A.N.D.

Chapter 2

(Carlie, uwi na. Please.)

"Dun wan."

(Parang bata naman 'to.) inis na sabi niya.

"I'm not. You know that this is a serious shit, Khaylie." napabuntong-hininga na lang siya. "Don't you dare tell Jayvee where Irish's house is. I won't come home. Not yet." then I ended the call.

Khaylie and Irish. Tsss. Di sila napapagod. They kept on pushing me na umuwi na. Eh mismong kuya ko nga, hindi ako hinahanap. Masyado nila akong bine-baby. And even my parents, ni hindi nag-aalala sakin

Ginamit ko yung landline nila Irish nung first night ko dito para tumawag kay Chandler. I was about to tell him that I will stay for a couple of days here kanila Irish when he stopped me and said, "You're a gangster, alam mo ang ginagawa mo. Well at least, you should know." after he said that words, I fell silent. Because he's right. I shouldn't be a gangster if I can't decide on my own. If I don't know the meaning of INDEPENDENCE. Napangiti na nga lang ako dahil don sa sinabi na yon ni Chandler.

At bago namin tapusin ang pag-uusap namin, isang pangungusap pa ang pilit na ipinapasok niya sa utak ko simula palang noong una: "She is not the updated version of you. She will never be."

At pano ko nga naman ba paniniwalaan ang mga salitang yon kung halos lahat ng nakakakilala kay Pain at Evil Princess ay naniniwalang magkapareha kami. Na si Carrie nga ang updated version ko.

But not Chandler.

And Jayvee.

-FLASHBACK-

Me. Edwardo. Couch. Making out.

Joke lang. Me and Edwardo sitting on the couch lang. Wala kaming ginagawa. Promise. Di niya nga ako kinakausap eh. So di ko rin siya kinakausap. Duh. Mukhang malalim ang iniisip eh. Ako din, meron.

Si Carrie Lian Torres pa rin. Di ko alam pero natatakot ako. It's been days since that unlucky(for me) meeting. Oo na, coward na kung coward. Bitch na coward. Eh mas malala kasi sakin yon. Sigh. Even me. I believe na magkaparehs nga kami.

But. Why did she even come back? I thought she'll stay in Europe for good? Akala ko doon siya maghahasik ng lagim. Mas malalaking tao, gangs at gangsters ang nasa Europe. Kung ang isang gang dito sa Pilipinas, walo na ang may pinakamababang members, marami na yon sa Europe. The biggest gang in Europe consists of only two members ~ King and Queen. And Palace is the name of their gang. But they're not romantically related. Dalawa lang sila pero marami silang hawak na mga gangs. Even though yung mga hawak nilang mga gangs ay may kanya-kanyang gang leader. The gangs they hold would sacrifice their all for the King and Queen. Sa Europe, mas nakakatakot. Mas laganap ang ilegal na mga bagay. At higit sa lahat, mas brutal, laganap ang patayan, mga wala nang ultimo katiting na awa ang natitira sa kanila.

And I think that is the reason why Evil Princess went to Europe. She believes she can conquer Europe and dethrone the current Queen.

Nawala ako sa pag-iisip ko nang may tumawag sa pangalan ko.

"Carlie," Jayvee calls me seriously. Ni hindi man lang nakatingin sakin. Naka-back hug kasi siya sakin tapos yung tingin niya naka-focus lang sa isang direksyon. Frozen. Blank. Emotionless.

And I know this is the serious one.

"Yeah?" sagot ko.

"Do you know that there's a big complication that came yesterday?"

And by 'complication', it means 'gang issue'.

"What complication?" I asked.

He heaved a sigh and said, "Well, I'm sure you know Evil Princess."