Chapter 2:

The following day came, and we dashed towards the academy again. It was the same usual morning, with Mom nagging us about the time, yoga with Dad, getting ready for school, driving along the street, passing by the guard house, and dropping by the parking space. And speaking of Danica, she earned her lesson yesterday and she just won't talk about it or to me either.

Then, I guess I'll have a day of vacation from her annoying mouth bragging about her countless admirers on Valentine's Day. And oh, about her Valentine's Day, I bet it'll be a Valentine's Disaster. Just imagine how her suitors are going to react when they see her beautiful face damaged and her left eye patched with an eye plaster.

Well, HA-HA! B*TCH! Who's prehistoric now, Danica "Hook"?!

When we arrived, we immediately got to work on our school work. Mom went to her class, Danica went to her class too, and I dashed to the student council office to turn over the heart balloons.

When I got there, everybody was so busy going to and forth preparing for the big event. Fortunately, the Academy agreed to excuse us from our classes. Well, to be exact, it was only for the officers and not for the other students. So, basically, the class would continue while the activity took place.

The supreme student council has prepared a variety of exciting activities for that day. We had a range of Valentine food stalls, diverse themed Valentine booths, Valentine walls, and Valentine merchandise that were flexed around the campus to dispose of them sooner.

Sadly, I was one of those who were given the job to do it and market it around the campus. So there I go carrying a box full of Valentine candies and a bunch of oxygenated heart balloons.

Honestly, I felt so off about this that I came to imagine myself as a poor street vendor pulling his cart in a deserted town. Well, at least these items were fancy. But still, I don't feel good about it.

"Oi!!! Danielle!" a manly voice called my name.

I turned around to see who was coming. And there I found my gay friend Jeru and another girl-friend Nastia, threading their way towards me.

The embarrassment and exhaustion that I felt for the time being was converted to joy and excitement from seeing them come back after several weeks from their Regional Chess Competition and Badminton Championships.

To my great excitement, I shamelessly shouted in joy and dashed towards them. I wanted to hug Jeru and Nastia for their safe return, but it went awkwardly because of the merchandise that I carried along with me.

"Oh, I missed you two so much! Now, tell me about your trip." I happily demanded.

"Ahem." Nastia cleared her throat.

"Well... we are sad to tell you that.... we won a gold medal in the championships, Danielle!" Jeru proudly announced.

AAAHHH!!!

We screamed aloud and jumped in gladness that our tears fell for their victorious return. I couldn't stop celebrating with them, though the weight of the candy box and the complexity of the situation under the pressure of holding the heart balloons was completely ignored.

"Congratulations and Happy Valentine's Day besties!" I greeted them.

"Uh-ah, correction. It's Happy Singles Day to all of us!" Nastia cried.

Hearing this, we all laughed together and made funny gestures. When we were about to go deeper into our petty celebration, we're suddenly reminded of Maya.

"Hey, where's Maya?" Jeru inquired.

"Yah, where is that slender, sassy woman anyway?" Nastia added.

"Yeah, you're right. We almost forgot about her. I bet she was in the class right now, dying for help to get her out." I made a joke as we burst into laughter again.

"I really wanted to say sorry to her, but nah, she can survive it." Jeru added the joke about how we can't stop laughing about Maya.

"(Exhales ridiculously) Sorry Maya, but you have no other choice but to bear it for us." Nastia furthered.

The exhilaration and bliss won't almost end when their teammates and trainers call over Jeru and Nastia to proceed to the Sports Office. With this demand, we had the last group hug and they trudged to where they were called.

And now, I was left alone again with the marketing of the candy box and heart balloons. With the emptiness that I felt, I decided to go back to our main station.

When I got there, I found out that everybody was enjoying facilitating the booths. It was so lively that everyone was patiently taking their turns in the Marriage Booth, Love Wall, Rent-A-Partner Booth, and the most popular of all, the Serenade Booth.

I resolved to stop by the merchandise stall and report the results of my Valentine Candies and Heart Balloons marketing status. It was not much, but I managed to meet the minimum target of sales for the occasion. Which I suppose is good enough, and more importantly, I have done my part.

Shortly after turning over all of the Valentine Goodies at the same stall, a massive commotion was wreaked nearby. Stirred by my curiosity, I bid my leave to my co-officers in the Merchandise team and hurriedly checked the situation therein.

To my surprise, I found that students were gathering over a particular Valentine's Booth that we installed. It was so jammed that you might have thought of it as a cock-fight, but it's not.

Rather, they were elatedly cheering over the fake couple, who were set-up for the fake-marriage in the Marriage Booth. With all the wailing and reveling going on around me, I was even more curious to find out who these starring couple on display were.

So, I strived to get a closer look, but everyone was so busy securing their spots that I barely had the chance to get nearer. Thus, to my exasperation, I thought of a brilliant idea, which I'm definitely sure will give me a pass.

Having this in mind, I took a deep breath and gathered all the confidence and energy that I had. Then I made the move.

"Make way for the officer, everyone!" I announced it audibly enough for them to hear.

And indeed, they made a narrow way for me just enough so I could come forward. It was kind of embarrassing, but it's worth the shot. And what's more importantly, I get to have a better view.

However, I still could not identify the fake couple that everyone was so excited about. Because currently, my co-officers who were assigned herein were blatantly struggling to capture the rented-groom-to-be of our interested client.

Hence, seeing the situation at hand, as their associate, I initiatively went inside the mess and tried to offer my help. However, unfortunate as it seemed, when I was about a distance closer to the group, the rented-groom-to-be forcibly escaped from the capturers, and to my unlucky-sake, he butted-head against me that I lost my balance and fell over the corner.

A loud thud resounded, and everyone gasped at the unexpected impact. I grunted in pain as my comrades helped me to stand on my feet. And considering the apparent accident, I was so furious with shame that I decided to look at this careless guy head-on and spew a mouthful of admonition.

"(Grunts) What's the matter with you?!?"I exclaimed.

(GASPS) OMG. Just what the freaking mess I've made!?! Mr. President, Sir!?!

And just when I was about to ask for forgiveness, he suddenly turned his back against me and brushed the dirt off from his fancy tuxedo. He put on a serious face and everyone backed off from the vibe that he created.

Oh, I dearly wanted to apologize, but my coworkers resisted me in order to avoid further argument. With the shameful fate that he had, he quietly left the site and just dispersed into the crowd.

"Ugh! What a bummer!" Our client jeered with a furious look on her face towards me.

"I-I-I'm really sorry,"

I wanted to apologize for ruining her moment, but when I was about to get closer, she threw the bouquet of flowers at me and angrily stomped her feet out of the venue.

"It's OK, Danielle. She'll be fine." Ms. Vice President comforted me as she tapped my shoulders.

The bell rang for recess period, and I made my way to our office to apologize to the President. But I couldn't shrug off the feeling that everyone was looking at me with contempt and murmuring about the accident.

This bolstered my anxiety that I sprinted out of the picture to avoid the fuming crowd. I really wanted to say sorry to the President behind closed doors, but I guess it is best to leave him for now.

So, I swerved on the corner and when I was about to run towards Mom's classroom to seek refuge, Maya suddenly appeared and grabbed me in one of the empty rooms along the corridor.

"Hey, what happened out there?! I heard you got hurt! Are you OK?"

Maya said those words as she looked at me with candid concern on her face. This gave me the comfort that I sought, which made me settle down and relax. I took a couple of deep breaths to calm my nerves and helped myself to tell her all about it.

So, I said this and that, and her reaction was:

"BLOODY HELL!!! Well, you just got yourself an unlucky Gatcha life."

"(Sighs desperately) You think it's that bad?" I worriedly asked.

"Honestly, yes!"

"(Sighs) now, everyone is against me again." I feebly grumbled.

"You know what, you messed up too bad today, so what?! What do we care about them?! If the world is against you, then be against the world! Too bad we're different, but being different isn't bad, gal. Things like this may come at times, but trust me, it'll surely pass. So, stop sulking that face out of you and get yourself back in there Danielle!"

It's a bit off for her personality to be like this right now, but the reassurance that she gave me boosted my hopes high today. So, I breathed out and said:

"Ok, I'll trust you on that, Maya. But you know, you were a bit daring just now. (Huffs) like it's never been you, dumbass. Now, since when did you build that character anyway?"

"Seriously? Is that even important right now?" She glared at me.

A moment of silence spaced out and we burst out laughing for being such pathetic losers. I embraced her with all my heart and thanked her for being the most supportive best friend I ever had.

And just when I finally decided to go back to my post, the lunch time bell rang. I bid my farewell to Maya and walked straight into my mother's room to have my afternoon meal.

As I got there, Danica and Mom were exclaiming about Danica's iconic captain hook face. They took off her eye plaster and her black circles around her eyes were revealed.

I don't exactly remember how it got that bad last night, but I chuckled about the ridiculous thought and tried to keep it in not to offend Danica. They were so into it as I fetched my lunch box to start eating.

Mom looked at me with despair and started to pester me about what happened to Danica's stunning face.

"Now look at what you've done to your sister's face, Danielle!"

"(Grunts) I wouldn't feel so ashamed today if it wasn't for your inconsiderable attack, sister!" Danica exclaimed.

"Well, you started it." I grumbled.

"(scoffs) but I just said the truth! Why are you being so overly sensitive?" She fought back.

"Overly Sensitive!? (Scoffs) As if you weren't so stupid and insensitive!" I snap out.

"Now, that's the problem with you, Danielle. You take things too seriously that you go about rampaging all of a sudden. You're already old enough to speak for yourself. And even though Danica told you those things yesterday, can't you be a little bit more mature to deal with those jokes? You're not a child anymore, Danielle, so act your age. Grow up!" But Mom allied with her.

"Well, she crossed the line. Am I not entitled to get angry about it?" I spat back.

"You're being disrespectful! Now, do you even want to do this here?" Mom countered.

Seeing Mom so angry at me, I chose to withdraw from the heated discussion by keeping my mouth silent and quietly finishing my lunch. The atmosphere inside the room was so heavy for me that I scurried over to fetch my things and went out of the classroom without saying good-bye.

With those things in mind, I began to feel depressed again. It was all like the energy that I got from Maya was drained by an instant emotional attack from Mom.

Actually, this was not the first time it has happened. In fact, it oftentimes ensues. But I never got used to it and I chose to never be. Because I am still hoping for the day that Mom will realize the pain that I am going through for supporting Danica's mistakes.

If it were only a reality, then I would be fulfilled.

After spending some personal reflection at the back door of our student council's office, I pulled myself together and entered the office. I looked around to see if the President was present. And by checking around, I had a sigh of relief to find out that he was gone for now. But the question of where he is at this moment is still my concern. So, I asked Secretary Mary for his whereabouts.

"Hey, Ms. Mary." I called.

"Oh, hello! What can I help you with, Ms. She?" Mary replied.

"Nothing really. I just want to ask where the President went." I inquired.

"I think he's out to prepare for a special occasion, I believe. But, don't you worry. I'm sure he'll be back here no later than the class dismissal. So, you can wait for him if you'd like."

"Sure. I'll wait around here. And please tell the President if you happen to pass by him." I asked.

"I'll surely send your regards, Ms. She." She politely agreed.

"Thank you!"

"It's fine by me. Ho-Ho-Ho!" She awkwardly laughed and left the office.

Well, that's weird.

I sat down on the sofa next to the window to prepare myself for the apology. And as I was waiting, I noticed that a lot of students were passing through the office. I preferred to ignore them, but the contemptuous laughter and chatter caught my attention.

"Urgh! That stupid bummer ruined my wedding day! If it wasn't for her idiotic carelessness, my money would not have been wasted on a blasted divorce! Ooh, I swear if I ever happen to meet that witch again, I'm going to rip her hair off from her head! AAARGH!"

"(Snorts loudly) Well, that was epic."

-----Everyone burst out laughing-----

"Who was she anyway?"

"Who else? But the loser big sister of gorgeous Danica."

"Oh, that prehistoric nerd? I heard she won the election just because of her mother."

"Well, what can you expect? She's all brain anyway, not fame."

-----Everyone Laughs-----

"No beauty and brain come at the same time. You know what, she should have just been born as a termite in a book."

"A BOOKWORM!?"

-----Laughter-----

The criticism went on as they went far. But the distinct, scornful rant stabbed me so painfully that I wanted to run amok. The rush of emotion made my eyes watery, and I quickly ran into the office's comfort room to subdue my wrath.

I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs and grotesquely torment all of those oblivious wild geese so that they might realize. But the thought of being shut out by Mom again would kill me.

So, all of that rage and indignation turned into tears. I wanted to stop crying there and now, but I couldn't. I felt so sorry for myself that I began to dreadfully pinch my body so I could just stop crying.

---DOOR KNOCKS---

"Um, Ms. She? Are you in there? Ms. She? Ms. She?! Oh, just where is she?"

"Ms. Mary? Is that you?" I asked.

"Wait. Are you in the CR?"

"(Sniffs) Yah! I'm right here." I quickly wiped my tears and went out of the comfort room.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Yah, of course. So... where's the President?" I replied in haste and change the subject immediately.

"Oh, about him... well... I..."

She anxiously replied, and gave me a bouquet of flowers.

"Umm... is this a confession, Ms. Mary? Because, I'm honestly a straight gal despite my appearance." I confronted her.

"Confession!? No! I mean, no it was not. But umm... you were told to deliver this to our very important client, right now."

"To whom exactly?" I asked.

I was about to check on the Valentine's Card inserted within the flowers when all of a sudden...

"It was for Mr. President, Ms. She!" She hastily replied.

"Wait. Do you secretly admire Mr. President?"

"Yes! I mean, who wouldn't? But this wasn't for me, ok?"

"Oh, Don't you worry, Ms. Mary. Your secret is safe with me. Adios!" I had my word and went on my way out.

"And oh, Mr. President is in their classroom, Ms. She!" She shouted while being fidgety.

"Copy that, Ms. Mary. And thank you!" I waved my good-bye and sprinted to Mr. President's room.

Their building was not actually too far from here, but it would require me to climb the stairs by the hallway. Oh, how I wish I could have brought a heart balloon so that Mr. President would forget about the accident earlier.

Wait, how much does that thing cost again? (scoffs) Yeah, bloody hell, right. It was so expensive that it exceeded my one-month budget. And that sucks!

Well, nevermind. This is now or never, and I'm going to end this misunderstanding on this very day. I just need to have a couple of turns here and there and ascend the stairs, then all the way to Mr. President's Palace.

Don't you worry, Ms. Mary. I'll make sure to deliver your love to Mr. President.

I was about one step closer to the second floor of the building when, out of the blue, a group of men blocked the pathway in front of me. I tried to gesture to let me pass through, but these men wouldn't budge. So, I said:

"Um, excuse me, gentlemen. I need to pass through so I can deliver this bouquet to Mr. President Arren Bane, Sirs! So, can I please?"

"The area is temporarily closed to you, Miss." One of them replied.

"Oh, OK. Then I'll just go around on the other side of the building. Thanks for letting me know."

I sarcastically spat back and went down the stairs. But, just as I was about to exit, another gang of men blocked the way.

"Hey! Could you please stop messing around? It was forbidden up there, and now it's forbidden down here!?! (Scoffs) What are you going to expect me to do, huh? Jump off the railings!?! Do I look like a bird to you!?" I snapped.

They looked at each other and ignored my complaint. I was so irked that I wanted to kick them out of the way. Worse, because my phobia started to escalate, I'm afraid I'm going to wreak trouble.

I was sweating so badly that my senses became blurry. I took a step backward to make a stance and thought of dashing over this barricade. I was about to give my utmost strength when, unexpectedly, a cheerful, distinct noise was coming my way.

I followed the sound and what I found left me motionless. I was so shocked that I couldn't move from the thought that an extravagant surprise was made for me. A group of my associates serenade me with a romantic song as they slowly descend the stairs towards me.

They are accompanied by an additional bouquet of flowers, dozens of heart balloons, and a sumptuous cake adorned with firecracker candles. I hate to assume again, but I think this time it really was for me.

When they finally went down beside me, a life-size torpedo shark stuffed toy was handed over to me.

This was a massive dream! But, wait. How in the world did they know that I liked sharks?

And more importantly, who was this person confessing to me? But, nonetheless, I am going to put on a big smile and wait for him to reveal himself. There were cheers and excitement all around me when he came forward with dozens of heart balloons covered all over his face.

He started to gradually release the balloons, and I discovered that he was...

MR. PRESIDENT, SIR!!!???!!!