I'm Busted Loving the Prince (A Story About Us)

Ch.15: Rumor has it?

Ch.15: Rumor has it?

"Hey, maybe you gusto mo na ring kainin ang plato, kutsara at tinidor mo," Daniel commented on Lilian's eating manners.

Daniel, Lilian, Ashley, Anthony and Jeryll are eating their lunch sa cafeteria.

"Ugh! Seriously, bakit niyo pa ba sinama itong nerd na ito sa atin?" Lilian asked her friends.

"Bakit hindi? I'm pretty cool huh."

"Saang banda?" Lilian rolled her eyes.

"Tumigil na nga kayong dalawa. You even knew each other since you were a baby! You can pass as bestfriends--huwag nga lang kayong mag-aaway," Jeryll commented.

"WHAAATTT?!!" gulat na gulat na tanong ng dalawa na akala mo sumigaw si Jeryll ng "Bomba!"

The other three chuckled.

"When there is no bickering, it's not Daniel and Lilian," Ashley commented.

Anthony nodded. "Tama ka."

"Well, Ash and Anth, hindi niyo pa ata alam na si Jeryll and her boyfriend, Wave, are going to be our representatives for Date for a cause. Isn't that cool?" Daniel changed the topic.

"Yeah! And I seriously wonder, paano naging kayo ni Wave? Eh hindi naman kayo close at matagal ng magkakilala...Spill the beans, Je. Come on..." Lilian proded her on, agreeing on Daniel's plan to distract them.

"Uhh..." Jeryll scratched the back of her head.

Ano bang dapat sabihin ko?

"Representatives? Talaga? That's great, Jeryll!" Ashley squealed, saving Jeryll.

"Hindi ba, Anth?"

"Ha? Uhh...o-oo nga," Anthony answered her reluctantly.

Actually, hindi ko alam kung bakit pero....

I have a bad feeling about this....

***

"Bye, guys! Kailangan ko na umuwi nang maaga eh," Ashley waved at them.

Ngayon na kasi yung dinner niya with Anthony. Kaya kailangan niyang umuwi ng maaga para makapag-prepare. No one knows how she is really excited about this.

Pumunta naman si Anthony sa library para tapusin yung mga assignment nila para makauwi na rin siya nang maaga. Obviously, kaya sila nagmamadali ay para sa dinner nila mamaya.

At si Daniel din ay umuwi na rin ng maaga dahil kailangan daw niya samahan ang kapatid niya sa mall. So, ang natira na lang na magkasama ay si Lilian at Jeryll.

"Lian, punta lang akong C.R. Mauna ka na umuwi," Jeryll said.

"Oh, antayin na lang kita sa lobby."

"Oh, no! Umuwi ka na. Kanina ka pa inaantay ng driver mo. It's okay I can manage," sabi ni Jeryll, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Okay, sige, sabi mo eh. Take care, friend!"

"Ikaw din!"

Jeryll waved at her at naglakad na siya papunta sa rest room.

Upon entering the rest room, Jeryll quickly got inside a cubicle and did her business. Habang ginagawa niya ang kanyang business, narinig niyang bumukas ang pinto at may mga pumasok.

"I seriously can't get it," someone said.

Teka! Parang pamilyar ang boses na yun ah!

Si....

....Ria?

"Yeah! Bakit mo ba sinabi yun, Andrea?!"

And that's voice...si Chloe yun at kasama si Andrea.

"Bakit anong masama sa suggestion ko kanina?" Andrea asked.

"Kasi everyone hates that geek! We. Hate. Jeryll. Marie. Pablosa!" sagot ni Ria.

Jeryll covered her mouth as she gasps. Siya pala ang pinag-uusapan nila.

"And that's the catch," Andrea replied.

"Ano?" tanong ni Chloe.

Jeryll still covers her mouth habang nakikinig sa usapan nila.

"Everyone hates Jeryll for dating Wave. At magiging kasali siya sa program kasama si Wave," Andrea pointed.

"And so?" tanong ulit ni Ria.

"Do you seriously expect that someone would want to date her on that party?"

"Huh?"

"It's this simple. Una, Jeryll is just a lowly scholar. Secondly, she's a geek. And lastly, alam naman nating kaya niya dine-date si Wave ay para makakuha ng attention. Such a social climber. Walang gugustuhin maging date siya at gumastos para sa kanya. She's  just a lowly geek gold digger."

"Wow! Tama ka!"

"And she would be like a fool, crazy b*tch at that program waiting for someone to bid at her. When, in fact, wala namang may gusto sa kanya. No one wants to spend a single penny for her," Andrea concluded.

"Wow, you're such a genius, Drea!" Ria squealed.

"Tara! Let's celebrate!" Chloe suggested.

"YEAH!" They shouted in unison.

Pagkatapos, naring ni Jeryll na bumukas at nagsarado ang pinto. Ibig sabihin lang nun ay umalis na sila.

Jeryll tried fixing herself up and flushed the toilet. Binuksan niya ang pinto ng cubicle at lumabas.

She stood there watching her reflection in the mirror.

Hindi na niya alam kung ano ba ang tingin sa kanya ng ibang tao.

She can feel her whole body shaking--trembling. And soon, tears started to blur her vision.

Jeryll sat at the cold floor below her, hands on her chest and tears flowing down her face.

Sobrang sakit ng nararamdaman niya na kahit ayaw niya, hindi niya mapigilang umiyak.

Their words are like salt that is continuously rubbed on her fresh open wounds.

She sat on the ground, hugging her legs.

So, 'yon ang tingin nila sa akin? That I'm a geek and lowly? At higit sa lahat, that I'm just a gold digger b*tch?

With their words, hindi niya maiwasang maramdamang cheap siya.

Wala naman siyang ginagawang masama sa kanila. Hindi namang masama ang iligtas ang pag-aaral niya 'di ba?

Bakit ganoon ang tingin ng lahat sa kanya?

The girl buried her face in her hands, as tears still flows down her beautiful face.

She finds it hard to breathe as her heart felt heavy. She doesn't feel any thing because she feels so numb.

It's like a 10 wheeler truck hit her at 100 mph. Hindi niya inaasaang mangyari ito. Definitely hindi.

Then, may narinig si Jeryll na mga footsteps na papalapit. She quickly stood up before opening the door and ran outside as fast as she could.

Wala na siyang panahon pa para intindihin kung natulak man niya yung tao sa harap ng pinto. Tutal, tinulak na naman siya palayo nang lahat.

She doesn't care if she looks like a mess--because everybody looks at her that way now.

I just don't want to be pathetic in front of everyone anymore....

It hurts so much.

She continued to run and run...

Nakita niya ang main gate ng school....

I need to get out of there...

I should run faster....

So this is how it feels to be betrayed...

I feel that my whole self is torn into billion pieces...

She ran until....