Chapter I

IT IS A typical day. The day I always wake up for.

Just an ordinary girl in an extraordinary world. I don't want more. Has a name that will surely makes everyone feel alive but I don't think it suits me.

I was in seventh grade when I realized that I was an invisible.

Well, not that invisible like having a super power that you can make yourself disappeared. But it's like that everyone doesn't even notice me.

It's like having trouble of getting everyone's attention.

I remembered when I was in a fifth grade; joining and participating school contests are so hard to succeed -- always a loser on everything.

"Okay, Ms. Mendoza, will you spell Anonymous..."

I went to the center of the stage and face the mic when I heard the beautiful name of mine in this Spelling Bee Contest. Nah, kidding.

"Anonymous. A-N-O-N-I-M-O-U-S. Anonymous." I proudly answered.

"I'm sorry but that is wrong. W-R-O-N-G, wrong!"

K.fine! Kailangan i-spell out din?! I just walked away na lang nang biglang --

"Loser. L-O-S-E-R. Loser."

Ganern?! Sa akin siyam ang pina-spell, tapos sa kalaban ko lima lang? Hindi pa pang tongue twister? Hustisya mga kabagang!

After hearing that, I just totally walked out. Maybe spelling bee contest isn't my thing.

But it doesn't end up there. Syempre sumubok din ako sa mga Science Inventions, Math Bees, Quiz Bees, Jollibees, KFC, Mcdo.. Something like that. I'm not that dumb naman eh, but I'm not that so smart also. Just an average.

Well, obviously, as an invisible humanoid, I wonder why some people are really hard to find me or notice me. I mean, duh? I'm right here in front of you!

Hmm, kung hindi niyo naitatanong eh, sa pangalan ko pa lang, parang tunog maganda na. Magandang maganda ba. Dyosa, kumbaga. Nakaka-In Love na. I mean, Love. Yeah Lovely.

Well, also obviously mukhang alam niyo na rin ang score ko dun.

Plakda.

Bokya.

Kumbaga sa score mo palagi sa mga exam, itlog.

Parang bagong rebond na buhok, bagsak.

At parang yung Forever mo, walang ganun!

But I'm not that bitter ha. Nagkaka-crush din naman ako, yun nga lang, hindi naman ako napapansin. As usual.

Minsan nga may nagabot sa aking ng nakatupi-tuping papel sa math class, buti nakatalikod yung teacher namin kaya naabot ko. Nakita kong may puso sa gitna ng nakatuping papel na nakasulat sa pulang ballpen.

Hmm, hindi na rin masama ang mukha ng kaklase kong cool guy na yun. Mala-Raver Cruz lang naman ang datingan niya kaya ang lola niyo, todo ngiti naman. Pero alam niyo ba ang sinabi niya pa sa akin?

"Pakiabot kay Jenny ha."

Oh, di ba? Napakawalanghiya! Lapastangan! Ginawa akong kartero! Napakamot ulo na lang akong inabot sa kayamot na Jenny na yun sa harap ko ang sulat eh. Tss..

Parang lahat na lang ng bagay na gusto kong subukan o gawin, parang may hadlang. Kung wala man, parang hindi pala para sa akin. So ano na lang ang plano sa akin ni Lord? Mamatay ng dilat sa isang sulok?

And one more thing, there's another thing that I think always works against me.

"Hi?" rinig kong may nagsalita sa likuran ko habang nagaayos ng boxes dahil kalilipat lang namin ng bagong apartment.

"Ahh hi! " hindi ko alam pero palagi na lang akong natataranta kapag may kumakausap sa akin lalo kung hindi ako ang naunang nagsalita.

"I'm Drew. Sabi kasi ng mama ko may bago nga daw lipat dito sa apartment niyo."

Oh yes! Have you seen Johnny Depp? Or Matt Bomer? Well, I think I saw him in front of my door.

"I'm Lovely. Bago lang kami dito, I mean, duh? Ang daming mga kalat pa nga oh."

"At -- at pinadala niya itong brownies na ginawa niya." inabot niya sa akin ang isang food keeper na brownies daw ang laman.

"Nako, nagabala pa kayo ng mama mo." I politely smiled. Politely lang, huwag kayong excited. "Pero sala --"

"Oh, holy mother of God! Sino siya?" naputol ang sinasabi ko sa mga sinabi niyang yan.

Napalingon ako sa likuran ko, and remember the thing I've told you that I think working against me? That another thing is -- my Mom.

"Hi. I'm Mercy." my beautiful, sexy, sizzling hot sisig na mama ko lang naman.

Kilala niyo sina Aubrey Miles? Yna Raymundo? Sunshine Cruz?

Kung Oo, buti naman. Mga idol ko yun sa kaseksihan eh. Ha-ha-ha.

Well, but seriously, she's like Rosanna Roces ng pinas. You know?

Maya-maya pa ay pilit inagaw sa akin ng tukmol na Drew daw ang newly baked brownies na inabot niya, at ayun! Nagdire-diretso sa loob ng bahay at nilapitan si mama. As I expected.

Parang mas marami pa yatang nagkakagusto kay mama kaysa sa akin. I mean, ako pala wala kahit isa. #SadLife

"Hi po. Bago lang po pala kayo dito. I'm Drew po." natataranta pa nitong paglapit kay mama. As if namang papatol sa totoy si mama noh.

"Oh? I'm Mercy at anak ko si Lovely." pagturo pa sa akin ni mama pero dedmabels ako sa fafalets na sana, naging palaka pa.

"Ah, it's for you po. My mom made it." inabot dahan-dahan kay mama ang lagayan. "Careful, you're hot. Ah, I mean, it's hot po.." Yeah, with that nasty looking at my mom? Totally disturbing.

"Tss.. Jerk." bulong ko na lang.

My mom is already a single parent, after my father died when I was a baby, she worked herself hard for us and now she’s a Vice President in a Real Estate company. I didn't stop her from dating other guys. Different guys, I guess. But eventually, all those guys turn into "Intro".

But I think mom doesn't have any trouble landing man. She just had trouble keeping them.

Intro: Hi? Lovely di ba? Ako nga pala si (*insert iba-ibang pangalan ng lalaking naide-date ni mama) At ako na ang magiging bago mong daddy!

"So, what's up with you Intro?" I sarcastically asked while drinking my milk.

"It's Scott. Bakit ba Intro ka ng Intro sa akin?"

Yan din ang madalas ang itanong sa aking ng mga inuuwi o pinapakilala sa aking boyfriend ni mama.

Because eventually, that's they all do.

It's like they were dated, went to our home, be in a relationship for a month or two, I guess the longest. And then they sneak out, went gone, and never return again.

After that heartbreaks, mom become so upset and devastated like crying all day until she gets tired and comes into some very matured reaction. A quick therapy session of one full spoon of chocolate, or two, or three, it depends the weeks they were together. And then we moved out.        

Maybe the reason why I'm like an invisible it's because we haven't stay in a home town for a year.