CHAPTER 2

INILAGAY ko ang bag ko sa upuan ko. I checked phone to know what time is it now. It's 7:45 and my class starts at 8.

Chineck ko ang notes and assignments ko. Baka may naka-ligtaan pa akong mga aralin. Hindi naman nag tagal at tumunog na ang bell ng school namin. We all waited for our professor to come.

“Ouch!” I exclaimed nang idikit sa akin ni Yuri ang tumbler nya na may lamang mainit na coffee milk, “what's wrong with you?”

“You just pissed me off.”

“I'm not even doing anything.”

“Your existence is enough to piss me off.”

“Leave me alone.”

I don't know what's wrong with her. She always bully me and I literally don't know why. I'm not doing anything to her. Siguro pinanganak lang talaga syang may masungit na pagkatao.

“Good morning, class.”

Agad na tumayo ang klase namin at bumati din sa professor na kakapasok lang. I immediately brings out my notes and focus to the class. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hinahayaan ng ibang professor namin na huwag makinig sa klase ang iba kong classmates. Maybe because some of my classmates are from known and rich family I guess?

Natapos na ang iba pa naming klase hanggang sa dumating na ang oras ng subject ni Sir Ethan. Gusto ko syang tanungin about sa dalawang lalaki na kakalipat lang sa condominium na pag mamay-ari ni Mommy. It seems like he knows them very well.

“I have a meeting so I'm gonna make it quick,” Sir Ethan started while looking at his wrist watch, “as you all know we have our own festivals here in our school. At ang papalapit na festival is about our school founder's birthday.”

Yeah, I remember. Every birthday of the school founder, we have to perform an orchestra or a musical play. Sa pagkaka-alam ko, this festival started since the founder's 60th birthday. The school wants to celebrate the founder's birthday by showing a him a performace at nag tuloy-tuloy na yun every year so the school decided to make it also a yearly festival.

“Your batch should perform an opera. Alisson,” he called our classroom president, “I want you to conduct a singing and acting audition, alright? Gusto ko lahat ng mag pe-perform ng opera ay magaling kumanta at umarte, understood?”

“Yes po.”

“Pwede nyo gamitin ang AVR para sa audition. You can ask the other classroom president to hold the audition with you.”

“Understood, Sir,” Alisson answered again.

“Sa mga wala namang balak sumali sa audition, I want you to help to prepare the stage. That's all.”

Nag ma-madaling lumabas si Sir ng classroom. Alisson went to the center to talk about the audition.

“Okay, guys. Who wants to audition para yun lang ang lalabas at yung iba dito na lang sa room para hindi masyado magulo sa AVR. Just raise your hands.”

Some raised their hands. Sana lahat magaling kumanta at umarte. I think tutulong na lang ako sa pag ayos ng stage or rather not attend the festival. Hindi naman sapilitan ang pag attend.

“Scarlet hindi ka sasali?”

All the eyes went to me. I bit my lower lip and shook my head, “hindi.”

“But last year kasali ka sa orchestra right? You won pa nga, diba?”

“Oh, so we have a nerdy singer here!” Yuri shouted at nag tawanan naman ang iba kong kaklase.

“Ssh! Yuri wag na nga kayo mag ingay. Sali ka na, Scarlet. Sayang naman.”

“Pero ayoko talaga—

“—nasulat ko na pangalan mo. See you in the AVR, later.”

Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi ni Alisson. Mag sasalita pa sana ako nang bigla na syang umalis ng classroom para siguro pumunta ng ibang section to check if someone wants to join too.

I quickly fixed my stuff at isinuot na ang bag sa likod ko. Aalis na sana ako sa upuan ko nang bigla akong hilain ni Yuri. Goodness! Bakit ba ayaw nya akong layuan?

“Ano ba?” I asked her as I removed her hands in my arms, “stop it.”

“Sasali ka sa audition? Do you really think na talented ka?”

“Yuri, ano ba—

“—hey, neighbor Scarlet!” an unfamiliar words suddenly appeared.

Oh, it's Finn.

“Finn, why are you here?” I asked him.

“Wala lang. May gagawin ka ba?”

“Pupunta ako ng AVR.”

“Oh, mag o-audition ka din? Tara sabay na tayo.”

“Uh, sige.”

Hindi na ako umimik pa at nauna nang lumabas ng classroom habang sya naman ay nakasunod sa akin. Buti na lang talaga dumating sya dahil kung hindi baka nag tagal pa yung init ng ulo sa akin ni Yuri. Well, kailan pa ba hindi naging mainit ang ulo nun sa akin.

Dumiritso kami sa AVR. Papasok na sana kami sa loob nang makita namin yung kasama ni Finn. Si Lucas. Mag o-audition din ba sya?

“Iniwan mo 'ko para lang sunduin yang babae na yan?” Lucas asked irritatedly.

“Chill. Pwede bang pababain mo naman yang pride mo?”

Hinayaan ko na lang silang dalawa na mag-usap. It looks like a serious problem at ayaw ko naman na maki-sawsaw sa usapan nila. Hinintay ko na lang silang matapos mag-usap. I feel like they have something to tell to me.

“This is bullshit. Kasalanan talaga 'to nung pusang kalye na yun!” Lucas exclaimed before leaving.

“Don't mind him. Tinutupak na naman sya,” Finn told me, “Lucas loves singing so much that's why he wants to join the musical play. But for some reasons, he can't join.”

“Bakit?”

“I can't tell. Lucas has a really good voice at kahit ako gusto ko na ulit syang makitang kumanta ulit,” Finn looked at me, “I'm not really sure but can you help him?”

“About saan?”

“Follow him. For sure nasa garden na naman sya.”

“But I don't know to comfort him dahil wala naman akong alam sa nangyari sa kaniya.”

“Just follow him, please?”

Finn looks like a cute cat when he is begging. I just sighed before moving my feet. Lakad-takbo akong pumunta sa garden para hanapin si Lucas. I tried looking for him around the garden pero di ko sya mahanap.

Nasaan ba sya?

“I'm here.”

Napa-tingala ako nang may marinig akong boses galing sa taas ng puno. Napa-suklay ako ng buhok gamit ng daliri ko. I told him to come down so we can talk properly. Buti na lang nakinig naman sya agad at bumaba.

“What?” he asked.

“I don't know, I mean...Finn just told me to follow you.”

“That brat,” he sighed because of frustration, “Just forget everything after this,” he added.

“What—

—a soft lips suddenly touched my lips. I can't talk, breath or move. I feel like the time stops and everything is moving in a slow motion.

I started closing my eyes at dinama ang labi nya. He is not moving his lips. After a seconds, he pulled away and put a kiss again. Our eyes met at wala akong magawa kung hindi ang tumingin lang sa kaniya. I didn't realize that he is more handsome in closer look.

And I'm still processing what happened...

“That—this...what...—”

“Strange.” he muttered.

“Why?”

“I didn't transform.”

“Transform?”

“No, I mean. Nothing. Just forget about this. Bye.”

He left after that. Napa-upo ako sa damo dahil nanlalambot ang mga tuhod ko. I just lost my first kiss.