Chapter 35

I'm quitting

"Alex, Philippines, wait lang! Daan muna tayo ng restroom before heading to Drama Club, sandali lang 'to promise! I just needed to change my pad." Bella said and she was really uncomfortable at her phase right now, widening her thighs just not to run her skirt.

We stopped for a minute on the restroom, nagmamadaling pumasok si Bella sa loob habang naiwan naman kaming dalawa ni Pee shooter sa labas. Inabala ni Pee shooter ang sarili niya sa kanyang phone saka naglilingon-lingon naman ako sa paligid. Sa kabilang direksyon ng hallway, may tumawag sa pangalan ko. Una akong napalingon sunod si Pee shooter at nakita namin si Gell na tumatakbo palapit sa amin. She almost tripped running kaya nataranta rin kami sa kanya but she just laughed when she comes closer to us.

"Are you okay? You almost tripped!" I reached out her arms.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." She nodded, assuring her situation. "Good thing I found you guys before heading out... but I just wanted to talk with you Alex, is it okay Philippe? Can I borrow her for a second?"

Pee shooter immediately nodded, "yeah, sure, go on... you can have her all alone."

Inilayo naman ako ni Gell kay Pee shooter. He really sure wanted to hear what Gell would say but privacy matters. I don't have any idea what would she say, and there's one thing bugged my mind when she do this.

"What's the matter, Gell?" I asked, creasing my forehead.

She took a deep breath before spilling it out, "this is not my right to say but what happened these days, you shouldn't be blinded by all the things that's happen."

"Anong ibig mong sabihin doon, Gell?" Mas lalo akong nalunod sa kuryusidad.

Inilapit niya ang mukha niya sa akin, at may ibinulong sa aking tenga. "This is about my brother, and why he's avoiding you." Nanatili akong tahimik at hinihintay ang susunod pa niyang sasabihin. "He mumbled something about himself liking you."

Para akong tangang napalayo mula sa kanya dahil sa sinabi niya. Hindi kapani-paniwala. Nang tingnan ko ng buong pagtataka si Gell, tango na lamang ang binibigay nito sa akin. The last thing I wanna do was knowing that he likes me to—kasi diba, hindi naman nakakapaniwala na ang isang katulad niya magugustuhan ako. He only meant to fall for a girl like Mia. Sobrang layo ng physical features ko sa kanya.

I was out of his league.

"Tell me Gell, you're joking. That's impossible to happen." I laughed to it but she doesn't comply with it kaya sa huli ay napangiwi na lang din naman ako. "Totoo nga ba talaga?" saka niya muli akong tinanguan.

"I know it is not my right at pagsasabihan niya ako but I couldn't let you have the burden dahil feeling mo nilalayuan ka niya. He has his reasons, hindi niya lang alam kung paano gagawan ng paraan iyon." So, simply with Gell words ay unti-unti naman akong naliliwanagan but the light weren't the bright para mapatunayan ngang gano'n ang nararamdaman niya sa akin. I was still in the dark. "Alex, are you okay?" she wiggled my shoulder and I get back to my senses.

"Sorry—I just spaced out."

"You need answers, I can totally say that. What's on your mind, just ask what I can answer."

I gulped, "okay... but I don't think you know this—"

"Just ask, Alex."

I hastily nodded on her, "okay fine, why would Korg run into Mia that night?"

She sighed, and her smile, I think was to make me comfortable even though it will hurt me. "He thinks... Alex, don't be offended, okay... Korg thinks falling for you is a mistake, so he tried to run back to Mia but he realize she was his mistake and cannot do it again on her."

"So what that does mean?"

She shrugged off her shoulder, "he's in the state of who he will choose and not to choose." She reached out my arms, "but as a friend, reach him out... you can change his mind."

"Can I?"

"I know you can." She smiled, "I believe in you."

My smile went overboard. Alam kong pinapalubag loob lamang ni Gell ang sitwasyon kahit sobrang complicated na no'n. I was his option. Kung pipiliin niya ba ako, edi good but if he chooses his ex, it would be fine by me. Wala namang masama iyon sa akin, kasi in the first place sila naman talaga ang tinadhana.

Malayong-malayo ako sa standards niya.

"Oh, by the way, I gotta go now."

"See you around, Gell."

I watched Gell leave the building. Lumapit naman sa akin si Pee shooter at kasunod niya rin niy kaagad si Bella. Puno naman nang pagtataka ang dalawa and they were asking what we just talked about. Bella shaked me, napailing na lang din naman ako at nilingon ko silang dalawa. I couldn't still believe that I would hear those words on Gell pertaining to what Korg's behaviour these days.

"Sorry, what were you saying, Bella?"

She sighed, rolled her eyes. "Nevermind. C'mon, we need to be at the Drama club now."

Sabay-sabay naman kaming tatlo na dumiretsyo sa Drama club. I don't expect too much broader role into this play dahil hindi nga ako umabot sa audition noon, they just told me I can do the role of extras o kaya naman maging propsmen. Wala namang masama sa binigay nilang gagawin sa akin. I just wanted to be part of a group na hindi ako itataboy.

When we reach the Drama club, naunang pumasok sa loob si Bella, sunod si Pee shooter at nahuli naman ako. The dim lights were bound to me to walk in slow phase. Natigil din naman ako ng tumigil sa paglalakad ang mga nasa harapan ko. I directed my sight where they are looking. Doon ko rin nakitang magkausap ang Club Adviser namin at si Mia.

"What is she doing here?" Pee shooter almost whispered those words.

Napakibit balikat na lang din naman si Bella.

"Oh, there you are Bella." Our adviser call Bella's attention, lumapit naman siya papunta sa kinatatatayuan namin. We greeted her but I think she had something to talk about to Bella at siya lang ang hinila nito palayo sa amin."

"This is odd." Pee shooter mumbled.

Napataas ang kilay ko sa sinabi niya, "how this is odd? Siguro, normal namang nagkakaroon ng ganitong pag-uusap kasama ang adviser, diba?"

He nodded, "yes, I know, of course. But I can feel something about this."

"If you feel something strange, ano naman 'yon?"

He shrugged off his shoulder and shook his head. I didn't get any answer from him. Mas lalo tuloy akong naging curious. Not after their long conversation, bumalik sa pwesto namin si Bella but on her tail was our Club Advisor and Mia.

"Ma'am Salve, you look pretty every damn day." Pee shooter bribed on her.

Our adviser giggled, hindi ko alam kung natuwa ba siya sa sinabi ni Pee shooter o sinasabi niyang totoo naman talaga at hindi na kailangan pang ipangalandakan.

"You very know me, Mr. Montreal but lets get to what I'm going to say," she started and I think I'm a part of it because she look at me suddenly, napalingon din ako kay Mia and her lips were in lopsided grin also crossing her arms. "This matter should be in everyone's favour but I do think, for me being your Drama adviser has the right to do it."

"What is it Ma'am?" Pee shooter asked.

I stayed in silent and listen to what she will say.

"Miss Lathomia come here," pagtawag niya dito at saka naman lumapit ito sa tabi niya. Her smile were wide enough to creep me out. "She being part of the Drama club were a good part of the team and she's wearing a lot of potential—"

"But I'm quitting the club." She cut her words.

We were surprised by it, napakunot-noo na lamang ako sa kanya.

"Why Mia?" Pee shooter asked.

Bella was in silence, she knows something because our adviser already talk about it, and I wanna asked her but that's disrespectful.

"But she's not quitting, I told her that." Miss Salve said, "she will stay in the team because of her potential and because she already had a background in such entertainment, she's a good part to embody the Drama club. And because of that, she has a condition to stay in the team."

"Ma'am, please, we can talk about this." Bella begged.

"Bella, it is not negotiable." Mia said, "it is only my condition to stay in the club or else, you will find someone who doesn't meet my potentials."

"You were not the only who has potentials, Mia." Pee shooter questioned.

"But she's the only one whose interested in our team, Philippe." Ma'am Salve retorted. "And Mia's condition is—"

Mia interrupted Miss Salve once again, "I will stay in the club but Alex should leave."

"Huh?" natanga ako sa salitang binitawan niya. Tila lumipad ang utak ko nang magmula iyon sa kanya. Napuno ako ng pagtataka. She's raising her eyebrow on me and it's like, she wasn't giving bullshit about me. "Bakit namna gano'n?"

Hinawakan ni Pee shooter ang kamay ko, "no, she won't leave the club. Dito lang siya. Ma'am please, do anything please."

"I already made my decision, Mr. Montreal."

"Bella?" Pee shooter called her but she just let out a sighed, her shoulder drops weight.

"Do not argue with this Philippe anymore." Mia said, "or else, you wanna join Alex leaving the club?"

Lumapit ako kay Mia, "no, don't put Philippe into this. Aalis ako—"

Philippe hold my arms, "Alex, what are you saying?"

I shoved his hands away, and shook my head. "Just don't Phil," bumalik ang tingin ko kay Mia at Ma'am Salve. "Ma'am, Mia, I would consider your condition. Aalis ako sa club to make sure that Mia would make something great in this team and I hope it would be better. And first of all, I didn't audition any... so you don't really needed me anyway."

"Thank you Miss Carreon, I hope you understand the situation."

"I may not know what situation it is but it is fine for me... thank you." I faked a smile. Ma'am Salve nodded to me and she attended the other members para magsimula na.

Agad naman akong niyakap ni Pee shooter, napahugot na lang din ako ng malalim na hininga. "Don't worry about me, Phil."

"I hate that bitch." He hissed. Umalis naman siya sa pagkakayakap sa kanya, "now what would you do?"

Napakibit balikat naman ako sa sinabi niya, "I don't know... maybe, going straight to home."

"Alex..." her tone were disappointed, inabot niya ang kamay ko saka ako niyakap. "Sorry, I couldn't keep you. Ma'am Salve has the last say and she wants to keep Mia instead of you... I just know this now kaya hindi ko nagawan ng paraan..."

She lose her hugged, "that's okay, Bella. You don't have to do anything for me besides, I know without me you still can do better, right?"

"I hope we will." She sighed.

"Bella! Philippe, come here please!" tinawag naman silang dalawa ni Ma'am Salve and immediately they were running to our—their club adviser. I just told them I was leaving, we could still have our time kapag breaktime but not just in the same club. But on the other side, one person didn't leave her position and instead she comes close to me.

She caught my arms, and lean closer to me, "you're always gonna be the problem of me and slowly I'm eliminating you, not just on me but on Gian."

I tried not to look pity from her, "say what you want on me, Mia. But you can't pull me down when you're already at the bottom... I'm not following you there."

She hastily removed her hands on me and roll her eyes, "but please, don't overconfident yourself." Mabilis niya akong tinalikuran, halos ipakain pa niya sa akin ang buhok niya at hindi ko nagustuhan iyon. Hindi rin naman nagtagal ay umalis na rin naman ako ng drama club and when I'm out of the room, pakiramdam ko isang parte ng pagkatao ko ang nawala. I wasn't been in the drama club for long but I'm taking a part of it but now it's gone.

I walked the down hallway, alone and only accompanied by silence. In any other way, kailangan kong maghanap ng bagong club which will have me without any reasons. If only there is one.