BALIW NA BABAE ‘TOH (THIS IS ONE CRAZY GIRL)

GLOSSARY

· Uy – "Hey"

· Gising – wake up

· Bilisan niyo na – Hurry up

· Dahil dito – Because of this

· Diyos ko po – Oh my God

· Kaya nga – (not the literal translation but it basically means Exactly!)

· Baliw na babae 'toh – This is one crazy girl

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I'm totally not the main character. I knew it ever since I could discern for myself. I am talented, gorgeous and popular, everything Disney Channel told me was the root of all evil but I'm pretty sure it's my thoughts you're hearing right now?

"Val! Uy! Gising!" I

The cloud of thoughts are a constant thing. I like to think people can hear me and it's probably because I hear them…constantly if I may add. Like non-stop, can you imagine? The blabber of hormone-induced breakdowns on the daily?

"Valerie Rivera."

The sharp and stern voice got me to my feet as I eyed the hall monitor and prefect, Mrs. Nolasco, eyeing me as I lifted myself up off the floor from where I was sitting by supporting my arm on the chair that I laid my head (and my drooled on textbook) off of.

I fixed my uniform and straightened myself out as I stood next to my friend Deanna who was mortified but I wasn't because all I could read was that Mrs. Nolasco was happy which probably meant she would leave us with a warning if I played my cards right.

"Mrs. Nolasco, I'm sorry. I stayed up all night for this homework. I'll get to class immediately," I apologized sincerely as I clutched my book close to my chest.

"Rivera, Figueras," She took a shaky breath, "Bilisan niyo na. Hurry up and get to class," She eyed me and my friend carefully before strolling in a quick pace down the hallway in search of any other loitering students.

Yeah, it's a thing that came with the package. You see, I was born with this ability that allowed me to understand how people felt. It sounds like a stupid superpower, right? Yet here's the thing. Ever felt like you couldn't label the feeling after Christmas day when all the lights went out and the wrapping paper was tucked away? The precise feeling of peace you get when you find comfort alone?

Yes, you may not have names for it but I know exactly what you're talking about because I can label it and understand it like code entering my brain. It comes in handy a lot but in the process, I kind of lost touch with the emotions since yes, I could understand it but I couldn't feel it myself which kinda warped the emotions when I felt them firsthand. My parents had me tested as a Sociopath which is totally not true because I understood other people's feelings but I feel a problem in myself when I try to analyze them firsthand without my powers encoding them.

I've dissociated myself from normal emotion as well in the process because technically my powers are prohibited from being used on myself unless I'd want to turn out dead. I tried processing why I was happy once and I got a seizure from the amount it took. Of course, my parents never knew the real reason but they've been on alert ever since.

The perks aren't non – existent though. I used it as a way to get what I want. Since I understand how people feel, my brain can also generate a response, I guess and it usually works. Aside from that, I'm rich and pretty so, the rest was just small potatoes, am I right?

"Val, what the heck was that? Do you really want to get more warnings from her?" Deanna, cautioned me as she clamored to stuff all her things into her bag, "That was a narrow slip, Val!"

"Calm your tits, Dea. She didn't even warn us. My parents aren't going to disown me dahil dito," I jeered at her as I slapped my book on her forearm.

A guy passed by me and stared at Dea before looking ahead. My brain immediately went into ticking mode, calculating automatically what he felt and it basically turned to "horny af". Oh, damn. It's like wearing your heart on your sleeve, I could almost snicker and I did.

"Oh, yeah, laugh it up because they won't know but what if they do, Val?" Deanna rolled her eyes at me and rushed into the hallways of Saint Nicholas School. Not gonna lie, when I first enrolled here, it seemed a great move for a pre-school girl who came from a small village school but after 9 years here, I'm pretty sick of the ambiance it promised when it was laced with the bad memories.

"You think Sir Elio is going to be just as forgiving? This is the 2nd time you are going to be late, Val. Get it together!" She lightly hit me with a pencil case before stuffing it in her back and speeding off.

I caught up with her and cursed at the pace she was going up the stairs. Not everyone is a star dancer with excellent respiratory functions.

Deanna was a sweet girl, she was fun to hang with and she was diligent but one of those two things, I wasn't so it often caused a conflict when I did stupid stuff and she had to hold me back. She was as competitive as she was responsible, though which I also wasn't but we were friends and that was the important part.

"Come on, cut me some slack. It's only the second time," I rolled my eyes and she scoffed.

"Diyos ko po. Valerie, it's been four days since the first day of school. Buck up and take it seriously now. If we were in America, we'd seriously be in serious Junior High territory," Dea paused before the door of our Math class.

"Oh, come on, Dea! You're not my mom," I whined to her as I rushed to catch up with her.

"Kaya nga, Deanna! Exactly! We're only freshmen in JHS territory, loosen up a bit," I retorted.

"We have time for that but not now, Val!" She scolded me.

"You're so uptight, you really need a guy, you know?" I bumped her shoulder suggestively and winked.

"Baliw na babae 'toh," She rolled her eyes.

I smirked in reply and she rolled her eyes but I knew that she was just as amused as I was.