Face the Day

Chapter 6

Patricia felt as if everyone’s looking at her as she walks in the hallway, she doesn’t know if it’s just her imagination or people are actually murmuring with each other while they throw accusing looks on her. Nagsasalubong na ang kilay niya at super ninenerbyos na sya, she’s been through this accusing stares in her previous school, she knows and hates this feeling. And as soon as she saw one of the posters in the bulletin board of their campus, that’s when her fear came true.

There are posters with her picture and a big note in it saying that she was kicked out from school because she was a thief and she did not just steal money but she also steal people’s boyfriends. Of course, nothing in it is true, not even the stealing part. She did not steal any funds at all, someone who was jealous of her for topping the academics set her up.

Tinanggal niya agad ang mga posters pero napatigil lang siya sa ginagawa nang marinig ang boses ni Claire, “Why tear them down? Are you that ashamed of yourself you thief?”

“I am not a thief!” Patricia tried to defend herself, “At alam ko na ikaw naman ang may pakana ng mga ito!” 

“Wow ha, sinisi mo pa ako? May proof ka ba?” 

“Wala, pero – “

“Hindi ka lang magnanakaw, naninisi ka pa ng ibang tao na wala namang ginagawa. Why don’t you just pull out from school like what you did in your previous school? We don’t need thieves in this school.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Look girls,” Claire called her friends to back her up on bullying Patricia, “She’s about to cry. Why are you so angry being called a thief? Well, I can understand. Being called a thief is very shameful, but what can I do, that’s the only thing I can call you because that’s what you are.” 

Bago pa man makapagdagag nang masasakit at masasamang salita ay dumating na sina Kylie at Trixie para tulungan si Patricia. 

“Hoy Claire, anong pinagsasabi mo sa kaibigan namin!” gustong sabunutan ni Trixie si Claire pero pinigilan niya ang sarili niya dahil ayaw niyang bumaba sa level nito. 

 “Ugh. I’m going, I don’t want to be with a thief any longer.” Hindi sila pinansin ni Claire at tinalikuran na lang. 

“Hey Claire, we’re still talking to you!” sigaw ni Kylie pero hindi siya pinakinggan ni Claire at naglakad na ito palayo kasama ang mga kaibigan. Kinomfort na lang nina Kylie at Trixie si Patricia na noo’y umiiyak na, sobra itong nasaktan nang tawagin siyang magnanakaw. Ayaw na ayaw niyang tinatawag nun dahil sobrang sakit nun para sa kanya, bumabalik ang mga alaala niya sa dating paaralan kung saan inakusahan siya ng ganoon ng mga taong malapit sa kanya. 

Inalis lahat nina Trixie at Kylie ang mga poster na nakasabit at kinuha nila lahat ng nasa kamay ng mga tao sa paligid nila, tinanong nila ang mga ito kung alam nila kung sinong nagpakalat nun pero walang sumagot. Sa inis nila ay hinila na lang nila si Patricia palayo sa mga tao. Dinala nila ang kaibigan sa coffee shop at nilibre ito ng isang malaking porsyon ng cake para pagaanin ang loob nito. They promised Patricia that they will catch Claire and get her punished. Sinabi naman ni Patricia na hindi totoo ang mga rumors at kinonfess niya sa mga kaibigan ang totoong nangyari sa dati niyang school. Kylie and Trixie assured her that they believe that those rumors are just rumors.

After school, Kylie and Trixie have cheerleading practice so Patricia has to go home alone for that day. On her way to the waiting shed, she saw Kurt there with a girl. She can’t see who the girl is because her face is burrowed on his chest, the girl’s hair is in disarray. Habang papalapit siya sa mga ito ay may naramdaman siyang kurot sa puso, bigla siyang nagselos sa babaeng yumayakap kay Kurt.

“Kurt?” nang makalapit na siya ng tuluyan sa shed ay tinawag niya ito at nagtaka siya nang tumingin ito sa kanya ng masama. 

 “I can’t believe you did that.” 

“Did what?” naguluhan siya saglit sa sinabi nito pero naalala niya bigla iyong mga posters at natakot tuloy siya na baka pinaniwalaan ito ni Kurt kaya naman sinubukan niyang ipaliwanag ang sarili dito, “Oh, if it’s about the rumors, they’re not true – “

Hindi siya pinatapos nito, “I don’t really care about those rumors, I actually did not  believe in them but how can you accuse someone who’s innocent and even hurt her physically when you don’t even have a proof that she’s the one who spread those rumors?”

“Ano?” nalilito na talaga siya, hindi niya ma-gets kung anong sinasabi ni Kurt hanggang sa lumitaw ang mukha ni Claire mula sa pagkakabaon sa dibdib ng lalaki. There are streaks of tears in her very red cheeks as if it was slapped so hard, her clothes are a bit torn, a button was even missing in her blouse. 

“Naiintindihan kong mahirap para sa’yo ang magkaroon ng ganoong rumors na kumakalat sa campus pero wala ka pa ring rights para saktan ang inosenteng tao dahil lang sa inaakala mong siya ang may gawa nun. Kilala ko na si Claire noong high school pa lang kami, she’s a very sweet and nice girl and I assure you that she can’t do such thing. Why did you have to stoop so low just because of some rumors?” 

She couldn’t speak after hearing of such false story, she remembered what her friend told her before, Claire is really an award winning actress and she’s really good at putting the story the other way around. She saw Claire secretly sticking her tongue out to her. “How immature! How low!” she said in her mind. 

“You disappoint me, Patricia.” Pagkasabi ni Kurt nun ay umalis na ito kasama si Claire. Hindi makapaniwala si Patricia sa sinabi nito, sobrang inis siya kay Claire pero mas nagagalit siya kay Kurt. He didn’t even let her explain herself, he didn’t even give her a chance to say her side of the story, he just believed Claire just like that. 

Kung disappointed siya sa kanya, mas disappointed siya dito.

Of all the people, she expected him to be the one to believe in her but he didn’t. 

Eskinol Beauty Tip: When you want to wear make up, make sure to keep it light. Just make sure to deep cleanse with your Eskinol Facial Deep Cleanser to get rid of that deep-seated dirt.