Braylee

       "Sali ako!" Riley shouted as he joined to hug Warren.

       "Mee too!" Pipers joins our group hug and not a second later, Lucho joins too.

       As we group-hugged, all I could ever look at is Hawthorn. He's still standing there, looking at me with disbelief, I'd like to tell him I feel the same. I mean until now, I still can't believe that Boy-eyebags is none other than Hawthorn, the rival and childhood enemy of Warren.  I'd like to believe this is just a dream, that this isn't real. That Denver isn't the Hawthorn my friends despise.

      "B, ba't basang-basa ka?" bulalas ni Warren at sa puntong iyon ay napatingin silang apat sa akin. Ipit na ipit ako sa yakap nila kaya hindi agad ako nakakilos o nakapagsalita man lang. 

      "Namumutla ka ata?" tanong naman ni Piper. I just found out that my new friend is my bestfriends' enemy, sinong di tatakasan ng kulay.

      "C-can't breathe," sabi ko na lamang habang pigil ang hininga. Warren lets me go, and so did they. Sa wakas, nagawa kong huminga nang maayos. Pero kahit hindi na naiipit, hindi parin maayos ang tibok ng puso ko. Tensyonado parin ako dahil sa nalaman ko tungkol kay Denver.

      "Ikaw na bahala magpa-laundry nito," sabi ni Lucho sabay hubad ng jacket niya saka ito ipinasuot sa akin.

      "You okay?" Piper asks Warren.

      Warren shakes his head but unlike before, his face cracks a smile. "But I will be," Warren says as he looks at me.

     "That's our dragon," I said lovingly as I raise my thumb.

     "Tara walwal!" Riley cheers but all of a sudden, they turn towards me in unison. They look at me judgingly, as if they are waiting for me to say something.

    "What?" tanong ko habang nanlalaki ang mga mata.

     "Alam mo ba anong walwal?" Tanong ni Lucho na para bang isang striktong professor na nagtatanong sa akin.

     "Natutunan ko yan sa inyo! Basta susuka lang at walang susuko!" pabiro kong sigaw sabay suntok sa ere. I don't really like drinking since it tastes really really bad and I have low tolerance so I pretty much end up embarrassing myself more than I do on a daily basis, but I learned how to bear with it especially when i'm with them. I mean, hindi ko naman talaga iniinom ang shots na binibigay nila, pasimple ko itong tinatapon sa sahig o pinapatubos ito kay Warren hehehehe

     I felt really cold so I zipped my jacket shut but I can't still help but shiver. I'd like to say the cold doesn't bother me anyway but right now, it does. 

     "Nanginginig na ang bata, tara uwi na tayo," sabi ni Piper nang mapansing nanginginig na ako. 

      "How about walwal?" panghihinayang ni Riley.

      "Aral bago walwal muna, kaibigan," pagbabait-baitan ni Lucho.

     "Juday approves," biro ni Warren.

     "Ay oo nga, may game two pa. Pag talo ulit, hala walwal na talaga," biro ni Riley dahilan para agad siyang batukan ni Warren.

     "Aray! Shet ka!" iyak ni Riley dahilan para matawa lalo si Warren. It's good to see him laugh again, at least we're making him feel lighter by making him laugh and smile even if he's not totally okay. I mean, it's a progress.

      As we were heading out of the arena, I couldn't help but look back at Denver's direction. He was already gone. He was really nice to me, it's hard to believe he's the evil Hawthorn who tormented Warren since they were kids.

****

       The five of us are in the parking lot, walking towards Lucho's old van when we suddenly came across a group of students from Rosepike. At kung mamalasin ka nga naman, ang group of friends na naman pala ni Hawthorn. Riley nicknamed them team teletubbies. Sinubukan kong kumbinsihin si Riley noon na wag silang tawaging team teletubbies kasi hindi naman mean ang totoong teletubbies at super cuties pa nila but ayaw paawat ni Riley. Poor teletubbies, they're not mean unlike Hawthorn's friends. 

      "My, my, look who we have here," the girl wearing thick make-up and red latex skirt says as she looked at us with a smirk.

     Pabirong umubo ang lalaking nakaakbay sa babae, "losers," pasimple nitong sambit at muling umubo habang tumatawa. He looked like a stereotypical badboy in the movies, tall and lanky, I could see something sparkling in his ear, I guess he's wearing an earring. 

     "Hoy tanga, natalo rin kayo last game!" patutsada ni Riley na taas-noo habang may ngisi sa kanyang mukha.

     "And that's the last since Thorn's finally back. Have fun losing again, shitheads," sabi naman ng tomboy nilang kasama. Ito yung pinaka-kaaway ni Riley sa grupo nila. 

     "Come on guys, let's go home. It's really cold, I don't feel so good," sabi ko na lamang kasi sumasama na ang pakiramdam ko sa sobrang lamig at para narin makaiwas sa gulo. After exchanging glares and fake smiles, our groups finally parted ways and my friends finally entered Lucho's van. Warren is usually our driver but right now he's too tired from playing so it's lucho's task to drive.

      After cranking up the engine a couple of times, Lucho suddenly got out of the van to look at something and that's when he suddenly screamed in anger. "Tanginang Teletubbies!!!"

      Oh come on! What did my precious teletubbies do to deserve getting cursed like this?!!! 

      All of my friends got out of the van to see what's going on but I remained in my seat while hugging myself. Next thing I know my friends were already cursing like pirates and then all of a sudden, Lucho runs off to follow Hawthorn's friends so Piper, Riley and Warren follows Lucho too; leaving me all alone inside the van, shivering cold.

      I got worried for them so I got out of the van too but before I could follow them, I realized that Lucho's van are missing two of its wheels. Oh come on! Pamana pa to ng lolo ni Lucho sa kanya! This is so mean!

     Dali-dali kong sinundan ang mga kaibigan ko hanggang sa maabutan ko sila sa bungad ng arena. Nagulat ako nang madatnan kong nakikipagsuntukan na sina Lucho at Warren sa mga lalakeng kaibigan ni Hawthorn, nagsasabunutan naman si Piper at yung maarteng babae, at mukhang nakikipag-wrestling narin si Riley sa tomboy.  Ang masaklap, nasa mataong lugar sila kaya maraming nakakakita sa kanila, pero imbes na umawat, nagvi-video lamang ang mga ito.

      "Stop! Stop!" I tried to break off their fight but they wouldn't listen to me no matter what I say. I was alarmed when I noticed that Warren was pinned down by Hawthorn's friend and he's helplessly getting punched over and over again. Warren tries to fight but he's too weak from the game.

      All my life i've never hurt someone on purpose but I guess there's a first time for everything. I'm sorry lord, please forgive me!

      "I said stop!" napatili ako at mabilis na hinubad ang sapatos ko. Sinugod ko ang lalakeng gumugulpi kay Warren at pinalo ko siya ng sapatos sa ulo kaso pagkatapos ko siyang mahampas ng isang beses, biglang lumingon ang lalake sa akin at marahas niya akong tinulak dahilan para tumilapon ako at bumagsak sa sahig. 

       "Ohhhhhh!" I heard the people around us scream but no one really tried to help, they just continued recording us with their phones like we're some sort of a circus act.

       Ibinalik ko ang tingin kay Warren at nakita ko ang pagdating ni Denver para awatin sila kaso sa isang kurap lang, nagulat ako nang sinuntok bigla ni Warren si Denver hanggang sa silang dalawa na ang nagsusuntukan. 

      "Sandali!" Pinulot ko ulit ang sapatos ko at dali-daling tumakbo patungo sa kanila. Nakita kong sinusubukan lang naman ni Denver na umawat kaya si Warren ang nilapitan ko para awatin ngunit nang makarating ako sa likuran ni Warren, nagulat ako nang bigla na lamang yumuko si Warren at nakita ko ang kamao ni Denver patungo sa mukha ko.

      Sa isang iglap, nakaramdam ako ng matinding sakit at hilo hanggang sa biglang dumilim ang lahat.

END OF CHAPTER 15!

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