I woke up in the school clinic.

Did I drown in the fucking toilet?

Was it the impact of the fucking lid on my head?

Whatever the fucking reason why I passed out was, surely those bitches spared me from dying.

Now, they just gave me a lot of reasons to hunt them down.

I woke up in the school clinic. Ang lamig ng AC. Ang lambot ng kama. I didn't feel drenched with water. Naririnig ko pa rin ang ingay ng mga estudyante sa labas. May green sliding curtain thing na pinaka-cover ng bed area kung nasaan ako.

Paglingon ko sa gilid dahil sa paggalaw ng kurtina, biglang tumalim ang tingin ko pagkakita kay Deacon.

"You're awake."

"Obviously," I said in my hoarse voice.

I spent my morning staying beside this raccoon, chilling and listening to class. If only I didn't know how this jerk thinks, surely I'd assume na siya ang may pakana ng nangyari sa restroom.

But this raccoon had enough annoying power to do things on his own.

Lumapit siya sa hinihigaan ko at hindi ko ma-explain ang reaction niya. Maybe because I barely see him looking devastated and annoyed as now. Sa daming beses na binuwisit namin ang isa't isa, ngayon ko lang siya nakitang nagbago ng aura.

"Confessed that you did this shit to me, and I'd be glad to punch you in the fucking face while you're here," I demanded.

He let out a depressing sigh and pulled a folding chair beside my bed. "Nag-ask na 'ko sa mga witness kung sino-sino'ng may gawa niyan sa 'yo. Magpa-file ako ng report sa admin office for expulsion, if possible."

"What the fuck are you doing here, then?"

"Sorry about what happened to you."

I chuckled bitterly. "I thought that word was banned between us. Hindi mo na sana ako dinalaw."

"Assistant nurse ako rito sa clinic. Hindi kita dinadalaw. Patient kita."

I stared at him. He stared back.

Kroo . . .

Kroo . . .

Kroo . . .

Mabilis akong nagtalukbong ng kumot para magtago sa kahihiyan.

THE FUCK?!

Kailan pa siya naging assistant nurse dito?! Bakit hindi ako aware?!

Narinig ko siyang matawa nang mahina kaya nag-alis na naman ako ng talukbong sa ulo para lang tingnan siya nang masama.

"Do you think you're funny?" I asked, annoyed.

"I think you are funny." He stood up and slightly covered my body with the blanket. "Huwag kang masyadong galaw nang galaw. Manipis lang 'yang hospital gown mo."

Saka ko lang napansin ang suot ko. I wasn't wearing a bra! Fuck, I could see my nipples from here!

"Get away from me!" I screamed, throwing him a pillow beside me. "Dito ka talaga sa boobs ko nakatingin, 'no? Pervert!"

But he just cringed at me, disgusted by my allegations. "Hard pass." He headed outside the curtain, and before he went out, he reminded me,

"Hanggang 5 p.m. lang ako rito. I'll bring you your clothes. Okay na siguro 'yon sa laundry shop."

He closed the curtains, then silence.

I let out a tired sigh and stared at the ceiling.

Those bitches outnumbered me for what? Para gumanti? Para sa raccoon na 'yon? Ang kakapal ng mukha.

Bakit sila nakikisali sa problema namin ni Deacon? Alam ba nila kung ano'ng pinag-aawayan namin?

"Cut her hair shorter, Shane! Let's see kung mapansin pa siya ni Cody."

I couldn't forget that bit. Bumabalik na naman ang inis ko.

Did they really think na kaya kami laging nagsasalubong ni Cody ay dahil sa itsura ko?!

Kahit pa kalbuhin nila 'ko, wala rin namang sense! Hindi nila alam ang issue namin ng raccoon na 'yon in the first place!

Or in-assume talaga nilang may something between me and that raccoon?

Let's see kung mapansin pa siya ni Cody.

Ano ba talaga kasi'ng issue nila?

Because of my unexpressed apology?

Because Deacon noticed me?

Naiinggit sila kasi kahit anong papansin nila, hindi sila pinapansin ng Dardenne na 'yon?

Whatever the reason was, para mamatay silang lahat sa inggit, lalo kong hindi tatantanan ang raccoon na 'yon! Bumula na ang bibig nila, talagang hindi ko titigilan si Deacon hangga't nabubuwisit ako sa kanilang lahat!

But going back to the issue, bumabalik na naman ang pagkabuwisit ko sa nangyari sa 'kin sa toilet. Natatandaan ko pa ang itsura ng dalawa sa kanila. I'd hunt those bitches down at sila ang ilulublob ko sa toilet bowl once na makita ko uli sila.

I could hear some students going inside the clinic. The raccoon's voice was so noticeable, even his chuckle reached the bed where I lie.

May nanghihingi ng paracetamol. May nanghihingi ng para sa sakit ng ngipin. Even sanitary napkin, hinihingi rin kay Deacon!

I didn't know this school provides sanitary napkins for the students at dapat itong raccoon pa na 'to ang personal na mag-aabot sa kanila.

"Hi, kumusta ang pakiramdam mo?" biglang tanong ng babaeng sumilip sa may kurtina. Yung nurse talaga rito sa clinic.

"Medyo okay na po."

"Buti naman. Yung damit mo, nandito lang sa may table. Tawagin mo na lang ako para ma-assist kita kung magbibihis ka na."

"Okay po. Thank you."

I really wanted to get even. But I couldn't do that by now na ganitong pakiramdam ko, maga ang mukha ko at ang sakit ng tuhod ko.

My arms were okay. My legs were okay, apart from my knees. My body was okay. But my head hurt a lot, and that was the problem. Lahat ng sakit, nasa ulo ko talaga nagtambakan.

Walang tao sa loob ng clinic nang sumilip ako sa may kurtina. Kinuha ko ang damit ko "raw" habang wala pa sila sa loob.

Namumula ang tuhod ko. Ang sakit ng pisngi ko. Wala na ang mahabang buhok ko.

Fuck this world.

I checked my clothes. These were the same clothes I had earlier pero amoy bagong laba na. Wala nga lang ang skirt ko. Pero yung pam-PE kong red shorts na hanggang tuhod, nandito naman.

Nakakarami na akong buntonghininga habang nagbibihis. Kapag pumipikit ako, naaalala ko na naman ang ginawa sa 'kin ng mga bruhildang 'yon.

Ipagdasal na lang nilang hindi ko sila makita bukas. Talagang hahanapin ko kung saang year at section sila.

After all, graduating naman na 'ko. Isang summer class na lang at makakalayas na 'ko sa letseng school at bansa na 'to.

"Venny?"

Ah! The raccoon is back.

Lumabas na agad ako sa likod ng kurtina at nakita si Deacon na nakasukbit na ang backpack sa likuran. Mukhang pauwi na.

"Where are my things?" I asked, raising a brow.

He heaved a very noisy sigh, and it annoyed the shit out of me.

"Will you stop that noisy haaay? Nakakairita."

"You look like a mess."

Napatingin ako sa salamin na nasa gilid lang naming dalawa.

Reddish ang kulay ng left eye ko. Reddish din ang left cheek ko. My hair was cut in different lengths, and I was so lucky, those bitches didn't bother cutting it shorter above my neck.

I looked like a fucking devastation on Earth. Mess is a fucking understatement, to be honest.

"It's your lunatic fans's fault why I look like a fucking mess, Raccoon. Ipadala mo na sa mental 'yong mga 'yon. Mas kailangan nila ng doktor kaysa sa 'kin."

"Can you walk?"

Mukha ba 'kong pilay?

Hinabol ko siya ng sipa na mabilis niyang inilagan.

"Okay! Okay! I know na! Hindi na lang sabihing yes? Gusto talagang naninipa?"

May kinuha siya sa ibaba ng desk kung saan laging nakaupo ang nurse dito. He took my bag under the table, and I really assumed na ibibigay niya 'yon sa 'kin. But all he did was hold it by the handle and offer his hand.

"Tara na. Baka kung sino na namang humatak sa 'yo diyan sa labas."

"Fuck off, Raccoon."

But then I realized that he was right. Baka may third wave of attack pang nakahanda sa 'kin today kaya dapat nang mag-ingat.

My left eye's vision was blurred. My head was still beating on one side because of pain.

Nakaya ko pang maglakad palabas ng clinic, pero hindi pa ako nakakalayo, nahihilo na 'ko.

"Shit—" Napapikit tuloy ako at napahawak sa likuran ng uniform ni Deacon nang makaramdam ako ng hilo.

"You don't look okay, Venny."

"Wait lang."

I wanted to throw up sa sobrang hilo.

Nawala ang kapit ko sa damit ni Deacon.

Akala ko, natumba na 'ko nang tuluyan dahil biglang bumagsak ang katawan ko. Pagdilat ko, nasa likod na niya ako at nakapatong na ang baba ko sa balikat niya. Kawit niya ang likod ng mga binti ko at inayos ako sa pagkakapasan.

"Akala ko ba, magkaaway tayo?" sermon ko sa kanya.

"I know, and hindi ko naman nakakalimutan." Naglakad na siya paliko sa kaliwa ng hallway, at doon na kami nabungaran ng ibang mga estudyante na panghapon.

It was my first time seeing these students since nasa morning class nga ako. Ang refreshing nila sa paningin kaysa sa mga nakikita kong estudyante ng SHC tuwing umaga. None of them looked at us like celebrities or whatever, unlike those students na pang-morning ang schedule.

I honestly thought that Deacon and I would catch their attention because of our situation, but none of them bat an eye. It felt like a different dimension where people had their own business to mind.

Deacon carried me as if I weighed nothing. He was holding my bag. He was carrying me on his back. And he really walked from the school clinic—a building away from the main gate.

It was already half past five in the afternoon, and this raccoon still smelled like after-shower.

I had never once imagined, not in a nightmare or a dream, that this raccoon would ever carry me like this.

Well, for the record, never had I imagined myself being carried by anyone because I could already hear them complaining about my weight. Not fat, but my body and height were on the borderline of medium and large.

"May doubt pa 'ko kaninang dalhin ka sa laboratory. But since you're still dizzy, wala kang choice. Magpapa-checkup ka ngayon."

"Nahilo lang ako."

"Uh-huh? Not buying that. I don't want to see you bleed in the middle of the night because of that shit." He stopped on the terminal nearby the campus's gate. Hindi man lang niya ako hinayaang makababa sa likod niya. "Wait na lang tayo ng van. May dumadaan namang UV rito."

"Mag-celebrate ka na lang na may malalang injury ako."

"I'm not celebrating anything na life threatening, okay?"

"Ah, kaya pala hindi ka nag-celebrate last night after you won."

"I knew I'd win. That was never a call for a celebration. I would never risk on anything na sure akong hindi ako mananalo."

My bitter laugh escaped from me. "No ruler can measure your arrogance, raccoon."

"That's not arrogance, though. That's a fact. Nanalo ako, remember?"

I rolled my eyes. "Give me a break."

A barely crowded van stopped beside the road. Deacon opened the door behind the driver's side. Pinauna na niya akong sumakay sunod siya. The leg room was so small, he had to crouch just to fit in his seat.

"Saan mo ba 'ko balak dalhin?" tanong ko.

"May clinic kami. Ipapatingin lang kita and magpapa-test tayo kasi baka may severe head injury ka."

"'Yong mga nam-bully sa 'kin ang dapat gumagawa nito, hindi ikaw." Ang sama tuloy ng tingin ko sa kanya nang maalala ko ang nangyari kanina. "You know what? Sabi ng isa kanina sa restroom, kapag ginupit nila ang buhok ko, hindi mo na 'ko papansinin," pag-amin ko sa kanya. "I know I look like a mess right now, because that was the fucking point why they did that. Ang dami mong baliw na fans, ha? In fairness sa itsura mo."

Raccoon checked my hair and how short it was after what happened earlier.

It wasn't that really short. But from my waist-length hair, the longest strands of my hair at this point could barely reach my shoulderblade. The shortest cut was touching my left eyebrow. It wasn't bangs either because the right side was still longer than the size of my face. It was just cut disproportionately at that specific part.

Deacon let out that noisy 'haaay' once again and combed my hair using his fingers. "I think I owe you a haircut."

"Huwag mo ngang hawakan 'yang buhok kong pangit na. Binigyan ba kita ng permission?"

"Hmm, okay. Hands off." He raised both of his hands to surrender. "Still, I owe you a haircut. Don't expect anything sa mga nam-bully sa 'yo. Ako na'ng bahala sa ginawa nila."

Those girls better hide themselves starting tomorrow. Once na hindi maganda ang result ng pupuntahan namin ngayon ni Deacon, hindi lang expulsion ang mapapala nila.

♥♥♥