

"Galit ako sa kanya, kaya ko ginawa 'yon." Nagkibit-balikat ako habang nagsasalita. "I had every right to be mad after the insulting cheers they did to me last time."

Medyo natigilan si Stella sa sagot ko. "Well, it's out of my control kung gano'n ang crowd mag-cheer. I was just--"

"I know." Pinutol ko ang sasabihin niyang kasinungalingan. I'll play along for now. "I just felt the need to start a fight with you, and now that I've released all of my anger, I promise it won't happen again."

Silence.

Napanganga lang ang adviser namin sa sinabi ko. Maski yata si Stella parang natanga sa narinig niya. "Wait, what? So you admit..."

"I've started this fight and now I'm done and I'm ending it. My apologies."

Halos hindi makapaniwala si Stella sa naririnig niya ngayon. I heard the teacher cleared her throat. "Alright then, Stella, what do you want to say to Dani? Tinatanggap mo ba ang apology niya?"