The Transfer Student

••••

Jennifer.

"Nakatulala ka, Jen?" bungad ni Jhanny sakin.

"Hm? Ah, wala lang. May naalala lang bigla"

"Ganun ba, sige" bumalik na sya sa pagsusulat.

Bigla-bigla na lang dumating si Sir Yoso.

"Okay, good morning class. Take your seats!" bigla nyang sabi.

Tatayo na sana yung iba para batiin sya kaso pinaupo nya kami agad.

"Bakit ba sya nagmamadali?" siko sa akin ni Assej na nasa harap ko lang.

"Ewan"

Bumalik na kaming dalawa sa pakikinig.

"So may ano tayo. New transferee student" transferee? "Ms. Familia, please introduce yourself" sabi ni sir.

Yung iba sa'min kinakabahan yung iba naman, nag-aabang. Sino kaya ang bagong student?

Pumasok na sya, nagulat yung iba sa amin. Ako emotionless pa rin, si Assej I thought magugulat sya kaso hindi. Alam nya kaya na babalik sya?

"Good morning everyone. I'm Vanessa Familia, a former student of this school. Lumipat ako sa America for business reasons and para makapag-isip isip na rin. Please be nice to me," ngumiti sya sa amin.

Whispers and murmurs came across the room.

'Maganda, bro."

'Laki ng ano!'

'Ang kinis'

'Squad sya dati diba?'

Halo-halong reaksyon pero same emotion. Nagulat, nagtataka. Nakatingin lang sya sa side ni Assej saka sa side ko.

"Ms. Familia, maupo ka sa tabi ni-" she cuts sir's words off.

"Likod ako ni Jhanessa!" she exclaims.

Napatingin ang lahat kay Assej. Nagtataka siyang napalingon sakin dahil ako kasi ang nasa likod niya. "Bakit?"

Napatingin ulit silang lahat sa akin. Lumapit naman si Vanessa papunta sa lugar ko.

"Hi, Jen. Long time no see," she smiled sweetly.

Naiinis ako sa ngiti nya lalo na sa mukha nya. Wala syang pinagbago!

"..." malamig kong sabi.

"Can I sit here? I want to sit near my bestie," nagpuppy eyes pa sya.

B*tch please ang plastic ng mukha mo. Lalo na yang hinaharap mo! Nilamigan ko lang sya ng tingin.

"No."

"Sige na oh. Pleaseeee."

Dahil sa ginagawa nya, hindi tuloy maiwasan na makakuha kami ng atensyon. May binulong naman sya sakin.

"Sige ka, baka isipin pa nila na masungit ka," ngumiti sya ng nakakaloko.

Everyone thinks that way already. She doesn't have to remind me kaya't bumulong ako pabalik. "You should know where you stand, Vanessa. Shut the fuck up and get out of my face."

Pinilit niyang ngumiti kahit naiinis na.

"Humanap ka na nga ng upuan mo, Vanessa," sabat ni Assej.

"Okay, my dear best. Sa likod na lang ako ni ate may orange na unan," turo niya kay Jam.

Naupo siya ngumiti kay Assej, while she rolled her eyes at me. Vanessa hates me because Assej always choose me over her. Ano naman ang laban niya sakin? We're tied by blood but they're only tied with friendship.

****

-Recess-

"By the way, we have a transferee. Matangkad, maputi, at makinis kaso mukhang masama ugali," bungad ni Jam.

"Transferee?" si Jester.

"So nagtransfer talaga sya," Mike sighed and sips from his shake.

"Assej, alam mo ba na darating sya ngayon?" malamig kong tanong.

"She texted me but we know how she likes surprises."

Tama nga ang hinala ko. And I bet Mike expected this already pero hindi niya lang sinasabi.

Yver removes his headphones. Mukhang naintriga yata siya sa pinag-uusapan namin. "Who are we talking about here?"

"Si Vanessa, ex ni Yo-" natigil sa pagsasalita si Assej nang dumating si Yoj.

Tinignan namin siya kaya sya nagtaka. "Bakit?"

"Do you know she transferred?" malamig kong tanong.

Naupo muna siya bago ako sagutin. "I thought it was a joke. She did re-enrol."

"It's not a joke, Yoj. What do you want to do now?" seryosong tanong ni Michael sa kanya.

Nag-isip muna si Yoj ng isasagot. "I'm going to talk to her. I need closure and set everything straight."

"Yun lang?" tanong ni Assej saka tumango si Yoj sa kanya. "Do you think it's better if may closure talaga kayo? I mean, you should clarify everything. Forget the past and move on."

"Let Yoj decide, Assej. Problema niya yan," utas ko.

"T-T-Tama ka dun," mahina niyang sabi.

Dumating sila Jehna at Jiemie sa table. Naupo sila at mas lalo lang naging awkward ang atmosphere dahil tumahimik kami bigla. Nabasag lang ang katahimikan nang magsalita si Jehna.

"I arranged Vanessa's papers yesterday. I didn't expect na ex mo pala yung transferee, Yoj. Diba nasa seksyon niyo siya, Jhanessa?" Jehna sounds like she's about to cry.

"Um, yes. She's a childhood friend."

Assej doesn't have personal issues with her. Pero hindi talaga sila nagkakasundo dahil sakin.

"Did you intentionally put her on our section?" Jhanny asked.

"N-No, I didn't. I don't have the power to do that. Binase lang yun sa grades and number of students."

"But Assej mentioned that she's a childhood friend. Narinig ko ba yun ng tama?" paninigurado ni Jam.

"It's true. Magkababata kaming lima ni Kyn, Mike, Vanessa, Me, and Jen. But Jen and Vanessa don't have good memories with each other. Nag-aaway sila palagi dahil magkaiba sila ng opinyon," paliwanag niya pa.

"Assej, stop talking," I demand.

Kumakain lang kami ng tahimik nang dumating si Tanga, he was chasing his breath when he arrived.

"What happened to you?" tanong ni Yver.

"M-May ano... gulo. Jehna, pigilan mo! Andun si Joseph kaso ayaw papigil nung mga babae, e. Hindi kaya ni Joseph mag-isa!" Renz explains.

"Sino ang nag-aaway?" tanong ni Jehna.

"Yung transferee saka isang sophomore."

I saw how Yoj reacted. Tumayo siya kaagad at hinila si Renz. He looks dead serious. "Where?"

"Class 3-A."

Napatingin ako kay Jehna. She glanced at Yoj, her eyes look sad. Masikmura nya kaya si Vanessa? Everyone at the table ran to our classroom at naiwan kami ni Jehna sa mesa.

"Jehna, you need to calm the fight. It's duty over feelings..." tumayo ako at kinuha ang juice. I love catfights especially if Vanessa's one of the fighters kaya't susunod ako sa kanila. "You are the campus president after all."

Iniwan ko na sya roon. I counted one to five when she pulled my arms and run with me. "You're right. Hindi ko dapat isali ang personal kong nararamdaman ko sa trabaho ko."

Nadatnan namin si Vanessa na nakikipagsabunutan sa hindi ko kilalang babae. I stared at the girl, she seems familiar. Have I seen her before?

Nakahawak si Yoj at Kuya dun sa babae. Samantalang nasa gitna nila si Joseph, si Jam at Jhanny naman ang humahawak kay Vanessa.

"You bitch! Huwag mo akong pagsalitaan ng ganyan. You don't fucking know me!" sigaw ng babae.

"How dare you call me that?" Vanessa said calmly. "And I don't know you dahil bago lang ako rito."

She's surprisingly calm, but I know she's trying to suppress her anger. Bumunot ako ng phone at kumuha ng litrato nilang dalawa.

Dahil sa pilosopong pagkakasabi ni Vanessa, sinugod siya ng babae saka siya sinabunutan nito. "Hayop ka talaga, Familia! Ang landi-landi mo, lalandiin mo ang kapatid ko tapos iiwan mo sa ere? Hayop ka!"

"Ouch ouch! Tama na. Ano ba, my hair!" sigaw ni Vanessa.

"Hoy, stop this already! Andyan na ang campus president!" galit na sigaw ni Joseph.

Natahimik ang lahat nang naglakad si Jehna palapit sa kanila. She deeply sighed and looked at Vanessa. Inirapan lang siya nito habang nag-aayos ng buhok.

"I already called the POD. They'll handle your punishments, especially you, Ms. Dela Vega," turo niya dun sa babae. "You shouldn't pick fights with new students. Masisira ang imahe ng school."

Jehna's doing her best not to snap. The vice-president came to check what's going on pero humupa na ang away.

"President, sorry nalate ako," she looked at Vanessa with an astonished face. "Vanessa, kailan ka pa dumating?"

"Hi, Cheasty!" she approached and hugged her. "I miss you! And yes, I transferred here today."

Joseph interrupts the conversation kaya't natigil sila sa pagkukwentuhan. "Makinig muna kayo kay, President!"

Vanessa raised a brow at Joseph and grins. "Is this your ex, Cheasty? He looks cuter in person."

"Shut up, Vanessa!" yung Cheasty.

"You know me?"

"Of course I do. Cheasty's always talking about you on video calls," she chuckled, which made everything awkward. "Sorry at hindi kita nakilala agad. Nakakainis kasi ang bruhang ito, e!"

"What!" galit na sabi ng babae. "Gusto mo ng round two?"

"Tama na nga yan!" sigaw ni Jehna.

Dumating si Ms. Teryoso na halatang nagulat sa itsura ng dalawang babae. "What the hell happened here?" Natingin siya kay Jehna. "Well?"

"Konting gulo lang. I already called POD, sir."

"Ms. Dela Vega and Ms. Familia, to the faculty right now!" he fumed and points the way.

"Tsk!" nakita kong nagdabog ang dalawa sa kanyang sinabi.

Sumunod sila kay miss pero nag-aaway pa rin yung dalawa, nag-iirapan, at nagsusungitan paalis.

"Okay students, balik na kayo sa classrooms nyo. Tapos na ang palabas." sigaw ni Cheasty. Nagsialisan na ang iba pero nakatayo pa rin kami sa harap ng classroom. "Mauna na muna ako, President."

Tumango si Jehna at ngumiti while Joseph approached Jam.

"Jam, sabay ba tayong- Jam!"

Hindi niya natapos ang kanyang sasabihin nang lumayo si Jam sa kanya at lumapit kay Jhanny. "Pumasok na tayo, Jhanny."

"Let's go, Seph. Baka malate pa tayo kay sir," tapik ni Jester sa kaibigan.

Lumapit si Yoj kay Jehna. Akala ko lalayo rin siya pero hindi niya ginawa. "Jehna, thank you for stopping the fight a while ago."

"It's my job. Don't mention it," she smiled with pain in her eyes.

"Sabay na tayong puma-" Jehna cuts his words off.

"Mauna ka na, Yoj. May gagawin pa kasi ako," she said and immediately run to the restroom.

"May ginawa na naman ba akong mali?" he scratched his nape, confused.

Magkasing tanga lang pala sila ni kuya.

I heaved and went back to class when Yver blocked my way to the door. "What do you want?"

"You."

It took me a minute to respond. "May gusto ka bang sabihin sakin?"

"Delete the photo. Nakita kitang kumuha ng litrato kanina."

"Why does it bother you?" nilamigan ko siya ng tingin. I only took one photo. Bakit big deal iyon sa kanya?

"I don't want to repeat myself, Jennifer. Delete the damn photo," his cold voice got me.

"No."

"Why do you have to make things difficult for me?" he looked down to rub his temple, and suddenly looked at me deadly.

"Tell me why, Yver." Lumapit ako sa kanya pero hinila niya lang ako paalis ng classroom at tinulak papasok ng janitor's room. "I don't want to be late!"

"I don't need to tell you the reason why. Just delete it or I'll-"

"You will what?"

I saw how he gritted his teeth and glanced at my lips. Marahan niyang hinawakan ang labi ko at tinignan akong mabuti.

"Damn it."

Napatingin ako sa orasan. Malapit na magbell for next subject. May quiz pa naman kami.

"I'll delete it," sabi ko na lang. I took my phone out and erased the photo. "I don't care what's your reason, I just don't want to be late."

Bubuksan ko na sana ang pinto nang hilahin niya ako. My eyes widen in shock when he slams his lips on mine. Ang bilis ng tibok ng puso ko dahil dun kaya't hindi ako nakagalaw agad. Tinulak ko siya palayo upang bumawi ng oxygen. Lumayo siya habang malamig na nakatingin sakin.

"Are you crazy? Bakit mo yun ginawa!" inis kong hinawakan ang kwelyo niya. "My brother's gonna kill you."

"I know you won't tell him, Jennifer."

This is why I hate Yver. I hate it when he's right!

——