I'm taken

"Miss me?"

His voice made me stand from where I was staying.

Oh, shit!

He's really awake. My hand became shaky while answering the phone. My heart keeps pounding so fast that I can't even control myself on how to breathe properly.

"I know you fucking miss me, pumpkin!" He chuckled and cut the line. I know he is smirking right now.

What's with you, Alex?

That made me more wide awake at this hour. It seems that the situation has become upside down. I missed him not messing with me.

Jerk!

Feeling blessed?

I can't get why he's playing hard to get this time!

I keep talking to myself. I handed the folded folder on top of my desk while calming myself. I eyed the air conditioner, thinking that it was not functioning because of the sweat coming from my forehead.

Huh! You are not handsome anyway. Tss!

I kept punching my pillows. I can't get enough from him answering the call. I couldn't find the perfect position that would put me to sleep.

I'm in the middle of my confusion when I hear a beep from my phone.

Goodnight, pumpkin.

Are you really calling me Pumpkin? What do you think of me? A squash made for Halloween? Tss!

I was still rolling around in bed while holding my phone.

I was disgusted while reading his text.

Why do I feel attacked again?

I replied to him.

Goodnight pumpkin you face!

But I can't send that to him. I just stared at my phone, lying down until drowsiness visited me. My phone fell on my face. I have no plans to send that message anymore until my eyes finally close.

The next day.

I check my phone to see if he has sent me a message. I wasn't wrong.

Yeah, I know you're gonna call me Pumpkin, too. (insert smirk emoji)

What?? When did I call you, Pumpkin?

I couldn't compose myself from what I was reading. It was just a flash message so I wasn't able to open the thread of our conversation yet. As far as I know, I haven't replied to his message last night and I did not call him Pumpkin either. But to my surprise, while opening our conversation, I really did call him Pumpkin with a sweet little goodnight and a kiss emoji.

Goodnight too, pumpkin.

What? Why? How?

I checked my phone and there I saw that my phone was set to auto-correct spelling and grammar. I think the message was sent when my phone fell in my face last night.

"No! What he's thinking right now? Shit, really!" I was screaming in my bedroom as I rolled over on the bed.

I heard a series of knocks on the door. "Ma'am? Ma'am Alex?" Manang asked worriedly. "Ma'am Alex, are you okay?"

" Yeah! I'm okay, Manang! I'm fucking okay!" I shouted.

"Are you sure, Ma'am? I'll call Sir-" I quickly opened the door. Inhale, exhale. I slowly talked to Manang. "Yes, Manang. I'm okay. No need to call Dad. I'm really okay." I was still smiling and pushed Manang down to the living room.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! Can you see it? I'm just- I just need time!" I answered looking confused.

"Ma'am?" Looking astonished, Manang pointed at my hair. It was too chaotic. Maybe it's because I grabbed my hair when I read that freaking text on my phone.

Fucking phone!

"Yeah-- yeah, yeah, Manang. Don't ask too many questions, please! You're here to cook, to clean and-"

"But Ma'am-"

"Please, Manang!" I felt pissed, so I put the banana I saw on the table in her mouth. We are in the kitchen now.

"Okay, Manang? Let's just mind our own business here, okay?" I even gave a thumbs-up to Manang, who was blushing.

I ran back to my room while looking at Manang's confused face.

I wanted to shout, but I couldn't because I knew Manang would keep asking questions as to what happened to me. I pulled my hair several times to bring myself back to reality. I've been mouthing myself trying to fake my shout.

After that shocking scene, I decided to take a bath and walk myself downstairs. Still, Manang looked confused while thinking I was getting crazy over something.

Manang was here for more than a decade. She was already here when Mom was still here with Dad until she left us for her new family. I even considered Manang as my second Mom since she's the one whose taking care of me since I was little. But ever since, I haven't told Manang how much I appreciate her existence. I'm not showy of my emotions towards her.

At school.

Just after break time, our Class President announced that Mrs. Dela Cruz, our Math teacher, would not be around. I don't like attending classes because I feel bored all the time, but that does not stop me from excelling in Mathematics. It's just that I don't really like participating in class.

"Classmates, Mrs. Dela Cruz advised us not to leave the classroom. Whoever comes out right away will be sent to Mr. Sanchez's office." He looked at his watch. "But we have two student teachers to watch over us today. They are from Ma'am's advisory class-" I didn't listen to the President's announcement anymore. I also don't feel like leaving the classroom, so I'd better just sleep.

A few minutes later, I heard my classmate shout in excitement.

"He is really gorgeous!" she said giggling.

"Yeah, but he's been suspended several times because of his attitude!" the other girl said regretfully.

"It's okay anyway. He looked like Seo Jun in the True Beauty Series!" another girl said.

My classmates are giggling at my back, looking at the young man standing in front of the room. Still, I had no plans to raise my head, so I closed my eyes again. I'm not interested in who's at the front right now as our student teacher.

"They look good together-"

"Actually, we look good together. I'll ask if he's still single", the girl next to me said. I sense her standing right where she's been sitting.

"Excuse me, kuya. What's your name?" he asked flirtatiously.

"Vonne."

Period. I heard his monotonous voice. Suddenly my heartbeat quickened.

Alex?

Do they have the same voice?

Or just a coincidence?

It's like I've heard his name.

Where? When?

I've been bombarded with so many questions in my mind, but I couldn't get my eyes open and see if Alex was really the one in front of the class.

"Where's Mrs. Dela Cruz, kuya Vonne?" My classmate asked annoyingly.

"She's having an emergency that's why we had to take her time today." The girl next to him answered instead.

Maybe I just heard his voice wrong.

"I will write it first and Kuya Vonne will explain it afterward," she said cutely while my flirtatious classmates shouted.

Tss!

Is he really handsome?

My classmates are tasteless!

I ignored them, so I went back to sleep. I don't care if the activity is graded or not. I just want to regain the sleep that I didn't get last night because of Alex.

"It's just X squared times X," he concluded. I wake up. "Are there any more questions?" he asked my classmates carefully.

I looked at my watch and it was almost time.

"Kuya Vonne, Shiela is asking if you're single?" Dianne questioned the man standing in front.

The man did not answer.

"Hey! That's off our topic!" One of my classmates said.

"Kuya Vonne's class is done. Maybe he'll say he's single since Shiela is, too." The group shouted in shock.

"Vonne? What type of woman do you like?" Dianne's giggling again.

"Gomez! Don't put Vonne in the hot seat." The other student-teacher meddles in between.

"Oh, maybe you're Ate Ash's boyfriend?" Dianne asked tremblingly as the whole class screamed. It was at that moment that I just thought of raising my head and looking to the front. The woman blushed and was trembling as well. I didn't notice Vonne right away because he was at the door and I was dazzled by the light coming from outside.

"No!" The woman replied shyly, who obviously also liked Vonne.

"Yes, I'm taken!" he suddenly spoke. I felt nervous again.

" Are you really Ate Ash's boyfriend?" the woman behind me asked at once.

I felt so irritated that I got up and walked towards the backdoor.

"I'm taken."

I stopped myself from walking. I don't know why my heart suddenly beats faster again. I couldn't get the chance to look at the man speaking in front of me. I still can't see his face because I'm dazzled by the sunlight coming from the front door.

"Right, pumpkin?" he said teasingly. My eyes widened because of those words I heard unannounced. Suddenly the wind blew and the door closed behind him. There, I saw the face of the man in front of us. It is really Alex.

I could see that he was really looking at me. He smirked again and again. Suddenly, a scene of us flashes back.

Tss!

The eyes of my classmates were all staring at me. I feel like I was in the hot chair. At that very moment, I feel the hotness of my cheeks and my sweat rushing down my face. No one spoke, but I could feel the sharp eyes of those women who used to catch Alex's attention earlier.

"Is Alex your girlfriend, Kuya Vonne?" Sheila asked artfully.

Alex didn't answer. Instead, he walked over to where I was standing. I couldn't move. My eyes just widened as I watched him approach me. He put his arm around me.

He whispered, "Wrong move and I'll kiss you in front of these kids." I just swallowed my saliva again while feeling the thrill.

He didn't answer Sheila's question, but he just smiled.

"Oh, is she? She's not a beauty anyway."

"Yes! Alex is also a bully!"

I can't count the negative comments from my classmates opinion. They are getting on my nerves.

I slowly walked towards Sheila's seat, who had the guts to speak ill of me.

"What did you say?" I grabbed her collar as I was covered with so much irritation. "Yes, I'm not pretty, but I'm not trying hard to catch someone's attention for them to notice me!" I glared at her from head to toe. "Do you really think that you are beautiful? Are you sure? I can't even see something in you to be proud of. Look at your teeth. Look at how pathetic and dirty they are! Your skin's not soft either!" I even touched her face. "Try checking your hair color, dear. It doesn't suit you! Actually, you looked like an anemic squid!" I kept saying.

I could see her embarrassment. She wipes her eyes while holding back her tears.

"You are messing with the wrong girl!" I said while pushing her.

I looked at Alex again. He was still smirking. He is so consistent in destroying my day.

Is it really necessary to mess with me in this very classroom?

I just raised an eyebrow at him, but he laughed suddenly.

Are you still laughing at me?

My classmates were just looking at us. I knew they were very curious about what Vonne and I had. I looked at my classmates one by one. I was very angry, really angry.

Alex suddenly grabbed my right hand as if we were holding hands. I wanted to detach my hand from him, but he didn't budge.

I was cornered again.

...to be continued.