A Fairy's Tale (and The Princess' Story)

"Aww... Louise, kawawa ka naman, where's your driver? Where's your limo? Is your daddy so busy with his new wife to take notice of his little princess anymore?"

That was the snide remark that greeted Bea and Louise as the two of them alighted from Bea's car.

Kararating lang nila noon sa campus ng kolehiyong pinapasukan nilang dalawa and they just happened to hit the jackpot nang sa dinami-dami ng estudyante ng kanilang paaralan, si Lexi, ang maganda pero masungit na head cheerleader ng kanilang paaralan kasama ng mga barkada nito.

Lexi and Louise had been close friends in their childhood years actually, especially since magkalapit lang ang tinitirhan nilang dalawa. It was her na kasa-kasama ni Louise na dinadamitan ng pang-prinsesa ng mga magulang at yaya nila during parties and celebrations at ito rin ang kasa-kasama ni Louise noon na naglalaro at gumagala sa exclusive na subdibisyong tinitirhan nila. Bea only entered the picture when they were late into their elementary years.

It was a good timing too, especially for Louise dahil iyon ang panahon na nagsimula ang unti-unting pagbabago ng dating best friend nito. By high school, Lexi had declared Louise, and effectively Bea, who had stood next to her friend all along, as non-existent sa mundo nito dahil sa inis nito na parati silang naiku-kumparang dalawa.

But only until college did things went from bad to worst. First year college kasi ay nakilala nila ang basketball rookie at campus heartthrob na si Alden. Lexi developed a crush on Alden pero open ang lalaki sa admission nito na si Louise ang gusto nito. At kahit na ba hindi sinasagot ni Louise ang lalaki, partly na rin dahil naging magkaibigan pa rin naman sila ni Lexi kahit papaano, things could not get any worse sa pagitan ng mga ito.

And through it all, Bea simply stood by Louise, kahit na minsan ay gusto niyang batukan ang babae dahil sa madalas na hindi nito paglaban sa mga patutsada ni Lexi. Of course Louise fights back sometimes pero kadalasan kaysa ay umiiwas na lang ito. And not that Bea's that much of a war freak either.

May mga pagkakataon, tulad noon, na gusto niyang ignorahin na lang ang presence ng babae.

"Ignore her," ani Bea, linking arms with Louise nang madadaanan na nila ang nakapameywang pang si Lexi, all her friends were snickering behind her.

"Tell me Bea, how happy are you with your role?" sagot ni Lexi na malamang ay narinig ang sinabi ni Bea. "sidekick, 2nd fiddle, best friend?" dagdag pa nito sa tonong may halong panunutya.

Sometimes, when Lexi doesn't get a reaction from Louise, si Bea ang tinitira niya. Not too often though, since kahit wala pa siya sa mood, tiyak na lalaban si Bea.

Stopping on her heels nang marinig niya ang sinabi ng babae, Bea turned around and just before she could advance to the girl, napigilan na siya ni Louise na alam agad kung ano ang nasa isip niya. For a moment there, rumehistro ang takot sa mukha ni Lexi especially since Bea's a lot more meatier than the skinny Lexi. Minsan, nagtataka na lang sina Bea kung papaanong hindi pa nagagawang liparin si Lexi ng hangin.

Not having a chance to reach the girl, especially with Louise holding her back, tinignan na lang ni Bea mula ulo hanggang paa si Lexi, and then she too smirked.

"Mas okay nang pangalawa, kaysan naman kontrabida," anito sabay talikod para ituloy ang kanilang paglalakad.

Bea could tell na nagpipigil ng tawa si Louise sa sinabi niya at aminado siyang siya man ay ganoon din. She tried to keep a straight face though especially nang marinig nila ang outraged na sagot ng babaeng kanilang iniwan.

"Excuse me?!" 

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Bea and Louise were still laughing by the time they reached their room for their first class of the day. Wala pa ang kanilang instructor kaya nagkakagulo pa ang iba nilang mga kaklase. It gave them time para ituloy ang topic nila.