You are a piece of me I wish I didn't need.

--

Dama groaned as her eyes got hit by the rays of the sun. Bigla-bigla kaseng hinawi ng mommy nya ang kurtina ng kwarto nya dahil umaga na.

"Ma..." ungot niya sa ina saka sya nagtalukbong ng kumot.

"Time to wake up. You need to get ready for school."

"What school?"

"The old one," sagot ng mommy nya.

"I hate my life," she said, resigned. Napilitan syang bumangon. "Do I really have to go back there?"

Her mother shrugged. "Not really. But I want you to." Tumabi ito sa kanya. "Listen... you need to go out. Kung magboboryo ka lang dito eh talagang malulungkot ka. Go out. Bitch around. I don't care. Just... live."

"I thought you like having me around?" kunot-noo nyang tanong sa ina.

"Of course I do. But I don't want you to confine yourself here. Pumapangit ka na kakasimangot."

Sinimagutan nya ang ina. "Ansama mo."

Tumawa ito at pinalapit sya. "Come here. I'll help you pick your dress."

"No thanks. I don't trust your pregnant taste."

Hinila sya ng mommy nya by the arm. She had no choice but to come go inside the walk-in closet. Nakita nyang bahagyang na-surprise ang ina sa bagong ayos ng mga gamit niya.

"Where the heck are those Chanel dresses?" tanong nito.

Karaniwan kaseng pampasok niya yung mga damit na galing sa Chanel. Simple kaseng tingnan. She tried a more Avant Garde look once by wearing a McQueen dress, hindi sya pinalabas ng bahay hangga't hindi sya nagpapalit.

Bawal kase syang magpaka-Lady Gaga kapag regular school day.

"I don't know. Nagkahalo-halo na sila eh."

Her mom grunted. "Kailangan ko na naman bang papuntahin ang stylist mo dito para maayos 'tong closet mo?"

"Don't bother mom. I like it this way."

Megan sighed. "Just choose a simple dress and get ready for school."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes ma..."

Lumapit sa kanya ang ina at hinalikan sya sa noo. She felt her mom's huge belly on her stomach. Ewan nya pero parang gusto nyang matawa. She was so used to seeing her mom all fit and well put together. Ngayon, mukha talaga itong nanay kase buntis.

Hindi masyadong maayos ang buhok. Walang make-up. Nananaba.

And yet... the way her dad looks at her mom was quite fascinating. Na para bang ito lang ang babae sa mundo. She wanted that kind of love. Yung parang walang kasawaan.

Parang walang katapusan.

"Sweetie?"

"What?"

"Are you okay?"

Tumango siya. "Yes ma."

"I'll prepare your breakfast. Maligo ka na ha?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes ma."

Ngumiti ito. "Okay. I love you."

"Ang korni mo mommy," she said with a pout. Biglang nag-iba ang timpla ng ina. Sinimangutan siya nito.

"Whatever."

"Tss. Tampo naman agad 'to. O sya sige, I love you too," sabi niya sabay ngiti.

"Ayoko na. You're too late."

Natatawa syang yumakap sa ina. "Asus si mommy. Nagtampo naman agad."

"Minsan na nga lang akong magpaka-sweet, binabara mo pa."

"Eh joke nga lang. Eto naman, masyadong touchy. Ganyan na ba kapag tumataba?"

Her mom slapped her hand. "I hate you!"

Dama laughed.

"Sige na ma... bumaba ka na. Baka mag-away pa tayo."

"Bilisan mo ang kilos ha."

"Yes ma."

--

After contemplating so hard on what to wear, she settled for her Button Collar Bow Short-Sleeved Knitted Cotton White Dress from Chanel. To put it simply, white dress na may sleeves na maikli. Kailangan lang talagang pagandahin ang pagkakasabi para masabing designer ang damit.

It was actually one of her cheapest dress. Mga 89 dollars lang yata. Regalo lang kase ito sa kanya.

She went down after readying herself. Nakapag-makeup na sya ulit... yung mamahalin. That's always a good thing.

That lifted her spirit up.

Kaya lang, it hit rock bottom ulit ng maalala nya ang peste nyang best friend na si Eula. Naiinis na nga sya... lahat kase ng bagay na may kinalaman sa pagpapaganda ay nagpapaalala sa kanya dito.

Shrugging the feeling off, she headed to the dining area. Nakahanda na ang mga pagkain at sya na lamang ang hinihintay. Nakaupo na ang daddy nya at nagkakape habang si Dylan ay naglalagay ng butter sa toast nito.

Kakalapag naman ni Meg ng pancakes sa mesa ng mapatingin ito sa kanya.

"What took you so long?" tanong nito sa kanya.

Nagkibit-balikat lamang sya saka naupo sa tabi ng kapatid.

"Good morning ate," bati nito sa kanya.

Tinapunan nya ito ng tingin. "Morning," tipid nyang sagot.

Inihaya nito ang pinalamanang tinapay sa kanya. "Gusto mo?"

She shook her head. "No thanks."

"Sweetie, pwede bang dalawang yaya na lang muna ang kasama mo pagpasok? May sakit si Telma eh," tanong ng mommy nya from across the table.

"No need ma."

Napatingin silang lahat sa kanya. Ang daddy nya ay napahinto sa pagbabasa. Si Dylan naman ay maang na napatingin sa kanya.

"What did you just say?" her father asked.

"I said I don't need maids. Malaki na 'ko," she said quite proudly. Nakita nyang nagpalitan ng tingin ang mga katulong.

Nagtaas ng kilay ang mommy nya. "Do you think you can handle school on your own?"

She raised her chin a bit. "Of course. I survived a public school. How much harder would my old school be without my maids?"

Her dad chuckled. "Uh—probably... a lot?"

"Wag kang KJ dad. I'm the queen of that school, I can handle myself."

--

But she wasn't prepared for the changes that transpired when she was gone. Ang dati'y pauso nyang no uniforms allowed, ngayon ay napalitan na.

She literally stood out because she's the only one not wearing a proper uniform.

Marami ang nanlaki ang mata upon seeing her. Nagulat ang mga ito dahil nandito syang muli, nakatapak sa school na dati ay pinagbibidahan nya.

"Well... look who's back!"

"Reema?"

Reema crossed her arms. "That's Student Council President Reema Onchangco for you. What are you doing here? Tapos na ang rehab mo?" nakangisi nitong tanong.

"Actually, I'm under medication. I still have anger issues, you know. The doctor said the psychopath in me might come out anytime, especially when provoked."

Bahagyang nabahala si Reema. Dama smiled. Yeah bitch, be afraid. Be very afraid.

"W-Why are you released?!"

She shrugged. "Anyway, why are you wearing uniforms? Naghihirap na ba kayo at wala na kayong maipambili ng damit?"

"It's called cost-cutting. Mahirap na ang economy ng bansa. Kelangan ng magtipid," paliwanag nito.

"So? I'm not affected," she replied blandly.

"Siguro ngayon hindi mo pa nararamdaman. Hindi kase ikaw ang kumikita ng sarili mong pera."

"Kaya nga. Mayaman kase ako."

Ngumiti ito sa kanya. "Parents mo ang mayaman, hindi ikaw."

"Whatever. I want everything back to normal starting tomorrow. Lose those crappy uniforms. Magmumukha tayong public school."

"I can't just do that! As the student council president—"

"About that--" putol  niya. "You should step down. Hindi bagay sa 'yong maging figure of authority. Wala kang commanding power."

"Of course I do!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Wanna bet on that?"

Without waiting for an answer, she called someone out.

"You with the hair, come here."

Lumapit ang isang babaeng ala-Princess Lea ang ayos ng buhok.

"Bakit po Miss?" nag-aalangan nitong tanong.

"Give me your ID," utos niya.

"Don't," tutol ni Reema.

"I said give it!" paglalakas niya ng boses. The girl scrambled to get the ID off her neck saka nito iyon ibinigay sa kanya.

She smiled victoriously at Reema. "See?"

Reema stomped her foot in anger. "It's not supposed to be this way! They're just scared of you!"

"They should be," sagot niya. "No uniforms tomorrow. Cascade that message to the school or else..." sinadya nyang bitinin ang sasabihin.

She knew all too well how to scare people. She's been there. She's been scared. She's been lulled into thinking that she should be afraid of her mom. So she used those techniques para naman makapanakot sa iba.

"Akala ko pa naman, nagbago ka na."

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard that familiar voice. Marahan syang napalingon sa nagsalita.

"Oh... it's just you," disappointed nyang sabi nang makitang si Krauss lang pala ang nasa likuran nya.

"What? Expecting someone else?" kunot-noo nyang tanong.

"No. I'm just plain disappointed because I saw you. Honestly, bat parang pumapangit ka ata?"

Krauss rolled his eyes. "I see you still wear your horns proudly."

"Yeah," she said with a shrug. "They go well with my halo. Well anyway, I'll leave you two alone. Pag-usapan nyo yung utos ko. I want it to be implemented pronto."

With that, she walked off to some place inside the school.

Napagawi sya sa cafeteria nila. And she stopped on track when she saw that one of her favorite hangouts was gone.

"Oh my gosh! What happened to Starbucks?!" pasigaw nyang tanong. Pinagtinginan sya ng mga estudyanteng nakatambay sa lugar.

--

After talking to the administrator, napapayag nya itong ibalik ang paborito niyang Starbucks. It was almost lunch time kaya hindi na rin sya pumasok sa subjects nya. She just went around the school, showing everyone that she's back.

When she got tired, tumambay sya sa isang restaurant. Napansin nyang ilag pa rin sa kanya ang mga estudyante. She wanted to shrug that empty feeling but remembering her other school was hard. She had friends... yun ang masaklap.

Yung naranasan nyang magkaroon ng mga kaibigan and then later on, mawawala rin sila.

Parang... ang sakit lang. Na sana hindi nya na lang naranasan yun. Eh di sana hindi nya alam yung pakiramdam ng may namimiss.

"Ouch—ano ba!" Paasik nyang tiningnan ang isang estudyante na sa sobrang pagka-klutz ay natisod ang upuan nya. Muntik na tuloy malaglag sa damit nya yung chocolate cake na kinakain nya.

"S-Sorry po."

"Nerd!" gulat nyang sabi ng makita kung sino ang estudyanteng patanga-tanga.

"M-Miss!" Mas nagulantang naman ito ng makita sya.

Nginitian nya ito. For some weird reason, she felt oddly comfortable with her.

"Sit down," she said to her.

Agad itong sumunod.

"How have you been?" she asked.

"Po?"

"Tinatanong ko kung kumusta ka na."

"Okay lang po," nag-aalangan nitong sagot.

"Ano ka ba. Don't be shy with me... para namang wala tayong pinagsamahan nyan eh!"

Napakunot ang noo nito sa kanya. She was so embarrassed with herself that she had to fake a laugh. Nakalimutan kase nya—wala naman talaga silang pinagsamahan.

"Kumain ka na?" pag-iiba nya ng topic.

"Hindi pa po," sagot nito.

"Drop the po, will you? You make me feel older than I should be."

"S-Sige."

Dama raised her right hand. "Waiter!" she called. Isang lalaking nakaputing polo at black pants na may apron sa bewang ang lumapit sa kanila.

"Order whatever you like," she said to the nerd.

Tumango ito. "Pesto," maikli nitong sabi sa waiter.

"Yun lang?" tanong niya.

"Hindi naman kase ako gutom na gutom," sagot nito.

"Okay. One pesto," she said to the waiter.

Inulit ng waiter ang order nya bago ito umalis. She diverted her attention to the girl.

"Listen, I know you don't treat me as your friend. And I feel the same. But just so I have someone I can hang out with—can we be friends for, say, at least a month?"

"Uh—okay?"

"Good."

"Welcome back Miss Dama." Sa wakas ay ngumiti na rin ito sa kanya.

xxxxx

AN: Sorry kung sabaw. Limang araw na akong inaantok. Hahaha...