MONTE COSTA SERIES 3: INNOCENT TIDES

Have you ever hated someone so much that sometimes, you just wish they'd soon get swallowed by a big fish and stay in the deepest part of the ocean so they can no longer bother you? Because that's exactly what Evangeline wishes whenever Linel pops up to bug her. Evangeline or Ae to her closest friends, was never a bad luck wisher, until the psychotic twin of the man she likes started showing interest in her on a very random day. Sinalubong niya ang titig ni Linel habang mahigpit na nakasara ang kanyang mga kamao. He's like an ocean tide whose energy rises whenever he sees her, and no matter how hard she tries to avoid him, Linel Elmont Shault always finds a way to bring a storm in her high school life. "Hindi ka ba talaga nakakaintindi ng tagalog o sadyang gago ka lang talaga?" hindi niya napigilang itanong kay Linel nang harangan na naman nito ang daraanan niya. Linel's sparkly yet dangerous pair of ocean blue eyes glistened with interest, as if even when she's throwing a fit, he still finds her the most attractive woman on Earth. "Come on, Evangeline. Just one date," he insisted. Umikot na nang tuluyan ang mga mata ni Ae. "I said no, Linel. Now get lost." "Well, I'm already lost." He smirked. "Lost in those pretty . . ." He held her chin to make her look up. "Pretty brown eyes," he added in a gentle yet seductive way while he brings their faces closer. Her teeth gritted as she pushed him. Hard. He lost his balance and almost tripped. Pero ang magaling na si Linel, nagawa pa talagang humalakhak saka mabilis na sumunod sa kanya. Nakuha pa nga siyang akbayan na para bang wala itong pakialam kahit na pwede silang makita ng mga guro! "Ano ba?!" Matalim niya itong tinitigan. "Patahimikin mo nga ang buhay ko!" His thin, rosy lips curved for a flirty smile. Nang may mapadaang estudyante sa kanilang harap ay lumawak ang kurba ng mga labi nito. "Oh, don't mind my girlfriend. She's having tantrums because I fell asleep while chatting with her last night. She thought I'm busy entertaining other girls." He scoffed. "As if other women could steal me from her." Napaawang ang mga labi ni Ae dahil sa sinabi nito. She blocked him in all of her social media accounts. Sinungaling talaga ito! "Liar!" she hissed but Linel just pinched her chin. "About my feelings for you? Of course, I say nothing but the truth," he answered then stole a kiss on her cheek. Namula ang mukha ni Ae . . . dahil sa galit. She wiped her cheek and stomped on his foot out of rage. "Manyak ka talaga, Linel! Ew! Ew!" Inis na inis niya itong itinulak ngunit talagang sinusundan siya ng binata kaya nang matanaw ang kaibigan niyang si Raiah ay dali-dali siyang lumapit sa pwesto nito upang umangkla sa braso ng kaibigan. Paano ay si Linel lang talaga ang hindi tinatablan ng tapang niya kaya ipinaninindak niya rito ang mga kaibigang sina Raiah at Vina. Linel raised his hands as if surrendering when he saw Raiah's brow shot up. Ngumisi-ngisi pa ang magaling na tila aliw na aliw na makitang napipikon na naman ang best friend niya. "Chill, Chavez." He drifted his gaze towards Ae. "Evangeline and I are just having some... how do you call it?" He clicked his tongue and grinned. "Lover's quarrel." Napabuntonghininga si Raiah. "Tawagin ko pa ba si Vina? Baka gusto mong siya ang umupak sayo? Lover's quarrel ka diyan?" Linel chuckled as if he was taking them as a joke. Hindi tuloy napigilan ni Ae ang pagngitngit ng mga ngipin niya sa galit. Bakit ba kasi hindi pa ipinulupot ni Linus ang umbilical cord nito sa leeg ng kumag nitong kakambal noong nasa tiyan pa lang ang dalawa? Eh, 'di sana wala siyang obsessed na admirer ngayon! "Okay, okay, backing down now." Linel licked his lower lip while staring at her. "I'll see you after class, babe." Her lips pursed together as she narrowed her eyes at him. Ngunit kumindat lamang si Linel saka na sila iniwan matapos nitong matanaw ang mga kaibigang sina Fine at Randall. Nakita niya pa na nag-abot si Fine ng yosi kay Linel. Nang tinanggap iyon ni Linel ay napailing na lamang siya. "Bwisit talaga 'yang lalakeng 'yan. Sana sa college h'wag na akong sundan niyan!" she hissed. Bumuntonghininga si Raiah. "Kung hindi naman siya magti-take ng medical course, hindi ka na niyan masusundan." Hinagod nito ang likod niya. "Kalma ka na. Lagot talaga sa'min ni Vina 'yon kapag hindi pa siya tumigil." She sighed and drifted her gaze towards Raiah. "Nakakuha ba si Vina ng medical books doon sa kakilala niya?" Tumango-tango si Raiah. "Oo raw. Tingnan daw natin mamaya, eh." "Pupunta tayo sa kanila?" Raiah shook her head while running her fingers onto her long brown hair. "Kailan ba tayo nakatapak sa bahay nina Vina? Alam mo namang bawal bumisita ro'n kahit birthday pa niya." "Kung sabagay," she murmured. Oo nga pala. Hindi nga pala sila welcome doon. Isa pa ay palagi na lamang may gulo sa pamilya ni Vina kaya madalas ay dinaramayan nila ang kaibigan. Kung minsan pa ay nakikiusap itong manatili muna sa bahay nila dahil ayaw pa nitong umuwi. Hinawakan siya ni Raiah sa braso. "Nakita ko si Linus kanina, nasa may canteen." "Kasama ba si Micah?" she asked. "Hindi. Three days na daw silang hindi sabay nagre-recess sabi ni Vina!" Ngumisi ito. "Break na siguro?" She gulped. Like what she said, she was never a bad luck wisher, but she's going to lie if she'd say that she's not waiting for Linus to be single again. Inipit niya ang ilang hibla ng kanyang buhok sa likod ng tainga. "Punta tayo sa canteen?" "Tara. Nagugutom na rin ako." "Nasaan nga pala si Vina?" tanong niya. "Kasama si Erol. Nauna na sa canteen," sagot nito na ang tinutukoy ang bagong nobyo ng kaibigan nila. She sighed. "Sama siya nang sama kay Erol lately. Mamaya turuan siyang mag-cutting no'n." "Pagsabihan na lang natin," ani Raiah. Gano'n naman ito palagi. Raiah acts like their mediator whenever she and Vina have contradicting opinions. May katigasan din kasi ang ulo ng kaibigan nilang si Vina. Nagpunta na lamang sila sa canteen, ngunit nang makitang kasama na ulit ni Linus ang girlfriend nitong si Micah ay bagsak ang mga balikat siyang nagpaalam na magpapalipas na lang muna ng oras sa library. Dahil sa sama ng loob niya ay halos hindi niya na napansing lumampas na siya sa hagdan patungo ng library ng Saint James. She only stopped taking her steps when she heard a familiar chuckle coming from the Science garden. Nang silipin niya ang grupo nina Linel ay saktong ibinubuga nito ang usok ng sigarilyo. "Pre, si Evangeline," timbre ni Fine kay Linel. Linel immediately threw the cigarette bud on the ground and stepped on it as if he didn't like to show her that he smokes. Alam niya namang naninigarilyo ito dahil naaamoy niya kahit nagpapabango si Linel, pero lalo lamang siyang nairita nang maaktohan niya itong ibinubuga ang usok. She turned around and started walking away. Ngunit sa haba ng biyas ni Linel ay mabilis rin siya nitong nahabol malapit sa guidance office. "Babe," he called, making Ae clench her fists. Ginawa pa talaga siyang biik ng lintik na 'to! "Get lost. Amoy yosi ka," she hissed. Iritang-irita talaga rito. "Sinubukan ko lang kung masarap," rason nitong nakapagpaikot sa mga mata niya. She stopped walking and faced him with a raised brow. "Just like how you slept with Tyra in the female restroom during the nutrition month celebration, hmm? Sinubukan mo lang din kung masarap? Pwes, natikman mo na. Baka pwedeng sabihin mo kay Tyra na tigil-tigilan niya ang pagpaparinig sa akin at pagkakalat ng chismis na hindi na ako virgin dahil lang tingin niya ay patay na patay ka sa akin?" Kumurba ang mga labi nito para sa isang gwapo ngunit nakaiiritang ngisi. "Totoo naman?" Umakyat yata lahat ng dugo niya sa kanyang ulo. "Eh, gago ka pala, eh! Virgin pa ako, ano!" "I know." He licked his lower lip after glancing at her chest. "Ibig kong sabihin, totoo namang patay na patay ako sayo. You shot me right here." Linel grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest so she could feel his heartbeat. "Dito." For a moment, Ae almost got lost in bliss with the way his blue eyes penetrated her. She knows Linel is good-looking. He's Linus' twin after all. But unlike Linus, he's just too much in everything. He's obsessed, he's hard to predict, and he's a total black sheep. While Linus is slaying in his proper clean cut, Linel had his head shaved into a buzz cut. May hiwa rin ang kaliwang kilay at may butas ang sulok ng labi na tila may hikaw doon noong wala pang pasok. He's always rude towards the faculty members, and he always gets into trouble, especially because of her. Mabalitaan lamang nito na mayroong nagkakagusto sa kanya ay kaagad na itong naghahamon ng away. She cannot see herself falling for a man like him, yet while his ocean eyes were staring into hers, Ae felt like she'd had the chance to peek at the real Linel Shault. Her lips remained shut as she stared back at him, but when Linel suddenly lowered his head to steal a kiss on her lips, Ae gasped and almost tripped when they heard Mrs. Ferrer's voice thundered. "Miss Sobrepena, Mr. Shault! In my office! Now!" Halos mawalan ng kulay ang kanyang mukha. Ngunit nang makita niya ang pagpipigil ni Linel ng ngisi ay namula ang kanyang pisngi dala ng matinding galit. Parang natutuwa pa ang loko! Sinundot siya nito sa tagiliran saka ito bumulong. "Sunod daw tayo kay taba," ani Linel habang sinusundan ng tingin si Mrs. Ferrer. Nagngitngit nang tuluyan ang mga ngipin niya't hindi na napigilan ang paghalik ng kanyang kamao sa pisngi ni Linel. "Ouch?" Linel chuckled softly while he's massaging his cheek. "Grabe naman love language mo, babe? Physical attack?" Her eyes squinted out of anger. She swears she'd drown this guy herself if she'll get the chance!