Rename the White and Black

CHAPTER XIII - BACK TO SCHOOL

Haji and I were eating at the cafeteria, enjoying our lunch. We laughed at his jokes and someone spilled a glass of juice on my head. I closed my eyes and I was annoyed. Why would this thing happen again?

“Stop it!” Haji shouted but she poured another glass of juice on my head. “I said, stop it!” he yelled at her and put her hand away from me.

“She’s a b***h,” she angrily said and I faced her with a smirk.

“Who are you? You always make fun of me. You, bully girl!” I said fiercely. She stepped backward and she pulled my hair.

“I’m Tamara Velasco, girlfriend of Lerric Kai dela Cruz.” She snorted. Girlfriend of Kai? I removed her hand on my hair and Haji came between us. I saw the students around us that made me felt like I stole Kai from him. She was a liar! He was engaged with me.

“Girlfriend?” I asked her, looking at her with my furious eyes.

“Yes, he’s my boyfriend for long years. I liked him since we were six year old. He’s my prince charming,” she said with a sweet voice.

She was really a bully. I started to walk out but she pushed me hard on the floor. Haji was about to help me but the students stopped him. I shook my head at him, saying that I did not need his help.

“You stole him from me!” she scratched the skin on my neck and she tried to wrung it. I bumped my head to her and she was hurt. I got up and looked at the students around us.

“Stop this commotion!” the teacher yelled at us. I remembered her. She was Ms. Fermin. She picked my ear and pushed me on the wall. I was hurt on her beatings with a stick on my butt.

“Stop it, Ma’am Fermin! She didn’t do anything.” Haji went to us and he avoided the stick to whip me again.

“You’re the transferee, right, Mr. Alarcon?” she asked angrily. She faced him and whipped him too. I ran to Haji and she whipped her stick hard to my back.

“Sae.” Haji whispered and turned himself to the whips. She really made me pissed.

“You’re a bad girl!” she yelled at me. “You hurt Tamara!”

“Is it because she is your daughter?” I asked curiously. Tamara gasped and her eyes widened. “Is it true?” I added. She did not respond anything. She tried to slap me but she was stopped by the Director of Student Affairs.

“Director Lee,” she whispered.

“Stop hurting my student and stop your lies.” Director Lee said with an authoritative voice.

“She was hurting Tamara,” she said frantically. “Right, students?” she added but the students did not respond. He gave her a letter and it was already signed by him. She read it with teary eyes and begged the director. “Please, don’t fire me. I badly need this job.” She cried in front of us.

He helped her to stand up and invited us to the Meeting Room. It was Tamara who looked frustrated opposite to us. Haji was holding my hand tight, saying that I should not fear everything.

“Ms. Fermin Velasco, I heard a lot from you. You’re the best teacher but without any investigation about what happened was really suspecting and your daughter was always involved,” Director Lee started. Tamara looked down, making herself calm and still playing safe at this time. She was acting again that nothing had happened.

“I already made a decision to punish your daughter, Ms. Tamara. She will have two weeks suspension and if she made a violation against Ms. Sae, she will be expelled in this elite school. She was a scholar, right?” He touched his beard looking at the teary eyed teacher.

“Yes and I apologize to what happened, Director Lee,” she begged with her teary eyes. She looked at me begging, too, and she added, “Please, forgive me and give me back my work. I promise to do my job correctly.”

“Just make your daughter apologize to her,” he asked her and Tamara’s eyes widened. She gritted her teeth and looked at me with her furious eyes. “What’s with that look, Ms.Tamara?” he added.

“She stole my boyfriend.” She cried in front of us. I was not expecting that she would do this to catch attention.

“I didn’t stole him from you,” I said confidently, defending myself.

“Ms. Tamara, let me tell you that – “ His words were cut when the door was hung open and it was Kai catching his breaths. Tamara smiled at him, thinking that he was his prince charming.

“Kai!” She called him but she was ignored by him. He ran to me, hugging me from my back and kissed me on my cheek. Tamara stomped her hands on the table and she was crying.

“They were already engaged. Just accept the truth and all will be settled,” Director Lee said happily. Tamara looked offended and she walked away. Her mother, Ms. Fermin apologized to me and went away to find her. Haji looked surprised on us.

“It was too fast,” Haji murmured. May be, he think that this was already an official relationship. I smiled wryly at him.

“Let’s go home,” Kai whispered at me. We said goodbye to Director Lee and Haji. Haji made a heart shaped in his hands and winked at me. I bit my lower lip in response. Kai pulled me away and drove at home.

“Don’t think that this is true. It is still a fake relationship,” Kai said seriously and he left me in the bedroom. My heart was hurt again and I cried. I thought he was starting to like me but he was not really in to relationships. I took my bath and I ignored my back pain. I started to feel lonely again.

“Haji, please come here.” I called Haji and we went to a resto bar far from our house.

“What are we doing here?” he asked me as he stopped me drinking a shot of brandy. I smiled at him and pushed his hand away.

“We are here to help me forget. They said that if you were drinking liquor, it would help you to forget everything.” I laughed and put the brandy to his shot glass. “Cheers!” But he declined my offer. I would not force him to drink with me. I just remembered how Kai hurt me.

“I told myself not to love any man. I promise it.” I made a promised gesture. I stood up and turned around. I almost fell out of balance but Haji caught my waist. He brushed my hair to my ears and his brows met. He pushed me to the couch that made me hurt. “Aww. My hip was hurt.” I frowned and I found myself dizzy. He carried me to his car and drove me home.

He guided me in the living room and helped me sat on the couch. He put a pigtail on my hair and wiped my face with his handkerchief. I put my hands on his shoulders and I leaned my forehead on his forehead.

“Thank you, Haji. You’re the best man I ever met,” I said heartily and hugged him.

“Stop it, Sae. Kai is here,” He whispered. I saw Kai standing in front of us and I pointed my finger to him.

“Why you? Why was I engaged with you? Were you my destiny?” I laughed a little and I pushed Haji away from me. I came to Kai with a blurry vission and pointed my finger on his chest. “Why do you always hurt me? Don’t you care about my feelings?” He did not respond but he held my hands instead.

“What are you doing? Don’t touch me.” I pushed him away and I was out of balance. Haji had caught my waist and I leaned on his chest. I smiled at him and ignored Kai who was looking serious at us.

“You! I let you to use my things and I let you in my bedroom and I let you to ki – “ My words were cut when Haji covered my mouth. He smiled wryly at Kai and he whispered to me, “Let’s go to your room.”

“Let me sleep, Haji. Carry me.” He refused but I forced him. He carried me to the bed and I saw the shadow of Kai behind the door. I saw his face in a dimmed light. It was a creepy feeling to see him like this.

I stood up and I felt my head dizzy. I felt something on my stomach and Haji helped me to go to the bathroom. I vomitted and smelled stank. I would not let this happen to me again.

“What are you doing?” Kai asked Haji seriously and I felt his presence near the door.

“I’m just helping her to vomit,” Haji answered. “I’ve never seen her like this before.” He snorted and he patted my back slightly. I really felt bad. I would not drink again.

Haji prepared a tub of water and I stayed in the bathroom to relieve my stress. Not so long, I felt fine because of the lukewarm water. I soaked myself on a tub of soap. He gave me my robe and he said goodbye. I remembered my pouch and I called him quickly before he locked the door. Good thing that he heard me and he gave it to me.

I saw Kai sitting on the bed and I ignored him because he looked emotionless. I searched for my pyjamas and I felt dizzy again. I almost fell but he caught my waist and my hands on his arms.

“Let me help you to change in your pyjamas,” he said seriously.

He offered to help me change in my pyjamas? Was he an i***t? He should not do it. He started untying my robe but I stopped him and I noticed my pyjamas on the bed. My hands were on his chest and his hands were on my waist. I patted his chest twice and pushed him slightly but he pulled me. I was out of balance and we fell on the bed. I saw his face was close to me. I felt his hot breaths on my chest.

“I can do it. Just go out of this room. You’re still a man.” I pushed him hard and I added, “I reserve it for the man I love the most.” I covered my mouth and I pushed him away. “Get out!”

I was afraid at him, putting my pjyjamas on me. I did not want him to see my true color. I should remain being silent like this. I should stop my feelings for him because it would hurt me more if I did.

I locked the door and put my pyjamas on.

I went out at the bedroom and I saw him sitting on the couch. He looked irritated looking at his cellphone. I felt dizzy again and everything went black.