Watch your thoughts, they become your words: 03 | New Face

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Cargael's POV

Napapamura na lang ako dahil sa tindi ng pananakit ng katawan ko mula sa nangyari noong nakaraang buwan.

Yeah, I'm still in pain a month later because of that dirty veteran. I could've died, honestly. Who would've thought that bastard would pull a cheap move on me on the damn racetrack?

I wasn't even sure about the duel he proposed, but he baited me with that stupid bet—my Hennessey for a shot at a sponsorship in 'the real' Racing Madness. And what did he do? He cheated because he knew I could beat him.

I didn't prepare for my car to be wrecked like that, let alone the chance of dying when it slammed into the ground. He knew how badly I needed that sponsorship and used it against me. I should've known better than to trust Damon. Now, I've lost the duel—and my pride.

The pain shooting through my muscles is a constant reminder of how I underestimated him. I can still hear the roar of the engines, the crowd's cheers turning to gasps as I ate dirt on that final straight.

Now, I can't hide the effects of that race from Chad ngayong halos gapangin ko ang pagpasok ngayong unang umaga ng Midterms.

"You okay, man? Heard you had a bad accident!" Pang iinis nito sabay abot ng kaha ng sigarilyo. "'Yan kasi, drag race pa!" dagdag pa nito. "Buti buhay kapa? Lumipad ka eh."

I tsked. He probably seen that video na nagva-viral ngayon online. Well, people might not know me but Chad knew my car and how I was crazy for races.

And speaking of how I was still alive, that woman last night. If weren't for her, I could've have die in suffucation.

"Someone saved me..." bulong ko, sabay abot sa yosi niya na may sindi na. Inilapit ko ang dulo ng sigarilyo ko sa kanya, nagdikit ang baga ng dalawang yosi at humigop ako para masindihan ang akin.

"Yeah, the paramedics. Nakita ko nga..." sagot ni Chad habang umaangat ang usok mula sa bibig niya.

"No," tumingala ako, sariwang-sariwa pa sa utak ko na parang isang pelikula ang nangyari bago dumating ang paramedics. "She came out of nowhere and pulled the stuck door for me. I swear, hindi ko alam kung paano nangyari."

Chad raised a brow and smirked. "She? Babae? Nauntog ba ulo mo? How could a girl pull a stuck door? Mabigat 'yon, saka matigas. Lasing ka ba no'n?"

"Hindi ako lasing, Chad. Alam ko ang nakita ko, her hair was long, black and lustrous." seryosong sagot ko. "And that door wasn't just stuck, dude. It was jammed hard. I even attempt to punch the windows hoping to break it from inside. But she... she just yanked it like it was nothing."

"Wait, teka." Chad exhaled slowly, narrowing his eyes. "Sinasabi mo ba na may dumating na superhero-type chick girl at hinatak yung pintuan para iligtas ka? Sounds like the head trauma's worse than I thought, dude."

I threw him a sharp glare. "I'm not joking, Chad. Hindi lang basta 'babae.' Something about her... I don't know how to explain it. Hindi normal. Parang hindi siya dapat nandun, pero nandun siya."

"Anong hitsura niya?" Chad asked, flicking the ash off his cigarette with a lazy tap.

"Hindi ko nakita," I admitted, frustration creeping into my voice. "The lights were blinding me, felt dizzy, but I saw her hair and silhouette. She was tall, slender. I know I catch her eyes and the way she looked at me... parang—parang nakakakilabot?" pagtataka ko rin habang inaalala ang naramdaman ko ng nagkatitigan kami kahit panandalian lang.

Chad scoffed and leaned back on the wall. "Nakalanghap kalang ng makapal ng usok, Gael."

I took a long drag from my cigarette and exhaled slowly. "Totoo nga kasi! You'll believe me when you see the door yourself. Pati yung mga paramedics nagtataka kung paano naalis."

"Kung ganon kalakas 'yan, bakit  di nalang niya binuhat at inayos ang tumaob mong sasakyan? Mutant ba siya? Avengers?" Chad's tone carried a note of skepticism, and also the sarcasm that's getting into my nerves.

"I don't know," I muttered, the memory playing in my head over and over again like a puzzle I couldn't solve. "Basta, bigla nalang natanggal yung pintuan tapos nakita ko siyang nakatayo nalang doon.. One second she was there... and the next? She was gone."

For a moment, Chad stayed quiet, flicking his cigarette to the ground and crushing it with his shoe. "Weird shit happens on drag race, dude. You sure you're not just lucky na buhay ka?"

I let out a sharp breath, blowing the smoke up toward the gloomy sky. "Maybe. Or maybe... it's something else."

"Paano F5 mo?" kalaunay tanong nito.

"Kinuha na ni Jughead," he's the tall guy who always wear a red bonnet who tows and fix cars from that den. "I'm buying the engine from him before anyone else could."

"Eh, Dad mo? Alam niya?" Tumalim lalo ang tingin ko sa kanya, parang lumubog ang dibdib ko sa iritasyon. Mas lalo lang ata nadagdagan ang inis ko sa tanong niya.

Alam kong nag-aalala lang siya, pero sa ganitong pagkakataon, parang dagok ang mga salita niya. Nang maalala kong hindi pa nga kami ayos ni Dad, parang may bigat na namang bumagsak sa balikat ko. Naisip ko tuloy na lahat ng kilos ko, laging may tanong o pagdududa mula sa iba.

Hindi ba pwedeng problemahin ang sarili kong buhay nang walang alalahanin kung anong iniisip ni Dad? Tutal, wala na ako sa puder niya. Hindi na ako sa bahay nakatira... "May binuburol kana ngayon kung sakaling alam niya, Chad. Malamang wala siyang alam." sagot ko.

Napa-iling na lang siya ng ilang beses habang humihithit ng yosi, tapos bumuga ng usok na parang sinusubukan kalmahin ang sarili. Maya-maya, bumaling siya sa akin na may malaking ngisi na parang may kapilyuhan sa isip.

"Nga pala, alam mo ba kung anong buwan ngayon?" tanong niya, sabay kindat.

Nagtaas ako ng kilay, bahagyang naguguluhan. "October?"

"Oo!" aniya, mas lumapad pa ang ngisi. "Ibig sabihin, simula na ng midterms."

"Tapos?"

"Maybe you can find your superhero, and I can find mine," parang ulol na aniya sabay taas baba ng mga kilay.

My forehead crumpled. "Huh? Ano bang sinasabi mo?"

Napailing siya, tapos kinamot ang batok na para bang pigil na pigil magmura. "Gael, ano bang napapansin mo sa school ngayon? Puno ng banners 'di ba?"

Sumandal ako sa dingding, iniisip sandali bago tumango. "Oo, marami nga."

Humigop muna siya nang malalim sa hawak na yosi, halatang napipikon na sa akin. "Oh, ibig sabihin, may mga banners, may mga bisita!"

Tumango ulit ako, pilit hinuhulaan kung saan papunta ang usapan na 'to. "Oo, tapos?"

"Edi...?"

"Edi?" panguulit ko.

"Aiishh! Ano ba pre!" asik niya, sabay hilamos ng mukha gamit ang dalawang kamay at napapikit.

"Tsk, eh kung sabihin mo na lang kasi nang diretso!" bulyaw ko, naiinis na rin.

"Hay naku!" buntong-hininga niya, sabay bagsak ng mga kamay. "Pareho nating favorite month 'to kasi simula na ng exchange student program! Ibig sabihin-may mga forenger, pare!"

"Ahh..." saglit pang nangunot ang noo ko pero nakuha ko naman ang sinasabi niya. Forenger ang tawag niya sa mga babaeng exchange student na paniguradong kababaliwan niya ngayong midterms . "Yun lang pala," bulong ko sa sarili habang siya naman ay humahalakhak. Mukang may binabalak na sa unang babaeng madadagit niya.

Siya lang naman ang natutuwa sa bagay na iyon, nadadamay lang ako sa kalokohan niya dahil sinasali niya rin ako noon. I admit it was fun to meet and talk to girls but I am not looking for any romantic relationship right now even before. At saka malabo ang sinasbai niyang mahanap ko ang babaeng nag ligtas sa akin sa racetrack na iyon dahil malabong mapadpad iyon sa ganitong eskwelahan.

At baka hindi iyon nag-aaral. Sa dami ba naman ng population sa mundo, pwedeng maging sino ang babaeng iyon. I paused for a moment, I'm right she could be anyone... Uhrm, no. Malabo.

"Pre, restroom lang ako ah? Hindi pwedeng amoy sigarilyo ako, marami pa akong pupurmahan! Kita nalang tayo sa room!" biglang paalam ni Chad matapos itapon ang huling papak niya ng sigarilyo sabay takbo paalis.

Napailing nalang ako sa pagka-babaero ng kaibigan ko. Mabait naman siya, maloko lang talaga. Aalis nadin sana ako nang may mapansing kumpulan ng mga estudyante sa main hall.

I flicked my cigarette butt toward the gutter, watching it bounce off the concrete before the swirl of smoke faded into the cool afternoon air. I wasn't planning to pay attention to the noise coming from the courtyard-just the usual chatter and fake laughter I hear every day.

But then a sharp smack cut through the air, loud enough to make everyone freeze. It wasn't the kind of slap you hear during drama class. No, this one had weight-like someone really meant it.

Curiosity got the best of me, so I leaned against the wall, tilting my head just enough to catch a glimpse of the scene. And there she was. Chanel Oberlin, the queen bee of the whole damn campus, standing with her arms crossed, a smirk plastered on her face.

She was always at the center of these things—drama followed her like a shadow. But it wasn't Chanel who caught my attention. No, it was the girl standing in front of her.

A new girl. A new face. She stood out for all the wrong reasons.

She was wearing the school uniform, which was odd enough on its own. It exactly fit her—it just looked awkward on her. Or maybe it's just that she had no presence at all because the uniform seemed to reject her.

Maybe, she's one of the exchange students? Pero bakit nagmumuka siyang basahan? Her hair—if you could call that tangled mess hair—hung limp around her pale, blotchy face, like she just rolled out of bed and couldn't be bothered to care.

Honestly, she looked dull. Uninspired. Just... ugly. There was nothing about her that made sense. No makeup to hide the obvious dark circles under her eyes, no attempt to blend in, no flair. Just this bland, forgettable expression, like she wasn't really here—or didn't care if she was.

The weirdest part? She didn't seem intimidated by Chanel. And that's saying something. Most people crack under Chanel's glare, but this girl just stood there, staring like she couldn't care less who Chanel was. Bago lang din naman siya rito kaya wala talaga siyang alam.

Chanel sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "Do you even know who you're looking at, freak?"

The girl blinked slowly, like Chanel's words barely registered. For a second, I thought she was going to back down like everyone else eventually does—but she just shrugged, as if to say, Yeah, I know. And I don't give a damn.

I took a drag from the empty air out of habit, watching the tension build. Something about this new girl rubbed me the wrong way, and it wasn't just her ugly face. It was the way she didn't flinch, kung normal na babae pa siya aba'y kanina pa sila nagsasabunutan ng buhok ni Chanel.

Sumaglit pa ang pakikipag titigan ng dalawang babae, tila nagsusukatan ng tingin kahit iyong isa ay parang walang pakialam. Pero dahil naturang pikonin si Chanel ay nauna itong kumawala sa titig saka sarkasamong napa buga ng hangin.

Kasabay non ang pag turo niya sa babae, tsaka nilapat ang hintuturo sa balikat nito sabay tulak ng malakas. Pero imbis na ang pangit na babae ang matulak ay si Chanel pa ang umatras. Maski ako ay hindi natago ang gulat, ang iba'y napapasinghap.

Chanel almost lost her balance, stumbling awkwardly as she tried to regain her footing. Meanwhile, the girl remained rooted in place, unmoving, like some kind of unshakable monument. Now that I had a clearer look at her, may katangkaran pala siya.

Not just taller than Chanel, but tall enough that it almost felt like she was looming over her, like a strange, scrappy version of the Statue of Liberty.

And weirdly enough, Chanel looked smaller standing across to her. I'd never thought of Chanel as small—she had always carried herself like she owned the campus—but now, compared to this girl's broad frame, she seemed... diminished.

The girl had a bigger build than most of the girls on campus, and it threw me off. Chanel, with all her attitude and sharp edges, suddenly didn't look as imposing as she usually did.

It was unsettling, in a way.

Aren't all girls built smaller? Mukang mas matangkad pa ata siya kesa kay Chad? Tsaka sa tindig at hitsura niya, sobrang layo sa isang demure at magalang na babae. Para kasi siyang makikipag-buno sa isang buong rugby team.

Animo'y andito para papatay ng tao eh, kung hindi dahil sa nakasukbit na school bag sa kanang balikat niya baka isipin kong isa siyang serial killer na adik at napag tripang pumasok bilang estudyante.

"Listen up, new face. Respect isn't optional around here, got it? And stop with that creepy staring-it's seriously pissing me off," Chanel snapped, shoving the girl again.

This time, the girl stumbled a step back, caught off guard as if she'd been ready to leave. But Chanel wasn't done. She kept shoving her, each push harder than the last. The weird part? The girl wasn't really resisting. She let Chanel shove her over and over, her body swaying slightly with each hit, only to settle right back into place like she hadn't felt a thing.

And then I saw it—a flicker of something subtle but impossible to miss.

A small, knowing smirk curled at the corner of her lips, like Chanel's tantrum was more amusing than threatening. She wasn't scared. Hell, it seemed like she was toying with Chanel, daring her to push harder, knowing it wouldn't matter.

First time kong makita na may aastang mas siga pa sa mga barumbado, spoiled brat at mga walang modo dito sa Ravier Colleges of the South. At ang mas nakakaloko pa ay isa siyang babae. Pangit na babae.

And there was something about her—something off, something dangerous. And I couldn't look away.

gael, ruby scene

Ruby's POV

Grabe, dumaan lang naman ako sa harapan nila, pero bigla na lang akong sinampal. At hindi iyon basta-bastang sampal-'yung sakit, kumakapit pa rin sa balat ko kahit ilang minuto na ang lumipas.

I was staring at her nameplate while she kept poking my shoulder over and over. I don't care for petty drama like this, but somehow, it amused me. So, I let her shove me, watching as she stumbled more than I did.

I was about to walk away when she lost her balance for the fifth time, but before I could take a step, two girls from earlier rushed in, grabbing my arms tight. They latched onto both of my arms, holding me down tight, as if they thought they could restrain me. I felt my skin crawl at the unwanted touch, anger simmering just beneath the surface. Napasinghap ako sa gigil.

What the hell did I even do to deserve this? I could've just walked past them. But no, this blonde girl decided to slap me out of nowhere-and now her little entourage thinks pinning me down is a good idea.

Her eyes narrowed, her lips curled into a sneer as she stepped forward, blocking my way with an air of authority. "You think you can just walk away from me like that?" she spat, her voice dripping with disdain. "I don't think so, stupid. You're not going anywhere until I say so."

Ang dami niyang kuda, sabay ngisi na parang kung anong nakakatakot na banta ang binato niya. For her information, wala nang bagay sa mundong 'to ang kaya pang takutin ako. At kung nagbabakasakali siyang patindigin ang balahibo ko sa simpleng ngiti niya, baka siya pa ang unang matakot kapag ako ang gumanti ng ngiti.

God, she's wasting my time. Ano bang trip ng babaeng 'to? Tanong ko sa isip ko habang nakatitig sa kanya. Pero bago pa ako magsawa, unti-unting nanlumo ang ngiti niya nang magtagpo ang mga mata namin.

"The fuck?!" she blurted out, quickly looking away, na para bang ayaw ng makakita ng multo.

That's when I couldn't help it anymore-a low chuckle slipped out of me. It felt so damn satisfying, I had to tilt my head to the side, scanning the crowd, looking for the eyes I knew were watching.

And there he was. Someone, standing just outside the crowd. He wasn't trying to hide, but the way his body tensed when our eyes locked told me otherwise. His expression shifted-surprise, fear, and something else-like he wasn't ready to be caught watching.

I smiled. His startled expression only made me smirk wider.

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