Someone Who Will Peel Off The Fish Bones (2022)

CHAPTER 1: Before anything, there was you

IT WAS AROUND THREE IN THE AFTERNOON when the war at the school gym broke out. The basketball and the volleyball team were on the brink of getting physical, and Narra, widely known in the whole school and community as the feisty and "perfect" student council president of one of the most popular public schools in the Philippines (for obviously not good reasons), was called to put a stop to the fight. On her way to the gym, Narra huffed in disbelief. She couldn't believe that she had to personally go there and try to sort it all out when she had other important matters to attend to.

But then again, she couldn't just send anyone either. The student council mostly consisted of females, and though there are males, they just couldn't be responsible enough to be trusted. Narra couldn't help but sigh as she quickened her pace. When they moved in this town and even before she enrolled, Narra knew the school had a really bad reputation when it came to its male students, especially since it was once an all-boys school and had just become a co-ed two years ago, but she didn't expect it to be so much work.

What made her first year of high school even more difficult was the boys in the basketball and volleyball team. Narra couldn't remember a day when those two teams didn't fight. The school administration couldn't do anything much to discipline them, too, as both were highly competent teams and were always able to win something from national tournaments which helps support the school through the prize money. So they placed the responsibility of keeping both teams in check to the student council, specifically Narra.

"Maybe I should just quit," Narra said out of exhaustion.

"Don't even think about doing that." The girl walking beside her with a clipboard pressed to her chest grunted. "You know this school needs someone like you."

Narra absentmindedly nodded. "You're right, Gracie. Someone like me... so it doesn't have to be me, right? Just go find someone like me."

Before Gracie could retort, they reached the school gym. Narra's shoulder slumped at the thought of going in and stopping a bunch of immature high school kids from beating each other to death. Honestly, Narra couldn't care less if they end up in a hospital, but she just couldn't resist the urge of being involved in something that badly needs intervention, too. Narra wanted to smack her head. This was why she was perfect for the position—she could never stay out of other people's business especially when they're spreading disorder.

"Are you okay?" Gracie asked, worry etched on her face.

Narra was glad that Gracie was there to keep her company, even if she would just run away and leave Narra once the trouble started, as what Gracie had always done for the past year. She couldn't blame her though, boys could be monsters if they wanted to and it was understandable for girls like Gracie to cower in fear of them.

Narra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I will be. Just go wherever you need to be."

Gracie gulped when Narra pushed the doors open and saw the brawl unfold. "Okay... be careful." Gracie's voice came out like a squeak. She slowly backed away and broke into a run, while Narra put on a brave face and entered the gym, which now looked like a jungle full of predators and prey.

"Hey, stop it! Don't hit back!"

Narra looked at the direction of the voice. She'd heard that voice so many times that she immediately knew who it was. In the middle of the brawl, there stood Primo Cuenca, the MVP and the captain of the basketball team, and Narra's biggest source of headache ever since she became the student council president. As usual, his black wavy hair was in a messy state, like a bird's nest, and there was a glint of mischief in his dark brown eyes.

Narra still remembered the days when she almost always sees the guy because he's in the middle of every possible trouble that happened at school. It was one of the two wonders of their school. The other one was the fact that he's never strayed from being one of the top three in their list of honor rolls. Because of this, Narra felt even more annoyed with him and it surprisingly made her feel uncomfortable and irritable. She had always been calm and collected, had always been praised by adults and peers alike for being so mature, had always been patient, but whenever she saw Primo, she wanted to just drop everything and strangle him for making her school life so difficult. But of course, in the end, she always chose to be the 'bigger person'.