The silence she left behind

Chapter 6

I laid on my bed while staring at the band aid. I didn't put it on my would because I wanted to keep it. He was the first one to give such a thing to me. May mga nagbibigay ng regalo sa akin but they would just leave them on my chair. He was the first one, the not-so-brave one to have the courage to personally give something, well it is not a gift, but I wanted to consider this band aid as a gift to me.

My plan never happen. It's been two years since the last time that I had an encounter with Israel Arden. I'm now a grade 10 student, while he was on his last year in senior high school.

I didn't know what exactly happened but when I went to school after the encounter with Claudia and Israel, the news of Claudia and her friends getting kicked out of the school spread like a wildfire. Some even blamed me but they never had a proof that I was the reason why they were kicked out. I even asked my father if siya ba ang gumawa pero hindi naman daw dahil aksaya lang 'daw 'yon ng panahon niya.

Israel Arden started avoiding me, and Sir Ronald talked to me na hindi ko na daw tatapusin ang community service ko sa old gym. It was a blessing in disguise tho. I won't clean the old, rusty and dirty old gym again. Kapag nakikita na niya akong papalapit, kusa na siyang iiwas, and I did the same. There are lots of things that happened during the past two years. Hetti is still my friend, and I get to know Oxygen Rivera-Lim and Kento Lim. Sometimes I would hang out with them, and I also met Champagne Vanilla, ang kinababaliwan ni Ox.

The two guy were cousins, they are inseparable. Since ahead silang tatlo sa amin, they are now in senior high school, minsan na lang din kami magkakasama. I don't know what's the deal between Ox and Champagne, habol ng habol yung isa, yung isa naman, layo ng layo.

"Sino daw ang representative ng campus king and queen? Pakitaas ang paa!" Alexis shouted. Tumayo si Dessamarie at itinaas nga ang paa. She is flexible because she is part of the cheering team. We laughed because of what she did, itinaas nga ang paa!

"Gaga ka! Hindi pasok ang beauty mo! Pang exotic ang beauty mo, day! Hanap kayo ng ibang representative! " Ang baklang kasama ni Alexis ang nagsabi 'non kaya naman mas lalong humagalpak sa tawa ang mga tao sa room. Nakasimangot na bumalik sa pagkakaupo si Dessamarie.

"Si Amari Reign! Maganda 'to, konsi! Parang Mama Mary! Mananalo agad ang 10-Diamond!" Someone from the back shouted. I made a protest but Konsi were already standing in front of me.

" Maganda nga! Walang laban si Dessamarie dito! Sige, ikaw na ang representative ng 10-Diamond! Pres, pakisulat pangalan niya!" My heart suddenly flattered, it started beating fast for no reason.

"Name, miss?" I heard a raspy yet manly voice. I look at the person who's standing behind Konsi, only to met a pair of deep brown eyes, the little mole beneath his left eye were still there. Is two years long enough to forgot someone's name?

" It's Amari Reign Camero." I proudly stated my name. During the past years, I had bunch of suitors, they were praising and worshipping me like I'm a sort of a goddess. My physical physique gets even more flattering.

My skin were fair, just like snow white 's. My curves were starting to develop and they were on the right places. Not to mention, I got a pretty small face, pink lips, high cheekbone, and a thick eyelashes. In short, I'm gorgeous!

"Okay." They said, change is inevitable, pero bakit ang isang 'to hindi man lang nagbago? Pagkatapos isulat ang pangalan mo ay tumalikod na siya. Unbelievable talaga ang lalaki na 'yon!

Hetti is absent that's why I don't have anyone to spend time. Since everyone got their own circle of friends, and I'm not friendly, I choose to go out of the classroom. I went out and made my way towards the Oval.

Malawak ang Oval ng NN, halos dito ginaganap lahat ng mga sports. Minsan din ginanap ang palarong pambansa dito sa school namin. They build numerous comfort rooms around the campus to accommodate the students. This is a public school, and one of the largest, and yet, the facilities can be compared to a prestigious private school.

Napadpad ako sa dulong bahagi ng oval. It was full of trees at medyo masukal na ang parte na ito. Buti na lang girls scout ako! Inilabas ko mula sa bagpack ang dalang foldable chair at maayos kong pwinesto malapit sa nakatumbang kahoy. I look around and smiled at the sight, there's no trash and the place is clean. Parang may pumupunta dito para panatilihing malinis.

I took out my lunchbox and started to dig in. Nana Juanita prepared buffalo wings and some gulay. Good thing is I always bring my own tumbler. I don't wanna buy water sa canteen because I can't trust whether it is safe or clean. Just thinking about the germs that I will get makes my hair stands.

"What the f**k are you doing here?" Nagulat ako ng may biglang magsalita sa bandang likuran ko. I look at the person behind me and I was stunned to find who it was. My lips parted from the sight of him. The golden hues of the sun were slightly covering his face. He was standing proudly, his hands were on his pocket, and his eyes were blazing like the hues of the golden sun.

It's Israel Arden.

"Why? Is it forbidden to be here, Pres?" I didn't let him see that I was uncomfortable with his presence. I made sure that he'll get pissed with my facial expression. Huh! This is now my sanctuary and there is no way that I will give it to him!

"Damn, right. This place is mine. Get out of this place, Camero. " He tried to push my fordable chair but I didn't budge. Manigas siya!

"Hindi naman kasama ang lugar na ito sa mga lupain niyo, Arden. So why would I get out of this lovely place? Finders keepers kaya! Ikaw ang umalis dito!" I snorted at him and the mockery didn't leave my voice. His pair of brown eyes started to darken. It started throwing daggers to me and I skip a little bit when he push my chair, but I suddenly grab his right hand dragging him with me with the fall that he cause!

"Tangina!" I was my first time hear him said such profanity! In tagalog pa! I don't know why but it made me feel something I couldn't name.

I even thought about the scene that I watched from chick flicks movies, yung magkakatitigan ang mga bida at magki-kiss! But it didn't happen! He immediately stand up and he didn't even bother helping me to get up!

" You really have a nasty attitude no?" I mocked him while I was busy on picking up the things na nahulog when we both fell. I saw him by my peripheral vision, he settled himself into a nearby fallen tree branch. Binuksan niya ang kanyang bagpack at inilabas ang kanyang lunch box.

"Coming from you? You think I didn't know what you were doing with the two idiots?" He scoffed. I stared at him with my curious eyes. Anong sinasabi niya?

"What do you mean two idiots?" I asked curiously and as a matter of fact, I'm clueless sa sinasabi niya. And then, the two Lim's suddenly came in my mind.

" Wait... you were talking about Ox and Kento?" I stared at him while he was stuffing his face with his food. He didn't answer until he finished chewing.

" Yah. Who else?" He boredly answered at sumuno ulit ng pagkain niya. He was eating a steak! Tch. Sosyal!

"You know what? You're mean. Ox and Kento were nice to me. And they are not idiots. They are actually smart, napasama lang sa lower section. " He shrugged his broad shoulder at hindi na nagsalita. I didn't want to argue with him that's why I diverted my gaze into my food, but the smell of the steak keeps on luring me! I look back again where he was sitting, sakto naman na humihiwa na siya sa malaking parte ng steak. And based from the looks of it, it was an A5 wagyu steak!

Argh. I'm rich pero never pa akong nag baon ng ganyang kamahal na steak sa school! The Arden's are really unbelievably wealthy to have a steak on a random Wednesday!

"Why do you keep on staring at me, Camero? You're creeping me out. " Binitawan niya ang kubyertos at masamang tumitig sa akin. Staring at him? Hell no!

"Correction, Pres. I'm not staring at you! Sa steak ako tumitingin!" I blurted out. Nanlaki ang mata ko upon realizing what I said, I covered my mouth with a piece of buffalo wings at hindi na siya liningon.

That was embarrassing! He would think that I envy him for having a steak! E, natatakam lang naman ako! Normally, when Ox, Kento and Champagne have free time, they would call me and Hetti to eat lunch and hang out with them at the Circle. Ang tinatawag namin na Circle ay yung nasa malapit sa Gate ng NN. May malaking sementong pabilog na lamesa at may nakapalibot din dito na upuan na gawa sa semento.

There are three Circle's magkakasunod 'yon at sa dulong parte kami pumepwesto madalas. Sa gitnang bahagi naman ng Circle madalas tumambay ang mga SSG officers. Sometimes, Israel would also sit there with them but I only saw him once. I didn't know where he was spending his free time.

"Here. I noticed you were salivating over my food. " In a split of seconds, he kidnapped my buffalo wings then he replaced it with his Steak! He went back into his seat and he didn't dared to look back at me and explain what he just did! He started stuffing his face with my poor buffalo wings!

But wait... What the hell did he just did?! The last time I remember, he was loathing me for no reason! Then suddenly, he was being nice? Nice? No! Maybe he put something on it and he was planning to assassinate me here!

"Are you planning something evil against me, Israel?" I stand up on my seat and look at him with my widen eyes. I even put my hands on my waist while I was looking at him with questioning eyes. And for the first, I noticed an unfamiliar expression into his eye when I called his name, for the first time, too.

I would often call him with his family name or his distinction. His name on my lips creates a sudden voltage that travels within my body. What? That's hella corny, Amari! Wake up! This person in front of you might poison you!