The Bad Boy's Property (TAGALOG)

Ep.1: Chapter 3: Friends and Sentiments

We are seven people in our group of friends, five girls, and two boys. We treat each other as best friends.

Zekeine Laranza Michael. She is strong. Walang kahit na sino ang makakatapak sa kanya. Kapag may sumubok, pagbabayarin niya ng doble. In gender, she does not choose adversity. That is how to describe her. But she made us an exception and is good to us. Hindi ko alam kung bakit. Kahit na minsan ay hindi maganda ang pakikitungo namin sa kaniya. She does not do her famous avenge to us. Siguro ay 'yon ang kabutihan na dulot ng pakikipagkaibigang matalik sa kaniya.

Ang sunod na tao sa aking mga matalik na kaibigan ay si Hetera Loha Kim. She's very cool and cold-tempered most of the time in front of other people. She acts like that because she does not want people to underestimate her. She doesn't tend to interfere with other affairs and minds her own. But when people mess with her, she doesn't mind giving a damn. Hindi niya hahayaang may tumapak sa kanya. Iyon ang pagkakatulad nila ni Zekeine. Hindi siya basta magsasawalang kibo kapag may taong umagrabyado sa kanya. She won't let someone take advantage of her. Lumalaban siya at ipinapakita ang madilim na parte ng pagkatao niya na walang kahit na sino ang gugustuhing makakita.

Ang ikatlo ay si Sahrey Dyel. She is a happy-go-lucky person. She always wants to enjoy. She likes nice things and people. She always mentions the phrase you-only-live-once and then adds the words, live-life-to-its-fullest. She has a bit of childish behavior, but she thinks maturely. She knows what she wants in life, and she's confident to conquer them. She wants to live and die doing what she loves.

Ang isa pa ay si Yenei Castro. Among all of us, she is the odd one. She has an old mind. She's the person who thinks most maturely among all of us. Kung umakto siya ay parang isang magulang sa amin. She stops us from doing something if she thinks it is too much and is no longer helping us. She's a little boyish with her gestures or movements, but she is a real girl.

Sa lahat sa aming mga babae, ang taong pinakamalapit sa akin ay si Hetera. It's because she's been my best friend ever since kindergarten. I treat them the same, we are all close to each other, but I felt closer to Hetera for coming into my life first. Hetera has always been there for me through the bad times I experienced in my early life. Parati siyang nariyan upang tulungan ako. She was with me at almost all the highlights of my life.

I realized that I was the only weakling among us girls. So sad.

I could say that because I'm the only person in the group who doesn't want to mess with anybody under whatever circumstances. But I always get into fights even when I don't want to. I was always not the person who would defend myself. Mabuti na lang ay nariyan sila sa tabi ko. Nandyan sila upang tumayo para sa akin at lumaban para sa 'kin. Well, the fights in which I got involved were always about Jeon. All of the bad things in my life are because of Jeon. He made my life a misery. A life with him doesn't contribute any good things to me. Bago malaman ng lahat noon na magfiancé kami ay tahimik ang buhay ko. Everything is fine and good. Nagbago ang lahat nang dahil kay Jeon noong nalaman ng lahat na engaged kami sa isa't-isa at hindi nila matanggap iyon. Iyon ang bagay na kinamuhian ko sa paglipas ng panahon.

I know I am nothing without my friends. Hindi ako matapang, hindi ko kayang ipagtanggol ang sarili ko at wala akong lakas ng loob para lumaban, pero kung nag-iisa lang ako at wala akong ibang taong aasahan kung 'di sarili ko lang, alam kong kakayahin kong ipagtanggol ang sarili ko. When I knew I only had myself, I could fight. I would fight when I needed to. Katulad noon, bago ko nakilala si Hetera.

Hindi ko maharaya na magiging mag-isa na lang ako sa school na 'yon. Nasanay akong kasama ko lagi ang mga best friend ko. Ayaw ko silang iwan. I never imagined this time would come. Na iiwan ko ang buhay na kinasanayan ko na mayroon ako. Natatakot akong pasukin ang panibagong daan na wala sila sa tabi ko. Or maybe, I'm scared to face a new school, new life, new environment, new friends, and new people. And it will never be ideal for me if it's going to happen in Eco High.

We have two boys in our group. They are Tad Howen James and Jaden Song.

Naging apat kami sa grupo dati. They joined us, Hetera and I. Pagkalipas ng isang taon ay nakilala namin ang tatlong girls noong lumipat sila sa Riz High galing sa iba't-ibang iskwelahan. Zekeine, Sahrey, and Yenei.

Tad is a handsome guy, but like what I said, he is kind. He doesn't play with girls who like him, nor does he play with their feelings. Tad is downright respectful with women. He is witty and a bit naughty, not in a flirty way. Tad is sweet, wise, gentlemanly, and kind.

Jaden is overly attractive. He is a joker, and everybody knows that. He is unflappable. No one would see him panicking or being hyper or very mad unless someone important to him is being aggrieved or abused or in an awful situation. He is smart. Paano ko nasabi 'yon? What he does in class is purely sleeping, but he's getting the highest score every time on quizzes. That's why teachers don't mind him sleeping in the class. He gets easily bored. He is not interested in girls. He is secretive and is not easy to predict. No one can figure out what's going on in his mind. But he is nice like Tad.

Those are our two guys in the group. They are strong and brave. They defend the girls from the guys who want to mess with us.

Walang dudang maraming babae ang nagkakandarapa at patay na patay sa kanila. Sino nga ba naman ang hindi magkakagusto sa kanila? They've got it all! Looks, brain, height, and a good attitude.

The two of them were friends with Jeon before. Pagkatapos umalis ni Jeon para pumunta sa San Francisco, California ay nakipagkaibigan sila sa akin. At first, I ignored them because they were friends with Jeon, but they were not like him. Their personalities are too far from him. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa rin malaman kung paano sila naging magkaibigan. Si Jeon ay parang isang halimaw at silang dalawa ay parang mga anghel. They're too good to be friends with him. Maybe, they wanted to be friends with me a long time ago, but Jeon did not let them. Sa ngayon, ang sabi nila ay wala na silang balita tungkol dito. Hindi ako sigurado dahil narinig ko lang ang tungkol dito mula sa mga kaibigan naming babae. I am not initiating any topic about Jeon because I am not interested in talking about him.

"Really? You promise me?" I am pouting like a child. Tiyak akong parang bata rin ang ekspresyon ng mukha ko dahil dito.

"Of course! But Elay..." Elay is my nickname. "We'll miss you very much. It's sad to think that you are going away from us."

I sighed. "Yeah. Sad, and I'll miss you guys, too, so much."

"Just make sure you're gonna be okay because we want that for you."

I chuckled. "Alright. I will try my best!"

"Don't just try your best. Make sure of it because if you can't do it for yourself, we're going to do it for you."

I chuckled again. I guess I don't have a choice but to assure that.

"Yes. I'm going to. So, you don't ever forget about me just because I won't be with you guys anymore. Nobody can replace Jelaine Shil Moara. No one can do me." I feel sad, but I am cheering myself up because I don't want to make this moment like it. Distance matters to your friends, family, relatives, or loved ones. It matters to me. I hope this thing won't separate me from my friends for real. Because the truth is, memories fade away, and people forget. Kahit pa gaano kayo katagal nagkasama. Every day is a new memory. Therefore it is not easy to keep memories from the past. People can forget even the memories they treasure the most.

I love my friends. I hope they love me enough to remember me. Ayos lang sa 'kin kung kalimutan nila ang mga ala-ala namin, pero sana hindi nila ako kalimutan. My head could also fail, but my heart will always recall.

"You love dramas, don't you? How could we ever forget a dramatic friend like you? Hell no. Like, there's no way we can do that! I felt like I just got infected by your virus. I felt like being dramatic just now. No way. So not me. Eww!"

Napahagalpak ako ng tawa dahil kay Zekeine, pero nagawa ko pa ring pakalmahin ang sarili ko.

I was delighted with what she said. My worry has slipped away. Maybe, she is also good at comforting. She only has her unique way.

Well, it's not going to be so tragic for me after all. Araw-araw pagkatapos ng klase sa school ay nagtitipon kami at tumatambay, kaya may pagkakataon pa rin akong makasama sila araw-araw.

"Alright. See you tomorrow! Tell our friends, too. Aalis na rin kami ni mama, eh. I wouldn't be able to make it to hang out with you later, so yeah." I breathed out some air. Sobrang hirap nito para sa 'kin.

"Okay. You can always chat with us through social media. Balitaan mo kami lagi, okay? You take care of yourself. Keep safe. Bye!" She said. I nodded like I was talking to her face to face.

"Alright. You all take care, too, and keep safe! Bye."

Nagsimula na akong maghanda para pumunta sa Eco High kasama si mom katulad ng binilin niya sa akin.

Magkakahalong emosyon ang nararamdaman ko ngayon. I feel annoyance, presentiments, fear, and sorrow.

Annoyance, it's because I'm still going to transfer to another school even though I don't want to. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit kailangan kong lumipat pa kung naroon na ang buhay ko at mga mahal ko sa buhay sa kasalukuyan kong iskwelahan. I already have the ideal life for me. Bakit ko gugustuhing baguhin pa 'yon? Kontento na ako sa buhay ko ngayon. Hindi na ako hihiling pa ng higit dito o kahit ano pa.

Presentiments, because I am worried about my life. Paano kung ito na ang isa sa mga huling sandali ng buhay ko? Ito na ba ang katapusan ko? Ito na ba ang huling araw na buhay ako at humihinga sa mundong ibabaw?

Takot dahil natatakot akong isipin ang kung anong puwedeng gawin sa akin ng mga estudyante roon. Lubhang nakakatakot sa tuwing iniisip ko ang mga sitwasyon na maaari kong kaharapin sa pananatili sa school na 'yon. I feel like I am already going to disappear. Hindi ako ligtas doon. Hindi ako sigurado kung totoo ang mga naririnig ko tungkol sa Eco High. But if it is so, then I will face death for sure. I didn't care about it back then, but it is my business to deal with it now.

Sorrow, because it's too sad to think that I have to separate from the people I love to be with the most. We have been friends for so long and we treat each other like siblings already. We are not blood-related, but we connect through souls.

Hay, buhay! P'ano kaya kung maglayas na lang ako? Geez. What am I even thinking just now? Parang kaya ko namang gawin 'yon? Hindi ko kayang iwan ang mga magulang ko. I don't even hate my mom. I only hate what she's doing to me right now. And if I sail away, that means I will be leaving all the reasons I live, too.

Something suddenly came to my mind, randomly. Ang sabi ni Zekeine ay maraming guwapong lalaki sa Eco High. Paano naman niya nalaman iyon? HOW THE HECK?

Nang matapos akong makapaghanda para sa pagpunta sa Eco High, kinuha ko ang phone ko sa side table at humiga sa kama ko. I will chill for a moment and have the time to browse on my phone while mom is not calling for me yet. Hanggang ngayon ay umaasa pa rin akong magbabago ang isip niya.

While still laid, I opened the drawer on the side table to get some chocolates that I stored in there. Kailangang-kailangan ko ng mga ito ngayon. I feel stressed. On days like this, I need to eat one of these. It is my reliever. Kapag masama ang loob ko, chocolate lang ang nakapagpapagaan ng pakiramdam ko.

I opened one pack of the mini chocolate that I got and ate it while getting busy looking at my phone. I always check my social media every time I'm here on my phone.

I checked our group thread on one of my social media accounts. Nakita kong hinahanap nila ako roon at nagtatanong ng balita tungkol sa 'kin. I don't want to answer that yet because I'm still upset with my current situation. So, I just checked my f*******: notification and news feed.

I gulped. One of the friend requests caught my attention.

My chest suddenly throbbed when I saw his name.

Jeon Eco.

Sandali lang! Seryoso? Siya ba 'to?

Wow. Ang galing! Mas nasira ang araw ko. Why is he even adding me as his friend? Like, as if we are friends? Eww! The relationship we have called the opposite way. Enemies!

Bakit kailangan kong makita ang pangalan niya sa mismong araw na 'to?! It's the time that I need to see some good things to lighten my day, but it appears that I'm just not lucky enough to light up my day.

Pero hindi nga? Totoo ba ito?

It surprised me big time. It's not because Jeon is adding me as a friend while we don't treat each other as friends, but because Jeon has a f*******: account! I mean, that's new! Oo. Alam kong wala s'yang f*******: account. I have searched and checked his name here long before out of curiosity, but I couldn't find any who is likely to be him. That was just out of curiosity, not because I like him or miss him. Yes. Curiosity.

It has been ages since the last time I saw him. Almost seven years long. How I wish I wouldn't have to see him again. He's a jerk. Siya lang ang may lakas ng loob na tawagin akong pangit. Like, duh? That word couldn't even fit me. Who would not get mesmerized by my pretty face? Even I do!

But why is he adding me as a friend one of a sudden? Ito na ba ang senyales na magbabalik na siya rito sa Pinas? Iniisip ko pa lang ay nahihirapan na ako. I'm stressed and creeping!

Wait! Am I responding to it? Will I accept or ignore it? Oh, my gulay! Bakit ba iniisip ko pa? Pinag-iisipan pa ba 'to? Of course, not! It is a no. Therefore I will tap ignore.

So, yeah. I clicked the--what the heck! What just happened? What have I just tapped? Silly fingertip! Did I just? What did I do?!

Hindi ako sigurado kung tama ba ang nagawa ko. So, I check the list of my friends, and voila! Nakita ko ang pangalan niya. Oh, my gulay! What the heck did I do?!

It was a simple tapping for me to do! This fingertip is so dumb! Napakadali lang n'on! I just had to tap the ignore button and done!

Okay. What now? Will I unfriend him?

So, I have to get into his profile now and do that.

Okay. Simple.

I paused before tapping his profile. A thought comes rushing to my mind and is tickling it.

Now, I'm curious and tempted to stalk him on his account. Talaga bang gumagamit na siya ng social media ngayon? Nakakatawa kung gan'on. I wonder what kind of stupid things he is doing here?

I grinned as I tapped his profile. Pangako ko sa sarili ko na titingin ako rito ng saglit na saglit lang.

My excitement instantly dropped when I saw nothing.

His profile is a black image. I saw no post and status. There's not even a sign that the account is active. There's nothing like a sign of him.

O baka hindi talaga siya ito. It just so happens that they both have the same name, and this person is adding me. Coincident?

I sighed out of my frustration. Nagsayang lang ako ng oras. Yung totoo? What has got into me? Bakit nga ba ako naging interesadong tignan itong account kung sa kanya?

•••

Note:

Hi. Kung hindi nyo po naintindihan ang haraya sa salita dahil sa lalim. Ang haraya po ay imagine in english.

Kung 'di nyo lang naman naintindihan which is I know for sure dahil ako rin. You're not alone, because you don't have to be alone. Char.

Btw. Tulad ng sinabi ko, pinaghiwalay ko ang unang chapter na ito sa tatlo dahil sobrang haba at magtatatlong libo pa lang yung bilang ng words pero lagging na yung typing sa phone. That is why, 3 chapters ang kinalabasan ng first chapter dati. Gan'on din ang mangyayari sa iba.