The Demon Inside Me

Chapter 25: Desperate Bitch

"Same Ground." Nalaglag ang panga ko sa sinabi niya. What the hell?



"What the hell Keifer?" Biglang umaliwalas ang mukha niya at tinitigan ako. He's eyes glued to mine. Parang nakakapanghina yung mga titig niya.



"Come on. Say it again." I furrowed my brows at him. Anong pinapaulit niya? "My name." What's with me saying his name? What's the deal?



"Uhh. K-Keifer." Dammit! Why am I even stuttering?! Remind me to kill myself later for that.



"Why are you stuttering?" Oh fuck.



"Ehem. Keifer." He smiled like an idiot before hugging me. Like what the hell?! This stupid heart is starting to beat like hell again. What's with him?!



"Better. Now let's go." Sakto naman na tinawag na kami nung emcee. Wait. What am I going to sing again?! Ugh!!! Parang narinig niya yung sinasabi ko sa utak ko kaya mabilis niya sinagot yun. "Same Ground, baby." Oh, fuck that "baby". Tumuloy nalang kami sa stage at pumwesto na.



I was about to sing when he pulled my waist closer to him. Fuck? Then the song started. But hindi siya same ground, it was... It was. I'll be.




" The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful~

Stop me and steal my breath~


And emeralds from mountains thrust towards the sky~


Never revealing their depth~"



Fuck that voice. He was staring at me like he was singing for me. Para sakin ba talaga? Nalulunod ako sa kinakanta niya sakin. Nalulunod ako sa titig niya sakin habang kumakanta siya.

"And tell me that we belong together~


Dress it up with the trappings of love~


I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips~


Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above~"



Oh Keifer Sky Montenegro! Wag mo akong titigan ng ganyan! Halos manlambot na ako buti nalang at mahigpit ang hawak niya sa bewang ko. Wait what? Did I just said that I'm thankful because his arm is on my waist? Oh great. I suddenly remembered someone. Si Clyde he sang that before. Kamusta na kaya yun? Well nevermind.

"And I'll be your cryin' shoulder~


I'll be love suicide~


And I'll be better when I'm older~


I'll be the greatest fan of your life~"


Kinulot niya ang pagkakakanta niya sa dulo. Sign na hanggang dun lang siya. Hindi niya parin binibitiwan ang titig sakin pati narin ang bewang ko. "Your turn baby." Bulong niya na halos makatunaw na sakin dahil dumikit ang labi niya sa tainga ko. Fuck this.



Nagstart na ang instrumental ng Same Ground pero ganun parin ang sitwasyon namin. Well, not until he took my hand ang spinned me. For fuck's sake nasa gitna kami ng stage! Ugh!



Fuck his smile! Nakakawala sa concentration.



" My love,
It's been a long time since I cried and left you out of the blue
It's hard leaving you that way when I never wanted to~

Self denial is a game it's strange
I never would've wanted
'til there was you
'Cause I have learned that love is beyond what human can imagine,The more it clears
The more I gotta let you go~"



What is he doing?! Sinasayaw niya ako and I'm just going with the flow. Wala kaming practice pero nakakadala yung sayaw niya. Parang ang daling sabayan. Lahat ng ilaw ay patay except sa spot light na nakatapat sa aming dalawa at sinusundan kami kung saan man kami mapunta.



" 'Cause why I don't understand
Is why I'm feeling so bad now
When I know it was my idea
I could've just denied the truth and lied
And why am I the only one standing stranded on the same ground~"



He whispered "let go of the song." I got his point kaya dineretso ko na sa ending ang kanta.



"If all else fails
Would you be there to love me?
When all else fails
Would you be brave to see right through me?"


Dahan dahan kong pinatay ang mic na nakakontekta sa likod ko habang nagsasayaw. Bigla nalang siyang nagsalita kahit na alam niyang nakaon parin ang mic niya. As in salita talaga hindi bulong.


"Hell yeah I would be." Then he kissed me. At first hindi ako nakagalaw. But I figured na ginagawa niya ito para sa talent lang. So I just closed my eyes. Rinig na rinig ko ang SOBRANG LAKAS na sigawan ng mga audience pero natatakpan na yun sa sobrang lakas ng pintig ng puso ko na feeling ko gustong kumawala sakin at pumunta sa kanya.



Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ako pumiglas. Instead of pushing him away, I responded to his kisses. Ewan pero sobrang nakakalasing at nakakadala ang halik niya. Then it hit me.



Fucking Shit! I'm kissing Keifer Sky Montenegro! Oh Fuck! Bakit ngayon ko lang yun narealize?



Unti-unti akong bumitaw sa nakakalasing na halik niya at dumilat. Bumungad sakin ang nakangiting si Sky. It wasn't a smirk. It was a genuine smile.



Hindi natinag ang mga hiyawan ng audience. Dahan- dahan kaming humarap sa kanila at ramdam na ramdam ko na ang apat na pares ng matang matalim na nakatingin sa akin. The first one is Charles the second one is Chaze. Yung dalawa? Si Gwineth at Reid. Yuppy. Reid is here. I can sense his stare.



"Hooh! That was a blow!" Sigaw nung emcee na lalong nagpalakas sa hiyawan ng mga tao. Pati sila Gray at ate Red nakikihiyaw din. "So is there any confirmation about what we think you two are?"



Lumikot ang mga mata ko at naghanap ng salita. Naramdaman ko ang pagluwang ng hawak sakin ni Sky. I don't know but I felt disappointed. Ugh! Wala wala.



"She haven't said 'yes'." What the what?! Napatingin ako sa kanya. What in hades' name is he talking about?! Lalong nagwala ang mga tao at lalong nagwala ang puso ko. This isn't good.



I'm not stupid to think that there is something wrong with my heart because I definetely know what I'm feeling right now. And it isn't good. This is so bad. I know I'm numb but I'm not dumb to think that I can always be numb. If I'm numb I won't feel pain. I want feel this. And this feeling right inside of me will be the cause of my pain. I shoudn't feel this. I SHOULDN'T.



"Ohhh. Did we hear it right? Mr. Keifer Sky Montenegro is courting Ms. Caeze Leigh Guevar? Oh did we?" Nangaasar na bigkas ng emcee. I want to punch him right to his face!



"Well If you're not stupid and deaf you heard it right." Napatingin ako sa kanya with a shocked face. I gave him a what-the-fuck-are-you-doing-stop-it-look but he just smiled. Oh fuck his smile! This contest is so fucked up!



*****



The contest went smooth. I'm now the so called "Campus Queen". And guess what. Gwineth made a scandal. Nagwala siya dun. And I don't want to tell the whole detail dahil wala namang kwenta yung pinagsasasabi niya. Nagbanta lang siya ng kung ano-ano. Nagsagutan lang kami dun and she end up running away.



"Let us now move on to our Campus Queen." With drum roll effect pa yan ah. Ewan ko sa trip nila. Pagkatapos na iannounce yung kay Sky drum roll nanaman.



Kumaway na si Gwineth at nagsisisigaw ng thank you. Pero natigil siya ng magsalita ang emce. "I'm sorry MS. Salvador but our Campus Queen for this year is contestant number 12 Ms. Caeze Leigh Guevar!" Maraming naghiyawan at sumisigaw ng "go caeze leigh!" Pero bago pa masuot sa akin ang sash at crown tinulak na ako ni Gwineth at inagaw ang sash at sinuot sa sarili niya inagaw niya ang crown pero hindi ito binigay ni Mr. Yuichiro. Nakikipag agawan talaga si Gwineth and she looks so pathetic.



Nagsisisigaw siya kaya kinuha ko ang crown kay Mr. Yuichiro at sinuot sa kanya. Hindi ako anghel. Demonyo ako kaya asahan niyo na may kasamang hindi magandang pangyayari ang ginawa ko.



"Stop being pathetic Gwineth." And sinuot ko sa kanya ang crown. And when I mean 'sinuot' talagang sinuksok ko sa buhok niya kaya medyo gumulo yun. "Oh. Di bagay sayo. You don't deserve to be a queen, Gwineth. Never did. Never will."



"Sinabi ko nung nasa parking lot tayo. I told you we're not done ye-" I cut her off.



"And I also told you that we will never be done." Madiin kong sabi.



"You bitch!" Sasampalin niya sana ako kaso bigla siyang tinulak ni Sky. Wew. I didn't expect that.



"Touch her and you're life's done." Malaki at madiin ang boses ni Sky. Owkay. Fluffy hell!



"What?! Sky I'm your cousin!" Sigaw niya pabalik.



"Hell, I know that. That's why you don't deserve to be a Montenegro. You don't and you never will. So back off my girl." Madiin at nakakatakot ang pagkakasabi niya kaya napaurong si Gwineth. Naiiyak na siya pero pinipigilan niya. Sobrang kahihiyan na to.



"I can't believe you just said that." Nagpapaawa ang itsura ni Gwineth. Ang sarap niyang irapan. Halatang umaacting lang.



"And I can't believe you are that desperate." Tumalikod na si Sky at bumaba. Kausap na niya ngayon sina tito Stone.



Humarap sakin si Gwineth at akmang susugod nang sumigaw na si tito Stone. "Stop being a shame to this family!" Napalingon siya kay tito na galit na galit na.



Bumaling ulit siya sakin at nagsalita "This is all your fault."



"It's not my fault that you are desperate. And its also not my fault that I won."



"Its your fault that I lost." Her lips are trembling.



"You lost because of your own doings." Gustong-gusto niya akong sugurin at kapag ginawa niya yun hindi ako magdadalawang isip na lumaban.



"Aaaaaargh!!!!!!" I was right. Sumugod nga siya. Sasabunutan niya na sana ako pero inikutan ko siya. ngayong nas likod niya na ako tinulak ko siya. "You'll never win against me." Madiin niyang sabi.



"I just did. And you will never win against me." Sa sobrang galit niya ay sinugod niya ulit ako pero bago pa siya sumugod inapakan na ni Chaze ang gown niya. Ang ending ay sumampal ang mukha niya sa sahig.



"Don't ever think of laying a hand on her." Madilim ang mukha ni Chaze at sobra ang galit sa mga mata niya. His eyes are transparent.



Dahil narin siguro sa kahihiyan ay kinuha na siya ng mga alipores niya at dinaluhan. Tinulungan nila siyang tumayo at pagkatayo niya ay tumakbo na siya. Out of my sight. Out of everyone's sight.



And that's what happened 2 weeks ago. Yup. 2 weeks na ang nakaraan. At 2 weeks narin akong ginugulo ni Sky. "Baby." That's what I mean about 'panggugulo' lagi niya akong linalambing! Ugh. Nandito lang naman kasi ako sa school nakatambay dahil kakadismiss lang namin.



"I told you to stop calling me that." He frowned. Ugh. That face. Bakit ba kahit malungkot siya ang gwapo niya parin? For hell's sake!



Hindi niya ako pinansin. Mokong talaga to kahit kailan. Kinuha niya phone niya at nagpipipipindot dun. Aish. Bwisit na mokong!



Ngumiti siya sakin bago nagsalita. "Stop calling you what, baby?" Inirapan ko siya.


"You just said it." Ngumiti siya.



"Said what?" Ugh.



"B-baby." Kumunot ang noo niya. Umirap ako at nagsalita ulit. "Baby" ngumiti siya na nagmumuka na siyang ewan. Yung pa rectangle na ngiti.



"No can do missy." At inakbayan nanaman niya ako. Biglang may humigit sakin at kinaladkad ako kung saan. Pero naramdaman ko ang hawak ni Sky sakin na hinihila ako pabalik. What's happening?



Tumingin ako sa unang humila sakin at nakita si Chaze. "Let go of her Montenegro." Madiing sabi ni Chaze.