It was another day for class, and as usual, maaga ako sa school. I was pressing my lips together as I was holding on to the strap of my bag. I was exposing myself for the Vitamin D from the sun. Ang lamig pa ng hangin sa school naming. In fairness kasi sa school, kahit na marami siyang building, marami pa ring mga puno roon.

I sighed and then looked at my surroundings again. Wala pa ring mga tao so, I just shrugged and went to the room already. Supposed to be sa student council room ako pupunta but then I just felt like not going so I'm going to our room na lang.

Since maaga pa naman talaga ay expected ko na wala pa talagang tao sa room naming. Maski yata sa buong building ay wala pa ring tao. I shrugged and just sat on my usual seat in front. I grabbed my daily planner and just checked my schedule. Nagsulat din ako ng mga possible sched ko the following days. I found out pa naman na may mga events the next months tapos may ganap din daw sa batch naming. I don't actually know, if true and chismis, though. Nevertheless, I still laid out my plans for the next months na lang.

Ilang saglit pa, dumating na rin naman iyong mga classmates ko, so may kasama na rin ako roon. As usual, I was alone in my seat while they were all doing all their morning chikas and all. I shook my head. A minute later pa, dumating na rin ang homeroom adviser namin for the announcement and all.

Umayos lang ako ng upo at saka nakinig sa kanya. Mostly, it was just reminders lang naman for some of our subjects and mga tasks dito sa classrooms. Nothing really special until she mentioned something that caught everyone's attention, including mine.

"Oo nga pala, class. I am happy to announce to all of you na approve na ang ating batch team building kaya sini-set na naming ang date nito together with the other strands and sections," our adviser said. Agad na nagbulong-bulungan iyong mga classmates ko. May kani-kanilang mga opinion sila about the said team building. Tahimik lang naman ako at nakikinig lang sa adviser namin.

It doesn't excites me, really. I mean, we do that every year naman kasi. Paulit-ulit lang din ang mga gagawin. I sighed. My classmates were still clamouring about the said team building. May mga excited, may mga nagtanong naman kung pwedeng huwag nang sumali and the likes. I just focused my attention na lang sa next subject naming. Baka kung ano ang gawin namin doon. I don't wanna be shocked mamaya, no.

Ang dami pang sinabi ng adviser naming tungkol sa event na iyon.

"Sama-sama po ba lahat ng sections ng strand?" dinig niyang tanong pa ng president nila sa classroom.

"Oo, sa quadrangle tayong lahat since malaki roon," sabi pa ng adviser namin.

Nag-react ulit sila. I even heard some of the girls screaming at that. I shook my head and just stared at my notebook. I was just scribbling graffiti on it while my other classmates were busy asking nonsense questions from our adviser.

I didn't know how long they were debating about that team building. All I heard lang naman was how they adore those ABM students daw na kasama namin. I rolled my eyes. Tsk. All they are thinking are about those things. Tsk. Gosh. Why don't they focus na lang sa studies since it's our last year. Ughh ewan ko sa kanila.

"Shet kasama sana nating sina Vench!"

"Ay for sure!"

"Ughh! Single iyong di ba?"

"Yep since birth!"

They all laughed like crazy bitches. I scoffed but then I stopped at the name that was mentioned.

Vench.

Oh my gosh. They knew him? Wow so he's really famous pala. Why didn't I know that? Napatingin tuloy ako sa mga kaklase ko na naghahagikhikan pa rin. Nangunot ang noo ko. Why are they ogling about him? Di naman siya ganoon kagwapo. Tsk. Napairap na lang ulit ako tapos ay umiling. Minutes later, our adviser left na rin at nag-start na iyong class namin.

I just focused on the lesson and in taking down notes while my classmates were still bugging about that team building. Until our last subject sa morning iyon nga lang ang pinag-usapan nila hanggang sa mag-lunch. I rolled my eyes na lang every time I hear them talk about that. Kasi naman, no. Wala ba silang ibang topic? Hmp.

Lunch came and as usual, I went to the canteen alone. Super dami nga ng tao roon. Medyo nainis na rin tuloy ako kasi need ko pang pumila. Ugh. Sana pala nagpabaon na lang ako. I sighed frustratedly as I fell in line. Nasa line ako nang bigla aong makarinig ng super maingay na mga students. Napalingon tuloy ako kasama ng ibang mga nasa line.

Agad na nagtaas ang kilay ko nang nakita ko iyong grupo noong mayabang na swimmer. Huh. Vench. He was acting like a heartthrob talaga kasi may mga tumitili sa kanya tapos kinakawayan niya pa ang mga ito. Iyong mga teammate din niy super supportive naman at nakikisabay nga.

I immediately glared at my back nang matulak ako sa gulo ng dalawang babae sa likuran. Ughh. Seriously? They look like they were convulsing or something.Ughh. Kainis I crossed my arms together. Naghintay na lang ako ng turn ko. Super ingay pa rin ng mga kaibigan ni Vench. I swear, I could hear his annoying voice. So loud pa naman. I guess nag-line din sila kasi nasa likuran na iyong ingay. I harshly heaved a sigh before moving forward. Swear, gusto ko na umalis doon kasi ang ingay talaga ni Vench.

I thank God nang turn ko na sa wakas.

"Isang rice then pork steak, please," I ordered.

I got my purse and was about to get pambayad na nang biglang may nag-abot ng pera.

"Ako na po," says the grinning Vench at the cashier. My mouth parted as I stared at him.

"Excuse me? Order ko iyon," sabi ko.

Doon siya lumingon sa akin at nginitian ako. "Libre ko na Miss Pres."

Mabilis akong umiling. "No, I'm gonna-"

"Sige na! Oh, Brice, hoy, ilagay mo sa table natin. Landon, samahan mo si Miss Pres, order lang ako." Kinindatan niya ang mga barkada niya at agad naman lumapit iyong dalawa. My eyes widened in shock and the brute just smiled even more.

"Miss Pres, ako na bag mo," sabi ng isa at kinuha ang mga dala ko. Iyong isa naman dala iyong food ko.

Pinagtitinginan na kami ng mga student while ako natatanga pa rin doon. Omg! What is happening?! I was literally frozen on my feet there if not for Vench na inakbayan ako after niyang makuha ang order niya. I was still so dumbfounded so I wasn't able to move tuloy! Ang bilis niya rin tuloy akong nahila papunta sa table nila! And just like that, I ate lunch with them! Oh my god?!

~***~

"Ang busangot namna niyan, Miss Pres!" I glared at Vench who was grinning from ear to ear. We were still in their table and kaya ako nakasimangot kasi I was supposed to transfer kaso puno na ang mga table. Stuck tuloy ako sa limang ito.

"Iba ka na talaga dumamoves, Vench!" Tumawa iyong si Brice so I glared at him, too. "Oh, chill lang boss madam!"

"Oo nga, boss! Nakakatanda iyan!" Si Landon naman. I rolled my eyes na lang and continue eating. I almost flinched pa when Vench rested his arms on my chair. When I looked at him, nakikipagdaldalan na naman siya sa mga kaibigan niya.

I groaned as I felt the students' judging eyes on me. As if ginusto ko ito, no! Hmp! Binilisan ko na lang pagkain ko tapos ay agad na akong umalis doon. I even heard Vench calling me pero di ako nakinig. I couldn't take his voice and the students' glares! Tsk.

I quickly went to my next class na. Buti na lang hindi na kami nagkita pa ulit noong hapon. Because of that, nagbabaon na tuloy ako tapos hindi na ako sa canteen kumakain. I don't want to be associated with him, no, but then gosh, team building happened.

"Miss Pres!"

"Uy Miss Pres, miss ka ni Vench!"

"Oo nga, di ka na raw nakikita sa canteen."

"Muntik ka nang puntahan sa classroom niyo!"

And they teased Vench pa.

"Hoy, TMI naman kayo!" Vench irked and even scratched his head, looking shy. I just raised a brow on him, my arms still crossed on my chest. Vench then turned to me. Poker faced pa rin ako.

"Okay, everyone! Come to the center now!"

We all turned to our advisers who were in the middle already together with our batchmates. I made a face upon seeing my classmates glaring at me again. I shook my head.

"Alright, now, guys para sa ating unang activity, gusto naming maghalo-halo kayong lahat and then, group yourselves na may representative ng bawat strand. May timer tayo, ha? In thirty seconds, and it starts now!"

Napakurap ako nang agad na tumakbo ang mga batchmates naming. I was left there na nakatayo lang.

"Miss Pres, sa amin ka!" Hindi na ako nakapalag nang hilahin ako ni Vench at inakbayan. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko habang nakatingin sa kanya. Nandoon kami sa gitna ng circle nila tapos iyong mga friend niya ang naghahanap ng mga kasama naming mula iba't ibang strand. Like oh my gosh?!

"Oh, puno na! Puno na!" agad na sabi ni Landon at pinaalis ang ibang batchmates namin. Napasinghap ako at napatingin kay Vench.

He just smiled at me from ear-to-ear. "Partner tayo, ha." Kumindat pa siya.

I groaned in frustration and rolled my eyes. Itong annoying na ito naman ay mukhang sayang-saya pa sa mga nangyayari. Ughh. Kainis!

"Okay, let's start!" And the games started nga. Vench never left me, literally. As in he was tailing me every game. Groupmate kami palagi at partner pa. I couldn't help but rolled my eyes. As in feeling ko babaliktad ang eyeballs ko sa kakairap sa kanya pero deadma siya. Gosh. And I was receiving deadly stares pa from our classmates. Kaloka! As if ginusto kong samahan itong si Vench, duhh! They can have him na, no! I rolled my eyes again as I received another death glares from them. Seriously?

"Tsk. Don't mind them." I almost jumped when Vench whispered in my ear. Kinilabutan ang buong katawan ko sa kanya!

"H-Huh?" I swallowed hard. Ngumisi lang ulit siya at inakbayan na naman ako.

"Sasama ka na sa amin mula ngayon," sabi niya pa. Kinunutan ko siya ng noo.

"What?"

Vench chuckled again. "Basta, sama ka na sa amin ngayon, mula ngayon," he said again, and with that he pulled me away from the judging eyes of my classmates. Para naman akong papel na nagpahila.

Gosh bakit nga ako nasama rito?

My team building went unexpectedly well. Despite the deadly glares of my classmates, I found myself laughing along with Vench and his friends. Ang kukulit at gugulo kasi, super.

I couldn't help but sigh. It's a regular day and of course hindi ko kasama sina Vench. I don't intend to go with them din naman despite what he said that day. I shook my head and just scribbled on my notebook. It's my last subject today and we just had a quiz. Done na rin naman ako kaya naghihintay na lang talaga ako ng time.

"Alright! For next meeting, please group yourselves into five."

Mabilis na kumilos ang mga kaklase ko habang ako ay saglit na natanga pa roon. They all went to their groups as if it was already automatic. I swallowed hard as I tried to figure out where to go. I knew somehow that we were even, so for sure I will have a group, but you know that feeling when you feel like everyone has everything that they want na and kahit na hindi compliant iyong number nila, okay lang kasi okay na sila sa presence nila. That's exactly what I felt. It was like I was not needed, and that I had nowhere to go because nobody wants me.

From then on, something just hit me. With all that happened to me since at the beginning of the school year, I just realized how lonely I was, like if not for Vench and his friends being makulit noong team building, baka doon pa lang ganito na ang nararamdaman ko.

Wow. Parang last year lang I had my people, a, and now suddenly, I was alone. It's funny how people turn their back on you, but has no guts to tell you where you went wrong or what you did that they didn't even like.