Dancing With Fire (TO BE PUBLISHED)

Kabanata 3

Kabanata 3

"WHAT?" GINO ASKED, confused.

Rai smirked. He was about to answer when I cleared my throat and glanced around.

"Uh... Nandito ang girlfriend mo? Nando'n ba?" Tumuro ako sa kawalan.

My friends glanced around as well.

Rai clenched his jaw as he stared at me. He was about to speak again, but I shot him a sharp glare and shook my head.

Lucian was on the couch, sipping whisky with three other handsome men. Hindi ko masyadong nakita ang mukha nila dahil madilim.

When Lucian saw me, he waved cutely, but I just smiled awkwardly at him and shook my head. He whispered something to the men beside him, and they all turned to look at me at the same time. I noticed some faces seem familiar to me. Saan ko ba nakita ang mga 'to?

"Uhm, nice meeting you!" I told Rai.

He raised a brow and eyed the man beside me.

"Sige, una na kami!" I added, dragging my friends away.

The two girls fussed, but Gino told them off, so they calmed down.

Damn! Too much flirting with handsome, rich men!

As soon as we got downstairs, Gino invited me to dance, but I refused. Instead, I waved at the waiter, grabbed a glass of vodka, and took a sip.

"Bakit kasi tayo umalis agad, Sera?" Jesusa complained. "I wanted to talk to Wave! Magpapa-picture sana ako!"

Akala ko si Rai ay si Ephraim Miranda? Why the hell was he called Vioxx?

"Ano'ng buong pangalan no'ng engineer?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, Vioxx Ephraim Miranda," Jesusa answered. "But his friends and family members call him by his first name. Ayaw raw niyang tinatawag sa buong pangalan niya."

"Mas maayos ang Vioxx. Ang pangit ng Ephraim—kadiri pakinggan." I grimaced and drained the rest of my glass.

"Kadiri? Ang hot kaya!" Jenny exclaimed.

I'm obviously lying, so I just grimaced again, leaned back, at do'n na naramdaman ang hilo sa deretsong pag-inom.

"Are you alright?" Gino asked.

I shifted my gaze to him. "Yeah, just kinda dizzy."

He sighed, tilting his head as he studied me more closely. I felt awkward, kaya uminom pa ako at pumikit.

"Maghahanap na ako ng ibang guwapong boylet!" Jenny declared. Napadilat tuloy ako.

"Better find someone wealthy," I said.

"Of course! As if matatanggap ng pamilya ko kung magkakaroon ako ng mahirap na boyfriend—even just friends! Maaarte sila! They only want me to be surrounded by people in our circle!"

Natahimik ako't napalunok.

"Yeah," Jesusa agreed. "Rich people are definitely classier! Sorry, but I don't want to be friends with those, you know..." She and Jenny laughed.

I didn't laugh with them, I just looked at them quietly. First, because I'm poor. Second, because I don't like how they judge poor people like me.

Wow, Sera. You're a hypocrite! You wonder why they judge poor people, yet you're there pretending you're rich. Judgmental ka rin!

"Jesusa, Jenny," Gino warned them.

"What?" Jenny exclaimed. "Ano'ng masama ro'n? Totoo naman! As if your parents would let you befriend people below us!"