Fierce

Prologue

"Oh my God!"

The whole cafe was filled with gasps and whispers after what I did to this b***h in front of me.

I raised my left eyebrow and gave her a sweet smirk. "Oh, sorry... my bad," I sarcastically apologized while grinning at her.

"How dare you?!" she shouted and pointed her finger on me.

I let out a small laugh. "Is it my fault that you're blocking my way?" I asked her. "Sana kung tumabi ka sa dinadaanan ko, eh 'di hindi ka matatapunan, 'di ba? Sayang tuloy ang dark mocha frappe ko. Paborito ko pa naman 'to."

Napanguso ako nang tiningnan ko ang natapon kong inumin saka binalik ang tingin sa kanya.

I couldn't help but grin more when I saw her white shirt coated with my brown drink and some foams of whipped cream. But I'm not that evil... I'm actually a good person.

To get some tissue, I opened my favorite satchel bag.

"Here." Abot ko sa kanya ng tissue. "Clean yourself up. You're a mess."

I smiled at her for the last time before I left the cafe, with my chin up.

"You're in the trend again, Blair. Hashtag Blair's dark mocha frappuccino," Ida, my bestfriend told me.

"What's new?" I just rolled my eyes and jumped on my queen-sized bed.

"Tinapunan mo ng frappe si Darlene?" hindi makapaniwala niyang sabi habang binabasa ang buong post sa kanyang phone. "You're sick, Blair. She's the campus' muse."

"And so?"

"It means that you might be threatened by the whole student body!" she tried to make sense.

"You think I'm scared of that?" I almost laughed. "Do you think that the whole student body will dare to threaten me? I don't think so."

"Okay..." She calmed down a bit. "Pero bakit mo ba 'yon ginawa sa kanya? I'm pretty sure na hindi lang 'yon dahil sa nakaharang siya sa dinadaanan mo. That's so shallow, Blair. You might be sometimes rude, but you're not totally rude."

"Tama ka," sabi ko. "Hindi ako ganoon kasama para tapunan siya at i-aksaya ang paborito kong inumin dahil lang nakaharang siya sa dadaanan ko."

"Eh, bakit nga?"

"I hate her guts," I told her. "I hate her attitude. I just hate everything about her, especially because of what happened earlier."

Naningkit naman ang mga mata ni Ida sa akin. "What happened?"

Napabuntong hininga ako. "I was about to give Lingling food when I saw her and her squad making fun and playing around with Lingling," kuwento ko. "I really hate it when someone's making fun of what or who I treasure the most. And she's the one who made fun of Lingling in a bad way. I just made her pay. Ginawang katuwaan ko lang din siya like what she did to Lingling."

"I really don't know what to say, Blair..." Ida commented and sighed. "I know Lingling means a lot to you but her boyfriend's the student president. I'm pretty sure he'll hunt you down."

"Hindi ko alam kung ano ang kinalaman ng boyfriend niya sa issue na 'to, but I don't care if he'll hunt me down, Ida," sabi ko't umupo sa aking kama bago tamad na sumandal sa headboard. "Even if he does, he'll never catch me. He can never catch me."

"What if he does catch you?" she probed. "What will you do?"

"I'll escape, duh!" I laughed. "Syempre ano ba'ng gagawin ng nahuhuli? 'Di ba tatakas? That's why, I'll escape."

"Such a genius, Blair." Pumalakpak pa siya. "Hindi ko alam kung paano ka naging dean's lister gayong ganyan ang klaseng pag-iisip na mayroon ka."

In a very sweet way, I smiled at her. "It's called common sense."

Sinapo niya naman ang kanyang noo at saka pirming tumingin sa akin ng diretso.

"Try to understand the situation, Blair," she still tried to make me understand whatever her point was by her problematic tone.

"Okay. Spill it out."

She breathed heavily before she started talking... or preaching.

"If her president boyfriend will hunt you and catch you, I'm pretty sure na sa disciplinary office ang bagsak mo," she started. "They might give you punishments or any possible disciplinary action. They might even cut your scholarship. Worst, baka ma-kick out ka."

Napakunot ang noo ko sa mga sinasabi ni Ida. "Hindi ko alam kung saang teleserye mo nakuha ang mga 'yan, pero hindi ako natutuwa," sabi ko. "I'm pretty sure that I can handle any punishment that they'll give me. They can also cut my scholarship if they want to. My parents can pay for it. Though I hope they'll give it to those who are in need instead. And lastly, tinapunan ko lang si Darlene ng kape. There's no physical injury. Hindi naman siya nabanlian dahil hamak lamig naman ng durog-durog na yelo sa frappe ko. Kaya wala silang maikakaso sa akin na pwedeng maging dahilan para ma-kick out ako. Also, I can defend myself and reason out. I let them know my side on this matter."

"It's really hard to fight with a Pol Sci major," sabi ni Ida habang hinihilot ang kanyang sintido.

Bahagya naman akong napatawa nang dahil sa kanyang sinabi nang muli siyang mag-angat ng seryosong tingin sa akin.

"Paano kung makarating ito sa parents mo?" nag-aalala niyang tanong sa akin.

My brain suddenly didn't function for a second because of her question, but I just shrugged my shoulders afterwards.

"As if they'll care, Ida," sabi ko na lang. "Baka nga matuwa pa ako kung pagalitan nila ako."

"Okay... I'm sorry for bringing up your parents into this topic," she immediately apologized.

"It's okay, Ida... Wala na sa akin 'yon."

I'm not fond of talking about my parents. I mean, ano naman ang mapag-uusapan tungkol sa kanila?

"Next meeting, we will have our third quiz," my professor in Pol Sci announced. "Please study pages 285-361. That's the scope of our quiz."

I rolled my eyes while taking down notes of what I need to review. Nahiya pa siya! Sana ginawa na niyang 100 pages ang kailangang pag-aralan.

"Uhmm... B-Blair..."

Napaangat ako ng tingin sa aking kaklaseng biglang lumapit sa akin.

I smiled and said, "Yes?"

Inayos niya naman ang kanyang salamin at saka huminga ng malalim bago muling nagsalita.

"I'm your case study partner," pakilala niya. "Ako si Gregorio, Zendaya."

"Oh! Zendaya." Tumayo ako sa aking kinauupuan at inabot ang aking kamay sa kanya. "Nice to meet you."

Mamasa-masa pa ang kanyang kamay nang makipagshake hands sa akin. But no worries, mas malala pa ang mala-waterfalls na kamay ni Ida kaya sanay na ako.

"Uhm... about sa case study natin... uhm ano ba ang gusto mong case or topic natin?" nauutal niyang tanong sa akin at tila hindi makatingin ng diretso.

I slightly tilted my head to see her face pero mas lalo niya lang itinatago ang sarili niya.

"I like cases about murder but... that's not something educational enough so let's do a present and relevant topic," I suggested. "Let's try finding present cases to digest first, pagkatapos ay saka natin pag-usapan ulit. Is that fine with you?"

"Okay na 'yon..." sabi niya at saka kinuha ang kaniyang maliit na notepad upang isulat ang sinabi ko. "I-aadd kita sa f******k. I-sesend ko na lang sa'yo 'yong link ng cases na mahahanap ko mamaya. Okay lang ba?"

"Oo naman," agad kong sagot. "I'll make sure to accept you."

"Okay... Sige. Ayon lang naman. Thank you," nagmamadali niyang sabi na para bang umiiwas sa akin at saka mabilis na lumabas ng room.

She's kinda weird and she looked constipated. Parang natatakot siyang kausapin ako o nahihiya siya.

Ipinagkibit-balikat ko na lang ang ka-weirduhan niya at saka niligpit ang aking gamit.

To: Ida

Done with my class. Let's meet in the cafeteria. I'm starving.

I was about to hide my phone after texting nang mapahinto ako dahil sa isang rebulto ng katawang nasa harapan ko't hinaharangan ang daan ko na dahilan kung bakit hindi ako makalabas ng room.

"Excuse me," sabi ko ngunit parang wala itong narinig at nanatiling nakaharang pa rin sa daanan.

Napabuntong hininga ako nang hindi pa rin siya kumilos matapos ng ilang segundong paghihintay ko. Nilagay ang cellphone ko sa aking bulsa bago nag-angat ng tingin sa kanya.

I was welcomed by the intense gaze of his hazel brown eyes.

"Puwedeng umusod ka? Kahit slight lang para makadaan ako?" kalmado kong pakiusap sa kanya.

"What if I say no?" He shot his brows up.

Sandali akong napakurapkurap bago kumunot ang aking noo. "Eh, 'di bahala ka riyan."

Hindi na ako nag-aksaya pa ng panahon. Tinalikuran ko siya para sa kabilang pinto na dumaan. Masyado akong gutom para pag-aksayahan pa ng oras ang katulad niya.

I heard him curse under his breath when he realized what I was doing. Nakakailang habak pa lamang ako nang mabilis niyang hinablot ang aking braso at iniharap ako sa kanya.

I looked away from him and moved my gaze to his hand holding my arm.

"Hands off." I warned him, but his grip just got tighter. "I said, hands off."

"Not until you talk to me."

"I don't know if you're an idiot but I'm already talking to you kung hindi mo lang napapansin," walang gana kong sabi at saka muling tumingin sa kanya.

I could see that I was already testing his patience with the way his jaw tensed. Hanggang saan kaya siya? Hindi niya pa siguro ako kilala.

"We have to talk about a serious matter," he seriously said.

"Hindi ka pa ba serious ng lagay na 'yan?" I asked with a smirk. Ngayon ay ako naman ang nagtaas ng kilay sa kanya.

"You're really testing my patience, lady," he stated.

"I can see that." I kept on nodding my head. "And I would love to see you lose your temper."

Napapikit naman siya ng mariin na parang nahihirapan na sa pakikipag-usap sa akin. His grip in my arms also loosened a bit.

"Do you even know who am I?"

Trying to figure out who he was, I blankly stared at him.

"Are you some kind of unpopular celebrity who happens to study in our university?" I innocently asked with a smile on my face.

Huminga siya ng malalim at tuluyan ng tinanggal ang pagkakahawak sa akin.

"I'm Gael Ondevilla," he stated and raised his head proudly while looking down at me because of our height differences.

Mas lalo namang napataas ang kilay ko't lumawak ang ngisi ko sa pagpapakilala niya sa akin.

"The student president," he added, and my smile immediately faded.

Oh, great!