"Who brought me here?" I asked when she stopped speaking for a while.
"Hindi ko po kilala Senyorita e"
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Lalake po! Grabe po Senyorita! Sobrang gwaaaaaaapo!"
Saktong may pumasok naman at si Derris iyon.
"Sya po iyon, Senyorita!"
"Crossini Rolls" he called.
Derris Mendoza, also a son of a multi-billionaire.
He's kind and I love his attitude. We're childhood friends and this is the very first time na nagkita ulit kami after so many years. He's rich too.
"It's been years!" I started.
"I missed you," as we both hugged each other. "What's up? Buti nalang nakita kita kanina, and I'm sorry for what happened to your family."
"It's okay"
At nagka-kwentuhan pa kami ng sobrang haba. I'm really comfortable with him.
He never changed. He's a corny type of person. Imagine, a son of a multi-billionaire saying 'Knock! Knock!' just to make you laugh. He's adorable. He has this hazel eyes, pointed nose, kissable lips, thick eyebrows, and dimples.
Whenever he talks, his dimple shows. And it's really adorable for me. For all we've been through before, I already treated him as my sibling.
Ng pinayagan na ako lumabas doon sa hospital ng campus ay sinabay na ako Derris pauwi. I can trust him.
There's nothing I can doubt about him.
Una munang inihatid si Lala bago ako.
Akala ko ihahatid niya ako, but because he really missed me, he stayed.
Inakbayan ako nito habang papasok sa grand gate.
May nakita akong nag-flash sa may hindi kalayuan pero hindi ko na iyon pinansin pa.
"You still have your nannies? That's good!" bulalas niya.
"That's not my nannies, someone hired them for me. Come on!"
***
Habang sabay na kumakain ay napag-usapan namin na galing daw silang Manchester at doon siya nag-aral for almost 8 years at bumalik para mag-aral sa kapareho ring school kung saan ako nag-aaral.
"And now I'm back, I'll be protecting you again." I smiled. He used to save me before too.
Tumunog ang Iphone ko kaya agad kong sinagot 'yon.
"Crossini," I ended the call. It's Nikolai.
"Who is it?"
"Nothing, it doesnt matter anyways. So, how's your love life? Don't tell me you haven't been in a relationship yet? You're so weak! Hahahahaha!" napailing nalang ito.
"Someone already has my heart but she never know she has it."
"Whoaaaaa! That's deep!" hindi ko matantiya kung nagbibiro nanaman ba siya o seryoso siya sa sinasabi niya. He's always like that. Laging siyang nagbibitaw ng mga salita na mapapa-isip ka nalang talaga.
"I think I need to go, marami pa akong kailangan gawin. By the way, we'll see each other tommorow."
At hinatid ko na ito sa tapat ng grand gate.
He kissed my forehead. He used to do it everytime he's leaving. That's his routine.
Kinawayan ko ito hanggang sa makalayo na ang kotse nito.
Habang nanonood ng movie sa living room ay may lumapit na kasambahay sa akin at ini-abot ang Iphone ko.
"Naiwan niyo po sa dining table, Senyorita." nakatungong ani nito.
Inabot ko naman iyon at tinignan.
Goodness gracious!
52 received mesages from Nikolai?!
Agad kong binuksan ang mga mensahe at binasa ang iba roon.
Where are you?
Are you okay? What do you want me do to with Melania Lim and Valerie Madrigal?
Answer my messages or else I'll call you.
Bakit mo ako binabaan ng tawag?!
Are you mad? What's the problem, baby?
Agad kong dinelete lahat ng 'yon at nagpatuloy sa panonood. Habang kumakain ng popcorn hindi ko maiwasang hindi isipin kung paano gaganti doon sa dalawang cobra. I want revenge. But of course, wala sa vocabulary ng pamilya namin 'yon.
We'll just hire people to shut them down or whatsoever. I'm aware of what's happening in our family. And that made our grip stronger. And now, I'm the only one left. How could I practice revenge if I'm the only one and I have no allies anymore?
That's the sad truth.
Kinabukasan ay halos malate na akong pumasok dahil tinamad akong bumangon.
Habang pina-park ang bike ko, I saw Derris waving his hand. I waved back at lumapit sa kanya.
"Good morning!" I greeted.
"Good morning," at siya na nagbuhat ng bag ko.
Habang naglalakad sa hallway, students especially girls are looking at him pero hindi niya rin ito nililingon.
Mukhang good boy kasi 'tong si Derris. And what you see outside, is the same like inside.
"Look, that bitch really welcome rich transferees for her gold-digging plans!"
"She's so malandi!"
"He's Derris Mendoza, right? Bakit kasama niya si Crossini?"
Dinig naming bulungan. Huminto si Derris at nilingon ang mga nagbubulungang iyon.
"Crossini Rio isn't a bitch. She's my sweet childhood friend and stop judging her capabilities. She's not stepping any of your nerves so don't act like she've burned down your lives." hinila ko na ito palayo.
We're classmates. I asked Harra to shift to the vacant chairs and hopefully she agreed. She rolled her eyes before standing up.
"Now, we're seatmates!" he just laughed.
After ng mga klase, agaw atensyon talaga siya sa mga tao. Kahit nandito na kami sa cafeteria, halos mabali ang mga leeg ng kapwa namin estudyante, kalilingon sa kanya.
Habang kumakain halos mabulunan ako ng may biglang humila sa siko ko. Hinawakan naman ako ni Derris sa kabila.
"Let go of her," mahinahon ngunit may awtoridad na sabi ni Derris. Napalingon naman ako sa nanghila sa akin.
"Why would I listen to you?" hinila ako nito ng pabigla kaya napapikit ako sa sakit ng pagkakahawak nito.
"Dahil ako ang responsable sa kanya."
Agad namang napalingon sa akin si Nikolai at binigyan ako ng nagtatakang tingin.
Nilingon ko naman si Derris at sinenyasan na ayos lang ako. Tinaguan ko ito bago niya ako binitawan.
Nagpaagos na ako sa marahas na hila Nikolai, hanggang sa makaabot na kami sa library.
I saw anger in his eyes. Hindi niya man sabihin, nakikita ko 'yon.
Well, I don't care if he's angry or what. Hindi naman siguro ako sakop ng ikinagagalit niya.
