"UMAYOS ka, Alzien. Hindi ka namin pinalaking suwail!"

A hard slap from Dad landed on my face. Napapikit ako nang maramdaman ang init at hapdi niyon sa aking mukha.

"Mom! Dad! That's enough. Tama na po," pigil ni Bella.

"Matuto kang rumespeto, Alzien. Ginagawa lang namin 'to para sa sarili mong kapakanan. We love you, anak. Please, do this for us," Mom sweetly smiled before she and Dad left me with Bella.

Pinunasan ko ang dugong tumutulo sa gilid ng labi.

For my sake? No, it's for their business's sake. None of us wanted to take business. I mean, I could damn handle all of it but I want to take Architecture. And our business is not even related to that. Pero kaya ko.

"Are you okay? Saan ang masakit? God! Your face is swollen!" natatarantang sabi ni Bella.

I lightly slapped her hands away from my face and walked away.

"Hey! Where are you going?! Alzien! Alzien!" she screamed.

I didn't answer.

I came to school with a swollen face and a slight crack on my glasses. My eyesight has no problem. Exposed lang ako sa gadgets at para hindi tuluyang masira ay gumamit ako nito. And that damn old man is mad about it too.

"Alzien, mamaya sa bahay gagawin 'yong project. Ayos lang ba?" Cielo came to me.

I nodded. Cielo tried to touch my face but I immediately backed down.

"Anong nangyari sa 'yo? May pasa ka," she asked.

It's not as if she can help me if I'd tell her though. At sa mga susunod pa na buwan o taon ay baka laging ganito. I can take it. Pero Architecture ang tatapusin ko. Architecture and then business. Damn it.

"Simula noong bumalik ka, halos walang linggo na hindi ka nagkakapasa. Mind telling me what happened?"

I shook my head. I am in no mood to entertain her questions.

"Gano'n? Mamaya ah, sa bahay tayong lahat."

At five PM, we were already at their house. A nice cozy house.

"Huwag tayo masyadong maingay, nandito mga kaklase ni Ate," paalala ni Cielo.

"College students?" Zeki asked.

"Oo. May ginagawa sila. Simulan na natin 'to."

In the middle of making the damn project, Cielo's sister went down with her classmate.

"Ate Rayzeah! Na sa akin 'yong pants mo na hiniram ni Ate Chelsea, nakalimutan ko iuwi sa 'yo," Cielo said.

I lifted up my sight only to see a stunning woman in front of me. Her rosy cheeks went red as Cielo touched her shoulders. Damn it. Ano't may naligaw na diwata rito?

"Ano ka ba, ayos lang. You can keep it if you want. Hindi na kasya 'yon sa 'kin dahil tumangkad ako ng kaunti kaya puwedeng sa 'yo na."

She smiled and my heart melted. Huminga ako ng malalim at sinubukang umiwas ng tingin. Baka mapansin niya ang titig ko. Hindi ko rin natagalan kaya ibinalik ko agad sa kaniya ang aking tingin.

"Talaga? Oh, my God! Thank you, Ate!"

I don't mind if we take forever with this project.

"Ang kapal ng mukha mong bata ka!" Cielo's sister shouted.

"Ate Rayzeah oh!"

"Tumigil ka na nga, Chelsea. Kumuha na tayo ng makakain, naghihintay na sila sa taas," she softly said with a smile.

I scoffed. Ni hindi man lang ako tinapunan ng tingin. Hindi niya man lang ako napansin? My features isn't that common that's why I'm confident she'd look at me. Napapikit ako ng mariin at iritadong ipinagpatuloy ang mga ginagawa.

Lumipas ang mga araw at ang mukha pa rin na 'yon ang tanging laman ng isip ko. Nababaliw na yata ako. I even painted her face and hanged the painting on my room. I stalked her social media accounts. Naging gawain ko na iyon. Dumating pa sa point na kinakausap ko na ang picture niya. Nagb-breakdown gabi-gabi at kinakausap ang picture niya. I think I am slowly losing my mind.

"Saan tayo gagawa ng powerpoint?" Calluna asked.

A powerpoint for next week's reporting.

"Hindi pwede sa bahay, makalat," Daphne answered.

"Same with my condo. I'm still on my rest days and that includes me, not cleaning anything," Anemone also answered.

"Hindi rin pwede sa amin, gumagawa ng video presentation sina Ate," Cielo answered.

I wrinkled my nose. We could do the powerpoint without noise. Kahit ako na ang gagawa at maglaro na lang sila, gagawin ko. Sa akin sila malalagot kapag gumawa ng ingay at naistorbo ang mga... college students.

"Let's do it in my place," Zavia smiled sweetly.

I can feel my blood boiling because of that suggestion. Masyadong malayo. At wala na akong pera para magpa-gas kung ganoon kalayo. Cielo's house is just fifteen minutes away. Pwede na nga roon. Kung ayaw nila, tatanggalin ko silang lahat sa grupo at magre-report ako mag-isa.

"Let's do it in your house, hindi naman tayo mag-iingay," I looked straight at Cielo.

"Sure ba 'yan? Kapag nag-ingay kayo at nagalit si Ate, ito na ang magiging last project making natin sa bahay," litanya nito. "Highblood pa naman 'yon ngayon dahil sa dami ng gagawin nila."

I nodded. Lintik lang ang mag-iingay.

"Pwede naman kasi sa amin nalang, duh!" Zavia rolled her eyes.

The urge to kick Zavia Aurelia out of the group is getting stronger. Nag-iinit na nga ang dugo ko pinapainit pa pati ulo ko.

"Kila Cielo nalang, mas malapit. Sayang sa gas, ang layo-layo ng bahay niyo, Zavia," Zeki interrupted and I grinned in secret.

The thought of seeing her again makes me excited. At ano, Alzien? Ha? Anong plano mo?

"May lakad ka?" Bella asked.

"Project lang," I answered.

"Alzien, alam mo namang ayaw nina Mommy na ituloy mo ang strand na 'yan. Baka saktan ka ulit ni Dad," she worriedly said.

"I'll get a degree. I am going to pursue architecture."

Nanlumo ito ngunit tumango rin agad. I left and went directly to Cielo's house. Hinihintay na nila ako sa labas ng gate pagdating. Pumasok kami at unang tapak ko pa lang ay mukha niya na agad ang nakita ko. They were filming something. And she's wearing a yellow dress. It's making my head crazy.

Napatingin ako sa braso ko at pabalik sa kaniya. I want to wrap my arms around that small waist. Napansin ko rin na naglagay ito ng lipstick dahil mapula ang makurbang labi nito. Nakalugay naman ang kaniyang mahabang buhok. She looked really adorable in that sight.

"You okay?" Zeki asked.

I nodded with a small smile.

"You're weird," he said and left.

I found out she's working at a restaurant and that made my entire year. It means I can watch her from afar. That became my routine. To watch her in a distance while working.

"She's so pretty," bulong ko habang tinatanaw siya.

I once entered the restaurant and kept staring at her as I do some of my homeworks. Ang ganda naman talaga. Nawawala ako sa focus. Ang bango pa. Amoy lavender.

"Guys, free kayo mamayang lunch?" Cielo asked.

"Why?" Anemone asked back.

Cielo shifted her gaze to Anemone.

"Pupunta rito sina Ate, may project yata, ewan. Pupunta sila rito para mang-interview ng mga high school students. Ayoko namang mapagod sila kakakumbinsi ng mga estudyante kasi kahit kaaway ko si Ate e mahal ko pa rin naman. Maki-cooperate kayo ah? Sandali lang naman," litanya nito.

Kasali ba siya? At mga estudyante? Damn, sunshine, I could convince everyone for you.

"Wala bang pa-essay 'yan? Or Math? Equations? Logarithm? Summation?" Con-con asked.

"Tanga! Wala!" Cielo answered.

Ang sabi ni Cielo ay business administration student iyon nang minsan ay matanong ni Zeki. Sasapakin ko na sana dahil akin 'yon, curious lang pala. Aasawahin ko na lang 'yon para siya ang mag-handle ng family business namin. Pero ang sama ko namang asawa. I groaned at that thought. Aasawahin lang at aanakan. Ako na ang bahala sa lahat.

I was the last one Cielo choose to do the interview. Gusto kong sumama kay Con-con, he was the first one to be interviewed. Gusto ko siyang makita ng malapitan. Nangungulila ako. Wala siyang karapatan na iparamdam sa akin 'to. Gustong-gusto ko talaga ang college student na 'yon.

But fate didn't hear my plea. Inutusan akong pumunta sa faculty room dahil hinahanap ako ng teacher. I heaved a sigh and went to the faculty room.

"Dela Rama, you're doing not so good on your grades. What's your plan?" the teacher asked me.

I lazily brushed my hair upward from my forehead. Matagal pa ba 'to? Gusto kong itanong sa teacher iyon. Kating-kati na ako na magpa-interview. Paano kapag tinanong niya kung may girlfriend ako? E di sasabihin ko wala at baka gusto niyang mag-volunteer.

"Babawi, Ma'am," sagot ko.

"Nagsumbong sa akin ang mga kaklase mo, you always have a cut in your face. Napapaaway ka ba sa labas?" he asked again.

"Hindi, Ma'am. Aksidente lang at... hindi naman palagi."

I'm having fun with father. We're toying each other.

"Alright. Well, that's all I want you to know. You can leave."

A pang of happiness punched me and I hurriedly went to the quadrangle, to where the interview is being held. Lihim na napangisi ako nang makita ko siya agad. Kita mo na at nasa kaniya agad ang atensyon ko.

"Nandito ka na pala, Alzien!" Cielo shouted when she saw me.

Sandaling napahawak ako sa dibdib ko nang lumingon siya sa akin. Damn it, I'm hyperventilating.

"Ito na ang panghuli mo, Ate Rayzeah," Cielo announced. "Ano ba, Alzien! Huwag mo namang takutin si Ate Rayzeah! Kapag ako napikon sa 'yo ah, sasapokin kita," dagdag nito.

Wala naman akong ginagawa at mas lalong wala akong balak saktan siya.

"I'm not doing anything," I stopped breathing for a moment and silently thanked God I didn't stutter

"Upo ka," she softly said.

Nalalamig ang mga kamay na umupo ako sa upuan na tinuro niya.I'm nervous.

"Pangalan."

"Kumpleto?" I asked.

She nodded. Napatitig ako sa kaniyang maliit na mukha. I'm dazed.

"Alzien Xyder Dela Rama."

Napalunok ako. Itatanong niya na ba kung may girlfriend ako? Wala! Wala! At siya ang gusto ko. Tangina.