Fall For You

*Chapter 1*

=Mikaela=

Logical.

Sophisticated.

Cold.

Intimidating.

Most of my schoolmates describe me with those words. But believe me, they're not completely true. I definitely don't want to snob nor intimidate the people around me. Sadyang mataray lang talaga ako tingnan.

Isa pa, ako ang student council president dito sa Austin Academy and so I have to be strict sometimes, especially kung may nakikita akong katiwalian o pagpapasaway. Maraming naiinis sa akin dahil sinasaway ko sila. Pero wala akong pakialam. I am just doing my duty as the SC president. Kahit anong reklamo nila sa akin, as long as I know I'm right, hindi ko sila pinapakinggan. I don't waver. I'm cold as ice, as what some students say, kaya binansagan ako dito sa school bilang "The Ice President".

"Uy, nandito si Ice Pres, pasok tayo sa room baka pagalitan pa tayo eh."

"Oo nga. Dalian natin!"

See? Tss.

Naglalakad ako ngayon sa hallway patungong lockers and it's somewhat disappointing to see some students na tila ba takot sa akin. Well, may iba namang ngumingiti at gumigreet sa akin ng good morning pero yung nga kasali lang sa SC. Kadalasan talaga sa mga students dito, takot sa presensya ko. Dahil nga mataray at hindi ako approachable tingnan, which for me is not actually the case.

Pero ayos na sa'kin yun kasi nasanay na ako na kinaiinisan o kinatatakutan ng mga students. If I won't be strict enough, hindi ako magiging effective leader kaya dapat lang maging strikto. Pero syempre dapat nasa lugar. Some students just couldn't understand and are so stubborn. And those students either fear or hate me because I'm prohibiting their filthy schemes. Cheat notes, liquor, inappropriate dress-up, bullying and fighting inside the campus are just some of the things na pinagbabawal ko dito sa school. It's a must and a natural thing to prohibit those. May iilan lang talagang pasaway at hindi nakikinig. Pero may iba rin namang nakakaintindi.

I'm walking alone down the hallway. I barely make friends mainly because I find it hard trusting people so much.

Simula noong sumama si Dad sa babae niya, I started to become distant from anyone who's trying to win my trust. Dahil doon, hindi ko napansin na nagiging cold at intimidating na ako in other people's point of view. Sinubsob ko ang sarili ko sa pag-aaral and I became the famous brain of the campus.

Tama sila when they described me as someone logical. Well, I choose to be one. Because when you're being logical, you become invulnerable to emotional pain. Mas umiiral kasi ang utak kaysa sa damdamin. At kung mag-iisip ka logically and rationally, you could think of the best way to deal with any stress. That way, hindi ka lubos na masasaktan. It's actually my defense mechanism.

Seven years old pa lang ako nang iniwan kami ng Dad ko at sumama siya sa kabit niya. I was once a daddy's girl and you could just imagine the stress I've been through nung umalis si Dad, considering that I was still simple-minded and sensitive back then.

How could my dad choose that woman over me and Mom? Yun ang inisip ko noon. Wala akong makausap tungkol sa pinagdadaanan ko that time and so I bore with the pain by myself. Only child lang kasi ako and my mom was super busy with her job. Although she's trying to forget my dad, I still often see her crying in her room. I know she still loves him. Seeing her hurt, I realized that too much trust is not good. So I need to be strong, learn how to stand alone, and stop myself from being too inclined to anyone.

"MIKAAA! Papunta kang SC office?"

Tumango lang ako bilang sagot. Siya nga pala si Shanna Lim. Sa lahat ng nagtangkang makipagclose sa akin, siya lang ang nagtagumpay. Ang kulit niya kasi at napakapursigido. Ewan ko ba kung paano niya napagtitiisan ang pag-uugali ko. We're totally opposite. She's all-smiles while I'm the same expressionless me. I'm surprised that we could actually get along.