ANDRIETTE
"Dixon Morris?!"
I covered Adhaya's mouth with my hand. "H'wag ka ngang maingay," saway ko.
"Tama ba ang dinig ko? Nakilala mo na si Dixon?"
I nod my head. "What's wrong?"
"Kung kaaway mo si Claude at nakilala mo si Dixon, ibig sabihin..."
"What?"
"Magkasundo kayo ni Dixon?" she concluded.
I gave her a half shrug. Sabi ni Dixon, hindi raw kami puwedeng mag-usap sa loob ng school so therefore, hindi ko rin puwedeng sabihin ang deal namin.
"Gosh, Andriette. Iwasan mong mapasali sa gulo ng dalawang 'yun. They're not easy to deal with," she remarked.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know what happened between them. Ang alam ko lang, magkaaway na sila mula noon pa. Lahat nga yata ng bagay, pinagtatalunan ng dalawang 'yun." She frowned and secretly rolled her eyes.
Oh, right. Adhaya doesn't like violence.
"Like what?"
"For example, 'yung sa Student Council. Magkalaban silang dalawa for President and Dixon was supposed to win. However, Dixon withdrew and voila, Claude became the President."
My brows furrowed. "Mananalo dapat si Dixon? How come? He looks—"
"Mukhang hindi siya matalino? Gano'n lang 'yun pero matalino talaga siya. Pambato nga siya sa quiz bee, eh," she answered.
What the hell?
"Wait. Si Claude ang Student Council President?!" I exclaimed.
"Hindi mo alam?" takang tanong ni Adhaya. I shook my head.
"So ibig sabihin—"
"Akala ko ba hindi ka interesado sa kanila? Bakit napakarami mong tanong?" Adhaya asked. I pressed my lips together. Oo nga pala.
"Aish, whatever! Tara na nga, baka malate pa tayo," aya ko.
Sabay kaming naglakad habang nagkukuwento siya ng karanasan niya sa Student Council. Hindi naman interesado roon pero wala akong nagawa kung hindi makinig. Mahirap na, baka magalit siya.
Natigil kami sa paglalakad nang may humarang sa daraanan namin. Napailing naman ako nang makita ko na naman siya.
"What do you need?" I lazily asked.
"Sinusundan mo ba ako kahapon?"
My brows arched an inch. "What?"
"I cannot be mistaken. Ikaw 'yung nasa mall kahapon." I smirked. So nasa mall din pala siya kahapon?
"Uhm, Claude. Pasensya na kung makikisali ako sa usapan niyo pero kasama ko kasi si Dri kahapon. Hindi ka namin sinusundan, I swear," Adhaya explained.
Napairap naman ako. Bakit ba kailangan niyang mag-explain?
"Ikaw ang kasama niya kahapon?" Claude asked and Adhaya answered with a simple nod.
"If that's the case, sino ang Andriette na kasama ni Dixon kahapon?" He added.
I stiffened. Oh, shit.
"Kasama mo si Dixon?" Adhaya asked me.
Hindi ako nakasagot. Dixon said that I should not tell anyone about us. Ugh!
"Dri," muling pagtawag ni Adhaya.
I sighed. "Nakasalubong ko lang siya sa mall kahapon," paliwanag ko.
"But he's holding your hand." I shut my eyes tightly, trying to control my anger.
Ugh, Claude Moore!
"Why do you care? Mind your own business, man," iritableng saad ko.
He shrugged. "Sabihin mo 'yan sa sarili mo."
I let out a harsh breath. "Whatever."
Aalis na sana ako nang hawakan ni Adhaya ang kamay ko. "What?" I asked.
"Bakit mo kasama si Dixon kahapon?"
I gulped and look away. Ugh! Kasalanan talaga 'to ni Dixon!
"Uy, sumagot ka," pilit niya.
I cleared my throat before answering her. "According to Philippine Constitution 1987 Article 3 section 12 paragraph 1, I have the right to remain silent," I remarked before I turned my back on them and walked away.
Nakakainis!
Nang alam kong nakalayo na ako, tumigil na ako sa paglalakad. Paniguradong napakaraming tanong ni Adhaya mamaya. That freaking Claude Moore!
I lazily sat on the nearest bench that I saw. Hindi pa nga nagsisimula ang klase, pagod na agad ako. Tamad kong kinuha ang cellphone ko para icheck ang school website namin. Paniguradong may chismis na naman sila.
I ran my hand through my curly hair when I saw a post about what happened a while ago. Wala pang ilang minuto ang nakakalipas but the students are already gossiping about us. Wow. Just wow.
Tama nga si Adhaya. Me, being associated with Claude and Dixon screams for trouble.
And I like it.
My life is too boring just by breaking the rules. Why not add some touch of trouble, right?
I smiled evily and crossed my arms. I might be weird for some but I don't care. Life is too short to please everyone. I should live my life the way I wanted.
"You're really weird. Bakit ngumingiti ka habang mag-isa?"
Napatingin naman ako sa nagsalita kahit na alam ko na kung sino ito. It was Dixon.
"Akala ko ba bawal tayong mag-usap sa loob ng school?" I asked.
"Wow! A rule breaker sticking to a rule? That's new." I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms.
"Sinusunod lang kita."
"You're a rule breaker, right? Alam ko namang kakausapin mo ako, inunahan lang kita." He laughed and sat beside me. Napailing naman ako dahil sa sagot niya.
"Atleast I broke others' rules. But you? You breaking your own rule. That's bad," sabi ko at bumaling ng tingin sa kaniya.
"Someday, you're going to break your own rules too. Mark my words, Andriette," sabi niya at sinalubong ang tingin ko.
I looked away. "That won't happen," I remarked.
"Hindi ka nakakasigurado," he stated, shoving his hands on his pockets.
"You're really weird," I mumbled. Natawa siya at muling tumingin sa akin.
"Ikaw din."
Napailing ako. "Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit ako pumayag sa deal na 'to. It's too boring, you know? Nakakainis lang kaaway si Claude."
"Hindi pa tayo nagsisimula, Andriette. Huwag kang magmadali," he said casually.
He rose up from his seat and looked at me. "See you around, Miss Rule Breaker," he remarked and walked away.
Umirap ako at tumayo na rin para bumalik sa classroom. I inhaled deeply when I saw our room. Malamang naghihintay na sa loob si Adhaya at hinihintay ang explanation ko.
"Yah! Saan ka galing?" Adhaya asked when I entered the classroom. Pati iba naming kaklase ay mukhang hinihintay din kung anong mangyayari.
I lazily walked towards my chair and sat, not answering her.
"Yah!" she exclaimed.
"Diyan-diyan lang," I answered and gave her a half shrug.
"Wow. Alam ko talaga kung saan 'yung 'diyan-diyan' lang. Wow," she stated sarcasmly.
Lumapit siya sa akin at ibinigay ang notebook ko ma hiniram niya kahapon. "Thanks," tanging sabi niya.
"Nagpapagawa ka ng assignment sa bestfriend mo? That's bad," ani ng bagong dating na si Claude.
Isinara ko ang notebook ko at tiningnan siya ng masama. "Kanina ka pa, ha. Ano bang problema mo sa akin? Mind your own business, Mister."
He shrugged his shoulders. "Baka nakakalimutan mo kung anong posisyon ko sa lugar na 'to? It is my  responsibilty to teach you a lesson whenever you've done wrong."
I rolled my eyes. "Paano kapag ikaw ang may mali? Tuturuan mo rin ba ang sarili mo?"
"Of course."
"Really?" I deadpanned sarcastically.
He offered his hand. "Akin na ang notebook mo. I'll surrender it to our teacher."
Muli akong umirap. Speaking of teacher, hindi ko pa nakikita si Miss Maisie mula kaninang umaga. Sana huwag siyang pumasok. Sinira na nga ni Claude ang araw ko, baka mas masira pa kapag nakita ko siya.
"Mind your own business." I leaned against my chair and crossed my arms.
"I am speaking as the Student Council President, give me your notebook," he ordered.
I rolled my eyes before throwing my notebook at the floor. "Kunin mo."
He sighed heavily. "Ikaw ang nagtapon, ikaw din ang kumuha."
"Pinapahirapan mo lamang ang sarili mo. H'wag ka na lamang mangielam. Bahala ka, baka hindi ako makapagtimpi," banta ko.
His brows furrowed. "Wala ka talagang gal—"
"Huwag mo akong diktahan gamit ang posisyon mo. Alam naman ng lahat na hindi dapat sa'yo 'yan. Imagine, ipinagmamayabang mo na ikaw ang President pero hindi ka naman naghirap para makuha ang puwesto na 'yan? You're so pathetic."
He was taken aback by what I said. Mukhang hindi niya ineexpect na alam ko ang bagay na 'yun. The hell I care.
"Still, you can't change the fact that I am the President. And you? You're just an expelled transferee," he said and fix the rim of his glasses.
I smirked. As expected, sasabihin niya 'yun. Wala na bang bago? Nasabi na 'yun ni Miss Maisie sa akin kahapon.
I rose up from my seat and drew nearer. Hindi siya natinag sa kinatatayuan niya kaya mas lalo pa akong lumapit. I smirked before I whispered to his ear.
"H'wag mo akong galitin dito, Claude. Baka hindi ako makapagtimpi at sabihin ko ang sikreto niyo sa harap nilang lahat?" I whispered and tapped his back.
"Sa tingin mo, maniniwala sila?" he whispered back.
My laugh filled our room. "It's up to them kung maniniwala sila. Alam mo naman siguro sa sarili mo na totoo ang sasabihin ko, hindi ba?"
"Shut the fuck up," banta niya.
Inihiwalay ako ang sarili ko sa kaniya bago payak na tumawa. I tapped his shoulder once again. "Sabi ko naman sa'yo, h'wag mo akong inisin. Masama akong magalit."
"What's... Happening?" takang tanong ni Adhaya.
"Everyone, I have an announcement..." panimula ko.
Hindi ko naman talaga sasabihin ang sikreto niya ngayon. Gusto ko pa silang inisin.
"Shut up," muling banta ni Claude.
"Do you know that Claude—"
"I said, shut up dimwi—" Hindi na nakapagpigil si Claude at akmang sasampalin ako.
Magreready na sana ako sa sampal pero walang dumapong palad sa mukha ko. The next thing I knew, Dixon is holding Claude's wrist.
"Nakalimutan mo na yatang masamang pumatol sa babae, Moore?"
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:)