Once Upon Our Time

Chapter 1

In your eyes I see a future, what ever be, will be.

Thyrones's Point of View

College could really drain the hell out of you. Exams, thesises and deadlines here and there will surely kill you.

"Hey man!" Oh no. Not again.

I just ignored him and walked my way towards the classroom. But he's persistent as f**k. He lunged towards my direction and grabbed me by the collar.

"Umiwas-iwas ka na ngayon?" He said with a smirk. I'm so dead. I thought. "Ano?! May ipinagmamalaki ka na?!"

I didn't bother to stand up because I'm sure that he will just push me to the ground and beat the hell out of me.

He raised his knuckled fist in the air and ready to hit me hard when my angel came into the picture.

"What the hell, Zach?!"

Despite my situation, I can't help but to keep the smile that's threatening to creep into my lips as I watch her standing up for me. The one and only Alexandra Cammile Dela Vega. My guardian angel.

"Wala ka na ba talagang magawa sa buhay?" I was brought back to my reverie when I heard her voice— which I would kill just to hear it everyday— very pissed and shouting straight to Zachary's face.

"Trying to be the hero again huh, Alex?" He beamingly said looking so amused at the sight of her. Alex, his ex. He couldn't really hide it in his face that he is rooting for her very much. Too bad for him, Alex hates people who belittle others and he's one of those people. In fact, he's the greatest bully in the campus.

"As long as I can do something I can, why wouldn't I?" She bravely retorted raising a brow.

"Why are you helping him anyway? He's just a lousy loser. I can kick him out whenever I wanted to."

What he said made me swallow a lump on my throat. I stood myself up and interrupted their conversation.

"O-okay lang Ms. Dela Vega. A-ayos lang ako."

That made him smirk. "See? Ayos lang naman daw sabi nya." Then he grabbed me again attempting to drag me into some sort of hell where he beat the s**t out of me 'til I can't be able to stand back up.

I hardly closed my eyes as I accepted my demise. Just when he was about to take a step, a soft hand held my arm tightly.

"You're not taking him somewhere." She said firmly.

"Really? And who will stop me? You?" He laughed sarcastically. "What will you do? Slap me? Pull my hair?"

I can't do nothing but to lower my head down for all their gazes are situated in our direction. They looked at me funny.

Well, who wouldn't? I chuckled wryly, mentally. A girl is saving a stranger's a*s against the campus bully. They may think— No. They really think I'm a coward. So gay of me. A girl is standing up for me. Am I not pathetic?

My sulking session was interrupted when I heard gasps of awe around. And that's when it hits me. She punched him. Alex punched him hard in his face.

I hadn't still recovered from my shock when I suddenly felt a hand held mine and dragged me gently away from the scene.

I wasn't minding on their eyes. I was focused on the hand that's holding mine while running away. Cheesy it may sound but this feels like "Romeo and Juliet". We ran far away as fast as we could. Hand in hand.

She dragged me out the building and took me behind the building of her college where it looks like no one would think that we're here. She dragged me underneath the shady tree where she sat like a child who just got from a chase.

Wait— we literally just got from a chase.

I walked near her and sat under the shade of this Narra tree minding a distance between us. Where we're engulfed by a defeaning silence.

I was about to say a word when she suddenly voiced something out.

"Aren't you tired?" She asked. When I glanced at her, her soulful eyes are closed.

"T-tired?" I think I got her point. But I still wanted to clarify it out.

"Of this." She said, worriedly? Just as I thought she would say. But how she said it? I don't. "I mean, halos araw-araw ginaganyan ka ni Zach. Hindi ka ba napapagod na bugbugin? Kung ako siguro ikaw, baka nag-bigti na ako."

Nag-bigti?! Takot nga ako kapag binubugbog palang mag-bigti pa kaya?!

"Para mo na kasing panapatay ang sarili mo sa pambubugbog nila sa'yo. Wait. Nagsumbong ka ba?"

I just silently shook my head. I don't know why but she always have this effect on me. I always lose my words when it's her that I'm talking to. Or if I'm not lost at words, I stammer.

"Bakit ka nagsumbong?" She's nosy right?

"I just don't want to." For the first time. I spoke. To her. Without stammering.

"Bakit naman? You know that if you'll tell the higher ups he'll be punished. In that way he would stop on kicking your a*s around. Or maybe, mabawasan man lang ang pangmamal-trato nya sayo."

Yeah right. "Nah... More like I'll be punished and my a*s will be kicked out of this school." I smiled wryly at her. "It's better this way. "You see, I'm not like you who's born with a silver spoon. I'm just a mere scholar. Sino sa tingin mo ang paniniwalaan nila? Ang mababang scholar o ang anak ng isang shareholder ng paaralang 'to."

"We won't know if we won't try." She said while offering me her sweetest, brightest smile.

"Yeah. Maybe they would believe me. At first. But there's nothing that money can change."

Her forehead wrinkled at my remark.

Was there something I said.

"So you mean, you yourself have a price too?"

What?! "No! I—"

"Then cut the prejudice... By the way, let's get back to the basics. I'm Alexa—"

"Alexandra Cammile Dela Vega. Yeah I know." I cut her off.

"You know me?" She asked and her face says that's she's shocked. Cute.

"Who doesn't?" I asked back. "You're THE Alexandra Cammile Dela Vega, daughter of this school's owner and heiress of Dela Vega Group of Companies."

She chuckled. Ah.. music to my ears...

"You really know me. But I'm not that heiress. I hate parties and dresses. I don't wear heels and stilettos. So yeah."

"Figures." I said with a grin as I examined her overall. She's wearing an oversized black shirt, jeans and a pair of sneakers. Simple right? Yet beautiful.

"Hey! I know that look— different! Don't you dare laugh at me." I was just suppressing my laughter. But seeing her pissed like this is so amusing that I can't stop myself from laughing my a*s off. Then I remembered. I never laughed like this since I can remember.

"Your laughing." She said.

"Sorry." I said keeping myself from laughing some more.

"No it's okay. I mean, I've never seen you laughed like this."

That caught me. "Like this?" She notice my very least existence?

On the second thought, she really did. I just said earlier that she's my guardian angel, right?

"Don't get me wrong okay. Every time I see you. It's either Zach is beating you up or you're staring at nowhere. Bilib nga ako sayo, kasi kahit mag-space out ka sa buong klase nasasagutan mo pa rin ang mga ibinabato sayo."

"Talaga?" I know I look like a lost puppy right now. Even I, myself don't know that I often space out. "Ganyan ako lagi?" I added and she silently nodded as a response.

I never thought I was like that every time. Now I know why our profs always say "very-good-you-can-still-answer-even-though-you're-spacing-out" s**t and the likes.

"Anyway, you still didn't tell me your name yet."

"I'm Thyrone."

"Just Thyrone?"

"Dave Thyrone Salceda."

In the darkness of the night, you're my only light...

|Suns_deMi|