*SSC Supreme Student Council o di kaya'y Sabrina Sobrang Competitive?*

Joan's

"Hey sab! Good morning, last night was great.." bati ko sa kaniya nang nakita ko siyang lumabas sa office, pinatawag kasi ako ni Mrs. Augustine, she said there was something important na pag-uusapan namin. Seeing her there actually surprised me

But not in a bad way.

"Hey, Rambotan girl, ano bang good sa morning? Anyway, I have to go, may aasikasohin pa ako"

She then left after saying that.

Ano na naman kayang nakain nun at sinusumpong na naman. When I talked to her last night, hindi naman siya ganoon. She was decent and sensible, she also doesn't sound napipilitan.

(No no pilit.)

There's this potential na maybe we could be friends...

Hindi naman kasi ako 'yung klase na nagju-judge agad. But I admit na talking to her made my perception change drastically about her.

Isa pa, we have to cooperate kasi we'll be with each other for the next months. I realized na ang pag-iiwas ay walang mapapala, kasi umiwas naman ako eh but the heavens decided to made fun of us at ginawa pa talaga kaming partners!

Kaya sana naman hindi niya ako pahirapan. Napabuntong hininga nalang ako.

When I entered the office agad akong bumati sa mga instructors namin and went straight to Mrs Augustine's table

"Good morning po Ma'am" bati ko

"oh andiyan ka na pala hija" bigla siyang may inaabot sa aking papel na dali ko ding tinanggap

"ahm, what is this po?" Tanong ko

"Oh it's your form for filing of candidacy for Student Council Elections" pa simply niyang sinabi

"Po? Come again Ma'am?"

"Ms. Roble, didn't you hear what I just said. You should run for the President, you have a very big potential."

"Pero-"

"No but's, ikaw ang top 1 sa entrance exam Miss Roble, c'mon, you have to live up to your full potential. Isa pa, Ms. Sevilla is running too, at kung ano man ang resulta, hindi na sasakit pa ang ulo namin dahil kung sino man ang hindi mananalo ay automatically magiging vice, wala nang chaka sa student council kasi we know the capacity of the both of you."

Pagkatapos ng sinabi ni Ma'am ay nawalan na ako ng ganang umimik at agad nalang nag fill up ng form. She was smiling the whole time.

Now I realized why Sab was acting like that. Hindi ko naman talaga gusto to eh, I'm so done with this, but it seems like I don't have the power to say no. I remember what Wayne told me, and I feel like I'm failing him everyday, failing myself.

Say No? The only person na kaya kong tanggihan ay ang sarili ko.

"Are you done Miss Roble? Pumunta ka kaagad sa College secretary at magpa sign" anya niya

"Kayo nalang po ma'am total napakadesisyon niyo po" bulong ko

"May sinasabe ka Miss Roble?"

"Ah eh wala po Maam *ehem* I was just asking po asan ba 'yung office ng College secretary" ngumiti ako ng plastic

After giving me instructions ay agad akong lumabas. Nakakainis. Gusto ko lang naman sana ng tahimik na buhay. Bakit ba hindi nalang ako tantanan ng mundo! at ng Mrs. Augustine na 'yan! apakadesisyon.

Papuntang room ay nakita ko si Sab, we were meters apart, she was with someone na may inaabot na papel sa kaniya, from here it looked like a flyer.

Aba si Kuya may inaabot lang may pa kindat kindat pa.

"Hoy Sab!" Agad kong tinakpan ang bibig ko after realizing what I did.

Gagi now she's looking at my direction, agad akong napakamot sa ulo wondering why I had the urge to call her

She was walking slowly papunta sa kinatatayuan ko

her every step seems to synchronize with every beat of my heart

"What rambotan girl?" She looked at me from bottom to top

It made me gulped

Her eyes went back to the paper I was holding bago nagsalita

"I see, did you just call me para sabihing tatakbo ka rin? Game on. Wala akong inaatrasan Rambotan girl." She was about to walk away from me, when I held her

"Where are you going?" tanong ko

"A-Ano?" She said looking at my hand on her arms, agad ko siyang binitawan

"ahm I mean" I put my two hands behind me "hindi naman kasi diyan patungong room natin eh, it's almost time for our next subject"

"I-I know! Huwag mo nga akong pinapangunahan" after saying that ay umalis na siya

"Ang sungit" I said under my breath at agad siyang hinabol.

we walked together.

yes we did.

During class, Mrs. Augustine announced na mamayang hapon would be the start of club hunting. I suddenly remembered the guy na nagbigay kay Sab ng flyer.

"Hey Sab"

Tiningnan niya ako ng walang gana "What?"

I was just whispering kasi nagle-lecture pa si Ma'am. "What club are you planning to join?"

Her facial reaction was full of confusion, a sign na hindi niya ako narinig kaya naman I scooted close to her "I said, anong club sasalihan mo?"

I didn't hear a reply coming from her kaya naman ay hinarap ko siya.

I was startled when I saw her face, she was turning red the longer I'm staring at her

I touched her face, her chin her forehead "are you okay? Do you have a fever? Bakit ang pula mo?" sunod sunod kong tanong na may pag-aalala

Tinabig niya ang kamay ko na ikinagulat ko

"Huwag mo nga akong hawakan!"

Tiningnan ko siya ng masama, but I still tried to calm myself

"Edi huwag! Maldita!" Inirapan ko siya at hindi pinansin sa buong klase

On lunch time agad akong umalis and I didn't bother to look back when she called me.

Bahala siya sa buhay niya.

....,

Sab's

"Joan?" tawag ko sa kaniya ng mahinahon.

Is she really mad at me?

Hindi ko naman sinasadya 'yung pagtabig ko sa kaniya, it was just......my reflexes?

argh, ang clingy clingy naman kasi.

maypa touch touch pa.

Naramdaman ko ang pag-angat ng init sa mukha ko ng maalala ko ulit ang nangyari kanina. I mentally slapped myself. Madiin kong ipinikit ang mga mata ko, why am I feeling this ba?

kairita!

Makapag-lunch na nga lang.

Agad kong tinawagan si Shiloh at nagkita kami sa canteen.

Shiloh Maeve Castañares, she's my best friend since highschool, nakikibelong sa mga artistahin, charot.

She majors in theater and Dance, Bachelor of Fine Arts. Ang arte arte diba.

She's the only one I'm really close with, pero matalino naman ako, hindi ko na kailangan pa ng ibang kaibigan.

I'm smart.

And I'm confident on my own.

I don't need others to motivate me or comfort me, or to feel secure .

Kasi nga kapag matalino ka, friendship is unnecessary, Shiloh is the only exception at magkakandarapa ang iba na makilala ka kasi nga, if you're smart you automatically have the power to be someone's dream companion- (and just a like a dream you're unreachable, at paminsan-minsan ay nag-iisa)

do others know what it's like to be full of power but having none to celebrate it with?

I do, then Shiloh came. She saved me.

nang maagilap ko siya ay agad akong kumaway "hey shi!" bati ko

Nakita ko na naman ang bungisngis niya, at talaga namang nakakahawa iyon.

But my smile didn't last when I saw her with someone else, hey is that...

"Sab, meet ate Gia" salubong ni Shiloh ng tuloyan na kaming magkalapit

This girl, ang tangkad niya sa malayo but it still surprised me na she's really this tall closer

She extended her arms "hi, I'm Gia" ngumiti siya ng matipid

walang choice at tinanggap ko ang kamay niya "I'm Sabrina"

After handshaking ay muli niya akong kinausap "I think I know you, you were with Jo right?"

I smiled awkwardly at tumango

Nagpatuloy kaming maglakad looking for a spot sa canteen

"Shi, dito nalang tayo" sabay turo ni Gia sa empty table

Nagtaka ako ng makita ang itinuro niya, it's only the three of us but she picked a spot na too big for us, and there are other chairs too

Agad naman ngumiti at sumang-ayon si Shiloh, aba submissive ang peg? Dino-dogshow nga lang niya ako whenever there's a chance tapos kung maka-agree kay Gia wagas, I subtly rolled my eyes at her.

Habang nag ce-cellphone si Gia, hinila ko si Shiloh papunta sa isang food stall "girl, ang bait mo yata ngayon?" sarkastiko kong tugon na may kasamang pagkurot sa tagiliran niya "and why is she with us?"

"You know her?" tanong niya

"Seriously, Shiloh? Did you just ignore my questions?" irita kong sinabe while pretending to give attention sa mga pagkain sa harap ko.

She didn't answer me but she was smiling the whole time at tila wala sa sarili, her fingers twirling her dark mane at tila ba nasa sariling mundo niya

"What the heck is going on with you?" My question release her from her daydreaming

"h-ha? ay wala, I've decided to join sa club nina ate Gia, timing at nakita ko siya habang papuntang canteen kaya inaya ko narin siyang mag lunch" she said holding her smile

I looked at her with full of confusion, I gave Gia a glance then back at her, I was scratching my head dahil sa lito, and then suddenly I realized something, I was shell-shocked "Shiloh don't tell me..."

"Heyaaa Giaaaa!" Hindi ako nakapagpatuloy when I heard a familiar voice across where we're standing

I tried to look for that voice and to my surprise, it's really her, with Wayne and the other guy that I saw last time, shit don't tell me-

Agad akong hinila ni Shiloh pabalik sa kinaroroonan ni Gia

"Hiii" masiglang bati ni Shiloh

Joan's eyes and mine, met

I breathe sharply

"J-Jo" sambit ko

why the heck am I stuttering?!

Tumango lamang siya saakin after giving me a cold look, mukhang napansin ito ng mga kasama namin kaya naman they initiated to break the awkwardness around us

"Sab, you know them pala?" -shiloh

"Jo, ipakilala mo naman kami sa kaibigan mo!" -Wesley

"Hey Sab, we met again" -Wayne

"..." -Gia

Jo just smiled but it didn't reach her eyes

I remember saying how pangit she is when smiling

I thought nothing is uglier than that

Not until I saw her faking a smile.

Aalis nalang sana ako when-

"Kuya Wesley, si Sab. Sab, si Kuya Wesley. He's Wayne and Gia's older brother"

I was taken aback but regain my composure as I extended my arms

"I believe we haven't formally met, I'm Sabrina, Jo's partner."