New life
One week down, and here I am packing my stuff, ready to ditch this house and move to the condo where I'll finally breathe some decent air. I'm pumped-no annoying faces, no one telling me what to do.
I checked out the condo last night. It's bigger than what one person needs, but hey, who cares? Two rooms, one bathroom, and judging by the dust, it's obvious no one's lived there for ages. Perfect.
I can't lie, I'm a bit worried about Mom. If that tyrant hurts her again... I even asked if she wanted to come with me, but we both know Dad would go ballistic. He's got Mom on a tight leash, complete with guards like she's some VIP prisoner.
The elevator creaked as I lugged up a few boxes. I travel light-less junk to pack, fewer things to care about. When the elevator doors slid open on the 27th floor, I exhaled. Finally. I dumped my boxes by the door, already annoyed by the weight, but paused when I noticed it was half-open. What the hell? Maybe Mom sent a cleaner. Whatever.
I stepped inside, taking in the eerily quiet living room and the blindingly white kitchen. Had to check the bedrooms next. "Hello? May tao ba d'yan?" I called out, just in case. Silence. Figures.
I shot Mom a quick call, and she confirmed a cleaner was in earlier. Maybe they left the door ajar. Clumsy idiot. I brushed it off, exhaustion hitting me so hard I passed out on the couch.
When I woke up, it was late afternoon. The clock on my phone read 4 PM. I stretched and looked around, the place feeling both new and strangely familiar. I walked over to the terrace and let the chilly air hit my face. Freedom at last.
My phone buzzed. "Hey, Mom," I answered.
"How are you, anak? Anong ulam mo mamayang dinner?" Her voice was all worry, as usual.
"Mom, I'm fine, and the place is great," I said, smirking.
"Good. Just call me if you need anything," she added.
"Yeah, yeah. Love you, Mom." There. That should keep her calm.
"Bye. Love you too, son!" She chuckled, and I hung up.
---
First night at the condo was bliss. It felt like I'd been living there forever.
I showed up early at school, relishing the fact that I no longer had to see my father's face every morning and fight the urge to punch something. Maybe I do have daddy issues. Well, with the hell Mom and I went through, it's not exactly a mystery.
I took a drag from my cigarette on the rooftop, just leaning against the wall, enjoying the rare peace when-Great. There he was. Anong ginagawa ng gagong 'to dito? My temper flared up, and I clenched my jaw.
I marched over, eyes narrowed. "Anong ginagawa mo rito?" I snapped at him, interrupting his reading session.
He didn't even flinch. Wow, ang kapal. "Tangina, tinatanong kita!" I kicked the side of the old couch he was sitting on, rattling it enough to get his attention.
Finally, he looked up, his face annoyingly calm. The glare from his glasses made it hard to read his eyes. "Bakit, ikaw lang ba ang pwedeng pumunta dito?" he shot back, voice ice-cold.
I scoffed, puffing out my chest. "This is my territory. Kaya oo, ako lang ang pwede dito," I said, my tone dripping with arrogance.
"Oh, I didn't know that." He smirked, the audacity of this guy. Before I could snap back, he grabbed my arm and pulled me behind the piled-up chairs, hiding us.
"May tao ba d'yan?!" the guard's voice boomed.
"Bitawan mo nga ako," I hissed, trying not to yell. His grip on my wrist was annoyingly firm.
"S-sorry," he muttered and released me as the guard's footsteps faded away.
We both stood up, dusting ourselves off like nothing happened. "Ano ba kasing ginagawa mo rito, ha?!" I spat, my temper barely in check.
"You just saw me earlier while I was reading. What do you think I'm doing?" His tone was serious, but I could hear the sarcasm. Tangina, this guy's asking for it.
"Pwede ba? We're not close enough for you to talk to me like that," I said, glaring daggers at him. He just shook his head and flashed that irritating smile.
He stepped closer, his face inches from mine. He was taller, so I had to tilt my head up. Anong trip nito?
"So, are we close enough now?" he whispered.
"Tangina, what are you doing?" I shoved him away, harder than necessary.
He just laughed, low and mocking. I stared at him, fists clenched. Weirdo.
"Freak!" I shouted and stormed off the rooftop, seething. Gusto mo ng laro, Alex? Sige, pagbibigyan kita. Hindi ako magpapatalo.
I slammed my locker shut, my frustration still simmering from the encounter on the rooftop. That stoic, unbothered look on Alex's face was enough to set me off. Sino bang hindi magagalit? He stood there with that air of self-righteousness, acting like he owned the place when he knew damn well he didn't.
As I strutted down the hallway, Stacey caught my eye, leaning by the water fountain. She noticed me and gave a small smile. I flashed her my signature smirk-something that always made girls giggle or roll their eyes.
"Hey, Enzo," she said, her voice playful.
"Hey, gorgeous. Missed me?" I teased, sliding up beside her. The hallway buzzed with students, and I could feel a few pairs of eyes on us. Typical.
"You wish," she shot back, but the light flush on her cheeks gave her away.
I chuckled, leaning in just a bit. "Ouch, you wound me."
As we flirted, my gaze shifted momentarily to the end of the hallway, where I saw him. Alex. His posture straight, his face serious as he talked to one of our professors. Angas talaga. He didn't belong here, in this world where charm and attitude ruled. But there he was, fitting in with his quiet confidence like he had nothing to prove. It annoyed me to no end.
"Earth to Lorenzo," Stacey said, waving a hand in front of my face.
"Sorry, babe, just got distracted by a pesky mosquito." I threw another glance in Alex's direction, my jaw tightening.
"Lorenzo," she said, her tone a bit more serious this time, "are you still going on about him?"
I scoffed, running a hand through my hair. "What? Nah. I just don't like his face."
She rolled her eyes. "Boys and your petty rivalries."
"Petty? Oh, sweetheart, it's not petty. It's principle," I joked, but deep down, I knew it wasn't just that.
Alex suddenly turned and our eyes met. He didn't flinch or look away, just gave me that same, emotionless stare. The nerve. I smirked, raising an eyebrow as if to say, bring it on.
Before I knew it, he'd nodded at the professor and started walking our way. Stacey noticed and stepped back a little, sensing the tension. As Alex passed by, he kept his eyes forward, but his presence alone grated on my nerves.
"Trying to act all high and mighty, huh?" I muttered just loud enough for him to hear. He paused, turned slightly, and looked at me with an unreadable expression.
"Lorenzo," he said in a low, measured tone. "You really should focus on things that matter." Then he walked away. Tangina nito.
I clenched my fists, the mocking tone in his voice echoing in my mind. The game was on. If he thought he could walk around with that holier-than-thou attitude, he had another thing coming.
I turned to Stacey, my grin forced but still intact. "Where were we?"
"Somewhere between you pretending not to care and me not buying it," she said, smirking.
I laughed. At least she knew me well enough to call me out, even if I'd never admit just how much Alex's presence bothered me. But if he wanted a war, he'd get one. No one invaded my territory and walked away unscathed.
