1st Chapter

UMUWI AKO ng maaga dahil maagang natapos ang meeting kanina. Ipinarada ko ang sasakyan at lumabas pagkatapos.

"Key, are you home?" sigaw ni mama mula sa kusina.

"Opo."

I quickly changed my clothes to a casual one. I still have to do my job at a small cafe just blocks away from our house. Pagkatapos kong magbihis, pinuntahan ko si mama sa kusina.

"Hi, Ma," bati ko sa kanya sabay halik sa pisngi.

"Hi, anak. Is it five o'clock already?" tanong niya.

"Ah, no. But I decided na I should go early. Mrs. Choi said she needs my help."

"Okay, be careful, Key."

Nagpaalam na ako kay mama pagkatapos. Laking states si mama at dun talaga kami galing kaya nasanay sa pag-e-english. Half-Australian si Mama at patay na si Papa. Lumabas kaagad ako at nagdrive papuntang café. I instantly parked my car when I arrived. Hiniram ko lang itong kotse na ito sa pinsan kong mayaman, mabait, at hindi matapobre gaya ng stepsister niyang bratinilya. Ewan ko nga kung bakit nakakakaya ni Yuriko ang ganung klase ng ugali. Sus, kung ako sya? Sinabunutan ko na stepsis nya papuntang Edsa.

"Hi, Mrs. Choi." bati ko kay Mrs. Choi, ang boss ko. Katulad sya kay mama na mapapasubo ka na lang sa English pekene araw-araw.

"Hello, Key. I'm glad you're early. I badly need your help today."

"It's fine, Mrs. Choi, I'm just going to change my clothes," she nods as a sign of agreeing.

Pumasok ako at kaagad na nagbihis. I wore my apron and finished tying it around my back. Mrs. Choi is my boss for almost three years. Oo tama, I am a working student. Our campus doesn't want any working students in their school but since may letter ako, exempted ako sa lahat ng parusa. Akala siguro nila sila ang magtatrabaho. Ang mahal-mahal kaya ng tuition dun.

Back to Mrs. Choi. She's a middle-aged woman bale nasa forty's na sya. Half-Korean, half-Filipino. Maganda sya tsaka very responsible. She's a very good employer to me kaya sya ang pinaka-close ko rito. May kasama rin kaming isa pa kaya lang hindi niya pa shift ngayong oras. Sino pa ba, edi si Frost. Lumabas ako ng staff room at tinulungan si Mrs. Choi sa pagkuha ng orders.

I took my G-tech pen and sticky note, and went to table #3.

"Good day, sir. Can I have your order?" I greeted him with my practiced smile.

He looks so serious, he never smiled back at me. Ano bang problema nya? Tsaka isa pa, his face looks so familiar. Nagkita na ba kami noon? Naka-eyeglasses kasi.

"One chocolate cappuccino and a slice of strawberry pie."

"Coming right up!"

That guy didn't even say 'please'. Every waitress is pleased to serve their customers food by just saying that word. Maybe I should pay him to make him say that!

"Anyare, besh? Yung kilay mo parang tulay na automatic, oh," dinuro nya pa.

"Andito ka na pala, Frost."

Katuwaan lang ni Frost ang magtrabaho rito. She insisted na samahan ako kahit walang bayad, but Mrs. Choi's head was harder than hers. So in the end, nanalo si Mrs. Choi sa debate nila. Pinapasweldo na rin sya nito kahit hindi sang-ayon ang school, so this should be kept as a secret. Ako lang kasi ang pwede.

Minsan nga tinatanong ko ang aking sarili kung bakit hindi nila pinapayagan ang working students sa school since minsanan lang makakuha ng scholarship sa school na iyon. Tsaka, wala silang karapatan na husgahan kami since our job is legal and clean. Hindi naman kami naghihithit ng droga at marijuana o binebenta ang katawan sa mga lalaking addict.

"Ay, hindi. Picture ko lang 'to, oh. Gumagalaw pa." I rolled my eyes at her. "Bad trip ka, no. PMS?"

"Hindi, katatapos ko lang nun. Eto kasing lalaki na nasa table #3 napaka-antipatiko. Gwapo sana kaso para namang sinakluban ng problema sa mundo!" sabi ko habang naglalagay ng strawberry pie sa plato.

"Gwapo naman pala, magpacute ka na lang. Hindi iyong galit-galitan ka pa riyan," tawa sya nang tawa nang tawagin siya bigla ni Mrs. Choi.

"Hoy, tawag ka, oh!" tapik ko sa balikat ni Frost.

"I'm coming, Mrs. Choi," she signal to me. Yung signal na 'talk-to-you-later'.

I stuck my tongue out and left the kitchen. Hinatid ko na iyong order ni Mr. Sungit!

"Oh, ayan!"

"Why are you mad? Did I do something?" he raised his eyebrows.

Oo meron, meron talaga pero hindi mo lang alam. I want to say that but...

"Wala naman, sir. Nothing's wrong, enjoy your food." I smiled sarcastically and went back to the cash register. Ako muna ang in-charge since wala pa si Mrs. Choi.

Biglang may pumasok na customer. He sat on table #6. Pinuntahan ko sya tsaka kinuha ang kanyang order. Nakasuot siya ng itim na jacket and the hoodie is covering his face.

"Good day, sir. Can I have-" he looks straight at me.

I dropped my pen and notepad without noticing it. I want to back out. I just want the floor to open a pit and swallow me in the depths of shame right now.

Dipshit.

I cussed inside my brain.

He took the pen and notepad on the floor. "Are you okay, Minami?"

My heart skipped a beat. Holyshit, he knows my name. Dylan knows my name!

"Y-Yeah, thanks. Ano nga ulit ang order mo?" I managed to smile. It is so unexpected. This is the first time I saw him hanging around here.

"Can I have one vanilla milkshake and a slice of pepperoni pizza, please," he said before smiling at me.

Jusmeyo Marimar! Nanginginig ang kamay ko sa gwapo niyang pagmumukha. Juskolord! Lamunin na sana ako ng lupa at sahig. Yung handwriting ko pinatay ko na dahil sa sobrang panginginig.

"Coming," sabay layas na parang may ginawa akong kasalanan.

Nakita ko si Frost na nag-aayos ng orders sa loob. Napansin niya kaagad ang aking pagpasok.

"Bakit, besh. You look so pale. What the hell happened again?"

"S-Si Dylan, andito!" sagot ko.

Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala sa nangyari.

"Ako kumuha ng order nya Frost."

"So you mean... lagot. Hindi nya ako pwedeng makita," nagtago mode pa sya sa likod ng kurtina.

Aish walang kwenta. Bawal nga pa lang malaman ng iba na nagtatrabaho si Frost dito. Plano ko sana na siya ang pumalit sa akin sa paghatid ng order ni Dylan.

I sighed deeply.

"Okay lang yan, Key. Ang gawin mo na lang ay um... hindi ko alam pero kaya mo iyan," ngumiti pa sya.

Bakit ba hindi masabi ni Frost ng maayos ang kanyang ideya?

"I know, I know. I will pretend that his presence is nothing to me."

Lumapit ako sa mesa ni Dylan upang ihatid ang kanyang order. Ngumiti ako matapos sabihin ang salitang "Enjoy".

"Thank you," aniya.

"You're welcome, Dee," I smiled.

He immediately changed his expression. Nagtaka ako kung bakit. Did I say something wrong?

"May sinabi ba akong masama?"

"Ah, wala naman. Megan is the only person calling me by that nickname... Dee," sabi niya at ngumiti nang peke.

Oh, gosh! I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt him. Alam ko naman na kabrebreak lang nilang dalawa pero ano itong ginawa ko? Wala ka talagang kwenta, Keeyah.

"S-Sorry. I heard the news about your break up but I didn't know what exactly happened. It's not that I care or anything."

Liar! I am curious and I do care about your feelings, Dylan.

"She changed the whole story in front of the school's journalists. She didn't break up with me. I broke up with her knowing that she has someone else in mind everytime we are together," he forked the poor strawberry pie.

Whoa, pinaghirapan ko iyang ayusin para sa kanya tapos sisirain nya lang nang basta-basta? Ano ba, Dylan. That pie represents my feelings!

"Ano ang ibig mong sabihin?"

"She likes someone and I had to break up with her. I saw her making out with that guy!" he said in a gritted teeth.

That shocked me. Sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon ngayon ko lang nakita si Dylan nang ganito kainis at kagalit. And, what's worse? Nang dahil pa kay Megan.

I want to burst out in tears and shout at him na 'Gusto kita, tanga!' pero ako pala iyong tanga at siya iyong manhid.

"I'm sorry about that, Key," he managed to calm down.

"A-Ayos lang. Sige, balik na ako sa trabaho ko, ha," nginitian ko sya. Mabuti na lang at ibinalik niya sa akin ang ngiting iyon.

Agad akong umuwi pagkatapos ng trabaho ko. Hindi ko na nagawang kumain at nag-iiiyak na lang sa loob ng kwarto buong magdamag. Magmumukha ulit akong zombie bukas.

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