Monday, June 14
Jun. 14 Mon.
"Ang galing mo talaga, Fate! Shucks, gusto kitang halikan!!! Now na!" -me
...
First day of school.
I had to chase the bus.
Literally.
I was sad. Something was missing. Sam. Yes, Sam. I missed her already, and I discovered that she migrated! *sob* Noooooooo! Who's gonna prod me on the arm, and say: "Ate Celine...ate Celine...pwedeng magtanong?" Who's gonna laugh at my jokes and make me read excellent poems everyday? Who's gonna talk to me about anything and everything, and...and... Argh, I miss Sam!
I got to school early. Wow. Even my busmates were stunned. And the fact that I didn't have to remind them all that we were late, tardy and forlorn, they were thankful. (I'm rambling.)
I got to see my berks. They had changed- taller, longer hair, shorter hair, packed on a few pounds, lost a few pounds, tanner, and...ehe...thinner. I looked at my batchmates, and former classmates. Wow. We were squealing and hugging, and jumping up and down at the sight of each other. I really missed them. But...as the morning went on, something didn't feel right. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, searching for somebody. For a minute, I thought she wasn't gonna be present. But after some time, when we were all seated, I turned my head, and I saw...her. I smiled to myself. The day was going to turn out ok.
We were seated for the longest time, listening to endless rambling about rules and procedures. Ms. Grace was scaring us. I knew 3rd year was gonna be crucial, but hey. They don't have to threaten us with the fact that they wouldn't give a shit. Actually, I didn't care. Hn. First day, and I was cynical.
The school thrust for the year?
"Let us celebrate the joy of FORGIVENESS."
Shit. The last word made me choke. As the discussion about the school thrust went on, I was bowing my head, and putting my hands together.
It was so. damn. boring. I wanted to stuff a Happy Tree Friend in the mouth of whoever was talking, and drift away to my happy place. A lot of people were doing their own business, and some were just slouched over, not really paying attention. Nica had it worse though.
Naiiyak na daw sha sa sobrang pagka-bored.
We were reshuffled. Damn. Inna was alone in one section. We were hugging her the whole time. Anne, Nica and I were in sec.3, and the rest were in sec.4. Woah. Buti pa sila. Giselle was ecstatic, coz she and Andy were alone in one section last year, and the rest of us in another. Anyway...
*blink* And another thing. My mortal enemy was my classmate. I winced at the thought of the school thrust. *Coincidence? No. It's Fate and his little tricks.*
We discussed the procedures. Hey, at least Ms. Lacsamana didn't just read it off the paper. She had us participate. After which, she made us introduce ourselves - an activity that turned out completely hilarious. Damn. We were so noisy. And the other sections were downright envious.
Cara: "Ako si Cara, at isa akong mahiyaing bata..."
Us: "WEEEHHHH! MAHIYAIN DAW!" *laughing our heads off*
Char: "Tawagin nyo na lamang akong Char..." *pause* "Halos 5 months na kami ng bf ko, anniversary nga namin sa-"
Us: *Laughs* "Bulgaran na!"
Char: "Pangalan niya Chakie." *points out the window* "Ah, nakatira lang naman siya sa may-"
Us: *laughing our heads off*
Claire: "Umm...mahilig ako sa..." *pause* "Mga hayop..."
Us: *roars with laughter*
Mafe: "Umm...I love basketball...and I lab-" *eyes widen*
Us: *laughs our heads off*
Marge: *shouts* "I LABBB IT!!!"
Us: *laughs even louder*
Damn. We couldn't breathe. And that was an understatement. And as for me...well... I had to say *something*...
Me: "Erm..ako si Celine, at kilala ako sa pagiging matangkad, tahimik, at seryoso." *flashes a smile* "Totoo yun, pero mabuti rin akong kaibigan. Kung may problema ka - sa school man o love life..." *shrugs* "Punta ka lang sakin, tutulungan kita."
Them: *laughs*
Me: "Mahilig akong gumuhit, magsulat, at mag-isip. Hindi po ako mahilig-" *inhale* "...kumain."
(pause)
Them: *laughing their heads off* "Halata!"
Oh well, at least they found it funny. My family and friends don't, though. Being so damn bored the whole time, I just doodled around on my notebook. Turned out to be some sort of an anime character that everybody seemed to...like. *shrugs* They were passing my work around... Aside from the crimson hair (i didn't have a black pen), everybody said I looked like the girl I drew. *Hmm...really now...*
Thank God it was half-day. By lunchtime, my berks were brooding over me, asking me what was wrong. I...I couldn't tell them. I tried to put on my mask, but I kept tearing it off. *I wanted to be seen.* Anne in particular, knew it was about my...well...non-existent lovelife. She would put her arm around me and ask me who it was. And if it was a girl or guy. *sigh* I couldn't bring myself to tell her. But when we were seated beside each other, with the berks laughing their heads off over something...
Inna: *admiring Steph's Harry Potter folder* "Akin na lang!!!" (inna has a major crush with Harry Potter)
Them: *laughing* "Pano na si Sir Beni? At si sir Mark!"
Inna: "TUMIGIL NGA KAYO!"
Me: *absent-mindedly staring at the folder*
Anne: *looks at me*
(pause)
Me: (finally gonna tell Anne who it is) *slaps her knee*
Anne: "ALAM KO NA KUNG SINO!!!"
Me: *blink* "Talaga?"
Anne: "Erm...si...____ _____ ba?"
Me: *bows head* *laughs hysterically* *closes eyes* *laughs softly*
...
Anne: *puts arm around me* "Okay lang yan, Celine...I understand..."
...
Wow.
*I labs you, Anne.*
...
Anne: "Kaya ka pala ganyan... Kitam? Gumaan pakiramdam mo nung nalaman ko na, ano?"
Me: *slowly nods*
Anne: "Hayaan mo. Di ko muna sasabihin sa kanila. Pero...sa tingin ko may idea na sila kung sino."
Me: ...
Anne: *nudges me* "Okay lang yan, we all go through that phase."
...
Salamat, Lord.
...
...
EPILOGUE:
The day didn't end there. I have to justify my opening line. In the bus, Leoren and I were the last ones left. She was telling me to fix my hair, coz I look better with it tied back.
Loren: "You look better with your hair neat, ate."
Me: *runs hand through hair* "Oh, well...nobody would really care about how I look. Panget naman talaga ako, eh."
Loren: "Hinde, ah! I'm sure there's somebody out there who has a crush on you."
Me: *laughs* "Yeah, right!"
Loren: *slowly stutters* "In fact...I'm a hundred percent SURE somebody has a crush on you..."
Me: *eyes widen* "Oh...no..." *laughs* "This isn't funny..."
Loren: "I'm serious, ate..."
Me: *sinks into my chair* "S-s-sino..?"
Loren: *grins* "Let's just call him..."
Me: *eyes widen at the word 'him'*
Loren: "...a family friend..."
Apparently, I had a secret admirer *gags* the whole of last schoolyear. Being the last to get off the bus, I always sat at the back, looking out the window. One day last year, as I waved goodbye to Loren through the window as she got off, her 'family friend' was inside her house, looking at me through the window. After that, he wouldn't stop asking Loren who I was, what was my phone number, what my name was... It went on for a whole year, but Loren didn't tell him anything. Why?
Loren: "...coz I was afraid you'd bite my head off, ate!"
*twitch*
But that's okay, right? I mean...woah. A secret admirer? For a whole year? I was more than shocked. Stunned, really. He was 17 years old, a bit taller than me, quite the silent, demented type...
Hope meter: *rising...rising...*
And he was known for seeing the beauty in people. And oh, his name was John.
Hope meter: *TILT!*
...
...
Fate: "Umm...excuse me...Cursed Child..?"
Me: "What?"
Fate: *grin* "You ain't called 'cursed' for nothing..."
...
...
The guy migrated to the states two months ago.
...
Hope meter: *hits rock-bottom*
Fate: *smiles sympathetically*
...
And...no. He doesn't know Friendster.
...
Hope meter: *penetrates the earth's core and comes out through China*
...
I was more than amused.
And my soul sister was more than peeved.
...
Me: "Ang galing mo talaga, Fate! Shucks, gusto kitang halikan!!! Now na!"