Phoenix vs Janna

Chapter 18

Janna wondered how they would play out the last month of their deal in this condition. It was hard enough to pretend to be a couple before. She dreaded what would happen now.

She needn't have worried.

Because things were vastly different now. She hardly saw Phoenix at school anymore. He stayed away from her.

The times when they did meet, he was always in a hurry to leave, as if he couldn't stand to be with her. Their conversations were no longer easy and filled with light banterings. As if he was on guard around her and didn't want to enter into an argument. Worse is the feeling that he was totally uninterested in talking.

Janna told herself that she liked the new situation. It was almost as if things were back to how they should be before Phoenix came into her life.

But as the days and weeks progressed, she alternated between feeling miserable and guilty for causing this rift between them, and feeling strangely lonely and empty inside.

One week before the end of their deal, Janna was walking out of campus towards the bus stop. She was hurrying home because it was her Tatay's birthday.

A car honked beside her. It was the Porsche. Phoenix' lowered down the window to speak to her.

He had seen Janna half-walking and half-running by the side of the road. He had intended to drive past her. It was just one of the many times in these past weeks that he had ignored her or passed her by.

But this time, he didn't.

"Hop in."

"Okay lang. Malapit na ako sa bus stop."

"Get the hell inside the car, Hellcat! Now!" He barked, immediately running out of patience.

"San ka?" He asked once she was in.

"Pauwi na."

"Birthday ni Tatay ngayon. Hatid na kita."

Janna wondered what kind of person could know the birthdays of people they hardly know about. She also wondered how Phoenix could like her Tatay by this much but dislike his daughter more.

They were silent in the car. Janna missed those times when Phoenix would inquire how her day went. She even missed his teasing.

The silence became unbearable. Janna gathered her courage to speak.

"Rich Boy..."

"Yeah...?" Phoenix was only mildly paying attention, intent on driving.

"Sorry nga pala..."

"Sorry saan?"

"Sa away natin sa kotse mo pagbalik natin galing Lobo..."

"Wala yun..." He frowned.

"Below the belt ang mga banat ko sa 'yo. I'm sorry."

"Hellcat, kilala kita. You're apologizing to make yourself feel better." He said sarcastically.

"Kahit ano pang isipin mo, sorry pa din." She said.