Grace Joy sat down on the vacant chair located at the back part of the fourth column which is next to a wide window. She never knew that Sherdel was seating on a chair just beside her.
She put her notebook and a pen on the desk and then she began to look in front. While Sherdel was looking at her, wondering if she also remembers him in that awkward moment. Grace Joy was so focused on the teacher's lecture that time so she hadn't noticed that someone's looking at her. Suddenly, the moment broke when his phone suddenly vibrated. Sherdel immediately turned it down. He laid his eyes on Grace Joy once again. He got surprised when he saw her looking at him, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Grace Joy couldn't believe her eyes, the boy who sat beside her back then who looked pitiful was sitting next to her.
Sherdel can't help but to remember what happened and then he laughed faintly. Grace Joy cleared her throat and then she faced in front. She felt so embarrassed again. What she did was pretend that she didn't saw him there.
****
Her next class was still an hour away, Ana was with her fellow Arts Club members. They were at the first-floor corridor of the Ramos Building - another building beside the UPA Building. She, with three senior high students and two college students, was distributing flyers to the students who were walking along that area.
"Kuya. Arts Club po. Don't forget to join our club," she persuaded. But she was ignored.
Another girl coming toward her.
"Yo, ate!" she reached out her hand handling a flyer. "Arts Club po. Please join." Yet, she was ignored.
Meanwhile, a Grade-12 student, the president of the club, approached her.
"Study Hour's already over. Let's continue this tomorrow," She told her.
"Yeah, I agree." Ana agreed. "I am tired".
And then...
A group composed of five girls suddenly seen walking and approaching while laughing. They were all in college. The Art Club members slowly compressed to each other while seeing them coming.
They began to murmur.
"Here comes the look-downers."
"They assume they are the most beautiful."
"They are all ugly. One of them thinks she's sexy. The truth is, she's a pig."
"Uhus! You are only rich, uy!"
"Mga malalandi..."
"What do they think they are? Owner of this school?"
And other more terms they spoke out. Ana was silent, just staring at the approaching group with an insecure expression on her face.
Finally, they stopped by. Ana's club members crossed their arms across their chests as they scowled. The girls also did the same.
"Can you please just walk? We already cleared the path for you. See?" A college freshman told them.
The girl who appears to be the eldest and their leader rolled her eyes.
"Ugh...Look who's talking," she said. The girls behind her laughed.
"What do you want? Ate Jennifer." Ana asked.
"Nothing. I just want to see Eliza."She said. " Unfortunately...I forgot she was sick," She creased the upper part of her nose.
" And I am happy that she isn't around right now because at last, I can have my revenge on you." She pointed one to another. "And you! And you." Then she turned her fingers to Marjorie, a second-year college student and a friend of Elisa. "And especially you!"
" Hoy! You are the ones who always start a ruckus." Marjorie talked back. Everyone on her side agreed. "But the sad thing is... you are all losers."
"Right! Right!" The five with her yelled.
"You don't do much in your life, aren't you? That's why you always seek war. It's not because you have a very good life, doesn't mean you five..." Marjorie paused for a second. She put her hands on her forehead as she closed her eyes.
"Oh yeah... you have another recruit.," She continued. "Lorie is her name, right?"She muttered. " Even if you add her to your group, you still are evil sluts. So, stay away from the Arts Club because we all know we are all paying to be here."
After that, Marjorie and her comrades walked away, leaving them there speechless.
***
She couldn't move on to that awkward moment that happened to her with Sherdel awhile back.
While Grace Joy wasn't looking, Sherdel's eyes were examining her while a grin was painted on his face. Grace Joy knew that he was still looking at her even though her pupils were focused on the blackboard. Slowly, she rotated her head to see if he was still looking. Immediately, Sherdel faced in front. Confirmed, he was still making fun of her. She rotated her head back in front then she began to take down notes. Sherdel slowly turned his head around once more. Grace Joy wasn't looking.
Then, unexpectedly, his phone he laid down on his desk vibrated. It made him startle. The vibration was reacted to the wooden surface and so the sound was enhanced that everyone around him did hear. Even Grace Joy turned her head around toward Sherdel. Sherdel immediately shut down his phone.
"Would you please shut your phone up?" she told him as she gave him an awkward smile.
Sherdel slightly smiled back, then he raised his left arm. "S-sorry," he said. Then he apologized to the others. After that, he put his phone inside the 'pocket' under the flat wooden desk.
***
It's already the end of the day, Grace Joy's first day of school was also over. It's past six when she was walking down the stairs of the Ramos Building heading to the first floor so she could go to the main building and then to the grassy ground.
She finally arrived on the first floor. While walking along the corridor, she got surprised to see Ana approaching - the girl who told her the direction to where the UPA Building is. Ana was also glad to see a familiar face coming towards her. Later, a meter closer to each other, they smiled.
"Hi." Ana gently waved her hand.
Then Grace waved back.
Suddenly, someone on a distant away behind Grace Joy called their attention.
"Babe!" the girl yelled. Grace Joy turned around to see who yelled. She widened her eyes since she got amazed. A good-looking girl rushing in their direction. She never knew that she's Sherdel's girlfriend.
"O! Babe,"someone who was just behind Ana called. Then he raised his hands and he waved them cheerfully.
Grace and Ana got startled. They turned their heads to the boy. Grace Joy, got surprised to see that the cute light-complexioned guy who yelled was Sherdel.
"Babe!" the girl hugged him so tight as if they haven't seen each other in years. Not only that, they hugged in the distance just between Grace Joy and Ana Dorothy. A couple of seconds later, they finally let themselves go. Sherdel held her cheeks then he kissed her on the forehead. They seemed not to care if someone was watching them especially those two girls who were standing just near them. The two who were watching them got disgusted. They brought their eyebrows together as their eyes narrowed and their noses were creased. Then, they compressed.
"Don't they feel shame?" Ana told Grace in a whisper.
"Who are those guys?" Grace Joy asked.
"It's good that she only kissed him on the forehead or else I'll puke," she added.
"Babe! I miss you," the girl sounded like a whining child.
"Huh? But babe. We haven't only seen each other for just three hours," The boy said.
"Let's get out of here. It's shameful if we disturb those two," Ana suggested. Grace Joy agreed. And so, they walked away, without a sound, so that they won't ruin the lovebirds' conversation.
****
"Man, who are those lovebirds anyway?'" Grace Joy asked.
"Hmm...Let's see..."Ana muttered.
"'The girl's name is Alexa. I don't know why Sherdelino courted that girl. Pretty but a spoiled brat."
"How about Sherdel? The guy," Grace Joy asked.
"He is the grandchild of the owner of this school."
"What? Really? As in? As in an Alhibing?" She got surprised. There, she realized that it might be the reason why everyone in the class was talking about him. Then, her memory suddenly popped out which made her feel more embarrassed. Because of that, she yelled in a high-pitched voice as she covered her lips with her hands.
"Diyos ko! I am screwed," she panicked.
"What?" Ana was startled, wondering why did she react like that.
Grace Joy snapped out of it. "Oh. Nothing," she answered. "Just nothing."
Ana creased her forehead. Then she said 'okay'.
****
That night...
The moon was shining bright that lit it up a dark forest. Inside the forest was a man who was panting as he ran as fast as he can. He kept on stumbling over and over but he kept on standing up and run to avoid the large wolf who was after him. The wolf growls as it chased him which made the man tremble more. He stumbled once more. That time he's got no time to stand up since the large dog was very close to him and about to jump into him. When the creature did jump into the air, the man quickly turned himself into a creature the same as it but a different kind. As the wolf landed on him, he scratched its face - the area down its left eye. Then, he pushed it away with all its might. He got up. Just when he was about to run, the opponent tackled his body with its hard head. The dog(the man)fell to the ground. The opponent wolf quickly bit his neck. Because of that, he squealed in pain. Later, the man gathered up his strength. He wrapped his four legs around the body of the opponent then he rolled over making the opponent roll along. The opponent was now laying on the ground and he was over it. He scratched the opponent's face over and over again. Later when the enemy saw an opening, it scratched both the wolf's (the man's) front leg. Then, using its strong hind legs, it pushed the man away.
Instead of a take-back, he immediately ran away while the enemy was still mobilized. The opponent can't do anything that time since it was hard for it to get up because of the injuries. The man was no longer on sight just after it got up.
Because of its disappointment and anger, it clenched its teeth together as it growled so loud. A few seconds later, it howled against the sky.
Ana gasped as she woke up on her bed. She was catching her breath as her eyes widened in shock. It was just a dream. She sat up for a while to relax.
"It's just a dream...it's just a dream...," she murmured. "Thank God it's just a dream."
****
In a hidden barrio away from the other civilizations, where no one outside knows it exists. It was a barrio where Lignodons live that was currently taken over by no other than Daya's father, Dionisius, who's the chief of their tribe. There, they had built a mansion which serves not just a shelter but also a headquarter.
On the basement floor, where it's dark and quiet, and very lonely since the room is entirely empty but only shelves without books in it. It is also the place where Wendel is. He was at one of the room's corners sitting on the floor as he sleeps. He rests his back against the wall while he held his head down. His hands were tightly tied together on his back and his mouth was sealed by a piece of tape. Even his feet were tied together.
"Bullshit!" Someone suddenly slammed the door open then he rushed towards him. Because of that noise, Wendel woke up. He got startled when someone in front of him suddenly removed the tape that was sealing his mouth.
"An-nay!" Wendel complained.
"Tell me the truth," his brother-in-law said.
"Dallon! Bayaw!" He greeted him with a smile.
But he got a hard blow on the face.
"You haven't told me that Danny is alive," Dallon yelled.
"Ay oh?" Wendel said while pretending to be surprised.
Dallon grabbed his collar. "Don't lie to me you son of a bitch."
"How should I know, I've been here in a long time. Do you think I know whether he is dead or alive?" he giggled.
Dallon got more annoyed. And so, he punched his right cheek once more. "Tell me where the hell is he hiding right now or you'll get another punch to your miserable face!"
"Wait?" then Wendel coughed. "I wonder why do you ask if he is dead or not?" He asked. "He doesn't know where was the place you are looking for anyway."
"I just encountered him in Sagada." Dallon said. "He fought against me. I know he's out there, looking for the missing keys. "
After he had heard that, Wendel suddenly smiled and later he chuckled faintly.
"So, he is alive," he muttered.
He took another blow from his frustrated brother-in-law. After that, Dallon pulled up Wendel's bangs and Dallon put his face close to Wendel's face.
"Remember this...if I see your brother again. I will reap his heart out of his chest so that he won't have the chance to live again. I'll have his head if ever he attempts to stop us," he warned.
"What would Daya think?"
"Don't involve Daya in --!"
"If you hurt the two people I love the most..." Wendel's irises turned shiny brown in color as he glared at Dallon. " I am telling you, not only you're and your father's skull will be crushed but also your most private parts that you take good care of down there." He warned.
While staring at him, Dallon kept his mouth shut. Then, he gulped. After a few moments of no talk back to what Wendel had warned, Dallon decided to turn around and head to the door and leave.