At What Price (Completed)

XIX

#AtWhatPrice 19: New Experiences

"Once you fall, the only way to go is back up!"
— Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Haikyuu! To the Top 2nd cour

•••

"Asan si nanay mo?"

Saglit akong nag-angat ng tingin. I was doing my last minute review for the quiz later.

"Ayon tumataya sa jueteng." I went back on focusing on the paper but ny mother asked me a question.

"Anong numero daw, Tay?" I relayed.

Sumagot naman ito habang nagluluto sa kusina. "Disi-siyete, trenta'y dos!" Inulit ko yon.

"Ija, daanan mo nga ang Tita mo sa kabilang bayan, kunin na kamo nila yung sako ng bigas dito," utos ng nanay ko.

Sinara ko ang libro at nagbuga ng hangin. I needed to focus. Guess I'm going early at school again.

•••

"Dali na, Claudia!"

Nagdecide ako pumunta sa condo ni Margot but I guess it was a wrong move for me. Imbes na makapag-aral ako, gumugulo buhay ko. Now, Nailea is forcing me to have bangs. Katatapos lang niya kulayan yung dalawang magkabilang strands ng buhok ni Margot. Ewan ko ba anong pumasok sa isip ng dalawang 'to.

"Please, Claud. I promise you'll look good on it," she cooed. I rolled my eyes so hard at lumayo lalo.

I did not sign up for this.

Napatalon ako sa bigla nang may humawak sa braso ko. "Got her!" Margot said and forced me to sit down.

Usually, she'll back out once I glared at her pero imbis na bitawan ako at pinanlisikan naman niya ako ng mata. The fuck!

Wala akong nagawa when they both held me. Sobra yung kaba ko tuwing nararamdam ko yung gunting. Walanghiya! Ginupitan talaga ako.

Nang matapos sila ay hinarap nila ako sa salamin. I huffed. Maayos naman pagka-style niya pero di pa rin ako makapaniwala. Medyo nanibago tuloy itsura ko. "Don't simangot! Ang ganda kaya ng gawa ko." Proud na sabi ni Nailea.

"Mukha akong bida sa Kdrama." I said, pouting.

Humagikgik sila.

"Pag nagchange look daw, mas nagiging successful. Tignan mo si Nailea na brokenhearted dati."

She even flexed her looks. Nag-improve talaga siya as a person after ng attempt niyang mag-move on. Nagpa-bob cut siya, pero mabilis humaba buhok niya kaya kinulayan niya ng purple sa ilalim. She even boosted her grades, lalo na nang na-adopt niya yung tanungan portion namin ni Margot tuwing nagrereview. Her confidence grew as well and she cherishes herself even more. She has flings, but she doesn't get easily swayed now because she knows her worth and she doesn't deserve half-assed courtships. She prefers to have fun na lang by harmless flirting. Pero she devotes her time mostly to studies and us, her friends.

"Hindi naman tayo broken."

"Sa grades, medyo." Ngiwi niya. "Other than that, kahit maganda na tayo, kaya pa nating mas gumanda."

Margot can be a weird philosopher.

After a while, we all settled down on each of our bean bags in her condo to study. Matagal-tagal din dahil nga midterms na. It decides your grades, which in turn will decide if you'll stay on the Accountancy program or not.

"San pala tayo mag-o-OJT?" Margot opened the conversation out of nowhere.

Magsasalita sana si Nailea when Margot cut her.