by M.G. Marquez
CHAPTER NINETEEN
MAGGIE
The moment I woke up I swear I could’ve died.
“Can you please take this creature away from me?!” I was frantic the moment I saw Fred snoring in my face. I swear he smelled like a septic tank and it’s going to kill me.
“Hey Tal! Don’t act as if I’m not as disgusted as you are when I woke up.” Fred shouted at me while Jason and Klein dragged him away from me. All of them were laughing at the scene and I swear I will kill the person responsible for this.
I looked for BD.
While everyone was busy laughing their hearts out, his was the loudest. I rushed to his side and pinched his ear. I forced him to stand up. He kept on wailing and calling my name over and over again. I don’t care.
“You’re making my blood boil so early in the morning,”
“I thought that maybe you were feeling cold so I – OUCH – put Fred beside you to keep you warm – HEY THAT HURTS – is that so wrong? I’m just concerned!”
“Concerned? Is that how you show your concern? Laughing like you haven’t laughed in decades is your definition of concern?” When he didn’t answer me, I let go of his ear that has turned red. “Thank you for your concern, Gujerk!”
Irritated, I went upstairs and told them we have to go. Second semester’s a couple of weeks away so we have to enroll today.
But they can’t just stop laughing that I’m beginning to hate them.
Fred seems to be impatient with me now. He has completed the 99th command and just a command away, his crush’s name is his. But I plan to leave him hanging for a while.
“Hey Tal, c’mon! Order me to do something,” he told me. “Doing whatever you wish is my hobby.”
“Oh really?” I smirked at him. “I want you to… stand in the middle of the road until a truck crashes into you,”
I saw horror on his face and made him all-white. He’s shivering not in fear but of anger, I guess. Oh, Fred. I could be your best evil stepsister in the next life.
“Is that all?” His expression shifted from horror to anger until he showed me his pitiful side. Slowly, he walked into the road while pulling the hems of his shirt like a kid. He’s trying to win us over by acting like a poor kid.
But we don’t care.
“Will you not even try to stop me?” Fred pleaded.
“Ha? Why will we do that?” Guji simply said with his hands on his pockets. “You’re not a loss to us.”
Pained, Fred walked on until he reached the center of the road. He opened his arms so wide like an angel and closed his eyes. We waited until we heard a roaring sound coming toward him.
We ran in horror.
Fred was okay, don’t worry. Guji ran as fast as he can so he could snatch Fred in time. The truck that was about to hit him changed lane and left Fred unharmed. He was shaking when Guji dragged him to us. I don’t know which feeling to feel first: guilt or eternal happiness. I prefer the latter.
“You did take that seriously, bro?” Klein asked his friend. “You’re such a desperate bullshit!”
“Wait, what? Did that truck crashed into me?”
“STUPID.” We laughed at his epic drama while Guji explained to him what had happened. He tried to hug his Boss but Guji pushed him away. He then turned to me with expectant eyes. I smiled at him before saying, “Mean Ramirez. That’s the name of your crush,”
“Really? THAT’S NOT A JOKE, RIGHT? Her name is really Mean?”
“You don’t believe me? Okay. Maybe I’m only kidding when I said her name is Mean and she’s another person. Let’s start The 100-Commands Contract over again –”
“NO. I believe you!” He put an arm around my shoulders and messed up my hair. It’s a brotherly gesture but I elbowed him at his stomach that he yapped in pain.
“Oy, Fred. I’m warning you. Hurt my friend, I’ll kill you. Hear that? I trust you,” I told him. This time, I was the one who’s messing his hair up. He seemed to enjoy that and even said, “Of course!”
My phone beeped and I knew it was Yvan who texted. He has a special ringtone on my phone so my blood gushed throughout my body like lava at the sound of it.
He said, “Pst. Will you enroll today? :)”
I didn’t know that Guji was beside me until he spoke. He’s teasing me about a blushing cheek and a stupid smile pasted on my face. I punched his side to shut him up. But he didn’t stop there.
“Yes, will you come with us blah blah… and it ends with a smiley face. YUCK.”
I did not pay him any attention at all and just replied to Yvan’s message. He asked me if he can walk me home and if it will be okay for Guji.
Damn. Why would Guji even care? He isn’t my dad or something.
“No. It’s not okay for me,” Guji said. Disgusted, I gave him one of my deadly stares and killed him a thousand folds in my head. I told him, “I’m not asking for your opinion. He’ll come with me,”
“Why? If he’ll come with you, then I’m going to be with him, too. I don’t like that,”
“Then don’t come with me.”
“WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME THAT?”
“Who are you to tell me that?!”
“I’M YOUR TUTEE!”
“THAT’S IT! You’re just my tutee and you don’t have the right to tell me what to do and what not to do!”
“HEY HEY HEY!” Paola put herself between the two of us right before we could even strangle each other to death. “Will you please stop shouting at each other? We’re in front of your school, for Pete’s sake.”
“It’s BD’s fault. He’s irritating,”
“Me? Irritating? God, SB! Yvan’s asking you if it will be okay for me, and I answered no. Is that so wrong, Pao?” Paola shook her head.
“Why is your attitude like that, huh? He’s your best friend and you’re not allowing him to come with us. What can of friend are you –”
“I don’t like sharing you with other people.” Then I was breathless. Having said that he turned to leave us and left our jaws hanging. No one dared to speak or move an inch.
“What was that about?” Someone said.
I am deaf and I heard something else, I told myself a thousand times so as to bury of Guji’s words under my subconscious area.
Guji can’t say those kinds of words. He isn’t like that.