8 Daggers

Eight

Daggers

Bumalik siya sa bahay na lutang. She felt like shit. Her head is throbbing inside like there's a hammer smashing it open. She immediately slid to the bathroom and took her clothes off. Agad siyang nag-shower. Brushing every part of her skin.

The memories returned one by one. What the hell was that? She calmed herself. It's perfectly normal. Nothing's wrong with her. Walang nawala sa kanya. But then she feel so weird. This is Kata's doing. After that incident at Isla Olvida, she knows something is off with her. She badly needs to talk to her and make some sense of all these.

"Where were you that night?" Arny asked her suddenly. Bigla siyang kinabahan nang maaalala na naman ang gabing 'yon sa Zone.

"Umuwi ako after. Hindi ba kita sinabihan?" she laughed a little hiding her white lie.

"I must've been a wrecked to even noticed," Arns replied and frowned as if remembering something.

"Yeah right, you were. You almost hopped onto Luis, Arns," she humorously said.

Arny's face turned red. "I did what?" she exlaimed.

"Joke lang," bawi niya habang natatawa sa mukha nitong nagpapanic. Arns sighed in relief.

"So you didn't hook up with someone?" tanong nito.

"I was kidding. Of course, I was with someone and had a filthy night," she grinned and raised her brows giving her friend a knowing look.

"Good for you. Hangover lang sumalubong sa'kin after." Arns pouted with disappointment in her face.

Tumawa siya. "Alam mo naman, I'm parched as a fucking cadaver. A woman's gotta get some o baka maging desyerto pa 'to," she said while pointing her hands down between her legs.

"TMI, Carol, TMI," naiiling na sagot nito.

"Masanay ka na, Arns," she rolled her eyes at humalakhak sa expression nito.

After class, dumirecho si Carol sa malapit na bookstore to buy some fillers and pens. Ubos na ubos na pati yellow pad at bond paper sa kakasulat niya ng mga notes at lab reports. She immediately bought everything she needs.

"Thanks," aniya sa cashier. She went out and decided to take some stroll dahil medyo maaga pa naman.

"Miss, punta ka dito sa bagong restaurant," a man approached her with flyers in his hands.

"Miss, buy one take one," dagdag nito.

"Ayoko nga. Tigas ng ulo nito," bulong niya pero kinuha niya din naman ang bitbit nitong flyer. Buy one take one siopao at siomai. She might really eat here dahil kapos pa siya sa budget. Hindi pa siya napapadalhan ng kanyang mama. Hinihintay pa raw nitong tumaas ang dollar which is nonsense.

Sa di kalayuan may nakita siyang mga taong nagkumpulan. She hurried to see what's happening. There was an old woman passed out. Biglang sumingit ang isang lalaki para alalayan ang ginang. It was Vico. Agad din siyang lumapit para tumulong.

"What happened?" she asked and kneeled down beside him.

"Ma'am, I'm Vico and I'm a medical personnel," Vico stated as he supported the lady's head using his leg. The lady responded something gibberish. Napatingin si Vico sa kanya.

"Call an ambulance," he commanded and she rushed through her phone but then it was shut down.

"Wait, I can't opened my phone," she replied, almost panicking.

"Kunin mo sa bag ko," Vico urged her, still maintaining his calm demeanor. Agad niyang kinuha ang bag nito saka hinalungkat ang loob. Laptop, mga libro at kung ano-anong gamit ang nasa loob. But she can't find his phone. Shouldn't he be holding it instead of hiding it inside his bag? But then he's Vico, he's not normal.

"Shit. Nasaan?" She gulped.

"Pull your shit together, Carol," he grunted at her. When she finally found the phone agad niyang nabuksan ito dahil walang passcode. She immediately called AGH. Fortunately, dumating din agad ang ambulance para i-rescue ang ginang. Finally, nakahinga na rin siya nang malalim.

Sabay silang sumunod patungo sa AGH. They weren't talking. Kinakabahan siya at medyo nahihiya sa lalaki because of her stupidity awhile ago. Great. Now he knows how clumsy she can be.

She always wanted to do something like this. Save someone in danger. Not that she's wishing for a person to be in an accident. Ini-envision niya lang na magmukhang hero sa mata ng ibang tao using her know-how about medicine. But she was wrong. She made an imperial scene. Sa harap pa talaga ni Vico.

Iniwan siya ni Vico sa waiting area. Naghintay naman siya hanggang sa lumabas ito. He neither looks agitated nor composed. Anong nangyari?

"Ano daw findings?" bungad niya dito.

He bored his eyes on her. "She had a stroke. She could've died," he grimly said.

"But we saved her," sagot niya, a little bit confused of where his anger coming from.

Vico frowned looking pissed at her. Anong mali sa sinabi niya? "Hindi ka ba nakikinig? She almost died," he snarled in disbelief.

"What?" she whispered.

Ano bang problema nito? Ang importante the patient turned out fine. Bakit tila galit na galit ito sa kanya? His eyes says everything. He is looking at her as if she is the most resentful person he's ever laid eyes to.

"The only thing you know is to doll yourself up and hook up with everyone, right?"

She almost gasped with what he said. Hindi siya makapaniwala sa naririnig mula sa lalaki. What's that supposed to mean? Anong koneksyon ng kanyang personal na buhay dito? She can literally fuck anyone who she wants while wearing a manang clothes or a skimpy dress and no one should bat an eye.

Vico clenched his jaw. He can't even take to look at her. He puffed an air before saying, "Di mo yata kayang paganahin ang utak mo. Kung gusto mo talagang maging doctor then start acting like one."

Nanigas siya sa narinig mula sa bibig nito. He already said worse to her. Ngunit ngayon bakit mas dumoble ang epekto sa kanya? His rejection had caused so much on her confidence. His every word already scratched her pride. But this one stings so much.

He marched away but she pulled him back. Hinawi nito ang kamay niya na nakahawak sa braso nito. Nagbabadya ang luha sa kanyang mata but she bit her lip. No, she's not going to cry. She's not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She's more than that. Hindi niya ipapakita na nasasaktan siya. It's really all fun and games until it hurts.

"Ano bang problema mo? Do you hate me that much? Why are bitching about how I want to look? Huh?" she asked scowling at him.

She gritted her teeth in much anger. Tinignan niya ang lalaki nang direcho sa mata. There's no rage now but she can see how he's revolted of her. She moved closer to him.

She smirked habang napailing nang bahagya. "You don't hate me. Are you starting to care about me, Vico?" bulong niya dito.

"Don't be too full of yourself," sagot nito.

Lalo siyang natawa when she grazed her hand into his. He grimaced by what she did. Vico never looked this uncomfortable in his life. Had she finally cracked the wall he built so high?

"Tell me, hindi mo ba talaga ako pinagpantasyahan over the time I was into you?" she asked smugly. Confident of what she's saying.

Vico acts so high and mighty but in reality, he is just every guy out there. Pare-pareho ang kahinaan. There's no way that she didn't made him feel some kind of desire even a little bit. She's the word desirable personified.

But then Vico scoffed at her. "You still haven't changed. Still screwing around and you wonder kung bakit ayoko sa'yo?" he retorted. She gulped by what he said. Anong ibig sabihin nito?

The memory went clear in her head. He was there. Hindi siya namalikmata. He saw her doing that effin body shot with the lame ass Brix. Why would she even have to agree with that, again? But now, it doesn't really matter anymore. She can clearly see it now. Vico finally noticed her and that's the only thing she's been wanting since forever. But not this way.

She snorted. "Okay, I admit. I'm still fucking attracted to you," she revealed.

There's no point in denying it. Wala na siyang maloloko. After all these time, it's still him who occupies this space inside her mind. The only person she wants. The only person who made her patiently mad. Even though it irks her so much. She still wants to get him for herself. No matter how selfish, unhealthy and crazy that sounds.

"But remember this, Vico, I won't change just to fit your description of a woman. I am myself and I can do whatever I want," aniya giving each of her words a weight. He didn't respond. His face remained blank.

She grinned at him. It seems like she won this one. "Don't worry I still want a piece of you so don't sulk on your study table and cry like a bitch," sambit niya at binigyan ito ng tapik sa dibdib as she walked out of the glass doors. Her legs almost faltered when after making sure that she's out of his sight.

His words struck daggers to her. Wala naman siyang paki sa mga sinasabi ng tao sa kanya. How she looks, how she dress up, how she acts around people especially guys. This is her. Walang makakapagpabago sa kanya. How she's not as smart and respectful as her siblings. Fuck what people say. If she wants to go out with no bra on then she'll do it. If she flunk her subjects then she can just retake it. Kahit boba ang pananaw nila sa kanya, their words mean nothing. Their stares only fuel her will to be stronger.

Ngunit kay Vico, his words cut deep. She hated everything he said. Just because he's so great doesn't mean he can just shit on her. She hated herself more for feeling this way. Why did she have to fall for this asshat? Falling? What a word. She can't imagine actually feeling that way but there's no other words to describe this. Maybe lust? Either way, she wants to know what this is and how far has he got into her.