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"Baby, you have to eat. Sabi ni Kenny hindi ka pa kumakain since we left."

Hindi kumibo si George habang nasa tapat ng computer. Her dad and mom are stuck in Hong Kong right now for a business meeting kaya't wala ang mga ito. Maybe it was good that they're not here to witness her breakdown.

"Xari, we bought you that new bag you wanted," her dad added. "You wanted the white one, right? I even asked the SA to engrave your name on it."

Kendall lightly patted her shoulder in order to catch her attention.

"Ate," anito in her usual soft voice. "Dad's talking to you po."

Dagli siyang napatingin sa kapatid before turning towards the computer screen. Kitang-kita niya ang pag-aalala sa mga mukha ng kanyang magulang. She hated seeing them like that. and she hated it even more dahil siya ang may kagagawan 'non.

"Thank you," she weakly replied. "I um... I'm a bit sleepy na po. Can I go back to my room na?"

Nagkatinginan muna ang mag-asawa bago tumango. She went up to her room walkinv like a human zombie.

Days passed and her parents grew more worried for her than ever. She felt guilty about it but what can she do? She wasn't okay. Every time she remembers Dos, naninikip ang dibdib niya and it hurt so much to the point na she couldn't actually breathe.

"Get lost."

The way he lushed her away was indeed painful. His blank and cold stares when he told her to leave was enough to make her cry and feel so small. But the worst lf it all was not having a single clue why he just dropped her like that. Na para bang he did not really care for her and his words before were only empty promises and notes on the sand.

Deserve niya ba ito? Was he mad about the whole ignoring thing and decided to get back at her? Or was it just a prank? Because she refuse to believe that Dos had stopped loving her. The way he made her feel lived and happy was too real para ganon ganon lang na mawala.

"G?"

She heard someone enter her room. Kung tama ang pagkakakilala niya sa boses nito, it was Lia. But she remained rolled up on her bed under her thick blanket.

"George..."

Hindi pa rin siya gumalaw sa pagkakahiga. She was already tired from crying pero tumutulo pa rin ang mga luha galing sa kanyang mata. It's like a faucet and she can't even close it fully.

"Georgina, you've been absent for a long time," anito and she felt her bed shift. "Our teachers are all wondering if you'll be able to take the periodic exams."

Napailing siya't muling naiyak. Right. She missed so many classes that she already forgot most what the last lessons were. How can she take the exams sa ganitong lagay?

"I... I don't know," she answered helplessly. "Maybe I'll just stop muna—Ouch! Lia what the fudge?!"

Binatukan siya ni Lia that's why she almost cursed. She glared at her so-called best friend who was also glaring at her.

"Tanga ka? Bakit ka hihinto? Mag-aral ka, bobo nito."

Her mouth fell wide open at how Lia just called her stupid and dumb in one go. That hurt kaya!

"I'm not stupid or bobo!" she yelled back angrily. "What right do you have to call me that, huh? I just missed some classes that's why!"

"And whose fault is that?" ganti naman agad nito. "Wala ka namang sakit. Daig mo pa 'yung na-dengue nating kaklase. Nauna ka na nag-absent, nauna pa din siya bumalik. Ano na, girl? Mukmok all you want?"

She pouted. So this is why she's bitching at her. To get a reaction. Naaappreciate niya ang ginagawa nito pero she wasn't reasy to go back yet. Masyado pang masakit.

"Dos broke up with me!" she spat while crying. "He just blew me off like that. With no valid reason! Ano sa tingin mo dapat kong gawin, huh? Throw a party? Celebrate? I love him, Lia. It's not that easy to get over him!"

"So you'll throw away your future and your life because of a guy?" Lia had both her hands propped on her waist. "Ay gaga. Tanga nga ampotsa."

Again, she glared at her best friend's words. She's sure Lia got that language from her varsity friends. She hears those terms a lot from their classmates na kasali sa sports club.

"Hey, stop! You don't know how I feel!" sinagot niya ito.

"Ano ba kasi nararamdaman mo?" Lia taunted even more. "Masakit? Okay, sure. Naiintindihan kita. Pero hindi 'non ibig sabihin na dahil nasaktan ka eh papabayaan mo na sarili mo. Wake up, Georgina! Hindi na ikaw 'yan."

She looked away and curled up in her bed again. Lia's starting nanaman kasi. And whenever her best friend starts lecturing her, mabilis niyang naniniwala dito at sumusunod.

And she didn't want that. Gusto niyang magkulong lang muna dito sa kwarto at umiyak lang. That's the only way she knows how to lessen the pain inside her chest. At isa pa, she's bound to see either Dos or someone he's associated with. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang gagawin niya kung magkataon.

"I don't care!" she screamed. "Just let me be!"

"Tangina," she heard Lia say under her breath before the latter suddenly pulled her comforter away. "Georgina, isa! Tatamaan ka talaga sa'kin, sinasabi ko!"

Nakipag-tug of war pa siya kay Lia sa kumot bago bigla na lang ito tumigil at binitawan ang hawak. Tuloy ay nauntog siya sa headboard nang hilahin muli iyon. Tumawa ito.

"Ouch!" she wailed then glared at the suspect. "You did that on purpose!"

"Para matauhan ka!" ganti naman nito while still laughing. "stop sulking and come back to school. I'll help you out with my notes para makahabol ka."

"Ayoko na, Lia," she pouted. "I don't want to go to UDSA na. Baka makita ko lang si Dos with his new girl."

"Eh di pumikit ka, duh," Lia sassed. "And besides, nasa High School department tayo. Imposible namang mapadpad yung damuhong 'yon 'don. Don't worry. I got you."

She sighed. Tama nga siya. When Lia tries to convince her about something, it won't take that much effort to make her agree. The next day ay bumalik na siya sa school and tried her best to catch up sa lecture.

Lia introduced her to some of her varsity friends. They were all so cool and masaya sila kasama. Though at times ay naiiyak pa rin siya kapag naaalala si Dos, her new friends kinda distracted her from it. Tinulungan din siya ng mga ito makahabol sa lessons niya. They'd always hang out sa isang café to study and have fun na rin.

"Wait guys. My girl friend is here," one of Lia's friends said. She's a girl too and she was really cool and open about having a girl as a lover. Sabi nito, bakit niya naman ikakahiya yung taong mahala niya, hindi ba? "Don't worry. Kahit mas matanda siya sa'tin, she's young at heart. But do excuse her when she speaks a bit technical. She's quite a smarty pants, you know?"

She chuckled. Audrey looked so in love when talking about her girlfriend. Medyo nakaramdam siya ng inggit because she used to be like that when talking about Dos. And so was he. But apparently, he's such a great actor.

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late—"

Napasinghap siya nang magtama ang kanilang mga mata ng bagong dating. It was her! Dos' new girlfriend!

"What are you doing here?!" she blurted out catching everyone's attention. She clearly saw how the girl paled and immediately turned to a confused Audrey. "You're Audrey's girlfriend?!"

The girl looked a bit scared and took a step back. This wasn't just about Dos anymore. This was now also about her new friend, Audrey.

"George, anong problema?" Audrey asked in confusion. "This is Sadie. Girlfriend ko. Do you know each other?"

She felt angry. Furious, even.

How dare she play with them both! She's with both of them and it seems like both Dos and Audrey didn't know. What a wicked woman!

"Oh, I know her, alright," she said folding her arms over her chest. "Siya yung girl that I was talking about. Dos' girlfriend. The one who made agaw my guy."

Audrey's forehead creased. Napatingin din sa kanya si Lia and the rest of their friends. When they saw how serious she clearly was, napatingin ang mga ito sa bagong dating.

"I... I can explain," ani Sadie with her hands up on level with her shoulders. "Yes, I'm Dos' girlfriend."

Napasinghap ang lahat ng mga kasama nila. The corner of her lip rose. The audacity!

"What?" It was Audrey's turn to react. "You're dating someone else while we've been together?!"

"No!" tanggi agad nito making everyone confused again. "Babe, let me finish first. Yes, tulad ng sinabi ni Georgina, I am Dos' girlfriend. Fake girlfriend."

Napamaang siya. Wait, what?

Sadie took a deep breath before turning to Audrey to tell her side of the story.

"Babe, remember last time when I told you I have this classmate sa Legal Writing that asked me to be his pretend girlfriend for a macbook?" Audrey nodded but still looked confused. Then, bumaling ito sa kanya. "Dos asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend in exchange for a laptop. Akala ko nung una joke lang so I said yes. I didn't think na tototohanin niya 'yon. I was as shocked as you were that day. I had no idea why he did that either.

"Kaya nga I ran after you but you were to fast," she continued. "Between the two of us, Audrey's the athletic one kaya hindi na kita nagawang habulin. I didn't take the damned laptop because what he did was really wrong and outright stupid for hurting you. I'm really sorry. I know ignorance doesn't excuse anyone but I really didn't know."

Hindi siya nakapagsalita and felt her knees grow weak again. Was he really that desperate to get rid of her? Was she really nothing to him? But he said he loved her. And she felt it was real. Damn.

"George..." she felt Lia's hand on her shoulder and gently patted it. Napatingin siya dito. "Wag mo na isipin 'yon. Gago siya. Sobra. You don't deserve this."

Isa-isa ding nagsalita ang mga kasama nila, trying their best to console her. But nothing they say would ease the pain and humiliation she's feeling right now. Pinaglaruan siya nito. Pinaasa and then dropped her like a freakin' hot potato.

"It's fine," she lied. "Maybe he was just getting back at me for all the things I said and did in the past. I called him rude and a pervert. I even yelled at him kahit he's the student council president. Pinahiya ko din siya sa cafeteria noon."

She ended up telling them about their story. How she met Dos underneath the bleachers, how Dos had strong opinions about her, how she found him equally annoying, the first time he took care of her, how he helped her in her audition, his words, his actions, everything. Her friends had mixed opinions and some found it hard to believe that even after he did all those things and confessed, bigla na lang siya nito iiwan.

They're not alone on that one.

Recalling their past was a lot painful than she thought. She found herself crying again which made some of her friends angry. Especially Audrey.

"Men," bigla nitong bulalas. "Men are trash. You don't deserve this treatment, Georgina. I'm really but, sorry. Dos is an asshole."

"Maybe he has a different reason?" ano naman ni Sadie. "I don't know ha. Kasi by how I see it, he's clearly head over heels for you. I don't know him that well pero I'm certain he doesn't smile often. But when he looks at his phone, he does. Ikaw ang wallpaper niya."

"But what if it was really just a ploy to get back at her?" ani Audrey. She clearly hated the guy. "Ewan ko lang ha. Walang taong in love ang gagawa ng ganon sa taong mahal nila."

"Love's weird, babe," kontra naman agad ni Sadie. "You always want what's best for the person you love. Malay mo, 'yon ang dahilan niya kung bakit tinutulak palayo si George."

"Still, he hurt her," Audrey insisted. "Hindi mo sasaktan ng ganon ang taong mahal mo."

Sadie pouted. "Agree to disagree."

"Enough," singit naman ni Lia. "This isn't a court or whatever it is you two are doing. Foreplay or whatever, I don't give a damn. The point here is, sinaktan niya si George so dapat saktan ko din siya. Ano ba mas okay, balian uli ng buto o baliin yung ano?"

Natigilan siya't napatingin sa kaibigan na ngumisi. Then, bumaling ito kina Audrey.

"What do you think? Diba may friends kayo sa soccer team? Pasipa natin."

"That could work," sang-ayon naman agad ni Audrey—shocking her. "I mean, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

"No! Don't that's bad!" She wasn't vindictive. She still loves Dos kahit pa ganon ang ginawa nito sa kanya. Besides, maybe Sadie's right. Baka may mas malalim pa itong dahilan. "Don't hurt him!"

"But he hurt you. You should get your revenge, George," ani Audrey. "Kahit tuloy sprain lang. No permanent damage whatsoever."

"Audrey—"

"No," bigla namang putol sa kanya ni Sadie. "I don't think injuring him is a good idea."

At least Sadie here is in a sane state unlike these two.

"But I agree that George should get her revenge."

Her head snapped towards Sadie who was now grinning diabolically like Lia and Audrey. It was like these three could read each other's minds.

"You're clearly still in love with him. So why not make him see what he's missing?" anito causing her forehead to crease. "Ipakita mo sa kanya kung anong sinayang niya. Malay mo, bumalik pa siya sa'yo."

Napatingin siya sa mga kasama. They were all agreeing to Sadie's suggestion. Napalunok siya.

"Okay. I'll do it."

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