Watch your thoughts, they become your words: 15 | Men

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Ruby's POV

I was heading back to the Cafeteria Hall after performing a ritual in the restroom. Sa dami kasi ng pinakain sa'kin ni Cross ay sumakit ang tiyan ko. While walking, I happened to run into someone, and I believe she's one of Chanel's girls.

"Oh, hi bitch. How's bitching?" maarteng aniya. Hindi ko sana siya papansin pero bigla niyang in-angkla ang ang braso niya sa braso ko bago hilahin sa paglalakad.

She's the only one bitching, not me.

Ang weird pa ng pangalan niya ng sipatin ko ang nameplate niya. Nakalagay Bul Gari. Alin naman don ang first name niya? Ang Bul? Hanep ah?

"Look," she said at tinuro si Cross na katabi na si Chanel Oberlin. Naka kabit pa ito sa braso niya habang hinihilig ang ulo sa balikat niya.

Err, porn.

"Look at that, redhead... Cargael will never be your man..." My insides immediately objected to what she asserted...I am my own man.

Now, what's with their petty show? Sinundan ba ako ng babaeng 'to para lang kunwaring makasalubong ako tapos mang iistorbo?

Hay, kabobohan nga naman.

"You know what, bitch? Stop messing around, especially with Gael." She stepped closer, her voice cold and sharp. "Wag mong kunin ang hindi mo pagmamay-ari. Palibhasa kasi bago ka pa lang dito, wala kang alam pero nagyayabang na." Her eyes narrowed as she leaned in, her tone dripping with disdain.

"Don't you know?" She smirked, crossing her arms as she looked me up and down. "Matagal na sila ni Gael."

Oh? But he kissed someone, last night. "Hindi..."

"Yeah, and that saves your ass right now. Ngayong may alam kana, 'wag ng haliparot ah?" she mockingly said and grin.

Hmm, malay ko bang mag jowa sila? Kaya ba siya tinotoyo dahil wala si Chanel? Eh, kung sila bakit ako ang kinakausap? Bakit ako ang hinalikan? Haaa, mga lalake nga naman.

Tsk, andon pa sa mesa ang hotdog ko ah? Haa, bili nalang akong bago. Kainis, inubos ko nalang sana bago nag cr.

Chanel flashed a smile when she saw me, as if expecting it to unsettle me. But truthfully, I didn't care about her at all. As if those insecure smiles could stab me to death when only I hold the power to do so.

Power ko 'yon. Maniwala kayo.

I just veered away since I was headed to the counter to buy some new hotdogs. Pagkatapos, naghanap ulit ako ng bakanteng mesa at buti nalang may isa na malayo sa kina-uupuan ni Cross at Chanel.

I walked down the aisle until I passed by them, and I even caught a glimpse of Chanel's bombastic side eye. Kulang nalang tumirik ng ang mga mata niya eh.

Tusukin ko kaya ng tinidor?

Sana naman maka kain na'ko ng maayos. Pero mukang malabo parin 'yon, because as soon as I sat down, may mga lalaking nagtatawanan sa harap ko.

"Go ahead!" I heard someone say, and my attention was drawn to them while pushing someone in front of me.

"Um, miss, excuse me..." said the guy who had been pushed by the others. I looked at him; he seemed hesitant and shy. And a lunatic.

"I'm not blocking the way," I quipped sarcastically, but he just grin, leaving his mouth slightly open.

Ano namang nakakatawa sa sinabi ko? Natulala pa ito ng matagal kaya agad siyang binatukan ng mga kasama niya. "Heck dude you are embarrassing."

"Uh, I'm sorry... I'm just captivated by your beauty," he stammered and cleared his throat. Agad namang naghiyawan ang mga kasamahan niya, feeling ikinagwapo naman ng tanga ang trip nila.

MEN...

"You're so beautiful that I forget to breathe," he said, his voice barely audible at the end. Animoy pinalaki at pinabanayad ang boses na parang umungol.

At feeling niya ulit na nakakadagdag points iyon. Nagmuka nga lang siyang butiking gutom sa tuwing naghahanap ng makain sa kisame.

"Oh, really?" I paused, narrowing my eyes. "Are you dying yet?"

"Not yet," he whispered, stepping closer. "But I could die… right here, right now." hirit pa nito sabay upo sa aking harapan.

I scoffed, resisting the urge to crack a smile. My tongue traced a small circle in my cheek as I set down the food I was about to bite into. He leaned in closer, a sneer tugging at his lips, and I decided to give him what he wanted—my attention.

“Then die,” I said, my words sharp and deliberate, ensuring they hit their mark. I watched his reaction carefully, savoring the moment.

Pero hindi ko na nga maiwasang hindi mangiti dahil sa nakikita kong takot sa mga mata niya ng titigan ko siya.

Psh, parang 'yun lang... Natakot na. 

I was about to stand up, intending to leave, but I was taken aback when someone seized my arms and pulled me forcibly out of my chair.

I was gearing up to shoot death glares when I suddenly felt the weight of his authority looming behind me.

Pareha ito sa naramdaman ko nung bigla siyang sumulpot para malayo ako kay Roark junior at mga iilan pang beses na ramdam ko ang medjo nakakatakot niyang presensya.

Bit strange, pero agad na humupa ang tensyon sa loob ko at naging alerto sa'king paligid.

Magrereklamo panga sana ako dahil sa ginawa niya pero kasi ayan na naman ang mga mata niyang nangungusap ng sinalubong ko iyon. Damn, I haven't seen them for a while.

"I've been calling you, but you're not answering," My forehead crumpled, he's been calling? May cellphone ba ako?

As I prepared to say something, he abruptly yanked me again, attempting to pull me away. However, at the same time, someone else grabbed my other arm, resulting in the unfortunate consequence of my food spilling all over me. 

The sudden tug-of-war between them led to a messy and unexpected turn of events, leaving me covered in the remnants of my... Hotdogsss.

My Hotdogs.

I stood there in stunned silence, blinking several times as their words sank in. What just happened? I glared at Cross, feeling my brow tense.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, and took a deep, steady breath. Rolds? Can I kill this man? Cause, my lovely hotdogsss are goonneee! Goddammit!

How dare he just barge in like that and disrupt everything?! It's like he's oblivious to personal boundaries or any notion of decorum. 

What was he thinking, grabbing me like that and making a mess of everything? It's infuriating! He needs to understand that he can't just waltz in and pull me around as if I'm some sort of object!

Bullshit.

Now, I'm torn between being furious with them and wanting to lash their throats out. But before I could decide, I jerked my arms back, picked up my wasted food from the floor, and tossed it into the nearest garbage can.

I can't believe it. All that food—wasted. It's not just the mess; it's the sheer disrespect. Every bite counts, and now it's all gone. Just one careless moment, and everything's ruined. It's beyond frustrating. Dammit, my deep apologies hotdogs.

I hurried away, ignoring the chatter and heading straight to the nearest restroom. The gravy sauce splattered over me made it look like I'd tumbled in the dirt, and it had almost stained my undergarments. I had no choice but to clean up.

As I washed my hands, a sudden realization hit—I didn't have a spare uniform. Strangely, I couldn't bring myself to care too much, though the pain in my palms was hard to ignore. The cuts were deep, and as water ran over them, the sting demanded all my attention.

How long had I let these wounds fester? What started as a release of frustration had only left me with more pain than I'd anticipated. I struggled to put words to the unhappiness that gnawed at me.

And then, as I looked up, there was Cross, leaning casually against the wall outside the restroom. His presence only amplified my discomfort, making it harder to shake the uneasy feeling settling in my gut.

Hindi nalang pala sana ako lumabas. I would just like to smash his face on the ground until I couldn't recognize him at all.

"Are you fine?" Ugh, I hate his tone when he acts like he cares.

"Bakit hindi mo 'yan itanong sa hotdogs ko?" naiinis ko paring saad habang nakatingin sa kanya ng masama.

"Let's go..." he ordered abruptly, shooting me a glare when I didn't comply. "I heard your stomach rumbling." 

Yes, thanks to you. Ilang hotdogs na nasayang ko dahil sa'yo, punyeta.

I heard him sigh and then he grabbed me again, halting when we reached the lockers. "Stay put," he commanded firmly.

"And how come this concerns you?" I groaned as he gave me a pair of P.E. uniform.

"Change your clothes unless you want others picking on you. You look like trash," he stated bluntly.

"Excuse me? And whose fault is that?"

"That's why I'm lending you my spare P.E. uniform. Ano, galit ka parin ba? Fine, I'm sorry okay? Naglalandi ka kasi."

I scoffed, rolling my tongue inside my cheeks. "Naglalandi? That's what you call flirting? And how am I supposed to answer your calls when I don't have a goddamn cellphone?!"

"God, I was just calling your name, not calling you on a literal phone!" he yelled back, pinching the bridge of his nose to calm himself. "You... you enjoy talking out of line in front of strangers," he added, his response leaving me more confused than before. "Don't be rude to people you've just met. If anything, ignore them—like you're ignoring me..."

"I'm a flirt because of that?! Are you jealous?" pag-uulit ko.

Agad namang nanlaki ang mga mata niya sa huling sinabi ko. He smirked and cleared his throat.

"No, I'm just reminding you that you don't know who you're talking to." salubong na talaga ang kilay nito habang binubulyawan ako. He even slammed the lockers behind me na mas lalo ko ring ikinagalit.

Ano ba talagang problema ng gagong 'to? Bakit parang kasalanan ko pa na inagawan ako ng jowa niya sa mesa ko? Alangan namang makiupo ako habang nasa harap ko sila't naglalandian? Tapos ako pa ngayon ang malandi?

Hanep, din!

I-chainsaw ko kaya bayag niya, tignan natin kung makuha niya pang mag amok? Tsk.

"I really don't understand you, Cargael Cross. You're getting mad for no reason. What's your problem? Are you mad because your friends left you? And why are you taking it out on me? Is it my fault, huh? Fuck off, will you?" I said firmly, pushing him on the shoulder. "Besides, they also don't even know me. What's your problem?"

"You're running your mouth a lot right now. Your sarcasm is getting out of hand," he grunted, clearly not backing down.

"Yeah? At least I know when to stop and shut up; do you know when you'll shut yours?" I retorted, my gaze intensifying as I locked my eyes with him. "It is when an issue is none of your business." pag ririin ko.

He fell silent, merely holding my stare before tapping my forehead. I scowled at him, but he remained undisturbed. Eventually, he pulled me down the hallway, leading us back to the Cafeteria. He then ordered the same food that had been wasted earlier.

Ano 'to pampalubag ng loob?

Tsk, I've already lost my appetite.

But I grew weary of arguing with him and began eating as soon as he forced me to sit down and place the food on the table. I'm really having this awful pain in my stomach, lately. Guess, I really need to eat a proper meal.

"Galit ka parin ba?" and there he goes again... "I just saved you from that jerk, just so you know."

"Me? Angry? I'm not even close, and who saves who?" nangungunot ang noo kong sabi.

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To be continued...