Changed

Seventeen

-SEVENTEEN-

"Amilyte! Ang pogi pogi talaga niya ehhh! So handsome... He's like a demigod!" Squealed Talia. We're eating our lunches and she's talking like crazy about the boy he met in an island somewhere in Palawan.

"Mas gwapo pa sakin?" Nagulat ako ng marinig si Sage. Umupo siya sa tabi ko at inagaw yung salad na kinakain ko. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pagala-gala siya dito sa school. Sabi ni Talia, may ibang hindi na-credit na subjects si Sage. May--should I say branch?--itong university sa ibang bansa, so students could transfer.

"Yeah! Superb!" She stuck her to tongue out to him in a playful manner. "I think Im in love with him!" That made me laugh. I haven't laugh for days. With Talia talking, matatawa ka talaga.

"At last, you add brightness to your pale face," Sage leaned and whispered. Ngumiti pa siya. I smiled awkwardly. Since that night, I am having bad dreams. I end up screaming in the middle of the night that wake the hell out of Sage. 2 araw na yata siyang natutulog sa couch sa kwarto ko.

"Element, pahingi naman nung apple mo."

"Close na ba sila? Or rather bati na ba sila?" Talia nudged me and whispered. Nag-away ba yung dalawa? And what did he call Xenon? Element? Guys are mysterious, really.

"Nagaway ba sila?" Kumunot yung noo ko pero hindi na ko sinagot ni Talia. Ngumiti lang siya na nagsasabing 'It's not my story to tell' .

Binalibag ni Xenon yung apple at agad namang kinagat yun ni Sage.

"Pano yung thesis natin?" Divine asked. Magkaka-group kami sa thesis. We're done, ipopolished nalang.

"Right. Sa bahay niyo pwede?" They asked Divine.

"I'll ask."

"Pwede siguro kung sa lahat ng mga houses natin tayo gagawa, diba? Para mapuntahan ko lahat ng home sweet homes niyo! That would be lovely!" Talia suggested with a happy face. Nag-frown naman yung iba.

"Sooo...aalis na ko. Babye!" Tumayo na ko bago pa ko sundan ng mag-pinsan.

Kumuha ko ng books sa lib, pinapakuha ng prof na nakasalubong ko kanina. Papunta na ko sa office niya ng may mabangga ako.

"Ouch! Fuck it! Wala ka bang mga mata?" Bigla siyang sumigaw na nakakuha ng attention sa mga dumadaan. Dali dali kong pinulot yung mga librong nagkalat tska ako tumayo ng maayos para matingnan siya. Nagkasalubong kami ng tingin parehas kaming nagulat.

"So, the famous Amilyte. Clumsy as ever." She scrutinized me from head to toe. Inirapan pa niya ko bago magsalita.

"Gi Valera," I said her name with a frown.

"We meet again." Gi's smile is creepy kahit na nung mga bata pa kami. Slyness lay between those lips.

"Yeah. Unfortunately," I said icily. She twirls her curly hair with class.

"Oh dear, Im not happy to meet you again. I just want to catch up. Coffee or tea?" Hinatak niya lang ako bigla at sinakay sa kotse niya without waiting for my answer. Her aura is scary. Tss

"Since, when did you ask me for coffee? You disgusted me, remember?" She stifled a laugh and threw a tissue at me. For her, we are mortal enemies. She envy me and we always end up in the same competition when we were kids until high school.

"I just wanted to see my nemesis. You know how much I missed you. Now, I'm back from Australia. And I want to confirm something about the 'bitchy you'." She quoted in the air.