The Creep

Two. The Queen

"Hi, Bitch." Laney kissed me on the cheek. "You aced it this time, honey. Pano mong nagawa yun?"

"Beauty and Brains." Tinap ko yung sintido ko at ngumisi ng maangas. "Ooooohhh." Ngisian sila Arin at Ara. Ang kambal na anak ng isa sa professor dito sa University. Laney's family owns a chain of motels. "Ang hirap kaya. Bat kasi kelangan pa ng Algebra." Himutok ni Arin.

"So, kamusta naman ang pagtututor sayo ni The Creep? I might also get his service."

Tumaas yung kilay ko. "I don't think so."

"Unless you can pay his tuition fee for the whole year, dear." Sabi ni Laney kay Arin.

"Oo nga pala, pamilya mo ang nagpapa-scholar kay Joshua."

"Isn't he weird? Does he talk?" Laney asked me so suddenly. Nasamid ako bigla sa iniinom ko.

"Yeah?" I shrugged. "Why are we even talking about him?" Tanong kong bigla sa kanilang tatlo.

Arin shrugged. Tumingin siya sa newly polished nails niya na makulay at hindi ko maintindihan ang design at lalong wala naman akong paki. She's too trying hard sometimes. "Joshua's my classmate in Economics class. And I think he's okay except sa rumor nung fourth year highschool."

Bumalik ang tingin ko sa kanya. "Who cares about Josh?"

Laney smiled. "Josh might have been pogi."

"Laney!" Angal ko bigla. Hindi makapaniwala. "That's..."

"Gross?" Fill in ni Ara. I shrugged my shoulders and tried to act nonchalant. Ano bang meron kay Josh and they kept mentioning his name.

Outside of bed, I don't really care about him.

"He's just weird, that's a given since God knows when. He kept to himself. Sinasabi pa ngang mangkukulam ang buong pamilya niya diba?" Laney said obliviously while taking a bite on her sandwich.

"That's pure rubbish. It's 20th century, for fuck's sake." Sabi ni Arin.

"E siya ba talaga yung stalker ni Rada? Wala namang napatunayan. Rada's the biggest bitch anyway."

Tumalim yung tingin ko kay Ara. "You're forgetting Rada's my best friend."

Tumigil silang tatlo. "But is it true that Josh did that to Rada and—"

"Why are we even talking about him again?" Gigil kong sabi. Wala si Rada. After ng eskandalong iyon ay pinadala ito ng mga magulang sa ibang bansa. At nawalan na kami ng komunikasyon.

Napalingon kaming bigla sa mga dumating sa cafeteria. Para iyong naging icebreaker saming apat. Dumating yung buong soccer team ng University. And my eyes landed solely on him.

"It's Gus, honey." Laney whispered.

I know. I would have shouted. Because I'd known him for fucking twenty one years of my life. Since I was even kicking in my mother's womb. Magbestfriend ang mga nanay namin.

Naningkit yung mga mata ko. Nakita namin yung paghawi ng mga kababaihan na akala mo ay may red sea kapag dumadaan ito. Gus is well, the so-cliché heart-fucking-breaking-throb.

"If I were you I wouldn't have broken up with him." Ara sighed dramatically. "Tignan mo naman yung gwapo niyang yan. Oh my God. He would have been a James Dean in our time."

Laney became quiet. Naging kaibigan ko lamang si Laney nitong lately na lang. Si Ara at si Arin ay classmate na namin nila Rada at Gus since middle school. And I'd known Gus since we were kids.