Enchanted (On Hold)

Chapter 11

January 13, 2013: Here Comes Trouble

The girls got home about midnight; they were brought to the dorm by the boys. When they got home, they immediately fixed themselves and went to bed.

They all woke up at 8 AM. It was early, but they still had a team get together. After winning games, they always had dinner at a restaurant to celebrate. Last night, they weren’t able to do that because they were part of Thomas’s plan for Ara. Coach Ramil and the other coaching staff prepared a special day for the girls instead, as incentive for beating Ateneo and claiming the number 1 spot.

Coach Ramil told the girls after the game that he’ll send someone to pick them up from the dorm at 9 AM. So as early as 8 and as tired as they were, the girls were getting ready.

Aby, Michele, Wensh and Mel were cooking breakfast. Cyd, Den, Rochelle, Justine and Mok were fixing the table. The bullies were still preparing themselves, taking baths, dressing up and all. They were all wearing La Salle shirts with either pants or shorts.

While waiting for her turn to take a bath, Mika received a text message.

Mika opened the message and saw that it was from Jeron. Mika wouldn’t admit it, but she has been having thoughts about how she let Jeron go that easily. But for the sake of their friendship, Mika dismissed all thoughts of regret.

From: Jeron Teng

Miks, text me when you’re free! I need help about… Basta alam mo na yun!

Mika couldn’t help but frown a bit. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling this way about it. She was the one who let go. She was the one who decided to talk to Jeron about it. She was the one who urged him to go after Aly. But now, she wasn’t so sure of her feelings.

She decided not to reply to Jeron’s text yet. She didn’t know what to tell him anyway.

She was too deep in thought that she didn’t realize Kim, who just got out of the bathroom, was calling her, “Miks? Ikaw na maliligo…”

Mika noticed that there was something wrong with Kim’s voice. She looked at Kim and saw her staring blankly at the wall while holding her phone with both hands. She looked to her right and saw Carol staring at her laptop intently. She seemed bothered by something she was reading. She looked to her left and saw Cienne holding a piece of paper in her hands. Cienne’s eyes were glassy as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. It was definitely a sight, seeing the bullies quiet and bothered that way. The only bright spot was Ara. Ara was still asleep, with a smile on her face. Why wouldn’t she be happy? She had the best night of her life last night.

Mika didn’t know how to react to her friends acting like this. And she also had her own problem to deal with.

So Mika decided that sooner or later, they would be ready to share their problems to each other. She got her clothes and her towel and entered the bathroom.

Aby entered the bullies’ room seconds later. She saw that all the girls seemed bothered and not themselves.

Aby decided to let it pass and just talk to the girls about it later on, “Girls, baba na kayo. Andun na yung food.”

Kim looked at Aby with a blank look and replied, “Hm? Sige Ate.”

Carol and Cienne both forced smiles and nodded.

Aby went to Ara and shook her a bit. They all knew how to wake Ara up, it was how they woke her up ever since Thomas entered her life, “Ara, nandyan si Thomas.”

Ara immediately shot up from bed and said, “OH? MotherF, wait lang! Wala pa akong ayos!”

Aby laughed at the sight of Ara panicking and getting her things fixed, “Ops, wala siya. Ginigising lang kita, 8:20 na. Napalalim ata tulog ng prinsesa namin e!”