Selena's P.O.V

"I would also like to ask you the same question, Thalia."

Hindi ko inaakalang maririnig ko ito sa mga bibig ng jowa ko. Hindi ako makapaniwalang hindi niya ako pinili bilang isang date niya sa first Acquaintance Party namin as a Hellvanian student. I never thought that just a few little words could break everything that I held dear about myself.

I could go the high road of maturity and think that they'll just be a platonic date on a very special night, but deep inside I know that wasn't the case. Alam kung may namumuong feelings si Apollo kay Thalia, although I can finally trust Thalia about this, alam ako at naniniwala akong wala na siyang naramdaman kay sa boyfriend ko but I can't say the same to Apollo.

"Hello? Earth to Selena?" Isang boses ang biglang pumukaw sa akin. I looked up and saw Michelle and instantly I remembered that the reason we were in the salon was to enjoy ourselves before the event tonight.

"Okay ka lang ba? Kanina ka pa naka tulala dyan." Aniya.

I forced a smile and said, "Yeah, okay lang ako. May iniisip lang."

"Ma'am tapos napo ang nail bed cleaning nyo." The lady cleaning my nails announced.

"Thank you po ate." I smiled.

For a while, nawala naman ako sa mga iniisip ko. Parang bang hindi ako makapakali sa mga nararamdaman ko at sa mga nasa isip ko. My mind and heart was battling and in a panic and it was difficult to put them in place.

"Alam kung si "A" yang iniisip-isip mo." Biglang nag salita si Michelle na naikagulat ko. I keep forgetting that she was there.

"Pasensiya na. Hindi lang talaga ako makapaniwalang magagawa yon ni Apollo." Baling ko sa kanya.

"Neither can I to be honest." Aniya. "I mean, akala ko matino na lalaki si Apollo. He's been the standard "good boy" sa lahat ng taong kilala siya."

Napatingin ako kay Michelle nang sinabi niya iyon at bigla akong may naisip tungkol rito. He was everyone's standard of a "good boy", and with everything that's going on, highschool and all, maybe he's trying out new things. Or maybe I'm just overthinking a simple case of "one heart two ladies".

"Ayan nawalala ka na naman sa mga iniisip mo tungkol kay Apollo." Michelle called out.

She reached out when though the salon employee was already struggling on doing her hair, and slapped my hands.

"Alam mo, sa lahat ng naging rejections ko sa mga lalaki ni isa dinibdib ko." Sabi niya sa akin. Inilagay niya ang inuman niya sa counter kung nasaan naruon ang mga gamit pangbuhok.

"Easy for you to say, hindi mo pa nararanasan ang isang siryosong relasyon, Michelle." Baling ko sa kanya.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Wag kang over dramatic dyan. We're teenagers for Christ sake! Wala pa tayo sa tamang edad sa mga ganyanan."

"We have so much to do in our teens than having a boyfriend. Hindi nga natin alam kung mananatili ba sila sa tabi natin o hindi eh."

Lahat nang naisaksak nya a ulo ay hindi nakapag gaan ng kaluoban ko. I am not a "pretty wild dumb boy magnet" that everyone thinks I am because of my face. Isa ako sa mga babaeng gustong may lalaking nagseseryoso sa akin at mamahalin ako hindi lang sa mala dyosa kung mukha.

"All I want is to find a guy that's good. Kaya nga wala pa akong naging seryosong ka relasyon kasi lahat sila nilalaro lang ako." I said, finally opening up to Michelle. "Whenever a guy introduces themselves to me I really believe that it was them, they were my endgame, FINALLY may nakita na akong matino, but every time a lower my guard and give them everything I have as their partner that they committed, I turn around and they're gone. I turn around and see a new girl doing the things that I should be doing not them."

Lahat nang naging emosyon ko naibuhos ko na para bang isang ibong nakakulong at sa wakas ay nakalaya na rin. Hindi ko na pinigilan ang mga luha ko at hinayaan nalang silang dumaloy sa mga pisngi ko. I could sense that the other customers and the salon's employees themselves were starting to look at me, but I didn't care anymore.

"Okay, wow, we're doing this. Ummm." Michelle panicked. Hindi niya ata inaasahang ganito ang mangyayari sa aming dalawa.

"You know, I heard this song last night and I felt like that song was for me." Aniko. Umaapaw ang mga luha sa mga mata. "The song titled All I Want and I swear it's my anthem."

"God, you and men. Hindi ko alam na ganito ka pala desididong makahanap ng lalaking mamahalin ka." She quipped.

"All these sarcastic remarks aren't helping, Chelle." I groaned, wiping the tears off my cheeks.

Tumawa bigla si Michelle dahil sa sinabi ko. Parang tanga lang ako nakatingin sa kanya, nakataas ang kilay dahil sa pagtawa niya. Parang ramdam kung nakikipag-usap ako sa isang demonyo at tinatawanan lang ako.

"Pardon my rudeness ha. Nakakatawa lang kasi eh." She giggled. "I was trying to lighten up the serious mood but I think I made it worse than it was before."

Nung tumawa siya, doon kulang napansin na tapos na pala ang hairdo niya. The deep conditioning of her hair made her look like a model straight out of Victoria's Secret Angels. Napansin ko din ang pakilay niya and how good her brows are from before. All this time we were talking, she was transforming right in front of me without me noticing it!

"Oh my god! You look beautiful!" Napasabi ko sa kanya.

"Yeah I know, I was a butterfly in disguise." She bragged, flicking her hair like a boss.

It took me a while to recover, finally, I said, "H-How are you so carefree? With all your... encounters with guys but you're still so happy go lucky kind of girl? Hindi ka ba nasasatan?"

Napatingin sa sahig si Michelle dahil sa sinabi ko. For a second I thought I crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed and I panicked. Tahimik lang siyang nakatingin sa sahig, all the silence made me uncomfortable and awkward.

Finally she spoke, "Of course nasasaktan ako. Hindi na ata tao ang mga taong hindi nasasaktan sa mga rejections."

"Pero hindi ko dinidibdib yon. I don't stay too long from the past, you know why?" Aniya.

"Ano?" I asked like an enthusiastic kid so eager to find out something that will change her life.

"Because I know my worth as a person and as a woman." She smiled proudly.

"I don't chase men only for them to break me. I let THEM chase me. And when I see that they are truly serious about me, about us, only then I'll give them my attention." She added. Tumaas agad ang mga balahibo ko dahil sa sinabi niya, she was such an inspiration and I was so blessed to have her as my best friend.

"Baka yan dapat yung gawin mo." She suddenly commented.

I tilted my head slightly and asked, "anong ibig mung sabihin?"

"That you should know your worth and stop giving people discounts." Aniya.

With an enlightened mind and heart, I hugged her. Incredibly thankful for her wise words. Kung wala ata siya, hindi yata ako matataohan sa mga nangyayari.

"Pasensiya na ha, pero wala na pa ba kayong mapapagawa o mapapaayos?" I sudden employee of the salon spoke.

Michelle looked at me and smiled, "May isa pa po kayong mission ate."

"Anong ginagawa mo? Akala kk tapos kana." I said in a panic. Alam ko na may pinaplano siya sa akin and although my respect and trust for her are sky high, takot parin ako sa mga planong namumuo sa utak niya.

"Ako tapos na, ikaw hindi." She announced.

"Ate, do your magic and transform her." She started to command the salon employee. "I was thinking deep conditioning and highlights for her hair."

"Wait, anong highlights?! My mom will kill me if I do something unholy to my hair." Aniko.

"Relax and trust me." She replied.

"Just sit back and we're gonna show Apollo the biggest mistake he has ever done in his life."

END OF KABANTA TWENTY

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TO BE CONTINUED