Teenage Dream

THE STORY OF US (A Continuation)

So you know how when you see an open garbage can that stinks like your sweaty gym socks that haven’t been washed for days, you want to cover your nose or just find something to cover the damn thing? That’s how I felt while looking at Allison Cuero’s gaping mouth. She just stood there like she was seeing a ghost for the first time. Her face was paper pale and beads of sweat were now beginning to fall at the sides of her cheeks.

I was already unbuttoning the second button of my uniform when she finally found her voice, “W-What are you doing?” Her indignation seemed to have gone away.

Thank God. I thought she was going to let me undress all the way before talking again.

“Helping you,” I answered, not even breaking my gaze from her. The third button popped open. “What does it look like?”

“Helping me? How is this…? You better stop. Now,” she tried to keep a hard look as she looked at me.

I countered it with a lopsided smirk.

The room was tensely quiet as we both looked at each other in the eye. Neither dared to blink

Until I opened to fourth button and my blouse parted open in the middle.

Allison turned her head to the side and a shade of red immediately colored her cheeks. I could only imagine why.

I took a step closer to her. “Hey, Allison.”

“I SAID STOP IT YOU f*****g SLUT!”

My mind didn’t get the chance to process her words when a loud knock was heard at the office door.

“YES, COME IN! PLEASE!” Allison, cheeks still flaming, breathed out a sigh of relief.

The door creaked open and a girl about my age entered. She looked at the scene before her with dead eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she said to both of us in a flat tone. “I didn’t know you were in the middle of something. Should I come back later?”

“No,” Allison answered in a hurry. “No. Your timing is just right. Our business is already done.”

Maybe it’s because of the presence of another person in the room that Allison seemed to have found the courage to look at me again with a straight face, her composure obviously returning.

“Perhaps it is appropriate if you button your uniform again,” she said. “What do you say, Ms. Alfonso?”

I didn’t need to be told what I should or shouldn’t do. Grudgingly, I buttoned my uniform again.

“So?” Allison faced the newly arrived student. “What have you found?”

“Nothing.”

For some reason, this seemed to agitate Allison. “Repeat?”

“We found nothing,” the girl repeated.

She didn’t look familiar to me but whoever pisses off Allison was automatically added to my list of comrades.

About five minutes later, I found myself walking to my classroom with the girl from the office by my side. Allison has asked her to see me to my classroom to make sure that I wouldn’t skip classes again. As if a little girl as this one could stop me if I ever decided to make a run for it.

I took a quick glance at her direction to see her face. I stood by what I had said earlier. She didn’t look familiar to me. My mind quickly scanned my drawer of memories to see if I had any information about the person I was walking with. It made me uneasy not knowing things.

But this was proving to be a rather difficult job. I didn’t have even a single file on her in my mind. Was her social life as a student that decadent that I wouldn’t know of her? Or did I just have way too many absences in the past two months that I was no longer familiar with the fresh faces at school?

As much as I hated to admit it, the latter made more sense. For the past two months, I’ve had been busy messing with one person to another. I often got myself wasted and ended up staying the night at somebody’s place. Really, it seemed like I was doing everything in my power to ruin my life. Which was not really far-fetched. Except I was not doing everything in my power. I was just doing what I’ve had been doing all my life. And it was ruining me. Hilarious.

But that was before I found Red. It was beyond my wildest dreams that a puny kitten would change the way I live. If before, I had no heed of time and day or whether to go home or stay in some stranger’s place, now going home to make sure Red was fed became of my priorities. It was like having a little kid to look after. Red was special for many reasons.

It was also when I had picked him up from the streets that the letters started coming. And it was because of those letters that I deliberately show Allison my strawberry decorated bra. Had I known it would come to that, I should’ve worn a sexier brasserie.

The result was disappointing, though. Judging from her expressions, I was—although I detest admitting it—wrong about Allison. She didn’t seem to have a crush on me. And worse, she was one of them.

See, when you talk about high school, the equation wouldn’t be complete without the nasty variables of rumor and gossip. They are the spice of those oh-so-special high school years. So if you’ve never been involved in a rumor, never spread rumors, never gossiped with your two-faced peers in all your career as a student, then you are definitely missing out half of your life.

In this aspect of high school, however, I was ironically blessed. You see, when it came to rumors and gossips, I was a sort of celebrity in our school. In every blind item post, you could expect to hear my name at the end of every question.

Blind item:

Who is this student who was seen f*****g the principal in his office?

Aurora Alfonso.

Who is this student who has f****d every boy and girl in the campus?

Aurora Alfonso.

Who is this student who cheated to pass every exam last quarter?

Aurora Alfonso.

Who caused the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris?

Aurora Alfonso.

Who parted the Nile River with a walking cane?

Aurora Alfonso.

Who created Noah’s Ark?

Aurora Alfonso.

Who the f**k is God?

Of course, Aurora Alfonso.

And what is the correct answer for every item in your identification tests?

None other than… Aurora Florence Alfonso.

I was living a charmed life.

The problem with people who see someone that’s different from them is that they are so quick to judge and quicker to reject that different someone. Which is simply ridiculous because when you think about it, we were all born the same way—naked like a human sacrifice, our ugly crying faces dripping wet with blood like some freaking cannibal.

But when people who think alike begin to form their own ideas about you, the easiest thing for them to do is believe them like they’re the truth. An another version of you would exist in their little bubbles and you wouldn’t even know it.

Except in my case, I do. I know about the w***e daughter of a w***e the entire campus enjoys gossiping about. The notorious cheater that f***s the principal in her free time. The big bad slut who has f****d every girl and boy who had dropped out since I started studying here. I have had heard them all. But you see, one of the things that I liked about being me was that eventually, when you’ve had heard their opinions on you and you began getting tired, you’d learn to roll your eyes and look at the other direction and just completely block out what they were saying. In short, you learn not to care. Thanks to those people, I’ve had uprooted all the f***s that I could care to give.

And Allison was one of those people.

“I’ll see you later,” the girl suddenly spoke. Didn’t know she could do that. I almost thought that the scenario in the office was just my imagination.

“Hey,” I called out before she could turn.

She blinked at me, saying nothing.

“What was that about?”

“What was what about?”

“That thing in the office. The thing Allison was so mad about.”

She looked at me straight in the eye and… she stared.

She did nothing. She just stared at me. Like, really stared as if she’s intent on boring holes in my face. And I didn’t know whether to get uncomfortable or intimidated or embarrassed. Maybe it was all of those that I was feeling at that very moment and I was pretty bothered of the fact that I—goddess-incarnate—was embarrassed of this little girl staring at me.

Thanks to that, though. I got a better look of her face.

First thing’s first: she wasn’t hot. Her hair was cut short to her shoulders. She had chubby, little-girl cheeks that you usually see on elementary students. The first signs of puberty were also appearing on her face. She had tiny pimples on her forehead, her fringes barely covering them, and few of them on her cheeks.

It was her eyes that were bothering me. They were almond in shape with bags underneath. Both were devoid of life as they looked at me. it was a cold, dead look that would vex anyone she was staring to.

“N-Nevermind,” I stammered, uncharacteristically, peering into the classroom. “You don’t have to tell me.”

“This is Council business,” she replied, her voice was smooth—almost a whisper, “but I think you ought to know. The president had asked me to look for your things.”

I snapped my head back at her. “Do you mean…?” My earrings, necklace, bracelet, shoes, fake nails, and make up remover? That mini bag?

“Yes,” she nodded.

“And you didn’t find anything?” e hard to find if somebody would go looking. I mean, don’t get me wrong.

“Yes.”

“Okay,” I sighed, trying not to sound too relieved. “Okay.”

It was my turn to study her. She didn’t seem stupid. Surely Allison wouldn’t put her in-charge of it if she were. But the bag was just hidden in the cistern. It wouldn’t be too hard to find if somebody would go looking for it. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I totally wasn’t asking for my scheme to be busted. It’s not like I wanted her to find it. In fact, I was relieved, but saying that she didn’t find anything was ridiculous. What on earth could possibly happen to those?

“Anything else?” She asked, never breaking that deadpan gaze.

I shook my head.

“I’ll be going then.”

I nodded.

“See you.”

She turned and walked away. I followed her with my eyes, not really knowing why I was doing it. Maybe it was because I was puzzled of my own responses to her. I was never a girl with few words. There was a lot going on in my mind and sometimes, my mouth just didn’t know when to shut up. But her reticence did shut me up. Was I always like this around introverts? No. My talent in sweet talking was such that I could make a taciturn person actually respond to me in comprehensible utterances. I was a master of the game. But I seemed to miss today. Is this an omen that terrible things were bound to happen to me today?

With her head held high and shoulders pushed back, the way she walked held a strong aura of confidence and authority as if owning the world. I raised an eyebrow.

How dare she? Such a little girl acting like she knew what she was doing when I couldn’t even figure half out my shits out.

I told my bandmates at lunch break, while settling Air comfortably between my knees, about what had taken place after Allison came chasing after me that morning, making sure to exclude the fact that I was unsettled by the girl’s eyes. It was not really a necessary piece. Not to them, at least.

We were seated at our usual table in a secluded grove within the school grounds. Our view gave us a full 360 of the campus.

My anecdote earned me a chuckle from my friends, excluding Raymond.

He sighed and like a father to her child told me, “You’re getting carried away again.”

“Now, now, Raymond,” Jackson chuckled. “Let the little girl have her fun.”

Speaking of little girl, I saw her in my peripheral vision in the direction of the canteen. I craned my head slightly to take a quick glimpse at her. Then the glimpse turned into a stare.

She was eating at a table alone. The distance made it difficult for me to read her expression. But she was looking at the world as if knowing what would happen next.

“That girl,” I accidentally blurted out before I could stop myself. “Who is she?”

“Who?” Johannes asked, following my eyes. “That one?”

I nodded.

“Hmm… Let’s see,” Jack looked once and folded his arms. “I’ve seen her before but I can’t exactly remember.”

"Is she one of the girls you've gone out with?" Johannes grinned.

"You think I'd sink that low?"

"You guys," Raymond sighed, exasperated.

"Isn't she an SC senator?" Veronica offered. "She did that awesome speech during the elections, remember?"

"Thank goodness. At least there's another member here who pays attention."

"Oh, right!"

"I see."

Both Jackson and Johannes exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. Children.

The election was last month so it made sense why I couldn't seem to recognize her.

"She's a freshman," Raymond explained. "Gabriela Romano. Council Senator. Section 1. Won the hearts of many during her election speech last month. And one of your admirers."

"Really?" I turned to Raymond.

"I'm kidding. What, you really think the entire school wants to go out with you just because you're huge?"

Raising my tallest finger, I told him, "f**k you."

They burst into peals of laughter. And I wished they'd all burn in hell.

When they calmed down, Jackson asked, "Why are you suddenly asking about her?"

"No reason," I shrugged nonchalantly. "Haven't seen her before, that's all."

"Why am I not surprised," of course, it was Raymond. "You have way too many absences in the past two months. I think it's time for you to refocus your energy on something that could serve you better in the long run."

"True," Veronica chimed in. "Instead of just dating everyone."

I rolled my eyes at them. Why are they always so killjoy? They should just get married and have a litter of super genius yet super boring kids! At least Veronica knows how to joke sometimes. Raymond on the other hand tho... Well, he did make that awesome come back just now.

But anyway, that was the truth. Me f*****g everyone until they're happy was not completely truthful. I don't just f**k anyone. Heck, I have my standards too. I f**k those who deserved to be f****d by me. And for those who were just not up to my standards, they just had to make do with French kissing me.

(But I didn't do the principal. Even I get scary goosebumps whenever I remember that rumor. Oldies were just not my thing).

"Well, she doesn't look like the type you could mess around with tho," Jackson smirked, looking our at the field.

"I have to agree," Johannes answered.

We exchanged a round of chuckles as we shook our heads.

I understood what they meant. She didn't look the part of someone you'd take to a motel room. Instead, she seemed more like a baby sister you have to look after while your parents are out doing whatever parenta do when they leave their children at home. That was no longer my business to talk about, though.

I focused on the task at hand. See, since June, right after I picked up Red, I've been receiving little red envelopes. Without any idea where they'd come from, I'd fine one resting in my locker every morning.

The contents vary from poems, song lyrics, and random proses each ranging from classical to contemporary. Thanks to those, I was introduced to a realm that I'd only barely touched. Things like, "the inferno in your eyes and the promise of heaven from your lips/dear as I look at you/I've known what it means to live ..." It was cheesy and stupid but the corners of my lips would pull up into a smile and my heart would race as I read them. The bottom page was signed: TB. Tuberculosis. A disease was sending me notes, dammit.

Kidding, of course. I haven't reached that level of stupid yet. But I still haven't got any clue where they came from. My first guess was Allison, but as it turned out that was absolutely wrong. So I was back to the square one.

My initial plan didn't work so I guess I have no choice but to wait out whoever's sending me notes this afternoon. I wasn't even sure if that was the time the sender slipped the notes into my locker but I was counting on my chances.

So I did.

But not before taking a quick stop at the girl’s restroom. I check the cistern where I had hidden my things and sure enough, like what that girl had said, they weren’t there. But who on earth could’ve possibly taken them? Who was odd enough to check a properly covered cistern and take whatever things they found in it?

I was irritated beyond belief. I could’ve go looking for my things but decided against it. Whatever. Those were garage sale items anyway. Let the beggars have their loot.

That afternoon, when the entire school was busy listening to the teachers in their classes, I was sitting on a staircase just in front of my locker. Trigonometry be damned. I pushed myself near the wall in order not to get easily noticed. As if that would help. In that empty hallway, I was sticking out like a sore thumb. Fortunately for me, though, nobody seemed to be strolling around the area to even bother reporting me to a teacher.

An hour had passed by.

And another hour.

And another.

Still, nobody came.

I sighed. Yep, I was just kidding myself. What were the chances anyway that they'd show up now? They could've just done it in the morning. But they have to be extra early to avoid starting unwanted rumors about them. That seemed more logical.

Exhausted, I began to stand up. Suddenly, I heard quiet footsteps approaching where I was so I slowly resumed my position. My heart was actually beating fast for a change. It was usually just a stagnant piece of meat inside my body. Good to know it was still doing its job surprisingly well.

I buried my face between my knees. My friends' warnings this morning flooded my mind--about going to detention when we were just hours away to performing our first gig in July. I mentally cursed myself for putting me in my present situation. Raymond would totally scold until I go deaf. I could picture him already--tight fitting T-shirt and pants, impeccably clean sneakers, drumsticks shoved into his side pockets as he looked at me with his cold eyes that could freeze even the most fiery regions of hell.

I involuntary gulped as I pictured him. Damn.

Whoever was approaching didn't seem to notice me as their shadow walked past my hunched figure. Warily, I dared to take a quick peek.

Oh, I thought, it's just her.

It was the little girl earlier--Gabriela something. I didn't remember her name. That wasn't really the issue here, though. Seeing her out here was not a good sign. And if she'd see me, too, then I'd resent every synonym of good that ever existed. Given that she's a member of the Nerd Club, I'd definitely end up in detention if she'd ever make as much as a tiny glimpse at me. I fervently wished all the gods and goddesses I could think of to please make her go away quickly, like how a little kid wills the rain to be gone.

Very slowly, she walked towards the lockers and pulled something out from her pocket--a red envelope.

If I had been intent on hiding my presence just moments ago, I wasn't really aware of what I was doing now. My eyes were glued to the figure cautiously feeding the envelope into one of the slits of my locker. When she had gotten it all in, she started to walk away head held high, shoulders pushed back, steps light and sure, as if she didn't just do anything that would mess up with my head for days to come.

And I was left standing there staring at her back wondering what the f**k was happening.

So, it turned out, I was a lousy planner. Because that very same afternoon, before we headed out to the bar we were performing at, I found myself walking towards her as she was arranging books in her locker.

Her hands momentarily stopped when she sensed me near her. She looked up at me with the same dead look. This was the part when I became convinced that my heart was just another malfunctioning organ in my body. It stupidly skipped a beat over that deadeye look. Damn. Is that my new type now?

Already, the stares of other people were obvious. The atmosphere was heavy and tense. But whether Gabriela noticed it or not, she didn't give any hint as she continued to look at me with those eyes I couldn't read.

"Hey," I started, suddenly realizing what an i***t I was to approach her without planning ahead what to say.

I mean, I was just going to ask about the letters. That shouldn't be too hard now, should it?

Except, it was. With that cold look she was giving me, she was also building a high wall that I couldn't climb over.

Think, Aurora! There's got to be something that I could say here.

Hey, you know those red envelopes in my locker? You've been send me those, haven't you?

Nah, too pompous.

Hey, um... by any chance, have you been sending me red envelopes with sweet nothings in them?

So not me either.

Hey, can I ask you something?

Sure.

Have you been sending me love letters since June?

Oh. You've figured it out, huh? I guess I should've been a little more careful. Haha.

Hahaha.

Hahahaha.

Hahahahahahahawhat the heck am I thinking? She won't even talk to me! There's just no way she's say "sure" or that long sentence or that godforsaken "haha." Am I crazy? Yes, I am. Yes I freaking am!

"Are you okay?"

Her question distracted me from my even more distracting thoughts.

"Yes, I'm--"

"I should've asked you this morning," she interrupted. "I heard what Allison said in the office. Are you... okay?"

Oh.

OH.

She could form long sentences!

"Oh… that," I replied, remembering that debacle this morning. "Don't worry, it's nothing to me."

It doesn't affect me like it used to, I almost added but stopped myself.

"That's good to hear," she nodded as her cold eyes softened.

It was disarming.

"Do you need anything?"

That was my cue.

"Yeah. Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yes. In fact, we already are talking."

I was taken aback, not sure if she was trying to make a joke or if she was deliberately treating me like I was stupid. Her features gave nothing away. They were back to their usual cold stance. And I wondered if I had only imagined that soft look she gave me just a minute ago.

I pursed my lips in annoyance.

"Anything else?" She asked.

Before I knew what I was doing my mouth moves on its own and asked, "You've been sending me notes, haven't you?"

She knitted her eye brows together. "I'm sorry but I'm not following."

Wow. She had a nerve. She should go for acting. I was almost convinced that she really wasn't involved in whatever deed I was talking about except my eyes knew what they saw.

I pulled out the red envelopes I've had kept in my locker including the one she had slipped into my locker this afternoon and showed her. Again, her stony expression failed to give me an answer.

"These are from you, aren't they?" I asked without holding back.

"Oh, I see," she said, as if really understanding for the first time. "So you're accusing me of sending you love letters, is that it?"

I was taken aback when her lips formed into an amused smirk. I must be going blind.

"I'm not accusing you. I saw this afternoon slipping an envelope that looks so much like the ones I've been getting since June into my locker."

"But why would I do that?"

A beat.

I didn't know what to answer because even I had been asking myself the same question since I watch her walking away from my locker. She didn't have any imaginable reason to do it. Today was the first time we talked to each other. Why would she?

And the next words that came out from my mouth made me wish I'd grow wings so I could fly away from that place and go somewhere to hide my existence from the rest of human civilization until the dinosaurs come into the surface of the earth agaib.: "I don't know. Because you think I'm hot?"

Almost immediately, I could hear Raymond's words again in my head: "You're getting carried away again." And I hated it because he was absolutely right.

Her smirk didn't fade. If anything, it widened more. "Alright. I'll humor you. Suppose I really was the one sending you notes, what's going to happen next?"

"What do you mean?"

"If I did send you the notes, what are you going to do, Florence?"

I stood there thinking of nothing but also thinking of everything at once. Thinking if I was right about her, thinking about what I'd really do if it was her, and most of all, thinking why she had to call me by the name I've been trying to unlearn in a way that's making me want her to say it one more time.