M A R S H A N

"Andyan na siguro si Paeng." I thought to myself ng makarinig ako ng sunud-sunod na doorbell. I immediately walks towards the door and opened it. Bahagya pa akong napaatras ng makitang hindi si Tito Wilson ang naghatid kay Paeng kundi yung tatlo. 

"Hi Marshan, hatid lang namin si Raphael, I mean si Walrick." Christian said.

"A-Ah oo." I said awkwardly at kinuha yung bag ni Paeng mula kay Waldrin. Nag-alangan pa ko dahil hindi naman ako tulad ni Maxene na immuned sa cold stares niya. 

"Pasok kayo." My brother told them kaya napahawak ako ng mahigpit sa pintuan. Paeng looked at me dahil hindi ko binuksan ng maluwang ang pinto, just enough for him to enter. 

"They're my guests." He said. 

"And this is my house! What if maabutan sila ni Maxene?!" I asked him. 

"You know Ate Maxene never gets home at night." He said coldly at pumasok na sa loob ng unit namin. I bit my lower lip frustratedly and opened the door for them. 

Since after the Gang War, halos hindi na umuuwi si Maxene dahil busy na siya sa paghunt down sa mga Venoms. Hindi ko na rin alam kung nakakatulog pa ba siya but I am starting to notice that she's losing some weight. 

"Asan si Maxene? I want to talk to her." Christian asked me after I closed the door. 

"B-Busy, gaya nga ng sabi ni Paeng halos hindi na siya umuuwi." I said. Sumunod ako sa kanila papasok, they are seated on the couch at nasa gilid lang ako at nakahawak sa siko ko. Hindi ko alam kung aalukin ko ba sila ng maiinom o makakain because I didn't prepare anything. 

"I cannot offer you anything." I just said. Bumaling sila sakin pero si Christian lang ang sumagot. 

"It's fine, tapos na rin naman kaming kumain, have you eaten?" He asked me. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin at umiling. 

"No, not yet." 

"Ate Marshan doesn't like eating alone." Paeng said. Nakagat ko ang ibabang labi ko, I already had a cup of hot choco kaya hindi na ko nakakaramdam ng gutom. 

"Do you like to eat something?" Raven asked me. I can feel my cheeks heating up, lalo na ng bumaling si Waldrin at Christian sa kanya. No one knows our relationship yet, well, wala naman talaga kaming relasyon. 

I just like him, but I don't know about him. 

"No, I'm good. Wala si Maxene and I can't ask her to come home. If you don't need anything else, papasok na ko sa kwarto ko. Goodnight." I said and walked towards my room. 

"Wait, let's go out." I gasped when Raven suddenly pulled my arm before I could even open the door. 

"A-Ano bang ginagawa mo? Baka kung anong isipin nila!" I hissed at him. 

"It's okay, alam naman namin kung anong relasyon niyo." Christian smiled at me. Nahigit ko ang hininga ko when Raven put his hand on my waist as he pulled me closer to him. Feeling ko umakyat lahat ng dugo ko sa mukha ko. 

"You have to eat, come on." Hindi niya ko binitawan hanggang sa makalabas kami ng building at makarating kami sa parking space. 

"I know a good restaurant nearby." He said. Hindi ako umimik, he's acting like we're fine even though we're not. I have already accepted the fact that we're that 'pinagtagpo pero hindi itinadhana.'

"You should stop doing this. You know we're not friends." Nakatingin lang ako sa labas ng bintana. I don't have the courage to look at him, we're too close and it's even hard for me to breath. Narinig ko ang tunog ng pagbuhay niya ng makina. 

"Yes, we're not. I never intended to be your friend." May sakit na gumuhit sa dibdib ko dahil sa sinabi niya. 

I harshly looked at him but unexpectedly, 

Our lips met. 

M A X E N E

"Breath..." 

Napapikit ako ng mariin dahil sa pagguhit ng matinding sakit sa loob ko. My body aches as I breath. Doctor Marquez suggested that I should help my body secretes all the toxins and drugs in my system. 

I am already too dependent on drugs, isang gabi lang na hindi ako makainom, matinding sakit na ang bumabalatay sa buong katawan ko. 

"Breath Maxene... Relax..." 

"I-It hurts..." I mumbled habang nanlalabo ang aking mga mata dahil sa matinding hilo. I am wearing an oxygen mask to help me breath. Halos gabi-gabi akong ganito, I need to do this, I need to endure the pain kung hindi baka bukas-makalawa hindi na ko makagalaw, my body have the tendency to shut down any moment dahil puno na ng lason ang buong katawan ko. 

"Okay we're done for tonight's session. Rest well." He said and in a few seconds, I lost my consciousness. 

I woke up around 5 am. I had a very good sleep but my body sore all over. 

"Is she the patient?" I heard a man said. I slowly opened my eyes and I saw Doctor Marquez talking to another doctor. 

"Yes, she is. Hey! You're awake. Here's your today's dose." Lumapit sakin si Doctor Marquez and lift up my sleeve para turukan ako ng gamot. 

"Good Morning princess." The other doctor called me, mukhang mas matanda siya ng konti kay Doctor Marquez. He have soft features but I can sense danger from him. 

"I am Oswald Chua, and I am the main doctor of Primera Organization." He said. Agad akong napabangon buti na lang at tapos na kong turukan ni Doctor Marquez. 

"He will be helping us with your rehabilitation Maxene, he's the best doctor in the world. He is known by the name, Doctor Zombie." 

Gumuhit ang pagkalito sa aking mukha as I gazed at the man who is looking at me softly. 

"I can bring the dead back to life to make it simpler. I am here to make a study on you, if I can bring you back to life after your sacrificial death." He said. Hindi ko alam pero napatawa ako sa sinabi niya. I removed my oxygen mask when I can feel that I can already breath normally dahil gumagana na yung gamot na naiturok sakin. 

"The pain I am suffering from will end at my last my breath, wag niyo ng dagdagan ang sakit at paghihirap ko." I hissed. Kahit medyo nanghihina pa ko ay bumaba na ako ng kama ko. 

"Maxene, I just want you to start a new life---" 

"Hindi ko kailangan ng bagong buhay when in fact I don't really have the right to exist." I said bitterly at lumabas na ng kwarto ko. Natigilan ako ng makita si Yasha na nakasandal sa pader sa tabi ng pinto ng private room ko. 

She stared at me coldly, not like the usual face she wears at school. 

"I really... really can't like you." She hissed insensitively. "Inagaw mo sakin si Yrew." She clenches her jaw. 

"Hindi siya sayo, kaya hindi ko siya inagaw." I talked back. Masakit pa ang katawan ko kaya mabilis lang uminit ang ulo ko. 

"He knows your situation. Alam niyang may taning na ang buhay mo." 

"W-What?" 

"We're Primeras! Lahat ng Medical Records sa lahat ng hospital ay may copy kami. Doctor Marquez is also a Primera, sa tingin mo hindi namin malalaman?" 

I bit my lower lip and glared at her. "It's none of your business." 

"But Yrew is my business... He's mine." She looks like a furious cat right now who's ready to scratch me anytime. 

"You cannot have them both---"

"I like Waldrin, but we're both against this marriage." She said with a low voice. 

Hindi ko alam kung paano at kung bakit sabay kaming kumakain ni Yasha ng breakfast ngayon. Tatay niya pala si Doctor Zombie, Primera is a Mafia Organization made up mostly of doctors. 

"As I said, I don't like you." She said that for how many times already, I lost count. Gumaan na rin ang pakiramdam ko dahil nakakain na ko ng maayos. 

"Alam ba ni Yrew?" I asked her. Bahagya siyang namula at umirap sakin. "If hindi mo sasabihin ang nararamdaman mo para sa kanya, paano maglelevel up ang realsyon niyo?" 

"S-Shut up!" She hissed and her face is totally red. Nagkibit balikat na lang ako at napatingin ako sa phone kong umilaw ang screen sa tabi ko. 

Marshan is calling me...

Agad kong sinagot ang tawag niya... 

"Hello---"

"Maxene you have to go home now!" She said with urgency in her trembling voice. 

"What's the matter?" 

"Lolo is here."