Fierce

Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Doubt

"The student president?" I repeated what he said and grinned. "Oh! So that makes you the boyfriend of Darlene."

"Yes, I am," he said like a proud boyfriend.

Humalukipkip ako at mas lalong lumawak ang ngisi ko. "Akalain mo nga naman no? Parehas kayong paharang-harang sa daan ng girlfriend mo. Bagay nga kayo."

I saw how his confidence and pride crashed in front of me because of what I said.

"Why did you do that to Darlene?" pag-iiba niya ng topic gamit ang kanyang malalim at baritonong boses.

"Why did I do that?" I asked myself innocently. "Hindi ba pwedeng ang tanong eh, what did she do to make me do that?"

His forehead creased even more. "What are you trying to say?" he asked. "That Darlene did something bad to you that's why you did that to her?"

"Not to me... but maybe to someone else and it just happened that I saw everything."

"And then you played Wonder Woman or something kaya mo binuhusan si Darlene ng frappe?"

"Yes," walang pag-aalangang sagot ko. "I just let her pay for what she did. Wala pa nga 'yon eh."

"Bakit mo naman 'yon ginawa para doon sa sinasabi mong ginawan niya ng masama?"

I really hate being interrogated by someone who doesn't deserve my explanation in the first place. Alam kong magiging biased lang siya kahit na anong gawin kong pag-eexplain ng side ko.

"Kasi... mabait ako." Sabay ngiti ko.

"Are you playing around with me?" he now asked with an authoritative tone.

I knew that it was supposed to scare me but I was not even thrilled by his voice.

"No, I'm not."

He deeply exhaled. "We have some serious matter here, lady," he said. "Napahiya si Darlene ng dahil sa'yo."

"Alam kong napahiya siya dahil nandoon ako. Ako pa nga ang dahilan kung bakit siya napahiya, eh," sabi ko. "Ang gusto ko lang na sabihin sa'yo ay sana huwag kang maging biased. You're the student president, you should be neutral and not biased. Well, I just hope that my fellow schoolmates didn't vote you just because of your looks. But even if that's the case, you should be an example. You should be fair and just. Dapat tinatanong mo muna both parties kung ano ang talagang nangyari. Well, maybe hindi alam ng girlfriend mo ang ginawa niya pero pagharapin mo kami at sasabihin ko sa kanya na mukhang hindi niya alam ang kasamaang ginawa niya. Hindi porket girlfriend mo siya at nagsumbong siya sa'yo that I intentionally did that to her kahit na wala naman siyang ginagawang masama ay totoo na."

I took a step to be closer to Mr. President para tagos na tagos ang titig ko sa kanya.

"Hindi ko sasayangin ang paborito kong dark mocha frappe na tinapon ko sa kaniya at mas lalong hindi ko siya pag-aaksayahan ng oras ng dahil sa wala at trip ko lang," dire-diretso kong sabi. "Try to annalyze the situation first, Mr. President. That's all."

Mabilis ko siyang tinalikuran pagkatapos ng mahabang speech ko na sana naman ay naintindihan niya kundi ay muli na naman akong nag-aksaya ng laway kakasalita at ng oras na dapat ngayon ay kumakain na ako dahil kanina pa ako gutom na gutom.

"Oh? Bakit ang tagal mo?" bungad na tanong sa akin ni Ida. "Nauna pa ako sa'yo samantalang unang natapos ang klase mo."

"May humarang kasi sa dinadaanan ko," simple kong sabi at tiningnan ang mga binili ni Ida na pagkain para sa aming dalawa.