by M.G. Marquez
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
MAGGIE
I was on my way home when a signage dropped just in front of me.
I gasped for air when I realized that I am only three inches away from that danger. I jumped into place when the owner of the shop rushed outside and went hysterical for the damaged property. The signage wasn’t that old, it was only a few weeks brand new the last time I checked. I think the signage was attached poorly. What a waste.
“Miss, are you hurt?” the store owner asked me, frantic. I told him I’m okay, and gave his back a pat before I go.
When I was at the pedestrian lane, I bumped into a man in an overcoat. I said I was sorry but he just looked at me. I tried to smile, but he didn’t.
“Be safe always,” he said before he goes.
The stoplight went from green to red so I ran swiftly toward the other end of the lane. I met someone very familiar there that my heart faltered.
“Don’t run too fast. You might trip over and get hurt.”
I smiled when he put his bonnet on my head, telling me it suits me well. I smiled when he told me we should walk together, my arm around his arm. I smiled because I‘ve always wanted to go home with Ero.
And it’s happening now.
GUJI
“So, tell me about it.” Yvan popped into my side like a mushroom. I punched him in the gut for surprising me like that. “Geez, it’s just me!”
“Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“If your mind wasn’t ‘ol flying in the air –”
“Fly whatever.” I rolled my eyes at him and continued throwing darts. Aside from soccer, playing darts is our sport. We play it here in our tree house often.
“Janella told me about your coldness last week,” the last dart I threw went sideways and landed on the wall next to the board.
Janella.
Yeah. I’ve been ignoring her since Monday. I don’t want to be angry at her because of my stupid reason. I’m feeling weird around her and that gets me irritated, angry. So I’m putting space between us so I couldn’t shout at her out of the blue.
I don’t want her to think that she did something wrong that’s why I’m like this.
I’m like this because something hit me that night, and it hit me big time.
Jackpot.
“So what? I don’t have any obligation to give her my attention. She’s KSP, that’s all.” I said.
“Don’t you miss her?”
“Hell no.”
Hell yes.
Instead of drinking and causing troubles, soccer had been our after school activity ever since the semester started. There would be an upcoming competition this November and we’re practicing for that. The KFC (Kim Foundation and Companies) Cup would be the first competition I’ll be playing on as a Team Captain.
This means a lot to me. I mean that as hell.
Fred and his girl, Mean by the name, were busy flirting in front of me so threw a ball at his head to stop them. He complained in pain.
“In case you don’t know Boss that hurts so bad!”
“In case you don’t know, your flirting is so bad,”
She rushed to his side, and touched his head like I had thrown a cannonball at him instead. What a show. “Did that hurt?”
“Not much, Boss Janella.”
I raised my brow at that and said, “Hey, you’re so kind today. What did you eat?”
“Do you want to get punched?”
“Wow, I can’t believe you. Why are you so devilish to me?”
“Ask Rizal. Geez, I’m going home.” She grabbed her things and started walking out. Shaking my head, I ran fast just to catch her. When I’m sure that we’re just a few steps away from each other, I started to walk.
“Hey.” When she didn’t stop, I called her again. “Hey!”
“What?” She turned to me, angry.
“Hey My Tutor and Damaged Beauty Queen who looked like a Gay and has a brain made of seaweed –”
“Okay, don’t stop enumerating all the insulting things about me. You’re best at that, you see?”
“Are you angry at me?”
“Oh? Isn’t it obvious?”
“What did I ever do to you?”
“Except for being such a total ass, nothing much. You treat me like air, dude. It is as if I don’t exist at all! I’m helping you with all of your assignments and you’re just sleeping on me?! You ill-mannered monster! And that! I don’t understand why you’re acting like that because the last time I checked I did nothing wrong!”
I pulled her to myself to shut her up.
“Oh my God! Stop hugging me!”
“You missed me, don’t you?”
“MISSED YOUR FACE! I rather smash your face on the wall!”
“Just admit it, you missed me,”
“SHUT UP!”
“C’mon, we’re the only ones here. You missed me?”
“SHIT, I did.”
I laughed at the top of my lungs as she went over her embarrassment that she can’t hide from me. “I missed you, too.”
MAGGIE
I was walking downtown when something flew past my face. I mean seriously, that scared the hell out of me.
I am 100% sure it’s a dart which flew just past my face. Though my eyesight is poor, I know how to distinguish an insect to an actual flying sharp thing. And the freaky thing here is it went sloooow mooo when it’s just millimeters away from my skin.
Geez, I could be a heroine for that.
I kept myself steady and looked everywhere to see if someone’s out there aiming for me. I sure think that someone’s aiming at me. I’m just the only one who’s standing here on this street.
When I took a step forward, another one flew past my face. This time, it actually grazed my skin.
That’s when I started to run for my life with all the adrenaline rushing all over my body. I tried to suppress the unreachable monster inside of me and not let it control me this time.
I could not shatter at this point of my life.
I need to run.
When my peripherals happened to pass by a dark aisle, I turned. I pressed myself against the cold concrete wall, with a heart beating so fast and a lung failing to supply the oxygen I need. I covered my mouth to lessen the chattering sound my teeth were creating.
Even my hands were trembling.
When I saw that someone was running past the aisle, I know that it’s him who’s running after me. And I know that I’m safe.
My knees trembled and crashed to the ground. My phone rang on my pocket and when I reached for it, I can’t get a grip on it. My hands are too shaky to hold it properly.
C’mon Maj, GET A GRIP!
When I finally got a hold on it, I saw BD’s name on the LCD. I answered.
“Hey, where the hell are you?!”
I covered my mouth so he couldn’t hear the sobs I’m trying to suppress. Everything got worse when the Unreachable Monster took a great hold on me and never let me go.
I screamed with no sound.
I did not say anything to them. Not a word about it. I just came home and slept it all away. Though I wasn’t sure if I did sleep at all. All I know was I was crying in deep fear.
Why would someone try to kill me? What did I do?
I tried to bury the thought in my mind and acted normal. BD was looking at me weirdly so I smiled at him to reassure him that I was okay. He nodded and continued whatever he’s doing.
Every one of them asked why the heck do I have a duck printed band aid on my right cheek. I only said, “It was itchy so I scratched it.”
“That bad?”
“Yeah. That bad.”
After class, we played soccer. This has been our way of spending our spare time in the afternoon. We called this bonding.
Nikki thought that we should have a competition in a team of three. Like what the hell, my lungs have this stupid difficulty to contain as much oxygen that I need, and she thinks I should compete with the guys. I think she wants me dead.
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“Hey there,” BD put his hand on my head and messed my hair up. Stupid. “Let’s have a wager on this game,”
And because I am so confident that Jason and Klein would be on my team, I said bring it on.
“Okay. The one who’ll lose shall be the slave of the winner. For seven glorious days,” he declared. And the thought of him being my slave is such a beautiful sight that’s why I said yes, I could bring you down.
But when they started to pick their Popsicle sticks for the team, I went all white.
“1,” Guji.
“2!” said Fred.
“I’m 1,” Jason. Okay. My hopes have shattered.
“I’m on Team 1, too.” Klein. SHIT AS HELL. Why am I so unfortunate?
“2! Oh my God, Maj! We’re on the same team!” Nikki tried to hug me but I was soooo frustrated I kept on pushing her away. I’m stuck with two people who don’t know how to play soccer. Plus me.
How are we supposed to win this game? I have no clue.
“Do we still need to play or are you willing to be my slave by default?” I glared at him. But he didn’t budge. He just put his hand on my head for the nth time to mess my hair up. “You don’t have to play. You’ll get tired,”
“Don’t underestimate my team!” Then I looked at Fred and Nikki who’re beaming at me. Shit, I don’t think we stand a chance against Guji. But I have fake hopes. “We’ll win. You’ll see!”
After fifteen minutes of constant trying to get a score, we have nothing and they have everything. They scored 3. We scored nothing.
I have the ball for safekeeping and BD was in front of me. Gosh, I want to punch his face for not letting us score a goal even once.
“Can you please make me score?” I asked him.
“Sure,” then he leaned forward and kissed my cheek.
Shit. I could feel all of my blood vessels constrict and my blood’s rushing furiously all over my face. He’s just smiling like a fool before he stole the ball and kicked it on the goal.
“GUJI TARENCE KIM!”
While I’m having this serious warfare on my mind, they’re just having their victory dance out there. The game was over and hell yeah, I’m a slave for one week. Oh brother brother.
I turned to face Fred, who by all eternity was stupid. How could he even be in a soccer team when he can’t even score at least one goal? He’s so useless!
“Don’t worry Boss Janella. We’ll have a rematch and we’re so gonna bring them doooown!”
“I’m so going out. Bye,” I quickly turned toward my things and collected them. I was hoping and praying a Hail Mary that Guji might’ve forgotten that we had a bet.
I think my prayers were a bit too late.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Guji called from behind. “You ain’t going home… Slave.”
Hell is empty.
And the demons are all here on earth.
