Obnoxious Oxygen

Third Generation

Down Bad: Laurent Andrei Vladislav-De Salvo

"Why are you crying, Cecilia?" Felicity asked our friend who had been weeping on the bathroom floor for God knows how long. Napasukan na lang namin siyang ganito dito. Halos mabura na ang face niya sa sobrang pag-iyak. I grimaced seeing her mascara-smudged cheeks. I would never ugly-cry a guy!

"S-si... Si Saint. Hindi niya na ako pinapansin. As in hindi niya na ako kinakausap. I went to all his parties. Even the parties na hindi ko naman kilala who organized ay pinupuntahan ko just to see him pero hindi niya ako pinapansin!" She wailed again like she was so sakit na sakit that this was happening to her. Eh, she should've expected this outcome na.

Saint dumped her four years ago! Four years! Hindi pa rin niya iyon matanggap. Not that Cece didn't have boyfriends after that, pero tuwing wala ay palagi niyang hinahabol si Saint. Tulad na lang ngayon. I wasn't a love guru or an expert on this, but when a guy dumped you ibig sabihin lang ay hindi ka na niya gusto. Being dumped was worse than being ignored. And yes, alam na alam ko iyon!

Felicity and I exchanged glances before she sighed and kneeled beside Cecilia, ako naman ay naka-stand lang, watching them with my arms crossed over my chest. I didn't know what to do with her, but I wouldn't kneel on a public bathroom floor! Eew! I will comfort her na lang if she stands up.

Tiningala ako ni Felicity, she looked like she was waiting for me to do the same. No way! I rolled my eyes and went to the mirrors instead. I checked my reflection and fixed my dress a bit while Cecilia continued going about how she felt so humiliated tonight.

"Sabi ni Armand pangit daw ako kaya ayaw sa akin ni Saint!"

"Masyado mo naman binigyan ng halaga ang sinabi ni Armand. Alam naman natin na bitter lang 'yun kasi hindi mo siya sinagot noon. Liligawan ka ba niya kung pangit ka?"

I rolled my eyes again. Eh, niligawan naman ni Armand ang lahat! Inayos ko ang pagkakakulot ng dulo ng aking buhok habang pinagmamasdan ang sarili sa salamin. I still couldn't believe I was spending my night here instead of partying outside! Mamaya ay naroon na pala ang boyfriend ko tapos hindi ko maabutan. I could text him naman to ask his whereabouts pero hindi siya madalas mag-reply. I wanted to be as understanding as I could, kaya ayos lang sa akin kahit habang-buhay siyang hindi mag-reply. Basta huwag lang siyang magpapalit ng number. Lalo if hindi ko alam.

"Sinabihan niya akong pangit!" Lalong lumakas ang iyak ni Cecilia. It started to get on my nerves!

I sighed and looked at her pitifully. She's kawawa naman kasi talaga. But she only had herself to blame. "Eh, what's your problem ba? You're pangit naman talaga."

Felicity shot me a glare as though warning me to shut my mouth. She always hated it when I spewed truths into people. Sabi niya kasi ay rude daw iyon. Eh, what should I do ba? Should I lie to make them feel better? I don't think that will help them.

"Kali, that's rude," malumanay na saway sa akin ni Felicity. She was stroking Cecilia's hair now, trying to make her feel better. "You're not pangit, okay?"

"But you said her teeth are big! That she couldn't close her mouth even if she wanted to," I mumbled, sneering when she shot me another look that could've killed me if they were knives.

Hm. I was telling the truth naman, eh? Sinabi naman talaga ni Felicity iyon when Cecilia tried to date her crush on fifth grade. Naisip ko noon she only said that because she was mad. But then, her crush didn't make patol on Cece's flirtations. It made me realize that Feli was right. Cece's unattractive. Why can she say that behind her back, pero hindi kapag kaharap na? Eh, she should hear that from us nga. Para hindi na siya ma-hurt if ever she heard it from others like what happened tonight with Armand!