Fierce

Chapter 2

Dress

"We will be home for your grandfather's death anniversary, Blair," sabi ni mommy.

I missed a call from her when I was in the bathroom. I didn't expect that she would call again but she did.

"Okay po," simpleng sabi ko.

"Anyway, do you want anything? Or do you need anything?" she asked me.

"Wala po," sagot ko.

"Okay then..." she trailed off and I heard someone called her name asking for her presence at a meeting. "I'm sorry, Blair. Mommy needs to attend a meeting in your father's absence. Talk to you later," she quickly said and ended the call.

Talk to me later... I sarcastically let out a laugh. As if she would call later to check on me again. Every time she'd call, she'd always say that she'd call me again but she never did. Noong una'y umaasa pa ako't lagi akong nakatutok sa cellphone ko pero nung natuto na ako'y hindi na ako nag-eexpect pa.

"Your mom called you?" Ida happily asked.

I just simply nodded and took a sip in my favorite dark mocha frappe. And now I'll be able to enjoy this heavenly drink without pouring it in someone's clothes or something.

"What did she say?" she asked.

"That they're going home for my grandfather's death anniversary. That's all," sabi ko't ang cinnamon danish naman ang sinimulan kong kainin.

"Well, at least she called right?" She smiled and tried to cheer me up.

"Ida, I'm fine, okay?" I reassured her. "Like what I'm always trying to tell you, I don't care anymore."

"I know but still..." She sighed and shook her head. "Let's just enjoy our day. We're gonna shop for new clothes, watch a movie and pig out in our favorite buffet restaurant. Isn't it great?!" she said, excitedly.

I smiled a little. "We always do that..."

"That's our bonding and relaxing time, Blair," giit niya. "That's the BlairIda style."

Sometimes I think that Ida's so annoying but every time she annoys me, I'm feeling happy.

"Hello, mom?" sagot ni Ida sa tawag ng kanyang mommy habang papasok kami sa isang boutique. "I'm with Blair po. You know... bonding time po namin every Saturday."

I started to scan the racks that's full of dresses while Ida's busy talking to her mom.

"Later?... Okay then. Sure, mom! Of course sasama po siya... Yup. Okay. Bye, mommy. I love you po." She ended the call, then turned to me. "Blair, wag na tayong kumain dito."

Nilingon ko naman siya with a curious expression. "Bakit naman?"

"Well, mom cooked bountiful of foods dahil ngayon ang dating ni Kuya galing sa successful European tour niya," Ida said. "Sabi niya doon nalang daw tayo kumain."

Ida's brother is an artist. A member of a band. Specifically, the vocalist and also a guitarist. I forgot the name of their band but they play good music and they're famous for having a world tour even though they're only a local band artist here in the Philippines.

"Is it necessary?" I asked.

"Of course! It's my mother's order," she answered.

I slightly laughed. I know Ida's mom. Mas makulit pa 'yan sa amin ni Ida. I'm sure hindi siya papayag na hindi ako doon kakain sa kanila ngayong gabi lalo na't marami siyang iniluto.

"Okay then... dinner will be at your house,” sabi ko na lang.

Honestly, I envied Ida before because she has a happy family. They're always complete when it comes to different occasions annually. Nakakainis nga dahil busy rin naman ang parents ni Ida sa trabaho but they can always find time for their son and daughter. Ako nga, nag-iisang anak na nga lang, hindi pa mabigyan ng kahit kaunting oras. That's why I envied her... but now, I don't. Because I can feel that I'm a part of their family too.

"Is that Darlene and Gael?"

Napalingon ako sa kabilang boutique kung saan lumabas sila Darlene and Gael.

Darlene's smiling from ear to ear while Gael's holding a few paper bags. There's no hypothetical guess needed to conclude that it's Darlene's shopping bags.

I don't get why girls love to make their man a slave. They always make them carry their things, drive them to school and even when going home, letting them pay for their shits. I don't really get it.

"I think they're heading to this boutique. Should we go now?" nagpapanic na sabi ni Ida.

I looked at her. "I'm still picking out clothes." sabi ko't inimuwestra sa kanya ang mga damit na pinagpipilian ko.

"But they're going here!"

"So?" walang pake kong sabi at saka bumalik sa pamimili ng damit.

Wala na ring nagawa si Ida at sinabayan niya na rin ako sa pamimili ng damit. I'm just going to buy one dress for today then I'm okay. I don't need to buy many clothes.

"Gael, look! There's so many pretty dresses."

And that's Darlene's bitchy—oh! I mean, pitchy voice.

"Bagay ba sa akin?" I heard her asked.

"It's just the same as the one you bought in the previous boutique." sagot ni Gael. "They just have a different color..."

"You don't know what style is, Gael," Darlene said and I can almost imagine her rolling her eyes at her boyfriend.

"Okay fine..."

I raised my eyebrows. Mr. President already gave up? What a chicken.

"Do you really wanna buy this dress?" he asked.

"Yes! Pretty please, Gael," she childishly begged her boyfriend.

"Okay--"

I purposely dropped the dress' hanger to catch their attention. Hindi ko kayang tumahimik lang habang pinapakinggan ang pag-aalipin ng babaeng 'to sa boyfriend niya. I mean, hindi nga lang alipin kundi ginagawa pang ATM machine na taga-bili ng mga damit niya.

"Here we go again..." I heard Ida commented.

I slightly turned around and smiled at the staff. "Oops! I'm sorry... I'm being careless."

Bahagya akong yumuko upang pulutin ang dress na nahulog ko at saka nag-angat ng tingin sa gawi nila Darlene at Gael na ngayo'y nakatingin na sa akin.

Darlene's face was plastered with shock when I saw her and Mr. President's looking at me with an unknown look. Sometimes, I really can't read his expression unlike his girlfriend na napaka-showy sa sarili niya.

"Oh! Nandito rin pala kayo." Peke akong ngumiti at saka tiningnan ang mga paper bags na hawak ni Gael. "I can't believe that a president can be turn into a bodyguard or... slave."

"He's not a bodyguard or slave," Darlene immediately talked back. "He is my boyfriend."

"And a boyfriend carries... those things?" Itinuro ko pa ang mga dala-dala ni Gael.

"It's called being a gentleman and treating your girlfriend like a princess, Blair." She proudly flipped her hair and smiled. "Maybe you don't know about it because you haven’t experienced being in a relationship yet. You should try it sometimes."

"I don't need a boyfriend to be treated that way, Darlene. May mga yaya naman tayong tawag," sabi ko. "And just to be clear, I'm not a princess, Darlene..."

I took a little step forward and I thank God for letting me inherit my dad's height, making me taller than Darlene.

"I'm a queen," I stated and gave her a sweet smirk.

She bit her lower lip, trying to control her temper that I'm testing ever since the dark mocha frappe incident.

Mabilis ko silang tinalikuran ngunit bago pa ako makahakbang papalapit kay Ida ay napatigil ako nang magsalita si Gael.

"I'm doing this because I want her to feel that she's special to me and I want to make her happy," he said.

I faced them again at nakita kong nakangiti si Darlene kay Gael, touched by his sweet flattering words.

"No, Mr. President..." Umiling ako.

Nawala ang ngiti ni Darlene at muling tumama ang mga mata sa akin.

I stared at Gael's blank expression and I don't know but it gave me chills.

"You're not making her feel special and happy but you're making her spoiled and bratty," I stated with no hesitation.

Darlene made a move upang makasugod sa akin ngunit mabilis siyang hinawakan ni Gael upang mapigilan.

"You really piss me off!" sigaw niya sa akin at pilit akong inaabot ngunit masyadong mahigpit ang hawak sa kanya ni Gael.

I can see Gael's veins in his arms that's almost popping out just to hold onto his girlfriend.

"Calm down, Darlene we're in a public place." Gael tried to calm her down.

Nilingon ko naman ang mga staff ng boutique na mukhang hindi alam kung dapat ba silang mangialam o hindi.

I sighed at saka tinalikuran sila Gael at Darlene upang kumuha ng limang dress na makuha ko bago dumiretso sa may counter.

"I'll pay for this. Credit card payment," sabi ko't iniabot ang aking card.

"How dare she turn her back on me just to buy damn dresses, Gael?!" Dinig kong reklamo ni Darlene.

"Watch your words, Darlene," mariing sabi ni Gael.

"Wait." I stopped the cashier from swiping my card after she scanned all the tag prices in the dresses.

Muli kong nilingon sila Darlene at Gael na mukhang nagtatalo't napatigil nang makitang muli akong papalapit sa kanila.

"Excuse me," sabi ko kay Darlene at kinuha ang dress na itinuturo niya kanina kay Gael na gusto at pinapabili niya.

"What the hell?!" she cursed when I got her typed dress.

I immediately went back to the counter and gave her the dress.

"Pakisama na rin 'to," nakangiti kong sabi't sinunod niya naman ang gusto ko. "Pakihiwalay ng paper bag isa-isa."

She swiped my card and I punched my pin before she gave me back my card. Sinunod niya ang gusto kong mangyari't magkakaiba ng paper bag ang anim na dress na binili ko.

"Thank you for shopping, Ma'am," she thanked and gave me the paper bags.

"You're welcome." I smiled at her bago tumungo sa kinaroroonan nila Darlene.

Darlene's jaw dropped when I gave her the paper bag with the dress that she like. Hindi siya makapaniwala sa aking ginawa ngunit mabilis siyang nakaayos at sumilay ang kanyang ngisi.

"If you gave this to me to ask for an apology then it's not enough..." she said. "It'll take more than this dress for me to forgive you."

"Oh I'm sorry to cut off your fantasies but it's not for you," sabi ko't nawala ang ngisi sa kanyang mga labi. "It's for your boyfriend na mukhang ginagawa mong atm machine or credit card sa pagbibili mo ng mga damit mo. Ang dami mo naman nang napabili sa kanya ngayon. Para naman mabawas-bawasan ang gastos niya sa 'yo ngayon diba?"

I gave her one last smile before I turned my back on them at hinatak na ang bestfriend ko papalabas ng boutique.

"That was awesome, Blair!" natatawang komento ni Ida. "You just blew them off, specially Darlene."

"Noong una dark mocha frappe ang sinayang ko... ngayon naman, pera," nanghihinayang kong sabi.

"Okay lang 'yan! Marami ka naman niyan." Natawa siya at napailing na lamang ako.