Pearl Of Wisdom

Chapter 2

I woke up in the morning and went through my usual routine. This time, though, I made sure to wake up early. I absolutely did not want to be scolded by my teacher, who's a terror.

I had to be early because I had some things to finalize at the Guidance Council's office. I also needed to wrap up the plans for our student council officers' dinner out next week.

I walked to school, dressed in my uniform and just a pair of sandals. As soon as I arrived at the office, I dove into finishing up all the tasks and plans I had. After that, I headed to our classroom, as our first class was starting in just a few minutes.

Our teachers kept the discussions brief, since it was almost the weekend and our intramurals were just around the corner. My classes only ran until noon, so I knew I could really spend some quality time with Kuya.

"Roisin, I'm starving! Let me eat, please!" I pleaded, trying to mask my growing frustration.

She looked at me sternly and replied, "You can eat, but only salad."

I raised an eyebrow, feeling a prickle of annoyance. "What? Salad again? What do you think I am, a cow? A goat?" I protested, crossing my arms and pouting.

"Of course, you don't have any choice," Orlaith chimed in.

"I don't want salad! I'm tired of eating grass," I reiterated, my arms still crossed and a deep frown on my face.

"No, I told you! No! You're on a diet, and salad is the only thing you can eat. You're lucky you didn't even eat last night," Roisin snapped back, her eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

"No, I don't want that—" I hadn't even finished what I was about to say when someone abruptly cut me off.

"Why are you so stubborn, hmm? If you don't want to eat salad all the time, you only have one option: you quit modeling. That's a piece of bullshit!" A firm, authoritative, yet familiar voice came from behind me, instantly silencing my protest.

I spun around, and my eyes met Kuya Gabby's resolute gaze. He stood there, a paper bag clutched in his hands, and a wave of pure surprise washed over me. The students around us were openly staring, their whispers and murmurs filling the air like a curious chorus. Their eyes seemed to bore into us, shamelessly speculating about our relationship.

I stood there in utter shock, my voice barely above a whisper. "What are you doing here, Kuya?" I questioned, feeling a chaotic mix of surprise and intense embarrassment.

He pulled me into a tight hug, my face buried in his wide, comforting chest. "Am I not allowed to pick you up? Let's go home, baby." His warm kiss on my head was a small comfort amidst my fluster.

"Kuya, I told you, right?! Not here! You're so embarrassing!" I pushed him away, mortified.

"I came all the way here and brought food for your friends. You didn't answer my question last night, either: Who are you coming with, again?" He placed the paper bags he'd brought down as he talked, still looking at me.

"Vamos, vamos a hablar de esto en el coche!" I quickly told Kuya, which meant, "Come on, we'll talk about this in the car!" Then, turning to my friends, I added, "Guys, I'm heading out now. Just enjoy the food he brought; it's for you all." I immediately grabbed my things and practically dragged Kuya Gabby out of the school.

So embarrassing, damn it!

"Por qué tienes prisa?" he asked, genuinely confused. "Why are you in a hurry?" he repeated in English as I continued to pull him towards the car.

He opened the car door as soon as we reached the parking area.

"Kuya, didn't I tell you not to come here?" I immediately blurted out once we were inside.

"Baby, I don't care what they'll think about us. You're just my baby cousin, and don't let others get you down. You know who you are, okay? Don't be mad anymore," he said softly, comforting me, and then kissed my forehead for a long, reassuring moment.

"Okay, fine. I missed you so much, Kuya!" I quickly changed the subject, gently touching his hands that were still cupping my jaw, and gave him a sweet smile.

"I miss you too so much, baby. Where do you want to go? Do you want to just go home? Do you want to rest first?" He removed his hands from my jaw and started the engine.

"I'm hungry, Kuya," I pouted, trying to look as cute as possible.

"Let's go to Bella Vita. You should eat a lot," Kuya stated, already deciding.

"I'm not allowed. I'm on a diet, remember?" I sighed heavily and looked down, disheartened.

"You should quit! I don't want you suffering," he frowned, clearly concerned.

"No, Kuya, someone died because of my stupidity and desperate decision. This is what I wanted, besides, I'm happy doing it. I am not suffering, Kuya. It's just part of my job," I retorted, a defensive edge to my voice.

"No, it isn't your fault why my dad died. Don't blame yourself, baby," Kuya said gently, taking my hand while he continued to drive.

"Let's just not talk about it, Kuya," I said, giving him another sweet, albeit strained, smile.

He just nodded.

Several minutes passed before we arrived at Bela Vita, an Italian restaurant that also served various trendy international dishes daily.

"Hey bro!" Kendrick greeted, exchanging a familiar hand sign with Kuya.

"How are you?" I asked, giving him a friendly kiss on the cheeks.

"I'm fine, just really busy," he answered, chuckling.

"That'll never change. You're always busy, not just with business, but with your girls too," Kuya blurted out playfully, and we all laughed.

"At least, I could have fun. what about you? You always hangout with your baby girl, she's big already." Kendrick laughed while patting kuya's shoulder.

"Yeah, right, Ken! I also told him to find his lifetime partner, but he won't. I don't know what's up with Kuya," I agreed, exchanging a high-five with Ken as we continued to laugh.

"Whatever, you two! I'm hungry," he complained, sounding annoyed, and took a seat at a nearby table.

"Alright, he's probably annoyed now," I muttered to Ken, then walked over to Kuya.

I sat down, and we ordered several dishes so we could finally eat.

"I've asked you this question multiple times, but you still didn't answer me," Kuya firmly stated, his voice laced with concern. "Whom are you coming with? Who are your companions at the barista? Hmm?" I felt a bit annoyed at his persistence, but I tried to stay calm.

"Just the other members of the student council," I answered, continuously eating, trying to downplay the situation.

Kuya's expression turned serious, and he said, "We should tell Ken about it. I want the place to be guarded." I looked at him, surprised, but he seemed completely unfazed by my reaction.

"What?" I asked, my voice rising in curiosity.

"I just wanted to make you feel safe, baby," he said softly, his eyes filled with warmth. "I just want what's best for you."

I rolled my eyes, feeling a complex mix of frustration and affection for him.

After eating, Kuya asked me where I wanted to go next. "Where do you want to go after we eat?" he asked, his voice gentle.

I smiled mischievously and said, "I want to go shopping! You said you don't care what people will think about us, right? Then, let's go shopping together."

Kuya chuckled and said, "Alright, finish eating quickly so we can leave."

As we drove to the mall, I couldn't wait to shop for new clothes. Kuya waited patiently while I tried on different dresses, and I ended up buying a lot of them. At the last store, I spotted a limited edition dress, personally designed by the famous designer Martee. I had always dreamed of endorsing her designs someday.

I approached the dress, reaching out to grab it, but just as I was about to, someone else took it. A tall and fine-looking man – a fine piece of s**t, indeed.

I raised my left eyebrow in annoyance and turned to him. "Excuse me?" I said, trying hard to keep my cool. "I was the one to get it first, so give it back to me," I demanded, feeling a surge of irritation.

But the man remained unfazed, his poker face unwavering. "Can't you see? It's already in my hand, so I'm not giving it to you," he said coldly, his voice completely devoid of emotion. "Now, if you'll excuse me, step aside."

I couldn't help but think, He would've been hot, but his attitude is just awful. What a waste of a handsome face! It seemed like God didn't think he deserved both good looks and a good personality. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

But then, I couldn't resist teasing him a bit. "It's a girl's dress, and you're a man. Who are you giving that to? Don't tell me you're going to wear it?" I said, trying to stifle a giggle.

The man replied authoritatively, his face still blank. "This is not for me."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh, then... Do you know how to be a gentleman?" I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm.

I quickly held his wrist to stop him as he was walking back to the counter.

"W-wait a minute, hold on," I called out, feeling a surge of desperation. He turned to me, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at my hand on his wrist. I quickly let go. "Can you please just give it to me? I badly want that dress. I'll do everything for you to just give it to me. Please? If you want, I'll pay you double for that dress, please." I pleaded, trying to sound as sincere and desperate as possible.

But he just shook his head and said, "No, stop being a brat," before heading back to the counter. I felt my anger boiling over, reaching a furious peak.

Damn it, what an asshole!

I stormed out of the store, feeling completely frustrated and utterly irritated.

Outside, Kuya was waiting for me, phone in hand. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing my scowl. "Why are you frowning? Did something happen?"

I explained the whole situation to him, but instead of siding with me, he surprisingly defended the guy. Well, boys are boys, I guess.

"Stop frowning like that; he's right—you areba brat, you know," Kuya teased with a smirk. I rolled my eyes in annoyance.

"Oh, shut up! You men are all the same, all of you are assholes!" I blurted out in frustration.

Kuya raised an eyebrow. "Isn't what you've bought enough? You bought so many dresses, I don't even know if you'll actually use all of them."

I explained that the dresses were for my friends, but Kuya just sighed heavily, clearly frustrated with my dramatic flair.

"What makes that dress so special to you that you're so utterly irritated about not getting it?" he asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

I explained that it was designed by Martee, and every girl would dream of owning one.

Kuya's expression changed, softening. He then said, "I'll contact her and have her make you some dresses that you like."

I couldn't believe it.

"W-what? Kuya, are you being for real?" Kuya nodded, a small smile gracing his lips.

"I am! So, stop frowning and let's go home. You have to rest; it's getting dark, so come on." I felt a dizzying mix of emotions—surprise, profound gratitude, and immense relief. Maybe this day wouldn't end up so bad after all.

God, that asshole. I swear, the nerve of him, acting all hot s**t like he was some kind of Adonis, especially after what he just pulled. It just makes me so unbelievably mad, even now.

The ride home was just... silent. Not peaceful quiet, but like, a heavy, suffocating kind of quiet, you know? We didn't even touch on what went down at the mall. I just kept staring out the window, watching the world blur by, but my brain was stuck on that infuriating, infuriating guy. And here's the kicker, the super annoying part: even while I wanted to punch him, I couldn't deny it. He was ridiculously, unfairly handsome, and yeah, seriously, seriously hot. Like, crazy tall, probably a good six feet, maybe even as tall as my brother, who's a giant. And his body? Damn. Pure, built-like-a-brick-house, bodybuilder muscles. It was just... ugh. Annoyingly attractive.