by M.G. Marquez
CHAPTER THREE
GUJI
I don’t exactly know what to do with her ID. I don’t know what to do with her.
She’s a thorn in my eye ever since I first saw her. The first time she tried to fight back I just let it go. The second time? Man, that was way too much. I hate girls in general and she made everything worse.
I barged into my DAD’s office without asking permission. His chair motioned to face me. He arched his brow at me, unsurprised by my behavior.
“Yes?”
I threw the ID I’ve been keeping at his face. He happened to snatch it on time and examined it. “Then? What would I do with this, son?”
“Eat it,” When I realized it wasn’t funny I told him this instead, “Hire her as my tutor.”
“Ah?” He straightened up and laced his fingers in front of him. I grew impatient.
“What?!”
“Are you sick?”
“No!”
“Then why do you need a tutor?”
“Maybe because I’m in second year twice in a row now and I don’t want to fail you again,” You wish. “I want to make you proud, DAD. I want to graduate with a degree,” In your dreams. “So, I need a tutor.”
He nodded at my fake endearment. When he finally said yes I snatched Janella’s ID from his grasp.
You’re so dead to me, Maurice Janella Ponce.
You’ll live like hell with me.
MAGGIE
“Hey moron!” I shouted, running behind him. Nikki and Nica gave up in the chase, so I was the only one running after this guy. For a book. And for… “Ouch!” I complained when he suddenly stopped. My face hurt from his hard back.
“Why did you stop?”
“Aren’t you calling out for me? I stopped because I thought you need me. I assume… you do need me?”
“Here!” I pressed the book at his chest. He looked at it, puzzled. “What’s that?”
“This? It’s a snake,” I sarcastically said. But he just stared at it like we have forever to talk. “Hey! Just get it!”
“It’s not mine,”
“WHAT?” My jaw just dropped. “After that long chase you’ll just tell me it’s not yours? Are you kidding me?”
“Why? Did I tell you to chase me?”
No.
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. I pursed my lips in defeat. I felt my dignity being consumed by his intimidating stares. I wish I have the power to disperse into the wind when I need to. I need to right now.
The silence between us was broken when someone far away shouted, “HEY! YOU’LL TASTE A PIECE OF ME, YOU SHIT!”
I don’t know what was happening so I looked stupid trying to find where that shout came from. When I did find where, I realized that they’re Guji Tarence Kim’s gang and they’re running straight in here.
H-E-R-E.
“Damn those bastards,” I heard Moron muttered before pushing me down the steep. For Pete’s sake, why does he have to push me? I’m actually rolling in mud! When I reached the bottom, someone covered my mouth and dragged me away.
My heart skipped a beat. I died.
Moron kept me to himself as he pressed his back against the rock. I could hear Guji’s shouts above us but my heartbeats were louder than those. I tried to keep calm in his arms but I just can’t. I can’t. I’ve never been this close to a guy. We’re actually zero-inch too close.
I stared up to him only to find an Adam’s apple.
Adam’s apple. Every small movement, I see them. Every time he swallows, I see it go up and down and I want to – H-hey Maj, don’t you dare romanticize this situation! But I can’t help myself from wanting to smell his neck – MAJ!
While I’m so busy keeping my hormones at a controllable level, he looked down on me and his lips curved into a smile.
“Don’t call me Moron. I have a name,” The way he said those words made my heart go pump pump pump. I didn’t notice that I was gripping his uniform already. I let go. “I’m Yvan,”
“Bastard! Where’s my car? I swear I’m going to rip your neck, Yvan Cantos!” I heard Guji shouted once more, nearer. Yvan held me closer, if there was any closer than a zero-inch closer. I closed my eyes and felt the rush of blood in all of my veins.
I can’t breathe.
I felt so ridiculous to wish that he won’t let go, but he did. “Wake up, it’s over.” I watched him stand up and walked away without saying anything to me. I ran after him.
“Oy! Don’t you know how to say sorry?”
He turned around and mocked me with his eyes. “I know how. But I don’t say ‘sorry’ to people who don’t know how to say ‘thank you,’”
“Thank you? Me? You made me roll on that effing mud and you expect me to thank you? Are you insane?”
“Bye, Chocolate-roll,” he waved at me like I didn’t say anything. Argh! You’re really getting into my nerves, you Yvan-shit.
Yvan Cantos. It was such a nice name. I’ll kill you.
My day isn’t over yet. I have to go downtown to meet my tutee, Debi. Yes, I work. I do part-time jobs not because we’re poor. I just don’t like depending on other people. I want to do everything on my own, and it includes making money. My parents give me allowance but that’s that. Asking money from other people is not my thing.
We were in the middle of discussing about where the universe came from, which I don’t know where it did, when someone greeted. Just at the mere sound of his vocal chords vibrating, my whole being compressed into a tiny ball.
Him.
“Hi, Chocolate-roll,” he said in mockery. I made a face at him which meant “Shut up. I’ll kill you.”
Then Debi said something like “He’s my brother,” or “He’s a monster,” I’m not sure because the whole world ate me whole and nothing seem so real anymore. I can’t accept this. After all those embarrassing moments with him he’ll come into this house, into my tutee’s life, into my life? You’ve got to be kidding me. Really.
‘Guess I’ll have to deal with this ridicule of chances from now on.