The Curse of Piratia Shiamira

TCOPS 5: Countdown

CASSANDRA

Hindi ko alam kung anong pumasok sa kokote kong bulok, pero heto ako ngayon, kasabay si Koreena at Soren na umuuwi.

Two weeks of this and I'm starting to get used to it.

I sat silently at the back and watched Koreena acting as Piratia. She's good at acting. But I'm scared that she might get attached to Piratia. The story is very catchy and whoever is interested with adventure stories may love this. However, the aftermath will leave them devastated. I close my eyes and saw Daddy's image. We were at the serious part of the story and he began crying like the prologue from the story.

His cry broke me. After series of story time about Piratia and her adventure, it led to her curse. She lost a lot of people. It pained her. I felt that too. Because I've been there too.

Judged. Scrutinized. Bullied.

Almost every negative synonym in the dictionary is thrown to her. It's horrible. I thought I would only cry because of the mean things that people did to her. I was wrong. It was much deeper.

"... Cass..."

"Cass..."

"Hey..."

Naulirat ako sa tumatawag sa akin at pagkabukas ko ng aking mga mata mukha ni Soren ang bumungad sa akin. "What?" Paos ko pang tanong dito. I felt his thumb brushing my left cheek which sent me a tingling sensation.

"Ayos ka lang ba? Andito na tayo sa bahay mo."

Napabalikwas ako ng upo at tinignan ang labas ng sasakyan niya. We're here. Nasa tapat na pala kami ng bahay. Inayos ko naman ang aking sarili tapos tinignan muli si Soren. "Thank you, Soren. Thank you so much." Dali naman akong lumabas sa kaniyang sasakyan at umikot din dito. I knock on his window and scoot a little. Ibinaba niya ang bintana ng kaniyang sasakyan at ngumiti ako. "Thank you ulit. Mag-ingat ka."

He didn't answer. He only stared.

"Bakit?"

Wala pa rin itong imik bagkus inabot niya ulit ang pisngi ko at dumampi muli ang hinlalaki niya sa tabi ng mata ko. My breathing hitch by his touch until he let's go and close his window pane. Bumalik na ako sa sidewalk tapos pinanuod kong humarurot paalis ang kaniyang sasakyan.

What a mean guy. Hindi man lang magsalita. Kahit 'You're welcome' lang ay wala. Napaka! Napaka — sungit, antipatiko, asar, bwisit — lahat na lang! Aish! Kaya hindi ko magiging kaibigan 'yon dahil sa ugali niya, eh. He—he's! Oh, forget it! Wala na akong masabi. Pagod na ang utak ko.

🧭🧭🧭

Three months has past nasanay na ako sa pagmumukha ni Soren. Three months have past and my terms with him to pick me up is about to end.

No, I don't ride on his car everyday. Tuwing biyernes ng hapon lang, kapag uuwi na si Koreena. May mga pagkakataon na aayain niya ako na sumabay sa kanila pero sinabihan ko ito na huwag na. He insisted because he wanted to make it up to me and save his life from his sister. Therefore, we made a deal that every Friday only, I will go home with them.

Kaya lang nalulungkot ako tuwing nababawasan ang mga biyernes na nagkikita kami. He won't drive me home anymore after next Friday. I solely made the deal because I was annoyed by his company. It triggers my vulnerability and stupidity of letting him get his way of forgetting the past so easily. But I did not expect to have fallen for him. I have fallen for how simple we talk and argue with each other on the way home. How we both get to each other's throat and end up laughing our ass off. How we rant about our jobs and eat when we reach my house.

"Cass, last Friday na next week." Paalala nito sa akin nang malapit na kami sa bahay.

He doesn't have to remind me. It makes me miserable.