[b]23.[/b] "Nasan si Yana?!" "Hindi ko alam.." "Eh gago ka pala eh! Alam kong magkasama kayo kanina!" "Hindi na kami! Kaya pwede ba.. wag niyo siyang hanapin saken!" Kahit masaket, kelangan kong gawin ito. And I just hope I did the right thing. *bgjdsdk* "Vincent!" Tumakbo ang Daddy ni Yana kay Vincent at pinigilan ito. Hindi ako lumaban. Ayokong lumaban. Wala akong karapatang lumaban. Sinaktan ko si Yana. And I guess, I deserved that punch from Vincent. Actually, kulang pa yun. Hinatak ni Mr. Antonio si Vincent palabas ng bahay namin. Suddenly, my Mom came running to me. I was trying to hold myself from anger and pain. Pero alam ko, sa kaloob-looban ko, gusto kong tumakbo sa labas at hanapin si Yana. Gusto kong sabihin ang totoo. Gusto ko pang lumaban. But looking at my Mom running twards me and Paolo shaking with fear.. I know, this isn't worth the fight at all. At dahil alam kong talo ako, isa lang ang gusto kong gawin.. UMIYAK. "Rhys.." Mom held me in her arms and hugged me so tight. "Mom.. I hope I did the right thing." I said softly while tears came running down my cheeks. "I hope I did." "You did good, son. You did the right thing." She said while crying. Giving up in a fight doesn't mean you're a coward.. it only means that you realized something.. and that is you have better things to do than to fight. [**end of Rhys' POV**] Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko. Ang sakit sakit. Hindi ko alam kung pano patahanin ang sarili ko.. ang pag-iyak ko.. kung pano mawala yung kirot sa dibdib ko.. kung pano kakalimutan yung ginawa niya saken kanina. "Ang.. tanga-tanga ko..*hikbi*.. ang tanga-tanga ko talaga..." I can't believe that I did all of that para lang maging ganito. I'm so stupid. Napaka-ambisyosa ko eh. Simula't sapul, mali na. Simula't sapul, alam ko na sa kaloob-looban ko that Rhys is playing games on me. "Tanga ka talaga Yana.." Hindi ko alam kung anong gagawin ko. My tears just kept flowing from my eyes. Ni wala na akong clear na nakikita. My vision was blurry. Pakiramdam ko, bumaha yung mundo sa mata ko. I couldn't breathe. Naninikip ang dibdib ko. My hands were trembling. I couldn't even think straightly. The scene kept flashing at my mind.. His sorry kept playing in my head like a broken recorded tape.. and everytime it does, chestpains kept attacking me.. and I cry the more. Sa sobrang sakit, kulang nalang sabihin ko mas mabuti pang tumalon nalang ako sa dagat at lunurin ang sarili ko. I didn't know I'll hurt like this. I didn't know he's capable of hurting me like this. Nakakahiya ako. I turned against Dad.. I made Bea lied to them.. I used someone.. someone's who's very dear to me para lang sa kanya.. then.. I'll get this. Iiwan lang naman pala ako. "Andito ka lang pala.." He sat beside me. Hindi ako umimik. I just started crying more. "Sinapak ko siya.." He paused. ".. gago eh. Sabi ko sa kanya.. ingatan ka.." Iyak lang ako ng iyak sa tabi ni Vincent. "Umuwi ka na.. your mom and dad are both worried." Nang marinig kong binanggit niya si Dad, mas napahagulhol ako sa pag-iyak. "Y-Yana.." Vincent held my head and slowly placed it in his shoulders. And when he did, I just found myself crying the more. "V-Vincent.. *hikbi*.." "Just.." He paused. ".. ilabas mo lang." [hr] [hr] "Anak... tumayo ka na diyan. You have a school pa." I woke up early.. only to find myself in my bed in a fetal position.. crying. "Yana... you have a school. Tumayo ka na.." "Y-you don't understand Mom.." I said in between sobs. "Alam mo ba kung anong mangyayari ngayong araw na to kapag pumasok ako?" "Yana.." "I'm going to see Gabby.. *hikbi*.. at alam mo ba kung sino ang kasama niya bago siya papasok sa gate ng Lourdes? *hikbi*.. si Rhys.. si Rhys.. ngingiti siya kay Gabby.. kukunin yung mga dala niya.. hahawakan ang kamay.. ihahatid sa gate ng Lourdes.. hihintaying makapasok.. ngingiti ulet.. tapos.. tapos.. *hikbi*... pagkahapon... uupo si Rhys sa harap ng school nila.. tapos.. *hikbi*... hihintayin niya si Gabby na lumabas ng Lourdes.. waiting for that familiar face na lalabas ng school.. *hikbi*... then pag lumabas si Gabby.. he'll cross the street while smiling sweetly.. tapos.. tapos.. *hikbi*... ngingiti din si Gabby.. kukunin ni Rhys yung mga dala niya.. hahawakan ang kamay... *hikbi*... tapos.. they'll cross the street again.. together... " I sobbed. "Then.. ihahatid siya ni Rhys sa bahay nila.. kahit gano pa kalayo yun.. kahit san pang lupalop ng luzon iyon.." I cried so hard. "Yana.. you have to accept reality. Alam ko.. as a Mom.. as someone na nakadaan din niyan.. it's hard, but you have to be strong.." "H-hind-hindi ko yun kaya Mom.. Kasi hindi naman talaga ako matapang eh.. *hikbi*.. Alam mo ba kung anong manyayari kung papasok ako ngayon?.." "Yana.." "T-they're going to laugh at me.. Why? Kasi.. kasi.. I was played.. *hikbi*.. kasi hindi na ako yung hihintayin ni Rhys.. kasi.. yung ngiti niya hindi na para sakin.. kasi.. mas maganda yung pinalit sakin.. kasi kasi.. mas bagay naman talaga sila simula pa noon.. kasi.. uupo na naman ako sa gilid.. titingnan sila.. with the thought that.. he used to be mine.. and I will be hurting like hell." "Pero Yana.. mas mabuting harapin mo iyan ngayon.. so that mas madali kang makaka-adjust." "No..*hikbi*.. ayoko. Hindi ko pa kaya.." "Yana.. come on! Stand up." Bigla namang nag-alarm yung cellphone ko and Mom picked it up on the floor. February 21. Big day. Exam Results. "You have to get up. This is for your college exam results." "I can just always look it up tomorrow." "Yana! You're smart.. gamitin mo ngayon ang utak mo." "I-isa pa iyan.. Utak lang ang meron saken.. si Gabby, both beauty and brains.." "Yana, stop that!" [hr] And yes, kahit it feels like my body's going to give up, I stood up and went to school. And as expected, everyone glared.. looked.. stared.. lahat na ng type ng "look" na makikita mo sa mga tao at hayop.. binigay saken ng mga tao sa school at sa school din ni Rhys. I saw Vincent standing at the other side of the road, he smiled when he caught my eyes. Kaya napangiti narin ako. Then I saw Bea running up to me. "Geek!" "Hey." I said faintly. "I-I'm so sorry." She said and hugged me. I smiled softly while hugging Bea. "I'ts aarrright. I'm okay." "No, you're not." Then suddenly, when I turned my head on my left side, indeed, I saw Rhys running towards our school.. smiling. And.. dang, ang saket saket. "Pasok na tayo, Bey." "S-sige." Then we went inside the school. I didn't bother to ask kung bakit ako tinitingnan ng lahat. When I reached the classroom, my other friends hugged me and told me na ayos lang. Well, half of the class thinks na Rhys is a jerk.. and half of the class think that he's better off with Gabby. Hindi naman ako lumabas na api dito and all.. hindi rin naman lumabas na masama si Gabby. Wala lang. Parang wala lang talaga. "Good morning, ladies." Miss Santos will start her class na. That's when I noticed Gabby entered the room. "Oh, good morning Miss Altuna." "Morning, miss." She smiled so sweetly. And I don't find it sweet anymore. "Results of the exam will be posted at the Kwan Board. Just check it after the break." She fixed her things and started talking again. "In a week, you'll have your promdance. You know where to sign up naman for the prom committee right?" Everyone started talking na kaagad kung sino kaya ang nakapasa and all. Ewan ko ba, hindi ako interested eh. Parang.. ang weird ng araw ngayon. I don't even talk and all. And everytime na nakikita ko si Gabby, I feel nervous and all. Yung parang nininerbyos ako and at the same time.. masakit. "Miss Antonio.. Miss Antonio? Juliana.. Juliana!" "M-Miss?" "Come to my office after this class." "Sure, Miss." After ng class kay Miss Santos, I followed her and went to her office. Hindi ko alam kung anong dapat kong maramdaman. I didn't do something wrong naman so no need para manerbyos and all. I guess this has something to do with my class standing. "Miss?" "Oh, sit down Juliana." "Thank you." "So I'm going to talk to you about your exam results." "Oh." "This is really important.. and you running for the batch valedictorian. I hope you'll come to a very good decision. I know you will." She smiled. "I just received a call from a university outside the country.." "Paris." I whispered to myself. "Y-Yes.." "I sent an application to the University of Strasbourgh." "Y-Yes.." Bigla akong naalarma at para bang binuhusan ako ng malamig na tubig. "H-How was it?" Huminga siya ng malalim at tiningnan ako. "Here." She gave me an envelope. I looked at it, shaking. Pakiramdam ko nga ayokong hawakan. I took the envelope and slowly opened it. And when I read the letter.. napanganga ako and I felt like screaming kaya I covered my mouth and my tears started to fill my eyes. "Congratulations." She smiled. "Oh my gosh.. thank you Lord." I said and hugged Miss Santos. "You can also check the result of UP. I have a feeling oblation ka dun." She smiled. "Thank you so much, Miss. Thank you." I said and left the room. I hurriedly went outside and went to the Kwan Board. Andami sa batch namen ang nakapalibot sa board. Yung iba ang saya-saya pag-alis ng board, yung iba naman tahimik lang. I saw Bea looking for her name.. then bigla siyang tumawa ng pagkalakas-lakas. "BWAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHA!" She was laughing like an evil habang papalabas sa crowded people. "Bea.." "Guess what?!" "Guess what too?!" I said at pinakita yung envelope sa kanya. "WE PASSED UPDILLIMAN!" She shouted and we jumped for joy. "And you PASSED STRASBOURGH!" And we jumped for joy again. Yung iba narinig namen.. 'ang swerte naman'.. ang mga pinagsasabi. Then Bea leaned closer on me. "Gabby didn't pass UP." And she laughed. Medyo nakalimutan ko na heartbroken pala ako. Ang daming nagcongratulate sakin. Lima lang daw kasi yung kinukuha ng Strasbourgh kada country for the scholarship. So I was really happy na nakapasok ako. And I guess, it's one way na din to get out of the country and leave everything here. [align=center][b]CONGRATULATIONS TO JULIANA ANTONIO OF 4-ST. MARY BATCH 07-08 FOR PASSING UNIVERSITY OF STRASBOURGH PARIS, FRANCE WE ARE PROUD OF YOU![/b][/align] Looking at the banner na nakalagay sa harap ng school namen makes me smile and proud of myself. My parents are very happy to know that I passed the scholarship. I mean, they don't have to pay my college na at the school although they can afford it naman. So.. apartment nalang and extra money. Hmm, masakit parin yung ginawa saken ni Rhys, I'm still on the healing part. Pero katulad nga ng sinabi ni Mommy, kelan ko pa haharapin to? Mas maaga, mas madali. And he seems very happy naman with Gabby. Maybe I should be grateful nalang din that kahit papano I had a boyfriend named RHYS ROMUALDEZ.