Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Princess Pedregosa

My brother, Duke, never throw them some glances instead he wrapped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. He even patted my head.

"Why she is with my Duke?" A girl with a brownish curly end hair said to her gals.

Girl with grayish ombre shoulder length permed hair look at me disgustedly. She even rolled her eyes when our eyes met. "I dunno, sis."

The skinny gal with natural black hair interrupt their judgment with another issue. "Siya ba yung girl  na he was saying, noong completion natin?"

Base sa pananalita niya. Galing siya sa mayaman na pamilya pero hindi niya kayang nag-compose ng proper English sentence. I felt pity for her.

"Look, she's older than us," maarte niyang tinuro ang suot ko. "I can't believe this." The petite gal touch her temple, can't absorb what she saw.

Hindi ba nila ako kilala? Maybe not. I never went to Duke's school, eh.  Hindi ako pinapayagan ni Mama. Magkaiba kasi kami ng school nang junior years niya. Ngayon, napagpasyahan na pagsamahin kami sa hindi ko malaman na dahilan.

"Hoy, Duke," I called him in a lower tone of voice.

He lowered his head down to meet my eyes. "Oh, bakit?" kunot-noo niyang tanong.

"Ano yung naririnig ko? Noong completition rights niyo, umamin ka daw na may girlfriend ka." Pinaningkitan ko siya ng mata baka sakaling matakot at umamin.

He pinched the bridge of my nose. He laughed. "Wala lang yun," I hold my nose where he pinched it. I felt like it was burning in pain.

I look at him, throwing some death glare. I pinched his side caused him to jumped in pain and cussed. "What?" He asked, innocently.

He sighed in annoyance. "Okay. Suko na ako," he rose his arms in the air, surrendering. "Sinabi ko lang yun para hindi sila maghabol sakin. Alam mo naman gwapo ng kapatid mo," he said, wiggling his brows repeatedly.

"Hindi mo naman agad sinabi sakin. Akala ko naman totoo na." I lightly pushed his chest caused him to move backward.

"Got to go. Nandito na ako sa building namin." He kissed my cheeks light as a feather, hindi mo gaanong nararamdaman. I almost jumped in place.

I hit the back his head. He groaned in pain and murmuring some curse, silently. He pursed his lips not letting the cussed had sounds.

"Ba't mo naman ginawa yun?" I asked him. Instead of answering me, he winked and start running up to the staircase.

"Goodbye," I said to myself.

Ngayon mag-isa na akong naglalakad patungo sa building ko. The students were looking at me like I'd committed a crime that is punishing by the law.

I keep walking on the corridor, like I don't see any pair eyes judging me inside their tiny heads.

As I walk in, their heads also shift. Sinusundan nila kung saan man ako dumaan. Some of the students stopped and set aside, letting me walk. Hindi ko alam kung kailangan ko na bang kabahan sa kinikilos nila.

They are weirdos.

I lowered my head down, facing the floor. I felt embarrassed the way they looked at me. Ngayon alam ko na kung bakit ayaw kong lumipat ng school. Mas gusto ko nalang sa public school.

I continue walking, facing the floor. I absentmindedly hit something make me bounced and stepped backward. Ang tahimik na hallway ay mas lalong naging tahimik, maging ang paghampas ng hangin sa mga dahon ay nawalan ng tunog.

I hit a beautiful fine lady. She has long lashes, beautiful hazel brown eyes, thin moist lips, and a long waist length hair with natural wave. She's wearing a light make up made her fair skin more natural. Bagay sa kaniya ang uniform namin. Mukha siyang anghel na bumaba sa langit.

Sana all clear skin.

"Sorry," I bowed a little, to show some respect.

"Wala lang 'yon. Wala naman nasugatan kaya ayos lang. No need to be sorry," she patted my shoulder. She has an angelic voice, indeed.

The way she interact with me was so nice. She's not mean after all. Hindi katulad ng mga taong nakikita ko kanina. She's a total package for a friend.

"Still. I'm sorry," I answered without moving my head up from bowing.

I heard her sighed, giving up with telling me it's not sorry at all. It was an accident—accidentally bumped her because I am preoccupied with some thoughts regarding about the gazes of the students.

"Hey girl," I heard her voice again, calling me. I look straight into her hazel eyes. "Are you a transferee?"

I nodded, shy. "Bakit?"

"Wanna join our group?" She sounded like a great Influencer. She even clinged her arm on mine. I heard behind some people gasped for air and some are whispering in shock.

Group?

"Anong group? Club ba yan?" Naguguluhan kong tanong siya kaniya. Kailangan kong malinawan.

She laughed at me, shook her head. She pulled me with force to start walking. "You're funny," aniya. "No. It's not a club. It's our group, first-rate elites."

"What? first-rate elites?!"

Mas lalo akong naguluhan sa sinasabi niya. First rate elites, sounds like power. Kumbaga sa barko, first mate — sumunod sa captain.

"Seriously?" Hindi makapaniwala na tanong niya. "Hindi mo alam 'yon? Wala kang background sa mga organization and groups inside MDSV? I can't believe," she blunts.

I remain silent while she's blurting something that I can't understand. Really? Pakiramdam ko nakikipag-usap ako sa alien. I don't understand them — everyone here at Montessori de Sueños Verdaderos are acting weird.

She noticed my silence and she stopped walking when we reach the building, no one student bystand on the corridor.

"First rate elites is a group of super rich—elite students here at Montessori de Sueños Verdaderos. Selected students lang ang pwedeng makasali sa group na 'yon. Forfend only for daughters and sons of the biggest stockholders of the school," she elaborate.

I keep my lips pursed. Can't believe on what's happening. Member of first rate elites asked me to join them. I'm not wealthy, just healthy.

"Pero..." I stopped, finding words to tell what's on my mind. "Bakit mo ako sinasali sa grupo niyo? Hindi naman ako mayaman katulad niyo, ordinaryong studyante lang ako. Take note, scholar pa ako," I stated.

"It's not about how much money you have, it's about the friendship that we are going to make," she defended.

I laughed, demurely. "Pag-isipan ko." Inalis ko ang pagka-kawit ng braso niya sa 'kin.

"Hwag na," she stopped me from walking away.

Bigla niya akong hinila kung saan. We're heading upstairs. The staircase were clean and neat. The bulletin boards are also well arranged, by color.

"Saan ba tayo pupunta?" I uttered, stuttering.

She stopped, tilted her body to faced me. Nauuna siya ng ilang steps sa 'kin. I upped my head to see her face. "Sa first-rate elite faculty room," she announced.

Naglakad siya muli. Sunod naman ako sa kaniya na may halong pag-aalinlangan. Baka scam 'to. Mahirap na. Hindi ko kasi alam kung saan ang First-rate elite faculty room.

Ayokong ma-bully sa unang araw ng klase. Baka first day palang may meeting with the guidance counselor na agad ako.

We're now on the third floor of the building. She's walking on the corridor and paused facing a gold color door. "We're here."

I faced the golden door. I may be ignorant to ask this but is this real gold? Kung oo, hwag na silang magtaka kung mawala bigla 'yan.

"Hey, girl," she waved her hand in front of me, calling back my senses.

"Ha?" I pardoned, scratching my head. "Ano sabi mo?"

She laughed at my gestures. "Sabi ko, gold represent as the higher rate. Kumbaga, we are the student council. Silver is the next to the highest, the voice. The are our spokesperson. And lastly, bronze represent as the average. The students itself." She explained

I looked at her, shy. "I got mesmerized with the color. I wonder, totong ginto ba 'to?" I pursed my lips, embarrassed.

She shook her head, laughing. "Cute," aniya. "It's not. It was made to look like gold," she assured, opening the gold color door.

Pagpasok ko sa loob ng pinto, bumungad sa 'kin ang tables arranged in a U shape. The color of the is dark as well the chair. In front of it, there is a table had a different color it is lighter than the U shape tables.

In the wall, there is attached huge flat screen television used for discussion and meetings, I guess. Naka-ayos ang bawat upuan at malinis, parang araw-araw ay may nag-aayos nito.

"Ito ang conference room ng nga stakeholders members ng school. Dito nagaganap ang mga meetings nila regarding some matters on school purpose," she sounds like a tour guide.

Patuloy kaming naglalakad sa loob ng kwarto at may panibagong ginto na pinto akong nakita. She placed her ID in front of the doorknob and I heard some noise. The door opened.

Like some door knobs on luxurious hotels, nakita ko 'to sa vlog ng mga sikat. Lalo na sa mga Korean dramas. Usually kapag mayaman ang bida gany'an ang mga pinto.

Nang binuksan niya ang pintuan. My jaw dropped, amazed. I couldn't believe what I found inside. Una kong nakita ang sala, it has sofa, couch, center table, carpeted flooring and the room was painted clean white. A indoor plant on the corner.

On the other side, there is a huge flat screen television. I guess it is 48” inches in size. It is same as the televisions inside a entertainment rooms on internet.

There is also air-conditioning placed on the wall — centralized air-condition to cool the place. There is also a long couch to sleep on.

There is designed woods in abstract form to divide the area into two. In the other half, you can found refrigerator and dining area.

I keep on walking inside, I found another door. This time it is a glass blurred door. When I opened it, I found a lavatory.

This place is complete package.

"This is the first-rate headquarter for us — daughters and sons of the stockholders," she freely sat down on the couch. "Feel free to sit down, walang bayad," she smiled, cracking some jokes.

Ang ganda niya kapag naka-ngiti, nakakapangliit. Tapakan mo ko, ako pa mag-s-sorry.

I answered her with a shy smile and slowly sat down on the sofa. She reached the remote control of the television on the center table at the top of some magazines of the school.

"I am Khylle Canary," inabot niya sa 'kin ang flawless niyang kamay.

My color had a huge different with her fair white color. My skin is rough and dry while hers is cared by dermatologists.

"Princess Pedregosa," I reached her hand and shook. Hindi ako nagkamali ng hinala. She has soft skin.

"Let's wait the others. Ipapakilala kita sa kanila. Mababait 'yon mukha lang mga gago," she blurted out, cussing.