Change and Chances

Chapter 14 - Press Conference

As soon as I sat by my chair in the middle next to Steffi, the cameras around me started flashing that I couldn't see anything and all of the reporters started speaking hastily at wala na kong halos maintindihan. Hindi ko alam kung matatawa ba ako na ganyan sila kadesperado para makuha ang side ko, o maiinis ako dahil ang iingay nila.

I smiled to myself. Ah, I missed this.

I really missed being in the limelight at mas lalo kong ginaganahan dahil namiss ko ang manibak ng walang kwentang tao na hindi ko alam kung bakit nage-exist pa din sa mundo hanggang ngayon. I'm going to f-ucking break a leg dahil hindi lang ito ang babaliin ko pagtapos ng mga sasabihin ko.

"What a warm welcome, everyone! Hindi pa ko nakakaupo ng matino ganyan na kayo agad? Chill, guys! Relax. I will be answering all of your questions within an hour pero kapalit nun ay makikinig kayong mabuti. Like the usual, if and only if you guys would behave accordingly, sasagutin ko ng matino ang mga tanong nyo. Pero kung gagaguhin nyo ko, I have no other choice kung hindi gaguhin din ang sagot ko. Are we all clear?" I started off with a grin like I always do.

Everyone's volume went down but a hysterical boisterous laugh was then heard from the crowd. Lahat kami ay napatingin sa kanya.

"I'm sorry, hindi ko sinasadyang tumawa. Sadyang nakakatawa lang na umaarte kang parang wala lang ang lahat. You are telling us to behave pero ikaw mismo sa sarili mo ay hindi mo alam ang dapat mong iasal sa harap ng ibang tao. Well that's just my opinion, Ms. Ashinyah. Please don't take it to heart." she said, obviously trying to provoke me.

My grin became wider as I recognized her face. Strike one.

Yana Conti from Gossip magazine. She is one of those biased writers na hindi ginagamit ang utak nila. Lahat ng issue ko ay palagi syang gumagawa ng paraan para sya ang unang mapansin ko. She likes provoking me and I'm letting her. Every time that she'd think she is winning her own kind of justice, saka ko sya ibinababa.

Sa medaling salita, nilulugar ko  lang sya sa dapat nyang lugaran.

"Well then, palakpakan naman natin si contestant number one. I could see that you cannot wait on asking me some pathetic questions that why you had your way with me. Very impressive. Napakagaling mo pa din. And it has been a while isn't it?" I replied with a smile and she then smirked at me.

"I wouldn't be here asking you pathetic questions kung hindi ka lang din kasi papansin sa media. I'm just doing my job and this is a free country after all." she shot back.

Steffi was about to give her a piece of her mind pero hinawakan ko ito kaya naman hindi na ito nagsalita. Strike two.

Akala ko ay tapos na ngunit bigla itong nagsalitang muli. "Do you really like the attention that much? Are you that self-centered? Even when you're away kailangan ba talagang gumawa ka pa ng gulo? Ano bang nakukuhang mo benefit sa mga ginagawa mo?"

Napatawa ako ng hindi oras dahil sa sinabi nya. People around us started whispering to each other kaya mas lalo lang akong natawa. I laughed mockingly until each and everyone of them went silent.

I know that I've said this before but the more I'm calm, the more that I am dangerous. And too bad for her, it was already Strike three.

"I don't know but, your job doesn't suit you at all. Being a reporter and such. Bakit hindi ka nalang nag-apply sa bilang writer ng isang useless tabloid? You are all talk pero wala ka namang alam. You're only gathering information sa kabilang side and no matter what the opposite side says isn't acceptable anymore. You're really stupid aren't you? And that being said, every reporter here is only allowed two questions each. Sobra ka na sa limit mo so I'm gonna ask you now to shut the f-uck up and enjoy. Pero dahil mabait ako ngayon, I'm gonna answer two of your questions without sugar coating my words like the usual.