The Mayor's Girl

chapter 2

Friday wasn't eventful at all. Exempted kaming mga Debate Society sa orientation kasi daw we still need to get ready. Since tapos naman kaming magpack, nagmall nalang kami to get things we didn't have. 

"Wala na akong kailangan, kayo?" Nicole asked the team. Everyone just answered na wala na. Lima lang kami nandidito at yun ay ako, si Sam, Juan, Nicole and Angel. Asan ba si fake James Reid? Well, bahala siya sa buhay niya. 

Just like what I was thinking, Nicole asked aloud asan ba si fake James Reid. "Di rin namin macontact eh. Tawagan ko kuya niya mamaya if di pa siya dumating before the call time." Juan answered. Napatango nalang kami ni Nicole habang dinidilaan ko naman ang aking vanilla ice cream.

Ah teka, medyo naglag ako na parang pisonet na may nagyoyoutube sa kabilang computer. Tatawagan ni Juan ang kuya ni fake James Reid? So si James yun diba? May number sila? OMG, may number nga sila kay James. Pero aanhin ko naman number nun eh di rin naman ako magugustohan? 'Wag na lang, Yanne. Iyak mo nalang yan.

And before I could even notice, natapilok ako sa kakaoverthink ko habang naglalakad at napag-iwanan na ako nina Nicole. Di ko rin yun nanotice ah? Buti nalang may dalawang matipunong mga braso na sumalo sa akin bago ako mahulog sa sahig ulit gaya sa nangyari kay fake James Reid. Tatanga tanga talaga ako minsan.

Pagtingala ko naman sa sumalo sa akin, aba anak ng tokwa. It seemed like he had galaxies in his chocolate eyes. At ngumiti pa ang gago, ayon, I melted na. Nakabuka lang talaga ang bunganga ko habang pinagmamasdan ang kanyang mukha. Ang gwapo sobra, parang hindi tao.

"Miss, tunaw na." Narinig ko ang malalim niyang boses. That sent shivers through my spine. Pero ano raw sabi niya? Sinabi niya bang tunaw na siya? Kapal ng mukha, nahuli ata akong tinititigan siya. Wala na ba talagang gwapo na hindi epal, Lord? Kairita, bwisit.

"H-ha? A-anong t-tunaw na? Kapal naman ng mukha mo! H-Hindi ako nakatitig sayo noh!" Pinanlisikan ko siya ng mata at tinulak palayo. I managed to stand on my own naman. But then his smile widened and even showed his perfect set of teeth. May gana ka pa talagang ngumiti, epal talaga, bwisit! 

"Ice cream mo, miss. Tunaw na." He let out a chuckle and shook his head. Napatingin naman ako sa ice cream ko na tumutulo na. My eyes widened and my jaw literally dropped in realization. Ang tatanga tanga ko na talaga. Super. Grabe. Tanga award. My eyebrows scrunched in shame, awkwardness and everything else making this situation worse.

Bubuksan pa sana niya ang bunganga niya pero bago pa siya makapagsalita, inunahan ko na. I walked out. Fast. Nakakahiya sobra. He called out to me his name pero it wasn't clear. The only thing I understood was 'Vi' at the beginning, bahala na. Manila is big, we won't see each other again. I'm sure, unlike Cebu na napakasmall world lang.

I catched up with Nicole and the rest. They asked me san daw ako galing. I just said wala lang. As if I'd share the most embarrassing thing that has happened to me today. Pero ang pogi niya, super. Very moreno na matipuno. Yung tipong pag-aagawan.

Tinapon ko nalang ang ice cream dahil it reminds me of what happened earlier. Tsaka parang sabaw na, literal tunaw talaga. Ang sayang lang ng pera ko, kinakahiya ko pa ng sobra sobra ang sarili ko. 

Kumain nalang kami sa Pizza Hut before taking off for the YEC. Ayaw naman naming pumunta doon na gutom at walang dalang food. I mean, they'd serve dinner but having your own midnight snacks is different. Oo na, ang taba ko na. Ulitin mo pa.

We rode Sam's car to the resort we'd be staying in. It's not that fancy but it doesn't look cheap too. May dalawang pools and the sea. Meron ring clubhouse na kay laki but it looks like an enormous bahay kubo. 

"Asan na ba si Jack?" Tanong ni Nicole sa mga boys. "Di pa rin namin macontact eh. Tinawagan na rin namin kuya and ate niya but they had no idea too." Juan just sighed after he answered Nicole's inquiry. 

They allowed us to settle in our rooms first before they began the orientation, lectures and the like. Isa kami ng room with Angel and Nicole, ibang room naman ang boys. Linagay namin ang aming konting luggages and got ready for the orientation.

I retouched my makeup and changed into the YEC shirt na binigay ng school. I put my hair in a loose bun and lumabas na kami for the orientation sa clubhouse.

There were a lot of students. Thankfully, seats are reserved and counted kaya di naman siya ganoon ka hassle na you'll be standing all the way throughout the orientation. "Sino pa ba hinihintay? Tagal." Sam complained habang naupo kami sa aming designated seats. Pinatahimik naman ni Angel si Sam at panay hanap pa rin siya kay Jack.

"The mayor hasn't arrived yet. Just shut up, Sam, okay?" Angel hissed kasi Sam never stopped at nakakahiya kasi hindi maingay yung ibang schools. "Andito na si mayor!" Someone announced outside.

All the students stood up to greet the mayor. Napaka-VIP naman nito, may pa greet pa. Someone tall walked in front of us, on his way to face us. He turned around and faced us and - ANAK NG TOKWA. It's the guy who I shut off because I thought he caught me staring.

Our gazes met and our eyes locked. I bit my lip out of nervousness and he smirked at me. Akala ko Manila was big, I thought wrong. His smirk turned into a toothy grin that teased me, his eyes still locked with mine.

"Good afternoon, students. Mayor Vico Sotto here."