Eastwood University Series #3: Astraea Maureen Silvestre The only thing that is on Astraea's mind is to make her mother proud as this is the only one supporting her on her whole life. Well, what happens when the playful and joyous Tuazon came into her life and make her chaos life make it into more chaos? That's stressful, isn't it? "Your love was a flame that still flickers in the depth of my soul." - A

Frozen Hakdog. Date started: 09.05.22 Date ended: 01.17.23 Status: COMPLETED [UNEDITED]

To be wrong... is to be yours.

I looked helplessly, trying to search something aside the hunger-filled lust in the eyes of the rich filthy people cowering me. Something that could save and take me away from these predators ready to eat their prey. No matter how much i want to run, my arms are tied. The strong, narrow, capsule-shaped metal that held my body firmly in place makes my hope vanish in vain. As I am losing hope, that's when I met that cold lifeless coal eyes that seems to grew darker as it turned in a darker shade of the midnight. "Five million!" She raised her hands in the air. Making everyone to look at her. "Seven million!" The guy in black-suit smirks, making his maniac face uglier than a duck. "Eight." "Eight and a half million." "Ten million." another one stands up on his chair. Making a good run for this auction. The first guy grits his teeth. Obviously triggered by the last guy. "Fifteen million." he announced. "Twenty." "Twenty five!" No. I'm doomed. I've got not enough money to buy myself out of here in case I will be sold at any amount higher than fifteen. Who the hell spends twenty million just for a night? Damn rich people! My savior stands like a princess as she says, "Guess, I'll have to make it fifty million." Literally, there's nothing but silence after the last bid. Everyone is shocked. "Fifty million for a night with that woman. Anyone who want to raise their stake?" she asked again as if daring anyone to bid higher. All I could hear is the loud thumping of my heart as the guy in red, nods and mark me SOLD. As he took the gold collar that was thrown to him--marking me hers. Damn it!

"Someday, someone won't be afraid of how much you love. They won't stay on the shore; they'll meet you in the depths."

And then my soul saw you and it kind of went, "Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you"

"You may not want to be in my head. You might find someone other than myself that you won't be able to forget. It'll haunt you like a nightmare you can't tell. " "Silly. What's in that tough demeanor, ate Cray?" tumawa lang si Ember at kumapit ulit sa braso ko. "I like you. That's enough right?" Napailing na lang ako sa inaasal nito. If she'll learn our history, she'll then understand. Pinalis ko yung kamay nitong nakakapit na naman sa braso ko. "Compose yourself, Ember. I don't like you. You're just like a sister to me. Someone I had to protect with my life." I caught the way those words cut through her. It's visible in the same set of lifeless coal eyes that I am most familiar with. "Bakit?" I stared at her blankly. "Atleast tell me what you don't like about me." "That's exactly why it hurts the way it hurts." Napangiti ako ng mapait. "You have too many questions, too many words, in your head. But those will be left unsaid. Like me, you have to suffer through the intricacy of feeling too much every single day of your life. It hurts like hell." "Damn you. I like you." "You like me for what?" "You. You're not like everyone else. You're so sure of yourself. You're clever. You're self-made. You're everything. Everyone likes you. So you should be mine." I laughed at how shallow those things meant for her. Someone who can't even meet me in the depths of my shattered soul. "Thanks. But those are all my disorder." As i was about to turn my back, she whispered, "I actually feel sorry for you. You still don't know what it was that you even had. And yet still choose to lose. But one day, you'll see me for who I really am. And you're going to hate yourself for turning me down." No, Ember. You're wrong. I know you. You don't know me. Our past will surely haunt us. For you, I'll just be a girl known by everyone. But in fact, known by no one. It's terrible isn't it? The way we throw people away. ****

"Hanggang ganito na lang ba? Ang tingin mo sakin pamatid ng panandaliang pangangailangan mo?" Iritableng napatingin ako sa pigurang iyon ni Corinne. Si Corinne! Fuck! Bakit ko ba kasi sya dinamay sa gulong ito. "Sinabi ko na sayo nung una pa lang di ba? Stay away from me!" Gigil na singhal ko sa kanya. "Dikit ka ng dikit! Tapos ngayon ako pa lumalabas na masama." Tila matutunaw naman ako ng unti-unting tumulo yung luha sa mga mata niya. "I love you, Aria. Pero kahit ilang beses ko namang sabihin iyon sayo wala lang di ba? Kasi until now hindi mo pa din kayang ibigay yung sarili mo ng buong-buo. Kasi hanggang ngayon nakakulong ka pa din sa kahapon mo. " "Hindi totoo yan.." Nanghihinang napaupo ako. What have I done? Bakit ba paulit ulit ko na lang syang nasasaktan? "I can't save you, Aria." Punung puno ng pait na sabi nya. "I can't save you kasi ayaw mong magpasalo. Hindi lahat sasaktan ka. Kelangan mo din magtiwala na hindi ko kayang saktan ka." Natawa lang ako ng pagak. "Tell me, Corinne. What's holding you back? Akala ko ba mahal mo ko? Bakit hindi mo magawang ibigay ng buo yung sarili mo?" Pinalis ni Corinne yung luhang umaagos sa magkabila niyang pisngi. "Because I know you. I know na pag nakuha mo na ko, Game over na. And I don't want to end everything that we have just because of that. " "Wow!" Napapalatak ako sa kanya. "Now, who have trust issues sa ating dalawa ngayon? " Ngumiti siya ng pilit. Another broken smile. How many times should I break her before she gives me up? "If I give myself to you now, Will you give me your heart?" Fuck! No! I don't know. I really don't know. She can have me. But I know that she can never have my heart.

Cee lives her life hiding her true identity as a woman just to be accepted into the Seriantel family. She may be pretending as a man, but she is certain that she is straight - until she deals with Verra Normans.

"You're my betrothed." "Naliligaw ka, Miss." Inis na isasara ko na sana yung pinto ng humarang sya doon. "I don't think so. You're Terry Alcatraz right?" Terry has never been terrified all her life, ngayon lang. As she is now standing infront of a Goddess in the form of this woman with 5'10 height, pinkish white skin na hindi yata sanay sa araw, ash gray hair, at yung malalamlam na mga mata na akala mo laging inaantok. Am I still dreaming? "Sino ka ba?" "I'm your betrothed." Hay nako. May baliw na naman na naligaw. I pity her. Maganda nga. Baliw naman. "You got it wrong. Babae ako, Miss." Tsk. Bibigyan ka na nga lang din ng kapareha. Babae pa na mas maganda sayo at may saltik sa utak. Where's justice? "No. I'm in the right place. We're engaged." "Baliw ka ba?" Asar na tanong ko na sa kanya. Nauubos na ang pasensya ko dahil inaantok pa ko. Nagtatakang tiningnan ako ng mga matang kulay tsokolate na iyon. "Me?" Hinagod pa ako nito ng tingin mula ulo hanggang paa. "Shit, why am I trapped with you? I wonder. I could have atleast chose a better one. My toenails is way more appealing than you!" Ano daw? Sa sobrang inis ko ay hindi ko napigilang hubarin ang suot kong house slippers at batuhin sya niyon. Sino ba naman ang hindi maiinis? Kagigising mo lang ay may kakatok na sa tapat ng pintuan nyo para lang mangtrip. Pagkatapos sasabayan pa ng panglalait. Tila naman umurong lahat ng tapang ko ng mag angat ng tingin mula sa tsinelas na tumama sa pisngi nito ang babaeng iyon na may pares ng kulay tsokolateng mata. She gave me a chillin' smile pagkatapos ay dinampot ang tsinelas ko saka ubod ng lakas na binato din sakin yung tsinelas ko. Fudge! My pretty face! "There, we're quits. That's what engaged people do. They give and take." pagkatapos ay ngumiti ng pagkatamis tamis na akala mo santita. "Hmm. Bakit parang mas maganda pa sayo yung slippers mo? You could have bought a face too." Ano daw? Papatayin ko talaga tong baliw na babaeng ito. ***