One Last Time [ON HOLD]

17. Isang Umaga

Jaydee's P.O.V.

Nagising nalang ako sa tunog ng punyetang alarm clock na walang ginawa kundi magvibrate sa tabi ng kama ko. Sunday ngayon bro, will ya shut the hell up?!

Hinagis ko yung alarm clock at halos parang ayaw tumigil sa paggawa ng ingay. Nakakarindi! Ayan may mas nakakarindi pa! Sigaw ng sigaw si Temay na may bisita ako tapos ang ingay pa ng katok sa pintuan. AGH.

Wait, I'm acting like a girl with PMS on steroids. Kalma lang Je. Baba na dun. Malay mo may mail galing sa kung sino. Malay mo console! That's it, positive thinking. And talking to myself. Great. I look like an idiot.

Bumaba na ako.

"ANDYAN NA! Sino ba yan Temay?! Ang ingay eh, wala namang pasok ngay--

Oh Amethyst, ba't ka nandito?"

Why is she here, and why is she blushing...and looking at my clothes...

Wait I don't have any on. Boxers lang.

AY TANGA! Di pa pala ako nagsusuot ng pantaas! I rushed upstairs and put on a shirt, then slipped on my basketball shorts. Shat, kaya pala nakatutok mata nya sa katawan ko. HAHAHAHA what, she got turned on? Ok then. Bababa na ako. Siguro naman ok na sya.

As I was going down the stairs, there she was again. Pero iba ang damit nya? Ba't sya naka-dress pang play?

"What's up?"

Tumingin sya sa akin ng parang naka-miss out ako sa lahat ng impormasyon.

Then she opened her mouth. "Pre, sa Monday na yung play. Alangan namang hindi tayo magpractice ngayong Saturday?? Ano gusto mo mapahiya tayo? Go get your clothes on, nakapambahay ka naman grabe. Go!"

Of course, sa boses ng babae na yon, nagmadali akong umakyat at hinalungkat yung cabinet ko. Sa wakas nahanap ko na din yung tuxedo. Matching sa dress nya na blue and gold. Black and gold yung tuxedo ko at nagmadali na akong bumaba.

Pagbaba ko, naka ibang damit nanaman sya. Naka bikini. Ok this time, I blushed.

"Akala ko ba magpapractice tayo? Ba't naka bikini si "Snow Whitman?""

Parang nataranta sya. "Anung pinagsasasabi mo jan? Anung play? Magsiswimming tayo! Treat ni Micah."

"Micah? Yung pinsan mo?"

She grunted. Then pulled me to the door.
"Dambagal mo! Tara na bilis! Male-late na tayo!"

Ang silaw ng ilaw, di ako makakita ng ayos!

Pagtingin ko kay Amethyst, naka school uniform na sya. WHAT?! Ano to, fashion show? Makapagbihis, ang bilis eh, talo pa ang rarampa ng ten times a row.

Then she slapped me.

"Jaydee gising na, malelate ka na! MONDAY NGAYON HUY! Araw na ng play huy! Kanina pa ako naghihintay sa labas!"

Amethyst? Shits. Monday na pala?! Oo nga pala, may pinuntahan kami nung Sunday at kahapon. Ang gulo na! I sat up. Nasa kwarto ako. I looked at my left wrist. 7:48?! LATE NA KAMI! 8:30 ang play, we can still make it.

Hinila ako ni Amethyst palabas ng kwarto at sinabihang sa kotse na daw ako magbihis. Nandun na daw yung costumes at props. Agh, I hate this body-clock-puberty-thing!

School

8:23. Just minutes left. Ugh. Nakabihis na ang lahat. Ang dami na naming napractice, so we should be ready. Pero bakit ako kinakabahan?

Get a hold of yourself, Jayds.

"Next Speech And Drama Club group presenting for us today is Literaturians. Get ready to be blown away by their modernly envisioned play of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, renamed to be Snow Whitman and the Seven Suitors."

Masyado naman atang maangas ang 'blown away' para sa play? LOL. We walked up the stage.

The script rolled up in my mind as we acted it out.

Principal Quen: "Scram, students! None of you are qualified for this! All of you fail to appease my presence! Teachers! Take them back to your classes and make them behave in the most proffesional ways possible!"

Everyone ran backstage as the 'Principal' cited her long lines. Wala namang nagpapanic o pinapawisan eh. Maliban sakin. Maging si Amethyst, mukhang nag eenjoy...

Lana, the one playing Principal Quen, went backstage, frantically flapping her wings- I mean arms.

"Amethyst! Get out there! I forgot a line!"

Sunud-sunuran naman si Amethyst. This wasn't in the script. Lahat nataranta. Except for me. Parang alam ko ang gagawin.

Snow Whitman: "I!...I..uh...I, Snow Whitman, shall talk to the principal to try to change her mind about everyone's behaviors! Or none of my suitors might ever claim me to be his at the prom!"

Good job! That's my girl! We are back in the script. My turn. Tumakbo ako papunta sa stage, sa tabi ni Amethyst.

Jared Prince: "Suitors? What suitors? How many?"

Snow Whitman: "Seven of them. And that is none of your concern, Mr..."

Jared Prince: "Jared. Jared Prince. I'm not one of those filthy suitors, but better."

Eto na yung part na masakit. Sampalan time!

Snow Whitman: "Filthy?! That's rich, coming from a wealthy bastard who doesn't know how to take a bath at summer!"

She steps closer and I get ready for the great 'SMACK'. At nagulat ako nang matalisod sya sa white silk na design sa edge ng stage. I tried to catch her but to no avail. Instead, we both fell over the crowd.

*THUD*

*RIIIIIINNNGG!!!!!!*

What the hell. Ano to, nakatulog nanaman ba ako?!

I looked at my phone. 9:56 am, Saturday. Shit. I double-dreamed. Ang sakit umasa ha. Ngayon kailangan ko nanamang kabahan. Putik.

My phone rang at sinagot ko rin agad. Without looking at who called. Nakakairita maging ganto kapag umaga. Well. This is me.

"Hello? Jaydee? Kaninang 7 pa ako tumatawag, ba't di moko sinasagot??"

Lana.

"Sorry na po madam Quen, ang ganda na ng panaginip ko eh!"

"Ay, nasira ko ba HAHAHAHAHA ayos lang yan. Basta dumeretso ka na dito sa school AVR, ipapractice na natin yung part sa play na sasayaw ang seven suitors tapos makikisali ka at magugulat si leading lady."

Amethyst, my leading lady. Has a nice ring to it. I switched off my phone before she said anything else at nagsuot nako ng camouflage jagger pants (shut up) at puting sleeveless na hoodie. Just a jacket, no shirt on. Sa init ng panahon, magdo-double clothes pako? No heckuva way. I ran out the house and ran to the highway. Ang onti ng jeep. Pero lahat, patungong RMHS. Ahhhhh, mukha akong professional dancer.

Ang daming babaeng nakatingin sakin na mukhang naiihi na habang naka sakay dito sa jeep.. I looked down. I look ok, why are they looking like that?

Ay. Halfway down yung zipper ng hoodie ko. Gahahaha mukha na ata akong chickboy neto, sa daming babaeng nakatitig. I pulled the zipper a bit higher, halfway up my chest, hanggang sa collar bone nalang ang kita. They still looked at me. This time at my face. Shit, do I look that good?

I got off at my stop and went into the school gates. Andun sila, sa may labas ng AVR halatang hinihintay ako. All were wearing clothing ideal for hip hop choreography. Nice, squadgoals na this.

We went in and started on the moves, Amethyst and I being the last people to enter.