Chapter Seventy-Two

Tick Tock ang sabi ng clock. Twenty minutes nalang ang natitira at kakapasok palang ni TOP sa shower. Mukhang hindi ko yata sya makakausap ngayon. Mag-iiwan nalang ako ng note sa locker nya.

Sana mabasa nya. Nagsulat ako sa isang kapirasong papel. Grabe nahirapan akong maghalungkat ng papel at ballpen dito. Hindi yata uso ang gamit dito.

'Call me'

XOXO Miracle

Iniwan ko yun sa locker nya at lumabas na. Sigh. Fifteen minutes nalang at may klase na kami. Tumakbo na ako pabalik sa school namin. Shucks! Malapit na akong ma-late! Tumakbo ako nang mas mabilis. Shiz! Ano ba yan? Nakakainis naman oh.

Nagtago ako sa may brick wall. Nakita ko ang kotse namin sa tapat ng school gate at nakabantay ang dalawang bodyguard ko. Shiz! Paano ako makakalapit nang hindi nila napapansin? Hihingi nalang ako ng tulong sa Crazy Trios. Tinext ko sila para malaman nila kung nasaan ako.

Pagkalabas ko mula sa pinagtataguan ko may biglang sumalpok sa akin. WHAAA—!!! Natagpuan ko nalang sarili ko na hindi makagalaw. May nakayakap sa akin mula sa likod. M-M-MANIAAAAAC!!!

Nagpumiglas ako at hihingi na sana ng tulong nang biglang nyang takpan ang bibig ko.

"Shh Miracle, it's me," bulong nya.

Agad akong tumigil sa pag-galaw at niluwagan nya ang yakap sa akin. Hinarap ko sya. Si TOP. Biglang naging blanko ang isip ko. Bigla akong naiyak sa hindi malamang dahilan. I'm such a crybaby!

"WAAAAHH!!!" iyak ko.

"SSHHH!!!!"

"WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!" mas lumakas ang iyak ko.

"Ah shit!"

"WAAAHHHHH!!! I HATE YOU!!! WAAAAAHHHHH!!!!" pinaghahampas ko sya. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ko sya hinahampas.

"SSSHHHHHH!!!"

"I HATE YOU!! I HATE YOU!!" tinulak ko sya at pinaghahampas palayo sa akin.

"What? What did I do?" naguguluhan na tanong nya.

"Actually hindi ko rin alam pero kahit na! I hate you!"

"You're making no sense Wifey," he commented while blocking my miserable attacks.

"Ikaw kasi eh! Nakakainis ka! Kinalimutan mo na ako! I hate you!"

"What are you talking about?! Stop punching me, I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"ARG! Basta I hate you!"

"You're acting like a brat," sabi nya na parang bored na sya.

"THAT'S IT! Break na tayo! Leave me alone!" tinalikuran ko sya.

Hinila nya ang braso ko. "You don't mean that and you know it."

"Bahala ka! Bumalik ka nalang sa school nyo at makipag-suntukan ka nalang ulit don! Shoo! Shoo!" winagayway ko yung kamay ko at itinaboy sya na parang aso.

"I'm not leaving you alone," matigas nyang sabi.

"Psh! Kung hindi ka aalis, ako ang aalis!" Lumakad na ako sa opposite direction ng school ko. Wala na akong pakialam kung mabuking ako na nawawala. I'm pissed!

"Wifey where are you going?" sumunod sya sa akin.

"Somewhere!"

"Where?"

"Away from you!"

"You're making things difficult. Stop it. Miracle."

"Difficult is my middle name!"

"Just tell me why you're acting like this," frustrated nyang sabi.

"Figure it out!"

"Let's stop fighting."

"Why? Fighting is your middle name!"

"Do you want me to stop fighting?"

"No-Yes! I mean—I don't know it's your life, you control it not me!"

"You are my life, obviously I can't control you, sadly," he murmured.

Bigla akong tumigil sa paglalakad. Tumingin ako sa kanya. Bakit ba palagi nalang sya nagbibitiw ng mga ganong salita sa pinaka-hindi ko inaasahang pagkakataon? Pinagmasdan ko si TOP. May pasa sya sa mukha. Mukha rin syang pagod at hindi masyadong nakakapagpahinga. May eyebags na rin sya. Pero kahit na ganon ang hitsura nya, hindi parin nabawasan ang kagwapuhan nya. Or ako lang 'yon since I love him?

"I love you," sabi ko at niyakap sya nang mahigpit. Gusto kong tumigil ang oras at manatili nalang sa ganitong posisyon habangbuhay. Hindi ko yata kaya na mawala sya sa akin.

"So we're not fighting anymore?"

"We fought?" I asked wearing my clueless face.

He smiled and kissed my forehead. "Don't walk away from me like that again."

"I can't promise you that. You annoy me a lot."

"If I kiss you now, will you promise me not to push me away?"

"A kiss is not enough to seal a promise."

"Then tell me what you want and I'll do it immediately," he brushed his fingertips to my lips.

"I want you to take me somewhere. Far away from here. Take me to your castle my Prince," sabi ko sa kanya with a dreamy voice.

His face was blank. He was quiet for a minute then he said; "I don't have a castle and I'm not a Prince. I hate fairytales so don't compare me to a douche who rides a whitehorse with his stupid cape and his funny hairdo."

Wow. What a line.

"Thank you very much for ruining the atmosphere TOP," I said full of sarcasm.

"What? I hate fairytales, they make me sick," seryosong sabi nya habang magkasalubong ang dalawang kilay.

"But I'm sure you believed in fairies when you were... eight."

"That was ten years ago."

"Uhuh."

"I still hate fairies ten years ago."

"And why's that?"

"Because some crazy fairy punched me in the face."

And then he looked at me as if sending me a message that I should be guilty.

"Why are you giving me that look?"

"What look?"

"That look! Why are you giving me 'the' look?"

"You're funny, I'm not giving you 'the' look."

"Yeah sure," I rolled my eyes. "But you're changing the subject."

"You don't want to leave with me."

"I'm sick of my bodyguards and my cousin is acting like a stupid-overprotective-jerk."

"He was just trying to protect you."

"Really from who? You? You won't hurt me."

Isang ngiti ang sumibol sa kanyang labi. "Yes, even if I want to I can't. I'd die first before even trying."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I can't hurt you without killing my self first. It's a suicide mission."

"You're funny," I giggled.

"Thank you very much for ruining the atmosphere Miracle," he said playfully.

"That's my line—"

He kissed me. "Just stop talking," he kissed my lips again. "I may not be a prince..." he said between our kisses. "But I can be your slave," he looked at me in the eye. "I can't offer you a big white castle, all I can give you is... myself. If that's enough for you, you can leave this place and come with me. I'll take care of you I promise."

I smiled. Siya lang ang kailangan ko. "Where to?"