Hoax (VBoys Series #1)

017

THIRD PERSON

"What the hell are we doing here, Eleanor?" iritang tanong ni Jaiden sa babaeng hawak-hawak sya sa braso.

It was Monday yet again. Simula na ulit ng klase ng mga studyante. Kasalukuyang nasa school quadrangle si Jaiden, more or less an hour after lunch time, dahil bigla na lamang syang hinila palayo ni Eleanor.

The girl he was talking to let go of her hold on his arm. Tumayo ito sa harap nya at pinagkrus ang mga braso. Her eyes narrowed as she inspected Jaiden's face.

"What happened to your cheek?" she asked.

Jaiden consciously held his cheek. He winced nang mahawakan nya ang pasang namuo roon. Tss, Teo.

"That's none of your business," he said, trying not to sound rude. "Why did you bring me here?"

Eleanor smiled sweetly. "Aren't you my boyfriend now?"

Jaiden only looked at her with a blank face, not wanting to talk. Dahil hindi sya nagsalita ay tumaas ang kilay ni Eleanor.

"We had a deal, right? Ako na ngayon ang girlfriend mo. Now, if you don't cooperate with me, sisiguraduhin kong kakalat ang—"

"Fine, fine!" sukong sabi ni Jaiden, dahilan para maputol ang pagbabanta ng nakatayo sa harap nya. "What do you want?"

Muling bumalik ang matamis na ngiti sa labi ni Eleanor. "You're quite enough, actually. You're all I want. But I also desire something else."

"What?" walang-ganang tanong ni Jaiden. He didn't have the enthusiasm to talk to her. Ang tanging bagay na gusto nyang gawin ngayon ay ang maglakad paalis at puntahan ang taong tunay nyang minamahal.

"I want you to break up with Eunice. Here, where you broke up with me too," Eleanor's lips formed a smirk. "Gusto kong mapahiya sya. I want her to experience the embarrassment I felt."

Kumuyom ang kamay ni Jaiden na nasa gilid nya. He can't do what she's asking, and he will never resort in doing that. Oo, hindi tamang nakipag-break sya kay Eleanor doon din mismo sa lugar na 'yon. Believe it or not, he felt guilty for putting Eleanor through all that embarrassment, but he could never do that to Eunice. Never.

"I won't do that." he told her with a stern voice.

"But you will," Eleanor said in a fake, sweet voice. "Dahil kung hindi, alam mo kung anong mangyayari."

Jaiden knew he had no way out. Sya mismo ang pumasok sa gulong iyon. He made a deal with Eleanor that night at the resort, that he'd break up with Eunice for the sake of her well-being. Pumayag sya sa gusto nito para lamang maprotektahan si Eunice. He didn't want to break up with her, not a single bit, but he also didn't want her to suffer.

"Go on now, text your ex," Eleanor even motioned her hand towards his pocket, where she knew he had put his phone in. "Sabihan mo syang pumunta rito. Now."

Jaiden mentally rolled his eyes. Text my ex? Why would I text her? She's standing right in front of me.

"Jaiden," tawag ng dalaga sa kanya dahil hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin sya kumikilos. "I said, tell Eunice to come here."

"Why are you doing this?" Jaiden asked, trying to soften his voice, afraid she'd suddenly blow up in rage.

Naging matalas ang tingin ni Eleanor sa kanya. She was getting tired of him asking over and over again.