MAGIC SHOP

Chapter I

Chapter I

Aire took a seat as soon as she saw the back row empty. She's a new student and she doesn't know anyone yet, but she doesn't intend to know anyone anyways so it doesn't matter. She honestly thought that no one would want to sit beside her, but then, a pretty girl with a french braided hair did. From the looks of it, she's also new.

The lady is plastering such a sweet smile to Aire, but the latter didn't seem to notice it, or maybe she did: she just doesn't care. Aire continues listening to her favorite songs

Tila nalungkot ang katabi ni Aire dahil sa hindi niya pagpansin dito ngunit nanatili ang ngiti sa kanyang labi. Kasabay nito ang pagpasok ng iba pang estudyante sa loob ng classroom hudyat na magsisimula na ang klase.

Maya maya pa ay tinanggal na ni Aire ang pagkakapasak ng earphone sa kanyang tainga. "How noisy." She muttered as she kept away her earphones. "Hi?" the girl next her greeted, Aire looked at her awkwardly then looked away. "Que lindo," the girl whispered as she giggled.

The lady stretched her arm towards Airee, "Hi, I'm Karis Jimenez. Nice to meet you," pakilala niya. Tahimik nang ilang saglit si Aire bago niya tanggapin ang pakikipag-kamay ni Karis, "Aire" sagot niya sa katabi.

In a sudden, the students started to settle down, and they all fell in silence, all they can hear now is the faint sound coming from a 6-inch stilleto echoing in the hallway. Dahil sa inasta ng mga estudyante inakala ni Aire at Karis na masungit ang magiging class adviser nila, pero nang makita nila ito kapwa sila napabuntong hininga.

Their sighs caught most of the class's attention, including their adviser who then smiled at them. "Good morning class 7 of 12th grade, I am Harieth Ballestra, your adviser for this academic year," she cheerfully announced while vaguely gesturing her hands—it pretty much looked like her mannerism.

She has long wavy black hair that touches her buttocks, she's around 5 feet tall, has fair complexion and her body figure is just perfect.

"I would like to start the boring and undying 'first-day-of-class-introduction' with the two transferees from Freeland High," she said as she motioned her hand for the two ladies outside to come in.

Their beauty greeted the whole class. One was wearing a glasses and she looked cheerful, while the other beside her look very timid. "Good morning everyone! I'm Samyra Cheng but you can call me Sam or Yra, I'm 18, living in Esaje Subdivision. I hope we can all be friends," the girl with the glasses introduced herself with a big smile.

"Hi, I'm June Lee Park, nice to meet you all," the other one said looking down while fidgeting her hand.

Harieth told them to sit on the two vacant seats in front Aire and Karis. Samyra gave them a warm smile to which Karis returned.

"Miss at the back, you're next," Harieth said pointing at Aire. The latter stood up and face the class, "Hi! I'm Airee, nice to meet all of you," she briefly introduced, and was immediately followed by Karis. "Good morning everyone! I'm Karis Jimenez, I hope to get along with you," said her.

Sumunod naman ang nasa harap nila Sam at June "Good morning, I'm Angel Faith Valdriz." Pakilala ng isang babaeng mahaba ang buhok. Her hair is straight out of a shampoo commercial.

Sumunod ang katabi niya, "Annie Isabel Bernave, the student council secretary," walang emosyon ang mukhang pakilala nito at umupo din kaagad.

"Good morning! I'm Trisha Mae Brooklyn, the student council vice president," the lady in the front row with an eyeglasses and fair white skin said.

Natahimik ang lahat at nabaling naman ang atensyon nila sa lalaking katatayo lang, he looks intimidating with his onyx eyes, but then he smiled making him more handsome than he already is. "Harrix Valdez, the student council president. I'm glad to be in this class. Hope we can be friends," he said with a smile.

Great! Aire thought of, they have the student council president, vice president, and secretary in the same class. Surely, other sections and teachers will have the most expectations from them which may or may not put great pressure to the class.

"Hi, Rashed Smith here," the guy next to Harrix was next. Aire and Karis were intrigued by him because he is wearing a leather jacket in summer. He looks fine though, especially in that jacket and among the boys in the class, he has the most defined jawline.

The next one's the guy behind him, Ethan Marton Briez, Aire's old friend from her grandfather's birthday party. She met the guy almost 3 years ago at her grandfather's, Takeshima Yushiko, 65th birthday celebration. After that they never met again but they did keep in touch for a year, which was suddenly cut off by her grandpa for a reason she still unknowledgeable of. That's why they haven't talked in a very long time. She honestly doesn't even know if the guy still remembers her. And to add up, Aixza, her mother is the attending physician of Ethan's comatosed sister, Elezandra.

"He changed so much," Airee whispered, "Hmm? May sinabi ka?" Karis asked. Inilapit pa nito ang mukha niya kay Airee kaya nailang ito at umiwas ng tingin. Napansin ito ni Karis kaya hindi na niya kinulit ang katabi.

"Hi, I'm Jean Yves Millet, the student council executive fund manager," the last one, after Jedric Malton, Grey Yvan Tan, and Lei Troy Marrix, introduced with a smile.

"Okay, so that would be all then, le-" maam Harieth's word was cut off by a message on her phone. After reading it, she looked at the class, "I'm sorry, the head master just called for a meeting," she said. She was confused—honestly, everyone is because why would there be a meeting in the first day of classes, unless there's an emergency and everybody seems eager to know what's going on. "Don't worry it won't take long" Harieth assured the class and grouped the class into 5 with 7 members each. "Now I want you to take this time to know each other. I'll be back." she said and immediately stormed out.

As soon as she left, everyone already started talking, but the other group of girls are still in awkward silence and the noise of the class made it more awkward for them. Minutes goes by with their silence but someone finally spoke, Angel.

"How are you related to Doctor Aixza Celeste? I think I saw you the other day talking to her at the hospital," nakangiti niyang tanong kay Aire. The latter is moved, she pressed her lips together, seemingly doubtful to answer but she did anyway, "Uhm, she's my mom," sagot niya na ikinagulat nilang anim.

"Jinjja? Aizxa bagsaga jeongmal ne eommaya?" napatingin ang lima kay Sam, samantalang ang kaibigan nitong si June Lee ay natawa. "Uh- we can't actually understand hangul, and I thought you're chinese?" Annie asked half smiling.

That contradicted Aire's impression towards Annie. The latter isn't a b***h as she initially thought, but she does have that vibe.

"Oh, I'm sorry I'm just shocked," Sam explained, "So ano nga? Nanay mo talaga si Dr. Aixza?" tanong niya habang nakatingin kay Aire, na tanging tango lang ang isinagot.

"So...you're Korean?" Trisha asked Sam. "Uhm no, but I lived in Korea all my life, I was born there but my dad surely is half Chinese," she answered.

Napatango nalang ang ilan sa kanila nang bigla nalang tumahimik ang klase at nakatingin sa tatlong babaeng nakatayo sa harap ng grupo nila—Ruth Atienza, Irene Valdua, Lilibeth Farania: ang mga typical na girl bullies sa academy at self entitled trio.

Lumapit sila kay June Lee, "Stand up, do you want to be with these losers?" saad ni Ruth at pinasadahan niya sila isa isa ng tingin. She held June in one arm forcing her to stand up, but June slapped Ruth's hand. "Get off." Saad ni June Lee na nagmistulang ibang tao.

Tinignan niya ng masama si Ruth tsaka umirap dito. Natawa si Annie at Angel dahil doon kaya lalong nainis si Ruth at umalis sa room.

"What the hell was that? You know Ruth?" Trisha asked June. "Hmm? Oo," maikling sagot lang niya. "Actually, Sam and I know her. She's my cousin who used to live next to our house in Korea but when she turned 13, they moved here. I didn't really like her," June Lee answered honestly.

"However, she's not that bitchy as you all think. Mabait 'yun, di lang halata, medyo spoiled brat kasi at mas lalong lumala ang attitude niya noong lumipat sila dito," singit ni Sam. Halatang hindi kumbimsido ang mga kasama nila sa sinabi niya kaya napailing nalang siya.

They fell in silence again, and just as Angel asks again, Ethan greeted them—Aire to be exact "Long time no see, Aire!" he happily greeted her. Aire didn't respond—she didn't know how to. "Don't act awkwardly, doesn't really seem like you, eh," he laughed.

Nakatingin ang mga kasama ni Aire sa grupo niya sa kanya at kay Ethan. Nagsimula ding lumapit ang iba pang kasamahan ni Ethan sa kanila, maliban nga lang kay Harrix na hindi nila alam kung saan na naman nagpunta.

"What do we have here, huh?" Grey asked. He scanned everyone on the group, but when his eyes reached Angel, he looked away.

"Whoa, Grey, your soon to be wife is here too," Lei teased him while caressing Angel's hair, which basically means teasing Angel too. "Tumigil ka nga, Lei!" inis na saad ni Angel at tinabig ang kamay ng kaibigan.

"How do you know Aire?" Karis asked switching the attention to Ethan, who is now being teased by his friends. "Get off!" he whines because his friends won't stop teasing him. At the end they both explained why do they know each other.

Aasarin pa sana nila sina Ethan at Aire nang pumasok ang susunod nilang guro hawak ang laptop nitong nakabukas kasabay ng pagtunog ng bell ng eskwelahan na hudyat na para sa susunod na klase. "Good morning, I'm ma'am Espie. I have a paper to finish so I'm sorry if I can't brief you all today about my subject," she started while typing on her laptop.

"Please proceed to the main field and sketch something from there. Something that can be associated with your sense of meaning, I will collect your papers at the end of this class and if you're done, do whatever you want," she shifted her eyes to the class and slightly adjusted her glasses, "Don't do drugs, ah."

Everyone obeyed and started going out with their pens and paper and their faces were filled with joy.

Aire distanced herself from everyone and she immediately went to the back part of the benches watching the athletes as they practice. Having athletes practicing during first day of class is really a thing in Brooklyn since it's the second of the most prestigious high school in the country, next to Freeland High and one of the most prestigious schools in Asia. Brooklyn is also one of the high schools to bag most awards in sports field, internationally.

Aire was having her peace, contemplating what subject to draw when Karis, together with June Lee and Sam sat next to her. They were eating chips and drinking shakes. June offered some but Aire refused. "Ayaw mo talaga?" Sam asked, she opened her mouth to answer but Karis put chips in her mouth causing her to lightly choke.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I didn't mean t—" Karis closed her mouth when Aire stop coughing and glared at her. For a moment, she wanted to get mad at Karis, but she wasn't mad at all. Aire noticed that Karis has a strong resemblace to her mom, Dr. Elis. Their eyes are basically the same, the only thing different is their eyebrows. Dr. Elis Jimenez has thin eyebrows unlike Karis, which she may have gotten from her father, Karl.

Nakilala na kasi ni Aire ang mga magulang ni Karis noong may kailangang asikasuhin si Attorney Karl para sa kanila. She didn't know Karis was their daughter until she saw her earlier and found out her name.

Later on, three of their classmates sat in front of them: Angel, Annie, Trisha. Ngumiti ang tatlo sa kanila na sinuklian naman nila. Tahimik lang silang pito na naka upo roon habang kanya kanyang nags-sketch nang biglang humarap si Trisha sa mga bagong students, "Nga pala, every year nagkakaroon tayo ng general fun activity, be prepared baka piliin kayong leader since transferee din kayo," sabi nito.

Kumunot ang noo ng apat, halatang nalilito. "Para saan at ano 'yon?" takhang tanong ni Sam. "It's a general activity for the students, it's like a field trip or a camp, something like that, pinatupad iyon mga 4 years ago ni head master Mattheo dahil may nangyari noon na naging dahilan ng pag - ah I mean, nagkagulo kasi noon." Paliwanag ni Trisha.

Mukhang may alinlangan siya sa mga salitang bibitawan niya sana, kaya nagtaka sila, leaving a question in their minds, What happened 4 years ago?

Maya maya pa ay nagpaalam si Aire na pupunta sa comfort room. Karis immediately followed her, and Aire let her, kahit na hindi naman talaga siya sa cr pupunta kundi sa locker niya.

"Akala ko mag c-cr ka?" Karis asked. Mukhang siya ang kailangan mag cr dahil aligaga ito na parang maiihi na kahit anong oras. Aire sighed and opened her locker as she asked Karis, "You're doctor Elis's and attorney Karl Jimenez's daughter, right?"

Tango lang ang isinagot ni Karis sa kanya kahit na nagtataka siya kung bakit at paano nalaman ni Aire ang bagay na 'yon, gayong hindi naman sa bansa nagtatrabaho ang mga magulang niya, pero isinawalang bahala niya na lamang iyon.

Pagkabukas ni Airee ng kanyang locker, isang note ang nahulog mula roon, kaya nabaling doon ang atensyon nilang dalawa.

"Wow ha, unang araw palang may admirer ka na," pabirong saad ni Karis kay Aire pero umiling ang kausap at pinulot ang note mula sa sahig. Aire read what was written on the note. Natigilan siya habang nakatitig sa hawak niyang papel na ipinagtaka ni Karis. "What's wrong?" tanong nito sabay ng paglapit niya kay Aire, "May I?" tanong niya at tinuro ang papel na hawak ni Aire na inabot naman sa kanya.

Nang mabasa ito ni Karks ay natigilan siya. Pareho nilang hindi alam kung ano ang gagawin o ano ang iisipin sa laman ng maliit na note.

'Save yourself. Stay away from them. Stay away, Aire.'

—Vince.