

### She's The Boss

M.G. Marquez

(gulliblegummybear)

Published by M.G. Marquez at Smashwords

Copyright 2014 M.G. Marquez

### Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

For my sisters, brothers, and parents whose love never fades.

For Kim, Reena, Czarina, Angel and Jen who love me for who I am.

For Mae Ann, Pamela and her sister Pi-chie who were there for me from start to finish.

### Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty One

Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Four

Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six

Chapter Forty Seven

Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty Two

Chapter Fifty Three

Chapter Fifty Four

Chapter Fifty Five

Chapter Fifty Six

Chapter Fifty Seven

Chapter Fifty Eight

Playlist

Acknowledgments

About the Author
People make choices.

People make sacrifices.

People are afraid.

People try to be brave.

People get tired of being brave.

People love.

People get hurt.

People try to accept.

People don't.

But life goes on as how people want it to go on.

I'll move forward.

We'll move forward.

Because moving forward is the only way to feel alive.

# CHAPTER ONE

### MAGGIE

Wednesdays are never for me. It's a day of bad luck. It follows me like a black cat, ruining every single thing called "good".

It's a Wednesday today so I'm supposed to be unlucky. I am. I tripped over my heels at 6:30 in the morning, in the middle of everyone's attention, right in front of _his_ attention. I felt my face all flushed up. Oh dear Earth, please open up and eat me whole.

I cursed over and over as I ride on the jeepney which stopped in front of us. I heard him chuckle a bit. Geez. So much about making an impression.

_He_. We're always going to the same school, at the same time, right at this same place. I've always wondered if he was my soul mate or stalker.

Hah! _Stalker_?

If I would be standing next to him I would look more of his stalker. He's gorgeous, no kidding. His arms are the best sculpted ones, smooth and sleek. His eyes are the brightest shade of brown of among I've seen. They're beautiful.

"I'd wear flat shoes if I were you,"

I felt my stomach rose up to my throat. He sat next to me and actually talked to me. His voice melted my heart. Oh wait. _Talked to me?_ He _laughed_ at me. Ugh, how rude.

I paid him no more attention after that. He's an ass, I declare.

The jeepney stopped abruptly that my face crashed into my seatmate's back. I think I broke my nose, damn. I apologized to my seatmate and repositioned myself. By plain instinct, I looked back. Butterflies filled my tummy when I saw him looking straight at me. Straight. Into. My. Eyes. Emeged, we're having a one-second nirvana. I swear I melted. I looked away when my phone rang.

"Hi," I greeted.

"Where the hell are you? Sir Manalo is here already!" Nikki said frantically.

"What?!" I exclaimed loudly, too much that everyone looked at me like I killed someone. I smirked. "If the roll call starts tell him that I'm present, okay? Do something about that."

"Are you near?"

"Not yet. I'm so far. So far far far away. I got caught up in a traffic jam." Everyone looked at me again, wide-eyed. It wasn't traffic at all. I just made an excuse.

"Okay. We'll make an excuse for you. Take care." I said thanks and goodbye before I hang up.

Seated uncomfortably beside him, I waited. When we reached our stop, I hurried out and have completely forgotten that I was wearing heels. Oh shit. I tripped again in the middle of the intersection and thank you Heavens, a truck was roaring toward me. I closed my eyes.

Is this my end? Wow, what a great way to die.

After 3714831 years, I felt light. My feet have been swept off of the ground. _I think I'm flying._ I opened my eyes and stared out to the sky. St. Peter, I called out, we will see each other at last.

"Angels in Heaven, you can now fetch me..."

"Until when will you be dreaming?"

My body shook in alarm. It was just then when I realized that I am being carried princess-style by someone-who-I-admired-30-minutes-ago-turned-out-to-be-an-ass. "You?! W-what do you think you're doing?!"

"Don't you know that those who don't thank people don't go to heaven?" he simply said. I punched him in the chest which hurt... so bad. "Especially those who are violent,"

"Put me down!" I demanded, and he did... in a not-so nice way. He simply let me fall from his arms to the cold hard ground, and then walked out like nothing happened. What an ass! I picked up my shoe and threw at him. He yelped.

Served you right.

It's 7:20 a.m. and I'm dying. My class started at 7 which only meant I'm freaking late.

As I was running along the sidewalk, something hard fell on my head. Confused, I looked down on my hand and saw a mango fruit. I looked up only to find one, two, three... four guys jumping down the tree. Stunned, I stepped back.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Where did he go?" asked the tall, bald guy. He looked like Mr. Clean.

"Who?"

"The one you're talking to a while ago! Where did he go?!" the short guy asked rudely. His eyebrows are so thick they look like electrical tapes. I shall call him "Electrical Tape" from now on.

"HEY! I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

"H-ha?! I don't even know him!"

"You don't know him but he carried you in his arms?"

"What? I can't believe this. So you're saying, when someone carries you you know each other now? I can carry you right now! C'mon, I'll carry you!" I challenged Electrical Tape but he didn't move. I shoved them away. I am so late on my first class and these freaks are making my situation worse.

When I did try to escape, someone pulled me back. He accused me of being an ill-mannered woman. Wow, look who's talking?

"Let her go," someone commanded. "Looks like she doesn't really know him,"

Someone No.3 loosened his grip on my arm. I brushed the pain away as I somehow thank Someone No.4 in my mind. I looked up to see him and my jaw unhinged itself.

Is he human or am I an animal? My eyes travelled from his no-words-can-describe arms to his perfect collarbones, chiseled jaw, tomato red lips, up to his eyes. His eyes are of a different shade of brown that I love them are full of sadness. He also has a scar on his left brow which made him look more masculine. _Hot_.

"Let's go! You guys are so slow!" He dragged his friends away. Electrical Tape was the last one to follow. He faced me, disgusted.

"Thank Boss because he stopped me. If not –"

"If not what? You're going to hurt me? Geez, you can't even reach my forehead, can you?"

Irritated more than irritated he ran.

I checked my watch. It read 7:43 a.m.

I walked.

Wait. WHAT?! This can't be happening to me!

# CHAPTER TWO

### MAGGIE

Why do all elevators don't work when I need them to? They only work only on days when the Accreditors are here. Today isn't Accreditation day. I have to use the stairs.

Cursing, I ran just to be stopped by a Great Wall of China. I bounced back when I ran into a girl the size thrice as me. She turned to face me and asked for an apology for walking so slowly. Dumbfounded, I accepted her apology though I should be the one to apologize for running without looking on my way. She smiled.

She let me on before her and I continued running. When I reached my room, I peeked on the door window. I saw Sir Wynn writing on the board so I took the chance to enter the room. When I turned the knob, the door creaked. _Darn_.

I knelt in nervousness. My block mates began laughing, but I disregarded them. I hope Sir M would, too. He did. I crawled toward my seat, called Nikki's attention and gave her my bag.

"Hey, will you stay like that forever?" Nikki teased so I stood up, a hand raised. Mr. Wynn raised an eyebrow at me. "I just went to the comfort room, sir."

"Then take your seat now." I did.

Nikki asked what happened to me, why the hell I was late, and what's with the red marks on my arm. I told her everything which sucked because I have to remember all those crap-looking people who treated me bad. She just laughed.

" _Oy, oy_! Why are you noisy? Why're you so happy?!" He pointed his finger at us. We stared at him, startled. "You're chatting all day then you'll ask questions from me? Don't let me talk to your mothers at the end of this semester!" He stormed out of the room.

Half-amused, half-afraid, we sat and waited for someone to crack the ice. Someone did.

"CANTEEN!" and so we did.

On the way to the canteen, I continued telling Nikki and Nica what happened to me earlier. I was at the climax of my story when someone bumped into my back. _Ouch_.

"Hey!" I yelled.

"I'm sorry!" When he turned to face me and apologize, my blood reached the top of my head. He was the one who dropped me on the ground earlier!

"YOU?! You owe me something!"

"You're the one who owe me. I saved you and you threw a shoe at me in return,"

When I was about to defend myself something hard fell on my head. _Again_. I looked at my hand and saw a sampaloc fruit. A while ago it was mango, now sampaloc? What's wrong with gravity now?

I looked up and saw him running away. When I was about to run after him, someone called out from above. I saw one, two, three, four guys jumping down from a tree. Again. They surrounded me.

"Where is Yvan?" Mr. Clean asked, spewing saliva on my face.

"Who's that again?"

"Yvan!" When I said that I don't know where he is and that I am not an Information Desk to ask for missing children, Electrical Tape attempted to attack me but Someone No. 3 spanked him in the face. Serves him right.

"Miss, I know you know Yvan so tell us where the fuck you're hiding him,"

"Look, I don't know and I don't care who that Yvan is, okay? And please! Where do you think would I put that Yvan, huh? I don't have magical pockets like Doraemon. _Stupons_ ,"

"Stupons?"

"You're stupid and a moron. You're a PACK-age."

No one dared to speak after that until Someone No.4/Perfect Boss walk up to me. I stepped back, embarrassed.

"You," he said in a tone an octave lower. "How can you speak to us that way, _girl_? Do you _even_ know who we are?"

I was lost for words in the next seconds because (1) he was effingly trying to melt me in his gaze, (2) he was closing so much space between us, and (3) too many girls were screaming five feet away, and I am 99.99% sure that they're running toward us them. But just one look from Perfect Boss stopped them midway.

He turned to me. My knees shook when he picked up my ID. I tried to snatch it from him but he had unlocked the lace before I did. My eyes grew wide.

He got my ID. I got my lace. Oh great.

He smirked at me and I swear I saw his eyes twinkled... in evil thoughts, maybe. "Hey, in case you don't know, we're a gang. And we kill people who go against us."

I sucked up all the air I could suck and pretended to be cool, unafraid.

"Bummer. You're saying too much and you're polluting the air," I acted as if I'm suffocating and I'm going to die. I stuck my tongue at him while I grabbed Nikki and Nica's arms so we could leave. I heard him shout after we left, "I'm Guji Tarence Kim. Remember that name."

I gnawed my fears and tried to swallow them all.

I nearly choked.

"Well, that was a show right there."

I chewed my inner cheeks as I try to forget what I have done. When I failed, I let my head drop to the table. I cried in pain. "Oh no..." I wailed. "Why didn't you tell me anything about those guys? I've been blabbering about them for about two hours already and you guys didn't even tell me they're dangerous? Deadly?"

Nica can't help but laugh at my misery. Really? I don't see anything so funny here except that I'm going to die early, probably.

"We didn't even know that you're referring to them!"

"I don't even know we're friends," when I rolled my eyes at them they laughed even more.

"Know what? Guji don't speak to girls. He can be your boyfriend!"

Seriously? I'd rather step in front of a train, be in pieces, and die rather than be his girlfriend. I don't see any future with him except days of terror and endless threat. I have dropped the idea of me having a love story with him ten minutes ago. I thought he was cool and nice, but he turned out to be a demon's spawn.

Why do "cool people at first sight" actually suck?

"Hey, do they... really kill people? Don't they go to jail?"

"Na-ah. They don't exactly 'kill' people. They only teach them lessons. Lessons learned the hard way. You'll get hospitalized for months in the least," Nikki explained. I never thought that the word 'hospitalized' could be this scary. I'm scared.

I decided to drop the subject and returned to my book. When I was about to look down to read, something caught my eye. No, _someone._ I craned my neck to have a better view of the table just behind ours. A guy with glasses seated there, reading. Guys with glasses always attract me, I don't know why. Sometimes this fetish makes me creepy. I stare at them for an hour in the least.

"Maj, what you are looking at?" Nikki asked and when I didn't reply, she hit me with a book. "Might at least answer my question?"

"Oh. I was looking at nothing in particular," I said, still glancing past her shoulders. So suddenly perked up, I watched how he put his glasses down. It was a slow-mo moment I savored for the next five seconds until a Great Wall of China blocked my view. Great, thank you for ruining my moment. _Wait_. Was she the same Great Wall I encountered a while ago? How small can the world be?

I shifted my attention from her to the guy. I dropped my pen so to have an excuse to bow down. When I bowed down to pick up my pen, I'll have the chance to see him. I did. He looked at me. I looked at him. _We looked at each other._ I swear all of my veins constricted and then suddenly oxygen was overrated.

It was _him_.

He was the one I threw my shoe at. I jolted back into place and kept myself busy.

_Annoying_. This is really annoying! Why is he always where I am?

When I looked at their table again, they were gone. Both of them. But I saw something they've left on the table.

A book.

I hurried out to catch him them.

# CHAPTER THREE

### GUJI

I don't exactly know what to do with her ID. I don't know what to do with her.

She's a thorn in my eye ever since I first saw her. The first time she tried to fight back I just let it go. The second time? Man, that was way too much. I hate girls in general and she made everything worse.

I barged into my DAD's office without asking permission. His chair motioned to face me. He arched his brow at me, unsurprised by my behavior.

"Yes?"

I threw the ID I've been keeping at his face. He happened to snatch it on time and examined it. "Then? What would I do with this, son?"

"Eat it," When I realized it wasn't funny I told him this instead, "Hire her as my tutor."

"Ah?" He straightened up and laced his fingers in front of him. I grew impatient.

"What?!"

"Are you sick?"

"No!"

"Then why do you need a tutor?"

"Maybe because I'm in second year twice in a row now and I don't want to fail you again," You wish. "I want to make you proud, DAD. I want to graduate with a degree," In your dreams. "So, I need a tutor."

He nodded at my fake endearment. When he finally said yes I snatched Janella's ID from his grasp.

You're so dead to me, Maurice Janella Ponce.

You'll live like hell with me.

### MAGGIE

"Hey moron!" I shouted, running behind him. Nikki and Nica gave up in the chase, so I was the only one running after this guy. For a book. And for... "Ouch!" I complained when he suddenly stopped. My face hurt from his hard back.

"Why did you stop?"

"Aren't you calling out for me? I stopped because I thought you need me. I assume... you do need me?"

"Here!" I pressed the book at his chest. He looked at it, puzzled. "What's that?"

"This? It's a snake," I sarcastically said. But he just stared at it like we have forever to talk. "Hey! Just get it!"

"It's not mine,"

"WHAT?" My jaw just dropped. "After that long chase you'll just tell me it's not yours? Are you kidding me?"

"Why? Did I tell you to chase me?"

No.

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. I pursed my lips in defeat. I felt my dignity being consumed by his intimidating stares. I wish I have the power to disperse into the wind when I need to. I need to right now.

The silence between us was broken when someone far away shouted, "HEY! YOU'LL TASTE A PIECE OF ME, YOU SHIT!"

I don't know what was happening so I looked stupid trying to find where that shout came from. When I did find where, I realized that they're Guji Tarence Kim's gang and they're running straight in here.

H-E-R-E.

"Damn those bastards," I heard Moron muttered before pushing me down the steep. For Pete's sake, why does he have to push me? I'm actually rolling in mud! When I reached the bottom, someone covered my mouth and dragged me away.

My heart skipped a beat. I died.

Moron kept me to himself as he pressed his back against the rock. I could hear Guji's shouts above us but my heartbeats were louder than those. I tried to keep calm in his arms but I just can't. _I can't._ I've never been this close to a guy. We're actually zero-inch too close.

I stared up to him only to find an Adam's apple.

_Adam's apple._ Every small movement, I see them. Every time he swallows, I see it go up and down and I want to – H-hey Maj, don't you dare romanticize this situation! But I can't help myself from wanting to smell his neck – MAJ!

While I'm so busy keeping my hormones at a controllable level, he looked down on me and his lips curved into a smile.

"Don't call me _Moron._ I have a name," The way he said those words made my heart go pump pump pump. I didn't notice that I was gripping his uniform already. I let go. "I'm Yvan,"

"Bastard! Where's my car? I swear I'm going to rip your neck, Yvan Cantos!" I heard Guji shouted once more, nearer. Yvan held me closer, if there was any closer than a zero-inch closer. I closed my eyes and felt the rush of blood in all of my veins.

I can't breathe.

I felt so ridiculous to wish that he won't let go, but he did. "Wake up, it's over." I watched him stand up and walked away without saying anything to me. I ran after him.

" _Oy_! Don't you know how to say sorry?"

He turned around and mocked me with his eyes. "I know how. But I don't say 'sorry' to people who don't know how to say 'thank you,'"

" _Thank you_? Me? You made me roll on that effing mud and you expect me to _thank_ you? Are you insane?"

"Bye, Chocolate-roll," he waved at me like I didn't say anything. Argh! You're really getting into my nerves, you Yvan-shit.

_Yvan Cantos._ It was such a nice name. I'll kill you.

My day isn't over yet. I have to go downtown to meet my tutee, Debi. Yes, I work. I do part-time jobs not because we're poor. I just don't like depending on other people. I want to do everything on my own, and it includes making money. My parents give me allowance but that's that. Asking money from other people is not my thing.

We were in the middle of discussing about where the universe came from, which I don't know where it did, when someone greeted. Just at the mere sound of his vocal chords vibrating, my whole being compressed into a tiny ball.

Him.

"Hi, Chocolate-roll," he said in mockery. I made a face at him which meant "Shut up. I'll kill you."

Then Debi said something like "He's my brother," or "He's a monster," I'm not sure because the whole world ate me whole and nothing seem so real anymore. I can't accept this. After all those embarrassing moments with him he'll come into this house, into my tutee's life, into my life? You've got to be kidding me. Really.

'Guess I'll have to deal with this ridicule of chances from now on.

# CHAPTER FOUR

### MAGGIE

I'm on a hella big trouble, I guess?

I've done an extensive research on Guji Tarence Kim, and all about his whatever-he's-doing. I found nothing classified as "safe". It seems that violence is his favorite noun, and black and blue and red are his favorite colors. He could take fifty men in one minute, which meant he could take me down in 1.2 seconds. And the fact that I'm a girl, 1.2 seconds was an exaggeration. He could just use his forefinger to push my forehead and I'd stumble down. It would only take him 0.2 seconds.

"Whatever you did, make sure that won't get you expelled," I saw the irritation in my sister's eyes when she handed over an envelope addressed to me. It was a letter from the President of Centerfield University, my school.

Guji Tarence Kim's father. My nightmare's father.

"What did you do?"

" _Non_ ," I said unapologetically, ripping the envelope's one end. I did nothing wrong to them. I didn't fight back like he's accusing me of. I call that _communicating_. That's how I talk to people. Is that so wrong?

When I unfolded the paper inside and read the contents of it, a feeling called "resentment" took over my heart. I reread the letter a couple of times more to be sure that I didn't misread it. Blast this.

Chances. Do you hate me that much?

"What does it say?" Janine inquired.

"I've got a job," I proclaimed, formed the letter into a ball and aimed at the trash bin. "I'm going to be the President's son's private tutor,"

I have five days to accept or decline.

I've made up my mind five seconds ago.

# CHAPTER FIVE

### MAGGIE

I've managed to escape the guards for four days but not today. It's a Wednesday and I'm supposed to be unlucky. And hell yeah, I am.

"Where's your ID?" the guard demanded, whom we tagged the name "The Shark" for he was so strict and stiff.

My excuses ranged from "I left it inside the studio when we finished practicing dance," to "I'm a transferee and I still don't have an ID," which always buys. But to The Shark, I know it won't work so I said instead, "The President's son, Guji Tarence Kim, took it and never gave it back." I even showed him my lace.

The Shark only looked down on me. Some kind of mockery was flowing like a river in his eyes, which made it obvious that I don't stand a chance. "You cannot fool me. Now, give me 100."

"100 hugs and kisses?"

"No. I'll double it now. Give me 200 push-ups. Now!"

"Hey! Can I at least have a gender discount? I'm a girl, duh?"

"Discipline is discipline,"

When I was about to protest, someone overhead commented, "Yeah right. Discipline is discipline." I opened my right palm to catch the falling sampaloc from above. I'm so used to this.

I looked up and saw one, two, three, four guys jumping down the tree. I sighed. Don't they have any way of entrance other than this? I'm so tired of catching things falling onto my head.

"You! Give me back my ID!" I pointed my finger at Guji's gorgeous face.

"What are you saying? I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have your ID,"

"Liar! You stole my ID right before my eyes –"

"STOP. You," The Shark pointed at me and barked, "Get down now and give me 200."

What else can I do? It's Wednesday so I have to deal with this kind of misfortune, even at the expense of my own dignity.

While I was doing those stupid 200 Push Ups of Death, Guji and his gang laughed at me like they've never laughed in years. When I reached the 20th push up, I gave up. Guji knelt in front of me, all smiling. I could smash all his teeth if I only have the strength to.

He mimicked the sound of the graduation march as he hangs my ID around my neck himself. I breathed unevenly, disgusted. "First Honors... Maurice Janella Ponce. Congratulations!"

I punched him right in the face. It left a mark.

"Ooh, sweet!" I heard someone exclaimed.

Realization dawned on me bit by bit that it was the silliest thing I could ever do. I forgot that I'm dealing with four guys with a name – B4. That they are the most dangerous group I'd come against with. That the one I punched in the face is their boss. Forgetting something like this will mean me my life. I hope not.

Janella strikes two in a row, yes!

It was Guji and his friends who barged into our room 11:15 in the morning, right in the middle of my daydream with Super Junior's Siwon Choi. In the middle of our inches-until-we-kiss moment, they went all scandalous and dragged me away. My NS101 instructor and block mates were just looking at the commotion, their jaws unhinged.

"Stop touching me, morons and minions of the Underworld," I demanded as I try to waggle their hands off my arms. "Pervs,"

"What did you say? You're not worth perverting for in any way," Fred, whom I called Electrical Tape, defended.

"I don't find your thick eyebrows very attractive in any way, too."

"Just shut up," Jason, whom I called Someone No.3 before, said. He grabbed my hand and pushed me forward. What a gentleman he is, insert sarcasm here. "Just walk by yourself."

"You don't have to say it. I will. I'm not your princess, this isn't a fairytale. I'm not the one you sweep off her feet, lead her up the –"

"Is that a Taylor Swift song?" Klein, the bald guy, asked me.

"Yeah. You like Taylor Swift?" His eyes glittered, and I don't know what to say about that. Jason pushed me forward that I almost stumbled down. "Hey! Don't be so hard on girls, will you?"

I walked with them behind me. I pretended to be brave, like I always do. My knees are shaking in submission but I don't mind them. If these guys are as deadly as they seem to be, I won't give them the pleasure of dying in their hands easily. I have to fight back, though it might be the hardest thing I'd ever do in my life.

"Have you found any school to transfer to?" Fred asked behind me.

"Have you found a shave for your eyebrows?"

"That's right, bro. You have a garden of hair right there!" Klein added. I suppressed a laugh.

"Don't embarrass me!"

"I'm not embarrassing you, bro. It's the truth!"

While the two of them were fighting, throwing phrases like "At least I have hair unlike you," and "At least I'm tall how about you?" at each other, my attention focused at Jason, who has a different kind of aura of mysteriousness. But why do I care? He's attractive not going to be my friend.

"Don't stare at me," he said. I looked away, ashamed.

To be inside the Office of the Bald President meant either you're doing well at school or you're doing extremely badly. Punching his son right in the face in the school ground, in the midst of everybody, was the perfect opposite of "well".

"So, Ms. Maurice Janella Ponce," Pres. Song Hyun Kim greeted with all his upper teeth exposed. I wonder what I looked like in front of him now. Except that I'm sweating excessively because of nervousness, those freaks carried me in here like a roasted pig because I tried to escape. I thought I could run fast, but they're a million times better. Soccer players, yes they are.

"Have you decided?" he asked.

"Of course sir," I clenched, unclenched my fists under his table to calm myself. "Your son seems to need me _bad_ , so why would I reject your offer?"

He looked at me like he can't believe every word I've said. He was shaking his head in disbelief. I can't believe this either. I'm actually walking straight into a lion's den and there's no turning back now.

"You do know that he's quite something uh... _special?_ "

"I love challenges, sir. I'll take the job. I'll be his tutor." Oh my God, kill me now.

He clapped and laughed and clapped and laughed I can throw a Ping-Pong ball straight to his mouth because it was so big.

"Oh girl, you made me so happy today! Thank you. I mean it. Which reminds me," he put his finger under his chin. A small crystal of sweat trickled down my cheek. I swallowed hard.

"That red mark on his left cheek... You did that?"

I hesitated first before my lips parted. "Y-yes sir..."

He again laughed so hard while banging the table. He wiped a tear at the edge of his eye before he turned to face me again. Gosh, I think our President is insane.

"You really amaze me a lot. No one has ever laid a fist on his face but you. You got a spirit, eh? You and my son can work well together, I see it. Yes? You think so too, Maurice? Or should I call you Janella? Which do you prefer?"

"I like to be called Beauty _._ Is it possible?"

He laughed again. "I like you Beauty!"

I laughed with him. "I like you too, Baldy!"

Then he stopped laughing. I stopped, too. When I realized that I said something awful, I covered my mouth. I tried so hard to remember if I have any blade or pair of scissors in my bag which I could use to kill myself right now.

Goodbye Philippines. Goodbye World.

# CHAPTER SIX

### GUJI

"S-stop..."

I sat in front of this pitiful being, boringly. He's curled up like a beaten dog, colored red and pink and white. It's his fault. He's looking at us gravely and even talked back at us. We don't give a shit especially if you're in our territory. Especially if I'm really pissed.

I'm totally pissed right now because Yvan let my car _explode_ somewhere he didn't tell me. He's my best friend so I let it go. But still, he destroyed what's mine. _Mine_.

"S-stop please... I'm sorry," he pleaded, his eyes twitching.

"What? I can't hear anything," I smirked, reaching a bottle near me. I played with it, and saw his eyes widened at that. "Can you make it a bit louder? I'm deaf,"

"Please stop! I love my life," he slid away from me as I edged closer. As I was about to hit his head with the bottle in my hand, he motioned his hand in the air to hit me first. I knew better. I clasped the bottle he's been hiding under his shirt and crashed it in front of him. I saw an expression on his face called horror.

"Stupidity isn't in my blood. Never underestimate a Guji Tarence Kim," I sprinkled bits of crashed glass over his face. "Remember that name,"

I stood up, threw the bottle I'm holding at Jason, and slid my hands inside my pockets. I walked out of The Looter's with everybody's eyes fixed at me. I sensed fear. I could feel their fears in my skin like snow air. Cold and stingy, I liked it best. Imposing fear to people makes you supreme.

People who don't fear me shall be eliminated.

SWISH.

Shocked, I stopped in place. A sharp thing came across my face from the left, grazing the bridge of my nose. It stung but I didn't mind it at all. Inside my pocket, I tightened my grip around the sheath of my Swiss knife, ready to take it out when someone approaches. But no one did.

I continued to walk home.

When I reached home, someone was already in my room. I guess she finally accepted the job.

_Great_.

She stood like an elementary teacher holding a thick roll of paper, pounding the same on her palm every now and then. It irritated me.

"What time is it?" she demanded.

"Do I look like a clock which you could ask time from? Stupid," I lied down my bed to sleep. But she walked straight at me and hit my stomach with that effing roll of paper. It hurts!

"WHAT TIME IS IT?"

"7:20!"

"Why are you just now, huh?"

"SO WHAT?" She gripped my shirt, and _smelled_ me. I swallowed... hard.

"God, you smell awful! I can't teach with you smelling like that! I might die in suffocation, you alcoholic bastard. CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES."

I pushed her away, she stepped back.

"Can you see this?" She showed me the roll of paper she's been holding and smiled. Of course I could see that, I'm not blind. "This roll of paper will leave a mark on your face if you don't start changing your clothes. SO MOVE."

When I said that I won't, she charged at me and hit me relentlessly. I couldn't fight back. I just kept on running around with her following me, beating me. "You'll change your clothes or you _will_ change your clothes? Guji Tarence Kim, change your clothes in 10."

"Minutes?"

"10... 9... 8..."

When I realized I have only 7 seconds left to change, I ran as fast as I could. I pushed her out of my way so I could walk into my closet. When I heard her counting at 4 seconds, I took my shirt off quickly. As I was about to take my pants off I saw her watching me, her breathing uneven. By reflex, I wrapped my arms around my body.

She saw my body.

She's _seeing_ my body!

I threw my shirt at her face and closed the door behind me. She shouted, "GOD! Can't you move a little faster? I still need to go home!"

"CAN'T YOU BE MORE PATIENT?" I shouted back while I change into a T-shirt and shorts. When I was about to get out, I paused. There's something wrong in here. Why am I allowing her to bark orders at me? I'm Guji Tarence Kim and I take orders from no one.

No one.

"HEY! I'll burn your closet down if you don't get out of there this second!" She banged the door a thousand times before I opened it. I saw her fist coming into my face before I closed my eyes. My nose bled. "Damn you!"

"Damn your face! Sit there," she pointed straight into my study table I haven't used for decades. I glared at her, she didn't even flinch.

That's it. That's it that's it. This girl is way too much. "Why would I even listen to you, huh? Who do you think you are?"

She again charged at me and beat me with her roll of paper. Given the chance, I'll burn that effing paper – with her. "You're not going to sit down, huh?"

I raised my hands in the air, defeated.

She's growing into large prickle in my eyes, my eyes are effingly bleeding.

"SHE'S CRAZY."

I bang the table every time I remember her face that Yvan started to worry about their table. He said he can't afford to buy another one, especially when I have already destroyed two.

"She beats me, shouts at me, and calls me nasty names every single time. She even poured cold water on my face one night! She's a total nightmare!"

"Whoa there, brother. You asked her to be your 'private tutor' so don't complain –"

"You know what's even worse? She confiscated my keys. Now I have to walk all the way here just to –"

"Complain?"

"Yeah, complain – ARGH." When I grew more frustrated, I put my glass down and started drinking straight from the bottle. When I finished it, I stood up and told him I should get going. It's Thursday so the Old Hag's been waiting at home for me.

"You want me to drive you home?"

"Nah. Don't try to be my boyfriend,"

"What? You're crazy," he slapped my back, and I laughed. I laughed even more when I realized that I'm up for another night of torture.

# CHAPTER SEVEN

### MAGGIE

Going home late is not something I plan to do.

It's past 9 p.m. when I decided to go home from Guji's house. That stupid jerk. He threw up in my face when I forced him to stand up and study with me. How disgusting! To avenge myself, I dragged him into his bathroom and put him in a bath tub. I filled the tub with cold water and let him drown in there.

Rest in peace, Guji Tarence Kim.

Walking alone in the streets is not advisable to girls like me. There could be someone around the corner who'll grab me, rape me, throw me into the river to die – I can't let that happen to me, of course. I walked hastily; head bowed down, and made little movements so as not to draw attention.

Someone _pst_ -ed. I walked faster, prayed a thousand prayers.

I felt a hard grip on my arm, cold. I dared not to look back. I closed my eyes and called all the saints in Heaven, until he spoke. "Isn't it a bit late for you to go home, Maggie?"

I turned. I saw him, his eyebrow raised. "Yvan? Why –"

"C'mon, let's go home together," he let go of my arm and walked forward. I followed.

He let me ride the jeep first, and then he followed. We were not seated side by side because someone seated beside me first. Yvan sat across me.

I plan on taking a nap during the ride, but I changed my mind when I felt something that's crawling on my thigh. My body stiffened, my heart skipped, my spine went cold. My seatmate, who happened to be a man, had two of his fingers dug on my flesh near the center of my 'everything,' moving closer and closer. A paper bag was sitting on his lap to keep his agenda hidden.

_You are being molested, Maggie,_ I told myself but I don't know what to do.

I looked at Yvan for help.

He's asleep. And I'm helpless.

I swallowed hard as I move away from this man, but he can't just let me go. I was fighting back tears, breathing hard.

Then someone grabbed my hand and pulled me. It happened so fast I got confused. The next thing I knew, I was seated on where Yvan seated a while ago. We changed seats.

I looked at him, and our eyes met. There are a million things I saw in there, I don't know what to read first, or which sentence to compose. He looked away as I was about to say something.

"She's a girl," Yvan said angrily, but calm. "Might at least show some respect. Apologize to her,"

The guy didn't flinch. Exasperated, Yvan repeated, "Apologize."

"No, it's okay. Let it go," I said. Yvan just rolled his eyes, I didn't mind. All I know is that he saved me and I owe him a lot.

When we took off the jeep and I was about to walk towards my house, he took my arm.

"Promise me that you'll never go home this late," he said, eyes full of worry. His eyes were the brightest shade of brown of among I've seen. But this time, they were a shade darker. "I'll talk to Tito Hyun to arrange things for you."

I nodded at him, holding back tears. When I thought I was okay, I walked but my knees failed me.

I am scared. Too scared. My mind was clouded with rewinds of what happened back there. It's eating me. Pretending to be okay now won't help me at all, so I let my knees drop down. My fear of no escape was triggered and now I'm shaking.

Yvan caught me in his arms and soothed my fears. "It won't happen again. Don't worry," His shirt was wet with my tears, and I'm still shaking. "You will be okay, Maggie. I'm here."

This time, he didn't let me go in his arms.

There would be a press conference for journalists next week which I will be part of. Yvan will be there too, which made everything great for me.

"Have you practiced?" he asked me when I came into their porch. It's Sunday so I have a session with his sister, Debi. I gave her my weekends because Guji The Jerk got my Monday-Thursday schedule.

"I could lend you my Canon if you want,"

"No, I'm okay," I gave him my 'No, thank you' wave. He smiled and I got breathless. I pinned my hair behind my ear before I asked him, "Where's Debi?"

"Asleep maybe. Wait, I'll go get her –"

"YVAN. Where are my earphones?" Appalled, I stared at the girl whose size was thrice as mine. Have I seen her before? After a few moments of flashbacks, a clear image of girl zoomed into mind.

Wow. Just wow. She's the one whom I bumped into days ago, and also the one I called Great Wall of China. Geez, what a small world.

Wait. What is she doing in here?

"It was in my room, Lyn. Didn't you see it?" Yvan said, standing up.

"Of course I didn't. Why would I even ask you if I did?" Great Wall of China grumbled. "Your room is a complete mess. How can I possibly find my earphones there, huh?"

I shook my head in disbelief. Don't tell me they're so close to each other they're hanging around Yvan's room? In. His. Room. Just the two of them. They're sharing one enclosed space, one kind of air, one set of earphones. I can't believe this.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't notice you there," Great Wall of China smiled at me, apologetically. I gave her my 'It's okay' wave, though deep inside my heart it's not okay.

Yvan dragged her inside, saying, "Let's get inside my room,"

My stomach rose up to my throat, I can't swallow it down. They're going into his room. Just. The. Two. Of. Them. What can they possibly do in there?

"Are you okay? You look like you could use a comfort room," it was just now that I noticed Debi sitting in front of me. I tried to hide my face, embarrassed at whatever she'd seen. "Are you jealous?"

"What? NO!" I exasperated, she smiled widely. _Uh-oh._ "No. I'm not jealous. Why would I be jealous? There's nothing to be jealous about –"

"Don't worry. They're just best of friends," her smile reached the top of the sky, suspecting me. I looked away before she could see anything in my eyes. "They've been best of friends for about ten years already. Quite long, right?"

I nodded, but she hadn't unlocked her stare at me. "Debi, don't look at me like I have a crush on your brother. He's not my type,"

"I didn't say anything," she sang. I frowned.

He's my type, actually.

# CHAPTER EIGHT

### MAGGIE

Guji and I had a fight last night for the nth time. It's true that he scares the hell out of me every time and his presence chokes me to death, but I always pretend that I'm not. I know that he took me as his tutor to better compensate with my hostile attitude towards them. I won't give him a chance.

I left a note on his book that I'll be gone for four days for a press conference. I said that his Dad allowed me to so he should shut up when I come back. I said that if I hear news telling that he and his stupid gang went out to cause a riot, I would hang him upside down in a chandelier.

Of course, I won't do that. I can't do that.

"Maggie," the one seated beside me called my attention. The butterflies in my stomach suddenly went alive.

It's Ero.

Only the mere sound of his voice makes my hands tremble in nervousness. He _was_ my first love. He was the one who I've been trying to get over with for months now. I told myself that when I graduate in high school I would be graduating from him too. But I can't.

"Can I ask you something?" he continued, beaming at me. I shrugged. "What is it?"

He leaned in close to my ear, whispered, "Can you be my girlfriend? Just for one day?"

I swear I could've smashed his face if he hadn't caught my arm in time. Why would he ask me something like that – AGAIN?

"Whoa! What's wrong with what I said?"

"I DON'T KNOW. Just go find someone better."

He asked me that same question three years ago. I could've accepted his offer because, oh my, I'm so deeply in love with him since freshman year and I've been dying to be his girlfriend. I don't know what my problem was and let the opportunity go.

Maybe because I was just scared he was just joking. Maybe a day was too short for me to have him. Maybe I wanted something more. Maybe my best friend Paola was also in love with him, too.

Girl Code.

I've always known that Ero won't fall in love with me. On some days he disregards me, the next day he makes fun of me, and always tells me that he loves me as a classmate and a friend. He holds my hand, hugs me tight, and tickles me every time we meet along the way.

But I am not special. He treated everyone like that.

And it hurts because I hoped. I hoped that ours would be different, but hey, it was not.

"But I want you," he insisted, still smiling. I tried to punch his face but he always has the chance to dodge it. "C'mon just for one day! Please?"

"Shut up, dumb ass." I kicked his leg and ran away.

Can't he see that I'm hurt? That I can't just be his girlfriend for one day because that was too short and unreal? That my first relationship could be just one heck of a joke for him?

Of course, he can't possibly know that because he's stupid.

Dense.

"HEY FOOT FACE. Where the hell are you?"

I dropped my phone on the table after reading Guji's message. I guess he failed to see my note, eh? But I replied anyway. He might kill me if I didn't.

I was busy trying to get rid of Ero's silly gestures at me when Yvan sat beside me, plugged an earphone on my left ear. Uncle Kracker's "Smile" was playing. My lips curved into a smile almost instantly and all of my irritation died when I heard him singing the song.

His voice slowly kills me inside, melting me.

"Hey, let's make a wager," he said. "The one who'll get the best place will be treated by the loser,"

I looked at him, jaw unhinged. He's a photojournalist like me but we're on different divisions. I'm in the English division, he's in Filipino. I don't have much confidence in myself because I haven't had any proper training in this kind of thing. Unlike him.

I'm not a photographer, and not much of a journalist. I was forced to be one.

Hugo University just didn't have a choice when they let me enter into competitions two years ago. Luck is with me every time I win. I swear it's just luck which made me win.

Now, I don't know if luck is still my friend.

"Okay. Sure." I said in reply. "The loser will treat the winner at Yellow Cab. Sounds great?"

Yvan nodded. And I regretted it that same second.

WHAT DID I SAY? I should've not accepted his challenge because for sure I will lose. And losing meant I have to spend more than a thousand for food.

Man, I worked hard for that money then it'll go away in one sitting at Yellow Cab?

I think I'm going to have a fever.

### GUJI

I have nothing much to do, and it bores me to death. Foot Face was nowhere to be seen. She was absent for the whole day, which meant I have no one to annoy, which sucked because I enjoy annoying her, which sucked even more because she didn't even tell me where she'd gone.

I ditched class and went straight to Yvan's house. I'm going to invite him to play soccer with us at the clearing. His class ended at 12 so I assumed he's home. But he wasn't.

"Where's Yvan?" I demanded.

"Why do you care?" the She-Retard said, an eyebrow raised. She's Yvan's sister but I don't care. I care for Yvan alone and no one else in this freaking home. "If you're going to invite him for a drink, forget it. Go away, B.I.'s."

_Bad influences_ , you say?

Having said that, Fred tried to charge at her but Klein and Jason caught and restrained him. They tied him up to his neck and he moved like a fish. I kept myself from laughing. I should be serious.

I turned to the She-Retard. "Where. Is. Yvan?"

She crossed her arms and looked at me defiantly. When I started to walk toward her, she began stepping back. I saw the books on top of the table and swiped them off to the floor. I grabbed the glass of water there and I do plan on crashing this in her face.

"In school, questions are repeated only twice. NOW ANSWER ME."

"H-He's in Malvar," she answered, trembling.

"What? I can't hear anything. Can you repeat that?"

"He's in Malvar I said!"

When I was about to pour the contents of the glass I'm holding on her, someone screamed behind me. The Mother-Retard.

"GUJI?! What are you doing here?!"

I turned around, put the glass down, and kept my hands inside my pockets. "Surprise. Long time, no shout."

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU BASTARD!"

"But we just got here? We made an effort to visit you here and you'll just shoo us away? What a waste,"

"Is that so? Just stand still. I'll get you some _drinks_ ," the Mother-Retard returned inside, and we waited. When she came back, I went white.

She's holding a shotgun, and it's pointed straight at me for heaven's sake! She's going to shoot me!

"GUJI TARENCE KIM! On a count of three and you're still here, I swear I'll shoot you!"

I panicked. I ran down the porch and hauled Jason with me. We can't run faster than we can right now because we're dragging Fred along, which by the way was all tied-up. When I told them to untie him first, which seemed to take forever to get done, we were cornered by an awfully devil-sent creature.

'"Arf! Arf!"

There was a bulldog. A really angry bulldog and it's going to kill Fred. Well, of course, it would be Fred to die first because he's stupid and a pain in the butt. Having him dead wouldn't be a waste on my part.

A deafening sound trembled and I am sure that came from a shotgun. We ran.

"Boss! Where do we go now?" Fred asked, jumping behind me. I still don't know because there's a wall around us, a bulldog behind us, and one hell of a crazy Mother-retard following us with a shotgun.

I seriously have zero ideas.

"Guys," I frantically said. "PLAY DEAD."

And so we did.

I got home before dark and I'm having a serious problem with Foot Face's room.

She moved in a week ago because Yvan had requested it so. How did they become friends anyway? Ugh whatever.

She said she was harassed the last time she went home late. If it weren't for Yvan she could've experienced something worse. I just wished she did. She deserves it anyway.

I leaned against the door frame and smelled her room. I know that there's something wrong in here until it hit me.

That smell. _This room smells like my mom._

I walked toward her bed and smelled the sheets and pillows. I swallowed.

_She_ smells like my _mom._

I grabbed everything she owns – her clothes, bed sheets, pillow cases, and just about anything that smells like my mom. I don't want anyone or anything that could make me remember her.

She left me. She left me even though she said she won't.

I met DAD on the hallway and stopped me. He looked at the basket full of everything that I'm carrying, confused. "What are you going to do with those? Are they even yours to start with?"

"You don't care,"

"I didn't teach you ill manners, Guji,"

I smirked at him, mocked him. "I don't remember you teaching me anything. Even just a basic on soccer, you failed to teach me. That's the only thing I asked from you,"

I left him standing there, guilty.

My life messed up when I turned 8. My Dad lost in the most important soccer game in his life, and it was his fault. He kicked the ball in the wrong goal and he became a legend. He went crazy eventually. My mom left because Dad was being unbearable. She left me. She left me with a crazy man and I was just a kid to understand anything, everything.

I went back to reality when my phone rang. I answered Fred's call as I watch the fire dance around Foot Face's clothes.

"What?" I asked, a cigarette in between my lips.

"Those seven bastards with bonnets are looking for you. Boss, we can take them down right now you don't have to go –"

"I'll go. I'm bored stiff here. Five minutes,"

I hang up, threw my cigarette into the drum.

I wonder how Foot Face will react to this. Fun.

# CHAPTER NINE

### MAGGIE

My parents were barely home. They're always out on trips, business or vacation alike. Sometimes they win at raffles. Or sometimes they're busy putting up a fight with their relatives. I got used to it. Staying in a house with my sister Janine wasn't so bad at all.

Though most of the times, I was left alone. She's a resident doctor which meant she's always on duty. I have no choice but to keep everything to myself because who could I be talking to except for walls and window panes? My friends weren't so used to me going through my dramas because they know me as a happy person. A clown. A girl who doesn't have problems in life. They're not used to me being serious. So I don't dare open up to them.

I always think they won't understand.

Nikki asked me to get her camera in our quarters. She bailed me a Zagu Grande if I did.

When I turned the knob, what I saw inside made my knees tremble. I tried to look away but I just can't. I fought back the tears that are trying to escape my eyes. Not again.

Don't do this to me, again.

I reached for something stable to hold on to, and I did. It's warm and strong enough to hold my weight. I exhaled. I breathed in deep. I caught my heart that was about to fall into the core of the Earth.

Don't do this to me, please.

"I'll go get the camera," someone behind me whispered. "Go back to the awarding now,"

I turned to face Yvan and asked him why he followed me. He just smiled and forced me to go back. He said I don't need to see Ero hugging someone else's back. He said I should head back and have fun because I deserve that.

He said don't cry.

But I can't help it.

### GUJI

Foot Face came back like a cyclone. She was shouting at me for the whole ten shitty minutes of my life she's actually wasting. She said I should give her clothes back, that I should talk to her because the whole time she was shouting all I do was stare at her, that I will die if I don't tell her where her pillow cases were.

I plugged in my earphones. I'm beginning to hate her high-pitched voice that I'll cut her vocal chords off if she don't shut up in one minute.

"You Brain-dead Monster! WHERE. ARE. MY. CLOTHES?" She charged at me and beat me with the same roll of paper she used a lot of times. I dodged dodged dodged and ran ran ran out of my room and down the stairs. She followed me and said, "IF YOU DON'T STOP RUNNING, I'LL GIVE YOU 100!"

"Hits?"

"STUB WOUNDS! Come here, you Brain-dead Monster!"

We are at the dining hall, running around the table. I could see her panting, tired. I smiled, teased her. "What now? You're tired already? C'mon, we just started."

"Shut up!" she screeched, grabbing a chair for balance. I kept my eyes on her as she walk around the hall, her fingers jumping along the counters. She stopped in front of the cupboard. I swallowed.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded. I was hoping for a decent answer from her but all I received was flying saucers.

_Our_ saucers.

She's throwing saucers at me and I'm frantic that one of those would hit my face.

"DON'T." she aimed, threw a saucer at me. She missed, the saucer crashed. "EVER. TOUCH. MY THINGS!"

The last one hit me big time.

I saw stars.

### MAGGIE

He hung me upside down the chandelier I'm beginning to hate the word 'circle'. If I remember correctly, I was asleep in the living room when he passed out. The next thing I saw was the floor and everything that's upside down.

I could feel all the blood on my head. And I'm moving in circles. I hate circles.

"Get me down, you Brain-dead!" I demanded. He shrugged. "Shut your mouth or I'll drop you dead."

I called out for help but it's no use. No one's here except for the two of us. I waggled myself free but I realized it wasn't a good idea because I heard the ceiling creaked. I cursed over and over and tried to be still.

It creaked again.

"Tell me I'm safe –"

Creaks.

Then everything went black.

I don't know what happened after the chains snapped. I don't know if I screamed the hell out of me and died or if I just crashed into the floor and died. What I'm sure of is that I'm seeing clouds and spirits with chicken wings.

"Where am I?" I asked a spirit. "H-how long have I been here? Am I dead?"

The chicken-winged spirit smirked at me and said, "If you're just not as stupid as you are,"

"Don't call me stupid!"

"But you are... Seaweed-brain," I grew irritated when I heard Guji's voice. How dare he call me Seaweed-brain? My brain's not green, and it's not as wrinkled and dry as he thinks.

Before I could protest at what he said, I felt a sudden earthquake. "Can't you at least try to wake up and stand up on you own? My limbs are dying because of your weight!"

Consciousness snapped me from I think was a dream and saw Guji's beautiful angry face. I looked around and saw fragments of glass, bulbs, and cement. It could be a very bad fall if this Brain-dead monster hadn't caught me in time.

"I'm alive... I'M ALIVE!"

"YOU'RE SPITTING SALIVA ON MY FACE, DUMB ASS."

"But I'm alive!"

"You'll shut up or I'll drop you?" And he did even though I shut up. My back hurt at what he did and said that I should be on a diet. He said that I weighed a thousand kilos that he could've died just trying to carry me.

Always such an ass.

He told me that my clothes were outside so I went out to fetch them. What I saw there was a beautiful garden and an odd, rustic drum. A smoke was coming out of that drum and I thought that someone had burn something here just recently. It smelled cotton.

_Cotton_.

I instinctively ran to it and saw ashes. A small patch of clothing was left from the fire, and I recognized it. Horrified, I ran back inside.

He couldn't have burned all of my things, could he? He is so going to have a piece of me!

I searched for him everywhere, around the dining hall and living room, inside the jars and refrigerator. I found no one. I gave up playing hide n' seek with him so I decided I should go to my room and rest. When I was only a few steps away from the stairs, I saw a body lying at the bottom of it. Confused, I walked slowly toward his body, calling out his name.

He didn't answer. He wasn't even moving.

"Guji? Guji!"

I dropped to my knees and knelt next to him. He's limp, and I'm crying in fear, anxiety, guilt, even. There's blood on my hands and I swear it's from his head. If he hadn't saved me, this would not happen to him. The chandelier would not have fallen on his back, and he would still be arguing with me right now.

_Don't die on me_ , I whispered in his ears, afraid.

I searched for his phone, found it, and scrolled down his phonebook. He has only four contacts here, one of which was Yvan's.

I tried to reach him. He doesn't answer. I tried to reach others half-heartedly. Fred could be annoying but I set the thought aside. I need help. But after so many attempts, no one answered any of my calls.

Cursing, I felt his pulse weakening. I felt helpless.

Until someone called back.

# CHAPTER TEN

### MAGGIE

I was crying at his dying side, and making promises about me not beating him up again, and shouting at him again, and trying to kill him again, when I caught him making faces at the people behind me which happened to be his friends. He's pretending to be asleep, damn it.

"OW!" the boys reacted as I hastily grabbed Guji's dextrose, which would mean him a lot of pain. He's making fun of me while I'm having a serious emotional breakdown here!

"YOU BASTARD! Are you making fun of me?!"

"N-no! Let go of the fucking dextrose, SEAWEEDBRAIN!" He's biting my hands, and I'm reeling in pain. I punched punched punched him, while he bit bit bit me. We're rolling over ourselves in the bed, when Fred spoke. He said stop. We glared at him. He let us be unwillingly.

"I take back all of the things I've said!" I said, choking him.

"Don't take them back! Touch move!"

"Do you want me to make your death a reality, huh? There's a window right there and I could push you down so you could die for good!"

"JUST TRY."

Without having second thoughts, I jumped out of his bed, grabbed his shirt, and dragged him along with me. I heard him choking, coughing, and desperately catching his breath, while I heard his friends pleading for his life.

Yvan caught my arm which made me stop midway. I turned to face him and said, "I just hope he'll suffer an eternal damnation somewhere you guys can't protect this damned hell-sent,"

I released Guji's shirt from my grip and walked back inside. Then something cold crept into my spine, devouring the power I have a while ago. My heart's pounding so hard, I could hardly breathe. My hands are trembling, and I swear I'm dying in fear. I can't believe I just did what I did.

I can't believe Guji let me do those things to him.

I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

Yvan and I have been close since the press conference, which made everything great for me. We talk, laugh, and eat together. Being close to him is the new definition of 'being happy' for me.

But what bothered me most right now was the fact that Guji and Yvan knew each other – best of friends, I may add. I got confused and asked him why. He told me that "...the opposites always attract."

I'm a girl, you're a boy, we're opposites and I'm attracted to you.

Okay. That seems reasonable.

"You want some?" Yvan sat beside me, putting the Lays he was eating into view. I hesitated. I pressed myself against the cold door of Guji's room while I fumble with my fingers. "It's okay to speak," he said.

"Yah," I weakly said. He asked if I want to know little things about Guji, I said no, I'm not interested. He said he knows Guji's secrets and I told him I needed him to do me a favor.

"What's that?"

"Shut up."

He laughed at my coldness and said, "Okay, I'll shut up. But let me stay here beside you,"

When I said I don't want to talk about Guji and that I wasn't interested, I lied. So I said, "He's NGSB. Why?"

I felt him twitch at my question. I added, "Is he gay?"

"No, it's not that," he laughed at my ridiculousness. "He just can't take the pain of people leaving, walking out of his life,"

"He never had a girlfriend so how much does he know about pain –"

"His mom died," It was like someone had punched me straight in the chest, I gasped for air. "Ten years ago. On his 8th birthday,"

I was lost for words that moment.

Yvan walked me home.

He's teasing me something about my messy hair and mismatched slippers and something else I didn't mind. When I got irritated, I punched his stomach that he yapped in pain.

"Is that how you treat your friends?" he complained, his arms around his tummy.

"Friends? I don't want to be your friend," I want to be your girlfriend.

"I don't want to, either." He looked at me deeply I swear I could've died a thousand folds. The moment of silence might've been awkward if it didn't start to rain.

Both of us don't have any umbrella on our bags so we started running. He held my hand so as not to be left behind. He held my hand and my lips curved into a wide smile. His warmth envelopes my skin, I felt ecstatic.

I can't remember the day when he started to affect me in the smallest way possible.

And that effect wasn't uncomfortable. I liked dwelling on it.

We took refuge under the Mister Donut store. Both of us were panting but we're smiling. I put out my hand into the rain and felt the droplets of rain touch my palm. It's cold but I felt warm.

"That was fun," he said as he copied my gesture. "It's fun running with you,"

He turned to me and gave me a smile, I blushed.

#  

# CHAPTER ELEVEN

### MAGGIE

Guji had watched "The Despicable Me" a hundred times that I'm going to cry in frustration. I could see Gru and his yellow minions in my dreams, even when I'm wide awake. I rolled my eyes when he laughed at Agnes choking a cute unicorn, saying "It's so fluffy I gonna die!" For the 101st time.

I was about to go out of the room when he shouted, "Hey!"

I turned around, made a face. "What? I have businesses to attend to, FYI –"

"You're the reason why I'm here so you're going to stay,"

"WHAT? What about my studies? I have been absent for a week now because of you –"

"I TOLD YOU TO STAY, SO YOU'LL STAY."

I breathed in, breathed out. Took a sit and pretended that I'm an angel from above. Having taken the remote control from his hand, I turned off the TV and punched him in the stomach. He yelped in pain as I screeched, "I. NEED. TO. GO. SO. LET. ME. GO!"

When he tried to talk back, I didn't give him any chance at all. Until someone did. Klein and the others entered the room and stopped our warfare in here.

"Don't you get tired of all this? Deaf?" Klein asked us, putting the groceries down. Guji and I both said no.

Suddenly, I remembered a story which my block mates told me when I came back from the conference. It made me cry in fear. Guji might be interested in that same story. Ha.

"Hey, BrainDead," I sat beside him, looking grave. I did my best to sound grave to be more realistic. "I don't know if I need to tell this to you right now, but I guess you should know," I took a deep breath when I felt him twitch.

"W-what's that about?"

"I went to a fortuneteller the other day _._ She asked me what I wanted to know – life, career, love life, and friends. I chose friends."

"Yah... so?" Guji said uneasily. The boys crowded around us and listened to my story.

"She gave me 30 candles which I will be carving names in. I wrote your name," I looked at Klein, Fred, and Jason, all of them wide-eyed. "Their names, though you guys aren't my friends. I just feel like writing your names. (Because I want you to die, I laughed evilly.)

"She told me to light them all. After that, she said I have to blow their lights off," Guji touched my arm and told me I should stop. I said I shouldn't because I want him safe, which by far was the most disgusting thing I've ever said.

"I blew their lights off," I took a deep breath. "One of them didn't die,"

I stared at him, his eyes engulfing me. His eyes were a different shade of brown I hate love hate love them – MAJ, you were telling him a story. "Y-your candle's light didn't die so I got confused. I asked the fortuneteller why. She told me you have to take care of yourself,"

"Why?"

I reached for his hand and squeezed it. Bowed down, I said, "Someone's following you. And... he's The Ripper. H-he can get you anytime –"

The next second totally shocked me. I didn't know he could do such thing, or even thought about it.

He jumped out of the bed and went straight outside to the terrace. He climbed onto the plant box, and we screamed in horror.

"BOSS!" Fred grabbed Guji's leg to restrain him from jumping. "Boss, we'll protect you! Boss, please don't jump! Whoever that Ripper is we'll kill him first!"

"If I'm going to die... why wait?"

"No, Boss! Till death do us part!"

Maggie... wait for it. Wait for it... "See you in hell," Guji said.

Then I felt the urge to thank God they're so stupid. These guys are so ridiculous I cried in laughter. "You did take that seriously? You're so dramatic I swear I could cry a river!"

I was hitting the floor because I can't contain my happiness anymore when I saw them looking at me, glaring. "What do you mean?"

"IT WAS A JOKE!"

Then I realized that telling him this story was a bad idea.

A really bad one.

# CHAPTER TWELVE

### MAGGIE

Yvan and I were supposed to have a date today because I won the bet. In the Divisions, I got first and he got second. We're supposed to have a date but I can't go because I have no limbs. I'm armless, legless.

So, I promised myself I'll poison my monster to his death. He tied me up like a pig and I just can't move even an inch.

My phone rang and I tried to reach it before he did. Guji was the one who answered. I cursed.

"Someone's calling SeaweedBrain. Ah, Yvan? Why would Yvan call someone like you, huh?"

We have a date. You've got a problem with that? Give me back my phone or I'll give you a thousand thumbtacks to eat! But all of that came out like this, "MMMM! MMM MM!"

"Hi Yvan," he winked at me and I swear I died am going to kill him. "Yellow Cab? Now? Oh, I'm sorry. Janella is sick – terribly sick, I mean, she's-going-to-die sick,"

I glared at him. I tried to kick him but I just can't. Fuck this stupid rope!

"Don't waste your time, Yvan. Go home. What? Yeah, I'm going to take care of her," and he gave me his over-my-dead-body look. Dumb ass.

When he had put my phone down, my world crashed. That would only mean one thing – "Your date is cancelled. Poor you," was what he told me in fake sympathy.

When he took off the handkerchief he used to gag me, I grabbed the chance to bite his hand. He wailed in pain and kept on pushing my head back. I gave up on biting him and screamed at the top of my lungs.

"STOP THAT!"

"You're a shit. I hate you," I pursed my lips, fighting back my tears. "Why are you so insensitive? You're too much,"

I turned my back at him, curled myself that my knees were touching my chin. I closed my eyes and imagined I'm with Yvan at Yellow Cab, chatting, laughing, and writing our love story.

Guji poked my side. "Hey,"

"Don't touch me," I inched away from him.

### GUJI

Being at peace doesn't make my life peaceful at all. I'm terribly troubled, irritated.

I don't understand why Foot Face stopped talking to me, if _talking_ was the proper word to call it though. She even stopped attacking me, threatening my life.

She's giving me zero attention which totally sucks.

It's Finals Week and I don't know what to do. It wasn't like I wasn't so used to this kind of situation, but I just felt like I needed to prove something now.

Or maybe, I just got sick of smelling papers for a minute and passing them right away.

Or maybe, I just wanted to see her pick up a fight with her.

"What?" she answered when I called her.

"Uhm," You're so irritating, you know that?

"What is it? You're wasting my time,"

"Tss. COME OVER HERE," and I'll punch you in the face.

"I don't want to,"

"NO. You have to come over here. Or do you want me to drag you in here myself?"

"Go. Make my day,"

Why is she making things so difficult for me, huh? "Hey, in case you forgot, you _are_ my tutor. Tomorrow is Finals day and..."

"...and?"

I don't know why my stomach's getting a bit funny right now. It's so weird even my throat felt like there's a huge lump in it that I can't swallow.

Tensed, I said, "I need you."

I ended the call as soon as I had said it. Damn it.

I just got used to her telling me everything in the worst way possible. I got used to her pushing me to do things I don't want to do. She's a rough person, which by far was the least of my favorites, but I enjoy her ways of making my life difficult.

Whoa. Did I just say that?

I kept on coming back to her room just to check if she has returned. She hasn't. She gave me reviewers and said she has to study for herself, too. She said leave her alone.

She said she can't live to be with me anymore.

I thought it was a good idea. She's a thorn in my eye, and I guess I am in hers, too. So what's my problem? I don't know actually.

"What happened? It seems that the war has ceased and our lives went back to being at peace," Yvan laughed at his own joke. I rolled my eyes.

"Why don't you ask Foot Face? She got angry with me when I tied her up and failed to _date_ you," I looked at him, mockingly. "What's up with the two of you, huh? I didn't know you know how to date girls –"

"Hey stop for a moment!" He tapped my shoulder which meant I have to shut up first. I did. "We had a bet. I lost. So, I have to treat her last Tuesday but you..."

"...tied her up so she couldn't get to you," I ran my hand through my hair in irritation. "SO WHAT? The world won't end just yet! You can have a thousand dates if you want. Stupid Sensitive Foot Face."

I stood up and ran toward the field. I kicked the ball and went straight to the goal.

Wide-eyed, Fred shouted at me, "Boss! Can't you be more careful? You're going to make a large hole in the net!"

"I don't care!"

Why are girls such a pain in the butt?

I walked home all by myself. I WALKED because that stupid Foot Face hasn't returned my keys yet. Why is she hiding those for when I could still go anywhere I want to? Stupid.

I don't usually mind the world around me. I just walked with my hands on my jacket pockets, giving no attention to anyone, to anything. It's only just now that I have been so conscious of the streets. For someone like me who's bold, I don't know why but I feel unsafe. And to add, the word 'safe' isn't in my dictionary at all.

From afar, I could hear horns howling, and wheels screeching. Little by little, the noise grew louder, clearer, nearer. In a second, I was blinded by car lights.

"Whoa!" I stumbled back as the car crashed into a store – just in front of me. Shards of glasses scattered everywhere. I brushed some of them off my body as I stood up. Besides the fact that no one's in the driver's seat, I realized that I am actually four inches away from being dead.

Awesome.

### MAGGIE

It's been three days already and I'm missing him getting more annoyed than ever.

The boys made a scene at our dance practice that my block mates went crazy. Nikki, whom I trusted to calm them down, joined them and even pushed me towards the freaks.

"You! How dare you ignore our Boss? Your face is so thick!" Fred exclaimed, pointing his finger at me.

"Wow. I'm sorry that my face is too thick for you, ha? But I think I'm a lot better than you because you're not just a thick –faced guy, you are a thick-browed one."

I was about to charge at him, but Guji said stop. All of my strength suddenly drained when I heard his voice. I missed that. He walked straight at me and grabbed my hand. I pulled him back.

"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded.

"We need to go somewhere,"

"Heck I'm going with you?"

"I missed that," he leaned in, my eyes grew wide. My heart jumped out of my chest and went straight to North Pole. He bit my nose. HE. BIT. MY. NOSE. I died. I died and died.

When I don't know what to do and became frantic, I punched him in the face. "Why did you do that?"

Instead of answering me, he just dragged me away. When I tried to escape, he pulled me at my waist and carried me at his shoulder. _Shit_!

"Janella, just submit yourself to me. Trust me. Just this once,"

_Trust you?_ How could I be sure that you won't strangle me to death, or tie me on the railroad until a train smashes me into pieces, or throw me into Calumpang River to die?

He pushed me inside a car, with Klein and Fred at both of my sides. I can't escape, or even move to scratch my itching arm. But I could kick the passenger's seat where Guji seated. Ha! Hurray for me!

"HEY! Where are you taking me, you horse-faced monster?" I demanded, still kicking.

"Don't call me horse-faced because you look more of a horse than I am,"

"Just tell me where the fuck you are taking me –" I failed to finish my sentence when the car suddenly stopped. All of them got out of the car that I was left alone.

"Get out." He ordered. When I didn't move an inch, he said, "Didn't you hear me? I said, GET OUT."

"NO! I don't know where you're taking me so I won't get out!"

My resistance won't do me any good if I'm against four robust men. Even my willpower sucked. They managed to get me out of the car without breaking a sweat. Geez. I need to learn Martial Arts.

"Get your hands off her," Guji ordered them. When they did, he grabbed my hand and pulled me inside a... shopping mall?

_Why are we in a shopping mall?_ This is not Guji's thing.

All the while, I'm confused. Why does he have to kidnap me from my practice and bring me in a shopping mall? What are we doing in a shopping mall for Pete's sake? I got more confused when we entered a pizza parlor I recognize as Yellow Cab.

Uh-kay. I am really confused. "What in the world...?"

He pushed me toward a seat, pulled it, and made me sit down. I looked up to him and cursed, said that I am going to kill him for kidnapping me. But he just said, "I call this _kwits._ Enjoy your date,"

I was about to catch him when he turned to leave, but someone coughed which I understand to call my attention. Appalled, I turned to face him.

My jaw dropped at the sight of Yvan smiling at me. He's seated across me. What in the world is he doing here?

I looked around to reassure myself that he isn't with someone else but me. He isn't. There's just the two of us in this table. U-S.

"Hi," he said.

I looked at where Guji had gone but he was nowhere to be seen. My lips curved into a smile I don't know why.

"Well, Guji said he was sorry," Yvan told me. I secretly fixed myself, slap my cheeks many times so I could have instant blush on, and faced him while I pinned my hair at the back of my ear.

"What was that?" I asked, trying to be cute.

He laughed. "You don't have to fix yourself for me. It's okay. You're okay,"

I looked away in embarrassment. This is my first date and I looked like I could use a shower. Damn that BrainDead Monster. He could've said that I'm meeting Yvan so I could've looked much better!

But I'll let it go. At least, he did something to make it up to me.

Later, I'd do my part.

# CHAPTER THIRTEEN

### MAGGIE

It's a Friday so technically, I'm not allowed to be at Guji's house. But I am.

I greeted Hana, the Head of the Housekeeping, and asked if Guji was home. He was. I walked straight into his room and found it empty. I put the paper bag I brought on top of his bed. I bought Guji chicken empanadas which happened to be one of his favorites. It's a peace offering and a thank-you gift as well.

I noticed his 10-feet tall window wide open and was about to close it when I heard a growl. Ooh, creepy.

"Who's that?" I called out only to be answered by another growl. Trembling, I stepped closer towar the door. I swallowed hard before opening it.

"HIYAH! HIYAH! HIYAAAAAAAH!" I attacked the air, my eyes closed tight. "YOU GHOST! GET OUT OF THERE AND FA-aaace me..."

I stopped attacking the air because, (1) it was ridiculous, (2) I looked stupid, and (3) Guji's dying in front of the toilet, throwing up on it then flushing it over and over again.

I poked his back and asked if he was okay. He didn't answer me. Instead, he faced the toilet and threw up for the nth time. I caressed his back so as to lessen the pain. Cursing, I tried to scold him about drinking too much. I said I'm going to put muriatic acid on his drink if he doesn't stop drinking.

When he has finished, he turned to me, and I used my blouse to wipe his face. I tried to pull him up and said, "Go to sleep now, Guji. I'll bring you to your bed –"

He pulled himself back – WITH ME. Asdfghjkl, I'm on his arms and he's staring right into my eyes as if he's trying to memorize everything in me. I felt my heart went straight to Neptune.

He then wrapped me with his arms, pulled me closer that my head was leaning against his wonderful chest. I think I'm going to have a heart attack.

"G-Guji! Hey!"

"...I'm begging you," he murmured. My soul shuddered. "I'm begging you... don't ever, ever ignore me again,"

"W-what...? I don't understand –"

"Even if I shout at you. Even if I bite you many times. Even if I don't talk to you. Just promise me that you'd never try to be cold to me again. Please?"

"What? Guji, you're drunk. You _are_ drunk. You don't know what you're saying –"

"Janella, don't leave me. I beg you,"

Those last words made my stomach rose up to my throat that I could hardly breathe. I don't get it. Why is he so affected by my coldness?

Oh, maybe because he wanted a playmate. With me gone, he would be unhappy. I am his clown and he's my birthday celebrant.

"Okay." I said, patting his back.

Guji is a Japanese name. When I had a research about him, I found out that his Dad, Pres. Song Hyun is a Korean national, and that his Mom, Renzia is a Filipina. Having known this, I don't get why they named their son a Japanese name when they aren't Japanese. Until Yvan told me that Guji's mom was a fan of Japanese culture.

So, that's why.

But I still think Guji was born a natural jerk and Gujerk is the perfect name for him.

"HEY!" I called his attention after aiming a soccer ball at him. The ball went straight at him, knocking him down. Fred rushed to his Boss's side, frantic.

"Hey BD! Do you think I'd let what happened last night pass just like that?" I yelled.

Then I covered my mouth as soon as I realized that it's a bad thing to say.

"S-something h-happened last night? To the two of you?" Fred said, wide-eyed.

"That's just shit, dude." Klein said, his head shaking.

"Boss, I can't believe this. You lost your virginity to a foot? And then you're going to have Foot-faced children – aw!" Fred yapped in pain when I threw another ball at him. Bastard.

"Maj, what is it that happened last night?" Yvan asked me. Automatically, I pinned my hair back only to be spanked in the cheek by Fred. He said stop flirting in his face. I said I'd shave his brows if he doesn't shut up. He did.

I didn't have the chance to tell them what happened last night, because (1) I thought it was private, (2) it was embarrassing to start with, and (3) Guji was wide awake and he's yelling at me, I'll go deaf.

I ran for my life when he taunted me with his endless death threats. I don't know where I was going, or whether the ground that I was running on was still green. Until, everything went blurry and I felt like falling.

I am falling actually. Into the earth. Why is there a big hole in this clearing? I bet the boys did this on purpose, ugh!

Hi, I'm Alice in Wonderland. The damaged one.

# CHAPTER FOURTEEN

### MAGGIE

One day, I woke up that I'm friends with a bunch of bastards (but not Fred) and I don't know why.

Theory No. 1: Shaving Fred's eyebrows like a pedestrian lane made me look cool to them, but not to Fred. I love bullying him, which was Guji and Klein's hobby as well.

Theory No. 2: Making Guji's grades as high as 2.12 GWA made me look cool to them, but not to Fred. He always thinks that his Boss should be less than that, because they're equally stupid. I choked him to death and told him he's the only one who's stupid. Or,

Theory No. 3: Running after their lives with my razor blade made me look cool to them, and they're getting afraid of me.

I'm betting in all of them, especially the third one.

It's a Saturday and I went to Guji's house to get my laptop. And I regretted it five minutes ago.

"Get me water," he ordered me. "...in 5, 4, 3..."

"OKAY FINE! I'll get it," I ran as fast as I can to the kitchen while keeping my laptop to my chest. I don't want to put it down because if ever I got the chance to sneak out of this freaking house, I would. That bastard is blocking the door that's why I couldn't get out.

I asked Hana to give me water, and she gave me a glass of it. I gave it to Guji, but he just made a face. He said, "I don't want that. I like it bottled."

"Why are you so choosy? This is still water!"

"Are you complaining?"

This BrainDead Monster's killing millions of my brain cells right now.

I dropped down to my knees and covered my face. I pretended to be crying and pleaded at him. "Let me out please. My plants are going to die if you don't let me out,"

"I don't care about your plants. I want you here. I need a slave."

S-L-A-V-E. _Me as a slave?_ You've got to be kidding me, right?

"How dare you! If I remember correctly, I applied to be your _tutor,_ and not your effing slave."

He knelt down at my level and stared at me. He's beautiful and I'm melting into river. He frowned. "You're not even crying! You're making a fool out of me,"

When I was about to fight back, he hushed me and said, "You know what? I like it when you complain,"

His words could've sent my heart to Mars that moment, but I saw something even greater than that – the door is open.

I see the light!

"Whatever bro," I stood up and stuck my tongue out at him. I spilled water over him and ran for my life. He's running after me, and I'm laughing my heart out.

Then he took off his wet shirt.

Shocked, I stopped running. My eyes travelled from his collarbones down to his abs. My eyebrows rose up. Geez, they're perfect how did he manage to get those?

"Hail Mary, full of grace..." I prayed and prayed until a fist landed on top of my head. I broke away from my stare at his treasure abs. Irritated, I kicked his leg.

He had put his shirt on when Fred and Klein came. Fred was all-hyped up when he came up to me. I glared at him. It's so unusual of him to approach me like that so I asked him why. He asked me about my friend whose hair was curly.

Oh my, I think it was Mean Ramirez whom he's talking about.

I smirked at him when an evil idea popped into my head. Crazy little me.

"I'll give you her name in one condition," I said, my cutter ready. "I'll give you 100 commands to do. If you finished them all, her name is yours. We'll call this 'The 100-Commands Contract.' Agreed?"

I know who Fred is, and I'm not going to give my friend away just like that. He has to work hard for something he wants. Nothing can be obtained the easy way.

"FINE! I agree. But just so you know Tal, this won't change anything between the two of us. I still think you're stupid."

"Tal? You called me _Tal?_ What's that supposed to mean?" I wasn't looking at Fred when I asked. Klein said, "Tal. _Talampakan_."

Blast it. I ran after Fred's life with a cutter in my hand.

You are so dead to me!

# CHAPTER FIFTEEN

### MAGGIE

Guji insisted I'd shop for clothes. He told me he'll come with me, but I told him no. I'm a seventeen-year old girl and I can go to malls by myself. But he said he'll chain me upside down in a chandelier if I don't let him come with me.

What can I do? I just let him be.

I gave back Gujerk his keys this morning. I wasn't planning on keeping them for a long time, and he threatened me that he'll tie me up if I don't give them back. So I did. We used his car for our trip today.

I'm currently shopping with a group of jerks. Fred and Klein are giving me tons of oversized T-shirts and size 40 shorts. Irritated, I punched them both more than twenty times.

"Hey SB, this looks great on you," Guji put a hat on my head, trying not to laugh. "There! A perfect fit!"

"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?" Instead of answering me, he just laughed.

I ran in front of a full-length mirror and felt my blood boil instantly. He made me wear a foot-shaped hat I looked ridiculous.

"If you don't stop making fun of me, I swear I'm going to kill –" before I could even finish my outrage in here, Guji covered my mouth, hushing me.

"We're in a mall, baby. Stop screaming," he whispered while patting my head.

My face felt hot at the warmth of his voice in my ear as my hormones went crazy. I shook my head and elbowed him at his stomach. He backed away in pain.

I wasn't particular in designs so Jason helped me pick my pillow cases. He like patterned ones that he gave me four flesh checkered cases. Guji gave me foot-printed ones which I buried into his face.

I took what Jason offered me. Guji made a face.

Before we go home, we went to an ice cream parlor I insisted on going. I told them I'd treat them anything they wanted so they came along.

But I just wished I hadn't said anything at all.

"I want mango overload with chips and fudge," Fred started. "Oh! I think I want a snow cone AND OH I LIKE THAT HEAVEN'S DELIGHT!"

"Can't you just pick one?" I asked, irritated.

"Didn't you say 'anything we wanted' a while ago? I define that as Mango Overload + Snow Cone + Heaven's Delight. Do you have a problem with that?"

"You're a monster."

"Wow, look who's talking." The boys laughed and I glared at them. I threw tissue papers at Fred's face in frustration.

Jason, Fred and Klein said goodbye when we dropped them off their street. Then I was left with a beautiful monster. He's driving slowly and was not saying anything. The awkwardness was driving me crazy so I said, "Thank you,"

He took a glance at me and smiled a little. "Are you sick?"

I made a face at his comment and looked outside the window. "Damn you. I can take it back if you don't want it."

"I want it."

My head turned to him almost instantly I thought my neck's going to break off. "What?"

"You're so stupid, SB." His face wrinkled in irritation. He switched his gear and drove so fast my soul was left behind.

My high school friends who're studying at Manila came home. We're supposed to have a sleepover at Via's house but Yvan asked me to have dinner at theirs. Yvan asked me first so I had to turn down the other plan.

Actually, it wasn't Yvan who asked me at all. It was his mom. Debi ranked 5th in their class and they're celebrating her achievement. With me.

It should've been the best dinner yet because I am going to eat in one table with Yvan, and it was the best thing that could've happened – but – Guji texted me and said I should eat dinner with him. That all of his maids were on a day-off and no one was home to cook him dinner. That he grew tired of being with Jason and the others so I should go with him instead.

I told him no.

But he insisted.

In the next five minutes, I was kidnapped. He dragged me into his car, and tucked my seatbelt in. I was about to say that I'm going to eat dinner with Yvan when my phone rang. He snatched my phone and was the one who answered it.

"Yvan!" He exclaimed. I punched his arm, but he disregarded me. A dumb ass, as always. "Maj? Who the hell is that _Maj_ anyway?"

I am Maj, stupid. Give me my phone!

"Oh? How can she possibly eat dinner with you when she's with me right now? We're the ones who'll eat dinner together," he simply said, putting my phone down.

I stared at him in disbelief. He can't do this to me again. "Hey, BrainDead, stop ruining my life –"

"Where do you want to eat, SB?"

"I said stop ruining my life –"

"Let's eat at Gerry's. My treat." He smiled at me and my soul cried "Oh baby, hug me tight!" "I'm going to kill you."

Guji dragged me out of Gerry's when the clubhouse we're trying to win over had slipped from our hands and was on the floor, dying. He said I should've shared it with him instead, that I ate all of the food and he's hungry, and that I'm making his blood boil.

I can't just let him go home hungry.

I went to McDonald's and bought Big Mac. I tried to give it to him but he said he wasn't hungry anymore. So, I gave it to Hana.

When I was climbing up the stairs, I met him along the way. Looking down, I said, "I'm sorry."

Instead of answering me, he held my shoulders and leaned forward. My eyes grew big when I realized that I'm already inhaling the air he's exhaling. I punched him in the face before he could do whatever he's thinking.

"You bastard! What are you trying to do?" I exclaimed, blushing.

"Damn, it was a joke!"

"I can push you down this stairs and it's alright because I think it's a good joke. You think that's okay for you?"

"It'll be better if I push _you_ down the stairs," when he motioned like he was about to push me, I ran.

We ran around the house like crazy butterflies.

I have never felt this thrilled ever in my life.

Guji could be fun to be with. Sometimes.

# CHAPTER SIXTEEN

### MAGGIE

The next morning, I woke up confused.

I woke up next to Guji's sleeping face and my whole body trembled in alarm. The feeling was so wonderful, I wanna cry in fulfillment. It wasn't just that. I heard chuckles and short conversations around me whose voices I recognized.

They're here. My friends are here and they saw us, Guji and me, sleeping next to each other – ARMS TO ARMS. Oh dear earth, please eat me whole now.

"Guys, look at this. Maggie's drooling!" I heard Paola commenting in front of her phone. Damn. They took a picture of me.

"HEY! Why'd you taken a picture of me?"

"We didn't. You're one heck of a judgmental bitch," Via said in an as-a-matter-of-factly way. I yelled at them and they dashed off, laughing.

Geez. I am friends with a bunch of crazy bitches.

I looked down on Guji I want to hug him tight and kicked him at his side to wake him up. He kept on rolling on the floor and calling me "Mama."

_Mama_. I pursed my lips and tried not to be sad.

I asked Hana if she could bring Guji up to his room and said she can. When I was about to dash off, I looked back.

Guji loves his mom so much. Too much that I pity him.

We're at the living room and we're watching the same movie. I'm getting allergic to it.

Guji kept on laughing on the same scenes he'd been seeing for the 102nd time. I just rolled my eyes and watched with them.

My best friends were also here. Via, Nikki, Kate, and Paola became friends with B4 after what they did to the boys. They did me a favor by scaring the hell out of them in an old, abandoned building. I wanted revenge on what the boys did to me at the clearing. After falling into that hole in the ground and screaming out for help, the boys just made fun of me and never helped me get out. Bastards.

So, the girls pretended that they were the ghosts of the hole in the clearing and that they wanted justice. When the boys were crying in fear, they went outside and changed from their ghost costumes into something nice and preppy.

The girls saved the boys. And they lived happily ever after.

My thighs were starting to get numb at the weight of Guji and Fred's heads on them. I gripped their hairs and they cried in pain.

"My thighs aren't pillow, d'bags."

"There you go again, SB. You're being selfish again –" Guji paused when he heard my horror-inspired ringtone. Their eyes went wide and ran away. I laughed at their cowardice.

I was about to answer my phone when Paola grabbed it before me. She made a face. "Who's Patch?"

"Give me that!" I tried my best to snatch my phone from her but I just can't. My eyes went wide when she answered the call. Blast it.

"Hello? Who are you?" Paola looked at me mockingly. I give her my rabbit-face in return. "Oh, Yvan. I see. What? You're going out on a date? Wow, congratulations Maggie! Someone out there did have the guts to date you!"

It's not a date! It's a bet. We had a bet and I lost this time.

"What's your status with Yvan, huh?" Nikki asked me teasingly.

"We're friends. Why?"

"Woo, _friends_. You like him –"

"WHAT? NO! That kind of face? No way," I waved in disbelief.

"Why are you blushing?"

"WOOOOOW! MAGGIE'S IN LOVE!"

"NO –"

"Who's in love?" The boys ran back to the living room, their eyes full of wonder. I covered my face in complete shame. I could stand four people teasing me about my love life. But with an addition of four people trying to butt in – I think I'm going to have a fever.

"It's Pao who's in love." I pointed at her defiantly.

"What? Do you want me to steal Yvan from you, huh?"

"You have a crush on Yvan?"

And then everything went crazy. They started the conversation with Guji telling them that I'd been trying to kill him every time he prevents me from seeing him, ending it with Hana telling us that Yvan looks gorgeous.

I don't know what pushed me to finally say this but I just said it. "OK FINE. I have a _crush_ on him. 'Got a problem with that, huh?"

But just like what others say, you can't please everyone. Yvan can't seem to please Via in any chance at all. She said he's too much of himself blah blah. I didn't see him like that. He's kind, approachable, and fun.

"Why are you so bitter, huh? You've got hidden desires for him, no?"

"OF COURSE NOT. I just have personal vendetta against him. You know my tendencies on certain types of guys," Via said in an as-matter-of-factly way. She even blew her bangs in annoyance.

Sometimes, I just don't understand her tendencies.

I went to the kitchen to get some drinks for us. When I got back, the main door opened. The one who went in made my world crash. And all of the things I'm carrying.

"Janella!" Guji rushed to my side and knelt in front of me. He picked up the fragments of the pitcher and glasses that I broke. Yvan did, too.

Being in the same enclosed space, and breathing the same air as him, wasn't the easiest thing to do right now. Everything wasn't the same anymore now that I admitted to myself that I have a crush on him. I felt awkward.

"Maggie, can't you be more careful?" Yvan said while picking up shards. I knelt with them and picked up my mess. If it weren't for him who's going into someone else's house without any notice, this wouldn't have happened.

"Yvan," I called but eight other people looked at me. The last time I checked, there's only one person who was named Yvan, and not nine. I disregarded them anyway. "I'm sorry about last time. I didn't see it coming –"

"It's okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course it's okay for him," I saw Guji put an arm around Yvan's shoulder and beamed at me.

"So, will it be okay if I borrow her today?" My eyes went wide at what Yvan said. My fists closed into balls and I felt a thousand needles attacking my right palm. A warm, uncomfortable feeling started to reel into my hands I'm going to cry.

When I decided to open my hand, it was bleeding. I didn't know I was holding a shard, damn it.

"What? Where will you go?" Guji asked, dumbfounded.

"I want to ask her to practice with me. The Regionals are coming and the school wants to win," Yvan turned to me and smiled my heart jumped out of its cage to Jupiter. "Do you want to?"

I looked at Guji who's shaking his head ever so wildly. "Yes, I do."

Oh, I love doing the exact opposite of what Guji wanted.

# CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

### MAGGIE

When Aunt Resie, Yvan's mom, saw me working with her son at the porch, she rushed to me and touched every inch of me. Oh my gosh.

"Are you okay now? Are you not sick anymore?" Confused, I searched Yvan's face for any answer to his mom's questions. I didn't find any.

Did Yvan tell his mom that I was sick that's why I failed to celebrate with them? Unblelievable.

"I'm okay. Superb."

"If that's the case, eat dinner with us later. Is that okay?"

I was about to say yes when Yvan butted in. He said, "Ask her first if she has other plans,"

"I don't have other plans."

"What if Guji asks you out again, will you not go with him?"

I watched him work with his camera without looking at me. He's saying all those words like he's accusing of me a crime. I can't believe this.

Then I figured out that sometimes admiration can turn into utter disgust. I thought it was already okay?

"Wait. You're friends with that bastard?" Aunt Resie asked. I nodded at her and she made a face which meant "That guy was a hell-sent."

I told her that yes, he's my friend, and yes, he's a hell-sent. But I don't care.

"Tita, I'll eat dinner with you. Guji won't stop me this time," I smiled at her. Before she left, she messed Yvan's hair which made him smile a bit.

The silence killed both of us until the Earth cracked open and sent out the Queen of Chicharon. I bowed my head so as not to draw any attention. But she noticed me.

"Maj, hi!" Lyn put a box of brownies on top of the table. "I baked brownies for Yvan because it's his favorite. He told me you were with him so I made a lot,"

I wanted to say I don't feel like eating them, but instead I said, "That's so thoughtful of you, Lyn. Thank you,"

"You could text me if it tastes good," she was all hyped up and I don't know how to contain all of that. I just nodded and opened my palm to her. "You could write your number here –"

"OH MY GOSH MAJ. Your hand's wounded!"

Frantic, Yvan took my hand to see it himself. I pulled it back because his touch sent a thousand electric bolts in my system I'm dying. He took it again and held it firm.

"Don't be such a baby Maj," he said sternly.

"It's okay –"

"No, it's not," Lyn rushed into the house and went back with a Bag of Terror. I wish she wouldn't take out an alcohol out of there.

She did.

"I'll clean it for you and have it gauzed," She took my hand gently and started putting alcohol on a cotton ball. I held my breath. "This won't hurt,"

"You don't say that. It _will_ hurt. I know from experience."

"Oh, yeah. But it's okay. Hurting is part of life. You should accept that though it may seem unfair,"

"Wait, what?" I didn't get the last things she said because I think she was referring to something else.

"You get hurt by the wrong decisions you've made. Jason isn't good for you," Yvan butted in. Wait... did I just hear Jason's name?

"I love him, Yvan. Don't you get it?"

Jason... and Lyn? _Together_?

Now I'm confused... and neglected. I don't care what their issues are but what I care about now is my bleeding hand. I slowly took my hand off of Lyn's grip and collected the medical kit. I also took Yvan's camera which he insisted that I should use.

While they were busy arguing, I escaped.

Yvan's priority isn't me. It's Lyn.

"Where do you think you're going –"

"WHOA." Shut it! The moment I heard his voice, I got goose bumps all over my body. I even dropped every single item that I had been carrying. It's a good thing I hung the camera on my arm.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Guji shouted in my face.

"You startled me!"

"If your mind isn't somewhere else you wouldn't get startled. I'm not that scary."

"That's for you to say, but you look like an ogre."

He just looked down on me when I was picking up my things. I stuck out a tongue at him which meant he's a loser.

Out of nowhere, he grabbed my hand which hurt so bad. I tried to pull it back but he's much stronger than I am.

"Since when?" he asked.

"During Rizal's age –"

"Since _when?_ " he said, this time more demanding.

"A while ago. Back at your house –"

"Why didn't you tell me right away?"

"It's not that important. I'm okay –"

"You got hurt so it's important!"

My head jolted back at the urgency of his anger. I won't die because of a small cut on my palm, right? Why's he so angry?

"Stop shouting BD. It's fine. I'm going to clean it already, okay?" I showed him Lyn's things and that made his face back to normal. He helped me get up and took the things I'm carrying. I told him it wasn't necessary because I have hands of my own, but he insisted.

When he insists, I can't seem to argue anymore.

"Have you practiced?"

"Not yet. I ran away," I managed to smirk at the thought. "I feel like air around the two them. Lyn and Yvan. I feel like I don't belong,"

"Then I'll come with you," He stood in front of me, his hand raised. He smiled at me and my heart went straight to Australia. I got confused, amazed, even.

"No!" I told him.

"Why not? If it's Yvan it's okay, but if it's me it's not? You are so choosy!"

"I'm not choosy, excuse me! I can just tell from experience that you'll make fun of me,"

"No, I won't. I'll behave," When I saw no sign of fake drama in his face, I told him he can go with me.

Guji took care of my hand. I didn't know that he knows a lot about wounds. He amazed me big time.

"Why did you follow me here?" I asked him while he covers my wound with gauze.

"Without you around the house, it's boring. So I went out to look for you,"

"What am I to you? A clown? And your life is a freaking birthday party that without me, it's boring. Is that so?"

"Shut up. You're saying way too much,"

I blew air on my bangs in irritation. BD's going over his PMS again today, hurray.

Once he's done with my hand, he kissed it. WHAT THE HELL.

"There you go. It'll soon go away!" He said those words like he's talking to a baby. His smile was the brightest one I've seen and it brought sunrise instead of sunset. Having him smile like that made the new definition of "wonderful". Suddenly, there were yellow butterflies flying around us and some of them were on our shoulders, flattering their wings.

I blinked in confusion. Wonder.

I touched his face. Pinched his cheeks. Slapped him.

"HEY SB! What the heck is your problem?!"

"Ha? I was just checking if you're well. Do you want to see a doctor?" Instead of answering me, he just pressed his fist on my head which damn hurts.

"You're the one I'm going to admit in the mental hospital. You're insane."

"I'm not insane, stupid." I stood up and told him to stay. I told him I'll go practice by myself and he should not follow me. He promised he won't.

When I was walking along the shoreline and was busy wondering about what to take pictures of, I opened my bandaged palm and stared at it.

Guji kissed it.

I never thought that Guji could be that sweet.

# CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

### MAGGIE

We're at the porch eating ice cream. I made sure that there's a safe gap between Yvan and me so as not to be too close to him. Any contact with him makes me shiver.

"I'm sorry that I ran away," I started.

"I'm sorry we fought in front of you," he told me. "We're always like that,"

"Fighting in front of other people? Amazing," I chuckled when he did. Both of us ate our ice creams in silence. It was him who broke the silence when he pointed at the dark sky. My gaze followed where his finger was pointing.

"Can you see that star right over there? It's Aunt Renzia's star," I pursed my lips and did not say anything. I told him, "I can't see anything in detail. It's blurry,"

He cocked his head, his eyes full of wonder. Then he showed me four of his fingers, saying, "How many are these?"

"Geez Yvan. I'm not that blind! I think I damaged my eyes big time," For the love of books and crappy endings.

"Oh? That's terrible." He took another scoop on his ice cream before speaking again. "Given the chance, I'll give you my eyes."

I blinked in disbelief. Why would he do such a thing for me? We weren't some sort of special friends or something.

Or are we?

Aunt Resie came up to us and asked if I would like to go home already. I told her that someone was waiting for me and that I should head on. When Yvan volunteered to walk me home I didn't argue.

When we reached the shade, I told him stop. I saw Guji's car and I bet he's dying inside of it. I just wish he was.

"Isn't that your house?" He pointed at my house and I told him that I won't be coming home there. That my sister's on duty and I don't want to be alone.

"I'll be sleeping at Guji's house," I told him.

"So he's the one who's waiting for you, huh?"

"Yeah."

He smirked at me before saying goodbye. I thought it's just my imagination when I saw his expression changed into a pained one.

Maybe, I'm just really imagining things. Yvan can't be jealous of his best friend. He can't be jealous because I am nothing to him but a friend. He can't be.

Or... can he?

We arrived home and found it messy. WE'VE BEEN ROBBED – not.

All the girls and the boys were lying side by side in the living room. They're all asleep and they looked cute – not. Fred's face was horrifying.

"Let's get some blankets upstairs," Guji whispered in my ear, I nearly jumped. He passed by me and I followed him upstairs. He brought the blankets, while I brought my own pillow. When we have draped the blankets over them, we turned to each other.

I think we have the same problem.

"Where do we place ourselves?" he asked me. My eyes happened to pass by a sofa in front of me and I pointed it. "That's mine!"

"How about me?"

"SLEEP OUTSIDE."

"Let's sleep together!"

"No way. You'll rape me!"

"Janella, you're not even worth raping for!"

"Tsk. Shut up..." Fred grunted that made us jump in fear. Then Guji turned to me and told me that I should lie next to Jason because there's enough space for me. I rolled my eyes at him because it's obvious that even half of me won't fit in there. I'll be sleeping on the cold floor if I lie next to him.

We continued arguing on where to sleep when a flying pillow came to us. Someone threw a fucking pillow at my head! Oh, it was Paola. Paola _gave_ me a pillow _gently_.

"Can you please let us sleep?" she groaned, we stepped back arms to arms because we're afraid of her. Her eyes are laser beams and we're afraid that we'll die.

"Let's just sleep in the sofa, okay?" I told him. "Feet to feet, okay?"

He nodded.

# CHAPTER NINETEEN

### MAGGIE

The moment I woke up I swear I could've died.

"Can you please take this creature away from me?!" I was frantic the moment I saw Fred snoring in my face. I swear he smelled like a septic tank and it's going to kill me.

"Hey Tal! Don't act as if I'm not as disgusted as you are when I woke up." Fred shouted at me while Jason and Klein dragged him away from me. All of them were laughing at the scene and I swear I will kill the person responsible for this.

I looked for BD.

While everyone was busy laughing their hearts out, his was the loudest. I rushed to his side and pinched his ear. I forced him to stand up. He kept on wailing and calling my name over and over again. I don't care.

"You're making my blood boil so early in the morning,"

"I thought that maybe you were feeling cold so I – OUCH – put Fred beside you to keep you warm – HEY THAT HURTS – is that so wrong? I'm just concerned!"

" _Concerned_? Is that how you show your concern? Laughing like you haven't laughed in decades is your definition of concern?" When he didn't answer me, I let go of his ear that has turned red. "Thank you for your concern, Gujerk!"

Irritated, I went upstairs and told them we have to go. Second semester's a couple of weeks away so we have to enroll today.

But they can't just stop laughing that I'm beginning to hate them.

Fred seems to be impatient with me now. He has completed the 99th command and just a command away, his crush's name is his. But I plan to leave him hanging for a while.

"Hey Tal, c'mon! Order me to do something," he told me. "Doing whatever you wish is my hobby."

"Oh really?" I smirked at him. "I want you to... stand in the middle of the road until a truck crashes into you,"

I saw horror on his face and made him all-white. He's shivering not in fear but of anger, I guess. Oh, Fred. I could be your best evil stepsister in the next life.

"Is that all?" His expression shifted from horror to anger until he showed me his pitiful side. Slowly, he walked into the road while pulling the hems of his shirt like a kid. He's trying to win us over by acting like a poor kid.

But we don't care.

"Will you not even _try_ to stop me?" Fred pleaded.

"Ha? Why will we do that?" Guji simply said with his hands on his pockets. "You're not a loss to us."

Pained, Fred walked on until he reached the center of the road. He opened his arms so wide like an angel and closed his eyes. We waited until we heard a roaring sound coming toward him.

We ran in horror.

Fred was okay, don't worry. Guji ran as fast as he can so he could snatch Fred in time. The truck that was about to hit him changed lane and left Fred unharmed. He was shaking when Guji dragged him to us. I don't know which feeling to feel first: guilt or eternal happiness. I prefer the latter.

"You did take that seriously, bro?" Klein asked his friend. "You're such a desperate bullshit!"

"Wait, what? Did that truck crashed into me?"

"STUPID." We laughed at his epic drama while Guji explained to him what had happened. He tried to hug his Boss but Guji pushed him away. He then turned to me with expectant eyes. I smiled at him before saying, "Mean Ramirez. That's the name of your crush,"

"Really? THAT'S NOT A JOKE, RIGHT? Her name is really Mean?"

"You don't believe me? Okay. Maybe I'm only kidding when I said her name is Mean and she's another person. Let's start The 100-Commands Contract over again –"

"NO. I believe you!" He put an arm around my shoulders and messed up my hair. It's a brotherly gesture but I elbowed him at his stomach that he yapped in pain.

"Oy, Fred. I'm warning you. Hurt my friend, I'll kill you. Hear that? I trust you," I told him. This time, I was the one who's messing his hair up. He seemed to enjoy that and even said, "Of course!"

My phone beeped and I knew it was Yvan who texted. He has a special ringtone on my phone so my blood gushed throughout my body like lava at the sound of it.

He said, "Pst. Will you enroll today? :)"

I didn't know that Guji was beside me until he spoke. He's teasing me about a blushing cheek and a stupid smile pasted on my face. I punched his side to shut him up. But he didn't stop there.

" _Yes, will you come with us blah blah..._ and it ends with a smiley face. YUCK."

I did not pay him any attention at all and just replied to Yvan's message. He asked me if he can walk me home and if it will be okay for Guji.

Damn. Why would Guji even care? He isn't my dad or something.

"No. It's not okay for me," Guji said. Disgusted, I gave him one of my deadly stares and killed him a thousand folds in my head. I told him, "I'm not asking for your opinion. He'll come with me,"

"Why? If he'll come with you, then I'm going to be with him, too. I don't like that,"

"Then don't come with me."

"WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME THAT?"

"Who are _you_ to tell me that?!"

"I'M YOUR TUTEE!"

"THAT'S IT! You're just my _tutee_ and you don't have the right to tell me what to do and what not to do!"

"HEY HEY HEY!" Paola put herself between the two of us right before we could even strangle each other to death. "Will you please stop shouting at each other? We're in front of your school, for Pete's sake."

"It's BD's fault. He's irritating,"

"Me? Irritating? God, SB! Yvan's asking you if it will be okay for me, and I answered no. Is that so wrong, Pao?" Paola shook her head.

"Why is your attitude like that, huh? He's your best friend and you're not allowing him to come with us. What can of friend are you –"

"I don't like sharing you with other people." Then I was breathless. Having said that he turned to leave us and left our jaws hanging. No one dared to speak or move an inch.

"What was that about?" Someone said.

_I am deaf and I heard something else_ , I told myself a thousand times so as to bury of Guji's words under my subconscious area.

Guji can't say those kinds of words. He isn't like that.

# CHAPTER TWENTY

### MAGGIE

Fred went missing for about five minutes and we don't plan on searching for him – not.

"Where's Fred?" I asked them. After we've enrolled, we got out complete. We were chatting the whole time when I noticed that one set of eyebrows was gone.

Paola pointed upward so we looked up.

I can't help myself from laughing out loud when I saw him tangled in a net. I haven't seen such wonderful scene ever in my life.

But wait... why would a net be in here? Right along the school's sidewalk? Right in this hour of the day? Whom could it be for?

This can't be a project of the school, right? It's nonsense.

"HEEEEEY! You want war huh? GET ME OUT OF HERE!" He's screaming and screaming and screaming, while we're just staring and staring and staring at him like he's some kind of an animal in a circus show.

Then Guji asked us to go. And Fred was like, "BOOOOOOOSS! DON'T LEAVE ME!"

Guji turned around to face me and said, "I'm sorry. But my tummy is my priority – OUCH!"

Paola intermediated and spanked the boys. "Don't leave your friend hanging there. Get him down!" She barked.

"Eh, he looks great in there –"

"Are you complaining?"

"WAAAAA!" The boys ran to Fred's aid as soon as Paola's eyes were on them, grilling them to death. While they're busy getting Fred down, someone called my name. I turned around to face him and said, "Yvan!"

He asked me if I'm ready to go but I told him that we're going to hang out first. We planned on eating cakes at Red Ribbon and he said he wanted to go. Then I turned to look for Guji's face for any sign of rejection.

"Why are you looking at me like that, huh?" Disgusted at my gesture, he turned to put an arm around Yvan's shoulders. My eyebrows knitted at the center in complete confusion. "C'mon, Yvan. Let's have dessert,"

Via stood beside me and entangled her arm around mine. "You know, Guji's bipolarism makes him hot. Can I have him, yo'bitch?"

"He's all yours, bitch."

We're ten on a table and Yvan sat across me. And Via was seated next to Guji. Oh great. She's trying to be close to him obviously. I'm jealous.

"Hey yo'bitch! Why are you looking at me like that?" Via pointed her finger at me like a mad grandma. I just rolled my eyes at her. When she caught me doing that to her she threw tissue balls at my face. I gave up the fight.

All of them were busy doing their own things. Jason and Paola were exchanging tickles and made them look cute. Guji, Via, and Kate were making fun of Fred as always. And Nikki was busy taking pictures of us.

"Is that delicious?" I turned to Yvan who's eyeing my cake with such envy. I glared at him.

Without any permission at all, he used his fork to slice right through my cake and took a part of it for himself. "Fuck you, Yvan. Don't steal my food!"

"Why? I was just having a taste of it. Why are you so selfish?"

"Why you –"

"That's delicious, you know that? Can I have more?"

"NO!"

"Let's just exchange cakes," he suggested. I looked down on his plate on which a humble Mango cake was lying. I am thinking of the statistical probability of the deliciousness of that cake. I wanted to know if it's more delicious than the one I have now, which was Chocolate Mousse.

"Taste it." Appalled by his gesture, I blinked blinked blinked. A forkful of Mango cake was in front of me and Yvan was inviting me to eat it. I swallowed the lump in my throat because I could hardly breathe. That's his fork and I'm going to eat with it. We're going to have an indirect kiss, gosh.

Everyone's looking at us expectantly. I told Yvan to put it down because we're in public and it's embarrassing. But Nikki insisted that I take the offer and told not to play hard-to-get. So I took it.

But the next thing that happened made my jaw drop.

Guji's chair fell down when he stood up almost immediately. He even took Via's hand and dashed off without looking at any of us.

"Guji! Where the hell are you going?" Kate exclaimed after Guji but he didn't turn around.

"Oh, someone's a little jealous," Nikki sung.

My body shook in complete alarm when I realized that they're trying to tie me up with some jerk. I shoved the thought away and turned to Yvan who's looking at me seriously. Using the other end of my fork, I pushed his forehead back.

"Hey," I say to him. But he just smiled.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

### MAGGIE

Fred called me 'Boss.'

I don't know what happened to him or what kind of spirit took over him and he called me his boss. It's such a great feeling to be called like that because he considers me supreme, like Guji. That he respects me (though not totally) and he promised to protect from whoever.

It's nice.

"Even though I called you 'Boss', you're still a Foot-faced creature to my eyes." See? He respects me – not.

My phone rang. BD was calling and I do plan on rejecting it.

But I answered it anyway.

"Hey BrainDead," I started. "So how was your date with Via?" I bit my tongue as soon as I had said it. Damn, I sounded like a jealous girlfriend. I'm not jealous AND I'm not his girlfriend.

"Well, it was fun. We played basketball and we ate ice cream. We even went to a movie house," Now, I'm jealous. BLAST IT. Why would I be jealous? They're friends, we're friends, and there's nothing to be jealous about – but I am. NO.

"Wait... are you jealous baby?"

CAN HE QUIT CALLING ME BABY? I'm having terrible goose bumps when he says that!

"Of course not, stupid. Via has a boyfriend so don't even think about it, _baby._ " EW. "Why did you even leave?"

"I got bored and I thought I should go somewhere else,"

_Bored_? Eating cake with your friends is boring? I shook my head as I said, "Why did you call anyway?"

"I can't sleep. Can you sing for me?"

"NO WAY. Just kill yourself,"

"Okay. Goodbye SB. I'll see you in heaven..."

"And you think they'll accept someone like you there? OH PLEASE."

"Can you just sing for me, please?" He sounded like he was sincere and when he's like that I can't do anything but give up.

I asked him what song to sing and he told me Sugarfree's "Tulog Na."

Uh-kay. He really needs to sleep, I guess?

"Don't make fun of voice, okay? I'll kill you if you do."

"As if you could do that over the phone –"

"SHUT UP."

I searched the net for the lyrics and started singing to him. He never butt in for comments such as "your voice sound like cockroaches singing" or "I think our windows are going to shatter." He just let me sing.

"Good night, Mama."

Dumbfounded, I smiled at the last words he has said and the way he has said them. It was pure and sincere, innocent, even. It was as if I was talking to an eight year old boy who knew nothing about the world's cruelty.

I savored the moment until it was gone and he was snoring. I know that tomorrow he would be back to someone I knew – that 18-years-and-364-days old guy who knew nothing about peace.

Tomorrow would be a big day so I have to sleep now.

Goodnight stars and clouds.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

### GUJI

They're acting weird and I know they're up to something.

Fred and Klein dragged me to Quantum and played basketball for three straight hours, I want to cry in frustration.

"C'mon Boss! Let's take a bet. Whoever loses treats dinner, 'kay?" Fred said while his eyebrows rise and fall. _His eyebrows._ Every time I see them I can't help but laugh. Janella shaved them so damn great they looked like pedestrian lanes. Just great!

"I don't feel like spending money today. Let's go home –" I tried to drag him along but he refused. He pulled himself back and glared at me.

Oh really? "You'll let me go or I'll smash your face?"

"But Boss –"

"Klein, you know what to do." By the time I raised my finger in the air, Klein just smiled as he locked his grip around Fred's arms and pulled him away from me.

"BOOOOOSS!"

I drove home with the both of them frantic over whatever. They've been talking in hushed voices and from time to time, their phones would ring and they'd talk to whomever. I paid them no more attention.

By the time I reached the front door, Fred stopped me. He told me about using a back door or something else that sounded like I looked like hell. I spanked him at that.

"Boss, please. I have no involvement in this, in any kind whatsoever, this is not what I wanted –" Instead of letting him finish whatever he's saying, I just turned the knob and walked in my house.

Only to regret it afterwards.

Party poppers burst in both sides of me, spewing confetti all around. Past the little pieces of crepe papers, I saw faces, _happy faces._ I saw balloons and banners saying "Happy Birthday." I saw tables and chairs and foods and everything colorful. I saw their lips singing something I don't hear.

The silent throbbing of that thing inside my rib cage was what I heard. My fists clenched, unclenched, clenched, unclenched itself one, two, three times maybe, I lost count. I can't feel my limbs. I can't feel my muscles as they tremble layer by layer.

I am angry.

Then _she_ came in.

She came in wearing her usual smile that used to make me feel okay, but not right now. She came in with a large cake on her hands and she's singing.

I hear her.

Blinking my anger away, I swallowed the large lump on my throat before I could say, "What's this?"

"A birthday surprise! HAPPY BIRTHDAY BD!"

I don't know what happened. All I know was all of my strings snapped and I was angry. Everything happened so fast, I could barely see anything clear. I didn't know that I smashed the cake she was bringing into her face. It wasn't my fault.

I didn't know I destroyed everything they called nice and threw every single item on the tables to the floor. It wasn't my fault.

I didn't know I yelled at Janella's face with words that sounded like bullshit or get a fucking life. It wasn't my fault.

I was angry and they're bullshit.

Then I ran.

It was my eighth birthday when I demanded her to go home.

I called her that night. I told her she should come home to me. That I would ran away if she won't. She said, "Yes, baby. I will come home,"

But she didn't.

I stared at my bleeding hands. I laughed at my sudden realization that plates could hurt me so bad.

"Ma, do you know what irritates me most? It's when she thinks she's helping but the truth is she's not."

I read the letters which shaped her name and caressed the white stone. It was a little mossy that I took out my Swiss knife to clean it. I scratched scratched scratched and I was tempted to slash my wrist with it. I changed my mind.

"It's Janella," I said, still scratching the white stone. "She prepared for my birthday. There were music, colorful backgrounds and it looked gay. I took it as an insult, very offending and stupid. You know so well that I don't celebrate this stupid day because it's a day of misfortune, bad luck, nightmare, even. This day sucks and I am angry because I lost you in this stupid misfortunate day, and it's all because of me. And it keeps on coming back to me I'd go crazy,"

"But Mrs. Kim, today is his birthday," said that familiar voice beside me. Why's she here? For how long have she been here? "I just wanted him to be happy, that's all. A friend would always want her friend to be happy,"

"But Ma, I am not happy." I said, not regarding that Foot Face beside me.

"But Mrs. Kim, he can only say those words because he's not used to be happy on this day,"

"MA it's your death anniversary today and she's asking me to be happy? I'M NOT THAT INSANE."

"MRS. KIM can you tell your son that the words "move on" exist for a reason?"

"MAAAAA!"

"MRS. KIM!"

I turned to face her. Her face was still covered with chocolate icing and I wasn't guilty for any of it. She glared at me and I returned her twice as that. She spanked me, I smacked her in return. She choked me to death, I choked her, too.

"Don't you dare speak to me again!" she yelled at me.

"And don't you dare come near me again!" I stood up and ran as fast as I could.

She's one heck of a catastrophe. She ruins every single thing and it pisses me off big time. She annoys the hell out of me that I want to push her off the cliff.

Always.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

### MAGGIE

"I told you a hundred times already – DON'T. DO. IT. ANYMORE. But what did you do? You still pushed through and he got mad. Great work, Maj,"

By the time Kate had said those words, they all clapped as if it was such an amazing act. Geez. I did know that Guji does not celebrate his birthday on October 30th because it's his Mom's death anniversary. I did know that I could hit some special nerve on him and he'll be angry. I did know because Yvan told me everything about him. I did know.

I thought I could make him change his mind over this. But he didn't.

It's my fault, I know. But what can I do now? I've already done it and there's no rewind button to undo all the things I planned for him that day.

It sucks because I miss him I don't want him to be like that.

"It's okay. He can't resist you," Fred snapped.

Then I was bewildered. The last time I checked, it was only I, Kate, Via, Paola, and Nikki who spent the night here at Via's house. Fred wasn't invited.

"Why the heck are _you_ here?"

"That's because..." Fred looked from left to right before turning back to me, irritated. "EVEN KLEIN IS HERE! Why are you shouting at me and _only_ at me?!" He even pointed at Klein who's innocently eating his share of longganisa. He was confused at first, but when he realized that Fred was trying to put him into his trouble, he kicked Fred's leg. He yapped in pain.

"E, why are you here anyway?" Nikki interjected as she threw a 'mumu' (rice grain) at Klein.

"Guji pushes us away. He said he wants to be alone. So, here we are," he explained as he fired several mumu at us. One of them landed on my eye – BULLSHIT. I took the pitcher that's in front of me when I had removed the grain on my eye.

"Do it again and I'll splash this juice to you –" and he did. He threw another grain in my face and I pursed my lips in complete irritation. "What did I _tell_ you?"

"Do it again –"

"AND I'LL SPLASH THIS JUICE –"

"Oh please, Janella. You can't do that –"

"WHAT IF I CAN?"

"And please, don't shout. You're hurting your throat and I'm 100% concerned." Klein nodded many times that meant 'Hey, I'm serious so believe me.' I let out a gasp.

I put down the pitcher and took my seat. I saw a smile on Klein's face which I define as a smile of victory. I made a face at him before I could continue eating my meal.

Then Guji's angry face popped into my head.

I ate my inner cheeks in utter guilt.

I was busy planning my reconciliation with Guji and was busy rolling on my sides when my phone beeped. It was Jason.

"Janella, can we talk for a while?" he texted.

Bewildered, I thought of a million possible reasons why a guy would text me at 9 in the evening. I don't know if it's about love, family, studies, Philippine Economy, or the best tasting Jollibee yum. Then I replied, "Sorry Jason, but I don't have money to lend you,"

"Fuck Janella! You actually think that I would ask for money? Funny. Whatever. Looter's Hideout. I just need you... badly."

Uh-kay.

Yes, I know it wasn't a good idea for me to be standing outside a bar full of stupid drunkards but Jason needed me. He's my friend. And so I will be – NOT.

I was about to turn around and leave but he was already there in front of me. His eyes were full of pain. Just wow.

"I've been waiting for you. I thought you'd never come." He told me. "I feel so sad."

That gave me a nice punch in the gut. I've never had a conversation with him about stuffs like our love interests so this was such a great start. And I've never seen him so pained ever in his life. He was always so... _nothing._ I always think that he felt nothing and that's so rude of me to think like that. He's human and he's supposed to feel something.

Even a little bit of anything.

"Lyn broke up with me," he started when we made ourselves inside. I was right. This place is full of stupid bastards and I imagined Guji being here, drinking his ass off until he passes out. Brain-dead drunkard.

I turned to face Jason this time to ask about his break-up with The Great Wall of China. When I learned that Lyn and Jason was a couple, the news shocked the hell out of me. I felt stupid to even get jealous of Lyn when she has a boyfriend of her own and thank God, it wasn't Yvan. And of course, I felt proud of Jason's taste on girls. Amazing.

"Why did you break up anyway?"

"I always leave her behind, ignore her often. Sometimes I feel like she's too much for me, that I can't contain her love anymore. But she always tells me that it's okay, she can bear with it. But this one time, her strings snapped. I called her _pig,_ loud and clear in the middle of a crowd."

My jaw dropped by the time I heard what he said. I pasted a look on his face which meant, "Shit as hell." He just nodded twice to affirm my "Shit as hell" statement. Oh yeah, that was shit as hell.

"Why did you even tell her that? Don't you think she's vain or something? Self-conscious? That it's a super big (like her) deal for her? That it would be so much painful to even come from you? You should know that because you've been together for almost two years already,"

"I know that she's quite sensitive, and I did that on purpose. She's becoming _too_ demanding."

"Oh I know you don't mean that. Just say sorry to her,"

"I said I was sorry,"

"Every mess does not end with a little sorry. Remember that," I told him, irritated.

Why are guys so insensitive these days? Oh, I forgot.

_We_ are so insensitive these days.

"But since we're friends already, I want you to know a secret." Then he began to whisper. "I didn't love her at first. I just used her for something."

### GUJI

"Bro, I need your car. Jason's down. Drunk. I can't handle the two of them. Looter's."

Yvan's message irritated me a lot. Jason could be so annoying and he got me big time. It's already past 12 and I should be sleeping now. Bastard.

By the time I got there, I went straight to Henry. He's the bartender here and is also a friend of mine – not.

"Dude, Jason got a new chick. Haha. I gave them a mix which made their heads dropped off their necks!"

I just rolled my eyes at him and went on to look for Jason. When I found him, sure as hell, he's with a girl. I felt a disgusting feeling toward him because he has a girlfriend and he's here messing some girl's life up.

I don't give a shit over his girlfriend, but I give respect on some things like bonds.

"I'll take care of Jason, and you take care of this girl," I told Yvan who happened to be seated beside the unconscious girl.

"I don't have enough money for taxi. Janella needs to get home now,"

_Janella_? "Who do you mean by Janella?"

"Janella. Our Janella."

You've got to be kidding me.

I came to her side and swept her hair away from her face. Damn this, it was her! Why the hell are they together? In this bar? At this _late_ hour of the night?

Disgusted, I turned to Jason and hit his head with all my might. I went to Henry to shout at him like an angry boar. Well yeah, I'm angry. But I'm not a boar.

"YOU BULLSHIT! Why did you give Janella a drink?!"

"She asked for it. When someone asks, she must be given."

"Will you just look at her?" I pointed at SB's sleeping face. "Does she look like a drinking monster to you?"

"Yes?"

"SHE'S NOT A DRINKING MONSTER YOU –" Yvan locked his arms around mine to stop me from trying to kill him. He told me to stop being such an ass and to calm myself. When I did calm myself, Yvan let me go. I told him that he could bring Jason to my car and that I would take care of Janella instead.

I came to Henry, more steady now. I took out my wallet and got the money that would pay all of what Janella at Jason got. Henry doesn't get it.

"Get it. They don't bite," I told him.

When he got the money on my hand, I instantly reached for his collar and pulled him close. I saw his eyes grew wide and streaks of sweat came trickling down his nose bridge.

"I'll kill you for this. Be ready."

He nodded once. He nodded twice.

SB and I fought over what happened last night. Jason said that it was none of my business so I should back off. But what the hell? I can't just go silly-o-just-let-it-go over what happened. She's a girl and there are a bunch of bastards in that place. I can't just let this pass.

"Since when did you start to care for me?" She asked me, irritated. "One more thing mister, Jason needed me last night because Lyn broke up with him. I just thought that _maybe_ I could do something _right_ to someone else,"

"Right? I doubt it,"

"Why are you like that to me? Stop being such an ass, okay?" She walked out on me and let our fight go hanging in the air like it was nothing for her.

I bit my lip in utter frustration.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

### MAGGIE

Yvan visited me at home. He prepared me coffee and brought cookies for me. I could've hugged him for that but have found it awkward so I didn't.

"Might at least know how to say 'no' to some people, okay?" He's been trying to scold me over and over again but I never grow tired of him. I enjoy him go all-motherly on me. He's cute. "Hey, are you listening to me?"

"I am!" I even raised my hand in fake innocence.

"What did you two talk about anyway?"

"I was trying to fix things up between the two of them, Lyn and Jason. You know, Jason seemed so sad about the break-up so I thought it would such a good thing if they got back together. Right?"

"No." He shook his head to show me his complete rejection of my idea. Wth. "I think it's better this way. Lyn doesn't deserve that kind of guy,"

"So she deserves someone like you?" I pursed my lips as soon as I said it.

"Wait, what?" Appalled by what I said, he waited for me to speak out my mind and discuss my jealousy casually like we're 'Hey, I know you're jealous but it's okay, I love you' kind of couple. We're not a couple. We're just friends.

Then suddenly our door opened and a hurricane came in. Guji rushed in like a mad grandma and ruined the moment Yvan and I was just sharing. I thanked him mentally because he ruined it. He saved me a lot of explanation from Yvan.

"What are you doing here?" Guji said, turning to Yvan.

"What are YOU doing here?" I asked him, my arms crossed over my chest. "I don't remember inviting YOU in my house."

"I don't care, SB. Just say good bye to him now,"

"Wait... are you going to kill me now?"

"STUPID. We're going out!"

From deep fear of dying in his hands, my emotion shifted into something called rage. He's going all so bossy again and if I remember correctly, we're supposed to not talk to each other.

"I'm not going anywhere with you. We're supposed to be mad at each other!"

"I'm still mad at you but you have to come with me, whether you like it or not." He grabbed my hand and dragged me alongside of him. I kept on looking back to check whether Yvan was trying to save me from this monster.

He wasn't.

Hurts a lot.

"Let me go!" I told Guji when his grip got too tight.

"If I'll let you go now then you'll run away from me. I can't let that happen,"

"I DON'T WANT TO COME WITH YOU." I stepped on his feet and he let my hand go. I was aiming for his handsome face but he caught my hand and pulled me close. That made me all jellylike because we're effing two-inches away from each other. He's gorgeous two-inch up close. He then wrapped his arm around my shoulders and the other on my legs.

I was swept off my feet and was carried princess-style.

Damn, I have a good look of his sexy neck at this position.

"Hey! Put me down!" I complained, still looking at his neck. "KIDNAPPING! YVAAAAAN! HEEEEELP –"

"Shut up or I'll kiss you?"

Okay. That shut me up. Though the kissing part would be a great idea but hell no, not a chance.

I'm not a daredevil.

I don't dare kiss a devil.

"What do you want from me?" Guji tied both of my hands and feet. Great. Only a few more instances like these I'll call the police and tell them that Guji's part of some kidnapping syndicate.

"I left a note for my sister and told her that if I didn't come home tonight, there's only one person responsible for that. AND IT'S YOU –"

"Will you please shut up for a second? Just one second, please!"

I did. And he was happy I did that. "There! You could shut your mouth –"

"OKAY. Your one second is up! I could talk talk talk whenever I want!"

"Argh! If you don't stop annoying me..." He then crawled into my personal space and I'm consistently wishing that there's no door behind me so I could run away. But there is a door, and I am dying against it. "You won't like what I'll do to you after,"

Geez, BD. When did you get start being so sexy? "Fine. I won't speak... anymore."

"Thank you." He moved himself away from me and I secretly wiped the sweat on my face to my shoulder. I wish I have hands.

I watched him go over his troubles on the driver's seat. He put his face on both of his hands as if he was crying. No. He wasn't crying. He wasn't like that.

"I'm sorry," I started. It's hard for me to say those two words because helly as hell, I don't give a shit. My pride is as high as Mt. Everest so saying sorry is such a pain in the butt.

"I'm sorry because I'm insensitive. To your feelings. We won't be celebrating your birthday anymore –"

"Whatever."

Oh, fuck that. I lowered my pride for him and he'll step over it just like that? How much cruel could he get?

"You know you're so –"

" _Janella_ , I just know how you can make it up to me," as he said that, he looked at me seriously. His eyes were a different shade of brown like chocolate between milk and dark. I blinked at the beauty I've seen.

"W-what? What was that?" I stumbled over the words because I was too distracted of his eyes. I have to look away but I can't. I was worried that those eyes would be gone if I looked away.

"Will you be my girlfriend? Just for one day?"

Crap.

My stomach then rose up to my throat and I couldn't swallow it down. I'm suffocating in my place because I'm not breathing. I cannot breathe as those words drown my mind with a series of flashbacks and it kills me.

Ero Hernandez.

It has always been his line and I'm so allergic to it. He asks me that like he's into dating me but then he'll flirt with some other girls seconds later. And I was like, "Damn. Why am I torturing myself like this?"

No.

"Hey Janella! Are you even listening to me?" I woke up in reality by Guji's voice. "I've been talking to you like for I don't know how long, and you're not listening to me? What the hell is your problem –"

"SHUT UP."

"Wait," he lowered his voice and I know he's concerned. "Are you okay? You shouted at me like you're really angry at me. Did I say something wrong?"

"Nothing." When I finally took my makeshift handcuffs off my hands and the ones on my feet, I opened the door next to me.

Guji grabbed my arm. "Wait, Janella. It's okay for me that you say no, but don't do this to me. I'm not okay with you acting so cold all of a sudden. What's the problem?"

I'm so amazed with this guy, you know that? He ranked one in my list of The Most Annoying People in The World and now, he has topped my chart of The Most Concerned People in My Life, too. How amazing could irony be?

"I'm in love with a person that I am desperately trying to forget but you accidentally brought him up. I just hate the words you've said,"

"Which ones? I could take them all back,"

"Words can be taken aback, but the pain won't." I pulled my arm back and got out of the car. I turned to him one last time and said, "It's fine for me that we're not okay, and I won't do what you want."

I ran away as far as I could and when I didn't know where to go, I stopped and looked around. Bullshit, where am I?

I'm in the middle of nowhere, lost, and have nothing but a pride I can't eat. Maj, why are you so stupid and so bitchy? Guji doesn't even know anything about Ero or your dramas or your effing past so stop being so melodramatic because they're not his issues.

Yeah, my fault. Again.

Then it started to rain and I was like, "How much more unfortunate could I be? Fuck this Wednesday Syndrome!"

Dear God, you're being unbelievable.

Then someone from afar shouted something like "Hey SB!" or "Hey ugly!" I couldn't tell because the rain was deafening. So I stood up and turned around to look for that person so I could ask, "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"I said, you're so dead to me when you get sick," Guji walked up to me and covered me with his jacket, which was by the way, wet too. What's the difference? "And you're also dead to me when I get sick because of you,"

I punched his stomach for that and he bit his bottom lip in pain.

"What if I told you that I enjoy the rain and I want to get sick?"

"If that's the case," He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me close to him. My heartbeats are going crazy and all of my muscles are trembling, layer by layer. He has wrapped both of his arms around me and I don't know how to breathe.

I am cold but he is hot. I am trembling but he is steady.

"Let's get sick together," he told my ear.

I died.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

### GUJI

"I think I'm going crazy."

I keep on turning the glass I'm holding upside down and up again, and I think Yvan's getting my point of going crazy. He chuckled as he placed a hand over my glass which stopped me from what I'm doing.

"Let me hear that,"

I sighed. "I'm having these sudden urges toward Janella and I just can't help them. I always want to be _so_ near to her, to touch her skin, to hold her tight to myself – ARGH! Tell me that's normal, tell me!"

"Oh you're in love –"

"I get crazy even when I'm just seeing her lips move that I want to bite them. Whenever I'm with her, I get breathless. Is that okay? Am I okay?"

"You're in love with her –"

"She's like ugh how do I put this?" I stood up and paced to and fro, hands on pockets. I went through my mental dictionary and searched for the right word. Then I got one. "She's like a magnet! I'm a metal and she's a magnet, luring me to her and making me want to stay. That Foot Face, what kind of witchcraft is she doing to me?"

"You are _so_ in love –"

"Yvan, bro." I held both of his shoulders and let out a growl of frustration. "What's happening to me?!"

"You know what? I think you have a problem only you know how to solve. You have an illness, Guji. Go to her now then you'll find the answer."

"What? What's that?"

Yvan laughed so hard and I don't understand him. I smacked his shoulder but he didn't stop laughing. I'm getting irritated. "What's so funny, huh? What do you mean by that? Fuck, stop laughing!"

"You're impossible." He stood up and patted my back. He turned to leave, still laughing. I scratched my head while I think about what he has said.

I have an illness?

### MAGGIE

Today I stayed at home because it's raining outside.

In times like this, I usually enjoy drinking a cup of coffee and watching the rain outside my window. The rain fascinates me in a way I don't know. It calms my mind.

I breathed out warm air in the glass and a circle of vapor was formed. I scribbled a name on it. Surprised with myself, I erased it at once.

Why did I write Guji's name on it?

I quickly finished my drink and stood up. When I was about to turn my back, I saw someone standing in front of our gate. I let out a scream and the man looked at my direction. He raised his hand, and I gasped.

In a hurry, I looked for an umbrella and when I found one, I ran outside to meet him.

"Why the hell are you here? Do you really want to get sick that bad?" I placed the umbrella over him, though I'm sure that it won't change the fact that he's already soaked. He's just looking down on me, his eyebrows knitted at the center. He looked rather stupid than problematic though. When I grew impatient, I smacked his arm and that made him complain in pain.

"What's that for?!" Guji exclaimed, rubbing the pain off his arm.

"Why are you here?"

"Well," he looked down and played with rainwater. "Can I go inside –"

"No."

"What?! Why can't I go inside? I'm cold!"

"So?" He was about to shout at me when I decided to drag him inside. I could not, of course, let him go home soaking wet and cold.

I made him sit on our sofa with a towel underneath him. I got another towel and covered him with it. I used another one to dry his hair up. I was about to go to my room and search for clothes he could use for a while but Guji caught my arm.

"Stay with me."

My eyes widened at that and my heart galloped. He even looked up to me and said, "I'm figuring things out right now. So stay with me."

I don't know if I blushed a million times red and sat beside him or if I told him he's stupid and sat beside him because I really can't remember. When he said he was figuring things out, he didn't mean to just sit on my sofa, did he? But he did. He just sat on my sofa and stared at the wall in front of him, until I felt his head on top of my shoulder. That made my heart went straight to heaven.

I tried to take his head off my shoulder but that made everything even worse. His head did fall off my shoulder only to land on my lap. ON MY LAP. I went hysterical because he's sleeping on my lap and he looked cute. No one has ever slept on my lap and I'm feeling giddy. It's a gesture of intimacy and I'm uncomfortable with it.

And I am feeling really uncomfortable with it right now.

I clenched, unclenched my fists and controlled my breathing, thinking that he'll wake up soon enough and this will be all over. But he did not wake up until thirty minutes. I was watching him breathed in and out, and was tempted to touch his cheek when suddenly he opened his eyes. Our eyes met for a moment. Then he suddenly sat up and removed all the towels I've just covered him with.

He stood up and told me he'll leave. But I stopped him.

"Do you want a cup of coffee before you go?" I asked him.

"No. This illness can't be healed by coffee,"

My mouth was hanging open since he left. What kind of illness could that be?

One day, Guji and I talked about life which is very unusual, weird, peculiar, and all of their synonyms.

"Why do you live?" he asked me, staring out to the green field.

"Why do _you_ live?"

"Well, I only live to die." He cocked his head to look down on me. "You know me. I cause troubles, I don't care who I hurt. And of course, I know someone out there would come back for me, to kill me. That's what I'm waiting for, you see?"

"It must be hard to be like you,"

"No. It's hard to be like you. You always look for things that would make you happy, always wanting to move forward –" I cut him off as soon as I find him ridiculous. I said, "No, you're wrong. I don't have a purpose."

I stood up and picked up a soccer ball. I dribbled it like a basketball then passed it to Guji. He caught it, his eyebrows creased in confusion.

"I only live because I always wake up," I continued saying. "Not because I want to wake up, but because my body wakes up. It is two different things."

"I never thought you could be that deep, Foot Face."

"Come to think of it... we're both out of it. The will to live, yes? I'm so tired of waking up,"

Guji stood up and walked up to me, handing the ball. He smiled while scratching the back of his head. "Let's not do this again. Talking about serious things. It's not fun,"

"You're weird." I let the ball fell out of my hand and started running with it. Guji ran after me and together, we played soccer.

I can't stand make-up.

Kate and Nikki had experimented on me in the last six days and told me that I should look good in front of the Villanueva clan. Geez, I hate parties of the high society clans. They're so poised, talked more of businesses, and care little about people outside their realm.

I don't fit in there.

I'm not poised, I know nothing about business, and I don't care about people in and out of my realm. They would hate me.

"Act nicely there!" Nikki scolded me. "Don't be such a clown. You're in another's territory."

"I won't even speak, duh?"

"Don't _duh_ me!" She hit me with the end of her brush which by the way hurts a lot. "Don't make Guji's Grandma beat him to death, okay?"

"K."

Guji's the first son of Grandma's last daughter, Reinzia. And being that, he's the most loved. Most cared of. But he wasn't fond of any of it. He's aloof to his kin and spends most of his time causing trouble. So Grandma tried to be like a devil to his grandson which rendered her effective. Guji grew afraid of her.

"What if she discovers that we're just acting like we're a couple? That would be the end of me. A little bit of concern, please?"

"What do you want? You'll see Guji married to another girl at age 19 or you'll bear with this situation like a boss?"

"I choose Option A – OUCH!"

"You don't know what Guji feels right now so please choose Option B."

"Why did you even ask me if you already have the answer – OUCH! Hey, you're being harsh to me!"

I just rolled my eyes at Nikki who's busy making me beautiful, or what's their term for this? Presentable. Yep, _presentable._ Like a meal set forth to a Majesty.

If it wasn't for Guji who was threatened to be married into some stranger I wouldn't do this. I owe him a lot of things, headaches and heartaches, so I have to do this as repayment. And of course, he's my friend. I don't want to see him be married to some stranger we'll just know by name. Screw those fixed marriages up, please.

But still, I hate this situation.

I hate make-up. I hate full-length dresses. I hate attention.

I hate fake relationship statuses.

### GUJI

Grandma was serious on setting me up on blind dates if I don't show her a girlfriend of my own, not just an imaginary one, but a real one with flesh and blood. She wants me to get married early because she has plans all laid for me in the future. I don't want to get there.

"Boss! You look good!" Fred was running toward me and was about to hug me. I stepped aside so he missed me. He hugged the ground instead.

"Hey Jason. Where have you been?" I asked the guy leaning against my car. He looked ragged. He's so messed up, I can't believe it.

"Out for some air. Break-ups suck, you know?"

"What did I tell you? Girls could be such a pain in the butt,"

"What do you think of Janella, huh?"

"Janella's not a girl," I told him like as a matter of fact. And speaking of Janella, she's not yet here and we're effing late already!

I dialed her number and she answered on the first ring.

"Hey, where the hell are you? Don't you know what time is it already?!"

" _Hey BrainDead, I know so well that's it's 5:32 and 23 seconds in the afternoon. AND don't you dare shout at me!_ "

"Fine! So where are you now? Can't you walk faster? Grandma's going to kill me!"

"Boss, Boss!" Fred kept on pressing my shoulders and it irritated me. I turned to him and glared only to find him pointing at a distance. What now? "Boss, chicks."

"Damn, do I look like I'm interested with such?" I simply said. I turned my attention back to SB who's currently shouting at me. "Hoy SB. By the time I finished counting to ten and you're still not here, you're dead. One,"

"Boss!"

When I didn't give him any attention, the three of them held my head and made me turn to the direction of the girl they've been fantasizing over a minute ago.

Ting.

"Whoa." I tried to hide my feelings over that girl but I wasn't best at that. _She had me and I can't breathe properly._ She had me by her curly hair and sky blue knee-length dress. She had me by the way she walks and I swear everything slowed down when she came into my view.

And for the first time in my life, my world stopped for

1...

2...

3...

4...

_5..._ five seconds of utter admiration and I felt stupid.

"6, 7, 8," I hung up on SB because she's so talkative, it irritated me. I haven't taken my eyes off the girl who stopped in front of us. She wore shades and took it off for us to see her completely.

I just wished she hadn't.

"Stop staring at me, you bastards. I'll take your eyes off their pockets if you don't!" Blast it. Her appearance might've leveled up but her attitude's too much the same.

"Can we take back all the adoration we had for you a while ago?" asked Klein who was trying not to puke by my side.

"And you!" She pointed her finger at me in accusation. "Why did you hang up on me?!"

"You're noisy."

"Me? Noisy? BABABABABABABABABABABABABA!"

"OH SHIT YOU'RE BEYOND ANNOYING!" I walked toward her and grabbed her hand. I dragged her along as I walk and stopped in front of Fred. "Go find your ride. I don't mean to share."

"What? Boss, no way! We'll be late and Grandma's gonna hit us with her whip!"

"Well, that's your problem now. This car is not spacious enough for the five of us. We'll go ahead,"

I forced SB inside and I jumped in after her. My heart was still beating so fast because of what I saw a while ago. Shit as hell, I can't believe what I just felt. I felt _gay._

She's too beautiful.

I grabbed a box of tissues on the dashboard and took some out. I held her jaw and pulled her close to me. I saw the surprise on her face and I understood. Using the tissues on my hand, I tried to erase all the colors on her face which isn't necessary at all.

I don't like her putting on make-up.

"HEY! Don't take my make-up off!"

"Have you seen your face in a mirror? You look like a gay,"

"What? I do not!" She tried to kick me but I pinned her legs down. This girl has completely lost her mind! "Don't kick me, you brainless doll! And please stop moving like a man. You're wearing skirt and I could see everything. I mean, _everything_!"

"I don't care! I don't even WANT to wear this stupid dress! I DON'T WANT to be here and there! I don't want this make-up! I HATE THIS DAY! And I would never ever want to be your girlfriend!"

Appalled by her sudden outburst, I let her go. I bit my lip in defeat. I don't want to put her into this situation but what can I do? I don't want to be with some other girl I don't like. I don't want to get married.

I want to get married with Freedom, that's all.

"Guji, oh dear shit. I am doing this for you," My head turned to her when she started talking again, this time calm. "I am SeaweedBrain and I will always be by your side. You could be stupid at times but what the hell, I am going to do anything I can to help you. That's how I value our friendship,"

Her eyes were the brightest hue of brown that I love them. And I'm currently blinking blinking blinking to distract myself from falling into those windows. She's staring at me like she's waiting for some kind of an answer but all I could give her are blank stares.

Don't do this to me, Janella.

Everything got upside down when the car drifted and the both of us dropped off our seats. I'm lying on the car's floor and she's on top of me.

"Are you okay?" she asked me.

She's still staring staring staring and my heart's going crazy. I couldn't read her eyes but I want to go in there. I want to see her world. I want to connect mine with hers.

I don't know where all of this is coming from. _All of a sudden._ Why do I have this kind of reaction to her now? This is just bullshit!

When she touched my cheek, I was electrified big time. Get a grip Guji, please!

"BD, answer me. Are you okay?"

Don't do this to me, Janella. Don't do this to me.

"Oh God, talk to me please!"

Then I lost it.

I grabbed both of her cheeks and closed all the spaces between us.

I kissed her.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

### MAGGIE

I just lost my first kiss. And it was lost in a not so romantic way, in a not so romantic place, and to a not so romantic person. I can't imagine myself telling this to my grandchildren, geez.

We pretended like nothing happened back in the car, hoped that the driver saw nothing. We talked casually like we used to and we're still SB and BD but less the virginity of our lips. Damn. I was planning to lose my first kiss on my wedding day. Screw Guji.

"Let's fix things up between the two of us," I heard him say. "I'm getting tired of shouting at you every minute of the day. I deserve some rest,"

"Okay. Let's have a War Limit." I nodded at my own idea. "We won't be fighting at 11 am to 1 pm, 6pm to 8pm, and –"

"Hey hey hey!" He stood in front of me and barred my way. What's his problem now? "Why are you the one who's setting the time? Don't you think that both of us should set the time? Not all of the things you wanted will be granted –"

"PSSSSSSSSSSSH." I covered his mouth in complete annoyance. " _We_ will talk about it, Master BD. What do you want?"

He slapped my hand away and looked up. "Starting from 6 in the morning up to 6 in the evening, that's the only time we'll fight. And this," he took out his phone and played a tune which I understand as alarm. "When you hear that sound that means we're on War Limit. Sounds good?"

"Fine."

When we reached the porch of his Grandma's house, he insisted that I wrap my arm around his. I went hysterical.

"DON'T TOUCH ME." I complained as he tried to catch my hand.

"GIVE ME YOUR EFFING HAND."

Then he caught it. He made it wrapped around his arm and held it firm. "Don't take this off of here – HEY!"

"They'll think that we're on a relationship. GEEZ GUJI. We're not like that!"

"THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, YOU STUPID."

"I DON'T WANT TO!"

"Ji?"

Guji and I exchanged nervous glances when we heard someone called out. I understood that she's pertaining to Guji when she said Ji. Such a cute nickname for someone as despicable as him, I find it inappropriate.

"Ji, why are you still outside?" The old woman came down the stairs to give us a better view. This must be Grandma. I blinked in utter fear. "Why don't you introduce me to your ah, _companion_?"

I could feel that Guji was trembling at my side so I held his hand and squeezed it tight. I smiled at him and told him mentally that I am going to kill him if his Grandma starts to give me death threats, too.

"Good evening, Grandma." He said, trembling. I have to laugh at his cowardice, but I kept it to myself. "This is Janella. My _girlfriend_ ,"

"Hello Grandma," I waved at her and she smiled eventually.

Grandma took 10304803283841 steps towards us and hell yeah, my knees are trembling. I could smell her 'ol Granny cologne and I'm suffocating not in her cologne, but still in utter fear. Guji took me by my hand and shook me awake. He told me don't sweat.

But I am. Excessively.

I saw him took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the sweat all over my face. He was laughing, I saw it. I elbowed him for that.

"So, hi. Welcome to the Villanueva Family," she reached out for me and I took a step closer for her to hug me. I hugged her back. "It's good to finally meet you,"

"I am, too." I'm glad to meet myself, thanks.

"Thank you for accepting my grandson for who he is," she told me when she let go. I turned to Guji and gave him a give-me-a-break look. He stuck out a tongue at me.

"He's not that bad," I lied. "He's sweet and gentle," I lied, but not totally. Only 20% lied. "And he's great to be with," 100% lied.

"I just hope that you two stick together longer," she beamed at me. Oh, I remember the marriage part. I prayed to God that she isn't serious about that. "And if you ever split, I'm afraid you have to do it the hard way,"

Then I saw her took out a whip from behind and she's smiling evilly. And I had this sudden urge to cough so as to distract myself from fearing this Granny.

Guji whispered I should protect him.

I whispered _he_ should protect me first.

She invited us inside and we followed her shadow. Guji and I were both shivering at our sides but the moment we stepped into the light, we composed ourselves. And we smiled formally to all of the guests.

This is it.

The place was full of poised people. They talked more about businesses and they disregarded me for a second. When they saw me walking by Pres. Song Hyun's side, they seemed to give me some credit. I'm a social climber, I predict they would say.

"Hi," one of the two Barbie dolls greeted when they approached me. Guji was out talking to some people's business and so I was left all by myself. "So... we heard that you're Guji's girlfriend. How was it?"

"How was _what_?"

"Well, Guji. Which part of him do you like best?"

_Part?_ Does she mean _body part?_ Oh, I like his arms best and his abs and oh oh oh, his– OH MAJ DON'T BE SO RIDICULOUS. She wasn't pertaining to a body part, stupid!

"Uhm well," My hands moved from the top of the whisky glass to its bottom before I could say, "His personality. I liked his personality. He could be such a dumbass sometimes – ugh no – most of the times, but who am I kidding? He's sweet. Cute when he's worried. And his smile is sunshine."

I saw the two of them smiled their brightest but those smiles turned into a grin. Barbie No.2 leaned in close to me. She covered the side of her mouth with the back of her hand and said, "And you know for a fact that he's super rich, I mean _rich_ like a million times rich, right?"

Blast that. I'm a _gold digger_ now? I'm so much better than that, excuse me.

I leaned in close to them and said, "Hey, guys. I don't really need his riches and stuffs. I do have riches of my own. All I need is... _him._ Him alone."

Pretty cheesy, yuck.

I don't know where I got this Theatrical Princess talent, but I'm sure I'm so good at it. They seemed to buy it. Ha! Great.

"That's just so sweet of you, darling!" Oh wait. She called me _darling?_ "I like you. I really do. I'm Vivien by the way," Barbie No.1 held a hand out for me to shake. I took it.

"And I'm Leslie. We could be friends!"

"Cousins, too!"

And we lived happily ever after until the Demon arrived and collected me from my going-to-have-friends moment. How many more moments does he have to ruin before he could say, "Yeah, I reached my quota. You could live peacefully."

I rolled my eyes at him.

He patted them.

"Don't roll your eyes at me." He seemed stressed out already. He was just gone for thirty minutes and he became like that already. I became worried. "Don't stare at me like you're worried. You're not like that."

"But I am worried."

"You're not." I saw his hand ran through his hair. God, he's gorgeous. I have to look away before I could even attempt to write our love story on my mind. I never want to have a love story with him.

Why?

He's a friend.

When I did look away, my eyes passed by so many faces only to stop at a certain one. I locked eyes with him and he's staring back at me. _Staring_ , I mean staring at some target in an archery class and it's freaky. I think he wants an arrow straight into my forehead.

Like he wanted me _dead._

I squeezed Guji's forearm.

He asked me what my problem was and all I said was, "Someone looks at me strangely. Is he your cousin?"

"I don't know any of my cousins and I don't want to know any of them,"

I decided I should not pay the man any more attention.

He led me up to the stage so he could introduce me to all of the guests. Ugh, I _don't_ want attention.

"Don't worry, Janella. They'll forget about you by tomorrow." He grinned. I smashed his face with the back of my hand.

The host of the party introduced Guji and me, as his girlfriend – with no name. Thank you, Host. I love you.

Guji stood at the center, with me by his side. I'm so amazed by how steady he looked from here, while I looked so crumbly, flaky, like an epic fail crust. Goodness, please send me an ounce of confidence.

"Good evening everyone," he said through the mic. "Recently, I became 19 and as promised – Hi Grandma," he waved at her from afar. "I will introduce a girl that made my world stop for a moment, and in that specific moment,"

He looked at me, straight into my eye I think I died inside. I blinked. He didn't.

He's piercing right through my soul.

Oh please, Guji. Don't do this to me.

"I fell in love." He said.

CRAP. I know we're faking this, but what the hell I'm deeply affected _._ Like it's true. "I want you to meet, Maurice Janella Ponce. The first and the last girlfriend I will ever have,"

The audience went crazy over that like teenagers over Daniel Padilla. Like I do over Paramore and Super Junior's Siwon Choi. Like he does over soccer and Big Mac burgers.

My heart went crazy just like that.

They even shouted, "KISS! KISS! KISS!"

I mean, seriously? "You don't mean to do what they want, do you?"

"I have no choice. Grandma's watching," then he leaned close to me and kissed my cheek.

SHIT.

DON'T DO THIS TO ME.

By the time the whole introducing thingy ended, I rushed to the buffet table and checked if there's something I could drink to wash away all these crazy red blushes all over my cheeks. I felt stupid. Going to this party with him was a huge mistake.

"Where's your boyfriend?" Someone asked behind me. I turned around and saw a tall, dark, and not so handsome guy grinning at me. His hands were on his pockets and I think I need to be nervous.

I am nervous.

"Somewhere," I muttered.

"So then, can I talk to you?" He asked, closing so much space between us than necessary. When my back was already touching the edge of the buffet table, I know I'm trapped. I nervously looked past his sides to look for Guji.

Damn you, Guji. Don't be such a jerk and show up by my side right now. LIKE RIGHT NOW.

"Who are you searching for? We're all alone here," I used my hand and touched his chest. I tried pushing him back but he was so much stronger than me. I swallowed hard when he had put both of his arms on either side of me. Oh yeah Maj, you are _so_ trapped.

My fear of no escape, it is coming.

"I h-have a boyfriend..."

"Shh... be quiet." He held my jaw and made me face him. He's touching me. He's touching my skin. My back. The back of my neck. My face. And he's touching my _butt._ I wanted to scream my lungs out and push him away the best I could but I just can't.

Something unreachable inside of me was creeping from a very small space into my whole body and I could feel it. I could feel it while it poisons every single atom of my body and it kills my muscles, layer after layer. And I am trembling.

I am trembling because that unreachable monster got a great hold on me now.

That unreachable monster called _Fear._

"Don't touch me." I said in tightened jaw. "Don't touch me!"

"I won't hurt you –"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Guji. Guji. Guji. Guji. Guji. All I could think about is his name. His two-syllable Japanese name. _Guji._ Where are you, Guji.

_Guji, help me_.

Then I got confused.

The next thing I saw was moving bodies in blurred motion. My eyes were out of focus and I could hear shouting and punching and falling bodies on the floor. I put my hand on the edge of the buffet table for support because sure as hell, my world's spinning.

I closed my eyes and opened it to refocus.

Then I saw reality.

The music died down. No one's speaking, or dancing, or having fun. Everybody's on a circle around us – me, Guji, and the Guy. I could see Guji all flushed up, heaving, and the Guy was lying on the floor, beaten.

I think I destroyed the party.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Guji demanded.

"We were just talking!"

" _Talking_? YOU CALL THAT TALKING?! You son of a bitch! You're touching her _everywhere_!" He lunged on him and took him by the collar. Guji's choking him to death. I wanted to speak. I wanted to shout stop. I wanted to grab him by the arm and tell him that it's okay, don't hurt himself by trying to kill somebody because of me.

But I couldn't. I'm mortified and afraid.

"Boss, just stop it!" Fred and the gang rushed to his sides and restrained him. "Just let him go! He just wants attention, that's all!"

" _Let_ him _go_? Fred, are you listening to yourself? This stupid _being_ harassed our friend, and you want me to let him go? Shit! I want to kill this one!"

"Ji, enough of this commotion." All of us turned to where Grandma was. She was as composed as ever. "Go home."

"Bet we will." Guji freed himself from his friends' grip and walked toward me. I couldn't even look at him in the eyes.

He's angry.

He took me by my hand and told me that we're going home. He held me like he had never held me in forever. It felt like it was his first time and he never wanted to let go.

I needed that hold.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

### GUJI

I don't know what to do with her. I mean, I don't know what boys do with _girls._ The comforting thingy. I don't know how to do that and I seriously do need to do that.

Yeah, for one thing, I don't see her as a _girl_ , but what the hell, she's being a _girl_ right now.

She's breaking apart.

She's crying, and trembling, and all of her strings are unlatching themselves and they're hanging loosely around her and I can't stop thinking, shit, I want to be blind for a minute or two.

I don't want to see her like this.

I don't want to see her hurting like this.

When the car stopped in front of our house, she went out by herself at once. I hurried out to catch her but I seriously don't know what to say or do. So I said, "Yes, it is my fault I left you out there. And I am sorry. I mean that."

She still walked and walked and walked like I'm not talking to her. I ran after her and caught her waist. I pulled her close to me.

She's still trembling.

"Don't..." she begun saying. "Please, don't."

"Janella, listen to me." I whispered in her ear. "It's me. It's Guji,"

"I have a b-boyfriend," she tried to push my arm away but I didn't let go. "Don't touch me. DON'T TOUCH ME. Guji... Guji, please help me!"

I held my breath. I never thought she was that helpless back there. I never thought that she was calling my name. I never thought she could be so _weak._

I buried my face on her hair as I draped my other arm over her.

"I'm Guji Tarence Kim, SB. I am BrainDead and I'm here for you." _Closer_. I want her closer. "You're safe with me. That won't happen again because I won't leave you alone."

I won't.

It's past 2 am and she's still not sleeping.

After two attempts of preparing milk for her, (two attempts because I put in salt instead of sugar which made Hana laughed her best. I nearly had her fired for that.) I walked into her room and sat on the other side of her bed. I put the glass of milk on her bedside table.

I lied next to her.

"BD. For once, leave me alone." I heard her say in deep groggy voice.

"It's not for you to say."

"I said, leave me alone."

"I mean, like seriously," I rolled to my side and propped my head up with my hand. "Stop being so bossy around my territory. I could get your ass off of my place."

I saw her face cringed slightly. Then she started to cry.

OH PLEASE. "Man, I was just joking!" I scooted closer and wrapped my arms around her. "Shh... don't cry now. I'm right here."

Then she cried even harder, making so much noise I nearly break her neck for that. But I let her be. I let her cry on my chest and shatter herself on my arms.

"Look, the whole world might hurt you, but at least one person won't." I whispered as I ran my hand through her messy hair. "I won't."

Several minutes passed and I know she's past asleep. I laughed to myself thinking, hey man, you're being _gay_. It's not like me to actually do these kinds of things to a _girl._ I'm allergic to _girls_. I actually had Fred bring alcohol every day so when a _girl_ touches my skin, I'd wash it off. I could be sensitive to such. I mean, my friends do understand. Yvan do understand. They do understand what I'm trying to avoid all my life.

_Attachment_.

I'm allergic to attaching myself to a _girl._

My mom had caused it so. I was attached to her, _too attached,_ that when she went away I was paralyzed. I don't know what to do back then. I was angry, sad, lost, and some other emotions that got mixed together. I was broken. Too broken to forgive my Dad who got his sanity back at last. Too broken to accept his apologies. Too broken to actually see that he was trying to be a Dad to me and not a dumbass anymore.

Attachments do crash every single thing called good to me.

And this stupid being curled into my chest had me attached once again.

She's what I was trying to avoid, but I was the one who even welcomed her into my life. Not a good decision, I know.

"... _Ero_..." I heard her muttered as she hugged me closer.

I held my breath.

Who the hell is that _Ero_?

# CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

### MAGGIE

"What the hell are you guys doing in our block?!"

Our second semester started just a while ago, yey. And just a while ago, I went hysterical. The stupid smugs are in our room saying they're our block mates. How could that be? We're Accountancy students, while they're Business Administration students. We're two things running parallel to each other and we're not coinciding.

Well, not totally. We're meeting at some points – BUT I STILL DON'T LIKE IT.

Then the three smugs all pointed their fingers at, guess who – BD.

"Guji?" I crossed my arms in front of me, demanding an explanation.

"Maybe because, _by coincidence_ , we have the same minor subjects."

"Well, yeah, of course I do know that." They dropped these subjects before they met me. And now that they're taking it up again, they're _with me_. Wow, great friendship. "But why did you choose to be here? You're a Business Ad student in case you forgot,"

"It's an open enrollment. We can choose freely which section we want to be in. What's your problem with that?"

"Transfer."

"What?!" Fred exclaimed in my face. I punched his face for that. "Don't you think it's nice that we've got to see each other EVERY DAY?"

"I said, transfer!"

"I'm giving you one minute to explain yourself, SB." I turned to look at BD who was boring his stare at me I'm hyperventilating. "Explain why you want us to transfer."

Maybe because a) I hate seeing you four in an enclosed space the same as mine, or b) the five of us being together in a class full of silent people could be a riot, or c) I think I have a crush on Guji.

"Whatever." I turned to leave but BD had caught my arm just in time to drag me down the stairs. "Hey!"

We stopped at the bottom and he trapped me in the corner. I inched inched inched away from him and died constantly against the wall. I swallowed hard and tried to compose myself in front of him.

I closed my eyes and tried to breathe evenly.

I remember his arms, his warm breath around me when I woke up. His lips, his eyes, his everything.

"One good reason. Then we'll transfer." He said.

I remember his sweet voice calming my fears, his hands running through my hair. I remember his hold on me, that kind of hold that I never want to let go of.

"Speak up,"

"You annoy me," I finally said. I didn't mean that actually. My lips just moved on its own because I have no other excuse in mind. And I'm freaking nervous for Pete's sake!

"You annoy me, too." He said in a dead tone.

Confused, I asked him, pointing a finger to myself. "You're annoyed with me?"

"We ain't going to transfer, Janella _._ We'll stay." Then he finally turned his back on me and climbed upstairs.

And I was like, _okay, what was that?_

It's been a week ever since we last talked. I mean _talked,_ like the kind of talk we do before the whole bottom-of-the-stairs incident happened. And the stupid jerk sleeps on me whenever we do our home works. He even shuts me out of his study room.

He's being Gujerk again.

It's our First Happy Saturday yesterday and I was not able to enjoy that because Guji was being so stony. Angry. Ill-patient. Short-tempered BrainDead monster. That was all him the past six days and I kept on thinking what the hell I did to him.

Whatever.

I went to the Grocery store to buy some groceries and keep my mind busy on some other things but BD. I can't just think about him all my life because that's a huge, huge, huuuge nightmare. I can't let him have control over my mind because that would be so insane. I can't fall for him.

I can't.

Then I met someone along the way. Someone from the past I've been trying to bury deep down in my heart, but now he's in front of me again.

Why can't he just leave me alone?

I've been running and running away from him but chances do bring him closer and closer. What the fuck is your problem, Chances?

"Hi," said Ero.

Then I fell apart.

After all of the things I've been through, I always come rolling back to that special space in my heart. And that space belonged to Ero. Though I've got a trillion guys on my Fantasizing Head, Ero has this certain impact on me that I couldn't get rid of.

Yvan knew about this. I told him after Ero and I met at the grocery store. He noticed that I was a little off after my session with his sister so he bribed me to talk about it by the beach. I nearly cried opening up to him. Opening up sucks.

"Why are you holding back? You can go for it if you want to," he told me while he let me rest my head on his shoulder.

"I'm afraid, that's why. So so afraid."

"Afraid of?"

"Pain."

He laughed. "You can't love without being hurt. Believe me, _I know_."

I looked up to him and said, "You know, it's nice confiding with you. You could be my best friend,"

"Yeah. That's nice." And he gave me a huge grin. "Being your best friend is so _nice._ "

Together, we watched the sun bade goodbye to dear Earth.

# CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

### MAGGIE

I was on my way home when a signage dropped just in front of me.

I gasped for air when I realized that I am only three inches away from that danger. I jumped into place when the owner of the shop rushed outside and went hysterical for the damaged property. The signage wasn't that old, it was only a few weeks brand new the last time I checked. I think the signage was attached poorly. What a waste.

"Miss, are you hurt?" the store owner asked me, frantic. I told him I'm okay, and gave his back a pat before I go.

When I was at the pedestrian lane, I bumped into a man in an overcoat. I said I was sorry but he just looked at me. I tried to smile, but he didn't.

"Be safe always," he said before he goes.

The stoplight went from green to red so I ran swiftly toward the other end of the lane. I met someone very familiar there that my heart faltered.

"Don't run too fast. You might trip over and get hurt."

I smiled when he put his bonnet on my head, telling me it suits me well. I smiled when he told me we should walk together, my arm around his arm. I smiled because I've always wanted to go home with Ero.

And it's happening now.

### GUJI

"So, tell me about it." Yvan popped into my side like a mushroom. I punched him in the gut for surprising me like that. "Geez, it's just me!"

"Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"If your mind wasn't 'ol flying in the air –"

"Fly whatever." I rolled my eyes at him and continued throwing darts. Aside from soccer, playing darts is our sport. We play it here in our tree house often.

"Janella told me about your _coldness_ last week," the last dart I threw went sideways and landed on the wall next to the board.

_Janella_.

Yeah. I've been ignoring her since Monday. I don't want to be angry at her because of my stupid reason. I'm feeling weird around her and that gets me irritated, angry. So I'm putting space between us so I couldn't shout at her out of the blue.

I don't want her to think that she did something wrong that's why I'm like this.

I'm like this because something hit me that night, and it hit me big time.

Jackpot.

"So what? I don't have any obligation to give her my attention. She's KSP, that's all." I said.

"Don't you miss her?"

"Hell no."

Hell yes.

Instead of drinking and causing troubles, soccer had been our after school activity ever since the semester started. There would be an upcoming competition this November and we're practicing for that. The KFC (Kim Foundation and Companies) Cup would be the first competition I'll be playing on as a Team Captain.

This means a lot to me. I mean that as hell.

Fred and his _girl_ , Mean by the name, were busy flirting in front of me so threw a ball at his head to stop them. He complained in pain.

"In case you don't know Boss that hurts so bad!"

"In case you don't know, your flirting is so bad,"

She rushed to his side, and touched his head like I had thrown a cannonball at him instead. What a show. "Did that hurt?"

"Not much, Boss Janella."

I raised my brow at that and said, "Hey, you're so kind today. What did you eat?"

"Do you want to get punched?"

"Wow, I can't believe you. Why are you so devilish to me?"

"Ask Rizal. Geez, I'm going home." She grabbed her things and started walking out. Shaking my head, I ran fast just to catch her. When I'm sure that we're just a few steps away from each other, I started to walk.

"Hey." When she didn't stop, I called her again. "Hey!"

"What?" She turned to me, angry.

"Hey My Tutor and Damaged Beauty Queen who looked like a Gay and has a brain made of seaweed –"

"Okay, don't stop enumerating all the insulting things about me. You're best at that, you see?"

"Are you angry at me?"

"Oh? Isn't it obvious?"

"What did I ever do to you?"

"Except for being such a total ass, nothing much. You treat me like air, dude. It is as if I don't exist at all! I'm helping you with all of your assignments and you're just sleeping on me?! You ill-mannered monster! And _that_! I don't understand why you're acting like that because the last time I checked I did nothing wrong!"

I pulled her to myself to shut her up.

"Oh my God! Stop _hugging_ me!"

"You missed me, don't you?"

"MISSED YOUR FACE! I rather smash your face on the wall!"

"Just admit it, you missed me,"

"SHUT UP!"

"C'mon, we're the only ones here. You missed me?"

"SHIT, I did."

I laughed at the top of my lungs as she went over her embarrassment that she can't hide from me. "I missed you, too."

### MAGGIE

I was walking downtown when something flew past my face. I mean seriously, that scared the hell out of me.

I am 100% sure it's a dart which flew just past my face. Though my eyesight is poor, I know how to distinguish an insect to an actual flying sharp thing. And the freaky thing here is it went sloooow mooo when it's just millimeters away from my skin.

Geez, I could be a heroine for that.

I kept myself steady and looked everywhere to see if someone's out there aiming for me. I sure think that someone's aiming at me. I'm just the only one who's standing here on this street.

When I took a step forward, another one flew past my face. This time, _it actually grazed my skin._

That's when I started to run for my life with all the adrenaline rushing all over my body. I tried to suppress the unreachable monster inside of me and not let it control me this time.

I could not shatter at this point of my life.

I need to run.

When my peripherals happened to pass by a dark aisle, I turned. I pressed myself against the cold concrete wall, with a heart beating so fast and a lung failing to supply the oxygen I need. I covered my mouth to lessen the chattering sound my teeth were creating.

Even my hands were trembling.

When I saw that someone was running past the aisle, I know that it's him who's running after me. And I know that I'm safe.

My knees trembled and crashed to the ground. My phone rang on my pocket and when I reached for it, I can't get a grip on it. My hands are too shaky to hold it properly.

C'mon Maj, GET A GRIP!

When I finally got a hold on it, I saw BD's name on the LCD. I answered.

" _Hey, where the hell are you?!_ "

I covered my mouth so he couldn't hear the sobs I'm trying to suppress. Everything got worse when the Unreachable Monster took a great hold on me and never let me go.

I screamed with no sound.

I did not say anything to them. Not a word about it. I just came home and slept it all away. Though I wasn't sure if I did sleep at all. All I know was I was crying in deep fear.

Why would someone try to kill me? What did I do?

I tried to bury the thought in my mind and acted normal. BD was looking at me weirdly so I smiled at him to reassure him that I was okay. He nodded and continued whatever he's doing.

Every one of them asked why the heck do I have a duck printed band aid on my right cheek. I only said, "It was itchy so I scratched it."

"That bad?"

"Yeah. That bad."

After class, we played soccer. This has been our way of spending our spare time in the afternoon. We called this bonding _._

Nikki thought that we should have a competition in a team of three. Like what the hell, my lungs have this stupid difficulty to contain as much oxygen that I need, and she thinks I should compete with the guys. I think she wants me dead.

"Hey there," BD put his hand on my head and messed my hair up. Stupid. "Let's have a wager on this game,"

And because I am so confident that Jason and Klein would be on my team, I said bring it on.

"Okay. The one who'll lose shall be the slave of the winner. For seven _glorious_ days," he declared. And the thought of him being my slave is such a beautiful sight that's why I said yes, I could bring you down.

But when they started to pick their Popsicle sticks for the team, I went all white.

"1," Guji.

"2!" said Fred.

"I'm 1," Jason. Okay. My hopes have shattered.

"I'm on Team 1, too." Klein. SHIT AS HELL. Why am I so unfortunate?

"2! Oh my God, Maj! We're on the same team!" Nikki tried to hug me but I was soooo frustrated I kept on pushing her away. I'm stuck with two people who don't know how to play soccer. Plus me.

How are we supposed to win this game? I have no clue.

"Do we still need to play or are you willing to be my slave by default?" I glared at him. But he didn't budge. He just put his hand on my head for the nth time to mess my hair up. "You don't have to play. You'll get tired,"

"Don't underestimate my team!" Then I looked at Fred and Nikki who're beaming at me. Shit, I don't think we stand a chance against Guji. But I have fake hopes. "We'll win. You'll see!"

After fifteen minutes of constant trying to get a score, we have nothing and they have everything. They scored 3. We scored nothing.

I have the ball for safekeeping and BD was in front of me. Gosh, I want to punch his face for not letting us score a goal even once.

"Can you please make me score?" I asked him.

"Sure," then he leaned forward and kissed my cheek.

_Shit_. I could feel all of my blood vessels constrict and my blood's rushing furiously all over my face. He's just smiling like a fool before he stole the ball and kicked it on the goal.

"GUJI TARENCE KIM!"

While I'm having this serious warfare on my mind, they're just having their victory dance out there. The game was over and hell yeah, I'm a slave for one week. Oh brother brother.

I turned to face Fred, who by all eternity was stupid. How could he even be in a soccer team when he can't even score at least one goal? He's so useless!

"Don't worry Boss Janella. We'll have a rematch and we're so gonna bring them doooown!"

"I'm so going _out._ Bye," I quickly turned toward my things and collected them. I was hoping and praying a Hail Mary that Guji might've forgotten that we had a bet.

I think my prayers were a bit too late.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Guji called from behind. "You ain't going home... _Slave._ "

Hell is empty.

And the demons are all here on earth.

# CHAPTER THIRTY

### MAGGIE

As much as I hate Fred's morning face, I have learned to hate Guji's barking voice. Not that I haven't hated it before, but I sure do hate it a million times over, especially now that he's abusing his power over his slave _._ Hurray, that's me.

"Bring my bag." He grinned at me before tucking his bag at my shoulder.

"NO."

"Hey SB. In case you forgot, you are my –"

"SLAVE. Yeah _Sweetie,_ I do know that by _heart,_ " I even tapped my chest for him to see that I'm trying to piss him off by my fake sweetness.

I grabbed his super lightweight bag and marched toward the door. Why does he need a bag for? He only brings air.

It's been four days since the game, and it's just as hellish as I thought it would be. He made me clean his house for two days without the help of his maids. He even had me buy his stupid Gatorade Blue at 7-Eleven, which was by the way, a long long loooooong walk before the stadium – everyday!

You are so going to have a piece of me, Guji. SOMEDAY.

"Good morning, Ms. Janella," they greeted me one by one as I walked through the door.

Uh-kay. That's weird. "Err... good morning as well?"

I headed for my usual chair and threw BD's bag behind me. That's his usual chair. He told me once that he chose to sit behind me so he could live by my eternal lamentation that "A Devil is Behind Me."

_Gujerk_.

"Sorry Boss, but someone got your seat now." I heard Fred telling Gujerk. But Gujerk didn't move. The two of them exchanged statements of "There's a new seating arrangement!" and "I don't care!" to each other until I shut them up. Nikki butted in and told me that Mam Hidalgo, indeed, has a new seating arrangement for this class and I have to sit at the back.

Because my middle name's Ylagan.

I rolled my eyes at Hidalgo's stupid idea of having a seating arrangement by Middle Names. What benefit could she get from that, huh?

"How unfortunate of me to sit beside you _._ " My mouth went O-shape as my _Master_ dropped his bag on a seat next to the next of mine. "A Villanueva here. And I got to sit next to a _slave_."

"Excuse me. There's a space between the two of us, so technically, we're not seated next to each other,"

"Is that how you talk to your Master? A bit of respect, please?"

This time, I let myself snap in utter annoyance. I towered over him with my lips pursed to keep myself from screaming.

"Aww my lil slave's getting annoyed, _sorry pooo_."

I was about to punch his face for that but oh, lucky me, someone bumped me from behind and had me falling forward. BD caught me just in time.

My face was only inches from his and I'm getting nervous.

I remember his arms, his warm breath around me when I woke up. His lips, his eyes, his everything.

"Hey Slave. I want a deal," he told me. I held my breath so as not to inhale his _sweet_ breath.

"No way." I said in gritted teeth.

"I'm not asking for your opinion. That's a command."

"THEN what do you want?!"

"Be mine."

I remember his sweet voice calming my fears, his hands running through my hair. I remember his hold on me, that kind of hold that I never want to let go of.

My heart skipped one, one two, two three times as my Imaginative Mind broke all the walls of this place and sent both of us at the center of Falling Cherry Blossoms.

God, this is _so_ not happening to me.

"Please tell those two at the back to stop flirting in front of me." Guji let me go and I instantly stood up on my own. I pinned my hair back to my ear to express my embarrassment.

Big shot, Hidalgo. You got me.

I gave BD one last glance and saw him laughing like hell.

"If you could only see your face back there – PRICELESS." Then he laughed again.

I hissed.

Mean, Nikki, Nica, and I were walking down the hallway when we met a bunch of bitches. I say _bitches_ because they're looking at me like I am the most disgusting person alive. What the hell did I do this time?

"Hey, do you remember that girl? Isn't she the one who talked back at Guji before?" said one of them.

"Yeah. She is. And now, they're best buddies. Unbelievable,"

"I wonder how she did that,"

"Social climber,"

"Attention seeker."

"Isn't her last name Ponce?" That sure made my head lit up. "She's the first in rank in all Accountancy students, right? First Year, Block 1."

"Ow, nerdy little bitch."

When they finally passed by me, my friends all commented on what they've heard. They were so furious that they plan on sabotaging each of them. But I said never mind.

"I'm not a nerd and I don't give a shit." I said, pushing my hair back.

"I am so going to tell that to Guji!" Nikki blurted out.

"As if he cares –"

"SLAVE!" Speaking of the devil. I turned around and gave him my sweetest smile only to frown at once. "What do you want?"

"You're going to tell me something, right?" By that, I looked at Nikki who's busy whistling by my side. Unbearable best friend. "Right Nikki? She has something to tell me?"

"She has backstabbers." she said.

"Oh? Wow. Let's go home, Slave. You're going to prepare me food." He put an arm around my shoulders and dragged me away. Just like that.

Geez, what kind of reaction was that?

Wait. What am I expecting? That he would go hysterical just because I have some stupid backstabbers? That he would act like some mighty boyfriend of mine and protect me?

That's way too much imagination, Maj. Stop dreaming.

There's only silence on the car. No. I'm silent, and Guji's speaking speaking speaking I'll go deaf already.

"Hey Slave! Where did you leave your tongue? Speak to me!"

"Shut up."

"Oh wait. Is this about your backstabbers?" FINALLY. "Look," he scooted closer to me and held my head on his shoulders. Damn, this is heaven. "Why do you care about them so much? We don't care about them, so don't give them your shit. And besides, you are the only _girl_ I'll talk to and hang around with. Because you are my one and only SeaweedBrain,"

Oh Maj, Guji could be your boyfriend – NOT.

It's nine in the morning and someone dropped a bouquet of black roses in front of the mansion's gate. My head buzzed in total confusion. Why would someone give this kind of flowers? Roses would be nice, but the black ones would be horrifying.

I am horrified.

I checked if there's a card on it. When I found one, my eyes went wide.

It is for me.

Be safe always. Janella Ponce.

I looked around to see if someone was out there. I found no one. Not even a shadow. I brought the bouquet inside my room and set it on my table. Maybe I got some weird stalker or something. Maybe he's a psychopath.

_Oh shit_. This can't be connected to the dart incident, can it?

I stepped away from the flowers before it scares the hell out of me.

"You're just a flower. You can't kill me."

The whole day went drastic because the flowers did scare the hell out of me. I went anxious that Guji always checks my forehead if I'm having a fever or something.

"What's your problem?" they asked me. I only answer them by, "My face. It's horrible, right?"

"Raaaaaaayt. Get some plastic surgery. That'll help." I eyed Klein at that.

Then things got worse when Guji became unbearable so suddenly.

I was trying to give him an overview on the basics on Accounting but I noticed that he's just staring at me, not just an ordinary stare, but a stare with a million bits of anger.

"Are you getting my point?" I asked him, irritated.

"No."

"How will you get my point if you aren't listening to me?"

"How will I listen to you if your attention is part mine, part _his_ ," he then pointed his finger at my phone which was beeping since forever. "Can't I have your attention for myself? Just me and no one else."

I disregarded him and continued with my work. But to my surprise, Guji just closed his book rudely, stood up and walked away from me.

"Unbelievable," I breathed.

I got my phone and replied to tons of Ero's text messages I ignored because of Gujerk.

The next day, he insisted on giving him my phone. When I shouted at him for being such an ass, he shouted at me like this, "Me? A fucker? I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being _too worried_ about you. You're not eating or sleeping on time because you can't drop that stupid phone of yours! Can you please stop texting that Gay?!"

That's it. He hit it big time. "DON'T CALL HIM GAY."

"I can say what I want to say. HE'S GAY. Gay gay gay gay gay –"

"Damn. I HATE YOU."

This time, I was the one who walked out on him.

He can insult me all he wants, but it's a different thing when it comes to the ones I love. I have this certain limitations for insults and bullying and he crossed that line. He crossed beyond it way too much.

"I'm going somewhere," I said in gritted teeth. I tried so hard to keep myself composed in front of him so I could ask for permission properly. "We're going to Cavite for training. I'll be gone for a week."

"So? Don't come back."

I forced myself to smile. "Will you be okay?"

"Why do you care? Even if I got sick the same time as that Gay, you're going to rush by his side –"

I marched toward his seat and put my hands on either side of his chair. I locked him into my serious gaze and I'm dead angry.

" _You_ ," I tried to breathe evenly to calm myself, but it was so damn hard. "Please. I am so tired of bearing with that attitude of yours. Stop doing this to me."

"Who is that Gay for you anyway? Is he much more important than me?"

"Yes."

I saw his eyes widened at that. "What?"

"I love him. Okay?"

Then I walked out of his door without looking back.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

### GUJI

"Boss! Stop it already! If Boss Janella hears about this, you are so dead."

I stopped punching whoever that is and turned to Fred. I walked toward him and snatched his collar. "She doesn't care about me so stop caring about her."

"But Boss –" By the time I raised my hand to punch him in the face, Klein caught my arm midair. He told me to calm down.

"Guji, I know that you're in love with her –"

"DON'T YOU DARE USE THAT WORD ON ME."

"Fine by me," Klein laughed a little which sucks. "I know you have a crush on her but whatever your hopes are, that ain't gonna happen."

"Why not?" Jason asked.

"Because the Angel of Love whispered that to me in my sleep – HEY, WATCH IT!" I threw an empty soda can at his face to shut him up. Geez, my friends are stupid.

I spent the following days by ditching my classes and going to Looter's. I drink myself to sleep and cause some troubles outside when I'm bored. Not even Klein or Jason could stop me from doing what I've been doing before I met that stupid Foot-Face Lady. Yeah, I went back to being me. That riot-loving me.

Because someone out there turned me down for some loser I haven't met.

"Did you even court her?" Klein asked me when he snatched my drink. "She didn't turn you down, bro. You didn't even ask."

"I _asked_ her."

"Well, okay. You're a loser."

I glared at him just enough for him to run for his life.

It's been a week since she went away and since it's a Thursday, I know so well that she's going to be at the table with me at breakfast.

She is.

"What happened to your lips?" she asked me, eyeing that small portion on my lips.

"Why do you care?" I turned my attention to my food and started eating, disregarding her.

"Excuse me? You caused trouble, didn't you?"

"Why do you care?"

"Why don't you just answer my question?"

"WHY DO YOU CARE?"

"I'M CONCERNED, THAT'S WHY!"

I looked at her with fake amazement. "Wow, thank you for your concern."

I stood up, not finishing my food and started preparing for school. I did not even wait for her to finish preparing herself so we could not go to school together. I can't be with her in the same enclosed space as I am.

I just couldn't control myself anymore.

### MAGGIE

I kept on thinking of ways on how I could make it up to Gujerk. We ended a little bit rough last time and haven't talked about it ever since. I think I'm a bad shot to him. I should've agreed to what he wanted. I should've pretended that he's my top priority. He is _special_ , his dad said, and his tendencies are quite special too.

Ero said I should talk to him already. So I will.

It was Hidalgo's class when Guji went out of the room. I asked Hidalgo's permission to get out and followed him outside. When I went out, I saw him standing next to the door. Like he knew I would follow him.

"Stay away from me." He said, his voice an octave lower. He stood in front of me and put both of his hands on his pockets. His eyes were fixed at mine and they're a shade darker than usual. He doesn't smile. He doesn't frown. He's nothing but a mix of a sad and angry individual.

He's the same Guji I first met.

"Don't come to my house. I don't need you anymore. I don't want to see you again."

"It's not for you to say."

"I'm your boss. Do whatever I want."

"Excuse me. My boss is your dad. It's not you –" To my surprise, he snatched my collar and pulled me closer to him. He's choking me. I swallowed hard to keep myself from being afraid of him. Of my _friend_.

"IF I TELL YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE, DO IT!"

My tears fell from my eyes as I heard the door opening behind me. Nikki and Fred pulled me away from Guji's grip. "What's happening?"

"Boss! Why are you shouting at Boss Janella like that?"

"Keep that away from me." Then he started walking away from all of us. Away from me.

He called me _that._

And that hurts just like being stabbed in the chest a thousand times.

I've been sad for the whole five hours of not seeing him. I mean, whatever I did to him did hurt him a lot. I just couldn't get my hand on it, whatever I did.

Why did we even fight in the first place?

Ugh. I can't remember. Screw this memory of mine.

My phone beeped and I took it out to check who texted.

**From Fred** : Boss Janella. Can you please go here at Looter's? Boss Guji's causing trouble again.

I just stared at his words and let it jumble before my eyes. Guji won't listen to me whatever I say. I can't speak to him anymore because I'm scared of him now.

But I went anyway.

Being at Looter's for the second time isn't as fun as it was the first time. But whatever. I didn't come here to have fun. I came here for a reason.

And that's to bring the devil home.

I found him in one of the stools at the bar. Drinking so much, eh?

"Hey Braindead." I called him but he didn't even budge. What I did was I hold his stool and made it turn by myself. I saw his shocked face. "You're supposed to be at home, you d'bag."

"Shut up." When he tried to turn his back at me, I stopped him and made him face me again. I snatched his glass and held it firm.

"You'll go home or I'll drag you home myself?"

"SHUT UP –" I saw the horror on his eyes when I crashed the glass on my hand. I didn't feel anything at first but it came anyway. That unrelenting searing feeling enveloped my hand and I felt the thick hot fluid running down from it. I kept myself from screaming and losing my focus. I'm Supergirl and I don't die of a broken hand.

"Your hand is bleeding!"

"You're going to stand up or I'll be the one to make you stand up?" I challenged him though my eyes were stinging in tears.

He stood up immediately and saw him took off his jacket and wrapped it around my bleeding hand. He dragged me out of the place and forced me inside of his car. There, he scolded me like my mom.

"What the hell is your problem? Look at what happened to you!"

"If that's the only way I could get you home, I'd do it."

"FUCK. You're being ridiculous!"

"Shit, BD! I just went away for a week then you went back to being like that? I don't want you drinking! I don't want you getting into troubles! I want you to be better because you're my friend. I want your life to be better because I don't want to see you killing yourself fighting whoever you want –"

"DID YOU EVEN ASK ME WHAT I WANT, SB? Just for once?!"

That shut me up. I saw the desperation in his eyes and I know he's having a serious problem with me. Whatever that is.

The car's door opened behind him and his friends got inside with us. They've been talking about a hospital and stitching my hand or something else like I should get my face fixed, too. I snapped at them and hit them with my other able hand.

The drive went on like that. The Noisy Five Less One Got Noisy Again. I know they're trying to keep my mind off of my injury and I thank them for that. But I suddenly got a weird feeling that I have something else I have forgotten.

Then I saw Guji beside me who's busy watching the view change every now and then outside the window.

Oh yeah. I forgot to ask BD what the hell he wanted.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

### MAGGIE

I woke up at the smell of pancakes.

I got out of my bed lazily and walked toward the dining hall. I happened to pass by BD and smiled at him, who in turn, did not even give me the slightest bit of attention.

Uh-kay. He's still mad at me.

"Good morning Janella," Hana greeted me. "Come and have breakfast already,"

"Thank you," I sat on my throne (I had my name carved on that specific chair) which happened to be next to BD's. A great idea popped into my mind and I decided to move to another chair. Sitting next to him is not a great idea now.

"Where are you going?" He said when he sat on his throne. "Stay where you are."

Obediently, I sat on my throne and stared at my breakfast. I looked down to see my bandaged right hand and thought of ways on how am I supposed to eat my pancakes. Last night was a nightmare for me because they stitched my hand soooo many times that I nearly killed Fred with my bites. I sure did damage my hand big time.

"Open your mouth." My face lit up when I heard him.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm going to feed you. Open up,"

He could be charming and all but I could not see myself being fed by this devil. "HECK NO –"

Without further ado, he grabbed my face and put in a spoonful of pancakes. How much cruel could he get?!

"You like getting hurt so much, do you?" He again, put a spoonful of our breakfast on my mouth. "Chew."

"But –"

Another spoonful.

"I SAID CHEW."

Then I gave up. I chewed everything he fed me without complaining. I watched him very carefully to look for some sign that he's not mad at me anymore. He showed nothing of it.

He doesn't even smile.

At nine o'clock, I collected the bouquet of black roses that always show up at this exact time. When I entered the mansion, Guji blocked my way and snatched my roses away. He turned his back on me and walked toward my room.

I saw his maids carry my roses out.

"Where are you taking them?" I asked him, frantic.

"I'll have them burned."

"What?"

"I cannot let someone else bring flowers for you. Especially when they're black." He looked at me and I swear that made me breathless. "Dress up now."

"Where are we going?"

"School? Aren't you going to school?"

"Yeah! School! We're going to school!" I pushed him out of my room and closed the door behind me. I put my hand over my chest and felt it drumming and drumming and drumming. I felt stupid asking him that. I thought he would he ask me out on a date.

While we're walking toward the gate, he grabbed my bag and had it slung on his shoulder.

"Hey, that's mine!" I blurted out.

"I'll be the one to carry it, don't you like that?" He turned to look at me in the eye. "You're injured because of me. I'm willing to do favors for you."

Then I watched his back walk away from me.

Oh shit. I want to hug his back from here.

My dreams weren't as beautiful as they were before. They were crazy.

I always dream of a shadow hunting me everywhere. He's throwing so many darts at me and one wrong move could get me dead. I always run run run until I reached the so called Dead End. Frantic, I turned around and saw him smiling at me. He's aiming a dart at me and just in seconds, he's letting it go. I always wake up screaming at the top of my lungs with the fear that I'm going to die.

This time, I woke up at the sound of my own ringtone.

I wiped my sweat away before answering BD's call. "Hello?"

"Hey, are you okay? I heard you screaming so I went here. I'm at your door,"

I let out a gasp before crawling toward the door. I leaned against it and kept myself composed.

I'm so happy that you're there, BD.

"You're having bad dreams, aren't you?" I heard him clear his throat. "If you're having troubles with sleeping alone, I could watch over you."

"And rape me? I have better plans," I laughed, just enough to fight that Unreachable Monster which was trying to penetrate my conscious level.

"Well, raping you is great option. But let's keep this PG."

"PG-13's way better." I giggled.

"Shh. Don't talk like that. I might consider the idea." I pursed my lips as the Unreachable Monster got a hold on me again. I hugged my legs to myself as I closed my eyes tightly.

Fear, don't kill me. Don't do this to me. Not now.

"Janella, are you there?" Yes, I'm here. And I'm dying. "Janella?"

I could feel thousands of needles darting through me, one at a time then multiple of them. I could feel it in every inch of my skin, down to my muscles, to my organs. I could feel it on my fingertips as I touch myself.

I could feel it.

Then I heard a knob unlocking and a door opening. Someone collected me from the floor and carried me to my bed. I know this smell.

This is Guji's smell.

"Shh..." he whispered on my ear. "I'm right here."

He lied next to me and covered ourselves with my blanket. He draped one of his arms over me and kept my head to his chest.

"Don't be afraid. BD is here,"

"Don't leave me..." I barely said. "Don't leave me alone."

"I won't. BD will always be here for you, SB."

Then the darkness ate my consciousness.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

### MAGGIE

Ero dumped me. It's not like a harsh dumping that ended with "I don't like you," or "I'm better off without you." No. Not like that.

I just woke up with him gone. All the messages, all the calls. Gone.

We're like an open-ended story that everyone could try to write an ending to please their selves. But what the hell, I am not sad. Not in the slightest bit.

No pain. No disappointment. No hopes being crashed or trashed.

I still feel _whole_.

No tiny bits of me love him still. No more "I should be the one," and "I deserve you better." No more past kept bugging me and stabbing me in the chest for a thousand times. No more I'm-going-to-die-when-he's-near feelings. No more butterflies and stuffed up lungs.

No more _this._ I put my hand over my chest and feel it beat one, one two, two three like a drum. It's alive but not for him. It's alive for _me_.

And that felt totally great because you know what?

I think I'm free.

Free from all the Ero-y feelings I have in my chest. They're gone. Completely gone.

I don't know when it started to fade away but I'm happy it did.

"I'm free." I said dreamily.

I felt the other side of bed moved. I turned to face his back on me and smiled at the thought that I am not alone for the first time in my life. He's been here every single night to watch over me and I'm grateful for that.

I scooted near him and hugged him from the back.

"Thank you for being a friend, Guji."

# CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

### GUJI

"What do you mean you're having LBM?"

It's November 24 and it's the opening ceremony of KFC Cup. It's already 8 am and Janella's still not here. What the hell did she eat to have LBM like that?

"LBM your face!" I put down my phone in utter annoyance. My Dad isn't here to witness my first game as Team Captain, now she's not coming too? This can't be really happening to me.

I jogged to my team mates and they formed a circle around me.

"Listen up!" I started. "I don't need fucking slugs today. If any of your asses bowed down to them, I'll make your life like hell, do you understand me?"

"Aye!"

"Show no mercy on your faces on that ceremony so they'll be afraid of us for the rest of the season. YOU HEAR ME?"

"Aye!"

"Now get your asses on that field!" I watched them jogged one after another toward the center. I took out my phone and dialed Hana's number.

"Hey. Janella's having LBM. Give her the medicine she needs. Thank you." I slid my phone back to my jacket's pocket and ran toward the field.

Our game started at around 12 and not even a shadow of my Dad did I see. Not even Janella's. I am so pissed off that the game is starting to get affected. The Chivalries were on the lead and I know we're on trouble.

"You're not focusing, Guji. Get a grip!" Yvan snapped at me. "This isn't about her or your Dad. This is about you. So snap out of it."

I exhaled to keep my head on the game but someone's voice caught me off-guard. I turned to look at where it came from.

Then I saw them. Janella's holding a megaphone and she looked stupid.

"HEY _SWEETIE_!" _Sweetie_? Where did that come from? _Oh_. Dad's here. She's acting to be my _girlfriend_. "We made it here so stop being such a loser! You're the best team captain in the whole wide world!"

_Best Team Captain?_ I laughed.

Yvan tapped my shoulder and said, "Got your spirit back, now?"

I nodded.

### MAGGIE

Hana and I would've been out of this stadium if these girls hadn't blocked our way. What now?

"Hi Ponce," said one.

"Hello. Can I pass now?"

"No." They encircled around me and they're closing so much space I could hardly breathe clean air.

"Hey little misses, stay away from my darling," Hana blurted out but the bitches just pushed her away. My patience snapped.

"Hey! You don't have the right to push people like that. FYI she's a lot older than you are,"

"YOU. You don't have the right to act like Guji's _girlfriend_!" They even pointed their fingers at me. "And why are you with Guji's dad, huh? Why are you so close?!"

"Why do you care?"

"What happened to the most insulting words you said to him, huh? You ate them all!"

Past is past, get a move on guys.

"Yeah. I _ate_ them all. They taste great actually."

And that's when they started attacking me. One of them slapped me in the face, while the others grabbed my hair and started pulling them out. I kept on pushing them away but they're so much bigger in size and in number so I just retreated. I pressed myself against the wall and wished that there's more space than there really was.

Why are these girls acting like they're Guji's girlfriends? Desperate Not Going To Be Housewives.

"Won't you cry?" One of them asked me as I dropped to the floor and covered my head with my hand. I left my injured hand on the floor and lucky me, someone stepped on it on purpose.

Shit as hell, I wanna die right now.

"Stop it."

I heard him.

"I said stop it!" I felt a pair of warm arms around me and a sweet breath in front of me.

I know him.

"On a count of five and you're still here, YOU'RE DEAD. One. Two. Five."

When I had the courage to open my eyes, I saw his dark brown eyes staring back at me. _His eyes were a different shade of brown that I love them._

Then I cried.

All of them were staring at me in the locker room. Every one of them wants to punch somebody. Even Nikki. Such a Girl.

Guji sat beside me and I just stared at the comb he's holding.

He's got a comb.

This guy, who doesn't care about how messy his hair looked, holds a comb.

"What kind of look is that? I just borrowed this!" He snapped when he noticed that I'm actually judging him in my mind. "I'll do your hair."

"What? NO WAY." I tried to snatch the comb from him but he's just so tall I can't reach it. Damn that stupid puberty. "It's my hair so I'll be the one to comb it!"

"Your hand's injured, remember? The last time I checked, you're a right-handed girl, and not a left-handed one like me. So let me do your hair."

I felt his hand ran through my hair, which was by the way, so light. He combed my hair silently until he said, "Your hair's getting long. Have it cut, will you?"

"Rapunzel's my idol. Got a problem with that?"

"Well I do have a problem with you. You're always putting yourself in danger and I am _so_ tired of worrying about you. Take care of yourself, _please_!"

Way to go, Guji. You have just won The Most Concerned Person on Earth Award.

"Hey hey, don't fight." Yvan snapped at us but Nikki bribed the others to go outside because she said, "That is their thing. Not ours."

When they left, both of us went mute. All I heard was the comb's constant going up and down my hair, and the clock's ticking on the wall.

"I'm sorry you have to cut your game for me." I said, fumbling with my fingers. "I'm sorry that your Dad didn't get to see you play longer than he should have. I'm sorry –"

"Shut up." I did. He didn't. "You could've run fast. You're a fast runner so escaping isn't a problem. Why didn't you do that?"

"Maybe I thought that facing them and defending my self was much better than escaping."

"But you ended up getting hurt! It hurts me to see you experiencing that kind of pain, you hear that? I can't even get my hand on the thought that we're playing there and you're being wrestled by some bitches to death –"

I covered his mouth to shut him up. "BD, take it easy! I'm okay,"

"But I'm not okay!"

"Shh stop it."

I brushed his hair and massaged it, too. Yvan told me that that made him calmed down. And it did.

It's our Happy Saturday today and they plan on baking cupcakes. They left us at the house because they said, "Since you're dirty from planting some trees, you can't go with us."

Yeah. We're dirty from planting outside because Grandma thought that it's a great idea. Grandma knows best. Grandma's whip knows best.

We're throwing pillows at each other when he suddenly asked me, "What if Yvan likes you?"

"So?" I asked, still throwing pillows at him.

"Nothing... didn't you have a crush on him? What if he likes you back?"

"You know, you're a little bit out-of-date. Yvan's my best friend now, and I do have a principle that I abide with all my life,"

"That is?"

"That I won't ever ever fall for a friend. EVER."

I saw his face dropped by that. "What a freak."

"Wait. Did I hear that right? You called me a freak?!"

"Why not? What kind of principle is that? Just because you're friends you're prohibiting yourself to fall for him? That's just so unfair,"

" _Unfair_? I don't see anything wrong with that! Don't you think it is better that way? No friendzoned. No exes-can't-be-friends-again. No best friends-turned-lovers-turned-nothing-but-strangers,"

"Don't you know how to take risks?"

"You lost me there. Where are all these coming from?"

"BECAUSE I LIKE YOU." My mouth gaped at what he said. There came this screeching sound of silence in my ear and I wanted to scream but no voice ever came out of my stupid vocal chords.

"I'm sorry but I'm going to bed."

I watched him turn his back on me and ran upstairs with his head bowed down.

I can't believe what I just heard.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

### MAGGIE

The gang has been so confused with the tension between the two of us since they arrived but I was too baffled to answer them. We've been too awkward with each other so we weren't talking or even looking at each other.

That meant only one thing.

I have to face my nightmares all alone starting from now because there will be no more Guji to sleep beside me.

"Oh, I smell something fishy." Via proclaimed. I avoided their eyes.

Klein asked to have coffee at his coffee shop after class. It's a bit early for soccer practice so I thought hanging out at his place would be great.

"Guji, you going?" Klein asked. I turned to face Guji. If he comes along, then I won't.

"SB said if I'll go, she'll go." He said.

"Right – wait WHAT? When did I say that?!"

"Your eyes said so." He grinned at me. Gosh, that's cute. "And besides, you told me last time that you like me. So wherever I am, you should be there too."

WHAT? Me? I told that to _him_? I told him that I _like_ him? Screw all the liars in the world, misters. Get this one first!

"You like Guji, Janella?" Klein said, mystified. "You serious?"

"NO WAY! I DON'T LIKE –"

"Oh c'mon. Don't deny it." BD covered my mouth so I could not protest. "I accept your feelings _wholly_." He then turned to my friends whose jaws have dropped. "Guys, don't worry. I'm not a harsh heartbreaker. I'll take care of her heart,"

He let me go and walked away from us, his hands tucked into his pockets. He turned around and gave me a wink that had sent my heart to Mars.

My friends were like, "Geez. You confessed that sudden? You did not even inform us. So unfair,"

"I don't like him!" I walked out on them but Klein called me back. "WHAT?"

"Will come with us to the coffee shop?"

"NO."

"Where will you go now?"

"HELL. Want to come along?"

"Uhm, we're good. See'ya!"

I walked down the sidewalk – oh more like marched down the sidewalk – and have this flashback of BD telling them _I_ confessed to him. What a jerk right?

"Maj!" I turned to the one who called me and snarled at him. "Whoa, you're one –" he touched my forehead lightly, "hot-headed girl. What's up?"

"Nothing." Yvan walked with me, calmer this time.

"Guji told me that you confessed. Way to go, Maj – HEY!" He eyed me with pure surprise after I punched him in the face. "What's that for?!"

"Why's he telling everyone that _I_ was the one who confessed?"

"Why? Didn't you?"

"NO ONE CONFESSED, ALRIGHT?" See? I even saved BD a nice pain in the butt! "Whatever he's saying, that's not true."

"Oh, good for me." Then he messed my hair up.

_Good for me?_ What's that supposed to mean?

"Come. I'll show you something," he held my hand and took me somewhere. Then I secretly thanked the Lord because at last, I have a reason to skip my session today with Guji. I don't want to see his face yet. I'm too irritated with him now.

He took me to a place I've never seen before.

"You guys... did this? For real?" Yvan nodded as we came closer to the old tree house. It's kinda old but it felt like home.

"At first, there were just the two of us, Guji and me." He said. "Eventually, we grew in number. There came Fred, then Klein, and then there came Jason."

I looked at him when he said Jason's name. They're not in good terms, I know, but I didn't bring that up. It's their thing, not mine.

I saw him climb the ladder into the house and pushed back the door. Then he disappeared. I came in next.

I don't know what to expect in a tree house full of boys but what I saw made me giggle for a bit. This place is full of _them._

Soccer. Drawings. Dragons. Minions. Everything is so them.

My eyes stopped at a particular thing on the wall. I tried not to gasp in total fear. Seriously.

"You guys like darts?" I walked toward the board and pulled a dart out of it. I swallowed hard before turning back to him.

"Besides soccer, darts is pretty much our sport." He proudly said.

"Really? Can you throw a dart for me?"

One, one two, two three beats.

"Your wish is my command," he walked past me and pulled a dart on the board. He told me that I should step aside so he wouldn't hurt me by accident.

I did. But only a little.

He smiled at me before he let go of the dart he's holding. It went past me without grazing my skin. I heard a crisp thud behind me.

One, one two, two three beats.

That's the same dart. Only slower.

"Hey Maj. Why are you so scared?" He walked to me and held my face. "You know so well that I wouldn't throw that at you directly, right?"

"All of you do know how to throw a dart?" I asked nervously.

"Yes, we're good at it. Why?"

One, one two, two three beats.

"Nothing!" I smiled my best and dragged him out of the house. "Isn't your birthday today, Cantos? Let's celebrate!"

"How did you know that?"

"I'm the Queen of Birthdays! C'mon! Let's celebrate your 18th birthday!"

As I ran away from that house, I ran away with all the doubt I have for the gang. I can't think about them like that. I can't think that they can do that to me.

I don't want to think that anyone of those four will kill me.

We are friends _._

Best buddies.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

### MAGGIE

Yvan took me to dinner with my uniform on. Yeah. Straight out of school, dating. My mom could get me scolded for this. She isn't home so it's okay.

My phone rang a gazillion times that I grew irritated. Yvan told me to answer my phone because it sure is annoying.

BD's looking for me. I saw that one coming.

I texted him that I'm not available tonight and that I'm attending my "org thing." He wasn't satisfied with that so he called me again. I just rolled my eyes and buried my phone deep deep down my bag.

When our food arrived and we started eating, Yvan asked me one stupid question.

"Do you like anyone?"

I nearly choked myself by that.

"I'm sorry? Are you okay?"

"No it's okay. I was just _shocked._ " I said, drinking water in between words. "And... I don't like anyone."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And if there's someone I do like, he won't like me back."

"Why not? You're kind."

_I'm kind?_ Can he hear himself? If I'm kind then what does he call the others? Saints?

I shook my head in disbelief. "Neh. I'm not a girlfriend material. I always get rejected,"

"You're not that bad. Maybe someone out there's secretly in love with you,"

Like Guji.

"How about you?" I asked him. "Will you like me? I bet you won't."

"What makes you think I won't? Maybe I'm in love with you," that made me cough. "And Guji might be, too."

That made me coughed a little more because Yvan hit it big time. "No – no way! He can't be."

"Why not? It's obvious that he likes you. I could see that by the way he looks at you," he said as-a-matter-of-factly.

My eyes widened at what he said. What kind of look is he referring to? Seeing the question in my eyes, Yvan dared not to answer. He just laid his back on his chair and crossed his arms in front of him.

He's looking past me.

So I looked back.

I know I'm dead.

"Org thing?" He put his hand on top of the table and blocked the only exit I have. "Is this what you call 'org thing'? How fun,"

Oh Maj, I told you, lying is bad.

"Yo bro, happy birthday." He greeted his best friend just across the table. "I didn't know you were with _my_ tutor,"

"We bumped into each other a while ago so I thought of treating her dinner,"

"Oh. I see. Now that I'm here, I'll eat dinner with you, too." By that, he pushed me aside so he could sit beside me. How did he know that I'm here? Is he my stalker?

"Wow, I thought you were low bat," I was surprised to see him playing with my phone already. "I've been calling you since forever."

"It's on silent. I'm not hearing anything –" then I heard my own ringtone. Nice try, Maj.

"There, I changed its setting. It's on silent now,"

"Guji, if you're trying to pick up a fight with her –"

"I'm not trying to pick up a fight with her. I'm _talking_ to her."

"You are not."

"So what do you call this then? _Dancing_?"

"Stop it," I butted in. "Stop it please –"

Guji then stood up with his hands on either of his pockets. "Yvan, bro. I want to make myself clear to you," he now reached for my hand and forced me to stand beside him. "I like this girl and you're not allowed to like her, too."

That small piece of a moment felt like someone just poured icy water over my head. Without saying a word, Guji dragged me out of the restaurant knowing that he just messed up his best friend's mood on his birthday. Way to go, Gujerk.

"How could you lie to me?" He stopped walking but didn't face me. "You can just tell me that you're with him and I would understand. Why do you need to lie to me? Yvan and you are what?"

"We're nothing! We're just friends. He's my best friend like what I told you,"

"Org thing?" This time he turned to face me and I could see it in his eyes that he was hurt.

"Well that's because," I was trying to avoid you. "Whatever. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I lied –"

"You've hurt me."

My heart fell out of its cage and burned in the core. They're just three words but they had a huge impact on me. It felt like I was the biggest mistake on this earth. that I am the worst person of all.

"I'm sorry... I'm insensitive." I said, looking down.

"I know." He turned and I watched his back walk away from me.

I wanted to run after him but I held myself back.

The night is the worst thing that ever existed in my life.

I woke up with a start and found myself catching my breath. I reached for my phone and saw that it was only 1:30 in the morning. I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself.

Darts. They're killing me.

The crazy thing I did this time was crawl toward the door and leaned against it. Just the mere thought of Guji on the other side of this door calmed me even more.

Damn you, Guji. I missed you so much.

In the morning, he didn't eat breakfast with me. Pres. Song Hyun did this time.

"So, hi there." He greeted. "Your boyfriend's early today. He's changing. For the better. I like that." He noticed that I wasn't speaking so he asked, "He didn't even say hi to you?"

I shook my head, though I secretly laughed a bit when he said "boyfriend." The thought of Guji being my boyfriend is, well, great. But I give it no chance at all. He _is_ my friend.

I stick to my principle, till death do us part.

Hidalgo's class is the best time to daydream. Did I ever mention that to you? It is by-far the most boring subject ever this semester and it's Filipino 102. If I could just sleep –

"Ms. Ponce, how much do you enjoy daydreaming in my class? In my face?" I snapped out of my thoughts as soon as I heard Hidalgo's evil voice. I even stood up for her to see that I'm respecting her – a little.

"I'm half-asleep, too." My head turned to my side and saw Guji standing next to me. What the hell? "If I say that you are boring, then it'll be an understatement."

"Hey stop it! She'll get angry by that! You're putting me into your trouble," I hissed, my face burning.

" _My_ trouble? This is your trouble and I'm putting myself in for you. Have some gratitude, will you?"

"I didn't ask for it,"

"Initiative's best." He smirked at me and that sent me to heaven. My annoyance for this guy grew as big as the universe.

"You two, since you're so bored in my class – GET OUT. N – O – W." Reluctantly, I marched toward the door and walked out of it. If it wasn't for this despicable guy, I'd still be inside and my dignity still intact.

"See? If I didn't put myself in, you would be talking here by yourself. ♪ _Oh, such a crazy crazy girl on the hallway singing to herself a lullaby_ ♪"

I glared at the guy who ruined my reputation just ten minutes ago. " _You_! What were you thinking?"

He stepped closer to me, closing too much space that I usually tolerate him so. I could see his eyes, his eyes in a different shade of brown, and this time lighter. I wonder why his eyes were so different. They change every time.

"What am I thinking? Oh, I'm thinking of hmm guess what?" He then blew air on my bangs. "You."

I pushed him away so he could not see that I'm blushing. "Just stop that! It's not funny anymore. We're okay being friends,"

"Why are you blaming me? You're the one who has a crush me." I turned around in disbelief.

"How many times do you have to say that?!"

"'Til it happens for real."

I stared at him while he runs a hand over his hair at the corner, looking at me.

My lips gaped but no words came out.

### GUJI

She doesn't like me the way I like her. That's my biggest problem so far.

"So far, your biggest problem is hmmmm guess what," I eyed at Klein who has just sat beside me, a burger in between his lips. "You."

"Don't make fun of my lines." I punched him in his side for that. "I said that with feelings. It's sacred."

"What are you? A God?"

"A Demon Behind Her. To be exact."

Fred and Jason came over and we ate lunch. We used to eat together with SB's friends but since she became too awkward around me, they ate by themselves. Fred seemed sad about it since one of them was Mean. Flirty Little Fred.

"What are your plans now?" Fred asked his mouth full of nachos. "Since Plan A didn't work."

"She's stronger than I thought she was," I said remembering that time when the three of them barred her way, acted like gangsters and tried to hurt her. I jumped out of the tree and was about to "protect" her only to watch her fight them with her bare hands.

Incredible, I must say.

Plan B didn't work for me either. I creatively pretended that I was having this epic stomach ache and was trying to see if she was concerned about me. She did not even ask me if I want to go to the infirmary and get some medicines. How sweet.

My Plan C and Plan D didn't go as I wanted them to. I'm losing hope. I just wanted to make her feel the same way as I do about her and I am doing the best I can.

" _But I guess my best wasn't goooood enough_ ♪ _"_ I kicked Klein's leg to tell him that I'm getting annoyed at his insults so he should stop it.

"A rooftop scene could be dramatic," Jason said as-a-matter-of-factly. "I mean, that I'm-going-to-die-if-you-don't-show-up scene. That's pretty lame but it sure is effective,"

I watched him sipped his Chocolate Shake as a great idea popped into my head.

Leaving my lunch behind, I ran as fast as I could toward our building. I went straight to the rooftop and walked toward the edge.

As if by cue, so many students were starting to swarm in front of the building. All of them were terrified, scared, confused. Fred, Klein and Jason came also.

"BOSS! Don't you know that Jason's IQ is below average?! Don't listen to him!" Fred shouted. Jason punched his shoulder and said, "My IQ's impeccable. You're the one whose IQ's way way below average. You're an absolute zero."

I saw that Nikki was running into the scene, too. I don't see any sign of Janella in there. She doesn't really care about me, does she?

"What the hell is your problem?!" Nikki shouted through the megaphone. "DAMN. I'll get Maggie for you!"

_Maggie_? Who the hell is Maggie anyway? I don't know her so why would she bring someone I don't know? Nikki, where's your brain?

I squatted down to see all of them. Maybe Janella's out there and I'm just too blind to see. Maybe she's hiding in their shadows and actually looking at me right now. Maybe she's –

"CRAP!"

Someone just pulled my shirt from behind and made me fall on my back. I was staring at the sky and was blinking blinking blinking all the stupid sun rays away that burns my eyes.

"What do you think you're doing?"

I pushed my head back and saw her face.

She's angry, and mad, and worried.

"You're insane, Guji! COMPLETELY INSANE!" She then sat above my head. I was about to sit up but she pushed my head back. That hurts. "Explain. _Now_."

"I have nothing to explain." I said, putting an arm above my eyes to block off the sunlight.

"Why are you here? You're killing Fred in worry for Pete's sake!"

"Only Fred?"

"And... your Dad."

"And?"

"Nikki, Jason, all of them!"

"And?"

"Ugh. STOP THAT _AND_ THING!" I threw my head back to look at her. "How about you? Are you worried about me?"

"Why are you standing on that edge?! What are you trying to prove?!"

"Answer me. Are you worried about me?"

Before answering me, she held my face and smashed her head on mine. She did a head-butt on me! She really is a freak.

"FUCK YOU GUJI TARENCE KIM!" She pressed her forehead harder this time. "I'm so tired of getting rid of you for so _many_ days and what sucks the most is I _see_ you every day but I just can't _talk_ to you anymore because it's so _freaking_ hard! And now you're standing on this rooftop and you're killing me in deep fear and worry! You _are_ such a bullshit!"

My lips gaped at her sudden outrage. I don't know what to say at this point.

"If Nikki didn't come for me at the publications office, what is it that you could've done?"

"I'm sorry."

"You should be!" When I felt that my hair was being wet, I reached for her head and held it at a distance so we're facing each other.

She is crying.

"I'm sorry, Janella. I didn't know you'd react like that. I am really sorry," I leaned forward to kiss her tears away.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

### MAGGIE

Yvan's really freaky today.

He's always beside me and never lets me out of his sight. He's always looking to his left and right, to and fro, and just about everywhere. I think he's crazy.

"Why are you so paranoid?" I asked him at the field. "No one's gonna grab me,"

" _No one's gonna grab me._ Shut up. Someone's after you, _I_ _know_."

Except for Guji, no one else.

I shook my head at the thought. I don't know why I'm enjoying myself at the fact that Guji likes me. Maybe that's because there's that sheer pleasure of knowing that someone out there likes you that much. Really.

Then I remembered the psychopath who threw a dart at me. Not once. But freaking twice.

"How do you say that someone's after me? I never told you anything," I said, challenging him.

"So there _is_ someone after you," he looked serious now. "I was just trying to catch you. Your life is indeed in danger. My observations are right. Tell me about it."

I looked at him before answering, "There's nothing to tell. Excuse me." I shoved him away to run for the comfort rooms. When I did saw one, a guy dressed in a janitor uniform told me to use the one in front of me. I nodded.

When I was about to enter the room, Yvan grabbed my shoulders and dragged me along with him. He said, "Let's buy some snacks in the convenience store. There's a comfort room there,"

"What? You want me to walk that far and resist this call of nature? You want me to die, don't you?"

"Just come along," He wasn't looking at me when he said that. He's looking behind us. When I turned my head to where he was looking, I saw the janitor looking at me gravely.

I think I saw him before?

I shook the thought away before it scares the hell out of me. He's just some ordinary janitor, Maj. Just an ordinary janitor.

One time in PE Class, Fred gave me a friendship bracelet. He said he wanted to express his gratitude for trusting him and being such a good bully friend. I want to hug him for that but he went hysterical and pushed me away.

"Maybe Mean's watching. She'll be jealous." I spanked him for such nonsense.

And this same bracelet was the subject Guji and I have been arguing about since forever. By the time we arrived at this park to do our research he's been shouting at me for having such a keepsake and they don't. Such a Baby.

We're partners in this project, by the way. Screw Nikki for such an arrangement. I know she's behind this since she's the president and she has control over matters like this. Damn.

"You're his only friend now, huh? We've been friends for so long but he never gave me such! What are _you_ to him?!" He shouted, holding my hand in the air.

"Don't worry! I'll tell him to give a million of this to you!"

"And I now pronounce you," Guji and I stopped when a girl suddenly locked a handcuff on our hands. Oh shit. "Husband and wife."

As if by cue, both of us looked at the girl who just arrested us. I'm pulling my right hand and Guji's pulling his left, trying to see if this handcuff was made of plastic or what. It's real. And I guess we're really trapped.

This can't be really happening to me.

"We have a project on Psychology and we're arresting people fighting here at the park. We're observing them. We want to know how they go over their anger,"

"NO WAY –" I could've protested but she has already turned her back on us and left.

"Thank you for cooperating!" She shouted back.

My lips gaped but no words came out of it and I know I'm screwed. Now I've got to be with this BrainDead Monster for as long as that girl doesn't show up and unlock us.

What if she doesn't come back until the end of the day?

"Now, I'm stuck with a loser." He declared. "And because we're stuck to each other for as long as whenever, you'll definitely fall for me _again_. Harder this time."

"Excuse me? I'm not falling in love with you,"

"Other girls did. What makes you different?"

"I'm blind. I don't see what they did." I rolled my eyes at him but he just tugged the handcuffs so hard I'd cry. He's going somewhere he didn't tell me. "Hey, hey! Where do you think you're going?"

"Food trip. Quite hungry," he looked back at me and winked. Mesmerized by that stupid wink, I nearly tripped over myself.

Why am I not falling in love with this guy?

He's a friend. He's a friend, Maj. That's why.

We entered a restaurant which was serving Korean food. The smell was all over the place that I kept myself from drooling. Gosh, do I have money to pay their food?

"Your treat?" I asked the Demon Beside Me.

"No way. You're going to be a dishwasher here – HEY!" I spanked him in the face before finishing his statement.

He's the one who ordered the food and said it's going to be his treat. When it arrived, my eyes widened at the beautiful sight of them. They're just so plenty of them I'll drown into it if it's possible.

_Paradise_ , I thought.

But my major problem here is: I can't eat.

"Hey there. Don't pull the handcuffs. I can't eat!" I snapped at him as I pulled the handcuffs to myself. He said, "How can I eat if you're pulling the handcuffs, too? Don't be selfish."

Selfish? Me?

"Eat with your other hand," he said, going back to eating. I bit my bottom lip to resist the frustration I'm starting to feel.

My eyes travelled from the food to BD's serious face, back to the food then his face. Suddenly, an outrageous idea popped inside my brain and I didn't know that I was already doing it. Shit this.

"What's that?" He asked me, eyeing the lettuce wrap I'm holding up to his face.

You're going to feed this Demon? Great idea. I mean that.

"Uhm... forget it," I was about to put it down but he caught my hand and ate the wrap.

I could feel his lips on my fingertips, his breath on this small portion of my skin, his smile across his face when he said, "Delicious."

I mentally slapped myself because I just saw an awfully cute face and took a mental picture of that. Gosh, he's so cute.

"Say 'ah'," I snapped out of my thoughts when BD mimicked my gesture and was now holding a lettuce wrap in front of me. I shook my head no. He insisted. I gave up.

Shit. That seriously felt good!

We took turns and were laughing very hard, as if we're the only people in this place. I've never seen BD this happy before so I enjoyed the moment, enjoyed every laughter he'd never laughed before, enjoyed every curve on his face that's equally beautiful as his eyes.

Until I heard a shutter sound.

Both of us froze by that and we looked everywhere.

"Oh my God," I gasped as my eyes travel from table to table, person to person with all of their gadgets pointed at us. They're taking pictures of us. OH SHIT –

This situation brought panic into my being and I choked, literally. I just can't breathe and I'm banging the table and my chest so hard I think I'm going to die.

"SB, are you okay?" He asked me but I just waved "I'm okay," but what the hell, I'm dying.

I stood up in so much panic and I'm coughing coughing coughing trying to get that stupid lump that got stuck on my throat. I just can't accept the fact that I'm going to die of a fish cake! That's not a good reason to die for!

"Stand still!" BD went behind me, his arms around me. Bullshit! Why the hell is he hugging me?! Why is he doing this romantic embarrassing thing to me right in front of everybody's attention? There are oldies here, for Pete's sake!

I kept on elbowing him to tell him that he should stop being such an ass and stop hugging me. He just snapped at me. He said, "Can't you understand the words 'stand still'?! Relax, SB!"

Then he moved behind me, forcing to move my muscles. Oh. Heimlich maneuver.

I held on to his arms until the thing came out of my mouth. I don't know where it went and I seriously don't want to know, either. BD loosened his arms on me and made me turn around to face him.

Sweaty BD. Gosh, he's so hot.

"Next time, be careful in eating!" He scolded me. I was about to shout back but I heard the place clapped. The ones who took pictures of us were the same ones who're clapping at the show we just made.

BD waved in acknowledgement. Showy Little Monster.

Once we have finished our lunch and paid the bill, he treated me ice cream afterwards. Everyone who met us along the way kept looking at us and down to our hands joined by handcuffs. They're smiling and that's giving me a shit of goose bumps.

They're thinking it's sweet. Yuck.

What's giving me a hell more of these goose bumps was his hand constantly grazing mine, and I'm getting more and more sensitive and conscious, I think I'm blushing.

I _am_ blushing.

I closed my eyes and wished that he won't hold my hand. He did. Gosh. I felt his hand slowly slipped into mine and I could feel his warmth under my bandages.

I could feel his hold on me, that careful not-too-tight hold. I could feel that it's perfect. It's a perfect fit, I gasped.

"It's the first time I ever held a girl's hand," he said, smiling. "I never thought that this will feel so great,"

I wanted to let go and pull my hand out of his grip but I just can't do it. I can't do it because there's a voice inside my head saying, "Don't let go." Blast this, what the hell am I thinking?

"How about our research?" I managed to say to distract myself. "What do you plan to do about it?"

"There are plenty of time for that. For now," he looked at me sideways. "Let's enjoy each other first,"

" _Let's enjoy each other first?_ " I repeated. "Are you fucking kidding me? What are we?"

"Friends. With benefits – THAT HURTS IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW!" I spanked him right in the face for saying such a thing. This monster's mind could be so damn dirty!

I tugged him along and planned on going back to the park. I so need to find that girl and have us unlocked. How am I supposed to do my _private_ things with him locked with me? How am I supposed to pee with him being in the same cubicle as me? This is so terrible!

"It's getting dark. We have to go home," he said.

"No. I'm not getting home unless that girl shows up,"

"Why? We're okay like this," my mouth gaped at what he just said. What does he mean by that? I'm not okay like this!

"I hope we won't find her yet. I still have so many things I want to do with you," he looked straight into my eyes and I could feel my hormones raging and I think I want to kiss him – MAJ, GET A GRIP.

"Shut up! I'll tell you to my dad!" I said, hysterically.

"Oh? What can your dad possibly do if I'm hugging you right now?" By that, he circled his left arm around me and I'm locked with myself. I held my breath as my heart jumped out of its cage and flew toward Mexico. Gosh, this is heaven.

Then somebody shouted, "Excuse me!"

BD then took his arm away from me and I coughed to push the awkwardness away. I hope I'm not blushing too much.

"Uhm, can I ask a favor from you?" The lady who just called our attention asked. I nodded yes. She pushed a stroller in front of us and I have a feeling we're going to be babysitters for a while. "Can you watch over my child? I just need to come back at the market because I lost my other child there. Please?"

Best Mom.

"Sure. We'll take care of her," I looked at BD, who by the way, is not a fan of babies. He wasn't looking at me or the lady. He just crossed his arms and wore his poker face.

The lady then hugged me and took off to find her other child. I elbowed him and he's not paying me any attention at all. Until we heard someone crying.

"Is that you?" he asked me. I said, "Do I look like I have tears?"

The crying still continued and we have zero ideas where it's coming from. Until we looked at the stroller in front of us. "Bingo." I walked toward the stroller and saw that the baby (very very cute, by the way) was indeed the one who's crying.

"How are you supposed to make _that_ stop crying?" He asked, peeking into the stroller.

" _Me_? Won't you help me?"

"Uhm, no?" I glared at BD who's being unreasonable right now. I shook my head, took the baby into my arms and started bringing her up and down the air. The baby stopped crying, but BD grew angry at me.

"Stop that. You're hurting my arm, by the way." I ignored him and continued playing with Baby. He just rolled his eyes then watched us laughed and laughed while he hated the world and its existence.

"Moo moo!" Baby said as she reached for my face.

Moo moo?

"This _thing_ do know what to call ghosts like you. Black lady –"

"Shut up! Black lady my ass!"

"Poo poo, poo poo!" Baby then reached for Guji's already irritated face, and I saw him flinch at that.

"Oh? This baby does know what to call shits like you." I laughed my hardest which made him annoyed ten times over. I passed Baby to him, but he just gave her back. I made a face and insisted that he should try carrying her because it felt great.

Baby wrapped her little arms around BD's neck and he went hysterical. She kept on hitting his face and laughed as she did that. I just can't help but smile at what I'm seeing, so I took my phone out.

I need a picture of this.

"Smile!" I took a picture of them. Baby was smiling with her one tooth exposed and BD's frowning like he could kill someone. I took another one and another.

Though the last one was so epic I wanna cry.

Baby pulled me closer to them so BD and I were sandwiching her between us. I kissed her cheek and clicked the shutter button. When I checked if it looked okay, I just realized that BD also kissed her cheek. I think a smile escaped my lips.

Gosh, we looked like a family.

"Oh gosh, thank you!" Guji and I froze on our positions when we heard the same voice as the baby's mom. "Thank you for the help. I really appreciate this,"

The mom took Baby from our arms and she seemed so happy about that. I smirked. Baby waved good bye to me then kissed my lips, then to BD.

We just had an indirect kiss right there.

I shook my head. That's a creepy idea.

"Bye Gella," BD said in the air. Confused, I asked him, "Who's Gella?"

"Baby. I named her Gella because my name's Guji and yours is Janella. A perfect name for our baby," my lips parted at that but I just shook my head and said nothing. This guy's ridiculous.

He's pulling my sleeves that I grew irritated and snapped at him. "What do you want?!"

"I want that,"

"You want _what_?"

"I want a baby. Let's make something like that –"

"BULLSHIT!" I punched him right in the face.

I wasn't speaking to him or paying him any attention at all after that. I just can't believe he just said that in my face _so_ casually like it's something normal to talk about. He kept on asking me if it's a bad thing to say and he could just take it back.

I did a face palm. "You seriously don't know where that baby came from?"

"Uh... no?"

"Where are _you_ from?" Before he could even say anything, we suddenly heard a thunderclap. Oh great, what now?

I noticed that the sky was really dark and I know the clouds were pretty heavy so when it rains, it rains badly. My eyes then went down from the sky to BD's poker face. There came another clap of thunder and I saw his eyes flinched.

His hands were even trembling. I wonder why.

"You're scared." I accused him. He only said, "No. Don't be ridiculous."

Another thunder.

"You _are_ scared." I teased him even more, but he's just frowning and frowning like it could make me stop teasing him. "Just admit it, you're scared scared scared scared –"

"FINE! I AM SCARED. So don't you dare leave me alone,"

"Are you dumb? We're stuck with each other, stupid." Just after I said those words, it started to rain. Thank you for the blessing. I'm serious, really.

Hysterically, we ran just about anywhere to look for shelter. Damn, I'm soaked!

BD got crazier than he really was, and stopped in front of me and knelt. He took my shoes off without my permission. "Hey, don't take them off!"

"It's okay!" He smiled and turned around. "Jump in."

"What?" When I finally realized what he was trying to do, I did jump into his back. I clung on his neck, while his arms held my legs secure. Though it's hard for the both of us because of the stupid handcuff, we didn't care. It was fun.

"Enjoy the ride, SB!" He shouted in the middle of the storm. He skipped skipped skipped while I laughed. I took my umbrella out and opened it to shield us from the rain, though we're both soaked already.

Then something hit me.

Out of nowhere, it came came came and zoomed right in front of me. I could see the sunlight wrapping us. I could see flowers, and butterflies flying. They're all over us. They're touching our skins, my cheeks. I could feel my heart beat quite unevenly and I held onto Guji more tightly.

I held him to myself.

I don't understand why.

We came home, still chained. I guess we have to sleep together.

We're sitting in front of each other at the center of his bed. His head was on top of my knees and I'm tempted to touch his hair and mess it up. When I was about to touch it, he turned his face up. I dropped my hand.

"Do you trust me?" He asked. I looked away because he's too close.

"It's not that obvious but I do. I do trust you,"

"Weh? Do you trust me that I won't do anything bad to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you and me in this bed," I swallowed at that. "You're a girl, I'm a boy. And you know for a fact that I have a crush on you –"

"Oh c'mon! We're keeping this PG, right?"

"I thought PG-13's way better?" I felt his lips on my knees and I could feel a thousand electric shocks bolting throughout my body. I punched him for that, and lied on the bed, my hair completely covering my red face.

He leaned in and took my hair away from my face. Bullshit this, I think I'm going to be raped.

"Why are you so red? Do you have a fever?" He placed his hand over my forehead but I pushed that away. I told him that he should stop bugging me because I'm so tired already, that he should sleep at once because he'll have a soccer practice early in the morning.

But there's something I've been meaning to ask him so I turned to face him.

"Hey, BD."

He said yes.

"Are you serious about what you said?"

"That is?"

I looked away and search for the right amount of courage to say the right kind of words. When I did find them, I asked him. "Are you serious that you like me?"

Then he laughed.

"What's so funny?" I asked him, hurt.

Still laughing, he moved on top of me and put a hand on my cheek. My gaze followed that hand and I think I'm trembling. I'm so nervous I think I'm going to die. I blink blink blink as my throat goes dry that I have to swallow every now and then. My lungs were expanding, contracting at such speed I can't cope with.

I can't breathe.

Please give me air.

Please.

"Do you think I'd lie to you?" He's leaning closer and closer I could inhale the air he's exhaling. My eyes went from his eyes so brown down to his nose, to his lips.

That's the lips which stole my first kiss.

I could feel both of his hands on either side of my cheeks, I could feel his warmth. I could heart my heart drumming drumming on my ears, and my tummy's getting a bit funny. I could feel my feet. My feet were stinging and they're cold cold cold.

Finally, the spaces between our noses, our lips disappeared. He locked his lips into mine and I could feel a series of sparks everywhere.

Boom, one, one two, two three, boom.

I kissed him back.

Boom, one, one two, two three, boom.

And we kissed for the length of forever.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

### MAGGIE

You'll know you're in love when someone had this special kind of _hold_ on you. Not the kind of hold of a two year old boy on your leg when you try to leave him alone or the one your mom used to give you.

It's the kind of hold the Moon has for Earth, the Planets for the Solar System, the Galaxies have for the Universe. It's so intact and it fits so perfectly. That it would be such a huge huge huge devastation if one of its components breaks away. And we do everything we can not to let it happen.

Because when the _hold_ breaks apart, everything would be so different. Shattered. Distant. Out-of-place.

I think I have that kind of hold on Guji now.

That every time he walks out my door I'll grow afraid that he'll never come back.

Terrified.

I am quite surprise with myself because I never had this feeling with Ero. That it's just alright for me that he dumped me for the nth time. That it's okay for him to walk away from my life again and knowing that he would never come back.

But with Guji it's different.

In the silent moments of my day, I just stare at Guji and think that if he ever walked out of my life that would be the end of me. That I can't wake up in the morning because he's gone. That he had taken away a huge part of me and I'm unable to live the way I used to.

That I have this kind of hold on him and I just can't let go. I've had this kind of hold on him ever since and I was just too dumb to realize that until now. It all comes together. I understand everything now.

Yes. I think I'm in love with Guji.

I see that now.

I have broken my principle but I don't care. I don't care because I only live once.

Fred and the others came at the mansion and brought a huge cutter. They managed to cut the handcuffs off and we're totally free from each other. When I was about to go to the kitchen I heard them laughing their asses off that when I turned to look at them, they shut up. I raised my brow to ask them what's up.

They just said, "We had fun yesterday, too."

"Oh? Tell me about it," I leaned against the wall and challenged Klein who was busy keeping his laughter to himself. "I smell something fishy."

"Maybe try taking a bath," said Jason.

"Oh really? Maybe try tasting my razor blade, then?" I took a razor blade out of my pocket and I saw their eyes got wider. I smirked at the three of them and ran after their lives. When I saw BD just standing by the corner watching me, I stopped.

" _You_." I pointed a finger at him. His brows went up and asked what my problem was. "You could've called them right away but why did you not?"

"Like what I told you," he smiled at me. I swallowed. "I wanted to enjoy the day with you,"

"You're selfish." And I like that.

"Well, when in love, some people tend to be selfish." He walked toward me and pushed my forehead with his finger. "And you... you have the license to own me and be selfish about it."

I coughed.

"I'm not in love with you so there's no need to be selfish," I lied. He just laughed. "And yeah, thanks for yesterday. I hate to admit but I enjoyed it."

"Just like what I thought,"

The following days were normal. The boys attended class but slept through them. We ate lunch together, and played soccer after class. Guji and I finished our research, though he contributed absolutely nothing but his blabbering about my hair which was braided.

"Why is your hair braided?" He always asks. I always answer him, "The weather's a bit hot."

Though on a Tuesday, it rained pretty badly. He told me, "It's cold now. Why is your hair braided?"

"Because you're stupid." I tried not to roll my eyes at him. I braid my hair because I want him to say that it's pretty on me or something like that. Instead, he says nothing.

So much about making an impression. Damn him.

One time, Yvan met me on the way and tried not to mess my hair up this time.

"Your hairdo suits you. Been meaning to tell you," he told me, smiling. A smile escaped my lips.

"Thanks, Best Friend."

Yvan accompanied me to a book store today. I once told him that I was looking for this certain book I wanted to read all my life and he said he knew just the perfect place to find it. He took me to Hilltop Book Store.

"Thanks for the company," I told him after I paid the book I bought. "I'll treat you ice cream after this."

"It's raining outside and you want me to eat ice cream? Are you trying to kill me?"

"A bit." I mocked.

We went out of the book store and he opened the umbrella for the two of us. We talked about how amazing this rainy scene would look in a photograph. Two people sharing in one umbrella, under the pouring rain. This could mean a million of things, of emotions. This could be a thousand words. A perfect shot for sentimental people.

In this moment, I thought, in some parallel galaxy Yvan and I could be the perfect couple but here, we're not. We're best friends. And I'm in love with someone else.

"Unluckily, no one has a camera so this scene will just be a memory," he said.

"I could draw it if you want,"

"You draw?" He asked in fake amazement. I hit him for that. "Oh I'm sorry. I forgot that you're the Queen of All Creative Media."

"And you're the King of Photography."

"Self-proclaimed." Then we laughed.

Side by side, we walked down the road and enjoyed the silence. No one talked until I broke the ice. "You haven't told me about the girl you like. I know there's someone special in that special space," I tapped his chest with my finger.

"You don't need to know,"

"I never kept a secret from you, have I?"

"It's not important. And she's no one you know,"

I stopped walking which made him stop, too. I looked at him as bitchy as I could and challenge him to tell me who she was. "C'mon spit it out."

He just smiled at me and I knew I won. "This is our secret, okay?" I nodded.

He leaned toward my ear and was about to say something when suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me away from Yvan.

I was confused, then.

"I'll be the one to walk her home," I heard him say. I turned to my side and saw Guji holding my hand. How did he know that I was here? He really is my stalker.

"Guji? What are you –"

"I'll be the _one_ to walk _you_ home." Without even saying "hi" or "bro" to his best friend, he walked past him and dragged me along. It could've been so sweet of him but his grip's too tight that it hurts.

"I've been looking for you. Where have you been?"

"Don't shout at me. We're on War Limit," I even showed him my watch that showed 6:30 in the evening.

"Tss. It's getting dark already and you're not yet home. I'm so worried about you," I saw his jaw tensed and shifted from angry to calm.

"Worried my ass. I'm just around the corner,"

"And you're with Yvan."

"SO?"

"HE'S GOING TO KISS YOU!"

"WHOA THERE." I covered his malicious mouth and tapped his shoulder to assure him that it's okay. That nothing bad is going to happen and "He's just going to say something."

"No way. I'm the only one who's allowed to do that."

I raised my brow at him. "Are you my boyfriend?"

"Do I need to be one?"

My mouth went O-shaped at that. "Hey Mister Soccer Player, you don't have the right over me if you aren't my boyfriend or husband, okay? Don't be so possessive,"

The rain had stopped but BD's mouth didn't. When will he shut up?

"HEY SB!" He shouted behind me. "Hey! I'm ordering you to turn around now!"

"Whatever dude. Ain't gonna happen," I kept help but smile at this situation. I just love making fun of this guy.

"Hey you! I'm ordering you to be my girlfriend! RIGHT NOW!"

"Who are you talking to?" I shouted back. "The tree? Oh c'mon BD. Have some taste, will'ya?"

And I laughed very very hard.

It's a Saturday and Jason took us along to his photo shoot. He's a freaky hot model alright but he's love life is so below zero. Lyn didn't accept his love anymore and she's going to regret that soon. Jason's a great catch, what's her problem? Geez.

When we arrived at the venue, several staffs approached Jason and asked if he could just wait for a little while because the photographer hasn't come yet. He nodded to them and I could see that they're hyperventilating at the sight of Jason and ugh, _Guji_.

I walked toward Guji and stayed at his side. He looked down on me.

"What are you up to now?" He asked me.

"So many strangers, so many _snatchers_." I said, fanning myself. "You think so, too?"

"Snatchers? All I see is a bunch of women and a few guys –"

"Exactly." I showed him a smile of sarcasm. " _Women_."

"Oh. I smell possessiveness," he mocked me with his eyes and I returned the favor. "You like me now?"

Before I could throw a nice comeback at that, there came a Tsunami of Bad Vibes. He's been shouting all over the place, all the time. I guess he's in charge? I mean... _she?_ Whatever, he's gay.

"You stupid people, do something about this!" He yelled, the veins on his throat revealed. "I can't give you another day for this shoot! I NEED THIS NOW. Go find another photographer!"

By that, the boys got near me and said, "Oh, they need a photographer. Boss Janella, move a muscle will'ya?" They said that just a bit louder that The Gay actually looked at me. Jason took my hand and held it up so everyone could see.

"This girl volunteers!" He yelled. I glared at him and mouthed, "Fuck you."

He said, "My pleasure."

The Tsunami of Bad Vibes came to me and looked at me from head to toe, sizing me. He then ordered me to get the camera that's available. I hurried to it so he won't shout at me or kill me.

When I got to hold the camera, I gasped. This looks so effingly amazing! It's the latest Nikon design that's released in the market just two months ago. And I'm holding it right now – FOR FREE.

"Girl, the camera might melt in your eyes. That costs much more than your life so be carefu with it!" I wished I have earplugs. "Let's get started and don't be such a moron!"

_Moron?_ Did he just call me m-o-r-o-n?

"Shout at her one more time, and I'll cut your tongue." I saw BD walked to The Gay's side and said that gravely. The Gay pursed his lips in defeat and said, "I'm sorry."

He passed by me and glared at me. I love you too, Gay.

The shoot started within five minutes and my fingers just worked on their own. I think they have minds of their own. Crazy pretty fingers.

It's awkward at first to bark orders at the models but as the shoot went on, I grew comfortable and I felt that this is my work, my world.

They changed the sets, the models, and they're doing so many things around here I cared not to look anymore. I sat on the chair behind me and exhaled, inhaled so many times because I am so tired already.

"Turn around," I was shocked when I saw BD already seated beside me.

"AND WHY?"

"YOU'LL TURN AROUND OR I'LL BREAK YOUR NECK?"

"Can I choose OR?" Ugh, whatever. I just turned around so he could shut up. I felt that he pushed my shirt up and I know he's seeing my bare back. Shit, don't rape me here! "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING –"

"You're sweating too much," I felt a soft material on my back. A towel, I guess. He's wiping the sweat on my back away. He spread the towel out and left it there. He pulled my shirt down and tapped my back. "That'll do."

Gosh, stop being so sweet I might lock you in my closet!

I punched him in his stomach that he complained. "What's that for?!"

"A Thank You Gesture." I stood up and went back to work. We did not push through with the next set because one of the models ate something horrible that he's having LBM now. He's actually the top model.

"Ugh! This can't really be happening to me!" The Gay just went hysterical at that. "If you don't do something about this I'll splash muriatic acid all over your bodies! YOU HEAR THAT?!"

His eyes then landed on BD's bored face. He pointed at him. "You! You'll be his substitute,"

"What? No way."

"No?"

"No."

"AAAH! I think I'm going to have a heart attack!" I just rolled my eyes at The Gay who's pulling all his hair out. That's the reason why so many people die every day.

Stress.

Out of nowhere, Jason came to me and asked if I could smooth the wrinkles on his polo.

"Do I look like your P.A.?" I retorted at him. but he just grabbed both of my hands and put it on his chest. I blushed at that. "Hey!"

"Fine. I'll sub." I heard Guji announced, unbuttoning his shirt. I heard Jason muttered something like, "So slow" or "Moron" I don't know because I'm busy contemplating at the fact that BD's going to be my model.

_Model_.

Yannie, The Gay's name, called back his staff to set everything up for BD. I went behind the camera again and tested the effects I set on it. When I clicked the shutter button, what I saw wasn't the one I expected to see.

I accidentally took a picture BD.

And he looked great. I mean great as in great _great_. Fuck my adjectives, where are you?

"SB, will I stay like this? What do you want me to do?" He asked me unbuttoning his polo to the third button. I gulped.

"Ugh. Can you please button your shirt? I don't like that,"

"No, I don't think so," Beki Yannie interjected. "That's just perfect! What's your problem with that, huh?"

Except that you're literally drooling over _my_ guy, nothing much. "Whatever. Just take it off."

"Okay." By that, Guji did take his polo off and he's practically wearing a black fitted sando that the whole place has gone crazy. Pursing my lips, I marched toward him and picked his polo up.

"WEAR IT." I ordered.

"A while ago you said I should –"

"I SAID WEAR IT." When he did wear it, I was the one who buttoned it. I smirked at the thought that sooo many girls were dead envious of me now. "Be careful with snakes. There are plenty of them here,"

"Don't be jealous. You're the only person I see –"

"SHUT UP." I ran back to the camera and disregarded the eyes that are killing me in hatred now.

Taking photographs of Guji _as a model_ was the least of my favorite. I can't focus. I can't think straight. When I decided that I can't do it anymore, I announced that it's enough for BD. Yannie agreed and called another model named Cherrie to join Guji now. They're going to have a photo shoot together and I think my ears were hot.

"Hi Ponce," the girl named Cherrie greeted. She's one of the bitches who attacked me at the stadium. Wow. _Great_ to see her. "So you're my photographer? Do your best,"

"Yes, _Madame_. I'll do my best," to crop you out of the frame.

She then positioned herself next to Guji, too close than I could ever take. I took their picture, calming and telling myself to never ever snap at Cherrie now.

But she's going way too far.

"Can you please move apart?" I barked at them. Cherrie snapped back, "What? This is perfect!" She clung to Guji's shoulder like it was hers. My eyes narrowed at that and swallowed my sprouting anger.

"Perfect? We're not shooting intimacy here. We're shooting _clothes_. Clothes don't show intimacy to other clothes," I said coldly.

I heard small bits of laughter and I know I do have a point on that. Cherrie frowned at me but I didn't mind. I continued my work, but Cherrie couldn't just stop touching Guji it bothered me. I think I'm going to have a fever seeing this!

"Uh Boss Yannie," I raised my hand and he acknowledged me. "Can Jason be there instead of Guji? It just doesn't feel right. It's like an apple and a _jackfruit_ over there. They don't fit."

"HEY YOU –" She was about to protest but Yannie spoke first. "I think so, too. JASON. Go there and be with Cherrie. Guji, sit down and rest."

I flashed Cherrie a big, wide, victorious grin. I won.

I saw Guji approaching me as he stretched his arms in the air. He stopped by my side and whispered, "I enjoy watching you go over your jealousy. I'm getting attracted more and more –"

"SHUT UP. I'm not jealous,"

He nodded once before walking past me and back to where he was seated a while ago. I continued my work until Yannie called it wrap. He called everyone in and we circled around him to hear some of his words.

"I want a Winter Wedding for the centerfold since it's our December issue," he began saying. I plan to protest because he said it's a wrap already and here he is, telling we have another shoot. Ugh, he's abusing me and I'm dying.

"And since Nick's out, you are in." I saw Yannie pointing at the person behind me, which happened to be Guji. "You're the groom and –"

"No. I won't do that. I don't want to be with someone I don't like in a wedding picture,"

"But it's nothing personal! It's just a _shoot._ It's a play pretend –"

"I still won't do it."

"Fine. Who do you like to be with in a wedding picture, huh?"

Guji didn't answer that but all of them were literally staring at me. By that, I looked around and saw that Guji was pointing his finger down on me. My cheeks burned in perfect embarrassment and I tried to keep myself from spanking him right in the face.

Yannie walked up to me and glared, I pursed my lips in utter fear. "You're the _bride._ No buts. No no ways. I will kill you and you have no choice but to say yes. Yes?"

"Ye-yes."

Bhelitz took over my job and some of her friends led me to a tent. This is where their models dress up and I'm one of them – temporarily. They put make-up on my face and did my hair. My jaw dropped when I saw the wedding dress I'm going to wear.

"Fab," I gasped. They helped me wear the material and they made me face the mirror. "Gosh, this is just so surreal. I like this dress. I love it,"

"And I'm 100% sure that Guji will love that, too." Nel told me, smiling. "You guys look great together. Been meaning to tell you,"

I smiled at the person in the mirror that's smiling back at me. Later on, Nel and the others helped me get back to the set. I feel sets of eyes boring into me while I walk. I even saw Fred, Klein and Jason staring at me like they've seen a goddess.

"Goddess of Shitness," Jason said that I used my shoe to hit his shoulders. He cried in pain.

I stood at the end of the red carpet, my back turned. When I heard his voice behind me, all of my veins constricted and my lungs sucked at being lungs.

"Will you just stand there? I know you like forever with me, but I think Yannie won't last longer than fifty years."

I turned to face him but I looked away. I tried my best not to look at him or his suit or his perfect perfectness but I can't help it. He's _too_ gorgeous.

He took my hand and walked with me down the aisle. I don't know if it's just my imagination but I could hear trumpets and pianos playing around me. At that, I tightened my grip around his hand. I know this is just a photo shoot but I want this to be real.

"I told you never put make-up on," he said, not looking at me.

"You know, you're trampling on my ego right there. I think I'm beautiful,"

"I think you look like a prostitute."

"WHAT? Do you want to die?!"

"Die? I'm already dead," he looked down to me and smiled. "Dead in love with you,"

Words, fragments, broken sentences filled my head and I think my cheeks were burning.

"You know, I want to run away with you," he continued.

"Where to?"

"To the church. I wanna marry you."

We reached the end of the aisle and the shoot began. All the while, the only thought that keeps on popping into my mind was his two-syllable Japanese name. And I figured out that it was, by far, the most beautiful name I know.

Guji.

# CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

### GUJI

I asked Yvan out for a food trip. It's been a while since we hung out together because I was too jealous of him. Janella and Yvan are together almost every day and that's not helping my insecurity. But at the end of the day, he's still my best friend. And I trust him.

"Wow, it's a bit strange of you to ask me out for food and not for a drink," he joked. "I see that the She Boss has made little modifications on the Boss."

"You know this is all so weird." I smiled at the thought. "We started like monsters. I made her my tutor because I wanted her to suffer the consequences for what she did. But what happened to me? I ended up falling for her. God, she's really like a magnet."

" _Magnet_? I think I've heard that from you weeks ago, but I can't remember."

"Yeah, magnet. She's like... I'm... like this," I raised both of my forefingers and held them side by side. "I just want to be near her every hour, every day, with no reason at all. There's this invisible overpowering force that drags me toward her. Heart thing, I say."

"Heart thing, right." Yvan nodded while he smiled.

"She's a pain in the butt. But she's _my_ pain in the butt. I love her,"

"To hear that from you, love has never sounded this cheesy."

"Which reminds me," I put my spoon down and folded my arms in front of me. "That little girl you always talk about since forever. Have you found her yet?"

I searched his face for any answer. He coughed once, and told me finally, "I did. But I think someone reached her first."

I stared at him suspiciously. "Tell me it's not Janella you're referring to,"

"No. There's no way it could be her. There are a million girls around the globe, you know."

I decided to drop the topic now and went for a round of basketball at the court. But what bugs me right now is Yvan's behavior after our conversation. He seemed distant. Lost.

I ran toward him and tapped his shoulders. "Bro, you okay?"

He nodded once and said we should go for another round. I said yes.

# CHAPTER FORTY

### MAGGIE

Weeks passed in a blur and nothing special ever happened. It's December 24 and I'm usually locked inside my house, counting mosquitos around me. Not until Guji texted and said I should go with him somewhere.

This is new to me. Being out of the house on the 24th.

I heard a knock on my door and I know it's him. When I opened the door, I instantly turned my bitch mode on. "Why are you here?"

"It's my first time to buy gifts. I need second opinion."

Is he serious?

"Look, it's the 24th. People are on their last-minute shopping war. Do you want to die?"

"Okay whatever. I won't buy gifts,"

"THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT?" Yeah sure. I have this temper mismanagement problem and I think it's eating me alive.

"I want to uhm... take you out. Out like a _date._ I uhm... I want to be with you right on the first second of Christmas." He said that without looking at me, and I'm 99.99% sure that he's blushing and tense. I blinked and swallowed, and when he grew impatient for my reply he grabbed my hand and dragged me along.

Just like that.

The thought of spending Christmas Eve with the person you love is something, doing it for the first time is a greater something. You know, the first times are the most memorable, the sweetest, but at the same time, the most feared by people to try and do.

But once you get to do it, you'll feel infinite. Like you could do everything, be on top of the world, be the President of the Philippines or cut the ocean in two like Moses did.

I smiled and bowed my head to hide my cheeks that were blushing. For the record, this is my first _date_ ever. Like for real. No bets. No wagers. Not like the dates Yvan and I had.

And I am not afraid.

He took me to the plaza and watched the concert organized by Hugo University, my Alma Mater. We met our friends there and figured out that they're spending their Christmas Eve with their special some ones. I looked up at Guji and figured that I am _his_ special someone tonight. Cheesy thought, yuck.

"I thought you're staying at home tonight? Turns out that you're secretly dating the Boss," Via glared at me but I just rolled my eyes at her. She snapped at me, saying, "Don't roll your eyes at me! I'll take them out of their sockets if you do that one more time,"

"Oh yeah, I give up." I raised my hands in fake defeat.

Together, we watched the concert throughout the ending. One of the highlights of the event was the phenomenal performance of a boy playing the piano. I noticed that Guji was staring at the boy. "What now? You're in love with the boy? Shit this, I'm dating a pedophile gay."

By that, he spanked the back of my head too hard that I think my brain jumped to Pluto.

"It's the piano, stupid!"

"No way. You're in love with the piano? Gosh, you're insane –"

"SB!" When I saw that he's keeping himself from hitting me again, I smiled. I even said, "I won."

"I just missed my music." He began saying, calmer now. He stared at both of his hands, yearning. "I used to play the piano, until Mom died. I lost it. I lost all the notes. My notes,"

My eyes were locked at this picture of him, this 8-year old boy who wants to play the piano but doesn't know how because he lost his notes.

I placed a hand on his shoulder that he jolted in place. I told him that, "We'll find them. We'll find your notes."

At the background, the fireworks display began and I know that the concert's done. By the time the fireworks went out, Guji held my hand and led us back to the car. I wonder where we're headed now.

But I don't care. As long as I'm with him, anywhere is the best.

He took me to dinner and we hit the road for another long ride. I checked my watch and it read 10:45. "Aren't we going home yet? It's pretty late already,"

"Is it? But did I not tell you that I want to spend my first second of Christmas with you?" I saw his lips curve into a smile. "It's too early, I say."

"We are we going anyway?"

"Guess."

"Is that a place? I thought it's just a brand name –"

"HOW MUCH STUPID COULD YOU GET?"

"Galaxy." I said. "You're taking me to the galaxy."

"Nope. I'm taking you somewhere better than that," he then changed gears and I know we're up for a long long long drive that my eyes dropped down dead.

When I woke up, I can't believe what I'm seeing that I told him, "I must still be dreaming,"

He laughed.

# CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

### MAGGIE

"You took me to total darkness I barely see a thing. Genius," I told him when he led me to a place where lights don't exist. This place was like a ghost town, and no one's here except for us.

He took me to a ghost town. Sweet of him.

"Don't judge me just yet. You're not seeing the whole picture here,"

"I'm not seeing anything because it's too dark,"

"That's because," holding my hand, he led to wherever until we stopped at a certain place. He loosened his hold on me and snapped his fingers. "When it's dark, stars shine the brightest."

One by one, I see hundreds of miniature stars lighting up. Around me. Around us. They're blinking blinking blinking of colors, different hues. What's even crazier than this galaxy substitute was that the stars were singing. I mean, they _are_ singing. They're singing Christmas songs and I think they're lovely. I appreciate these songs back then, now I love them.

I looked around and around until the dizziness crept in and I almost fell down. Guji laughed at me and I laughed at my silliness, too. I turned to look at him – him that's being colored with red, and green, and yellow lights, him that's standing in front of me smiling, him that's the recipient of all the crazy adjectives I could think of.

"This show ends at nine every night, so I asked them if I could borrow the place at 12. And yey, they let me," he said, touching a vine of tiny light bulbs. "You like it?"

"Like it? I LOVE IT!" I opened my arms to express my happiness. "This scene is just so perfect in a photograph. This. Is. Phenomenal. Break taking. Tear jerker. I think I'm going to cry,"

"Then cry," he walked to me and reached for my hand. He held it like hasn't held it for years. He spun me around like a ballerina girl in a music box. "10... 9...8"

"Why are you counting?" he smiled.

"Janella, I took you here to tell you something important," by the word 'important' my heart leaped. "On this very special day. On this very special place. With a very special person,"

Maj, breathe.

"3 words. 2 seconds..." I felt my chest tighten at his warm whispers. My muscles were even trembling and I swear my heart's pounding like crazy. "One moment. Janella,"

"Ye-yes...?"

"I love you."

# CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

### MAGGIE

Okay. It's my fault, I know. Someone can beat me to death because it's my fault.

I think I dumped Guji last Christmas day in such a way that I don't intend it to. I don't know what my problem was because I love the guy so much, but my tendencies kicked in. It was out of my control, sorry.

When he said he loves me and asked if I felt the same, all I said was, "Hehe. Merry Christmas, Guji." I hugged him tight and called it a night. Then we went home not even speaking to each other. I told him I was sorry and he should take care of himself.

I mean, what the hell was that?

"Stupid stupid stupid! What the hell is your problem, Maj?!" I buried my face on my pillow and wished I could die. "Why are you so afraid? Why are you always rejecting people who like you? Why... are you holding back?"

Why, Maggie?

I snapped into reality when someone called outside. I went out and checked who that was and wished I hadn't. Klein let out a dog whistle.

"Good morning, Sexy!"

Frantic, I went back inside and wore a T-shirt over my sando. Why are these bastards here anyway? Eating my inner cheek and holding a broom on my hand, I went out and faced them. I leveled the broom at Fred's face.

"What are you doing here?"

"Visiting you. Is that so wrong, now?" Via rolled her eyes at me. I fought the urge to do the same. "Care to check the attendance?"

Attendance? I scanned the area and did a mental checklist of my friends. All of them are here, except for one. "Where's uh Guji?"

"Why do you care?" Klein challenged me. I narrowed my eyes at him and said, "I'm not letting you in –"

"Oh c'mon! Just let us in! We're tired from travelling, you know?" Pao complained.

"Did I ask you to?"

"What. Did. You. Say?"

"Of course! Welcome to my house!" Afraid of Paola's laser eye beams, I lowered my broom and opened the gate. They went in like this is a new paradise for them. Playground.

When they have settled, I crossed my arms in front of them. I narrowed my eyes at them and suspected they were up to something. "Why are you here?"

"Where are our Christmas gifts?"

I gasped. They're unbelievable. They went all the way here just to get their gifts, assuming there were any? My friends are so unbelievable. "Wait here."

I got back with a bagful of presents I failed to give last Christmas day. For seven days, I locked myself up here at my house and never talked to anyone. I was too embarrassed. Afraid of Guji. Afraid of what he'll say to me, act in front of me.

"Where's Guji's present?" Klein asked. "We all got one, but he didn't."

"I forgot to buy him one." I did not, of course. "You can now go home."

"Go home? Wait now, Janella." Klein hung an arm around my shoulder. I frowned at his gesture. "Are you avoiding us? Are you avoiding _Guji_?"

"What? NO. Just go home. I want to be alone this New Year's Eve –"

"Hep! No one's going to be alone this New Year's Eve," Klein covered my mouth and I saw them smile their best. "We're going to celebrate _together._ At the tree house,"

I slapped his hand away and elbowed him to let me go. I glared at them and said, "I will not go. I'm going to be alone tonight."

But they didn't let me be. They forced me to come along and I saw that everything was set at the tree house. From the food to the decorations, I have nothing to worry about. They even got firecrackers and sparkle sticks. I shook my head in amazement.

Out of the blue, Nikki dragged me to Guji. Skin to skin, I blushed.

"Hey, ugly." I muttered.

"Look who's talking,"

I looked up to him and searched his face. Searched for what exactly, Maj? A sign of anger, maybe. Hostility, irritation, or whatever negative emotion toward me. But no. I did not see any. He's nothing tonight.

"Hey uhm. Are we okay?" I managed to say.

"Is there a reason not to be?" Then he smiled. "What happened at Makati was all just a joke. Don't take that seriously."

I think my jaw just dropped. "What? You can't be serious, can you?"

"If you're not serious about me, so am I." He turned on his heels and walked out. I swallowed his words that were so big I can't breathe. He was hurt. I could feel it in every layer of muscle of my heart.

Via, Nikki, Pao, Kate and I formed a circle and lighted a stick. They talked about their Christmas day celebrations and other stuffs while I kept my mouth shut. I am lonely, upset, sad, and not in the mood for pep talks.

"Maggie, are you okay?" Pao asked me.

"Why will I be not? I'm superb," Not.

Then I felt someone tapping my shoulder. I looked around and saw Guji standing behind me, hands on pockets. Annoyed, I asked him, "What do you want?"

"Come with me,"

"Am I your slave?"

"Hey, it's 2013 already so stop playing hard to get. Just come with me."

"I DON'T WANT TO –"

"Just go. You're always full of complains. I'll steal him from you," Pao threatened me like she already knows that I like the guy. She even pushed me toward him which I thanked her for irritated me. I stood up and told them I'll be back.

He led the way as I walked behind him. It's so dark I barely see a thing. Where is he taking me, anyway? "Where are we going?"

Before answering me, he held my hand. I'm too stunned that I snatched my hand away. He claimed it again. He said, "You're blind, right? I'll lead you the way, stupid."

"Please, I'm not that blind. So let my hand go –" then he swept me off my feet, and carried me princess-style. This could've been so romantic but what the hell, this is against my will. "Put me down!"

"Not until we reach the clearing,"

"What?" He did not say anything more and walked on. Past the trees, I saw a clearing. Everything's brighter here, and the air smelled fresh. I checked my watch and it's only five minutes before 12. He put me down.

People were setting off their fireworks even though it's not 12 midnight yet. I laughed at their excitement.

"Funny, huh?" I heard BD said. "You and I, together once again, right on the first second of the new year,"

I remember that night on Makati, that night when I 'dumped' him. I bit my lip to hide my embarrassment.

"I'm sorry about last time," I managed to say. "I just don't know to say. I'm sorry if I... hurt you in a way,"

"I can't compel you to feel the same way as I do. You know, I've been trying my best to achieve that. The past weeks I thought I already got you, but I guess I have not," he's not looking at me but I know he's having a hard time telling me these things. Telling about his feelings is such a pain for him. "That night, I was so afraid to tell you I love you because you might reject me –"

I hushed him with my finger and smiled. I reached for his hand and put it on top of my chest, which is by the way beating so fast. I said, "What do you think I'm feeling right now?"

"I don't know. Why is your heart beating so fast?"

"Why do you think?" I put his hand down and looked at his eyes. "Guji, listen to me. I try to pretend that I am and I try to pretend that I am not. But you can see the truth when you look into my eyes,"

And my eyes are telling you I love you, too.

From a distance to where we're standing, hundreds of fireworks were being set off and it made the sky brighter, fuller of life. Each clap of explosion deafened my ears but the beating of my heart was so much louder. I won't hold back anymore.

I'll be brave enough to tell him what I feel.

"Believe it or not... you're amazing and I could not resist your awesomeness. I mean, shit, you're stupid and always such an ass. You ruin my mood every day. You are a headache. I don't understand your tendencies, even your mood swings. I met you on a Wednesday which makes you one of my misfortunate events. But what the hell, I think I like you. I like you even though you bring the worst things around. I like you better than yesterday, and I hope I will still like you tomorrow and the day after. Ugh yeah, I can't resist the Boss. And that's you," Right there, he laughed. I told him, "Remind me if you're done laughing."

"No, seriously. Hahaha!" Forgive me if I'll cut his tongue now. "Janella, okay. Just give me a minute." Then he laughed again. I patiently waited for him to settle down and put his hands on his pockets and eat his inner cheeks. He's ready. "You know, I once read that you need to find the reason to smile. I think I found mine,"

When I felt that my cheeks were burning, I looked away.

"If I say that I love you, will you say it too?" he asked me. I looked at him, swallowed hard, fists clenched. "Try me."

"I love you, Janella."

"I love you, Guji."

And we let the fireworks fight with our drumming hearts.

# CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

### MAGGIE

Holding hands, Guji and I walked back to the tree house. Though I'm still feeling giddy around this place, thinking there are darts inside, I tried to be calm. I trust my friends.

They won't kill me.

"There you are!" Klein approached us and we instinctively broke our linked hands. He stood between us and put an arm on our shoulders. "We're going to play spin the bottle. You guys must join,"

I noticed that there's a bottle of alcohol and a pitcher of juice sitting at the center of the floor. "So I'm guessing we have to drink first before we play,"

"Wow, Janella. I never thought you use your head!" I rolled my eyes at Jason.

I sat down next to Nikki and Guji sat beside me. I asked Via and the other girls if they will drink with us. This will be their first time (not mine) to drink so I thought they don't want to. But Via said, "Bring it on!"

And so we did. We drank one by one by passing the glass round robin style. Guji did not let me drink more than five glasses and took my turns instead. I could feel the alcohol burning up my chest and later my throat. I laughed. I've never drunk more than two.

"Forget what we have outside of this house," Nikki said before we start our game. "No boyfriends, no girlfriends. This is just a game. Okay?"

We all agreed. She placed the empty bottle on the floor and made it spin. We held our breaths as that bottle slowed and its tip stopped in front of Jason. Jason scowled.

"Dare or dare?" Via asked. Jason spit out the word 'dare.'

As the self-proclaimed Game Master, Via asked him to do a sexy dance in front of Kate. _Sexy dance_ , she meant sexy, vivid, slow dance as he takes his shirt off in front of her. I gulped. That show made me bite my lip.

After that, Jason took his turn and made the bottle spin. I held my breath as the bottle went past me and stopped in front of Nikki. Via, as usual, gave her orders and Nikki stood up to kiss Klein's cheek. Every one of us laughed when he blushed more than he should.

The game went on with the bottle stopping at random and Via giving countless ridiculous dares. Even Guji's dare was beyond ridiculous.

"Kiss Janella's lips for 30 seconds,"

That made my jaw drop. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Playing hard to get, huh?" Via smirked at me. "Oh c'mon, you could get your awesome first kiss from someone who's beyond perfection. You should thank me for this _magnificent_ idea,"

I just did. A century ago.

"Might at least have something in between? This is so scandalous," I blurted out. "In front of you, really? You might throw up."

"Yeah, the thought of you kissing Boss – that is remarkably disgusting," then they laughed altogether. I turned to Guji and said, "Have something to say?"

"Oh, nothing. Except that I kinda love to kiss you. No spaces in between," I punched him right after I saw that dirty look on his face. Bastard.

I placed three fingers on top my lip and announced to get this dare over with. With all of them watching and cheering, Guji leaned forward as he closes the spaces between us. I felt his soft lips against my skin. I closed my eyes as the heat overwhelmed my body.

I heard them counting, slowly. I don't know if it's just me or they're doing it on purpose. "6. 5 and 3/4. 5 and 1/2. 5 and 1/4..." Is that even the normal way of counting?

I felt Guji's hand holding my arm. He whispered, "I could pull this down if you want me to,"

"Shut up." By the time they finished counting I put my hand down and turned away from him. But he caught my face and planted a peck on my lips. It lasted just for a second but for me, it felt like forever.

"I just stole a kiss from you. It felt great," he sung like an idiot. I told him, "You're such a PDA-ist."

"Nobody's paying attention to us so it's okay." He repositioned himself and went back to the game. Indeed, nobody was paying attention to us so nobody saw what he did. Then I happened to look at Yvan who's staring at me, wide-eyed. I bit my lip and looked away.

The game continued until someone in the name of Klein complained, "All of us have been dared, except for one." He threw me a disgusted look. "Why is the bottle not stopping in front of you, huh? It's so unfair!"

"Then dare me," I challenged him. Via accepted my challenge and ordered me to "Kiss Guji's neck for five seconds." I raised my brow at her in disbelief but did it anyway. Easy.

I took the bottle and made it spin. We waited until it stopped in front of Yvan. Shaking his head, he asked, "What do you want me to do?"

We all looked at Via who's looking up the ceiling, thinking. When she snapped her fingers and made her lips curve into an evil smirk, I know Yvan's in deep trouble.

"Kiss the forehead of the girl you like," my mouth went O-shaped at that. What's with her and kissing other people? It seems to me that she's too much into kissing scenes. "I know she's in here,"

In here?

Does she mean that she knows about Yvan's special someone and that she's in here? Seriously? How could I not know?

"Are you serious? I have to do this now?"

"Okay, let's wait until tomorrow – NOT. Oh crap, Yvan. Don't be such a gay,"

"You asked for it. My apologies to those who cares." Shaking his head, he stood up and walked to our direction. I looked to my right and saw that Nikki's looking at me, too. To my left, Guji's eyes were planted on Yvan who's now kneeling in front of me.

_Me_?

Then everything went spiral, and my mind went blank. I felt a warm sensation from my forehead and it went down to my toes.

Yvan kissed my forehead and Guji was beside me, watching.

# CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

### GUJI

I couldn't take it. How could he do that in my presence? In my face? For all the shit I know, that is the most obvious kind of disrespect to a friend. Kissing your best friend's girl is unforgiveable.

"It's just a game, Guji. Don't take that seriously. It's no big deal," he told me.

"For you. But for me, it's a big deal."

"Look," he gave me his usual smile. I grew more irritated. "I'm your best friend. I won't _steal_ your girl,"

I watched the evening sky turned purple. It's already breaking dawn. Any minute now, all of them will wake up and start messing each other's mornings. I haven't slept for a minute or two because Yvan's gesture bothered me throughout the night.

"Do you like her?" I asked him.

"No."

"Do you _like_ her?"

"Guji, no."

"For the last time," I contained myself and tried to be calm. I could play blind for all eternity but I just couldn't take it when he's being _too_ _close_ to her. I am jealous of him, and it's eating me alive sometimes. "Do you like her?"

"I'm sorry."

"So you do?"

"I couldn't help it." By that, I walked away and punched the nearest tree to me. I can't punch him. I love him too much to hurt him with my own fist.

I shook my head. I can't believe he's doing this to me. We can't love the same girl. One must give up.

It's not going to be me.

On a Saturday, I asked SB to meet me. I wanted to talk about what happened last New Year's Day. I can't help myself but I am so bothered and annoyed and uneasy.

"I am busy so hurry up," she complained. "I don't have forever, you know."

"How did it feel?" I started, looking away. "How did it feel being kissed in the forehead?"

"By you? Oh c'mon. That was –"

"No. Not me," I looked at her. Half-glared, half-looked. "By Yvan."

I saw her head twitched, her eyes were full of confusion. "Yvan? I don't remember him kissing me in the forehead. Are you drunk?"

"No. Are _you_ drunk? Don't act as if you lost your memory so suddenly."

"Hey. If I say I don't remember I'm serious. The last time I checked, no such event occurred in my memory so I guess it's just your imagination. Snap out of it, will you?"

"You don't remember _anything_? Not a single thing about the..."

"The what?"

"Spin the bottle?"

"Spin the bottle? Did we play that? I thought we just drunk our asses off and fell asleep? Isn't that what happened?" Now she's imagining things. I guess she's drunk the whole time and her sanity was asleep. "BD, what happened?"

White lies. I need you now.

"Oh. Just like what you remembered. We got drunk and fell asleep. Best night _ever_. Forget about what I said about Yvan. I think I'm imagining things," I showed her my widest smile and asked if we could get some ice cream. She said yes.

"Meet me. Talk back and I'll kill you." I sent her a text to meet me. Staring at the piece of bond paper in front of me, I imagine Yvan following Janella anywhere she goes, making her laugh, being with her when I'm not around. I can't let that happen.

"Okay, Master. Do I need to bring anything?" she replied.

"Ballpen."

"Where the hell are you using it for?"

"Stab you with it so you'll die. MCDO. 10AM." I put my phone down and timed her arrival. I was counting beyond 10 a.m. when she came. I told her, "You're 22 seconds late,"

"Oh c'mon! It was just _seconds!_ Let it go," I watched her sit down in front of me as I pushed the paper into her view. I saw her annoyance slowly showing up to her face. Typical Janella. "What the hell is this?"

"Maybe... a cat. Meow meow –"

"DON'T BE SUCH A DUMBASS. What's this for?"

"YOU KNOW HOW TO READ, RIGHT?"

"I'M TOO LAZY TO READ THAT."

"DON'T PUSH ME TO THE LIMIT. ONE."

"TWO THREE FOUR FIVE – Argh!" I snatched the paper and slapped it to her face. That shut her up. She shook her head and read what I wrote down the paper. She read, "'Do you, Maurice Janella Y. Ponce, promise to be mine for the rest of your life?' What kind of crap is this?"

_Crap_? She thinks that's a crap? "Just sign your name underneath."

"I'm not signing something I don't understand. Explain this to me in 3... 2 –"

With gritted teeth, ignoring all the people around us, I announced "I'm afraid that someone will snatch you away from me." With your name signed under that contract, no one can have you other than me.

I am selfish, and you are mine.

"I'm still not signing,"

"What?! Why is it so hard to talk to you?"

"This is just so romantic, Guji. Thank you but I'm not signing your _bond paper_ ," she stood up and decided to leave. Annoyed, I chewed my bottom lip and thought of ways on how she'll sign my contract. In seconds, she appeared in front of me again.

"Wow. You changed your mind that fast? You can't resist me, can you –"

"Shut up. I left MY pen," I watched her reach for her pen at the center of the table and turned to leave for the second time. I shook my head as she walked away only to head back to me.

"Hi," I waved at her.

"Here," she shoved a magazine in my face. When I looked at it, I realized that I am looking straight at our _future_ wedding photo. Janella and I are on the cover of this magazine, wearing a wedding dress and suit. Great.

I'll tear this down and have it framed.

"Anything more?" I asked her, who's been standing there longer than she should. "Are you really leaving me now or do you want me to accompany you instead?"

"What? Of course I'll leave. Bye!" She stormed out and walked faster. I watched her and smiled. Small things bring big smiles to my face. I figured that making fun of her is my favorite hobby now. Fred just became second.

"Hey wait up!" I called out while running after her. When I caught up to her, I placed an arm on her shoulder. She elbowed me at my stomach which, by the way, hurts a lot. She always does this and it never ached less.

"If you think I'll stop making you sign my bond paper, I won't."

"I'll tear that to pieces,"

"I'll make another one,"

"I'll tear that, too!"

"I'll make again –"

"GUJI!" She stopped to look at me in the eyes. "I'll tell my gay friends to rape you –"

"You're mine," and kissed the side of her head. "And I'm yours." I saw her cheeks went red and was speechless. I felt fulfilled having her mouth shut and be defeated by me.

"Oh, I just know how to shut you up now. Amazing,"

I put my arm down and started walking ahead of her.

# CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

### MAGGIE

Grandma's throwing a party at the mansion and she wants me there. I've not totally moved on with what happened to me back there, and she expects me to be there again? Unbelievable.

Grandma greeted us at the entrance. She apologized to me for what happened last time and promised not to let that happen again. Of course, I nodded. She turned to my right hand that has been bandaged tightly. I placed that behind me. I don't want Grandma to think that Guji caused this. Well, he did. Sort of. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't get angry and crush a glass with my bare hand.

"Ji, did you do this?" Grandma asked Guji, putting out her whip behind her. I gulped.

"Grandma, it's her own stupidity. She crushed my glass and poof –"

"Why did _you_ let that happen in the first place?"

"I didn't know that she's that stupid – OUCH!" I watched the both of them shout at each other as Grandma whipped her grandson. Wow, I see love. "GRANDMAAA!"

After the show, Grandma led us inside. I saw familiar faces, while the others were new. From a distance, I saw two girls rushing toward me. I had a hard time knowing who they were since everything else were blurred. Until they're standing in front of me.

Vivien and Leslie.

"Janella, I am so thrilled to see you!" Vivien exclaimed as Guji and I took our seats. "Hey, I saw this magazine on the supermarket and oh my gosh, I can't believe what I just saw,"

She handed me UFashion Mag which cover was us. I think I'm blushing.

"When I browsed your pictures, I mean all of it, I got this sudden obsession to plan your wedding," Leslie blurted out.

"Then I'll be the one to design your gown! I have friends in the fashion industry and they can help me make this phenomenal, perfect wedding gown just for you!"

"We will take care of everything, we promise!"

"Don't excite yourselves. You might get disappointed," Guji said, bored. Vivien and Leslie both glared at their cousin. "What? I'm just 19, and she's 17. Isn't it too early to talk about marriage? And for Pete's sake, she's not even legal to marry me. Besides, I might get tired of her,"

_Get tired of me?_ I frowned at the thought.

"Stop cursing, Ji! You don't get to have a girlfriend often so don't say that,"

"I can have a girlfriend any time I want to," he winked at me. Bastard. I will kill him. "'Cause I'm charming and awesome. She won't be my last,"

"You won't be my last, either." I spit it out like it's venom on my tongue.

After the dinner, the two girls told the whole Villanueva clan about our photos. All of them were so thrilled that they're pressuring us to settle down as soon as possible. Grandma thought the same.

I felt uncomfortable.

"Will you please stop frowning? You've been like that the whole time," Guji whispered while we're dancing. I told him, "This is nothing. This is normal for me,"

"Come to think of it, you're mad at the world when I met you,"

"LOOK WHO'S TALKING –" he hushed me with his finger and said, "We're on War Limit. Have you forgotten?"

I licked my lip and pursed them. I looked for the words I've been trying to compose into sentences since dinner time. Then I found them.

"Hey, in case you don't know, I was hurt by what you've said," I said sheepishly. " _I might get tired of her_ blah blah. What kind of shit is that, huh?"

"That's why I said 'might.' You can never know,"

"FINE. SHUT UP. DIE." I was about to break away from him but he pulled me back. I trembled by the mere fact than we're a few inches apart and he's beyond gorgeous. He leaned in so that his face was next to my ears. "Forget what I said. I was only making fun of you. The truth is..."

I exhaled.

"You won't be my last. You aren't my first either," he whispered. My grip on his suit went tighter. "You are my infinity."

Infinity.

We danced under the chandelier's light, our heads touching, and our hearts beating wildly. I remembered my English teacher telling us that, "Love is always in the present tense."

I believe her.

# CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

### MAGGIE

School started four days ago but I wished it didn't. People had been asking me about having a secret child after high school graduation and marrying the President's son Guji afterwards. They're telling me I'm a shame and my parents should turn their backs on me. They're telling me that I got laid for several times, got pregnant, and forced Guji to marry me. The stories never ended, but the days did. It's been four days but my head never ached less.

It all started with my stupid Facebook account. Someone hacked my account and uploaded our Winter Wedding photo from the mag and Baby Gella's photo with us. He/She used them as my cover photo and profile picture. Who will not suspect that I'm a teenage married mother? Brilliant.

Worse thing here is that I can't log into my account because he/she changed my password. Worst, the girls eyed me with such ferocity that any minute they could lunge into me and choke me to death.

"By the time I'll get to know who bullshitted my account, I swear I'll gonna be a murderer," I said in gritted teeth while slicing my chicken fillet.

"Uhm, what if one of us did –"

"DO YOU WANT TO DIE?"

"I'm sorry, Maj!" I watched how Nikki bowed in front of me, pleading. "I'm sorry, I mean it! What do you want me to do for you to forgive me?"

I narrowed my eyes at her and kept myself calm. "What's the password?"

"'Gujimyloves'. WAA. I'll treat you ice cream, and pizza, and anything you want to eat!" I shook my head in disbelief. I can't believe Nikki could do this to me. Betray me like this, humiliate, even. I know that she's trying to be funny, but I don't find it like that.

But the anger died anyway. It's Nikki. I love her and I forgive her.

At the soccer field, Guji can't help but laugh at what just happened to me. Scandalous, shameful, dignity-wrecker. He should be protecting me from all their attacks, but here he is, laughing his lungs out.

"You enjoy the spotlight so much, do you?" I accused him while wiping the sweat off his back. "Well, I don't!"

"You know what? My most favorite part of their story is the 'you got laid' part. I love that part so much – ack!" Using my towel, I choked him from behind. With tight jaw I said, "I'm getting angrier and angrier by the minute so I advise you to pick your words _right_."

I released him when I saw that Fred, Klein and Jason were approaching. The three of them raised their shirts up and squatted in front of me. They all said, "Dry our backs too, Boss Janella!"

My mouth went O-shaped at that and slashed them with my towel. "I'm not your moms,"

"But Boss Guji's back get to be dried by you, why can't we?" Fred reasoned out.

"Because you're not Guji. Period." I stood up and packed my things. I told them I'll go ahead but Guji insisted he'll come with me. Fred was about to complain but Klein did a headlock on him that shut him up.

Side by side, Guji and I walked silently. The silence wasn't at all uncomfortable, it was okay. Until I spoke. "Where's Yvan? Isn't he in your team, too? Why is he not around?"

"He left the team."

"What? Why?"

"He said he can't do soccer and photography at the same time,"

"Oh. Why didn't he tell me that?" My mind clamored with so many possibilities of why Yvan did not tell me about his decisions. I only stopped thinking when I noticed that I was walking alone. I looked back. "Hey BD. Lost your feet?"

I saw that his eyebrows were knitted at the center and walked toward him. Using my fingers, I kept them apart. I snapped my fingers in front of him. "Hey. Wake up,"

"I am awake. I, ah, just remembered something," he started walking. I walked with him. "You know, I have this friend."

"Oh, who? Jason, Klein, Fred, or Yvan? Take your pick –"

"I have _other_ friends." With your personality, I doubt that. "That friend of mine has this childhood obsession of chasing a little girl. He takes photos of her, _stolen photos,_ wherever she goes,"

"That's uh, creepy. Is he creepy?"

He let out a chuckle before answering me 'no'.

"When he reached high school, he wanted to transfer to Hugo University because the girl was there. But he was afraid. So he stayed where he was. Until now, he's following that girl. Too bad for him, the girl he's been following for ages loves someone else,"

"Oh. Did you say _Hugo University?_ What fate. We went to the same school. I wonder who she is," I chuckled a bit. Indeed, the world is so small. "So what happened to him?"

"I don't know," he looked away and kept his hands on his pockets. "If you're the girl, what would you do?"

I pursed my lips and scratched my jaw, thinking. "I'm not in the situation so I don't know. But... I'll tell him to stop wasting his time chasing me because I love someone else. That he's just hurting himself. To stop looking for me because I am not asking him to," then suddenly, a cheesy idea popped into my mind. "That someone have found me and my world revolves around him now,"

"Oh I feel loved,"

"Shut up. I'm not even referring to you –"

"But you are."

"I'M NOT!"

Then he started to run, but the teasing didn't end. "Hey SB! I never thought you could be that cheesy!"

"I'm just placing myself in your story! It's not even serious!"

"Didn't feel that way. Just admit it. YOU _LOVE_ ME."

"I DON'T." I ran after him, laughing.

Today's Debi's birthday so I dropped by Yvan's house. When I got there, I noticed that Yvan's getting rid of me and I don't know why. He's not even giving me any eye contact whatsoever. I don't get it. I can't remember anything I did wrong to him.

I was at the living room checking my Twitter account when I heard voices. Well, of course, it's a birthday party so the noise was reasonable, but the voices I heard was at the bedroom and I recognized both of them.

I walked toward Yvan's room and kept myself hidden.

"What is it that you want to say, Yvan?" I heard Lyn say.

"I don't know. I'm not sure if I should say this... Look. I don't want to risk our friendship by saying this to you _now_. Especially when my _friend_ likes you, too. A lot of things will change and I, ah, don't think I'm ready for that –"

"Go straight to the point,"

As I was pressing my back against the wall, I placed a hand over the nearest flat surface to me. I have put too much of my weight on it that it fell. Surprised, I looked down. A book was lying wide open on the floor, a picture lying next to it. I picked up the two items and found myself staring at something both familiar and strange. I'm holding a picture of a little girl standing on a dike, overlooking the sea.

Who is this girl?

"What is it, Yvan?" I heard Lyn asked again.

"I'm sorry but... I love you."

By that, I quickly closed the book, placed it where it should be and decided to walk away. I don't know why but I felt so happy for the two of them. I could be a traitor for Jason because he loves Lyn, but I guess Lyn and Yvan could be a great couple. They've been friends for so long and I think they already knew each other from head to toe.

"What kind of face is that, huh?" Guji eyed me like I've grown insane. "Why are you so happy?"

"Because... Yvan confessed!"

"What?"

"YES! I'm so moved!"

" _Moved?_ How could you even say that to my face? You're unbelievable," having said that, he turned his heels and left me all alone. My mouth went O-shaped at that. I ran and stopped in front of him.

"Why did you leave me?"

"You're annoying. Go away."

"Gosh. Your Mood Swing Virus is getting into you again. What's up?"

"I said, go away. If you don't, I'll push you 'til you break," he tried to walk out but I stopped him. That made him more irritated. "And one more thing. You can eat _your Yvan_ if you want to. Eat him alive, Janella."

Oh. I just know what he's thinking. Stupid, as always. "Don't act as if Yvan confessed to _me._ It's Lyn!"

"What?" I saw bewilderment in his eyes.

"Why are you so deaf? Geez. Yvan likes Lyn. I heard them talking,"

"Really?"

"Yeah." I laced my arm around his and dragged him along. "Let's eat _siomai._ I heard there's an Eat All You Can Siomai Contest at Downtown. I can't miss that!"

And we did.

On my way home, I saw Lyn. She waved at me, I waved back. We asked each other how we've been and laughed about my _Teenage-Mom-Mrs.Kim_ issue that has been the talk of the campus lately. I'm popular at school. But I'm not sure if my mom would like to know what kind of popularity I have.

"Which reminds me, Lyn," I coughed before breaking it to her. "How are you and Yvan now? Don't be such a stranger to me. I know he's into you and –"

"What?" I was taken aback by her reply, guilty that I may have gone too personal. That it's a secret and I'm not supposed to know. "I'm sorry if I eavesdropped last time. I heard Yvan confessing to you,"

"You what? You heard _that_?"

"Uhm... _all of it._ " I felt uneasy. "Did I hit a sensitive part on you?"

"No no. It's just that... you misunderstood everything. It's just a..." she looked at me until she decided to say goodbye while I was left thinking what the hell she's talking about.

Paola and I went to Klein's coffee shop. He spends some time here blending coffee and making his own signature drinks. I'm totally impressed.

"You can taste my coffee but you cannot taste me. Don't fall in love with me, Janella. Not a good idea,"

"Try drinking a cup of coffee so you could wake up. Dreamer,"

Paola and I sat in a table next to a window. I watched how people walked by without giving the world any notice at all. Such a waste. Busy people, boring lives.

"So, the thing about Ero." Pao started saying. "Are you sure it's all gone? That what you're feeling for Guji is not just a remnant of what you feel for Ero?"

I broke away from my view outside and turned to Pao. I smiled. "One night, I just had this realization. That what I feel for Ero is nothing compared to what I feel for Guji." I raised my two fingers. "It's two different things. They're two different people. And I'm in two different dimensions,"

"Deep." She chuckled.

"Guji is... I don't know. He's different from all the people I know. He's _irreplaceable_. A very special person," I smiled at what I'm saying. "When we're together, I always spank him, annoy him, and shout at him 'til my throat hurts. But you know, in the silence I'm thinking that if I lose this person, I can't go on with life.

"I'm the Moon, and he's the Earth. My attachment to him so strong, _too strong_ I could see no life without him. I love Guji. I'm in love with him. Every day,"

She reached for my hand and held it tight. She stared into my eyes and told me that she could feel it. That she's happy for me. That finally I found someone who loves me back. That she was sorry for being always in the way when it comes to my unspoken love life. For always winning the guys I'm in love with.

"Not this time," I said.

"Not this time."

Tomorrow is finally our Regional Press conference and I'm standing in front of Guji, saying goodbye. He thought of something else.

"You moved out of your house?" He asked, his arms folded. "You packed all your things and you're going to live here forever? That your sister kicked you out because you are such a headache? Go home."

"Do I look like I've been kicked out of my house?"

"Yes."

"NO. My sister won't do that to me. I dropped by to give you this," I passed a soccer ball to him. It's a limited edition David Beckam signed soccer ball. I almost died getting such a stupid ball. "It's a Christmas gift I forgot to give you. So there, I'm going now."

When I turned to leave, he caught my arm. He asked, "Where are you going?"

"Neverland with Peter Pan. Wanna come?"

"TALK TO ME SERIOUSLY."

"DON'T SHOUT, OKAY? We're going to Quezon for our Regionals,"

"I'll go."

"Are you insane? You're not a journalist to begin with! Stay here,"

"I'll call you, then."

"My phone's low bat for five days,"

"I'll visit you every day –"

"NO. You _can't_ go there!" You'll distract me for all I know. "Just call me at night." I stand on my toes and reached for his forehead. I kissed it. "Take care when I'm gone. Win your games!"

He chuckled before hugging me. "Win your game, too. You're the best, SB."

Before leaving, I punched him in the gut saying, "Be a good boy or you'll regret it."

"Y-yes B-boss."

Once in Lucena, I've been keeping a close eye on Yvan who's been ignoring me for days. Chance, Nikki's boyfriend, said that there's no doubt in him getting rid of me. He said, "You look like a monster for one thing." I punched him secretly.

On lunch break, Nikki's table was full and I've got to stand there, my mouth hanging open. She pointed a table next to them where Yvan's the only person on it. Hesitantly, I sat beside him. "Can I sit beside you?" I asked. "Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I –"

"Maggie, what's your problem?" Finally, he looked up.

"You're not talking to me, that's why. Do we have a problem?"

Instead of answering me, he dropped his stare from me and continued eating his lunch. I didn't mind.

It's past one in the morning and I still can't sleep. I don't want to sleep. My phone's not yet ringing so I have to wait just a little bit longer. I went outside. I found a bench in front of our quarters and sat there, counting the stars in heaven.

"Why are you outside?" I jolted in place when someone spoke. It's Yvan. He sat beside me, folding his arms. "You can't sleep, too?"

"Yeah," I wanted to ask him why he's ignoring me but I don't have the courage to do so. Maybe I'm just afraid of his answer. "Feeling cold?" I shook my head and said I'm okay.

We sat in silence but my mind's roaring with thoughts. Thoughts of Guji, Lyn and Yvan together, Jason's reaction if he discovers this, Fred's stupidity and some other stuff about the world and human domination, they're crammed up on my mind. It's always been the case ever since.

My mind is a jungle of thoughts.

"Maj," Yvan said, waking me up to reality. "What if the person you love loves someone else?"

"Ah? Is that why you've been detached to us all? To me?" I asked him, half-smirking.

"What do you mean?" He looked alarmed. I giggled. "You're brokenhearted, I see. How could I be so dense to your feelings? Ha, Yvan. Who is the lucky girl who broke the heart of such a good man? It's Lyn, right? Tell me,"

"Answer my question first,"

"Why are you guys asking me the same thing? What am I, Love Guru?" I laughed at my own comment. "You know Yvan. If that person loves someone else, don't waste your time chasing her. You're only hurting yourself. Go find someone who would love you back,"

"How could I do that if she's the only girl I'm seeing?"

I stared at him and asked him to close his eyes. "Because you're playing blind to the world. Just like other people walking by Klein's coffee shop. You're so focused on one thing that you can't see what's around it." I tapped his eyes and told him to open them. When he did, I saw a pair of bright brown eyes staring back at me. "Open your eyes. Open your heart. To possibilities. To what-ifs."

A few minutes of silence passed and he started laughing. "Wow, Maj. Are you in love?"

"Oh, _this_ just comes naturally," and we both laughed, hitting each other's arms and telling each other crazy things until my phone rang. I saw BD's name on the screen and let out a silent scream.

I've been dying to hear his voice again.

# CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

### MAGGIE

Nikki and Chance were acting so weird lately. They've been talking in hushed tones and I'm catching both of them stealing glimpses of me from afar. I don't pay much attention to them because it's Guji I was worried about the past days. He hasn't called me for three nights straight and I'm having insomnia already.

"Please write your names on the sheets provided," the facilitator announced through a megaphone. "Remember the numbers next to your names. That'll serve your contest numbers,"

While waiting for the sheets of paper to arrive to me, I kept clenching, unclenching my fists. I transfer my weight from my left foot to my right foot every now and then, and my mind's elsewhere. Something's happening. I could feel it on my fingertips.

"Maj!"

"WHAT?" I shouted. I regretted it as soon as I did it. "I'm sorry,"

"I've been calling you but you never look back," I wiped the sweat on my forehead with the back of my hand and asked what was it he wanted. "Where's your camera? Where are your things? You went here with absolutely nothing?"

"Shit." When I realized that, indeed, I brought nothing for my contest, I hurried to the street and hailed a tricycle. I must get back. Fast. "Maj, I'll go with you."

"No it's okay." The tricycle stopped in front of me and I got in. Nikki and the others must be at the quarters since they're done with their categories and I expect them to laugh at my stupidity. But what I expected was wrong.

"Last Monday, Fred noticed that Guji was a little off, weak, unfocused. He became worse the following days and they told him to rest. But he didn't want to," I strained my ears to keep Nikki's words clearer. I knew something was happening. _I knew_. "And yesterday, his nose bled and got unconscious. They rushed him to the hospital –"

"What's that?" I decided that I need to walk closer, ask questions, and be answered. "What happened to Guji?"

One, one two, two three.

"Ah uhm... Maj," Nikki can't even look at me. I swallowed hard. "Nikki, Chance? What is it?"

One, one two, two three.

"You see... Guji has dengue. Grade 3."

When I got back to the plaza, I don't know what to do. A camera was on my hand but I can't work with my blank mind. I can't think straight. And my eyes were blurry with tears.

"Maj," I heard Yvan saying. "You only have 30 minutes to work on the theme. Are you done?"

I faced him and let my eyes cry. Harder.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked wiping my tears away.

"Can I hug you?" When he said sure, I wrapped my arms around him. He hugged me back. "Why now? Why does it have to happen now? When I'm not there beside him? Guji's sick and I'm not there to watch over him. Yvan please... take me home. Take me home now,"

"What happened to him?"

"Just take me home... take me home please. He needs me now,"

"Okay. I will take you home,"

We got home by dark. We went straight to the hospital, to Guji's room. I slammed the door and went directly to the bed. _Where he lies_. I threw my arms around him and cried. I felt his arms fall on my back.

It's good to be home.

"Why are you here? You're supposed to be competing –"

"Shut up." I pushed him to the side to make room for myself. He complained. I didn't mind. I jumped into the bed beside him and turned on the T.V. I made myself home.

I scanned the room for familiar faces but found none. Yvan left, so as Klein and the other two. I forgot to thank Yvan and say hi to Fred.

"I'm sleepy, Janella." He whispered near my ear. "I'll close my eyes for a minute –"

"NO. Don't sleep yet! I still have stories about my adventures in Lucena,"

"Okay, I'll listen. Come here," he motioned for me to come closer. I placed my head on top of his chest and listened to his breathing, his pulse. I closed my eyes. I've never seen Guji this weak. It pains me. "Don't leave me, okay? I want to wake up with the warmth of your breath around me,"

"Do the same, BD. Don't you _ever_ leave me alone,"

He didn't reply.

# CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

### MAGGIE

"Coach was really angry when you guys escaped," Nikki told me when they went home from the press con. I chewed my inner cheek in utter guilt. "Especially when he learned that you submitted nothing,"

"It's okay. I'll lose anyway so why bother?" I'm not like that. Beyond the difficulties, I always find ways to fight. This isn't me talking.

"He also said," she swallowed first before breaking it to me. "You're no longer part of the publication team. You broke his trust. Said, you wasted the university's fund allotted for you. I'm sorry, Maj."

Darn. I felt an invisible fist punching me in the gut and my heart's dropping to the core. That hurts. I did everything to join the team, won my contests, gave them my best and for a single mistake Coach will kick me out just like that?

"Oh, it's okay. It's a good thing. For me. I'm not busy anymore and I can focus on my studies now. I've been trying to get out of the team, you know? Found the best way to do it," I lied.

But I have no regrets. I am willing to sacrifice. Make mistakes. Be human.

"Janella," my head lifted to look at the man standing at the doorway. His face was stern, his eyes full of discomfort. Guji's Dad. "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course," I excused myself from Nikki and went outside. Once there, Pres. Song Hyun handed over a black rose. That made me breathless. "Why are you giving me this?"

"How long have you been receiving that?"

"Excuse me?"

"Hana saw that rose outside the gate this morning. Delivered for you," I took the card and checked if he's right. He was. "When I look into your room, I saw bunches of roses, both dried and fresh. While I'm in your room, I felt like I'm in a graveyard. Tell me how could you sleep in there with all those black roses?"

I did not answer. I'm having a nightmare, that's the truth.

He reached for my hand and held it together. I stared at him. I know he could feel my fear of the unknown. I know he could see that in my eyes. "Janella, tell me. Do you know who's giving you these?"

I shook my head. He hugged me and whispered, "I'm sorry. It's my fault. I never thought they could be this serious."

My mind's blank, and I seriously don't know what to think.

I went to the rooftop when Guji fell asleep. I watched the city lights flickered, listened to the honks of the automobiles, and felt the coldness of the night. I am afraid. No matter how many times I bury the fear on my head, it just keeps on coming back. Taunting me.

Someone's after me.

"Boss Janella," I screamed, and almost fell from the railings. Stupid Fred. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"We need to talk," my mouth gaped at him. I've never seen him this serious before. I jumped down from the railing and faced him. "What is it about?"

"About you and Boss Guji,"

"So what?"

"Are you a couple?"

Do I have to answer him? "Why does that bother you, huh? Got a crush on me?"

"I'm serious Boss so be the same."

By that, my seriousness found me. I sighed and said, "We're getting there. What's the problem Fred?"

"Don't. Don't be," I saw alarm on his eyes and I'm confused. "You're okay being friends, right? So stay like that!"

"Fred, I don't understand you. Why are you telling me this now? Where are you coming from?"

"Because you'll get involved in their trouble! And I don't want that to happen,"

_Get involved?_ "What do you mean?"

He told me everything he knows about Guji's trouble. He was skeptic at first. Even he don't know why his Boss was being followed by accidents. So I quickly came into Pres. Song Hyun's office and asked him myself.

"Since I'm already caught in this trouble, tell me why I did." He sighed first before breaking the truth to me. My eyes widened at what I've heard, and it broke my heart.

Everything then makes sense.

It's been a week since everything went back to normal. Guji got out of the hospital, everybody's enjoying the soccer games, and I'm still horrified with the truth.

I think I'm going to die.

"Maj, you okay?" Nikki sat beside me, checking my head. She asked if I banged my head or something. I said I was okay. Then she said, "Maj, how many secrets do you have to hide from me before I ask them myself? I'm your friend. I'm not a stranger,"

I turned to face her. I gave her one serious look and a meaningful smile. "What if I die today, what will you do?"

She was taken aback by that but recovered at once. She laughed and hit my arm. "You're funny. Don't say that!"

"What if I die today, what will you do?" I repeated in a more serious tone.

"I don't know,"

"Well, you'll know soon."

Our Happy Saturday came and decided to spend it at the park, riding bicycles. Guji, though still not as strong as he was before, tried his best to teach me how. He sucked at it.

"You're not a good teacher. GO FIND ME ONE." I complained, rubbing my scratched leg.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S NOT LISTENING TO ME! You're always going your own way!"

"I am doing _exactly_ what you're telling me to! You have the problem, not me!"

"Then fine!" He turned his back on me and left. In a snap, he came back. "Let's do this again."

"Can't resist me, can you?" I teased. He replied, "Looks like it,"

After two hours of constant dropping off of my bicycle and scratching my skin, I did it. All of them clapped at my achievement. Oh, such a great milestone.

Fred suggested we race. The thought made me frowned big time. I've just learned how to bike ten minutes ago and he wanted me to race with them?

"We'll ride slowly so you'll get to be the first," I punched Klein in the gut to shut him up.

For the first minutes, they sure did ride slowly, mocking me, telling me that they're average riders who can't go beyond 5kph. Bastards. After cursing their deaths, they went on and left me behind.

But not Guji.

"Keep your eyes on the way, stupid."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY? I'm stupid?!"

"Your mom gave birth to an unbearable, deaf person," he chuckled. I just rolled my eyes at him.

_Him_.

I don't know why I'm still with this guy. He's the reason why I'm going to die but here I am, riding a bike with him by my side. I've been asking why someone would want me dead, but the answer was just in front of my face. He's my death.

And he's such a beautiful reason to die for.

"I want to explore the world with you. Will you let me?" He took my hand and interlaced his with mine. No one's going first, no one's going last. Moving forward together. At the same time.

I smiled. "You're stupid."

When we returned our bikes, Yvan came up to me and dragged me to a corner. Appalled by his sudden gesture, I pushed him. He gaped at me before saying, "Nikki told me something about you. Why are you saying that you're going to die? What's happening?"

"That's nothing. I was only kidding around," I tried to walk away, to escape from this but he held me back. "Maj, I know when you're lying,"

I glared at him and freed my arm from his grasp. "I told you, I was just _joking_."

When I was walking away from him, I still heard him saying something. He said, "I know that someone's after Guji for years. I don't want to think that he's after you too."

He knew?

I turned around and gave him a confused look. He continued saying, "The school bus on 3rd Grade. His car. The net outside the school. The hole on the field. It's all for Guji. Did something bad happen to you too?"

A series of flashbacks came into my mind and I found myself with hardened chest. The darts. The falling signage. The flowers. The chase with a psychopath. Pres. Song Hyun and Fred's warning. I shook my head and smiled. "Nothing. Everything's perfect."

I don't know what 'perfect' really means.

# CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

### MAGGIE

I didn't know that Mafias do exist until I met one. They're after Pres. Song Hyun and Guji. They're after me. I met one of their apprentices on the street one gloomy day. He threw a dart past me and instead of running away, I walked closer. Closer until we're a couple of feet apart.

I smell cigarettes and mint.

"Oh, what a brave girl." He smiled, showing his full front teeth. "A life that was lost, a life will be taken in return. I'll take yours,"

He took out a gun from his jacket and pressed it on my forehead. I watched his smile fall and counted the balls of sweat trickling down his cheeks.

"What are you waiting for? Shoot me."

I saw his finger hover over the trigger.

Then I hear a click and a bang.

# CHAPTER FIFTY

### MAGGIE

I woke up, screaming. I could feel the rush of adrenaline all over my body, as well as the coldness of Fear embracing me. I wrapped my arms around me, then covered my ears, and felt my head. I'm still whole. Intact. No hole. No blood.

Just a dream, Maj.

"Janella," Panting, I turned around and saw Guji standing by the door. He's dead worried. "You're screaming again,"

"I'm fine," I choked.

"You want me to sleep beside you?"

"No. It's okay. Good night," I lied on my bed and covered myself with my blanket. Curled up like a kitten, I cried. Why am I here? Why am I in this place, in his life? Why am I putting my life in danger?

I can go. I can escape.

But I shook my head. There can be a lot of reasons why, but there's a single reason why not. _Why not_?

I felt the other side of the bed sank and an arm was draped over me. "You can scream all you want here. I'll never go deaf,"

I wanted to touch his arm but retreated at once.

I went to school though I'm feeling a little awful when I woke up. My head's kinda heavy, so are my feet. I don't want to go to school. But I did.

While walking toward school, something dropped from above. When I looked down to see what that was, I saw a black rose lying on the ground. Hesitantly, I picked it up. I looked around before moving into a sprint. Once I'm inside the campus, I turned the card around and read what's written on it. This was different from all I got.

I am counting your days, Janella Ponce. I'm on the 99th actually. Be careful.

Having read that, I dumped the rose at the nearest bin to me. I decided to walk on.

"Oooh eyebags. Can I have those and make a fortune?" Nikki teased while pressing the dark circles under my eye.

"Can I have your brain and make a fortune? I'll be a billionaire, I bet."

"So, where's Guji?" She asked me, looking around. I raised both of my shoulders and said, "I don't know. I haven't seen him since morning. Did you?"

"Oh, no. You guys go to school together, isn't it? Why ask me?"

I disregarded her and put my bag on top of my desk. I dropped my head and slept. No nightmares today. Nightmares only happen at night. I waited until shapes of different colors drowned me to sleep.

Before I went home, Fred gave me a bar of Hershey's cookies n' cream and made my spirit more alive. "Such a sweet boy, Fred." I was about to hug him for such sweetness but he pushed me away.

"Maybe Mean's watching. She'll be jealous – OUCH!" I punched his stomach.

The next day, it was Jason who handed me the same brand of chocolate, same flavor. "What's into you guys? Why are you giving me chocolates?"

"Well," he checked his watch and said, "Valentine's Day is two days away. The boys love to give chocolates to girls they like,"

"Shit this. You _like_ me?"

"Not that kind of _like_ you're thinking, stupid. I like you as a sister. And I bet Fred and Klein feels the same way," he smiled and patted my head. "Which reminds me, have you seen Guji?"

"No. Did you?"

"No. I've been calling him but he never returns any of them. I wonder where he's gone," he said goodbye to me before going on. I pursed my lips and walked to the other direction.

Guji was never home since Monday. Today's a Wednesday already. I'm starting to worry.

I dialed his number and for the nth time, it was his voice mail which answered me.

"BD, hey. Klein gave me a bar of Hershey today. Just like Fred and Jason the other days, haha. How are you? Where are you?" I bit my lower lip to fight the loneliness here inside of me. I don't want to think that he ran away because he heard something from my sleep. That I'm in danger because of him. He won't do that to me. "Anyway... I called to tell you that our research supplemental materials are done. I'm editing it already and am ready to pass it by tomorrow. So... do you want to pass it with me? Well. It is okay if you don't want to. Bye."

Before ending the call, I still managed to say "I miss you. So much." After that, I buried my face on my pillow and tried to fall asleep.

I went to school early the next day to set up Fred's surprise for Mean. I want this to be perfect because Fred's been crying to me because he's afraid of rejection. Oh Fred. He's going to propose to Mean today, Valentine's Day.

"Yvan, where are the balloons?" I asked hysterically while scattering rose petals on the stairs.

"Just calm down, okay? You ordered them just this morning so don't demand,"

"I should've ordered them yesterday but your _friend_ here just didn't give me enough money. Bastard." I kicked Fred's side who's sitting on the stairs. "Just make it fast. And thank you,"

"You're always welcome,"

The balloons came later and everything was all set. Fred walked up to me and tugged my sleeves. Annoyed, I asked "What do you want?!"

"Boss, I need a hug."

"I think you need a punch instead," but I hugged him anyway. I tapped his shoulder blades. "Don't be such a gay. I know you can do this,"

"Thanks Boss. You're the best,"

Nica texted and said she and Mean were at the gate. That became our signal and hurried to our positions. When I saw that Mean's on the circle I made just for her, I called Fred and the others to come down from the second floor to start the show. When the music and the dance choreographed by Fred himself started, I saw that Mean's cheeks were flushed and was jumping in place in _kilig._ I knew that would happen.

I watched how artistically Fred went down the stairs. He was dancing while singing. I smiled because I'm a proud Boss.

He took her hand and together they went up the stairs to the balcony of the building. Up there, we used rose petals to make a large heart and a text inside of it, saying "Will you be my girl?"

Fred knelt in front of her and took her hand. I gasped.

"Mean Ramirez, will you be Frederick Yun's girl?"

One, one two, two three.

"Yes,"

And I think I threw a shoe at Fred at that. We all cheered and celebrated Fred's 246th relationship, and hopefully the last. We ate, sang, and made our Valentine's Day/Friendship Day amazing.

"Thanks for the day guys. I love you all," I said as I dropped off my house. My sister's out for a duty so I guess I'll be alone tonight. I put my things down and lied on my bed. I stared at the ceiling and counted the times I called Guji but never called back. It's Valentine's Day and I didn't get to see him. Amazing.

It's past 11:20 and my eyes never ached this bad. I need to sleep but I can't. Maybe it's because I only have 96 days to live. Pretty bothered, yes.

My phone beeped and that made me sat up. Fred sent a message telling me that they have found Guji, unconscious. He said that he'll come over my house and fetch me. When I heard the honking outside, I rushed out. The car's door was already open for me so I jumped in.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You'll know when we get there,"

"Get where?!" Instead of answering me, he just drove fast. It's just a matter of minutes when we stopped by Guji's house. "He's here?"

"Hurry!" Klein took my hand and we ran inside the mansion. Hana approached me, teary-eyed. I looked around and realized that they're feeling the same thing. I turned to face Fred and saw that he's crying for Pete's sake. He looked horrible.

"Where is he?" I demanded, firm. "Tell me where he is,"

Klein held my hand and led me upstairs. We walked on until we reached a door that I've never opened before. "He's here?"

"Yes." He turned the knob and pushed me inside. Once inside, he closed the door behind me in.

My eyes squinted in the darkness. "Guji?" I walked in the darkness and felt something weird around my legs. A bunch of something round and light was bouncing everywhere whenever I walk.

"Ouch," I complained when something thin like paper slapped me in the face. "Guji? Are you here?"

In a snap, the lights went on and I heard someone playing the piano. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that I'm in the middle of a Sea of Red Balloons. My mouth went O-shaped when I heard his voice, singing.

" _Oh, I want to make you smile,_

Whenever you're sad,

Carry you around when your arthritis is bad,

_All I wanna do... is growing old with you,_ "

Guji. He looked at me from head to toe and kept his laughter to himself. Okay. I rushed here wearing a T-shirt and a pair of Spongebob shorts. I even got myself a pair of mismatched slippers. A perfect outfit for such a perfect moment.

" _I'll miss you, kiss you,_

Give you my coat when you are cold,

Need you, feed you,

Even let you hold the remote control,"

I looked up and still saw a sky of red balloons. I touched the black and white photos attached to their ends and laughed at them. They're stolen pictures of us when we're sleeping, talking, or fighting. Some of them were taken when we're at the park, handcuffed. I blushed. My friends saw us flirting, damn that.

" _So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink,_

Put you to bed when you've too much to drink,

_I could be the man who grows old with that Spongebob shorts,_ "

He stood up and walked toward me. "NO! Don't you dare step any closer!" I threatened him while I'm trying to stop my eyes from crying. Gosh, this is so overwhelming!

He stepped forward, I stepped back.

I let out a scream because I couldn't contain the joy of seeing him and this whole set. I screamed even more when I saw our wedding photo framed in the wall that was so large I could tell that it's a lot bigger than me.

_The Future of Us._ The words were printed at the top of the photo and I can't help but laugh.

"You were unconscious, huh?" I laughed. "Those guys are a bunch of liars,"

"I'm sorry. That was my idea,"

"Thank you for making me worry, Hot Shot. Look at me,"

"Great sense of fashion – HEY!" I spanked him hard.

"So what's this about? Making up for the whole week of your absence? I mean, where the hell have you been?"

"Here. I've been here all along," my jaw dropped at that. Slowly, I watched him knelt in front of me like he's proposing. I covered my mouth and inhaled. He took out a box from behind and opened it.

"You've got to be kidding me," I gasped.

"I may be older than you by two years, born much ahead of you," he began saying. "I don't even care what your age is. All I want now, at this moment, is to grow old with you. Let's grow old together, Janella. Do you think that's a great idea?"

I placed his cheeks on my hands while staring straight into his eyes. His eyes were a different shade of brown, lighter and fuller of life. "Of course I do. I love that,"

"So... will you be my girlfriend? Not just my girlfriend but mine for the rest of your life?"

Never hold back. Be true to yourself. Be human.

"Yes."

Overjoyed, Guji took the wristwatch out of the box and put it on me. I've never had a wristwatch before. This is the first time someone gave me such.

"I'm time conscious, you know that." He said.

"And you hate being late,"

"But I love it when time stops whenever I'm with you,"

I leaned in to kiss his forehead down to the tip of his nose. We both laughed and hugged and dropped ourselves in the Sea of Red Balloons. Drowning, I kissed him more, on his cheeks, on his nose, on his eyelids, kissed here, kissed there, kissed him everywhere.

"So... you'll sign my bond paper now?"

"Later,"

Side by side, we stared at our photos. I reached one and pulled it into my view. I remember running after each other in the hallways and ending up in the dining hall and falling asleep. That's the first time we ever get to sleep beside each other. I remember Nikki, Via and Paola taking this picture and laughing about it because I was drooling.

I shook my head. The memory was so fresh.

"I didn't expect that I'll fall in love with you," Guji commented at the photo.

"Neither did I. You're such an asshole,"

I felt my heart race minute after minute. The thought of me having a boyfriend right on the first second of February 15 is something. With Guji being that guy is a greater something.

Then I felt my heart throbbed. Not just the kind of heart-throbbing you get when you lie next to the one you love, this is different. This is the kind of throb you get when you're afraid. And I am afraid right now. The thought of dying suffocates me.

But as I watch him talk about the life he dreams for the two of us, I decided not to speak anymore. I decided I should not to tell him my life's in danger. That I'm going to die. That I'm going to be gone before he knows it.

He's _too_ happy.

And I could not possibly jeopardize this state he's currently in just because his new girlfriend's going to die in 96 days. I am selfish. I want to own his happiness now at the expense of the fears I have.

I am selfish and I choose to let him make happy memories with me before they take me away.

"You okay?" he asked me.

"I couldn't be better." I smiled. "I see that you've found your notes? I love the way you play the piano, been meaning to tell you."

"My music comes from a great amount of happiness. I think it's you who brought my music back. You are my happiness. You are great."

I am selfish, and I want to own you.

For the last 96 days.

# CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

### GUJI

I caught Fred, Klein, and Jason talking about a wager. Fred was compelling the two to give him money because he won. They've been fighting over this for weeks now. Unbelievable.

"See? I was right! Boss Janella will wear a pair of mismatched slippers," he said proudly.

"You're the one who fetched her so you cheated," said Klein.

"You weren't there so you don't have evidence,"

"Oh c'mon, Fred. I know that you've been dying to win against us. Cheating won't do you any good,"

"Why don't you just accept the fact that I won?!" By that, the three of them punched each other, locking heads and calling each other nasty names. I shook my head and jogged up the stairs.

I walked to my Dad's office to talk about my Championship game on Sunday. I want him there since Janella's out for work this weekend. School ended two weeks ago and she said she wanted to do something this vacation. So I let her go.

When I was about to open the door, I heard my dad shouting.

"I didn't! How many times do I have to say that to you? It was an accident!" I heard him saying. "No please... I'm begging you. Don't do that. He's the only one I got –"

That's when I decided to walk in. Standing by the frame, I looked at him who's sweating so badly. "Dad? Who are you talking to?"

"No one special. Just my assistant who's giving me headaches,"

"Oh?" I walked across the room and sat on the chair in front of him. He put his phone down and sat across me. He laced his fingers and placed his head on top of it.

"Where's Janella? Don't you have a date?"

"She's in Baguio today. Working –"

"Why didn't you go with her?" I saw alarm in his eyes that made me confused. No one's going to eat her there, right?

"Er it's not my thing. She could go wherever she wants without me accompanying her. Sometimes she needs time for herself. Don't worry Dad. I'll fetch her this Sunday –"

"Do you know who her companions are? Can I get their numbers?"

"Uhm Dad? Who is the boyfriend here, me or you?"

"Guji," from being hysterical, he became composed. "I want you to go there _now_. Make sure she's okay."

I sighed, and opened my palm in front of him. "My keys, please."

### MAGGIE

Yannie loaned me a camera of my own. The gay was overwhelmed with the outcome of the last photo shoot I did, so she rewarded me. I have to repay her on a monthly basis and that isn't bad at all. The gay gave me work over summer. Be their photographer for their magazines and calendars. Fun. I even asked Yvan if he wanted to come, he said yes.

"Hey beautiful," Yvan sat beside me, munching a cornbread. "What's that?"

"Oh this? Yannie gave me this," I used the camera to take a picture of him. Cute. "Nikon D800E, the latest model Nikon released this year. I'm supposed to repay Yannie monthly,"

"I never thought she could be that nice. She looks at you disgustingly. In case you don't know,"

"She's just jealous of me. My boyfriend's hot." I chuckled.

"You already have a _boyfriend_?"

"Didn't Guji tell you about it? Your best friend sucks at being your best friend. Fantastic," I shook my head. "By the way, how about you and Lyn?"

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you confess to her? I heard all of it,"

"You _did_?" In an instant his cheeks blushed. I laughed. I teased him about it and he kept on denying, saying it was just a practice and I misunderstood everything. "No, I didn't." I said. "You're just plain embarrassed I heard everything you said. Lover boy,"

He was about to protest when my phone rang. Fred's requesting a video all. I made my phone stand and accepted the call. The jerks shouted at once.

"HOW DARE YOU, BOSS."

"Excuse me? What did I do this time?" I asked while my seatmate was giggling. I elbowed him and that made him shut up.

"You chose money over us. What kind of friend are you?!" Fred said.

"You find that _gay_ more important than us? WE'RE REAL, STRAIGHT GUYS. We can do better!" Jason added.

"Don't ever EVER come back to us –"

"GUYS SHUT UP. I'm sorry that I got to miss your Championship tomorrow, but shit this, I got this awesome girl because of that _gay_ ," I showed my new camera. But they got angrier, saying I exchanged my friends for a stupid, non-living thing. I face palmed.

"Okay guys, let's talk about this. How about when I go home this Sunday, I'll bring home goodies from here to make up for my absence? Sounds great?"

"Not bad, bitch." Via butted in. "I want strawberry wine, jams, bags, and a boyfriend,"

"Don't you have a boyfriend already?"

"I want two. Got a prob with that?"

"Well, you can have Yvan if you want –" I was cut midsentence when something swift went past me. A small, sharp pointed thing. I held my breath, as well as they. I turned around and saw a tree with a dart sticking on its bark. I gulped.

A dart just went past me. Again.

"Tell me that's nothing," I whispered.

"Janella, Yvan, go inside as fast as you can." Fred said in a serious tone. " _Now._ "

While Yvan and I were packing our things and were rushing toward our cabin, Via and the others were asking me what the hell was happening. Yvan locked the door of our room and was quiet the whole time I was explaining to the others what kind of situation I was in.

"What did Guji's dad do anyway?" Pao asked me.

I sighed. "It was an accident. He was drunk and wasted that night," I turned to Yvan who's watching me carefully. "His car crashed into a woman and she died. The woman, I'm afraid, was the wife of an Italian Mafia Boss. And for years, he's been seeking revenge. Ten years ago, he got Guji's mom. His mom's death wasn't an accident," I told Yvan who once told me about that. I turned to them again and said, "That may sound crazy and unreal, but it is true. Ten years ago, the school bus Guji and the gang were riding on nearly fell on the cliff. That's not an accident. Guji's scar wasn't caused by an accident. And now, one of his apprentices is after me. I only have 54 days to live."

"Why didn't you tell us right away?"

"I don't want any of you to get involved. Three is enough."

"Does Guji know?"

I shook my head. Then Pao said, "We're going to tell him –"

"NO. Don't do that!"

"Okay. So what do you want us to do, huh?" Via crossed her arms in front of her, her eyes demanding. "Wait until you die, cry, and bury you with guilt in our hearts? No Maj, we ain't going to shut up about this. Bye." Then she ended the call.

I was staring out in space. I felt a hand on my head, messing my hair up.

"Since that day, I wondered what 'perfect' really means. Is this it?" I looked up to him and sighed. I said, "I guess."

He hugged me and whispered to my ear that, "I'm here. I'll protect you."

After the day's shoot, Yannie decided we have to have fun. A bar was standing near our location so we went there. We've been drinking, laughing, and insulting Boss Yannie's sense of fashion the whole time. After my third bottle of T. Ice I imagined Guji scolding me so I pushed away the bottle Bhelitz offered me.

_Not another one_ , My Mental Guji said.

I saw Shiela grabbed the microphone from the entertainer at the stage. I'm guessing that she's already drunk by the way she walks and talks. Oh, Shiela.

"I heard someone's a singer here," she said. She looked at the person seated beside me. I elbowed him. He snapped. "Why don't you sing for us, Yvan Cantos?"

"Uh no, not now."

"Oh c'mon, go for it!" I pushed him 'til he stood up. "Two songs ain't that bad. Go go go!"

"Two songs?"

"Yeah, two songs. One is never enough, you know." He shook his head and walked at the stage. He requested a guitar and called me to hold the mic for him. Bastard.

He tuned the guitar and later on, strummed the tune of the song 'Out of My League.' I know that song from anywhere. That's one of my favorites!

"This song is dedicated to a very special person who I've been following for years," he began saying. "I always see her back... walking away from me. So I keep on running and running after her just to eat away the distance. But it's no good. She's still unreachable. And now that I'm just a step away... someone had taken her first."

I reached for a tissue paper in my pocket and used that to wipe off the sweat on his forehead. He jolted, I laughed, the audience cheered. "Too hot, Lover boy?" I asked.

"Hey now, don't do that!" He said, laughing.

"Just sing. We don't have forever to hear your voice, do we?"

While staring at me, he finally began the singing the first syllables of the song. I can't help myself from smiling. His voice never changed ever since. It still melts my heart.

" _It's her hair and her eyes today,_

That just simply takes me away,

And the feeling that I'm falling further in love

Makes me shiver but in a good way,

All those times that I have sat and stared,

As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair

And she purses her lips, bats her eyes as she plays

With me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say

_Cause I love her with all that I am,_ "

When I stared back to his eyes, I realized that I am actually staring at someone really beautiful, pure.

" _And my voice shakes along with her hands,_

' _Cause she's all that I see,_

And she's all that I need,

_And I'm out of my league once again,_ "

"I wonder why you're still single," I asked him once we're outside the bar, drinking lightly and enjoying the stars. "Did Lyn turn you down? That's cruel if she did,"

"Cheat with me."

"What?" I gaped at him, a bottle almost slipping from my grasp. I just laughed. This guy is _so_ funny. "You're crazy –"

"Maggie, cheat with me." He reached for my hand and held it firm. My heart's racing and my lungs were failing me. I'm getting confused minute after minute. What is he talking about? "I have loved you for years and I just can't stop. Before, there's this huge gap between us and I'm just looking at you, taking stolen pictures of you. But now, I can talk to you, laugh with you, I get to know you more and more and that's making me fall for you deeper,"

I looked at him in the eyes and saw that he wasn't joking. I looked away and covered my ears. "I am not listening, Yvan. Lalalala ♪"

"Maj, please listen to me. I love you _. I loved you first_. I loved you ever since you're a kid. I've been chasing you and been wanting to tell you I love you, but I'm just too afraid to say it. I love you and I want to be selfish. You can escape your problem with me. You are safe with me. Come with me instead,"

My clenched fists were now trembling in anger. Of all people, why would Yvan tell these things to me? He's a friend. He's one of my best friends. I opened myself to him, told him every single thing about me because I trusted him. I trusted him that he won't cross my line and be someone who will stay as a _friend_. He took advantage of my friendship.

"I'm not that drunk to confuse my heart with whom I really love. I love Guji. And I'm not going to cheat on him because my life's in danger. No. I'll stay with him even when times will be rough," I stood up and turned to leave. But he pulled me back.

Pulled me to his lips.

He kissed me. Deep. Passionate. Desperate. It didn't last long because I pushed him and punched him hard on the face. I'm angry. Mixed up. Betrayed.

"Shit! THIS IS SHIT!"

I ran away.

# CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

### GUJI

I got to Baguio by midnight. And I am sleepy.

Paola gave me directions to where Janella was staying. She told me to go at once. All of them did actually. I don't understand why they're acting so weird today. Dad was one, the gang was two. I shook my head. I stopped at the house I assumed was the right one, given the address Paola wrote on this paper.

I knocked once, twice, thrice. When I got annoyed, I planned to punch the door but it opened before I do. I saw a familiar face in front of me.

Yvan.

"What are you doing here, Guji?" He demanded. My blood boiled at that instantly.

"What are _you_ doing here, Yvan? I don't remember Janella saying _you_ were here, too."

"You better go home," he was about to close the door but I stopped him. I looked at him intently. I said, "She's my girlfriend now. Better to keep your distance,"

"Oh? I'll keep that in mind. Maybe tomorrow," he still tried to close the door but I pushed that door, hard enough that he stumbled down.

"Don't act as if you have a right over her. She's mine,"

"She's going to be gone before you know it. And it's going to be because of you –"

"Sweetie!" Janella rushed to me and threw a hug around me. My eyes never left Yvan though Janella's already talking to me. "What a surprise! Let's go outside and talk,"

She dragged me out of the room and we walked down the street. I took off my jacket and placed it over her shoulders. She smiled.

"You smell alcohol. Did you drink?"

"A bit," I glared at her. "Okay, three bottles... plus one. It's not that much, okay?"

"Why's Yvan with you? We talked about this before right? _No Yvan Policy_. Why are you disobeying me?"

"This will be the last time. I promise," I saw that she bit her lip and looked away. "Can you take me home now? I want to run away,"

"You're drunk, miss. You might get sick along the way,"

Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around me and buried her face on my chest. Whoa, that's unusual. "Hey, did something happen?"

"I just missed you. So much," she raised her head so that I'm looking down on her. "I love you, Guji. No matter what happens,"

"I love you, too." I planted a kiss on her forehead before messing her hair up. "Let's eat ice cream?"

"Whoa, it's a quarter before one, it's freezing, and you want to get ice cream? Do you want to have a brain freeze?"

"Well, I'm a BrainDead already so that won't have any effect on me,"

"So we'll get ice cream then you'll take me home,"

"Why do you want to go home so sudden, huh?"

"I want to watch your Championship game today, is that so bad? Klein and the others we're cursing my death since yesterday,"

"Okay, we'll get ice cream, then we'll eat at some great noodle house, then we'll go home,"

She was about to protest at the sound of noodle house but I covered her mouth with my hand. "We're going to a noodle house and that's final."

She rolled her eyes.

### MAGGIE

"Maj, you left this at Baguio."

I bit my lip before facing the person I don't want to see just yet. He handed me a stuffed donkey I've been looking for my whole life. I snatched it and walked away from him.

"You won't even thank me?"

I turned around and said, "Thanks."

I stuffed the donkey on my bag and decided I should leave Yannie's office. I'm getting more and more uncomfortable around this place. I was on the elevator then when Yvan stopped the door. He entered and stood across me.

"I'm sorry for what happened last time," he said. "If I offended you or something, I'm sorry. I just want to protect you."

I watched how the light transferred from one floor button to the next. I wonder how many minutes would it take for me to reach the ground floor.

"Maj, please?" He walked toward me and touched my arm. I shoved them away.

"I don't want to hurt you anymore. Stay away from me,"

"I know that you're angry with me because I kissed you –"

"Shut it." I heard a click and I know that I've reached my destination. The elevator's door opened and I stepped out of it. "I don't want to hurt you anymore. Don't go near me again. From now on, let's not be friends."

The door finally closed and Yvan's pained expression was out of my view.

I never meant to say those words.

I will never mean them.

Pres. Song Hyun insisted I needed bodyguards.

"I'm giving you two bodyguards," he laced his fingers in front of him. "And you're not allowed to escape from them,"

"I'm okay without them. Fred, Klein, and Jason can do the job,"

"But the three of them are gays!"

My mouth went O-shaped at that. "Really? Oh my gosh, this cause for a celebration!" I clapped and cheered, Pres. Song Hyun even joined me. Then I glared at him. "Don't call them gays, President. They can knock you down in one punch,"

"Just take my bodyguards with you. It's a precaution,"

"I told you, I don't need them. They might restrain me from doing what I want, going where I want to go,"

"You will take my bodyguards or I will ask you to stay away from my son?"

I gulped at that. This handsome man does know how to negotiate with me. "I'll take them. If you want, you can make them four or five. That will be perfect,"

"Good,"

The Happy Saturdays met at one of Fred's restaurants and I was running late. They all looked up to me when I arrived. "Hi,"

"Uh-kay. Who are those two again?" Kate pointed at the Guys in Black behind me.

"My bodyguards. This is Benj and Harold,"

"Hi, Bodyguards," they greeted hesitantly. I guess their sizes overwhelmed them. They're like two grizzly bears walking out of the wild. "Pres. Song Hyun gave them to me,"

"So why do you have bodyguards and I don't? You're his daughter now and I'm a homeless boy?"

"Great logic, Sweetie."

He switched his eyes from me to the ones behind me. He glared. I could sense that he's killing the two mentally. "Do you have wives?"

I threw my bag at Guji's face. He complained. "What?! I was just asking!"

I sat on the unoccupied seat next to Guji. When everyone's not watching, he snatched a kiss on my cheek. I elbowed him. I turned around and saw Benj laughing. My cheeks flushed. "Stop stealing kisses, PDA-ist,"

"Things get more exciting when stolen, Sweetie." He winked at me. I was breathless. "So, why do you have bodyguards anyway?"

"Your dad gets a bit overprotective on some things. I'm one of them unfortunately," before he could suspect anything from what I've said, I announced that we should talk about our summer outing. "Who's up for a little swim?"

I looked at Guji who's looking at me differently. I smiled.

One afternoon, I decided to see Yannie. I paid her the part I should pay for the camera she gave me. After that, I went up the rooftop. I watched the sky turned yellow to orange to purple. Another day has passed, another day of my life gone. I only have 20 waking days left and I haven't achieved much. I wiped a tear that slipped off my eye.

_All for love_ , I told myself.

"BOO!" I screamed when someone tried to push me off the railings. "SWEETIE!" I exclaimed while his arms were around my waist teasing my fall, pushing me to the edge then pulling me back at once. "I'M GOING TO CRY I'M GOING TO CRY I'M GOING TO CRY!"

Guji just laughed his lungs out after carrying me down the railings. I kicked his legs that he yapped in pain. Stupid, reckless BrainDead.

"If you want me to die, just tell me right away!"

"Hahahaha you are so priceless!" He slapped his thigh over and over again, I spanked his head. That shut him up.

"YOU'RE NOT FUNNY ANYMORE."

"Okay, I'm serious now," he swallowed before taking out a sunflower from behind him. "For you, Sweetie."

"Oh my, thanks!" I took it and smelled it. Wonderful. "Why sunflower?"

"Because you're like the sun and a flower," he smiled before holding my hand and leading me near the railing. "You're the sun because you always light up my day. In every morning I wake up, it's you that always make me smile. And you're like a flower because you deserve all the love and care of the world. My love and care,"

"You're cheesy,"

"Cheesy for you," he sang in the tune of 'Crazy for You' which I find so corny. "By the way," he looked back and made a face at my bodyguards. "Don't they have other lives? Kids, wives to take care of? Why can't I have you solo?"

"Why? What do you want to do?"

"Something PG-18."

"YOU'RE GROSS."

"I'm joking! Hey!"

I walked away, covering my ears.

The girls texted and said we should talk. Nikki even told me that she has something to give me so I'm not allowed to say no. I, as usual, came running late.

"Fine. I'm late," I raised my hands in the air, feeling defeated. I pulled two additional chairs beside me and asked Benj and Harold to sit on them. They smiled before doing so.

"So we are here to...?" I began.

"To talk about Yvan,"

By the mere sound of his name makes my stomach churn. "What about him?"

"He seems pretty sad about what happened to the two of you," Nikki slurped her coffee float until the last drop of it. "And, he's not in good terms with Lyn lately. According to her, Yvan's attention was all on _you_. They had a fight last Monday, I think. They haven't talked since then. He's on the core, burning,"

"All thanks to you, Bitch." Typical Via, calling me 'bitch.' "I don't like Yvan so much, you know that. But what the hell, rejection is bitter in the taste buds. I feel him,"

"What do you want me to do? Say that 'Oh, Yvan I love you too!' like that? Oh please, you know me. I hate my closest guy friends liking me,"

"What makes Guji different, huh?" I gaped at Pao. I told her, "Sometimes, you don't need to have reasons. It just happens,"

"Oh, Cupid." We cracked at that. After the laughter died down, I saw Nikki taking out a black rectangular box from her bag. She pushed it to me. "I walked into him this morning. He said to give you that,"

"Romantic," Kate commented. I just rolled my eyes. I opened the box and saw a pair of eyeglasses with a thin, black plastic frame. He gave me a pair of eyeglasses because he knew my eyesight is poor. He knew I don't have one myself.

"I'm giving this back," I stood up, stuffing the box in my bag. They stopped me.

"You don't have to,"

"I need to. I don't want to be unfair to him," then they let me go.

I stood up outside their gate, wondering if I should ring the bell or just leave the box on the mailbox. I chose to ring the bell. His mom was the one who greeted me. She's really excited to see me. I felt guilty.

"Hi, Maggie! How are you now?"

"Perfect," ugh. I used that word again. "Can I talk to Yvan?"

"Of course," she went back inside and in an instant, Yvan was already standing in front of me. I gulped. "Cantos, I came to give this back." I handed him the black box he gave me. "This is so unfair for you. You are giving me everything, and I'm giving you nothing in return. I'm sorry."

"This is just a small thing, Maj. Why can't you even accept such a small thing from me? Tell me how hard it is," I could feel the heaviness of his words on my head, down to my chest. I exhaled.

"I'm going now. Thank you." I was already walking my way with my guards ahead of me, when he still spoke.

"What did I ever do to you for you to treat me like this, huh? You don't have any right to hurt me like this, Maj. I just loved you! Don't throw our friendship away just because I told you I love you. This is unfair, Maj. This _is_ unfair."

A tear fell from my eye and I wiped it away harshly. I swallowed the lump that's been growing on my throat for a minute or two. I raced after my breath.

"Thank you, Cantos." I managed to say. "I owe you a lot of things –"

"Don't tell me that!"

"Just stop it please! This isn't helping you at all!" I could feel all my muscles tremble. "Stop loving me. Stop hurting yourself,"

"Okay then. Tell me that you don't like me. Tell me that you won't ever. Tell that to my face,"

"No, I'm going."

"Just say it!" I could hear that his voice was crumbling. I gasped. "Maj, just say it. Please do this for me. Help me stop this madness. Cut the hopes for me,"

With clenched fists and a tightened chest, I turned around and faced him. My jaw tensed when I saw him crying, _for the first time_. Flashbacks of us hanging out together, laughing together, and sound tripping together made this a lot more difficult to handle. My lips parted but no words came out. I'm scared. I don't want to hurt him.

I never wanted to hurt him. He's my best friend.

"Yvan. Yvan Louie Cantos," I'm sorry, but this is all for you. This is what you asked for; this is what I will give to you. "I don't like you. And I will never ever like you, okay? Even if we're the only persons in this world, I would never like you still. Even in our next life, I still won't. You hear that?" I tried to keep my voice still but damn it, it always crumbles. "You are so pathetic to even think that we stand a chance. We don't, Yvan. Okay? So get lost,"

I saw tears running down from his eyes, as well as mine.

"There are a million girls in the world. You have a million chances. So don't waste your one life on me,"

Then I started to run.

# CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

### MAGGIE

"Maj, can we talk? 11 at mcdo. -Lyn"

It's 9 in the morning when I received this text message. I don't feel like meeting her today, after what I've done to Yvan weeks ago. I just dumped her best friend, and that's not the greatest thing one would want to happen to their best friends.

I felt like the Harshest Person in the World.

I arrived at the said place ten minutes before 11. My bodyguards sat five tables away from me because I said I have an important meeting they would not want to hear about. I looked back and gave them a wink.

I saw Lyn crossing the street in such haste. From whom could she be running away from?

"Maj, let's do this real quick." In a second, she's sitting in front of me. In the next second, she pushed a small, plastic card in front of me. "You are being watched, you and Guji. You are in _danger_. One of you could be dead –"

"Whoa there! Can you please talk slowly? I can't follow –"

"Maj, he's one of your friends! Someone's been a traitor to you and Guji all along! He wants you dead, especially Guji's family. His real name is Syne. He's –"

SWISH.

Everything felt like an illusion after that. Time slowed, my vision blurred, the sounds became thick and heavy. I watched how Lyn's head dramatically dropped with a thud, how her blood slowly ran down her neck, painting the table red.

"Lyn?!" I stood up hysterically. I touched her shoulder, her arms, her pulse. She's failing, I'm scared. "Lyn, answer me!"

"Ms. Janella!" Benj and Harold protectively wrapped their arms around me, pulling me away from my friend. I forced myself free. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LYN!"

"Ms. Janella, please be calm!"

"DON'T ASK ME TO BE CALM! My friend could be dying!" When I could not make myself free struggling, I did it biting.

I bit their arms so hard they let me go. I ran towards Lyn and touched her pale face, trembling. When I saw a dart sticking out of her nape, I gasped. "Not you too, Lyn..."

"...Maj." My eyes cried their hardest when I heard her voice speaking to me again.

"Lyn, listen to me! Breathe. Breathe with me, okay?"

"...Maj, take care of Yvan for me..." She's trying to talk to me though she's choking on her own blood. I could see that her eyes were closing slowly.

"NO LYN. Don't close your eyes. Breathe with me. One, two, three, breathe. Do it with me, c'mon!" I could taste my own tears but I don't mind. I want to hear her breathe. I want to see her breathe. "One, two, three breathe! LYN just breathe with me! Why are you not breathing with me?! One... two, three! C'mon!"

I'm getting frustrated minute by minute and I could not take it anymore. "Can you at least call an ambulance?! _Anyone_ , please?! Can't you see that my friend is dying here?!"

No one responded. Some of them were screaming, some running for their own lives, and others were just plainly staring at us. _Why are they like that?_

Benj held my arm and pulled me away from Lyn again. He's trying to keep me calm by squeezing my hand over and over again. "I already called the medics. They'll be here in a minute. So please be calm,"

"What should I do... what should I do..." he hugged me tight and smoothed my back.

Then my eyes ran dry of tears.

I was on the hospital hallway, sitting, watching everyone come and go.

Lyn's out of danger for now. The dart which hit her has poison on it, and if not attended immediately, could get her killed. I felt my heart fell to the core, burning.

Why am I here? Why is death following me like a black cat? What am I in my past life? Am I a criminal that everyone wished to be dead?

I stood up and walked along this hallway. I don't know where I want to go. I just want to go out. Seek peace, real light.

While I was walking, I saw Cantos running past me, toward Lyn's room I guess. There's an angry look painted on his face. He didn't pay me any attention. I'm not that shocked anyway.

When I got out of the hospital and have walked a few steps away from it, a little boy stopped in front of me. He smiled sweetly and handed me a rose.

A black rose.

"Hi there! Someone asked me to give you this. Have a great day!" That second when the child ran away, I flipped the card hanging on its leaf. It read,

Be still. I'm right behind you.

I panicked. I felt my blood bursting in all of my veins, the coldness I've always knew wrapped my whole body. Fear's on its way to conquering my conscious mind, devouring my will. I covered my mouth to keep myself from screaming.

I felt a sharp, thin, cold blade grazing my skin. I bet my neck's bleeding a bit.

"Janella Ponce. How are you?" His voice sounded like a chamber, vast and deep. He's the same man I saw in Grandma's party, the same man I bumped into the road, the same man in my dreams. In an overcoat.

"I couldn't be better." I lied.

"Really? What if I kill you right now?"

"Do it as you please."

I closed my eyes and braced myself for anything he would do. But nothing happened. "What did I do to you? Why do you want to kill me?"

I heard him chuckle in my hair, I felt his warm breath on my skin. I trembled. "This is the game we call 'The Chain.' Your lives in exchange for one that was lost, your punishment for a sin made by one of your class. You should be regretting the day you met them now. Deny them. I might spare you if you do,"

"Deny your ass –"

"Choose your words wisely. I can rip your neck right now."

When the thought of stepping on his foot and kicking his crotch occurred to me, that's when Klein and Fred came shouting my name from afar. The man behind me hissed and cursed before he let me go.

"I'm warning you Ponce. Don't walk alone." I heard his footsteps behind me, running away. Klein ran after him. Fred stopped in front of me and caught me just in time when my knees finally failed me. I placed a hand over my bleeding neck.

"Boss your neck is bleeding! I'll bring you back to the hospital!"

"No –" I choked and coughed. "No thanks. I can do this. I'll go home by myself,"

"No way! I can't let you go like that –"

"Fred," I looked at him intently and told him mentally I should go _alone_. "I will go home now."

He nodded at last and helped me stand up. Lightheaded, I walked by myself.

_He's one of your friends,_ Lyn told me. If that's the case, I should be more cautious. Even though it hurts to doubt my own friends, I should be more careful.

This is serious.

# CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

### MAGGIE

I took shelter at the tree house. I stood in front of the dart board, a dart in hand. This is the dart which pierced Lyn's nape. This is the same dart as the others in here.

I should've trusted my instinct.

SWISH.

I screamed my lungs out when a dart went past me and straight to the board. When I turned around, I saw him, his eyes as wide as mine.

"What? I'm a ghost now?"

"Guji..." my eyes welled in tears. I smiled. "My goodness, you scared me!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." He chuckled a bit before taking a seat on the sofa. "I saw you running in here so I thought of following you. What's the matter? You look like you're so scared of something,"

"What? No! I'm fine, really."

"So, do you mind telling me what happened to your neck?" My eyes popped out of its pockets when I heard that. I instinctively covered the wound with my hand, but that didn't help me at all. "SB, what happened to your neck?"

"This is nothing. I uh, scratched it with my nail. Yeah, it's too itchy so I scratched it. Scratched it too bad tho,"

"Scratched it too bad?" He stood up and approached me. He grabbed my hand and took a close look on it. "How about that? Your nails are trimmed so well. I doubt they could make thin lines on your skin, can they?"

He looked at me intently, his eyes deep brown and daunting. And I swear to God, my wrist is dying in his grasp. "Guji, it hurts... let me go!"

"What _happened_ to your neck?"

"Okay fine! Just promise that you won't get angry with me –"

"Fuck that," He harshly let go of my hand that second. "You actually think I won't get angry? You got hurt! And I don't want you getting hurt!"

"Guji, just calm down!" I could see him pacing to and fro, brushing his hair from time to time, and cursing in the air non-stop. He's on his way to getting angry, to getting wild. He's now stitching the facts together. I know he's observing us. He's going on the right track.

"I know there's something going on. They've been so protective of you and I don't know why for so many days, weeks." He stopped pacing and faced me. "Why Janella? WHY?"

I couldn't take looking at him in the eye, so I planted my stare on the floor. "Someone's going to kill me two days from now. I got caught in your family's trouble, in your Dad's trouble. I am your girlfriend, directly related to you, and indirectly related to your father,"

"What? What did you say? My _dad_ caused you this?"

"It's my choice to stay with this situation. I didn't tell you anything because I was hoping they would change their minds, that they would forgive your dad's mistake during the 99-days period. I didn't tell you because I know you'll push me away –"

"What the fuck are you thinking, Janella?!" He suddenly grabbed the table that's in his way and threw it aside. I gasped for air. I think I'm trembling in fear. Part of me says I'm afraid of him, another part of me says he needed release and I should let him. I let him. I watched him go over his anger, confusion, and frustration for the next ten minutes.

"So that's why my stupid dad gave you bodyguards, huh? To protect you. So that's why he forced me to follow you to Baguio? To protect you. Well, how about me? I know nothing about this!"

I watched him reached down his pocket and took out his phone. His eyes never left me while he's making the call.

"Hello DAD," he said. "What the hell is this, DAD? WHAT DID YOU DO? My girlfriend is going to die and that's because of – WHAT?! You son of a bitch – ALL THESE YEARS?! How dare you Dad. How _dare_ you! Why did you not tell this to me? Is there someone I could trust in this world?!" His look at me became as grim as hell. _Be calm_ Maggie, _be calm_.

He put his phone down and walked to me. "What do you think you're doing, Janella? You think you're strong enough to face this alone? How many times did you lie to me? Why do you have to lie?"

"I needed to lie to protect you. You're so happy, _too_ happy that I never wanted that to end. I am protecting you from sadness, Guji. I don't want to see you that _sad_ like before. I needed to lie for you not to get hurt,"

"Protect me? I am the guy here, Janella. I am the one who's supposed to protect you, not the other way around! SHIT." I watched him knelt in front of me, his face covered with both of his hands. He screamed so loud, I cried. I wanted to kneel in front of him and hug him tight, but I restrained myself.

"Everybody knows, right? I could see you guys exchanging nervous glances to each other these past few days. I didn't mind because I thought that was nothing. Then this? Everybody knows but me. I am your boyfriend, Janella. Please give justice to that. Just a little bit's enough,"

"I'm sorry."

He stood up and grabbed my arm. He pulled me along and told me to go down the house. He will follow he said. When we're both down the house, he dragged me toward his car.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Shut up."

I did.

# CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

### MAGGIE

Guji packed my things.

He came into my room and grabbed every single thing he saw and stashed them into a bag. He didn't even let me touch anything. But I let him be.

When we went back to his car, he asked for my phone and exchanged it for his. I don't know what he's up to, but I let him be. I've been the one who's in charge of the situation for a long time, thinking I am such a super girl. This time, I let Guji take over like he should've been in the first place.

He hasn't talked to me since we left the tree house. I know that he's mad, confused, and terrified right now. I noticed that his right hand's trembling so I placed my hand over it, squeezed it, and never let go of it until I fell asleep.

It's nighttime when I woke up. No one's beside me so I panicked, only to find him talking to an old woman at the porch of a medium-sized house. I stepped out of the car and walked towards them. The old woman regarded me as soon as she saw me.

"You're safe here, Hija. This is far from the city and no one will know that you're here," she told me reassuringly.

"I'll go ahead then, Nanay." Guji said, spinning on his heel. I caught his arm at an instant.

"You're going to leave me here?"

"I want you safe,"

"But I want you here!"

He freed his arm from my grasp and looked at me intently. "No. I want you here. Don't leave. Don't tell anyone, okay? I'm the boss now. Do as I please,"

"Just tell me where you're going so I wouldn't be worrying about you!"

Guji then wrapped me with his arms so tight I could've died. "I'll be back before you know it." I nodded. "You're not going to die, you hear? I'll fix this."

Nanay and I stood side by side as we watched his car leave. What could I possibly do in here? Guji's phone doesn't have much use to me. It only contains four contact numbers I don't feel like calling right now. Maybe I'll just lie in bed, wait for his arrival, and collect my thoughts about this mystery.

He's one of your friends.

I could still hear Lyn's voice in my head telling me one of my friends is a traitor. Who could it be?

"Go help yourself," Nanay placed a plate full of cookies in front of me and a glass of milk. "I used to give Master Guji these when he's afraid at night."

I couldn't help but let out a smile. "Must've been hard for him when you're gone huh?"

"Oh, he hardly gets afraid when he got older. Or that's just what I thought?" She knelt in front of the coffee table and picked up a cookie. She dipped it on the milk and offered it to me. I accepted it and ate. "I'm Hana's mom. I've been at the Kim's service almost all my life. They even gave me this house to stay after I retired,"

"Great family,"

"But they aren't perfect, I know." I saw her sighed so deep. She looked up at the ceiling as if she could see the heaven up there. "Song Hyun can't take failures too well. They messed him up, and everything around him. His greatest failure created a tragedy to his life," she looked at me and smiled at her to tell her I could follow.

"He lost his wife – oh dear Reinzia! Such a lovely lady, such a lost. You know, I've always loved her playing the piano every morning at home. That served as our wake-up call, beautiful wake-up call. Those days of peace... I miss them so much,"

"How about Guji? What is he before Mrs. Reinzia left?"

"Master Guji was a very energetic boy, loving and sweet. He would always follow his mother wherever she goes, tugging the hem of her dress like any other child. He used to play the left hand parts of the piano piece, while his mother played with the right hand. They even play duets. He saw his dad as the greatest man who ever lived, loved him like no other. But that was so long ago. He's very different to the Master Guji I once knew."

_I want to meet that 8-year old Guji_ , I figured.

The bed was soft and comfy, but I couldn't get myself to sleep. I tapped the bulge on my right pocket, feeling its body. I took it out and put it into view.

This dart.

"Where are you from?" I held the ID Lyn gave me days ago and leveled it into view. The card has been soaked in blood and I couldn't see the name imprinted on it. The only thing readable on this is the label of the organization it's from.

La Famiglia Dutchess.

I sat on the bed and worked on this information. If I would be translating this name to English I would get "The Dutchess Family." The bell is ringing inside my head but I don't know where exactly it's from. I know I heard that name from somewhere.

When I got frustrated, I took my laptop out of my bag and searched the web for any hits. I clicked the first item that appeared. It was an article about La Famiglia Dutchess being one of the oldest Mafia families in Italy. I skipped their history and proceeded to present events. One of the recent clippings I saw was about the death of the Supremo's wife on 2002.

My heart then skipped a beat.

"Let me see your family then, Supremo." I clicked the hyperlink on Supremo and it directed me to another article. The article included pictures of a huge group of men, officials, and another one with only three people.

"Supremo (starting from left) with his son Syne and wife Josephine..." I bit my lower lip as I clicked the hyperlink on the name "Syne". It redirected me again to another site; one which was full of pictures a young boy of 13. My eyes went blurry when I think I recognized that face.

I _do_ recognize that face.

I jumped out of my bed the moment I heard Guji's voice outside. I hurried out to meet him and hugged him when I saw him. He smiled at me and held my hand, led me to the sofa and sat face to face.

"I'm going to clean your wound now," he told me. I saw a pack of cotton balls, alcohol and Betadine beside him. "If it hurts too bad just squeeze my arm, okay?"

I watched him clean my wound carefully. I maybe flinching in pain but I'm too focused watching his face, and his slight changing of expressions. I slowly touched his left cheek. He moved away.

"Why?" He asked me.

"Nothing. I just feel like touching your skin," because I may not be able to touch it again. "I'm sorry to interrupt you. Go on now,"

He then continued with the Betadine. After he has covered my wound with gauze, he bowed his head. "I talked to Dad a while ago. You know what? He knelt in front of me, crying, asking for forgiveness. Do you know what I said?"

"What?"

"I said I will never ever forgive him. I lost my mom because of what he did, and now I'm going to lose you, too? No... I just can't." I heard him sniff. He can't be crying, can he?

I poked his arm over and over again, but he never looked up. When I got frustrated, I peeked between his arms and saw that, indeed, he's crying.

"Hey there, why are you crying?"

Instead of answering me, he stood up and walked outside. I was about to follow him but Nanay stopped me. She said to give him space.

And so I did.

As I watched the stars shine above, I watched Guji smoke throughout the hour.

He did not only smoke, he also drank his ass out. I could've strangled him for that, but I let him be because I know he's having a hard time now. And it hurts to see him like that.

After a while, I decided I should go to him and keep him company. I sat in front of him, smiling.

"That would be your last, okay? You've had four in a row already,"

"Janella..." He dropped his half-finished cigarette and stepped on it. He offered his hand to me and asked, "Will you dance with me?"

"You serious? There's no music,"

"I could sing it for you," he smiled at me that my heart faltered. I smiled back at him.

I took a bow before him when I stood up. He laughed at that. I took his hand and placed them around my waist, mine around his neck. He pulled me closer that I almost screamed, "Oh!" He again laughed.

He made me rest my head next to his cheek. We swayed left to right.

"Oh I wanna make you smile, whenever you're sad," he started singing, I continued. "...carry you 'round when your arthritis is bad, all I wanna do... is growing old with you,"

"I miss your voice even though I'm hearing it now," he whispered. I smiled. "I miss your presence even though you're so near to me,"

"...I'll miss you, kiss you, give you my coat when you are cold. Need you, feed you, even let you hold the remote control," I felt him pressing his cheek harder on mine. I kissed it lightly.

With all the stars hovering over us, with all the clouds and dead wishes, with the silent trees and moon, we danced. I want to cry in perfection.

"I'm sorry," he breathed in my hair. "I'm sorry, Janella. I only caused you troubles from the very start. You don't deserve this. You deserve something more –"

"Ssh. Guji, I deserve you. You deserve me. No one else deserves us but you and me," I cupped his face with both of my hands and looked at him in the eyes. "I love you and your ways, and everything in between. I chose you, I accepted it all. Even this,"

"Why do you love me so much?"

When you love someone, there's no 'why.' There's only 'I just did.' "I love you. There's no 'why', no 'that's because you're like this, you're like that,' I just love you Guji Tarence Kim. I love you wholly."

"No leaving behind, okay?"

"No leaving behind." Then he kissed me though he tasted like alcohol and cigarettes.

"Don't look for me. – BD"

I don't know what to think or do when I read his message. Last night he just promised me that he won't leave me behind, but what did he do? He went off all by himself and asked me not to look for him. What the hell.

I jerked when Guji's phone rang beside me. The LCD said it was Fred calling. I answered on the second ring.

"Boss, where are you?! Don't you ever leave Boss Janella! She's in danger _–_ " Someone snatched the phone from him and I heard a different voice now. "Guji, listen up. Don't go where he wants you to go. Papa set you up. He didn't want you yet, he wants Janella –"

"Shut up, _Syne._ "

" _Syne?_ How did you know my real name?" I heard the change in his voice, from agitated to alarmed.

"Stop pretending to be _our_ friend Jason. That's not helping you at all,"

"I know you all hate me now, but I swear I did my best to stop this from happening. I can explain later but for now, please promise me you will stay wherever you are!"

"Heck I'm going to listen to you?" I ended the call and hurried out my room. I called Nanay but no one answered me. In a second, my adrenaline rushed throughout my body.

"Nanay? Nanay!" I checked all the rooms of the house, but found them all empty. When I checked outside, I saw a yellow cab waiting. I caught my breath when I saw a man coming out of that cab. I started to run.

My heart's beating so fast I could hear it on my ears, deafening me. I could feel my lungs slowly failing me, my legs burning. When I looked back I saw the man running so close to me, then I tripped on my own foot.

I fell down on my face and I tried to stand up as fast as I could. But he was faster. He grabbed my arm and pulled me up. His grasp was so tight that I might've cried. I'm not sure if I did. He dragged me along when I had no strength to fight back. He pushed me inside the cab and fastened my seatbelt. I tried to unlock it, but failed.

"Enjoy the ride, miss." He said when he started the engine.

### GUJI

"Guji Tarence Kim,"

I eyed him disdainfully. He's the one who called me last night, telling me I should see him to fix things. That he's the one who's been following me for years; the one who's been threatening Janella's life. He told me he would leave Janella alone if I go here all by myself. No police, no Dad. Just me.

"Guji Tarence Kim –"

"I know what my name is. You don't have to tell that to my face,"

"You know what? I've been trying to kill you but my plans get busted all the time," I watched him play with his knives like a child playing pencils. I say this guy's one heck dangerous. "You want to know why?"

"No."

"It's Cantos! Your friend had always been on the lookout for my plans, and they get all busted! THAT REALLY SUCKS! You should've died ten years ago in that fucking school bus!"

Cantos? Did he mean Yvan? Yvan's been saving me from him all these years? Why didn't he tell me anything?

"Why don't you answer your phone first?"

I was so engrossed to the fact that Yvan was a savior that I didn't hear Janella's phone ringing in my pocket. I took it out and answered her call.

"Hello?" I started.

"Guji! Where are you?!"

"Didn't I tell you not to look for me –"

"No, listen to me! It's Jason, he is... has been spying on you... son of the woman your dad... killed –"

"Just calm down. I could barely hear you!" When I looked up to face this man called Secret, I saw him smirking at me. He winked at me and motioned his knife to tell me I should go listen to her.

"He told me don't go... set up you up! They will kill me now!" My eyes widened at that, my heart pumped like nuts. I could feel all my veins constricting, and my head aching in anger.

I eyed Secret with such menace I could create. "What... do you plan to do with her?!"

He smirked at me and said, "Your girlfriend will die in a car crash. In five minutes to be exact,"

"Five minutes?" That's when I started to panic. "JANELLA?! Are you in a car? JUMP OUT OF THAT FUCKING CAR RIGHT NOW!"

"I can't! The seatbelt's jammed!"

"WHAT?! Do everything you can to get out of there! GET OUT –" before I could even finish my sentence, the line was cut. But before it did, I heard a sharp screech and crash, a series of glasses shattering, and metals colliding and folding. It was so loud that my ear was hurt too badly.

Then everything went mute.

Except for the line that went dead.

This is all just but a dream.

I've been sitting here for I don't know how long, watching him pace to and fro. I don't know where my spirit had gone, or my will, or my strength. Janella's phone is still on my hand, waiting for her to call me again. But she never did.

Will she ever?

"How about that? How painful is it to lose?"

I want to punch him in the face but damn these legs, I can't move an inch! Fuck this. I feel so weak. I feel... _hopeless._ Pain is eating me alive, eating me slowly. I want to scream, I want to go wild, but I just can't move a muscle.

I can't move.

I heard footsteps coming toward me. These were heavy unlike Secret's. "Supremo, he's the one." I heard Secret say.

He stopped when he's only a couple of steps away from me. I saw him squat and pierced something hard on my head. I'm guessing that there's a gun ready to shoot my brain out. "Ah, then we finally meet."

I looked up to him and saw an old, angry man staring back. I noticed that his eyes were too red. I bet he's drugged. Then I felt my spirit coming back to me, warming me up. The anger came back. I spit on his face.

"Bullshit! Did you just spit on my face?!"

"Yes, I just did." He slapped me with his gun, but I tried to be still. I could taste my blood on my tongue, flowing. I coughed and let the blood stream down my mouth. "Hurt me all you want, I don't care. Kill me, punish me. Do as you wish."

"Of course I will." The moment I heard him pulling the trigger, I closed my eyes.

I will follow you, Janella. To heaven, to hell. I will.

"Pa!" I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Jason's voice. When I opened my eyes, I saw him standing in front of me. "My friend is already dying in the hospital. One is enough, Pa! Just stop this crap –"

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO LOSE SOMEONE!"

"Pa, I lost my mom too. Don't act as if you are the only one who lost someone in life. Everyone dies. It's fucking natural!"

"Natural, you say? Let me kill him then!" I saw him spun around and shot Secret in the head. My eyes followed his falling body. His eyes were staring straight at me making all of my hair stood on ends. I gasped when I saw Dad just standing behind the once alive man. It could've been him if Secret wasn't there.

Dad was staring at me, I stared back. We're both horrified.

"Tell me who shall I shoot next?" Supremo asked his son so casually. "Let me abide with nature, son. Everybody dies, right? SO EVERYBODY WILL DIE!"

He began shooting just about anywhere. One of the bullets came straight to my arm. The pain first came like lightning, fast but vivid. Then it became like liquid, warm and thick.

" _You_ ," I saw him pointing his gun at me. "My wife died, so YOU should die, too. I love her so much... I love her more than my life! But this bastard –" he shifted the gun from me to Dad. Dad flinched. "Killed her helplessly. SO YOU SHOULD PAY FOR THAT!"

I was surprised when he shifted his gun to me again and clicked without me breathing at its interval. I heard a loud bang and I think I should be lying down now. But instead of doing that, I watched how someone fell down just in front of me. He was smiling the whole time, telling me I was the best guy he ever met.

"Yvan? Y-yvan...?" I forced myself to crawl to him though it's hard. "Yvan, don't close your eyes. Yvan, no!"

When I have placed him on my lap and have tried to keep him awake, that's when I started to really cry. I've been holding back all these tears only to cry them all out now. I can't do this anymore. I can't contain all these pain, this madness.

"Everybody dies. So am I." I heard another bang and saw another body falling in front of me. The Supremo's eyes were staring back at me, mocking me until the last second of his life.

I screamed.

# CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

### GUJI

I sat on a hospital bed, staring out to space. The bullet on my left arm was already removed, and the nurses gave me coffee to drink. I haven't sipped even just a drop.

One of the nurses approached me and asked to sign the papers. I just stared at it. _This is it_. I'm having second thoughts.

"We need permission, sir. If no one will sign this, the donation will not be approved." Half-heartedly, I picked up the pen and signed. "Thank you, sir."

I sat here for the length of forever, watching people go by without giving me much attention. I want to be like air. To feel nothing, to be gone in their eyes. To be gone in this world.

I dragged myself to walk in the white hallway, passing so many doors, under so many lights. When I saw the "OPERATING ROOM" sign all lit up and saw two of my friends waiting outside, my knees crashed.

I never thought I could be so vulnerable like this. How could I fall into pieces when I started off strong?

"Boss!" Fred approached me. "Boss, let me help you."

"Why... why is this all happening? _All at once?_ "

"We're not so sure of anything by now," he helped me get up and led me to a chair. Klein, Fred, and I just sat in there in silence, waiting for a miracle to happen. If such a thing does exist.

It's already past 11 when I decided to go at the chapel. I have never been in a sacred place like this ever since my mom died. I've always hated God for taking away such a wonderful person in my life.

But I forced myself to come back here.

To plead.

To ask for a miracle.

Or to blame once again.

"You're just like me, an asshole." I accused him. "You give me people you could take away so easily. You're letting me borrow their time in such a short phase, loving them. You did not only do that once, or twice. You're doing it again for the third time. And that's just bullshit!" I removed my shoe and threw it directly at him. It bounced sideways.

"Whoa! Don't throw off things like that!"

I caught my breath when I saw her flying toward me. I could see past her and that freaked me out. I rubbed my eyes and checked if she's still there. She is.

I am not dreaming, or hallucinating. She _is_ here.

"Sweetie, I've been waiting for you since forever. Where have you been?"

"I uh... don't know what to say." I looked down her feet. "You're floating,"

"I'm _flying._ " She smiled at me, but I can't smile back. Seeing her once again smiling with eyes full of life, made me knelt. I tried to breathe, in and out. I looked up to her and said, "Tell me you're going to be okay. Tell me I'm going to see you again. Tell me you're going to live with me."

"Guji," I could see her eyes telling me good bye. Why is she telling me good bye? Is she going to leave me? No. This isn't the end of us yet.

"No, don't. Don't hurt me, Janella."

"They told me to follow the light. It's waiting for me outside. I just waited for you to come here and tell you good b –"

"NO DON'T. You're not telling me _that_ , no. You're _not_ _leaving_ me."

"Sweetie if it's meant to be, it will be," she touched my cheek. I chilled. "It's good that I touched your skin yesterday. I know that I won't be able to touch it again that way,"

"Don't say that..." I held her hand and kissed it. Kissed it more and more and more, kissed it like I haven't kissed it at all. "Please don't go away, please... Janella, don't hurt me. Don't... _hurt me..._ "

"Rest now, love. I am safe now." I felt her planting a kiss on my forehead. _No._ "Don't do this to me, Janella... Don't hurt me, please. _Don't hurt... me_."

"I'll be waiting," she said as she left one last kiss on my lips.

One last kiss.

The next moment killed me. The silence killed me more than I thought it could. I checked my watch and it read 12:05. I laughed. SB and I always like the first seconds. Our best memories happened in the first seconds of the day. It's always been like that.

But not right now.

Right on the first second of May 20th I lost her. And every single atom in my body ached like hell. But not for long.

I stood up and looked at him, challenging him. "You took her away? Then I shall follow her to steal her away from you. I'll save her from you,"

Just a few more steps and I'll be done. I could hear the buzzing of their horns; feel the swiftness of their motion. Their red lights might've been blinding but I didn't blink. This could hurt, but nothing compares to the emotional pain I'm going through right now. I am losing my mind and I shall end this myself.

Right now.

"GUJI, WAIT!"

I spun around to see Nikki panting. She ran after me. "Guji, some one's fighting to come back,"

At once, I ran back to the hospital.

Whoever it is, I need to come back too.

# CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

### GUJI

"What is the date today?"

I can't help but smile. I've heard this question a thousand times from her, every single day. "June 18th, love."

"What year?"

"2014,"

"Do you think Yvan will visit me now? Do you think he has forgiven me?"

"Probably," I sat next to her wheelchair and waited for the break of dawn. She requested me to accompany her today. She said she wants to watch the sunrise with me. She asked me to almost every day.

She hasn't seen the sunrise ever since.

"Did the sun shine now?"

I could see the sky turned purple to red, to orange. From the distance, I could see the golden disc slowly coming out. "It's here,"

"How was it?"

"Greater than yesterday, I say. It's brighter, fuller of life." I turned to face her and watched how the sun rays painted her face, making her brighter. I placed a hand over hers and squeezed them. "Are you excited?"

I saw her lips curved into a huge smile I haven't seen for days. "I am."

I led her back to her room. Everybody's excited today, even I who don't get excited very often. We even decorated this room with balloons and sunflowers. There's food for everybody, and we especially provided chocolates for her. No, it's not yet her birthday. We're celebrating a milestone in her life.

"I'll take the bandages off now, okay?" Janella nodded as Dr. Chavez started taking the bandages off her eyes. It's been three months since she woke up from coma, a month since she had her eye operation. Seeing the bandages fall down the bed is making me feel anxious. Did they make it?

I felt Fred holding my right arm, Klein on the left. I crossed my fingers.

"Open your eyes now, Janella."

We waited until she opened them. She squinted and closed them shut at once, cursing. "Burns..."

"Burns? What's burning in here –"

"Stop being so stupid, Fred. Her eyes might be burning in too much light,"

"Turn the lights off then!"

"Wow, great idea." I rolled my eyes at him then shifted my focus on Janella, who's been trying to see things around her. She keeps on covering, uncovering them that she looked almost funny. Well, she _is_ funny.

"You can't be serious," she muttered under her breath. "I have never seen the lines on my palms so clear in this distance," she extended her arms at full length. "Or my toes. Or the petals of the sunflowers at the other end of the room – Woooow! My eyes are really brand new! I love love love them – oh wait. Why are there sunflowers in my room?"

We all laughed at her. Nikki kept on elbowing me, while Fred pushed me ahead. I couldn't get myself to look at her straight in the eye now. I know that they're not hers to begin with. If I looked at them, it is as if I'm reliving the day I lost that person.

The scars are hurting anew.

"Well, uhm. We just want you to see beautiful things when you open your eyes again. Sunflowers are beautiful, right?"

"Beautiful, yes."

I looked back at them and glared. When Klein got my mental message, he dragged them all out of the room. Dr. Chavez patted my back and told me she should get going. She reminded me not to exhaust Janella too much because her eyes were still adjusting. When Janella and I we're the only ones left, I decided I should sit beside her and hold her hand between mine. I smiled at her, avoiding her eyes.

"You can close your eyes first if it hurts,"

"Not when I want to see you so bad," she placed a finger under my chin and made me face her. I made sure I was looking past her. "You want to tell me something?"

"I love you," and she smiled. "Anything else?"

I looked down and searched for the right words to say. When I can't find any, I just reached for the bedside table and opened a drawer. I took out two CDs and gave them to her.

"What are these?"

"Isn't it obvious? They're CDs –"

"Don't start me, BD."

"Okay, okay! It's a presentation we made for you. You missed a lot of things last year – your 18th birthday, our graduation, our anniversary. We documented every single event so you won't be left out,"

"Oh, exciting." I expected her to jump out of her bed, rush to the TV and play the CD. But she did not. She stayed beside me. "Anything more you want to say?"

"It depends on what you want to hear."

"Where are my eyes from?"

I wasn't surprised when she asked me that. I've been prepared for quite long time already for her questions. But when she asks about Yvan, I don't answer her directly. I don't want to give her a shock, especially when she's still recovering from trauma.

"Guji?" Before giving her an answer, I took one CD from her. I jumped out of the bed and went straight to the TV. I put the CD on and in five seconds it played. When I went back to sit beside her, I whispered to her ears.

"You can hold my hand while it plays. I know it will be hard,"

"I know."

The presentation started with stolen pictures of her when she's still young. These pictures were taken at some random places, but they all showed happy faces of Janella at a distance. Even as a child, she's too beautiful.

"The first time I saw you, you were playing by the dike." Yvan started narrating, his voice still sounded like _Yvan_. "I was attracted by the little things you do. Every small movement, every curve of your skin beside your eyes when you smile, I was fascinated by them. That's when I started taking stolen photos of you. When I started falling in love with you,"

I have watched this presentation ten times before this, and I've always wondered how she will react when she sees this. When I looked at her, she's just pokerfaced.

"By the time I sent you this presentation, I have flown to States already. I'm going to study photography there. By the time I sent you this presentation, I have given up on you. But I still love you. You're the best damn thing that ever happened to me. I love you present tense,"

Now we could see Yvan on screen, smiling and alive. Before this, I specifically played this part over and over to see him, to hear him. I would pause at 8:56 so that I could stare at him smiling at me. I do that every time things get hard on me, when I couldn't take the blaming anymore.

The Retard Family, they hated me ever since I came into Yvan's life and now that he's gone, the hate was multiplied by three. They don't want to see me anymore, never accepted my apology, my condolences. I did not attend his burial, never went to his wake. It's hard. I feel like I'm in his coffin too, gasping for air, trying to escape. I couldn't stand it.

"I want to let you know that I'm crying," she said, sobbing. "My tears aren't just flowing, I don't know why."

I wrapped my arms around her, cuddling her.

"This," Yvan continued saying. "This will be the last song I'll ever sing for you. I hope you appreciated the time I stayed by your side."

"I do, Yvan. _I really do._ " I felt her trembling, her chest going up and down at such pace that worried me. She's crying, but no tear ever shed. "He's gone, isn't he? _He's_ _gone._ Tell me the truth, Guji."

Half-heartedly, I nodded. "He saved me. He saved you. He left a message for you before he left – to take care of his eyes for him. That he wants to see the world with you, too."

She buried her head on my chest, screaming. She's screaming the words "I'm sorry, Yvan" over and over again, while I tried to be strong for her.

Lift your head, baby don't be scared

Of the things that could go wrong along the way

You'll get by with a smile

You can't win at everything, but you can try

Baby you don't have to worry,

' _Cause there ain't no need to hurry_

No one ever said that there's no easy way

When they're closing all their doors

And they don't want you anymore

This sounds funny but I'll say it anyway

Girl, I'll stay through the bad times,

Even if I have to fetch you everyday

I'll get by with a smile

You can never be too happy in this life

In a world where everybody hates a happy ending story

It's a wonder love can make the world go 'round

And don't let it bring you down

And turn your face into a frown

You'll get along with a little prayer and a song

She fell asleep on my chest. I lulled her to sleep because she's getting more restless by the hour. When she woke up the next day, she was unbearable. She was even more unbearable the day after. She refuses to eat, throws everything on the floor, and gets mad easily. On some days she's quiet and obedient.

I did everything I can to please her, to cope up with her moods. Her doctor told me she's having a hard time controlling her emotions because of too much depression and trauma. I barely left her side.

One Saturday she asked me if she could see my dad. I told her no, she can't. The both of them can't see each other yet because they're both devastated, emotionally unstable. If Janella can't cope up with the pain just yet, Dad's even worse. He saw everything that night, blamed himself for all of it, and attempted to kill himself too many times.

Like father, like son.

"Hey Guji, your psychologist called me yesterday and told me you should see him immediately. You're not meeting him lately, he said." Klein sat next to me, handing me a glass of orange juice. "You don't need him anymore?"

"I think I'm okay,"

"Well, that's good to hear." We sat in silence and watched Janella sleep. He let out a laugh. "She's a miracle, isn't she?"

"God knows a lot of games, rewards too." I stood up when I saw her woke up. She asked for water and I gave her immediately. When she saw Klein, she waved.

"How are you feeling buddy?" Klein asked.

"Tired,"

"I wonder why." He smiled and sat on the other side of the bed. I glared at him because he's actually crossing her personal space which by self-proclamation is my personal space too. "Why don't you try to let go and be happy like how you've been before? Guji's doing great for instance,"

She looked at me. "Don't you get tired of me?"

I laughed at her. "I never get tired of you."

Klein stood up and told me he should get going. He patted my back before he left and told me something about Jason. "He's waiting outside by the way. He wants to talk to you,"

Just by hearing his name makes my blood boil. I kept both of hands on my pockets to restrain myself from hurting him. I'm past that phase already. I'm a changed man. I don't hurt people physically anymore.

"I came back to tell you I'm sorry." He started.

"Sorry? Where will your sorry take me to? That won't patch-up the things you destroyed."

"I was just hoping –"

"Man, I trusted you. And you broke my trust beautifully." I decided I should get inside and leave him standing there, but I stopped for a while, grabbed his collar and pushed him to the wall. He choked. I don't hurt people physically anymore, just this once. "I'm warning you. I don't want to see your ass around my territory again, you hear me?"

I let him go when I saw him already dying for air. "Just one question..." he asked me, coughing.

"What is it?"

He looked up to me. "How is she?"

"You don't have the right to know. Go home." Before I could hurt you.

I am no God not to forgive. But I am human and I am limited. I could not forgive people who refuse to give forgiveness to others, especially when they have crossed my line too far. I could not forgive someone like Jason.

Grandma's overseeing my training at the company South Bound, since Dad wasn't around anymore. She's preparing me for something big, she said. While I'm at it, I find time to attend mass and be a part of a Religious circle. It helped me managed my anger and learned how to be grateful for everything that has happened, both good and bad.

I barely go home, actually. I spend my time mostly at the hospital, or the company. The gang visited often and kept Janella happy every time. Her sister Janine was one of the doctors who were assigned to her and that made her extra happy.

One day, Janine walked up to me, handing me a cup of coffee.

"She told me you were gay," we both laughed. "Turned out, you are her secret boyfriend. And so far, you're doing great at it."

"Thanks. But I'm sorry this happened –"

"Don't be. If this didn't happen, I still think that you're gay." She turned her back on me and started walking ahead. She stopped for a while and said, "Thank God she's alive, because if she died, I swear I'll kill you."

"Don't sweat. I'll do it myself,"

She turned around and gave me a wink. "I'd love to have you as my brother-in-law, been meaning to tell you."

I will be, I mentally replied.

I went back to her room and sat beside her, watching her sleep. When her eyes flipped open, I smiled at her. She sat up and grabbed a pillow to hug.

"Remember the time when I asked you why do you live?" I asked her. She nodded. "Is your answer still the same?"

"Is your answer still the same?"

I shook my head, and reached for her hand. "I only live because you live. When you die, I die with you. You are my life supply, Janella. Your end will be my end." She smiled. "How about you? Why do you live?"

She looked outside first before answering me. "Now, I have the will. I live because I wake up with you. Not just because my body wakes up, but because I wanted it to. That night, I struggled just to wake up. I want to see you. I want to feel you. I want to be with you longer. And it's worth it. All of the struggles, the pain – they're worth it. Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for being the first person I saw after the days of darkness. Thank you,"

"Have I told you I love you?" She laughed, shaking her head. "I love you, Janella."

I hugged her, careful not to break her apart.

# CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT

### GUJI

"Do you want to watch the sunrise today?" I asked her one morning. She nodded and smiled. Before I led her outside her porch, she tugged the hem of my sleeve. "What is it?"

"Can you get me balloons?"

"Balloons? What are you going to do with balloons?" She just smiled at me and said nothing. I nodded without understanding and went out to buy her balloons. When I got back, I saw her writing on a piece of paper. She rolled it up when she's done and turned around to face me.

"I dreamt about him last night," she told me. "He told me to let go of his hand. He's been telling me that for days but I never listen. I don't want him gone. So last night, I tried to let go of him. When I felt his hand slipping from my grasp, I finally let go. When I did, I felt lighter, better. I watched how he walked into the light, leaving me behind. He's happy,"

"Are you happy?"

"Hmm. I'm happy for him. More than words could ever say."

I held the balloons for her when she asked me to. She tied the piece of paper she rolled at the end of the thread.

I smiled. Finally, she's getting better. We're getting better. Now, we're always on the positive, never on the negative. This chapter of my life taught me so many things about people, people I usually ignore.

People make choices. People make sacrifices. People are afraid. People try to be brave. People get tired of being brave. People love. People get hurt. People try to accept. People don't.

But life goes on as how people want it to go on.

I'll move forward.

We'll move forward.

Because moving forward is the only way to feel alive.

She stood up and walked to the railing. She held out the balloons, and let go of them one by one. I just watched her from here.

"I will take care of your eyes, Yvan!" She shouted out loud. "We will see the world together!"

I walked toward her and hugged her from behind. She placed her hands over my arms and kissed my cheek. I wrapped her hand with mine and felt the ring I gave her. I already surrendered my freedom to her, which she gladly accepted. She's not going to be my last. She's not my first either. She's my infinity. Our love will be at infinity. Into the future, as husband and wife.

"Take me to Jerusalem when I get discharged. Complain or I'll kill you,"

"What am I to say? You've always been the Boss."

We both laughed like old times.

And together, we watched the sunrise.

### ###

Thank you for reading my book! My hugs and kisses extend to wherever you are right now. Did you enjoy this story? If you have some time, please leave a review on your favorite retailer!

Thanks!

M.G. the Author

# Playlist

Jeepney Love Story by Yeng Constantino

Pag-ibig by Yeng Constantino

Smile by Uncle Kracker

Panalangin by Moonstar88

Tulog Na by Sugarfree

Baby Blue Eyes by A Rocket to the Moon

Grow Old With You by Adam Sandler

Mahal na Mahal by Sam Concepcion

Out of My League by Migz Haleco (cover)

With A Smile by Eraserheads

# Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my friends who, though not totally, supported my writing venture, and my online/offline fans, my dear Gummybears, who never fail to make me feel loved. To my BES Family, Matt-Chew Family, Bro&Sis Family, CR-Club, my sis Angela, BSA friends, thank you so much for the undying support and love, thank you for the prayers and wishes. I love you guys. My thanks and gratitude to The Leaf, especially to you Ms. Julie Ann Alberto-Ilagan, for molding me into a writer (because I _was_ not), for the adventures, the challenges you've given me when I was still your staffer/editor. Of course, I would like to thank Wattpad.com for being such a great platform for writers like me who have countless stories to tell and wishes to be heard. Lastly, I thank Reena Avemiel Alabastro for being my Watty Buddy. You are the reason why I joined Wattpad and why my stories existed. Your Kevin will be next, I hope.

# About the Author

M.G. Marquez is a third year BS Accountancy student at Batangas State University. She is a lover of tragedy and has always been fascinated with death. She mostly writes under the influence of songs, and is inspired with first-hand and second-hand experiences. She is an active member of Wattpad.com as gulliblegummybear.
