The Brighter Side of Things

Chapter 6

North Vergara tried to talk to me when we were already seated inside the classroom. Could you believe it? He was right next to me because we were arranged alphabetically. But when I deliberately gave him the cold shoulder, he stopped trying. Ha! What did I even expect from him? And the fact that students talked about what he did, or rather, shouted, for days added fuel to the fire already raging inside me that I didn't want to unleash. I had mastered stamping down the urge to go She-hulk through the years of being the subject of jokes, and being the laughing stock. By far, this was the worst and I needed the space and time to recover my dignity that he blasted into smithereens.

In the midst of thinking happy thoughts to neutralize my emotions, I still just couldn't believe that the guy with a knee wrapped in a Velcro and whom I felt sorry for did that. I mean, I gave him sago't gulaman! And this is how he'd repay me? By humiliating me in front of practically the student population? If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have given him my palamig at all. I really hoped he choked more than once while drinking it.

To make matters worse, it turned out that this very North was Lexi's step-cousin. And by association with him, I chose to give her the same cold treatment. But that didn't seem to affect her. In fact, she just laughed my reaction off as if she knew it would happen. But still, if she wanted me to be North's buddy at school, she should teach him some manners first. Also, judging by how well he got along well with Brandon' gang, he wouldn't even need my help. More importantly, if he'd be part of Brandon's gang (which by the looks of it, he already was), I wouldn't want anything to do with him.

"Felicity."

The mechanical pencil I had been playing with between my fingers clattered on my desk. The mere sound of his voice had my blood near boiling point. Pretending that I didn't hear him, I picked up my pen, resumed playing with it and opened my Pre-calculus textbook at a random page where alien-looking formulas and numbers swam in my head.

It had been four days since this pasty giant jerk humiliated me on the first day of school, no less. The fact that we sat next to each other for most of our classes regardless if we're arranged by height or alphabetically by surname, was like fate joining in to make fun of me. To my utter dismay, there was no shaking this guy off.   

My ears didn't miss the sound of a chair scraping the floor. "Felicity," he repeated. He sounded closer this time.

I gripped the mechanical pencil that I had been playing with. Oh, how I wanted to stab it into his neck and marvel at the blood spurting through the wound and him gasping for air...but thought otherwise. I snapped the book shut and glowered at him. "What."

North's eyebrows lifted, backing off a bit. Feeling guilty, I willed myself to calm down some more and he gave me a few seconds to do just that. When I was ready, I cleared my throat. But this time, I was back at playing with my pencil, clicking the button as I watched the lead creep out of the tiny hole at the tip. I noticed that his left leg was still extended and I suspected he was wearing the Velcro underneath. "Yes?"

"You aren't replying to my text messages," he said, matter-of-factly. From my perimeter view, I could make out a tentative smile playing on his lips.

The scoff that escaped mine was inevitable and suddenly, I forgot about his injury. "What text messages?" I lied, clicking on my mechanical pen faster this time, just as the beating of my heart picked up its pace.

I had read all his text messages, sure. When I refused to speak to him on the first day of classes, I was surprised to receive a message from him right before I went to bed. I had no doubts that he got my number from my best friend. Lexi was adamant that we'd get past this hiccup and get along. With the way things were going, I didn't think that would happen anytime soon. So, I ignored her and her step-cousin.