บททั้งหมดของ The Girl He Ruined: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

The next hour, wala akong ibang ginawa kundi ayusin sila. Ayos and chika. I worked on Hana first—smoked liner, glossy lids, and glitter that said emotional, but make it shiny. "Ikaw si Liora, 'di ba? Yung friend nung kapatid kong si Lana?" biglang tanong ni Hana habang inaayos ko ang buhok niya."Yes po," magalang kong sagot. Syempre, ayoko namang mag-feeling close agad kahit kapatid pa siya ng best friend ko. Kahit pa pumupunta kami sa bahay nila, bihira ko naman siyang maabutan."Magalang ka pala," sabay tawa niya. "Kidding aside... but nice taste, btw," dagdag pa niya sabay ngisi."Po?" tanong ko, halatang naguguluhan."Wala! Ang ganda mo."Hindi ko na lang siya pinansin at dumiretso ako kay Orion, their sub-vocalist na mukhang minor de edad kahit 3rd year na pala. Soft contour and warm tones ang nilagay ko, para hindi siya magmukhang napasama lang sa banda out of peer pressure.Halfway through the drummer, Steven who looked like he hadn't slept since face shields were mandatory—I

The banana cake was still warm when I got off the tricycle, fresh from our oven and made by my mother. Konting pasasalamat, konting pambawi. After all, suki namin ang pamilya Silva sa laundry shop.Wrapped in foil and tucked neatly inside a brown paper bag, the banana cake sat on top of my review notes like a peace offering or a soft banana-scented shield depende kung gaano ka-badtrip si Thorne ngayon, ngayong buong bahay nila alam nang bumabagsak siya sa Engineering. Hindi ko kasalanan yon, ah? Calculus lang tinuturo ko diyan. Apparently sa calculus lang siya pumasa at ewan ko kung anong dasal ginawa niya e wala naman lagi sa focus.I imagined his face the moment his dad found out. For sure, may kasamang sermon, disappointed sighs, at yung classic na "Bakit kasi puro kana lang banda?"Oh, here we go again. Kahapon lang, magkaharap kami sa dressing room habang nilalagay ko ng lipgloss lips niya. Ngayon, tutor mode ulit ready to save his grades like I haven't been doing that every Sat

It was Mrs. Sandy Silva. Pretty, poised and wearing an apron over her designer dress. 'Yung tipong magugulat kang she just made sinigang while wearing pearl earrings. She walked over with a warm smile and wiped her hands on a dish towel.I stood quickly. "Ah—okay lang po, hindi na po ako mag—""Nonsense," she said. "You've been helping Thorne since high school palang siya. I insist."Thorne was still seated beside me, twirling his pen. He muttered, "Ayun. Favorite ka na ni Mama."I shot him a glare. "I don't need to be your mom's favorite. Just your passing grade."Mrs. Silva laughed. "Hay nako. I like you since then. Straightforward and smart. Just what this boy needs."I gave a shy smile as she walked back to the dining room.Thorne leaned in, voice low. "She's really serious about the dinner thing. You say no, she'll send food home with you and cry in the kitchen.""Noted." sagot ko nalang at baka nga umiyak pa mama niya dahil saakin.Dinner was quiet, except for Mrs. Silva's happy

The words hit me like a slap.Pabida ka masyado.As if everything I'd done—tutoring him, believing in him, seeing him through his worst days was just performance. As if showing up meant wanting attention, not offering care.And in that moment, I stopped speaking. I stopped hoping. Because if there was one thing I never wanted to be in his eyes, it was pabida.So I nodded once. Just once. "Got it," I whispered. "Don't worry."But then he said it—low, sharp, and unforgiving.."Alam ko naman, okay? Napapansin kita. Lahat ng effort mo. Yung pag help mo saakin sa math subjects, yung araw na nag colapse ako dahil sa pagod at dinala mo ako sa clinic, yung pag-alok ng extra hours kahit busy ka. Everything. Alam ko lahat." I froze."Akala mo hindi? You think hindi ko napapansin 'pag nag-aadjust ka ng schedule mo para lang magturo or 'pag nagpapanggap kang okay lang kahit palaging last minute ako? Or 'pag dinadamay ka ng pamilya ko kahit hindi naman kita kadugo?"I stared at him, stunned. A pa

I was top 2 in our batch. With highest honors, extracurriculars, glowing recommendation letters... lahat yun hawak ko na. Kaya ako 'yung isa sa mga unang tinanggap ng St. Ives University. Guaranteed slot. College dream, secured. Civil Engineering major. Full priority entry. Pangarap ng mama ko. Pangarap ko rin. Isang hakbang palayo sa init ng plantsa sa laundry shop. Isang hakbang palapit sa mundong pinapangarap ko para sa amin. Pero isang gabi, habang pauwi na ako galing sa client ko at may kukunin pa sana sa locker, narinig ko sila sa hallway ng school. Si Thorne, kausap si Steven. "Hindi raw enough ang grades ko and wala na ring slot," Thorne said, frustration leaking through every word. "Kung hindi ako tanggap, aalisin na ni Papa 'yung banda. Pinagbibigyan lang niya ako kasi akala niya mag-iimprove ako." I froze mid-step. Nakatago ako sa gilid ng locker row. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ako gumalaw. Maybe because... he sounded scared. I saw a boy trying to prove himself. T