Chapter 01

I walked into my classroom, only to find one seat vacant. I sighed. Alam kong hindi ito nagkataon. Whoever followed his command, will pay the price.

"Devon!" a wicked smile was up on that person's face, as he tapped the only vacant seat beside him. The rest of the class was silent, probably getting ready to tease us any moment now.

Tiningnan ko siya nang masama bago dahan-dahang inilapag ang bag ko sa upuan. Hindi pa man ako nakakaupo ay umugong na ang mga kantyaw at panunukso.

"Uy, magkatabi si Devon at Onli!" sigaw ng isa sa mga lalaki at sinundan iyon ng nangangantyaw na tawa ng iba pang mga kalalakihan. Onli seemed so proud of it, at nakipaghighfive pa.

I sighed, turning to my right and grabbed a random seat. "Get up," sabi ko. "I will sit here."

What was his name again? Pete? Something like that. He shivered, adjusted his glasses and shook his head. "P-pasensya ka na, Devon." Then he didn't say a word, not even move a single muscle after.

Muling umugong ang ingay ng pangangantyaw. Alam kong kahit sino ang paalisin ko sa mga ukopadong upuan, no one would give up their seat.

"Come on Serena, does it hurt to sit beside me?" tanong ni Onli.

Normally, it doesn't. But knowing Onli, I know he plotted this. Ano na naman ba ang naisip niya at gusto niyang magkatabi kami? What does he want to the point that he's wanting me close? The first spot? The best debater title? The students council presidency? Nakuha na niya lahat 'yon diba? After all, gusto naman talaga niyang agawin ang lahat sa akin. He doesn't even aim hard for it. He just wanted to rub it in my face na mas magaling siya.

Curse myself for waking up late on the first day of my tenth-grade class. Of all days, ngayon pa talaga ako nagising nang late. And to top it all, nasiraan pa kami ng sasakyan. If none of these happened, naka-secure sana ako ng bakanteng upuan, somewhere peaceful, away from trouble.

Mas lumakas ang mga tukso nang naupo na ako, but I ignored it all. This is my last three years— just my last three years in this place and then I'll be away from here to pursue college at sisiguraduhin kong malayo ako kay Onli.

"So, what did you do all night to wake up late?" tanong ni Onli. He planted his elbow on the table, and propped his chin on his face. His other hand was tapping his mechanical pencil on the table.

I pinned my eyes forward. "None of your business."

He chuckled, as if I said something funny. "Napakasungit mo naman, Serena Devon. You know what they say? Fiery girls would end up being an old maid."

"I never heard of it," sarkastikong sagot ko st inayos ang gamit sa ibabaw ng mesa.

"Ang sungit talaga," natatawang komento niya.

Why is he talking to me? Kailan pa kami naging friends at napakafeelimg close niya? Elementary days? Napakatagal na niyon. And I regretted being friends with him. Dati kaming magkaibigan ni Onli, back on our elementary days. I told him all my dreams and aspirations. I told him I want to be the top of the class. I told him I want to be the president of the science club. I told him I want to be the student council president. I told him I want to receive the Governor's medal.

Ngunit lahat ng iyon ay inagaw niya lahat sa akin. He ranked first and I was second. He was elected as the Science club president, samantalang naging auditor lang ako. When I ran for student council presidency, he was my opponent at siya ang nanalo. During our elementary graduation, he was the recipient of the Governor's medal for the outstanding student.

It was like watching everything I aspire happened, but not to me. Since then, I swore to myself that Onli and I will no longer be friends. Yes, it was due to my competitive nature kung kaya't may inis ako sa kamya, but Onli had started my deep-seathed resentment noong junior high school.

Onli has always been a disaster. One time I joined the art contest, and lost my art materials, causing me to be disqualified. Nalaman ko na lamang na dinala iyon ni Onli sa West High School, when the art contest was at the East.

When I joined the school's radio broadcasting, my hot tumbler with a ginger tonic was replaced with alcohol. I ended up vomiting so hard that my throat hurts, and affected my first broadcast. And guess who did it? It was Onli!

When I joined the painting contest, he ended up ruining my artwork nang nakipagsuntukan siya sa kung sino and they ended thrashing the venue at natapunan ng pintura ang artwork ko.

I can think of a thousand things that Onli did to make me hate him. I can recall the thousand things he did that shattered my dreams. Kahit ilang beses pa siyang magsorry ay wala pa ring epekto dahil paulit-ulit lang naman niyang ginagawa.

But then again, this is my last years in this this place. I will find a good university, malayo sa San Nicolas at malayo kay Onli. These will be the last years that Onli will be a pain in my neck. I swore I would be somewhere far, away from this place and away from him. Babalik lamang ako sa lugar na ito at papatunayan na magaling ako. I will show everyone that Serena Devon Vergara will no longer be always second  to Oliver Neil Lim Maniego.

***

"Bakit kailangang kami pa sa team quiz bee, Ma'am, pwede namang si Rowena na lang sa team at si Onli ang sa individual!" reklamo ko nang inanunsyo na kami ni Onli at isa sa kaklase namin ang isasalang sa team quiz bee na gaganapin sa paparating na provincial festival. Sinundan ko siya sa faculty office para makausap.

My teacher did not even waste time to glance at me. "Bakit naman hindi? You four are the best—"

"Ma'am, ang ibig ko pong sabihin, sa team quiz bee is ako, si Rowena tapos si PJ. Tapos sa individual quiz naman si Onli or ako na lang ang sa individual—"

Tinanggal ni Ma'am Roxas ang suot na salamin at malumanay na napatingin sa akin. "Look, Devon, alam kong hindi kayo komportable ni Onli sa isa't-isa, and I'm sorry if I both put you in a tight spot by making you a team..."

Thank you for understanding. See, I know everyone can see that me and Onli in the same team is a bad idea.

"It's okay po, thank you for reconsidering—"

Ma'am Roxas cut me off. "But this is the best strategy we can think off in this contest."

"P-po?!" What? Akala ko ay naiintindihan niya ako.

"Rowena is good enough for the individual quiz, she will surely ace it—"

I raised a brow. "And you think I can't?"

Ano Ma'am, lapagan na lamang ng mga accomplishments?

Tumawa si Ma'am. "No, hindi iyan ang ibig kong sabihin. The team quiz is much bigger than it sounds, okay? Nakasalalay ang pangalan ng school natin and having you and Onli will mean sureball na ang pagkapanalo natin."

Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata. Mukhang totoo nga ang usap-usapan na ex niya ang adviser ng isang school na palaging panalo sa team quiz bee kung kaya't ganito na lamang ang strategy niya.

"Pero Ma'am—"

Biglang may nagsalita sa likuran ko. "Aside sa hindi team player si Serena, Ma'am, baka hindi siya confident sa knowledge niya. She will drag our team down kung ipagpilitan natin."

It was Onli, who was grinning from ear to ear. Suot niya ang football jersey niya, samantantalang nakasabit sa isang balikat niya ang kanyang uniform. Yup, talk about smart and sporty. Minsan nakakainis ngang isipin na nakukuha pa niyang maglaro kaysa mag-aral. Kahit mas mahaba pa ang panahon na ginugugol niya sa paglalaro ay palagi pa rin siyang nangunguna.

"Excuse me?" Ako, hindi confident? Quiz bees are a piece of cake for me.

Bumaling sa akin si Ma'am Roxas. "Is that what you're worried about, Devon?"

Ramdam kong may mga lumabas na usok sa mga tainga ko dahil sa inis. "What? No! Hindi po, Ma'am. I can even win this contest kahit ako lang mag-isa sa team." Nanlilisik ang mga matang napatingin ako kay Onli. "At pwede ba, Maniego, huwag ka na lang magsalita kung wala kang sasabihing maganda."

Napangiti si Ma'm Roxas. "Unfortunately, hindi pwedeng ikaw lang mag-isa sa team, Devon. So, you have to decide, hindi mo ba talaga kaya? I can remove you sa team kung iyan ang rason."

Mapang-asar na ngumiti si Onli. "Hindi 'yan."

"I can do it," mabilis na sagot ko at inirapan siya. "Kaya ko po, ma'am."

Malawak ang ngiting tinapik ako ni Ma'am Roxas. "Well, I expect nothing less from this school's top students." 

Tuluyan nang umalis is Ma'am at nilagpasan kami ni Onli. When I turned to look at him, he was grinning at me.

"Anong nakakatawa?" naiinis na tanong ko.

"Wala. Tara lunch," kaswal niyang sabi.

I rolled my eyes. "I'd rather die of hunger kaysa makasama kang kumain."

Narinig ko ang pagtawa niya kaya bago paman ako lalong mainis ay nilagpasan ko na lamang siya at lumabas sa faculty office. Onli followed me at patuloy na nangulit.

"Paborito mo diba buffalo wings? May bago yatang bukas na unli wings sa—"

"Edi kumain kang mag-isa mo."

"Ang sungit mo talaga, Serena. Naalala mo ba 'yong sabi ni Ma'am no'ng nakaraan na the more you hate, the more you love. Love mo ako no?" panunukso niya.

Kinilabutan ako sa narinig. Huminto ako sa paglalakad at tiningnan siya nang masama. Ew, ako, love siya? Excuse me, hindi gaya niya ang type ko. Okay, he's good looking, I'd give him that. Sporty, yes. Smart, yes. Pero hindi ganoon ang tipo kong lalaki. I don't know, hindi ko pa naman talaga pinagtuonan iyon ng oras para isipin kung ano ang gusto ko. I will surely allot some time to think about it, but to be clear, Onli is not my type. NEVER! Walang ka-love-love sa ugali niya. He's the worst!

"Gusto mo bang isa-isahin ko lahat ng atraso mo sa akin? I wonder saan ka kumukuha ng lakas ng loob para sabihing may gusto ako sa'yo!" Sinumpa ko kaya buong pagkatao niya! In fact I had a list of what he has done.

He shrugged his shoulders at mas nilawakan ang ngiti. "I'm all ears."

"The fact na hindi mo alam kung ano ang ginawa mo makes it even worst. Pwede ba, Onli. Gawin mo namang payapa ang huling tatlong taon ko rito sa San Nicolas, para naman may magandang alaala na babaunin ako kapag aalis ako," sabi ko sabay irap.

Yup, I plan to leave this place after finishing senior high. This place held so many memories, good and bad. My mother and father separated when I was 10. Umalis ng San Nicholas si Papa, samantalang nangibang-bansa naman si Mama. There she met her foreigner husband, at kasalukuyan silang naninirahan sa Canada. She's working on the papers para makasunod ako sa kanya. For now ay naiwan ako sa mga kapatid ni Mama.

Tila nawala lahat ng kulay sa mukha niya. "Aalis ka?" Wala na rin ang pang-aasar sa boses niya. He sounded so disappointed and confused.

"For college, yes and if papalarin, kukunin na ako ni Mama. And don't try to look sad there, Onli. Malulungkot ka ba dahil wala ka ng iinisin?" tanong ko sa kanya.

He shook his head na para bang hindi siya makapaniwala sa narinig. "What's wrong with the universities here?"

"What's wrong? Wala naman." Maliban na lang na malamang nandoon ka rin. 

"Then why are you leaving?" he asked. His playful attitude kanina? Nawala. Tila bigla siyang nanamlay.

"Bakit mo ba tinatanong?" naiinis na sumbat ko. 

"We have the best universities here. Pasok sa top 10 sa Pilipinas isang university sa bayan. If you worry on your fare and other expenses, you can surely get scholarships dahil matalino ka. You don't have to leave," he managed to say despite looking confused.

"Huwag kang paladesisyon," I replied, rolling my eyes. Alam kong matalino ako kaya tiyak na makakahanap ako ng scholarship, kaya nga makikipagsapalaran ako sa mga top universities ng bansa or kung papalarin, sa ibang bansa."

Matagal ko na iyong pinag-isipan. Sabi ni mama kung mas mapapabilis ang pag-ayos niya sa mga papel, she can get me sooner. I told her I can wait hanggang sa makapagtapos ako ng senior high and she agreed. Hindi naman matagal ang tatlong taon. I just have to get through every day and baam, three year's over in a blink of an eye.

Napatingin ako kay Onli na tila nawala sa sarili. Tinitigan niya ako na... may hinanakit sa mukha? I'm not sure what that look exactlt means, but he sure looked distracted. Tila nawala na ang pang-aasar niya sa akin.

Tinalikuran ko siya at umalis ngunit naka-ilang hakbang pa lamang ako ay narinig ko siyang nagsalita.

"Three years..."

I stopped to look back at him. "Ano?"

Itinaas niya ang tatlong daliri. "In that three years. I'll make you change your mind in leaving this town."

I don't know what he meant by that pero kung anoman ang ibig niyang sabihin, he looked so determined to do it.

"Ewan ko sa'yo," bulong ko sa sarili bago siya tuluyang lagpasan.

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