Melissa Grace

Finally! Our class has ended!

At last! I can break free from my classmates' rude and scrutinizing stares.

Jessica may be the bubblier soul between us but sometimes, her overly high spirits makes me feel weirded out.

"Sure ka, ayaw mong magmerienda muna kay Jolibee?" Jess asked, with Celine Gallego and Avon Benavides walking beside us towards the gates of the campus.

I smiled at her and nodded, "yep. A hundred and ten percent sure."

"Alright. Sakay na kami. Ingat ka pauwi, girl, ha. See you bukas!" Jess said and waved at me when a jeepney stopped in front of the gate. Both Celine and Avon waved too and I sighed as soon as they are out of earshot.

Here I am at the waiting shed in front of the campus.

I kept trying to ignore the vibrations of my phone inside my shoulder bag since lunch today.

Frustrated, I sat and pulled out my phone. I saw Clinton Daniels' on my screen.

Rolling my eyes, I answered it with a heavy amount of sarcasm in my voice, "who died and had you resurrected, Daniels?"

"Please, just let me explain—" he pleaded over the line.

"—talk. Five minutes. Limang minuto, baka hindi mo naiintindihan kaya tinagalog ko na." I hissed at him, almost clenching my phone.

"I– I was drunk. It was a set-up. Dave knew how I am a thousand times over his sister but I woke up the next day inside her room, naked and—" he explained and I cut him off.

"—That still doesn't explain why you are there in their house when you didn't tell me that you are attending your ex's send-off party and disappearing after without talking to me!" I scoffed, tears welling up my eyes.

I started to get the attention of some of my classmates so I turned to the other side for them not to see my awful face.

"You know what? Just quit bugging me! I don't need you so back off!" I yelled angrily, blocked his number and hung up before putting it back inside my bag.

Suddenly, I felt someone's gaze on me. I turned around and our eyes met.

The least person I expected to see me in my unpleasant state. I also wiped down these tears and gave him a smile.

"H-hey, Drew. Going home?" I asked in a croaked voice. "Gusto mong sumabay pauwi? Along the way ka naman—"

"—hindi na. May pupuntahan pa ako. Salamat sa alok mo." He said and sat beside me at the waiting shed.

Awkward silence filled the air and luckily, minutes after, Kuya Reden arrived. I stood up and looked at him before saying, "S-sige. Ingat ka."

Kuya Reden recognized him and he lifted his hand to politely greet him. He looked at me from the rearview mirror and asked, "hindi ho sasabay si Sir Drew?"

"Hindi raw po. May pupuntahan pa siya." I answered and closed the door at the backseat. He nodded and sped off the school.

As we traveled on the way home, my thoughts kept drifting back to the troubles I had at the previous school I was in.

Yes, I was quite popular back then. But along with the fame came the insecure people who have nothing good to say about me.

Yung mga taong hindi ka naman pinapalamon pero kung makaasta akala mo kung sinong magagaling.

Sabi nila, kaya lang naman daw ako sikat dahil girlfriend ako ng isang Clinton Daniels, ang power forward ng basketball team ng school namin.
Even if the whole team is kind to me, I couldn't help thinking that one of them has betrayed me.

I always suspected their point guard, Dominic, to have been envious of the attention Clinton was having.

I groaned inwardly, bakit ko ba iniisip pa sila? Wala naman silang naging ambag sa grades ko!

"Ma'am, andito na ho tayo." Kuya Reden distracted my thoughts when he turned off the car's engine.

I raised my eyes and stared at our house's facade. Then, it rested at Dad and my brows furrowed when I saw Drome chuckling with him at the front lawn.

"Opo, salamat, Kuya." I thanked him and got out of the car with my bag on my shoulder.

"Andyan na pala ang prinsesa ko!" Dad exclaimed and I went towards him and pecked on his cheek.

"Hi, Dad." I said and smiled. "Pasok na po ako sa loob."

"Siya nga pala si Drome. One of the greatest chefs in the country!" Dad boasted and Drome's ears turned pink.

I rolled my eyes inwardly, tell me about being Dad's puppet, Drome.

"Hello, Drome." I mustered his name and he answered back, "Nice meeting you, Grace."

"Sa loob na po ako, Dad." I said again and he let me go.

I greeted Mom as soon as I saw her and went to my bedroom upstairs. I changed my clothes immediately and lied on my bed. I grabbed my pillow and muffled my scream of irritation.

At ngayon, si Drome naman!

Drome is my first love!

We used to live here during my preschool days and I always see him as someone more than an older brother. I only realized it when I reached elementary and got to know about crushes and stuff like that.

Clinton came after during highschool days and the rest is history.

Looking back, my choices were pretty bad.

Clinton was a jerk.

And Drome was a modest asshole.

It was a long story but every time I see their faces, I just cringe and wanted to hide.

Can't they just get off my face?