ALEXIS and the Bet

Chapter Nine: The Plan

Alicia, Madie and I went to our usual lunch table. When I sat down with the rest, my anger was slowly slipping away and all I felt was a stabbing pain in my heart. You know that feeling? As if my heart was crushed because I had a crush on Ben, and I thought he was a decent guy since he rescued me from Bianca's evil schemes and he also gave me a pair of beautiful glasses. Not to mention he was really a handsome guy. But for those boys to play with other people's feelings, and to make their own evil plans? It was too much to bear.

"Naku! Sinasabi ko na nga ba, eh. Wala talagang kwenta yang grupo nila!" I heard Robyn saying. I was too stunned with what had happened and I remained quiet all throughout lunch. Madie gave Robyn and Joey the details of what we had heard. "At kasama pa talaga sa pagplano yang Marco Lucero na 'yan? Dapat palitan na nila family name nila, eh. Instead na Lucero, dapat Lucifer na!"

"Relax ka lang diyan Robyn," Madie said. "Naiinis din ako sa kanila pero dapat mahinahon lang tayo para makapag-isip nang maayos sa gagawin natin."

"Hindi ako makapaniwala na magagawa pala ni Ben yung ganoon," Alicia said sadly. "Kilala ko kasi siya since elementary. Bad influence siguro yung barkada niya."

I saw Joey giving Alicia a nod. "Ganoon din kay Nathan. Pansin ko, since simula nung naging member siya ng Blue Knights at naging close sa Pink Angels, nagbago na rin siya."

"Haharapin ko siya," I finally said, unable to stay silent for long. My heart might have been hurt, but there was still a sheer determination in my mind that told me something had to be done. "Sasabihin ko sa kanya na alam ko mga plano nila.

"'Wag!" Robyn, Joey and Madie said in unison.

"Ha? Bakit?" I asked, confused by their reactions.

"Sa tingin ko, dapat maturuan natin yang grupo nila ng leksyon," Robyn said with determination.

I gave Robyn a puzzled look. "Anong ibig mong sabihin?"

"Lagi na lang kasi silang ganoon, eh. I mean, lagi nila tayong pinapahiya at inaapi." Robyn gazed at Madie. "Ikaw Mads, lagi kang binubully ni Dave." She shifted her eyes to Alicia. "Ikaw naman Alicia, kahit 'di mo sabihin sa amin, alam pa rin namin na nasasaktan ka tuwing nagpaparinig sa 'yo si Bianca at mga alipores niya. Ikaw Joey, bestfriend mo si Nathan pero halos 'di ka malapitan 'pag nasa paligid ang Blue Knights at Pink Angels. Meron bang best friend na ganoon? At ako! Lagi akong pinapahiya ni Marco Lucifer dahil yun ang nagpapasaya sa kanya."

"Ang babaw talaga ng mga kaligayahan nila, porket 'di tayo cool at mayayaman," Madie added. I was surprised to hear Madie agree with Robyn. It was usually Madie who was the reasonable girl among the rest of us. But then again, maybe she was really mad at Dave for mentioning her as his personal victim/slave.

I shifted my gaze to the side, trying to think clearly. From a far, I saw Peter carrying several stacks of books. He suddenly tripped and the books and papers lay scattered to the ground. Near him were the Pink Angels. Instead of helping him, they all laughed at him as if they found Peter tripping over very funny. Bianca even kicked one book several feet away from him before they left. I heard Joey excusing herself and saw her running towards Peter to help him.

Thinking about how the rest of the uncool people and non-Pinksters were treated by those jerks added to my fury. It was time to put an end to the reigns of the Blue Knights and Pink Angels. Someone should put those two groups in their rightful places. And I was all up for whatever plan Robyn had.

"Okay," I finally said. "Anong gagawin natin?"

Robyn gave me a weird smile that showed she had it all planned out. It turned out Robyn's plan was a little outrageous, but it might just work. The plan? If Benjamin thought he could make me fall for him, he was in for a real surprise. Before he could succeed on his plan, I needed to make him fall for me instead. And the moment that he did, I would have to break his heart by rejecting him in front of everyone at the school quadrangle.

"So i-babasted ko siya pag na-inlove na siya sa akin? Tapos ipapakita natin sa Pink Angels lalo na kay Bianca at Ashley na pwedeng magkagusto sa isang ordinaryong student ang isang Blue Knights. Gets ko na," I said.

Alicia was a little hesitant about everything. Madie, Robyn and Joey (who had joined us after she helped Peter) however were very much determined to teach the Blue Knights a lesson they would never forget. I admit that the plan was a little cruel. But they were the one who started the bet. If no one would teach them a lesson, then they might do the same thing to another poor girl.

"Pero hindi ako sigurado paano siya ma-iinlove sa akin," I voiced out. "I mean, tignan niyo naman hitsura ko." I wasn't really on the pretty department, if you know what I mean.

"Leave it to me," Madie said. "Papatulong tayo sa ate ko na ayusan ka."

"And leave it to me para gumawa ng mga ideas para makuha mo ang puso ni Benjamin Lucero," Joey offered, her eyes twinkling as if she had already formulatated an epic conspiracy.

"At mas maganda ma-document natin ang lahat. Para mapakita sa lahat at ma-prove sa mga Blue Knights na 'yan na hindi lahat ng mga babae ay kaya nilang paibigin at lokohin at i-bully. Para maramdaman din nila paano ang masaktan at mapahiya," Robyn added.

Alicia, who was squirming on her seat, voiced out her concerns. "Hindi ba bad ang gagawin natin? And hindi naman mean si Arthur ko, eh. Baka madamay siya."

"Alicia, ang totoo si Arthur--" Joey wasn't able to finish what she was saying for Robyn nudged her elbow to Joey's side, as if the two knew something and Robyn didn't want Alicia to know what it was.

Robyn faced Alicia and said, "Alicia, kailangan nila maturuan ng leksyon. Ang plano nila, bad na yun sa umpisa pa lang. Oo medyo hindi maganda ang gagawin natin pero kailangang magawa natin ito para matuto sila."

I turned to the side to face Alicia and tried to reassure her. "'Wag kang mag-alala. Hindi ko idadamay si Arthur if wala naman siyang kasalanan. Gagawin ko ito para malaman ng Blue Knights pati na rin ng Pink Angels na hindi nila tayo tauhan at hindi sila pwede maghari-harian at reyna-reynahan dito sa St. Bernadette Academy." Alicia made a small sigh before she gave me a nod. "Pero gusto ko sana isauli ang glasses. Ayoko magkaroon ng utang na loob sa kanya."

"May natitira ka pa bang cupcake diyan o inubos mo na?" Joey suddenly asked.

"Meron pang isa," I answered sheepishly. I ate five cupcakes out of anger. My earlier appetite was emotionally induced. I couldn't help it! I was really angry at Benjamin.

Joey gave us one of her knowing smile --a sort of creepy smile you usually see in the movies when one came up with a devious plan. "Robyn, since ikaw ang mahilig mag-emote sa atin, ikaw na ang magsulat ng maliit na thank you pero sweet na note."

"Talagang ako?" Robyn asked. "Alicia tulungan mo ako."

"Madie, after class ba ay dumadaan si Benjamin sa school paper office?" Joey asked Madie.

Madie gave a nod. "Oo. Dumadaan siya bago pumunta sa tennis court para sa practice."

Joey gave another creepy smile. "Good. I-delay mo ng kahit na five minutes si Benjamin sa pagpunta sa school paper office. At tayong dalawa naman Alex, i-seset natin ang surprise para kay Benjamin sa loob ng office."

Robyn imitated an evil laugh. "Bwahaha! Ito ang simula nang pagbagsak ng Blue Knights at Pink Angels!"

A part of me inside wanted to say what we were planning to do was wrong. But a stronger part in me said the Blue Knights and Pink Angels deserved every bit of misery and humiliation that would happen to them. I was not only doing this for myself, I was also doing this for my friends and for the rest of us minorities that they have bullied on. Benjamin and the rest of his friends were in for a big surprise when a nerd like me breaks the heart of a Mr Campus heartthrob like him.

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