"And that's the adventure of the legendary gangsters! Yey!"
I clapped which made my classmates clap, too. Ow! Ow! Natuwa sila sa kwento ko! Who will not be? Magaling akong story teller sabi ni Daddy. At malawak din daw imagination ko.
Nakaupo lang 'yong mga kaklase ko sa damuhan ng playground ng school namin. Wala pa kasi kaming mga sundo so I decided to entertain them for a while. Isa pa, Nevin's still not here. He's late.
"Ang galing naman no'n, Gene! They're so cool!" Rica said while giggling. I giggled, too. My stories are the coolest!
"I want to be like them when I grow up!" sabi naman ni Brey.
"Me, too!"
"Yes! Yes! Ako rin!"
Sunod-sunod na sigaw na nila. Napa-giggle ulit ako. I like the idea that they want to be like my characters.
"Puro naman kasinungalingan kinukwento mo sa kanila," biglang sabat ni Artanel sa gilid. Napasimangot agad ako. Him! Ang kontrabida sa story ng buhay ko. Lagi na lang umeepal.
"Artanel Grayson, hindi ka ba love ng momma mo? You're putting negative energy here. Go there. You're not needed." Mataray na pagpapaalis ko sa kan'ya pero parang hindi n'ya ako pinansin. He's still sitting in that swing with a lollipop in his mouth. Para s'yang si tito Ken pero mas gwapo si tito Ken ng 100%.
"You know, Gene, don't try so hard sharing fake stories. I'm telling you, you're not good at it. Try playing piano. You might get better." Artanel just said that to my face with my classmates as the audiences. Para malaman mo, Artanel, neighbor ka lang namin. Hindi ka importanteng tao.
"I can play any instruments you would like to ask me to play. And please, Artanel, you're the one who doesn't have a talent here."
"Getting into your nerves is my talent."
I want to punch him now.
Nawala na lang bigla ang inis ko no'ng marinig ko si Kenny na sinisigaw ang pangalan ko. Best friend ko si Kenny na anak ni tito Ken at tita Nicka.
"Geeene!" Umiiyak na sigaw n'ya habang tumatakbo papunta sa 'kin. Napataas naman agad 'yong dalawang kilay ko. Nagtago si Kenny sa likod ko na parang natatakot.
"Genie, there's a cockroach! A cockroach?" sigaw pa n'ya.
"Where?" tanong ko naman. Hello? Sa dami ng damo dito, sa dami ng dragon flies at grasshoppers, cockroach pa talaga nakita at kinatakutan n'ya?
"There!" May tinuro s'ya kaya sinundan ko ng tingin 'yon. Palapit sa 'min 'yong bad fetuses. Yes, the bad fetuses. Sila 'yong limang lalaking sisiga-siga sa room namin. Puro naman lampa. Iyakin pa nga 'yong isa d'yan.
Naka-smirk si Dice habang hawak sa antenna 'yong cockroach na hawak n'ya. He's waving it in air para lalong takutin si Kenny.
"Ano, Kenny? You want this? I can give it to you free," maangas na sabi ni Dice. I crossed my arms.
"Hey, fetus #1, stop teasing Kenny," banta ko sa kan'ya. You're stealing my job, bro.
"Sorry, Gene 'the amazona', but you're not intimidating enough to make me obey," sagot ni Dice bago n'ya hinagis 'yong ipis. Saktong pumasok 'yong ipis sa uniform ni Kenny kaya nagtitili na s'ya at nagtatalon. Nagsimula na rin s'yang umiyak ng malakas.
I feel my other side taking over my body. No one messes up with my best friend. No one.
"Intimidating?" I smirked and punched him in face without hesitation. Then, it was the time the chaos started. Nagkagulo 'yong mga kaklase ko. Nagsitakbuhan sila sa kung saan-saan habang sumisigaw ng 'Mommy!' 'Ma'am!'. Nakakatuwa 'yong iba't-ibang klase ng takbo nila. Pati na rin 'yong mga reaksyon nila. 'Yong mga kasamahan nga ni Dice, nakitakbo na rin.
