NAPABAGSAK si Maci sa kama niya. School was always frustrating for her but the frustration she felt now was incomparable. She spent the whole last week trying to put Shyanne on the spotlight; just so she wouldn’t be on it, herself. She made a mental note to keep her guard up around Shyanne from now on. Mabait si Shyanne na tao. Kahit gustuhin man nito, hindi nito kailanman makakayang gumanti sa kapwa. Pero ika nga, every rule has an exception, diba? It’s better to be safe than sorry. Mabuti nalang at semestral break na nila.
Napabuntong-hininga nalang siya ng malalim. Ayaw naman talaga niyang ipahamak ito, pero kailangan, eh. Kung ayaw niyang malaman ng mga kaibigan niya na sa bahay nila tumitira ang mismong hari ng mga bakulaw.
Napabalikwas siya ng bangon. “That’s right! Ang walang-hiyang iyon ang may kasalanan kung bakit stress na stress ang beauty ko!”
“Sinong ‘walang-hiya’ ang tinutukoy mo?” Dusk’s head popped out of the door.
“Speak of the devil and viola! It appears.” She mumbled behind her breath.
“Right. Real mature.”
She scoffed. “Says the guy who entered a girl’s bedroom without knocking.”
“Sorry.”
Wait. Sorry?
“I didn’t really know you were a girl. My bad.”
Binato naman niya rito ang alarm clock na nananahimik lang sa bedside table niya. Sayang lang at hindi ito na-bull’s eye; madali kase nitong naisara ang pinto, ang kawawang pinto tuloy ang natamaan. Lumitaw ulit ang ulo nito. “You want me to close the door and knock?”
“Ano bang kailangan mo, ha!?”
“The president wants to talk to us. He asked me to get you.”
“So?” tumaas ang isang kilay niya. “Ano naman ang pake ko? Siya ang may kailangan sa akin kaya siya dapat ang pumunta rito.”
“You’re not going to just come along willingly, are you?” bumuntong-hininga ito at tiningnan siya ng matalim.
“You think?” Humalukipkip siya. Hinding-hindi siya magpapatalo rito kaya matatag na sinalubong niya ang mga mata nito. Bad move. Nang tinitigan niya ito sa mga mata nitong kulay chokolate, parang pakiramdam niya ay binabalot ng kakaibang init ang buong katawan niya. Her consciousness drifted and before she knew it, Dusk was already picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of rice.
“Hey!” sinuntok-suntok niya ang matigas na likod nito. “What do you think you’re doing, asshole!? Put me down!”
“He told me to bring you with me no matter what it takes.”
“What the fu–!” hindi niya natapos ang kanyang pagmumura nang bigla siyang hinagis nito sa kama.
“Kung hindi ka tumigil sa pagmumura mo, hahalikan kita…and you know I’ll do it.”
She looked at him defiantly. “I don’t give a shi–”
“Don’t test me, Brat.” Bumuntong-hininga ito. “Do you really want to kiss me that bad?”
Napasinghap naman siya sa sinabi nito. Siya? Si Maci Aven Andrada, gustong humalik dito? “Ang kapal ng mukha mo! Hindi ako naniniwala na magiging prinsipe ang isang palaka. Lalong-lalo na kung ang palakang iyon ay kasing walang-hiya mo!”
Ang isang kilay naman nito ang tumaas ngayon. “’You sure about that?”
“KUYA!” marahas na binuksan ni Maci ang pinto ng studyroom ng kanyang nakatatandang kapatid. Dire-diretso siyang lumakad tungo rito at malakas na sinipa ang desk nito.
BINABASA MO ANG
The Campus Ice Queen (Revising)
Teen FictionMaci liked him. He liked her. Happy ending, diba? But as it turns out, he never really liked her at all. He just played with her feelings. Pinaasa. Saklap, diba? So naturally, Maci gradually hated him. She realized that the saying "the more you hate...
