Monarch High: War of the Brats

CHAPTER 51

We received a message from Ms. Ocampo. It's about the charity event that Monarch High always holds during the Christmas season. We have discussed it on the group chat and decided to meet up on a particular place so we could talk and exchange suggestions one by one.

I was outside the building to wait for a taxi to come my way when my phone rang. I quickly answered it when I realized it's Mae.

"Hello, Mae?"

"Pink! Saan ka na? Ikaw na lang 'yung hinihintay namin dito!"

I pursed my lips. Actually, kanina pa talaga ako nakatayo lang dito sa labas at hinihintay kung kailan dadating 'yung taxi. I think I’m 10 minutes late already.

"I'm sorry! Walang taxi dito! Ba't kasi ang layo nyo sa condo!"

"What? Where's seahorse?!" eksaherada nyang tanong.

"Kinuha ni Kuya."

When Kuya learned what I did when Seahorse was still in my possession, kinuha nya din kaagad. Lalo na noong mabalitaan na may banggaan na nangyari at ako 'yung driver. Thankfully, he settled it already, but the car's no longer mine.

Akala ko ay naputol ang tawag namin ni Mae. I was about to check when she spoke with a little giddiness.

"Ay teka, hintayin mo daw si Pip dyan. Sya na lang daw susundo sayo."

I groaned and stomped my feet. I looked at the road and realized there's no car coming to get me.

"God! Sinet-up mo na naman ako!"

"Gaga, hindi!" humalakhak sya. "He offered, kaya! Hayaan mo na. Bilisan mo na lang para makapag-usap na tayo!"

Iritado kong pinatay ang tawag. Tumingin ako sa paligid baka sakaling mayroong paparating na sasakyan. Ilang minuto pa akong naghintay doon bago may biglang pumaradang kotse sa harapan ko.

Napalunok ako nang makita kung sino ang bumaba ng sasakyan. Pip with his casual clothes revealed in front of me, flashing a manly smile when he saw me.

"P-Pip..."

He looked down on me, checking my physique. Napanguso ako at pasimpleng tumikhim.

"Hey, hop in."

Tumango ako. He opened the door for me before he went inside. When the engine roared to life, I decided to speak.

"Uh... Nandoon na ba silang lahat?"

He glanced in my direction before nodding. "Yeah. Ikaw na lang 'yung hinihintay."

"I'm sorry," my lips twitched. "Late na kasi akong nagising."

Maliban doon, nawala din sa isip ko. I was preoccupied with something, that's why I haven't had a good sleep, and that thing slipped out of my mind.

"Nightmare, again?" seryosong tanong nya.

I shifted on my seat and nodded. It's uncomfortable when we talk about this. He looked at me for a while before focusing his eyes on the road. Mukhang napansin nyang hindi na ako magsasalita kaya sya na ang nagkusa.

"You should call me whenever you're having one."

"It's fine. Kaya ko naman ang sarili ko."

"Pero tinawagan mo ako, diba?" tunog pang-aasar na tanong nya.

I suddenly felt light but playfully irritated. Good thing he knows when I’m comfortable or not with the topic and shifts it to another when he notices.

"Napindot ko nga lang!"

He lifted his lip into a smirk. "If you'll insist..."

Napairap ako. Dahil wala na kaming pinag-uusapan ay marami akong napapansin sa sasakyan nya. Lalo na ang paraan ng pagtakbo nito.