VII

PS: Kung ano po ang nakasulat dito ay sinadya ko pong isulat iyon. Sorry in advance sa typographical and grammatical errors :))

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"Bakit kaya may choka rito?" Choka is what they called Squid, in English.

"Ready sing!"

"CHOKA! CHOKA! ISA AKONG CHOKA!" I can't even face them.

The two of them are passing behind me while singing that line. I am a soft hearted person, so instead of getting mad at them, in my mind I already forgave them.

"Ang plastik dapat tinatapon iyan hindi na iniipon pa sa isang gilid." The teacher said, and I saw her squad glancing at me.

"Oo nga po sir kaya nga po nagiging mabaho!"

"Dapat talaga tinatapon yung mga plastik!"

It just hurt my heart because I was once her friend, but look at now I ended up to be her enemy.

'Before you call me plastic look at yourself first,'

I had trouble in breathing while sleeping, I no longer knew where my head was turning because of a dream from the past.

"Princess Athaliah," I was startled when Beulah woke me up.

Gradually I felt the edge of my eyes heat up. It still hurts to go back to the past, now I wake up to let them know how they made me feel then

"You dreamed a bad dream, Princess," she said and touched my shoulder. I let my head rest on her shoulder as my tears slowly trickled down. I felt her caress my hair.

"What did you dream of majesty and you seem to be in so much pain?" She asked me a gentle question.

"A dream from my past," I only answered because I did not want her to know what had happened to me before.

"Sometimes scars are necessary just to remind yourself that not everyone you meet in your life worth your time," she said saka siya kumalas. "Nakaraan na iyon at tapos na. Huwag mo hayaang tuluyan kang lamunin ng nakaraan mo dahil wala ka na roon, ito ka na ngayon kung saan ka man. Kung ano ang ginawa nila sa'yo noon, gawin mong motibasyon upang magpatuloy ka sa buhay na mayroon ka, at para sa kinabukasan mong naghihintay sayo," Makahulugan niyang bilin sa akin saka ngumiti.

"Salamat Beulah." Tumayo na siya at yumuko bago nilisan ang silid ko.

I walked towards the balcony to stare at those beautiful stars again.

People make up stories about you because sometimes the real story is just to much for them to handle and to believe. You know the things that they somehow wished for wasn't granted to them, but the the other person was blessed with it, so insecurity eats them and fucked up their minds. And so I no longer want to force things to happen. What flows, flows. What crashes, crashe. I only have space and energy for things that are meant and important for me, but if they cross the the line again then they better prepare their graves.

Every night I tell stories to the stars about what happened. About how much I'm drowning in my thoughts.

But every night in my prayers I still pray for him to forgive them because they don't know what they're doing. They are too blinded.

I force myself to sleep that night, because I still need to wake up early. I always need to.

I smiled at my reflection in the mirror. Blow dried my hair and made a wavy curl on its ends. Then I wore my maroon turban to top my look.

Aalis na sana ako nang mapansin ko ang isang kahon na kulay lila.

DREAMCATCHER... Kinuha ko ang kahon saka inilagay sa bag ko. When I went downstairs I saw a familiar Limousine car.

"Prince Marius is here?" I asked the maiden when she passed in front me. Tanging tango lang ang isinagot niya sa akin.

Agad akong nagtungo sa labas at nadatnan ko siyang nakatayo sa isang gilid na para bang may hinihintay.

"My prince!" I called him and when he turned around I noticed that his looks changed.

"Let's go?"

"Where?!" I confusedly asked.

"To your school," Saka ako inalalayang makasakay sa kaniyang sasakyan.

Deep inside I know I'm not feeling well. I know that my dream affected me real hard, that's why I can't participate the while time in class. It's like my mind is out of nowhere and busy traveling somewhere else.

I'm walking like a zombie while making my way at the small garden because, a place where I want to be alone.

Kumuha ako ng isang gardenias flower. Gardenias are scented and waxy white flowers that can bring a garden to life.

"Paanong ang isang bulaklak ay maganda sa panloob at panlabas,"

"Maganda naman ang bagay kapag hindi natin hinuhusgahan sa unang tingin," I heard Prince Lazarus voice and he slowly walked towards me.

"Why are you here?" I asked him because he's sweating so badly.

"I'm looking for you everywhere! Tapos nandito ka lang pala nakatitig at nakikipag-usap sa mga bulaklak," Panunumbat niya dahilan para matawa ako sa kanya.

"Who told you to find me where in where in hell am I?"

"My heart," Tinaasan ko siya ng kilay dahil sa kaniyang sinabi. "Don't assume... We're friends remember?" Siya naman ang natawa sa reaction ko ngayon.

Umupo kaming dalawa sa damuhan at pinagmasdan ang magagandang bulaklak at dinadamdam ang bawat pagdampi ng hangin sa aming mga balat.

"Still didn't get over Adira?" He suddenly brought up that topic again.

"Hmm." I answered and gave him a fake smile.

"It's cold do you want me to warm you?" He held his hands together and they formed a fire ball then he blew it in front of me.

I can feel the warmth because of what he did. It's like his element were hugging me to give comfort.

"Prince Lazarus," I called him. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Hmmm," I smacked him.

"You don't need to think about it just say it out!" I pouted my lips.

"You're the girl who comforts a person when he or she's down. You are that girl who never trusts anyone except herself. But that's a lie," sinamaan ko siya ng tingin dahil sa kaniyang sinabi pero nginitian niya lang ako. "You're an evil girl I met before who uses her power to kill when she's mad. She's evil to everyone. She said she isn't weak but she secretely hides her weaknesses. You're the girl who doesn't know how to forgive, Princess Athaliah."

"I am not good enough to be loved by anyone," malumanay kong sabi sa kanya.

"You're kidding, right?" He's laughing so hard as if there's no tomorrow left! "So Prince Marius is a joke to you?" I blinked thrice because of what he said.

"You knew?!"

"I'm the first before you, Princess!"

"Aish! So annoying!" I said.

This is friendship. We're childhood friends because we're royalties. They never left my side because they're always with me even before when I was in my own battle.

"You're just you, so stop being so humble it doesn't suit you." I just rolled my eyes.

I'm scared that they will find out what my secrets are. They don't have to know just because they're my friends. Like what he said I don't trust anyone but myself.

But this I can trust him on this one.

"This Crown Princess of Pevanshire is good inside and out. But I can actually turn more than into a Villain, be in hell again and I'll make sure that each and everyone will bow down and kneel in front of me, and even saints aren't excluded to it."

His eyes widened and stare at me. He didn't talk but I know he's shocked because of what he heard.