Everything passed like a blur. Sobrang bilis ng mga pangyayari at sobrang bilis lang din ng panahon. Parang kailan lang first day of class pa lang at nakagawa pa ako ng napakalaking chismis sa school. Now, I'm almost done with Senior High School. Pa-sembreak na at nasa middle na kami ng school year. Grabe, it was such a nerve wracking experience.

"Hoy, Resche!"

I stopped walking and immediately looked back. "Yes, Ate?" tanong ko kay Ate Trisha na nasa bukana ng pinto. She didn't say anything. Sa halip ay nakatingin lang siya sa akin tapos ay parang hini-head to toe niya pa ako.

My forehead creased because of that. "What is it, Ate? You're acting weird," I couldn't help but laugh a little.

She pouted and even hissed at me. Inirapan niya lang ako. "Wala! I'm just happy na you're the happy go lucky Resche na ulit," sabi niya pa at abot tenga ang ngiti sa akin. I looked at her confusingly.

"You're confusing me, Ate," sabi ko sa kanya.

Tumawa lang siya tapos ay tinapik ako sa balikat.

"Basta, happy kami nina Mamsi at Papsi kasi okay ka na."

Mas lalong nangunot ang noo ko sa kanya. Umiling lang siya tapos ay huminga nang malalim at saka ako niyakap.

"Basta! Sige na, sige na!" natatawang sabi niya pa bago humiwalay sa akin. Ngumuso ako at napatitig lang ulit sa kanya.

Kasi naman ang weird niya ha. Hay nako. Oh well, minsan OA naman talaga itong ate ko. I shrugged and kissed her cheek na rin. As if on cue, we heard a car's horn. Halos sabay pa kami ni Ate na lumingon.

"Morning!" Vench greeted and waved at us. I smiled and waved at him, too. Nilingon ko si Ate.

"Bye na!"

She laughed and nodded at me. "Sige na! Baka mainip ang sundo mo." Tinulak niya pa ako nang marahan. Napairap na lang ako at saka umalis na rin. I jogged towards Vench's convertible.

"Hello!" I greeted him. The brute made pa-cute naman at inayos pa talaga ang shades niya na para bang isa siyang model. I just rolled my eyes at him. "You look like an idiot," I snapped. He immediately made a face.

"Seriously? Mood killer. Tss," tampo kuno niya. Tinawanan ko lang siya. "Seat Belts please," nakasimangot niya pa ring sabi. Napailing na lang ako at kinabit na rin naman iyon. Sumandal ako sa likod ng upuan.

"Tara na! I'll be late. Iyong mga mata ng mga council members baka tumirik na naman," sabi ko pa. Vench burst into laughter before stepping on the gas. Napapikit ako sa lamig ng hangin. I bit my lip and got his extra shades sa tabi ko. Sinuot ko iyon. Nagkatinginan pa kami before I made a pose that made him laugh. I laughed with him, too.

I sighed and looked at the streets again. Another change in my life this school year was this. Being friends with Vench is a big change for me. I didn't know how it happened but I just found myself being close to him and his friends. Simula noong foundation day, I became closer to his barkada. As in, I just found myself being with them everyday. Hindi rin naman ako tinitigilan ni Vench at palagi niya akong kinukulit kaya nasanay na rin ako.

Honestly, I think it was them who made my life in the school easier. I mean, maybe it's really their company that made my last year in high school bearable, at least. I didn't even think about the whispers and all the other rumors the others were talking about me. Yeah, hindi pa rin kasi sila tapos sa kung ano mang mga ganap nila sa akin. Well, I didn't care na rin, no. Bahala na sila sa life nila like I'm fine on my own.

"Drive thru muna tayo. I'm famished." I was pushed back to reality with what Vench said. I looked at him and shrugged.

"You don't eat at home?" I asked pa. He chuckled a bit.

"I woke up late." Nagkamot pa siya ng ulo. Napasinghap ako at tiningnan ka.

"My gosh, edi sana hindi mo na ako sinundo. I can go naman sa school without you, duhh." Humalukipkip ako. Tumawa lang naman siya sa akin. Gosh. Kainis. Hay nako.

Kasi naman he's always like that. When we got close, he offered to carpool with me. Hindi ko nga rin alam kung bakit ako pumayag. But anyway, iyon na nga, minsan na lang ako ihatid ng driver namin kasi sabay na kami ni Vench. Minsan din sinusundo namin sina Landon at Brice. Anyway, we have this time slot kasi ng meet up na pag hindi nasunod or pag wala pa siya ng time na iyon, papahatid na ako at di na rin niya ako susunduin. Now, whenever he wakes up late, he would skip his breakfast para lang ma-meet iyong time slot na iyon. Ang ending tuloy panay ang drive thru niya. Hmp. Ewan ko rin talaga sa kanya, e. One thing I observed about Vench was that he was really hard headed and I might say spoiled.

Kasi naman grandparents niya ang nagpalaki sa kanya at wala palagi ang parents niya. He's also an only child kaya hindi na nakapagtataka. They're also old money and super rich kaya lahat ng bagay na gusto niya ibinibigay. I was shocked nga when one time we were talking kasi bored kami then doon ko nalaman kung sino ang family niya. I wonder why I didn't notice him before. Gosh. Super attentive siguro talaga ako kay Gab noon na hindi ko na napapansin ang ibang mga batchmate namin. Tsk. Now that I think of how I was so focused in that circle before,I felt like I wasted half of my life. Gosh.

"Huwag mo na akong pagalitan. Tsk. Pinagalitan na nga ako ni Lola," sabi niya pa at saka tumawa. Umirap ako.

"Siyempre matigas ulo mo, e," I fired back. He burst into laughter again. The next thing I knew, papasok na kami ng drive thru. Oh yeah, whatever.

Napailing na lang ako at ibinalik na lang ang shades. I want to close my eyes muna kahit na super lapit na rin naman kami sa school. I heard Vench giving his orders to the staff. Halos masaulo ko na nga iyong orders niya kasi paulit-ulit lang naman iyon everytime na mag-o-order siya.

"Hey, fries," I heard him say tapos kinalabit pa ako. I raised my hand.

"Later na. I'm sleepy."

He chuckled again. "Alright." Then I felt us leaving na. Ilang minutes lang din ay dumating na rin kami sa school. Sabay kaming lumabas ni Vench.

"Where to?" I asked kasi maaga pa naman at kakain pa siya. Sinasamahan ko siya palagi pag kumakain kasi baka hindi siya kumain. Plus nakakahingi ako ng fries.

"The usual na lang. Malapit sa swimming pool."

I nodded at him. He always liked it there kasi tahimik daw lalo na pag ganitong time. As expected, wala ngang tao nang makapasok kami sa mismong swimming pool area. Sabay kaming umupo sa bleachers at doon niya niladlad ang mga order niya kanina. I immediately got the fries na usually niya talagang ino-order for me.

"Ubusin mo iyan," I told him. Pinanlakihan ko pa siya ng mga mata.

Ngumisi lang siya at saka umiling. I raised my eyebrow when I saw how his cheeks reddened. Natawa tuloy ako. "Are you okay?" tanong ko pa. He bit his lip and looked at me. Mas namula ang mukha niya papunta sa ears niya.

"Wala, kinikilig lang, crush." And the brute winked. I was taken aback kaya mabilis kong naramdaman ang pag-init ng mukha ko. Now he was the one smirking like an idiot. I threw him a death glare.

"Shut up!" inis na sabi ko na tinawanan lang naman niya. Umirap na lang ako at saka humalukipkip doon. Tsk. I really don't like it pag bumabanat siya ng ganyan cause I get affected! Gosh! Snap out of it, Resche!

"Ay! Date ulit? Ano ba iyan, Master!" Natigilan kaming dalawa nang marinig ang maingay na boses ni Brice.

I turned to them and I saw him with Brice. I waved at them and handed the fries as Landon pa.

"Uy! Matsalam, Miss Pres!"

Tumabi sa amin ang dalawa at nakikain na nga. "Hey! Huwag niyo ngang ubusan si Vench!" sabi ko pa.

Mabilis na nagngisihan ang dalawa sa amin. "Huh. Sana all talaga sweet si crush," Landon commented to which I immediately glared at. Nasgsikuhan silang dalawa. Napailing na lang ako at kumain na lang ng fries. Iyong tatlo ang iingay na naman.

I couldn't help but look at them while they were being chaotic. I'm really thankful for these three. Ang gaan lang kasi nilang kasama. Despite what happened the past months, they didn't even talk about that issue before. Basta, they were just supportive of me. Sila pa iyong nagpapaalala sa akin na lahat ng mga naririnig ko, wala dapat bearing cause they are all just clamours. Napangiti na lang ako. I started my year wrongfully. It was very challenging but then they came and everything just went okay.

I sighed in contentment. I looked at my phone only to see that my thirty minutes was up already. I cleared my throat. "Hey, sa council na ako. I need to do some work bago mag-class," sabi ko pa at tumayo na. Natigilan naman sila at napatitig sa akin.

"Bye, Miss Pres!" Kumaway sila sa akin. I did the same. I smiled at Vench and narrowed my eyes on him.

"Ubusin mo!" sabi ko pa. Tumawa lang siya kaya inirapan ko lang ulit siya at umalis na roon. Nagkantyawan pa ang ang tatlo nang tuluyan ko nang iwan doon. Napahinga ako nang malalim at saka tuluyan nang umalis doon.

The campus was still silent and wala pa ring masyadong tao dahil maaga pa naman. Mabilis akong naglakad papuntang student council office. Nang makarating ako roon ay naabutan ko pa ang iilang mga member namin doon. They all looked at me when I entered the room. They still have those weird looks na para bang iniiwasan nila ako and may gusto silang sabihin pero hindi nila masabi. Mailap din sila sa akin. Ipinagkibit-balikat ko na lang iyon at saka tumungo sa chair ko. They're one of those people na hindi ko na talaga pinapansin dahil wala rin namang idudulot kung papansinin ko sila. If I cannot please them, then fine. Basta ba ginagawa nila ang trabaho nila sa council. Walang problema.

I slumped my back on my swivel chair. I sighed and crossed my arms on my chest. In-open ko na rin iyong computer ko at saka kinuha ang mga file na need kong i-check. Gosh ang dami naman kasing needed lalo na for the orgs and all. Ganito talaga pag malapit na ang sembreak, ang daming kailangan gawin. Buti na lang tapos na iyong exams namin so di na masyadong hectic at wala na masyadong kaba. Bale iyong pinunta namin dito ay for the finalization na lang ng mga requirement namin for each subject.

I was in the middle of checking some files when my phone vibrated. My forehead creased when I looked at it. It was from Ate Trish.

From: Ate Trish

Outing daw tayo sa sembreak mo! Yieee!

I couldn't help but laugh at the text. I was about to reply nang may pumasok ulit.

From: Ate Trish

Dalhin mo si Vench yiiee

Mas lalong nagsalubong ang kilay ko. "What? Bakit ko naman dadalhin? Seriously?" I shook my head. Another chat came in but this time, it was from Vench. I pouted as I clicked his name.

Vench Torres:

Bored

May attached na picture iyon. Natawa ako at umiling ulit. The heck? Itong isang ito, kung ano-ano ang ginagawa, e. Hay nako.

Resche Sanchez:

Don't use your phone while in class!

Vench Torres:

Tsk. Boring.

Wala ka pa bang class?

I pressed my lips together.

Resche Sanchez:

In an hour pa ang akin.

Vench Torres:

Sana all.

I laughed again. Kung may makakakita sa akin baka inakalang baliw na ako. Umayos ako ng upo at saka tumikhim.

Resche Sanchez:

Sige na, makinig ka diyan. I'll be off to class

Vench Torres:

Anong gagawin mo sa sembreak?

Napairap na lang ako at napasapop sa aking noo. This guy! Halata namang pinapahaba lang ang conversation. Hay nako.

Resche Sanchez:

Outing with the fam.

Why?

Vench Torres:

Where?

Resche Sanchez:

Why so curious?

I waited for his reply, but then he didn't reply agad. Ilang segundo pa akong naghintay hanggang sa naging minuto pero hindi pa rin siya nag-reply.

"Himala, a." Napailing ako at itinabi na lang iyon tapos ay ibinalik ko na ang atensyon sa aking ginagawa kanina. Tinapos ko iyon 30 minutes before my class. After that, I immediately went out of the student council room.

Quietly, I went to my building despite all the eyes and the murmurs. When I got in the classroom saktong dumating na rin ang instructor namin. Gaya ng usual, checking at item analysis lang ang ginawa namin tapos evaluation. My score was fine naman, so wala na rin naman akong problema. Chill na lang din ako after ng checking namin.

I was just doodling on my paper when I felt my phone vibrating. Sunod-sunod iyon kaya mas lalo akong na-curious. Mabilis na kinuha ko iyon at lihim na tiningnan.

Swimmers Team Lang Sakalam.

That was the title of the group chat that I was added to. Wait, what? My mouth parted as I looked into the names of the group. Wait, lahat ng kasama ko mga varsity player ng swimming team! Teka, why am I here?

Resche Sanchez:

Uhh why am I here?

Brice:

Uyy hi miss pres!

Landon:

Welcome miss pres!

Lance:

Yieees hello miss maam!

Earl:

Lezzgo miss maam! Welcome!

Now I'm more confused. What the hell is happening?

Vench Torres:

Sorry about that, Miss Pres, sila ang nag-add sayo hahahah

Nalaglag ang panga ko sa nabasa. What the heck?

Resche Sanchez:

Why am I here? Baka nandito ang coach niyo hello?

I swear I was so ready to hit leave na!

Brice:

Nahh, don't worry. Barkada lang itong GC miss pres hahahaha you're one of us now.

Landon:

Saksto! Welcome to the group pres!

Lance:

May muse na ang swimmers!

Earl:

Naks! Naks! Naks!

Napasinghap na lang ako at napatitig na lang doon. Ngumuso ako at saka napakagat ng labi. Hindi ko alam pero I felt like something just touched my heart upon reading those messages...

I think I just found my people. They're my people, each one of them is my person, and I treasure them so much...