Stockholm Syndrome (Mature Content)

The Clash

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Q u i n n

"Am I really gonna do this?" Kanina pa ako murmur ng murmur dahil nababanas talaga ako at first time ko ulit siyang makikita. Dinner daw! Sus, if I know, gusto lang talaga akong saktan ng babaeng 'to para bumalik ako sa kanya. Hmm, para ma-realize ko sigurong gusto ko siyang balikan. Ganern. Sana. Hay, sana lang talaga. Hopefully. Sana gano'n nga. Please!

"'Kay, here we are. 'Ya ready?" Tanong sa akin ni Ice. Shiloh doesn't need to speak a word, she just has to motion for me to get the crap outta my car. "Hindi drive-thru ang pinuntahan natin, missy, kaya bumaba ka na dyan," Pilit niya. "Chicken. Chicken na walang joy."

"Sobra ka naman. I've made a mistake, okay?" Ice raised a brow at me. "C'mon, Ice. You've made a mistake. Mistakes. Look at where you are right now. Mistakes lead us to the better person."

"Matter of fact, I did. Unlike you, though, I didn't use it as an excuse."

"But-"

"You know exactly what you did and what would be the outcome."

"Ugh, I hate all of you."

"Not as much as she hates you," Taylor chimes in. Now everybody's looking at me like I'm some sort of a coward pussy. "Come on! Bust your ass. You're Quinn Ilustre; the bitchiest among all bitches. I placed my bet on you, girl," Bulong niya sabay hila sa akin palabas ng sasakyan. "Let's go."

"Wait, are you switching with your other personalities or something?" I cupped Taylor's face, examining it. Sabagay, magpalit man siya ng personality, 'di magbabago ang mukhang 'to. "Sino ka? Lumabas ka sa sexy'ng katawang 'to!"

"You, bully. I'm just tryna be your friend here. As you can see, ako lang ang kakampi mo," By looking at everyone, totoo nga sinabi ni Taylor. Mga traydor. "Me, Ice, and Meadow, of course. Suck it up. 'Cause you can't suck anything right now but that."

"Ah, excuse me? Are you a clone?"

"Shut up."

"Oo na. May alak pa? I mean, come on, she's there, so, um, I don't want to go inside and eat some stupid dinner with my-" Napatigil ako nang biglang nag-pullover ang dilaw na pick-up truck. Inaalala ko kung sino ang nagmamay-ari ng sasakyan dahil familiar ito sa akin. "Putsa! The fuck is she doin' here?" I withdrew myself from Ice's grip and marched straight to the person who just jumped out of her vehicle. "I think you're in the wrong place, doll. I'm here, she's here, and of all people, you're also here. It just doesn't fit in."

"Well, well, well..." Tumawa lang ang antipatikang si Brooke. "What do we have here?" Hindi namin namalayang nasa loob na pala ang aking mga kasamahan. "How's your Italian boyfriend, Quinn?"

"It's just a stupid make-out session, Brooke. It's not that big of a deal," Sagot ko. Ayokong magpatalo sa bwisit na 'to at alam kong matagal na niyang gustong agawin si Grey sa akin. "Ikaw? Kamusta ang pagiging number two mo sa akin sa lahat ng bagay?"

She laughed evilly and loudly. Napasilip tuloy si Meadow sa bintana. "Okay lang, Quinn, basta't ikaw naman ngayon ang number two sa listahan ni Grey," Napalunok na lang ako. Gusto ko siyang banatan pero hindi pwede at ayoko na ng iskandalo. Ayoko ring maging isang catfight na lang ang naturang hapunan. "'Dami ring nanliligaw sa kanya kaya ako nababahala, eh. Kaya ang balak ko talaga ngayong umuwi siya, mapasa'kin na siya ng tuluyan," Payabang niyang sinabi. Sa tono ng pananalita niya, parang may something na sila ng ex ko. "'Wag kang mag-alala, 'di ko gagawin ang ginawa mo sa kanya, ang ipagpalit siya sa career."