The Artist's Vixen

TAV~Two

The Artist's Vixen

2-Not goal driven like Kuen

The day I graduated highschool was the day I ran away from home.

Umuwi si Ate Deina at Kuya Bleau para masaksihan akong umaakyat sa stage as the fifth honorable mention. Nakahabol ako in the last year at naging section one kaming dalawa ni Kuen ulit.

Well, it was Kuen's idea.

When I told her about Xenon stole my first kiss, she got alarmed. Na dapat daw magkatuluyan kami kaya mag-aaral daw kaming dalawa ng mabuti para makasama sa section one.

Sobrang tutol ako dahil wala na sana sa akin iyon. It was just a kiss but she argued more. It was not an ordinary kiss. It was my first kiss, supposed to be magical and all.

Grade 11, hindi kami naqualify sa section one pero naging section two kami. It was so close. Sa kabilang kwarto lang siya but he seemed to be off always.

Walang pakialam palagi.

"At least, sa kabilang kwarto lang." Komento ni Kuen.

Huminga ako ng malalim. "Kuen, I don't think this is healthy. Wala na sa akin iyon. It was just-"

"Veen! Ilang ulit ko ba sasabihin sa iyo na huwag mong lang-langin ang kiss na yun! Alalahanin mo, matamis ang unang halik!" Pagpapaalala niya pa.

I rolled my eyes. "Ay Grabe..." I whispered.

And so that goal went on. Nag-aral kami ng mabuti ni Kuen. Nag-aadvance study kami palagi and we ace quizzes and exams. Nagdududa na nga ang mga teachers sa amin. Thinking that maybe we share our answers. That's the reason why our seats got seperated.

But we proved them wrong.

Grade 12, finally! Nakapasok kami sa section one. Kuen got excited. Parang siya yung hinalikan ni Xenon sa sobrang excited niya. Habang ako? Kinakabahan.

What will I say? What will I do? Paano kung magkatabi kami? Naaalala pa kaya niya yung ginawa niya?

Argh!

Pagpasok namin sa kwarto, mahigpit ang hawak ni Kuen sa kamay ko.

"This is it, pansit!" She cheered. "Now, saan nakaupo yung Xenon na iyon ng magkatabi kayo." Paghahanap niya. "Diyan kalang...wait."

Tumango ako at naupo sa malapit na bakanteng upuan sa likod. Maraming mga pamilyar na mukha ang nakita ko. Mga kaklase ko ito noong Grade 8.

Yung iba nginitian ako, yung iba parang hindi ako kilala. Tss. These people are ignorant. Most of them are grade conscious. Hindi sila tulad sa amin ni Kuen na tulungan para makapasa. Solohan sila dito that's why I flunked.

Bumalik si Kuen sa akin na nakabusangot ang mukha. "What's wrong Kuen?"

"This is not we planned, Veen." Walang gana niyang sabi.

"Why? What happened?" I asked worridly.

"Half of the last school year, Xenon stopped going to school." She pouted.

It was kind of disappointing. Kung saan na nandito na kami, wala naman siya. But on the brighter side, lumuwag ang damdamin ko. Hindi na ako kinakabahan. Nakakalimutan ko na nga na siya ang first kiss ko.

Maybe it was just a taste.

Napangiti ako ng maalala ko yun. Kuen was just too goal driven kahit na nasa lower section siya and I was not.