MONTEBELLO'S MAID FOR MARRIAGE

CHAPTER 2

Jax’s Point of View

“Hi!” Hindi ko pinansin ang bumati sa akin because I know who this girl is, my one and only enemy, Claire.

“Hey, I said hi!” I still didn’t look at her and I just continued doing my homework, so later, I’ll just read and sleep when I get home. Mom and Dad grounded me, thanks to this annoying enemy who annoyed me up until now. We’re already twelve years old, kamalasan pa ay classmate kami lagi. Additionally, yep, she’s still playing with barbie dolls. Sobrang hangin niya pa habang kausap ito. Well, I am still happy remembering I am not just the one who’s grounded here. I smirked a little, but I did not know she would notice it.

“You smirk? What’s with that little smirk, Mister grounded? Well, pareho naman tayong grounded pero you have worst parusa, haha!” Take note, my annoying enemy will always irritate me, especially with her conyo way of speaking and accent. God, give me more patience! I know she’s annoying me this much, so if I snapped, it would surely be the end of me again. Mas lalala ang parusa nina Mom at Dad sa akin.

“Hmm, ignoring me huh? Okay, that’s fine sa akin. Mamaya, makikita mo you’ll regret not giving your attention sa akin!” I still ignored her and I felt relieved when she left in front of me and went to her annoying friends also.

Sa wakas umalis na ang babaeng ‘yon. Ayoko na makita ulit pagmumukha niya kung pwede lang. Buti na lang graduating na kami ngayon at huling beses ko na siya makikita this school year. Magkaibang school na ang papasukan namin simula secondary level hanggang tertiary. Hindi ko rin ma-gets kung bakit gustong-gusto nina Mom at Ninang na maging friends kami ni Claire. It will never happen, we will never build that kind of friendship they have. I can clearly remember the first time we saw each other here in school, we were already enemies. Yep, we considered each other enemies. Most of the time when I was a baby up until pre-school, we stayed in America. Nagkataon lang na kinailangan namin bumalik dahil nagkakasakit na rin sina Nanang at Tatang, my grandparents from mother side. Now, thinking of this, I remember clearly what happened when our mother left us inside the classroom during our Kindergarten days.

“Give me my crayon! It’s mine!”

“Sa akin ‘to, it’s not yours! Inaangkin mo ang crayon ko!”

“Claire, Jax, mga anak, stop.” We stopped fighting over the red-colored crayon when Teacher Katy spoke. She did not shout at us, she was speaking calmly, and we listened to her. After that, pinatuloy niya ang pag-color ng shapes sa classmates namin. Kami naman ni Claire ay pinalapit niya sa table niya at malumanay kaming kinausap.

“You should not fight over the crayon, you can share it with each other or ask if there’s any available, okay? Don’t shout at each other and keep calm and behave. Now, you’re fighting over the colour red for a heart-shaped colour. I’ll let you Claire borrow my colour read here. Next time, hihingi muna ng permission sa may ari ng gamit, okay? Jax, also tell to teacher kung may need i-raise na concern, yung sobrang paghila mo kanina kay Claire ay ‘di rin maganda iyon dahil muntik na siya mahulog sa upuan. Ikaw naman Claire, nakita ko ‘yon na parang sasaktan mo na si Jax gamit ang crayon. It’s not good. Now, apologize to each other.”

“Sorry, Claire.”

“I’m sorry, Jax.”

Both of us just looked at each other and apologized to each other. Teacher Katy let her borrow the colour red crayon. It’s peaceful now but once we are done and time to go home, our classmates are already going out pero hindi ako makalabas agad dahil may tumali lang naman ng bag ko at alam ko na agad kung sino gumawa nito. Yes, Claire Alistair Guerrero. Lumingon siya sa akin na nakangiti at kasama na si Ninang.

“Jax, what’s the problem?”

“Teacher, I can’t get my bag. May nagtali po nito at super higpit,” sagot ko at nakatingin kay Claire.

“What? Why ka sa akin nakatingin?”

“Because I know you’re the one who did it!”

“No, you’re so mali!”

“I’m not!”

“Yes, you are!”

“Kids, stop. Stop this and let’s talk again. Now that both of your mothers are here, Mrs. Guerrero and Mrs. Montebello, let’s have small talk before we go home. Is it okay with you two?”

“Yeah… sure,” sagot ni Mom at tiningnan nila kami ni Ninang, kaming dalawa ni Claire.

“Yeah, it’s fine. Ano po ang pag-uusapan natin?”

And that’s how our parents know what happened on the very first day of school! Kinausap kami ng parents namin about it, and we make sure it will never happen again, but before that day ends, we secretly announce it to each other.

“Do you really think that I am sorry and I’ll be friends with you? In your dreams, I did not mean my sorry,” she said. Well, I think it’s a tie. I feel the same way.

“No. I know you’re not sincere and so am I. I will never be friends with you, never in my dream would I want that.”

“That’s good to hear, you’re my enemy now.”

“I am your enemy and you are my enemy. Well, it makes sense, it’s a tie. We are silent enemies. Be an enemy without others suspecting us, because we would both be dead to our parents if they knew about this. You agree, I know.”

“Tsk! Yep, I agree sa’yo. Shake hands before we officially become enemies?”

“Yeah, sure,” I answered and shook our hands and our parents thought that we were really okay. Fact check, we were not. The next day, I slid rocks into her bag and her reaction was the funniest.

I secretly laughed when I remembered Claire’s reaction to my revenge. Well, kahapon lang nila nalaman na nag-aaway pala talaga kami ulit kaya may punishment kaming natanggap at ‘yon ang pagiging grounded. Just wait and see my planned revenge on you, Claire. I finished my homework inside the library and went back to the librarian to also get the books I wanted to borrow. Since I have no gadgets to use now, I will pass my time through reading and later sleeping.

“Thank you,” I said as I got the two books related to history and went back to my things. I am too lazy to put inside the bag the books I am holding. Sinukbit ko na lang ang bag ko habang bitbit ito pero nararamdaman ko na may kakaibang bigat sa bag ko. Hindi ko na lang ito binigyang pansin dahil gusto ko na makauwi. Panigurado naghihintay na ang sundo ko lalo na at may curfew ako always for one month.

Nakarating na ako sa parking lot nang makita ko si Claire. Magkabilang parte lang naka-park ang sasakyang minamaneho ng sundo namin. Ngiting-ngiti siya ngayon at ‘di ko na lang ‘yon pinansin. Pumasok na ako agad sa backseat at nilapag ang bag saka librong hawak ko sa tabi. Isasara na sana ni Mang Kiko ang pinto ng tawagin ako ng babaeng kinaiinisan ko sa balat ng lupa.

“Bye, Jax!” Nakangiti pa rin siya at kumaway pa bago tuluyang sinara ni Mang Dani ang backseat din ng kotse na sasakyan nilang pamilya. I just shook my head and let Mang Kiko close the door. ‘Di ko pinansin ang plastik niyang ngiti hanggang sa makarating sa mansion. Tiniis ko na lang ang bigat ng gamit ko at dumiretso na agad sa kwarto para magpalit ng pambahay na damit. I almost learned how to be independent at some point, since Mom and Dad most of the time are not there by my side. Pero kahit wala man sila rito, kapag grounded ako talagang malalaman nila kapag may nilabag ako.

“Ano bang mayroon sa babaeng ‘yon at grabe makangiti—wait! Nakatingin siya sa bag ko kanina bago nagsara ang door sa backseat ng kotse nila. What?! I have a bad feeling about this!” Bakit ngayon ko lang ito napagtanto? Sabagay wala naman talaga akong pake sa kaniya.

Mabilis akong nagpalit at balak ko sana dalhin agad ang libro sa sala kanina para magbasa habang nagmemeryenda pero mas nauna kong pinansin ang posibleng laman ng bag ko. Pagbukas na pagbukas ko nito ay dalawang bato ang nakita ko at may sticky note pang nakadikit dito.

This is my revenge. You know me naman, I’ll always find ways. Haha! Got yah! Ganti ng isang batang ako wherein you put those rocks inside my bag too nang Kindergarten tayo! Karma is really nice! Did I surprise you, pangit na Jax Montebello?

Nagusot ko ang note at naitapon sa sahig at sinipa ito at napunta sa ilalim ng kama. Really, this girl! You’re getting on my nerves again. Just be ready also with my revenge. I put the two rocks inside a wooden box and inserted something that would also give her a big surprise. Be ready, Claire Alistair Guerrero. I smirked and secretly laughed so loudly because I can imagine her reaction now.