Para Kang Tanga (Not An Official Title)

Chapter 1

LAWRENCE SANDOVAL

Matapos naming makalabas tatlo mula sa Disciplinary Office, we stood there in front of its door habang tinitignan ang disciplinary action slip sa kamay.

"What the hell? I'm too old for this," I said, tucking the piece of paper inside my back pocket.

"You'll never get old in the eyes of Ma'am Luz." Natatawang sagot sakin ni Gael.

"Argh, my first slip in this semester!" reklamo ni Emyria which I, in turn, gave her a sneer.

"Tapos isisisi mo na naman sakin? Hoy babae, 60 percent of the chances we are scolded is because of you contributing kaya don't me."

Nagsimula na kaming maglakad patungo sa next class namin at patuloy parin sa pagbabangayan. Well, mostly it was just me and Emyria bickering while Gael occasionally joining and laughing. We lasted at least how minutes nang bigla nalang tumunog ang cellphone ng isa sa amin.

It was Emyria's.

She fetched her phone from her branded pink bag at nakadisplay sa screen ang pangalan ng kung sinumang hinayupak ang tumawag.

I'm this bitter kase "Ezkel bby❤️" ang bumulaga sa screen.

:'>

Elated and surprised, she immediately tap the answer button tsaka naglakad paalis; neither turning back nor said any excuses— not even goodbyes. I snorted bitterly.

Bas2s. :)

"Ba't baboy diba dapat aso?" sabi ko habang nakatingin parin sa hampas-balakang na lakad ni babae. Kala mo rumarampa sa fashion show. Tse.

"What are you saying? Anong baboy at aso?" tanong nitong pogi na katabi ko.

"Yung nasa cellphone. Ezkel b-b-y. The letters a and o are missing to make it baboy e kaso nga, ang Ezkel ay tunog aso so I can't understand why she use 'bby' instead of just 's'," I said in full seriousness na nakatanggap lamang ng tawa.

Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad.

"Ayaw mo talaga sa boyfriend n'ya ngayon ano? HAHAHAHA!" he said, covering his mouth from laughing too much.

"Well duh" I rolled my eyes, "kung di pa lang sana bulag ang babaeng yun, di s'ya makakatanggap ng reklamo galing sakin. I'm not usually this judgmental towards a person's outward appearance e kaso nga, kilala ko yung lalake. Ilang babae na ba naikama ng asong yun?" I shivered at that thought. "Malaman ko lang talagang pampadagdag lang sa listahan n'ya si Miraldes--puputulin ko lahi n'ya." 

While having my indignant speech or whatever, tawa lang ng tawa sa tabi ko itong si Tecson. Kung di lang talaga ako isang kilalang estudyante din dito sa university, baka isipin na ng iba ngayon na isa akong naglalakad na clown dahil kanina pa talaga 'tong isa tawa ng tawa. Jusko, buti nalang hindi maasakit sa tenga ang tawa ng hinayupak kaya di ko makuhang kutusan.

"You know, ba't di ka ganyan nung ako namemeste kay Emy noon?" biglaang tanong nito sakin kaya napa-isip naman ako. Hmm, bakit nga ba? Mas nakakapeste naman talaga pinggagagawa ng isang 'to noon mapalapit lang kay Emyria pero di ko magawang magalit sa kanya.

"Maybe because I felt your sincerity? And you were never someone who just wants to date girls to brag it out to others unlike that someone with a dog-like name, face, and personality--sonuvabitch. He's an actual dog!" Hmph. 

"Um..." He whispered to my ear. "Ezkel is right in front of you..." 

In almost slow motion, my eyes look straightly in front and saw the sonuvabitch we were just talking about. Speak of the devil and the devil shall come.