Hopes

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Jehna's Point of View.

"Good morning class," she greeted.

"Good morning, Ms. Teryoso."

She started the discussion as early as she can. It's all about Araling Panlipunan. I'm Jehna, the campus president and my everyday schedule is full... as usual. Another thing, I like Yoj. Oo si Yoj. Si Yoj na mabait, pogi, good at basketball, hot, heartthrob, at saka galit sa babae.

Oo tama, gusto ko ang ganung lalaki.

"Ms. Mendez? Ms. Mendez?"

Someone calls.

"Jehna Amethyst Mendez!" sigaw ni miss dahilan upang bumalik ako sa reyalidad.

"Bakit po?"

"Jusko naman, student council president, kanina pa ako tawag nang tawag dito! Are you even listening to me? Basahin mo yung nakasulat sa board," kunot na kunot ang kanyang noo habang pinapagalitan ako.

Kanina pa ba? Hindi ko man lang napansin. Tumayo ako at binasa ang nakasulat sa board.

"Most people suffer from scarcity because blah blah blah..." and I immediately sit down after.

"Thank you, Ms. Mendez, makinig ka sa susunod," paalala pa nito.

"S-Sorry po ulit," dispensa ko.

Pinagtawanan ako ng iba, nangunguna na dun ang kuya ni Jen. Napakawalang puso. Mabuti na lang at nakangiti lang si Yoj sa akin. Mukhang ayos lang sa akin na napahiya ako. Just look at the bright side, at least my crush smiled at me.

Agad din kaming dinismiss ni miss matapos ang isang oras.

"President, are you okay?" tanong ni Joseph nang matapos ang subject. "Parang wala ka sa sarili mo kanina."

"Oo. I'm fine, just a bit sleepy," I replied.

"If you want to, I can do the paperworks later for you," pag-alok n'ya. Ang bait talaga ng secretary ko kahit kailan.

"Really? Ayos lang sa'yo? Kung hindi mo kaya, humingi ka na lang ng tulong kay Cheasty," sabi ko at saka bigla siyang tumahimik. "B-Biro lang."

"It's okay, President. Hindi natin yan maiiwasan lalo na't s'ya ang vice-pres," mahina niyang sabi.

Hays, ang ingay ng bibig mo, Jehna. I totally forgot that Cheasty is Joseph's ex-girlfriend. Ayan tuloy, he feels awkward na dahil dun.

"Sige, Seph, punta muna ako sa cr!" paalam ko at agad na umalis.

Agad akong naghilamos ng mukha nang makapasok sa loob. I was peacefully washing my face when a girl almost trip at the door. Ang bilis-bilis niya kasing tumakbo tapos pagdating niya sa lababo, umiyak ba naman bigla! I don't know why she's crying but I don't want to get involved. Being President means having a good and clean reputation. I don't want to get involved in a nasty scandal like this. But... she was sobbing non-stop.

May pumasok ulit na babae. Nakaponytail and eyeliner pa. Obviously, this is a girl's restroom.

"Sis, ano ba! Ayos lang yan, okay? Ssh, tahan na," she comforts her as she was gently rubbing her friend's back.

Hindi ko masyadong maaninag ang ang kanyang itsura dahil may nakatakip na panyo sa kanyang mukha. My eyes widen in shock when she takes off her handkerchief. It was... Cheasty. No, Cheasty won't cry like that, at kung siya man yan, binati na niya ako pagpasok na pagpasok niya pa lang dito sa loob.

"E kasi naman, I didn't know he already likes someone else. Akala ko kasi mahal nya pa rin ako!" hagulhol niya. "I like Renz so much, Aya."

Now I'm pretty sure that she's not my vice-president. I glanced at her I.D, her name is Cheska. I think she's Cheasty's twin sister, pero wala naman siyang nakukwento sa akin na dito rin iyon nag-aaral.

Pinanonood ko lang sila mula sa salamin habang nag-iiyakan.

"Cheska, that is Renz. Malay mo, nagbibiro lang yun kasi nasaktan siya sa ginawa mo noon," hagod pa rin s'ya nang hagod sa likuran ni Cheska.

"G-Ganun ba? Sa bagay, I hope you're right. Sorry, naiyak na naman ako," unti-unti siyang natigil sa paghagulhol.

Samantalang ako, naghilamos lang ako nang naghilamos para magmukhang walang pakealam sa nangyayari. Lumabas ako ng restroom dahil hindi ko na kinaya ang nangyari sa loob. Jusko!

'Renz? Hindi naman pwedeng si Renz Guevarra, diba?'

But why do I have a feeling that the Renz that they were talking about is the Renz I know. Is it Renz Guevarra or someone else? And that girl definitely looks like Cheasty. Maybe I should ask her to clarify my train of thoughts. Hindi kasi ako mapakali.

I guess she's sitting pretty in her desk in the Student Council Room. I opened the door and my guess was right. There she was.

"Hey, Cheasty," I greeted.

"Hello, Pres. Do you need something ba?"

Yeah, I will definitely ask her. It's what I came for in the first place after all.

"Do you have a twin sister or something?"

"Opo, I have, why do you ask?" she smiled.

Kambal n'ya nga! Pero wala talaga s'yang nakkwento sa akin tungkol dun. Maybe because we're not that close enough to share each other's story.

"I heard them in the restroom kanina," I said sitting on my swivel chair. "Does your twin sister have connection to a someone named Renz?" I asked out of curiosity.

She nodded. "Renz Guevarra? Meron."

It's confirmed then!

"Can you tell me the story?" Pinaikot ko ang aking swivel chair.

"I don't know the details but I know that Renz was courting my sister but he was rejected," she keeps checking the paperworks. "It was a long time ago and I don't know what's the real score between the both of them now."

"I see."

THAT'S IT?! Pero bakit n'ya kaya iniyakan si Renz kanina? Narinig ko pa na may gusto na raw na iba si Renz.

"Bakit po, President? May itatanong ka pa?" she glanced at me.

"I shouldn't be the one telling you this or maybe I should," well I'm fvckin' curious so I want to know what really happened. "I saw your twin sister crying over Renz Guevarra. Hindi ko alam kung bakit."

"What!" gulat n'yang reaksyon, "Tsk. Hayaan mo na yun. Ganyan talaga. The tables have turned between them, Cheska is now in love with Renz."

So bale noon, gusto ni Renz si Cheska tapos ngayon si Cheska naman ang may gusto kay Renz tapos si Renz may gusto kay unknown? Ganun? Hay nakakalito.

I stood up and went to get the door. "Thanks, Cheasty. I have to go now."

"Sige po," she smiled.

Pagbukas ko ng pinto bumungad sa akin si Joseph papasok. Binati n'ya ako. Knowing na sila na lang dalawa ang maiiwan dito sa loob, total awkwardness to the highest level.

Hindi ko maiwasang isipin ang sinabi nila kanina sa loob ng restroom habang naglalakad. Paano kung may gusto pa si Yoj sa ex n'ya or yung ex n'ya may gusto pa rin sa kanya? Paano na lang kung mahal pa nila ang isa't-isa? May pag-asa pa kaya ako kay Yoj?

But if I don't stand a chance then-

"I will give up," mahina kong sabi.

"Suko saan?" A cold voice asked, sending shivers down my spines.

Nag-angat ako ng ulo. It was Jen, standing in front of me. Staring at her eyes makes me want to run.

"You scared me, Jen," napahawak ako sa aking dibdiban.

"You didn't answer me. Bakit ka susuko?"

Narinig n'ya pala ang sinabi ko kanina.

"Nahihiya akong magshare."

She sat on one of the benches.

"Come here."

Dumating si Renz, may dalang tubig at pagkain na obviously para kay Jen.

"Master, utos mo," sabay abot.

Nakakaawang tingnan si Renz, ang gwapo n'ya at ang hot kaso ang dami n'yang dalang pagkain. Grabe talaga itong si Jen, e, hindi rin ako makapaniwala sa babaeng ito. Kung ano-ano ang pinag-uutos sa kawawang nilalang.

"Put it here. Umalis ka na," she gestured a shoo.

She didn't even say thank you as a compensation. Hays.

"Bye, master," nakangiti n'yang sabi.

"Tanga," mahina niyang sabi. Grabe ang cute nilang mag-amo. "Now that he's gone, let's go back to the topic."

"Ah, oo nga pala. E kasi ano, e. Alam mo na siguro na may crush ako kay Yoj?"

"And?"

"I found out that he and his ex-girlfriend broke up because of LDR. Paano kapag bumalik sa buhay niya ang ex niya? May pag-asa pa kaya ako?"

Hindi naman kasi third party ang dahilan.

Nanatili s'yang tahimik habang kumakain.

"Meron."

"Heh? Paano mo nasabi?"

Parang siguradong-sigurado s'ya sa sagot n'ya, a?

"May chance ka. I'm sure of it," nakatingin pa rin s'ya malayo.

"Pero paano ang ex nya?"

"Malay ko. Naging girl hater sya dahil sa babaeng iyon. I don't give a damn."

Alam rin pala ni Jen ang mga ganyang bagay. Akala ko wala syang pake. Baka nga wala pero nalaman niya lang mula sa iba.

"A huge possibility that Yoj despises the girl who made him a girl hater."

Ang galing ni Jennifer magpagaan ng loob. Alam n'ya kaya na may talent s'yang ganun?

"You have a point," nakayuko kong sambit. "But what should I do to get his attention?"

"Don't do anything. Si Yoj na mismo ang lumalapit sa 'yo. Ang palay na mismo ang lumalapit sa manok," she gave me the Kitkat and Toblerone. "Heto para sayo."

"Thank you, pero para saan 'to?"

Tumayo s'ya at kinuha ang natirang pagkain sa bench. May sinabi muna s'ya sa akin bago tuluyang umalis.

"Wag kang susuko," malamig n'yang tugon.

Tiningnan ko lang sya habang naglakad paalis. She's right, she's definitely right. I shouldn't give up 'cause I haven't tried anything yet.

Kinain ko yung chocolate at naglakad pabalik ng classroom nang tawagin ako ni Yoj.

"Jehna wait," he calls in his raspy voice.

"Yoj?!"

Kabado ko siyang tinignan.

"Babalik ka na ba sa classroom?"

"O-Oo."

Shit, kabadong-kabado ako ngayon.

"Let's walk together," he gently pulled my wrist pero binitawan din agad.

I'm dead meat. Is this what they call 'He's the right person next to you'? Nasa right side ko kasi s'ya habang naglalakad. Kyaah! Ang sagwa, ang landi ko dahil sa sobrang saya. Kasabay kong naglalakad si Yoj. This only happens once in a blue moon kaya napakagandang pangyayari ito sa buhay ko.

"Jehna," he said my name gently like it was a delicate feather.

Kinabahan tuloy ako sa kanya. Tsk! Ano ba puso, huminahon ka muna.

"B-Bakit?"

Naglalakad pa rin kami habang hindi tinitignan ang isa't-isa.

"Can I have... one Toblerone?"

Disappointment was written all over my face. As if naman na may sasabihin s'yang maganda. Hays. Assume pa Jehna, d'yan ka magaling. Ibibigay ko na sana ang chocolate nang nagsalita s'ya agad.

"Just kidding," he smirked.

"Ha?"

"I was joking. Damn it, Jehna, you're so cute," pinisil n'ya pa ang ilong ko.

Sheteng totoo ba ito? Nagkatitigan kami sa isa't-isa but he averted his gaze first na ikinagulat ko lalo. Nasa harapan na pala kami ng classroom. Hindi ko man lang namalayan.

"We have a practice game later. I was hoping that you'll watch and cheer for me," he said. "I'll reserve you a seat. So please come."

Tango lang ako nang tango na parang wala sa sariling katinuan. He went inside the room habang naiwan akong kinikilig. Did he just invite me? Jusko, please tell me na hindi pa magugunaw ang mundo.

"Of course, I will cheer for you and only you, idiot," I smiled.

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