CHAPTER 3

"Mukha ka nang diablo," Agustin commented with a thick Bisaya accent. He sat infront of me.

I won't be shock if I'd seen him here. We're on the same gang. We're here on the very corner table of Bar To Lome, a bar owned by our gang's mastermind, Daryll.

The bar was full of colorful, neon lights and drunk people who are making out on the different corners. 

My mind flew to yesterday night. Nauwi kami sa sagutan ni Dad hanggang sa nakarating kami sa bahay, at wala na akong ibang narinig sa kan'ya kundi ang katagang 'isa raw akong kahihiyan'. I'm a living disappointment of the family, I already know it, and I claimed it. It means that I don't need to be nice anymore.

I woke up at 4PM lately and took a bath. I successfully went to school at 5PM without facing an argument with him. I entered and walked on our school's corridor, peacefully, it didn't last long, my major subject professors informed me that I failed our final exam.

Life is never been good to me. Life is cruel, and I never thought I'd hate my life more after I heard the conversation between the two students walked before me.

"Girl, she's wearing a gown, are you sure na si Molly 'yan?"

"OMG ka girl, it's Molly Palacio nga! Trust me, I was there! She suddenly punched Desmond at boom! He collapsed, unconscious!"

"Gosh."

"Plus, she left with her father. I recognized her father, so much, kaya I'm one hundrend percent sure, na si Molly 'yon."

"Grabe, patingin nga ulit." Inagaw n'ya ang phone sa kasama. "Wala bang video?"

"I only took pictures. I saw the videos on the internet kanina, wait hahanapin ko."

Agustin waved his hand infront of me and brought me back in my sense. "Laki na naman ng problema natin ah? Hangin lang ba ako dito?" 

I took one gulp of vodka. Agustin was a close friend of mine, together with Jairus, but I'm not in mood to talk to him or anyone right now, so I ignored him.

"Balik mo ba talaga malasing ngayon, Mol? Vodka-vodka ka na ah." He about to take the glass of vodka infront of me as I slapped his hand.

"Don't mess up with my drinks!"

"Aray! Damot naman, may malaking problema rin naman ako oh."

"Get your own, dumbass. Dad put off my allowance in whole one months," I uttered, with brows bumped together in a glare.

"Kawawa naman 'yang Momol ko na 'yan. Nawa'y 'di ka rin bumagsak sa ngayong semester," he teased and pinch my cheeks. I cursed him before he left the table.

He the meaning of his word sometimes meant the opposite. Gan'yan ang palaging sinasabi n'ya kapag inaasar ako, and screw him, hindi n'ya alam na kabaliktaran sa sinabi n'ya ang nangyari sa 'kin ngayon.

Agustin came back with two bottle of his hands. 

"Nilibre ako ni Jake," he boasted. Jake is the bartender, na-uto n'ya ulit 'yon.

Sa aming tatlong magkakaibigan, s'ya ang pinakakuripot. His family owned a chain of restaurants, I wonder why he always act that way. 

Napa-iling na lang ako. Umupo s'ya sa tapat ko at nagsimulang magkuwento.

I listened to his rants even some of those have no sense. Listening to other's problem, for me, is really way better than sharing my problems to others. It seemed tells me that I'm not the most miserable creature living on earth.

"Isipin mo 'yon, Mol, sinabihan akong pangit ng kapatid n'ya! Tarantadong kapatid 'yon. Pero pangit ba talaga ako?" nakangusong tanong n'ya. There's a side of him that he  acts like a kid. "Ano sa tingin mo?"

He took a pose. Nilapit n'ya nang kaunti mukha n'ya. 

"Pangit," I answered. "Mabu-busted ka ulit." 

Sumimangot s'ya at minura ako sa salitang bisaya. "Siguro binigyan ako ng kaibigan para dagdagan ang problema ko, ano?" 

I hissed and shook my head in amusement. "I have no idea why you gave very huge fvcks even at the smallest thing, Gus."

"Aminado akong maliit 'yung kapatid ni Anne pero malaking problema 'yon sa umiibig na ako!" he dramatically said.

My forehead creased and gave him a disgust look. "You're too inlove, pathetic. It makes hate the idea of being inlove more."

He rested his back on the chairs' backrest and put his two hands on the back of hus head. His eyes are now puffy as if he's daydreaming. "Grabe talaga, Mol, ang ganda n'ya. Dahil sa kakabigay n'ya ng mixed signals, naging favorite ko na 'yung halo-halo."

"I think the one who'll end up hurting is you." I shook my head and hissed. 

"Maging supportive ka naman kahit minsan lang, Mol. Kapag ako talaga sagutin ni Anne gagawin ko kitang potahe," banta n'ya. 

I just chuckled and shrugged.

Patuloy kami sa pag-iinom at kwentuhan. Maya-maya ay tumayo s'ya at halos mawalan na ng balanse, mas lalong pumupungay ang mga mata n'ya.

"Lasing ka na ba? Ako rin." He burst out his loud laughter. He's pointing his index finger on me. "Tarantado ka, Mol, naging dalawa ka na sa paningin ko."

Hindi na ako umimik. Maya-maya ay nagpaalam s'yang lumabas. I shook my head and droop it on the table. I felt my world spinning. I'm a bit tipsy--no, not just a bit. I felt alcohol spreads through my whole system. I groaned.

I raised my head again and drank the last gulp. I suddenly want to do a concert. I sang the song entitled 'Let it Be' by The Beatles, against the disco music of surroundings. I get the bottle of vodka as my microphone.

"Momol!" Agustin called. I turned my glance to his direction and found out he's with a man with black facemask, cap, and shades. Tumigil ako sa pagkanta at tinitigan ang mukha ng lalaking kasama n'ya. "Nakita ko s'ya, hinahanap ka sa labas." 

My vision is blurry, but I noticed him took of his shades. He looked at me from head to foot before he met my eyes.

I smiled at waved my hand. "Hi, Mister!"

He faced Agustin again. "Bro, are you sure this is really her?" paninigurado n'ya. His voice, it was so familiar. 

"Sure na sure, pre! Hindi mo s'ya kilala? Akala ko ba pinsan mo s'ya? Pagtarong sa imong kinabuhi ha--hic!"

"No-- I mean, yes. Can you now leave us alone?" 

"Okay fine, sure, iihi muna ako." Agustin left us.

The man with all black turn his gaze back at me. I smiled at him again. 

"Who are you?" he asked.

"This is Monique Lysianna Palacio, Mister." The world was really rotating, I can feel it in my vision.

He sigh and grab my hand. "Okay. Let's go home."

I pulled my hand and pout. "But Mister, I don't want to go home. Daddy might be mad at me again."

"You need to go home." 

"I won't. Sleeping here is way better." I seated back. 

Nagbuntong hininga ulit s'ya. "Okay, I won't bring you home, but in one condition..."

"What condition po?" I asked politely against my spinning vision.

"You'll find out later."

"Okay!" I clapped my hands left with him.