RUIN ME

PROM NIGHT

Dear Diary,

Over the weeks, I’ve found myself involved in some not-so-nice stuff, but I can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction as it led to Mico’s school suspension and his exclusion from next week’s prom. This is all thanks to Mich, who did most of the work.

Flirting with Mico’s father, Mich met him at a motel one night. Afterwards, she secretly left her underwear in his car’s front seat drawer, which his wife most likely saw. She succeeded in stealing the answer sheet from Professor Tin’s office, altering Mico’s exam paper, and then forwarding a video recording of him talking about burning down the school to the school’s Principal.

She also sought revenge on Lucas, Mico’s closest friend, by taking his things and using his phone to make an intimate video of her nude body, which she sent to his girlfriend. She returned his stuff afterward, except for the money from his wallet, which she decided to keep.

Mich has a degree of evilness that I had no idea about. The only action I took, aside from paying her to carry out those tasks, was vandalizing the mirror in the school’s restroom using my mom’s lipstick. I already made the full payment last night, and it was worth every penny...

The Mastermind,

Zeph

[Journal Entry 271]

***

“You again?” the nurse asks when she sees me entering the school clinic.

“I’m not feeling well today,” I say.

She hands me the attendance form and rolls her eyes as I quickly jot down my name and the reason for my sickness. I then head to a vacant bed, desperate for some rest.

“You seem dehydrated,” she observes. “Make sure to drink plenty of water.”

“I know! I feel like I might pass out,” I mumble, burying myself under the sheets.

The nurse remains skeptical since I’ve been here several times in recent weeks, but she has no choice but to let me in. A touch of powder on my lips makes them appear paler, a trick I’ve mastered.

My mental health is getting worse again. I’ve been neglecting my homework and skipping classes. Additionally, the upcoming prom is stressing me out because it’s fast approaching, and I don’t have anything to wear yet. I don’t even want to attend in the first place, but attendance is mandatory.

So, here I am, nestled under the comforter, browsing through my phone for prom attire inspiration. I’m collecting images of outfits that catch my eye, planning to drop by my aunt’s tailoring shop later today to have my perfect outfit made within a week.

After that, I check my mail inbox and find a long message from Mico that he sent yesterday. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read it. He’s saying sorry for bullying me since day one. He admits to believing that I was behind the misfortunes affecting him and his best friend. They even searched for evidence to prove it was me, but found nothing. So, he decided that apologizing to me sincerely was the best way to end his string of bad luck.

I softly speak the final words from his message, “I promise I will make it up to you.”

***

(PROM NIGHT)

Time flies by far too quickly, and prom night seems to pass even faster than I’d hoped.

I find myself constantly checking my reflection in the car mirror, fussing over my hair minute by minute while I’m stuck in this infuriating traffic. “Come on!” I yell in frustration.

As I finally glimpse the venue, my heart starts to race. Stepping out of my car onto the red carpet, I’m met with unexpected stares from everyone. It feels weird but expected because of my eye-catching outfit. My friends come up, giving me excited hugs.

“Wow! Now, that’s real fashion!” Yuri exclaims, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

I’m wearing an emerald green velvet tuxedo, its intricate details a product of my own design, meticulously brought to life by my aunt's skilled tailoring.

I chuckle, “Well, look at you! Stunning as always!” She looks absolutely radiant in a sparkly silver dress, her hair elegantly pulled back into a high bun.

“Why did you choose this color? I’m surprised it suits you well,” Amisha says, gently touching my tuxedo. “What material is this?”

“Velvet obviously,” Emily answers, still holding her pack of cookies.

Mich playfully chimes in, “I refuse to believe you’re Zeph,” drawing laughter from everyone.

In a warm and sweet tone, Leo remarks, “You look perfect.” His smile lights up the moment, and I can’t help but return the gesture. “But check out my suit,” he adds proudly, flaunting his maroon tuxedo that oozes sophistication.

“You always look amazing, Leo. But tonight,” Yuri interjects, placing her hand on my shoulder, “I’m rooting for Zeph.”

“I bet he’s going to be the prom king!” Emily exclaims, causing my heart to skip a beat. The thought of becoming prom king never crossed my mind the whole time I was sketching my outfit. If that were to happen, I’d be expected to perform in front of the entire audience—an idea I’m not too keen on. Now, I’m here feeling nervous, imagining all the things that could go wrong.

I manage an awkward smile and reply, “No, thanks.”

Tin finally gets us ready to enter the venue as a class, and we start forming a line. “Keep in mind that to become a prom king or queen, you must exude sophistication and charm at all times. Sit like royalty, as if you own the night! Speak with eloquence, and, of course, wear your most genuine smiles. Are we all clear?”

We all nod.

“Someone will be assessing each of you later to determine who’s most deserving,” Tin adds. She turns away, but then makes a turn back to us. “I want the prom king and queen to come from this class, so give it your best!”

As someone who has no desire to become the Prom King, I plan on slouching my back all night long.

“It’s about to begin! I’m so excited I could burst!” Emily squeaks.

“Keep it together!” Mich tells her.

Then I somewhat overhear Yuri whispering to Amisha, “I hope Leo will take me to the dance floor later.”

“He will,” Amisha reassures her. “I’m sure of it!”

As we enter the venue, we’re greeted by hundreds of tables surrounding the expansive dance floor, with soft music playing in the background. Our seats have already been reserved, so we start scanning for our name cards.

At the far end of the venue, I finally spot my name card. “Thank goodness!” I check the name cards next to mine to see who my seatmates will be. To my right is Mico, who isn’t allowed to attend the event, and to my left is Leonardo. Him again?

Leonardo lets out an exclamation as he settles into his chair next to me. “Oof! It seems fate keeps bringing us together.”

Mich approaches and snatches Leo’s name card from the table. “Hey, give me that!” he says.

“We’re switching seats!” Mich says, pulling Leo out of his chair so she can take his place. “No worries, Yuri’s my seatmate!” she adds as she hands him his name card. Leo accepts it, though not without a scowl, and walks away.

“You are such a mean girl,” I playfully chide her. “Did Yuri ask you to switch places with him?”

“Oh, no,” Mich responds casually. “I just prefer it here.”

The prom kicks off with Principal Tudy delivering a long speech from the stage. This is followed by amazing student performances of various talents, all while attentive waiters serve delectable dishes at each table. I immediately load my plate with ginger prawns and succulent roast pork belly.

A cute waiter fills our glasses with wine, and I ask curiously, “Is this alcoholic?”

“Only five percent,” he assures me.

I decline politely, gently saying, “Oh, but I don’t drink alcohol...”

Mich nudges me. “Don’t be such a wimp.” Then, she turns her attention to the waiter with a flirtatious smile. “Could you please serve me a fifty after this?”

“We’re not allowed to serve that here. My apologies, Miss,” the waiter responds.

Mich winks at the waiter and says, “No problem.”

I playfully say, “You’re such a troublemaker.”

Mich leans in and whispers in my ear, “He’s going to look for me after the prom, you’ll see.”

“Ew!”

She shoots me a sidelong glance and asks, “Seriously, are you a kid?”

I’m about to respond, but she abruptly cuts me off by slapping my hand. “She’s coming!” she whispers urgently. She straightens her back, adopting a modest posture, her hands gracefully positioned one over the other.

“Who?” I glance in the direction she’s looking, and my eyes widen as I spot a lady holding a pen and notebook. She’s probably the one who’s going to evaluate us for the prom king and queen. I quickly slouch my back and make the goofiest face ever as I turn my attention to my wine glass, pretending to chat with it as if I’m a crazy man. “How’s it going there, winey? Don’t worry, I’m not going to drink you, uwu.”

I catch the lady staring at me, looking so bothered. “Crazy,” she mutters as she walks away.

“What are you doing?” Mich asks. “You just missed your chance!”

“That’s great then!” I respond.

An hour later, Tudy is back on stage, the spotlight on him as he prepares to unveil the nominees for prom king and queen. A wave of excitement sweeps through the room as he asks, “Are you all ready?”

A resounding “Yes!” erupts from the crowd.

“Alright, then, let’s get started with the Prom Queen nominees...” Tudy begins, reading out a list of names I don’t recognize. Tin shows her displeasure with a stomp of her foot on the carpeted floor, clearly unsatisfied that none of her students has been selected.

The tension mounts as Tudy announces the final nominee: Yuri Kim. Tin gets up from her chair, applauding proudly as Yuri gracefully steps onto the stage. “Let’s give these ladies a big round of applause!” Tudy encourages.

“Each of you will receive a ballot to cast your vote for the Prom Queen of the night,” Tudy explains. “Make sure you choose the most deserving candidate.”

A gentleman approaches our table and places a ballot before me. I immediately mark Yuri’s name. However, I’m taken aback when I notice Mich casting her vote for someone else. “You’re not voting for Yuri?”

“I don’t think she’s the most deserving,” she responds. “Have you seen Cassandra? Isn’t she the most beautiful tonight?” I glance at Cassandra, dressed like a sparkly pink Barbie doll. While I agree she’s stunning, my vote still goes to Yuri.

“Now, let’s move on to the Prom King nominees!” announces Tudy, and the crowd erupts into cheers, especially the girls.

Though I’m quite certain I haven’t been nominated, I can’t help but feel nervous still. My mind is filled with ‘what ifs.’ What if the lady actually likes a crazy man? Or what if she included me because of my attire? My heart races, and my breaths come in short, shallow gasps.

“First on the list, we have Leonardo Forbis!”

Tin stands up again and cheers the loudest as Leo takes the stage. I think she’s forgotten that she tried to kick him out of her class on the first day for defending gay people.

Tudy continues announcing names that are unfamiliar to me. “And last but certainly not least, we have...” The suspense is almost overwhelming; I can hardly catch my breath. “His charisma shines brightly tonight, and his name is...”

I close my eyes, deeply praying it won't be me.

“Alexander Enriquez!”

Thank heavens! A deep sigh of relief escapes my lips. My anxiety subsides, and I can finally breathe normally.

“Oh, my apologies! Alexander has already been called!”

I nearly choke on my own saliva.

“It appears his name was mistakenly included twice on the list. How did this happen?” Tudy asks, and the lady who graded us takes the stage to apologize to him. “It’s alright. We all make mistakes. Since there are only fourteen names here, we need one more person to join us on stage!”

Tudy and the lady exchange a few hushed words, both of them glancing in my direction. All eyes in the room are now fixed on me. “That guy in the back,” Tudy says. “The one in the emerald green suit! Would you mind coming up to the stage and joining these gentlemen?”

Silence descends over the whole venue. I point to myself with my trembling hand and ask, “M-me?”

“Yes, you!” Tudy exclaims, sporting a broad smile. “Could you kindly come up to the stage and stand with the other nominees?”

I take a deep breath and rise from my seat slowly. I look at my friends, and they’re all signaling me to go.

I walk in the middle of the aisle, my legs feeling unsteady, and I can’t help but notice that every eye in the room is glued to me. The worst scenario I imagined tonight has manifested into reality. My sweat is dripping down my head. I can barely hear anything anymore except for the sound of my heartbeat and the echoes of my negative thoughts.

No one will cast their vote for me...

I can already foresee the ridicule awaiting me on stage...

Their judgmental gazes pierce through me...

The mocking whispers and quiet laughter start to arise...

I’m not sure if I can make it up there...

I don’t want to...

Suddenly, my legs give out, and I fall to my knees. The world blurs into a hazy swirl, and as my body loses all its strength, my face hits the carpeted floor, and darkness descends as my eyes drift closed, plunging me into unconsciousness.