"Ako na gagawa ng mga dapat mong gawin." Sabi ko kay Monique. 

"Pero..."

"Magpagaling ka para sa party." I said to her. Bumuntong hininga na lang siya. Nandito kami ngayon sa coffee shop at pinapauwi ko na sila ni Queenie. Her parents understand what happened. Mababait din kasi sila at alam kong nag-aalala sila para kay Monique. 

"I'm sorry Maxene." She sighed. I gave her  a faint smile at hinatid na siya papunta sa kotse nila. May driver na sila ngayon dahil hindi kayang magdrive ni Monique. 

"I heard what happened." Madam SC told me ng makalapit ako sa kanya. Lagi siyang andito kapag shift ko. Sabi nga nina Ate Anna baka nga daw ako lagi ang sadya niya dito. Para siguro lagi akong pagtripan. 

TSk. 

"What's your order ma'am?" I asked her. "And by the way, you're turning 67 already." I smirked. Sumama ang tingin niya sakin. 

"And so what if I am?" mataray na tanong nito. 

"Hinay-hinay sa blood pressure, baka biglaan kayong kunin ni Lord." 

She clenched her jaw at akmang sisigawan ko but I raised my hand to stop her. 

"You look like you're turning 77 sa sobrang sungit niyo." I mocked but my eyes widen when she burst out laughing. Pati yung driver niya nakikitawa rin. Napangiwi na lang ako, what's wrong with them?

"I wanna personally give this to you." She chuckled. She gave me an invitation card for her birthday. I was puzzled. Kumunot ang noo ko feeling ko tuloy may masama silang balak. 

"What for?" I asked her and opened the invitation card. 

"Wala naman baka kasi hindi ka nila nabibigyan, only daughters of well known family ang pwedeng pumunta sa party unless you'll be a date, which I think impossible namang mangyari." She smirked. I clenched my jaw, she's insulting me again. 

"FYI, Madam SC, your grandson asked me to be his date." Nanlaki ang mga mata niya tapos bigla siyang tumawa. 

"For real? Siya siguro ang may balak na masama sa'yo. Knowing Waldrin, allergic yun sa mga babae." She chuckled. 

"I declined him anyway, allergic din naman ako sa mga gatherings." I said at inilapag yung card sa table niya. 

"No, you have to come. Accept his invitation. Or else ipapademolish ko itong coffee shop nina Monique." She smirked. Napasinghap ako sa sinabi niya. She's so heartleass! I gritted my teeth. 

"Umorder ka na nga lang PO.!" I hissed and she laughed. 

----------

"I need to see your designs." Waldrin said. Talking about rich kids, nasa loob lang naman kami ng isang botique na mamahalin ang dating. They're treating Waldrin like he's a VIP or what. May binigay sila saking portfolio. I fixed my glasses and looked at the designs. 

Never in my life na nakapagsuot ako ng gown. I'm not even wearing dresses. Kapag nakikita ko si Marshan na nagsusuot ng ganun, parang nakikita ko na rin yung sarili so no need for me to actually wear it. 

"I want this." He said. Napatingin ako sa tinuro niya. It is a black see through gown tapos bare back pa. The f*ck lang diba?

"I won't wear that." I said. Inirapan niya ko kaya inirapan ko rin siya. We literally fought about the dress 'cause he chooses those revealing designs, with plunging necklines, high cut slits, bare back, see through, etc. How am I suppose to wear those?!

Alam kong napipikon na siya sakin. Pwes mas napipikon ako sa kanya. 

"We have to choose a daring one para may tignan naman sila sayo!" He spat. 

"What's that suppose to mean?" 

He clenched his jaw. "You're not pretty, if you wear a great dress then at least there would be something great about you."  

Napabuga na lang ako ng hangin. Ang kapal niyang sabihing hindi ako maganda. Para narin niyang sinabi na hindi maganda si Marshan. 

"Okay! I'll choose!" Irap ko sa kanya. I scanned the portfolio they gave at may nakita akong simple pero eleganteng tignan na dress. 

"How about this one? Just change the color mukha kasing pangkasal." I said. Kunot noong nakatingin dun si Waldrin. He even scanned me bago ulit tignan yung design. 

"You look fat for this dress." He said. I clenched my jaw. 

"Nakajacket ako kaya mukha akong mataba. I can wear that." I breathed. Hinawakan niya ang baba niya at tumango-tango. 

"Okay, you can get her measurements. Babalik kami on the day of the party." He said. The tailor guided me to the dressing room. 

"I need you to take off your clothes, pwede mo namang iwan yung underwear mo." She smiled. 

"I will but promise me, kung ano mang makita mo hindi mo ipagsasabi. Or else, I'll hunt you down." I hissed. Napalunok pa siyang nakahawak sa chest niya. I removed my jacket, my shirt and everything. 

"Etoh ba yung itatago ko?" She asked pertaining to my tattoos. The venom mark on my shoulder and McNeils Tatoo on my nape. 

"Yeah and my body measurements." I hissed. Narinig ko ang paghagikgik niya. 

"Okay, wala akong pagsasabihan that you're 34 cup C with a vital statistics of 34-21-36." She chuckled. 

"Stop laughing, I'll strangle you!"

"Trust me honey, kotang-kota na ko sa mga ganyan. Mas malala pa si Waldrin magcurse kaysa sayo." She smiled. Umirap lang ako sa kanya. She finished getting my measurements at nagdamit na rin ako. 

Bad mood akong lumabas ng fitting room. 

"May I see?" Waldrin asked for the measurements. Napatingin sakin yung tailor, I glared at her. 

"Sorry Waldrin, it's confidential." She smiled. 

"What?! How did---" 

"It's like looking at me naked, pervert." Irap ko sa kanya. His jaw dropped. Lumabas na ko ng botique. Kailangan ko ng umuwi dahil baka mag-away na naman kami ng kapatid ko. 

"Where are you going?" Lumingon ako sa kanya. 

"Uuwi na?" I asked sarcastically. 

"Stupid, we still have to buy you shoes." napairap na lang ako sa kawalan at sumakay ulit sa kotseng nakakasuffocate. Nakakasuffocate dahil puro kademonyohan ang nasasagap ko sa loob.

Wala akong problema sa high heels. I kill people with my heels. I know how to walk, jump, crawl, run on heels. 

Hindi kami nag-imikan on our way to the mall. We're not close. 

"What is the color of the dress?" He asked. 

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Mukha ba kong mananahi?" taas kilay na tanong ko. 

"Tsk stupid." He mumbled. 

"I'll choose my shoes." I said. Tumingin-tingin ako sa mga sapatos na nakadisplay. I saw a silver pumps. 

"This one, tutal hindi naman siya makikita masyado, the dress will be long." I said to him. Umupo ako sa tabi niya and removed my shoes to try the heels na saktong nasa size ko. 

"Maganda po yang napili niyo ma'am. It's a limited edition." Sabi nung saleslady sakin. I stood up to check if it fits and if I can walk comfortably with it. 

"Isn't it too high?" Waldrin asked. 

"It's okay. Here miss. We'll take it." I said. Hindi ko na chineck yung price dahil hindi naman ako ang magbabayad. 

Dumiretso na kami sa parking space kung asan yung kotse niya. "I don't know your number but I need you to be at the botique at 3 pm sharp on sunday." 

"Why Sunday? Akala ko ba nextweek pa?" He asked. D*mn may laban ako sa Sunday!! 

"Stupid. Hindi ka ba nakikinig?" Kunot noong sabi niya. I bit my lower lip. 

"Okay." I sighed. Bahala na. He drove off. I don't really expect him na ihatid ako sa apartment namin. Yun pa eh hindi gentleman yun. I can commute anyway. Tsk.