When We Happened

Chapter 16: Press con

Chapter 16

Press con

"What the hell happened to your face?" my make-up artist, Shea, yelled at me as soon as I pulled my sunglasses.

I groaned. Fuck. I look that bad?

"I cried last night," I said with a sigh as I sat down on the chair in front of the budoir.

"You cried?" she asked incredulously, para bang imposibleng umiyak ako. "You didn't cry last night! You bawled your eyes out!"

Oh. Well, I guess I really look that bad. I look at my face in the mirror and instantly wince at what I saw. Damn, mukha akong maga na tinubuan ng mukha. Naningkit na ang mga mata ko at sobrang pula ng ilong ko!

"Asher, your face is so puffy! Magang-maga! Anong gagawin natin niyan ngayon? Paano na ang press con mamaya?" tanong pa ni Shea, nagpa-panic na.

Nginitian ko siya, na lalo pang nagpasingkit sa mga mata ko. "I'm sure kaya mong gawan ng paraan 'yan, ang galing-galing mo kaya."

Napailing ito at nagsimulang magbanat ng buto. "Naku, huwag mo nga akong binobola. Pinapasakit mo lalo ang batok ko." Mukha ngang mahihirapan nga siya sa pagpapawala ng ng maga sa mukha ko, pati na rin ang kahit anong bakas ng pag-iyak ko kagabi

"Sorry," I mumbled. Sorry na. Hindi ko naman alam na ganito ang resulta ng pagda-drama ko kagabi.

Pumwesto siya sa likuran ko at pinatong ang kanyang mga kamay sa magkabilang balikat ko. "Seriously, though. Are you okay? What happened?"

I looked at her reflection and saw how worried she is about me. I flashed her a small smile. "I don't want to talk about it."

She squeezed my shoulders. "Well, sorry ka na lang. Pag nakita nina Sir Red at Sir Simon 'yang ginawa mo sa mukha mo, lagot ka. Hindi ka tatantanan nang mga 'yun hangga't hindi ka magsalita."

True. "Subukan lang nila," I grumbled. Those meddling fairy godfathers of mine.

"You're underestimating how much they care for you," she said as she started gathering my hair and tying it in a ponytail. I guess magsisimula na tayo sa pag-aayos ng mukha ko. "Mag-aalala 'yung mga 'yun."

I just closed my eyes and smiled. I'll just let her be.

"Okay, I'll try my best to help with the swelling. Sana makatulong 'tong mga face rollers and massagers ko."

I smiled, though I kept my eyes closed. "Thank you."

"Kung kailangan mo nang kausap, I'm just here sa likod mo. Literally."

I reached for her hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. "I appreciate it." Really, I do. Sinwerte ako sa pagpili ng TMA. They really do care about me. At minsan kahit sobra na ang pag-wo-worry nila, lalo na sina Sir Red at Sir Simon, I really, really appreciate it.

Lalo na't wala naman akong nakukuhang suporta sa parents ko... at mukhang nawalan na rin ako ng best friend.

"What's going on? Someone told me you've been crying, Asher."

Speaking of the devil... or rather, one of my fairy godfathers.

I opened my eyes just to glare at Sir Simon. "'Yung totoo? Sinong spy mo dito?"

"Tell me what's wrong, Asher." Lumapit ito sa akin. Agad-agad na hinila ang isa pang foldable chair at umupo sa tabi ko. "Is it your parents?"

Umiling ako. "No, hindi po."

"Alright. So kung hindi parents mo, anong ginawa mo kay Yap?"

"What? Bakit ako agad ang may ginawa? Hindi ba pwedeng siya lang may ginawa na nagpaiyak sa akin?"