High School Popular

Chapter 16

Every Chapter, It Was You.

Froilan POV

Hindi ko akalaing makikita ko siya ulit—si Zyn. Pero hindi na siya si Zyn. Hindi niya na ako kilala.

Nakita ko lang ang buo niyang katawan na biglang bumagsak matapos tamaan ng bola. Tumigil ang mundo ko. Napaatras ako. Parang may humampas sa dibdib ko nang marinig ang tawanan nila.

Sh*t! Bricelle! I wanted to run to her, pero nauuna lagi ang galit ko.

Of course she doesn't remember. Of course she doesn't know who the hell I am. Lahat ng memories namin? Gone. At ang mas masakit—hindi man lang siya curious kung sino ako. Hindi man lang nagtaka.

Pinili kong hindi magpakilala. Ayokong kaawaan. Ayokong habulin niya lang dahil may utang na loob. Kung hindi niya ako naalala, fine.

Pero sa totoo lang? Masakit.

Cafeteria's loud as hell, but her voice always cuts through the noise. I saw her across the room. Nakatungo at nahihiya. But I know she's fearless, she's brave. Well—new Bricelle. My Bricelle's been gone for years.

"She's just a worthless mess."

She turned. "What else do you expect from a spoiled brat, anak ng Dean? Royalty of chaos, right?"

Kilala niya ko, pero ang kasalukuyang ako.

Truth is... I missed hearing her talk. Even when she's pissed at me, she sounds alive. Real. Not like the fake-perfect girls who float around campus acting like airheads.

But I didn't say any of that. Instead, I made it worse.

"You're nothing but a nobody, pretending to matter."

Ouch. She looked like I slapped her. I hated myself right after. But it's easier to make her hate me than to admit...

I just want her to remember me.

Not even an hour later, I was standing in the middle of the hallway, yelling at her. Everything that had settled in me back in the garden—every small moment of peace—got ripped apart by Andrea's fake tears and manipulative smile.

She spilled juice on her. Was it on purpose? Maybe. But did it warrant me screaming at her like that?

No.

"Ano bang ginagawa mo't sobrang t*nga mo na hindi mo siya nakita? Ha? Sagutin mo ako, babae ka!"

I said that. Loud. Harsh. Like I wanted to humiliate her. The worst part? I knew it would hurt her. And I did it anyway.

Not because I hated her. But because Andrea was there, expecting me to take her side. Because everyone was watching. Because pretending was easier than explaining.

I grabbed her arm too hard. I saw her eyes—hurt, confused, defensive—but not afraid.

She didn't fight back. She just looked at me like... I shattered something. And maybe I did. Because just this morning, she was smiling at camellias. Now, she won't even look me in the eye.

I hurt the only girl whoever made me feel seen. And now? She sees me as a monster.

I saw her again—sitting in the garden, still as stone. She wasn't crying anymore. But that silence? That silence said everything.

Her eyes were dry, but her shoulders—bagsak. Wala na 'yong usual spark niya. No sass. No fire. Just... stillness. Maybe I should've walked away. But I didn't.