Sit on my lap

ANGELLE

"Angelle, your cousin said that you'll be going with them. Why don't you want to go?" Mama asked while she was focused on the TV.

I glanced at Mama, who was sitting on the sofa in the living room. She was having her coffee, and it seemed like she had already prepared breakfast for us.

To be honest, I really want to go with Ate Jove, but I'm just thinking that if I go, I'll definitely see Link there, and he might retaliate for what I did to him.

"I'm just feeling lazy today, Ma," was the only response I could muster.

"Come with them so you won't be a homebody." Am I a homebody? I'm always at the mall near our old house.

"You're always glued to your laptop and cellphone." She added.

"Couzie!" I turned my head towards the door as Ate Jove shouted. "Couz, come with us!" she said as she approached me and held my hand as if pleading.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I don't want to go, I'll just see the ugly Link there." I replied.

"Couz, I'll be the one accompanying you. Mama doesn't want to let me go because you're not coming! Please, Couz. It's all on me, it's all free!" she said.

"Why do you really want to go so badly?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

She smiled and glanced at Mama, who was busy watching TV. "Because Andre and I are going on a date too," she whispered.

Couldn't help but smile and shake my head at what she said. "Okay, you said everything is on you, right? No takebacks," I said, widening my smile.

I bid farewell and went to prepare myself. I entered my room, took a shower, and got ready. Then, I faced the mirror and looked at myself. Perfect!

I grabbed my pouch and cell phone and approached Mama, who was still watching TV. She was probably waiting for my siblings before having breakfast.

"Ma, I'm leaving," I said, getting closer to her and giving her a peck on the cheek.

"Don't you want to have breakfast first? It's still early," she replied.

"No, Ma. I'll just have it there, hehe."

"Okay, take care." I nodded and met my cousin who was waiting at the door.

"Where are they?" I asked.

"They're already waiting at the terminal, so we need to hurry," she replied, pulling me.

I took a deep sigh before following my cousin. I was nervous because I knew I would see Link for sure, and it might lead to another argument. Oh well, let's see how it goes!

As soon as we arrived at the terminal, my expression immediately changed when I saw Link. Every time I see his face, anger ignites in my chest because of what he did. In my eyes, he's just a piece of crap that deserves to be dealt with. I may sound harsh, but I won't be nice to a guy like him.

"Couz, maybe Link will melt away, stop staring at him." I heard my cousin whisper softly. I gave her a glare and joined her in approaching Andre.

"Hello, girls. Are you two ready to feel the heaven?" Andre asked, and Ate Jove playfully smacked him for some unknown reason. "Ouch! There you go again with your slaps!" Andre exclaimed in annoyance.

"What do you mean by heaven?" she asked.

"Why, when you ride a tricycle, doesn't it feel like heaven, because it's so enjoyable?" We all laughed at Andre's reasoning.

"Whatever!" Ate Jove rolling her eyes, and then she pulled me onto the tricycle.

Once we were on board, the guys followed suit in the other tricycle since there wasn't enough space for all of us in one. Of course, Andre sat next to Ate Jove to woo her. I sat at the back because I preferred it that way. I glanced beside me when someone sat there, and my heart skipped a beat out of fear that he might push me off later when the tricycle starts moving just to get back at me.

"There's still space on the other side," I said, annoyed.

I needed to show him that I wasn't afraid of him. So he wouldn't see me as more of a rival. He looked at me and gave me a bored look.

"I want to sit here," he said. I just rolled my eyes in frustration and looked away, directing my gaze elsewhere.

Throughout the entire tricycle ride, neither of us spoke to each other. It was as if an angel had passed by and slapped the both of us. Who would want to talk to him anyway?

I glanced at his hand hanging above and caught a whiff of his pleasant cologne. Wow~ I wonder what scent he's wearing? Ugh! Why am I even thinking about that, Gelle, Aren't you enemies?

I shook my head, calming my thoughts. Soon enough, we arrived at the jeepney terminal. We immediately boarded the jeepney, and I sat at the back.

Once again, I sighed as Link sat on the other end. It seemed like he deliberately always ended up sitting near me. If that's the case, he should have just made me his phone wallpaper.

"Oh, anyway guys. This is Angelle, Jovelyn's cousin. She'll be joining us for the get-together," Paps broke the deafening silence.

"Hi, Angelle. I'm Albert, you can call me Prof," a man introduced himself and extended his hand. I accepted it and shook hands.

"Angelle, meet Jimwell, Wendell, and Timothy, and don't forget to include Russel, John, and Kervin," Paps introduced the others while pointing them out. I smiled and waved at them, and they returned the gesture.

I already knew some of them. Andre had also introduced them to me.

"So, where are you planning to study?" Prof suddenly asked.

"I'm not sure yet. Where is there a good school around here?"

"There are two schools here, Maximo High, where we attend, and Buras High, where Cacai and Joel go," Prof replied. Maximo?

Joel is Ate Jove's sibling and Cacai is Joel's girlfriend.

"Is the teaching good?"

"It's like any other school, Couz. But our school is strict when it comes to students," Ate Jove chimed in.

"I'll just tell Mama and Papa that I'll transfer to Maximo High," I said, and they smiled. "So that I have people to be with," I added.

"Sure, we can go to school together and have break time together," Paps Justine said, visibly happy with the conversation.

"Break time already, Paps? Can't we have a lesson before eating?" We all laughed at Andre's remark.

Andre was known for his humor in the group, always coming up with jokes and funny comments.

Even though I've only been with them for a day, I'm already enjoying their company because they're fun to be around. I've read a lot of negative things about them, but getting to know them, I realized that those people were wrong. People are just quick to judge. Except for this rude guy in front of me, who hasn't even bothered to talk and is just focused on his cell phone. Is he watching something?

Out of curiosity, I slowly glanced at his phone screen. And when he suddenly looked at me, I quickly averted my gaze and pretended to look outside. Argh! I shouldn't have snooped around.

You're such a nosy girl!

°~°~°~°~°~°

OMG! Surprise and joy were the first things you could see on my face when we arrived at their event place. I found out that they rented this space for their get-together. It was heartwarming to see that everyone here contributed their effort to make this get-together happen.

I felt a bit embarrassed about what I was wearing because I was the only one who didn't match their outfits, hehe. I was wearing a skirt and a crop top. It was completely different because the other girls were wearing off-white pants or ripped jeans, just like Ate Jove. That's probably why some people were looking at me.

"There are a lot of people here today," Paps said while looking at the crowd of hype beasts.

The guys, even if they're not handsome... they look handsome because of what they're wearing, but there are also many handsome and beautiful hype beasts. They're so young, imagine if all the youth were like this... I mean, instead of fighting, the country would be in a better state. But in today's time, most of the youth are a headache because there are young people who don't understand each other. How did some people think they're 'jeje'? If fashion is the only basis for these young people?

"They're cool, right?" I said out of the blue, and I noticed that my cousin looked at me.

"They are? Of course," she replied.

"Hi?" I suddenly turned to my side as someone greeted me.

I saw four guys looking at me and smiling, they were also hype beasts.

"Are you with Link’s group?" the guy with blonde hair asked, and I nodded in response.

"I'm Jahn Ernest Villa, just call me Ernest," he introduced himself and extended his hand. I looked at him first before accepting and shook hands.

"I'm Angelle Musco," I introduced myself. I extended my hand and he smiled.

"Nice name," he said, and it made me smile.

"Thanks."

"Anyway, are you into hype beast fashion too?" he asked, which caught me off guard. Do I look like I'm into hype beast fashion?

"No, my cousin just brought me along," I admitted.

"Oh," he replied.

"Hey, your cousin is calling you," someone called out to me, and I turned to see Link, who was looking at me without any expression.

"Are you talking to me?" I asked, pointing at myself, and I saw him smirk.

It's obvious, girl. You're the only one he has a grudge against!

"You're in the Philippines," he said and walked away.

What's the connection? I just let the walk-out Prince go and turned back to face Ernest. Ate Jove was nowhere to be found, she didn't even say goodbye to me. Now I'm left standing here at the entrance.

"Sorry, he's half." I said, and Ernest furrowed his brow.

"What?" he asked.

"Half-Filipino, half-abnormal," I replied, which made him burst into laughter. Because of his loud laughter, other people started looking at us. But I ignored them and just focused on Ernest, who was trying to control his laughter.

"Sorry, I just found your joke funny," he said. Joke?

"I'm not joking, it's true," I said, smiling, and suddenly he messed up my hair, which startled me.

"Couzie! What's wrong with you? Let's go and eat," my cousin interrupted, pulling me as if she was annoyed with me.

"Uh... um?" I was at a loss for words.

"Aren't you guys going to stay longer?" Ernest asked Ate Jove, causing him to stop pulling me.

"Yes," she replied, and Ernest nodded.

"Angelle, I'm happy to meet you. I hope we can spend more time together next time," I smiled.

"Me too, thank you, and bye," I said, waving at him before being pulled away by my cousin.

Even though I didn't want to leave, I couldn't do anything about it. I just followed my cousin. When we reached their table...

POK!

"Ouch!" I let out a soft groan and instinctively touched my forehead where something suddenly flicked it. I immediately looked at the culprit and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you so close to my forehead that you had to flick it?" I asked Link with a sarcastic tone, as he looked at me with a mischievous grin.

"No, I'm just getting back at you," he replied.

"Why? What did I do to you?" I asked, and then I remembered what I did to him earlier, which almost killed him.

"Oh, just wondering. How's your wealth?" I teased.

"Do you want to find out?" I grimaced and glared at him.

"Pervert!" I retorted.

"Pervert is naked!" he said, laughing.

I furrowed my brow. Why did this guy suddenly change his attitude? Earlier, he had no reaction, and now he's teasing me.

I sat next to Ate Jove, who left me with the abnormal guy earlier. As I approached, all of them had furrowed brows and seemed to be deep in thought. What happened?

"Are you all okay? You look problematic. Let me know if there's anything I can help with," I said, causing everyone to look at me.

"Link's wallet is missing, and all his allowance was in there," Ate Jove explained. Oh, it's because of Link. He must be really foolish to lose his wallet.

"Well, that's unfortunate. We can just consider him and lend him some money," I replied, but their reactions remained the same.

"You don't understand us," Ate Jove said.

"How much money was in there?" I asked.

"40K," I glanced to the side and saw Link, who had just arrived and seemed calm about losing the money. But, what? 40K?

"Stop joking," I said, laughing.

How come? He's only look 18 years old and he already has that much money? And he still a student.

"He's not joking here, Couz. His wallet really had 40K inside," Ate Jove suddenly said.

"How come? Does he have a job?" Andre shook his head in response to my question.

"His mom is the one who always gives him money, and the reason why his wallet had 40K is because Link isn't really a spendthrift," Andre explained.

Why did he bring all that money with him? I saw him carrying a belt bag that is no longer on his waist now.

"Let's not talk about that anymore. Prof will treat me for a free ride," Link said, scratching the back of his head.

What's wrong with this guy? He's not completely devastated even though he lost a huge amount of money? If it were me, I might have cried already.

As their event started, Link just sat in front of me while our other companions happily joined in the games.

I looked at Link and noticed that he was staring blankly, watching the people enjoying themselves. This guy is really handsome, and if our first encounter hadn't been so unpleasant, we might have become close.

The problem is, his mood keeps changing. I can't read his expressions properly because he's good at hiding them. People like him are scary to be around because you can't really get to know them well.

"Do I have something on my face?"

I snapped back to reality upon hearing his voice. My eyes widened, but I quickly recovered and glared at him. Have I been staring at him this whole time?

Shortly after, Ate Jove and the others arrived with laughter. I was saved from his question.

"You two should have joined!" Russel exclaimed with excitement, referring to both me and Link, who had a prize in his hands.

"Yeah, the games were easy. Not tiring at all," I smiled at Kervin's comment.

"It's alright, as long as you had a good time," I responded casually.

The announcement of mealtime brought excitement to everyone, and they eagerly formed a line, enticed by the abundance of food. The fact that it was catered added an extra touch of extravagance.

Rather than joining the line, I decided to let my companions go ahead and considered grabbing a meal from a fast food chain instead. It felt awkward to intrude on their gathering.

As each person took their seat, I was taken aback when Link placed a plate of food in front of me.

"What's this?" I asked, puzzled, as I pointed to the plate filled with food.

"Obviously, it's food," he replied rudely, sitting down without making eye contact.

Even Paps and Ate Jove glanced at Link, who seemed to be ignoring us.

"Oh, maybe this is Link's way of making it up to Angelle for what happened to them," Timothy commented.

"What happened to them?" Wendell asked, unaware of the previous events.

"Well, last night, Link mistook Angelle for someone else and hugged her. She ended up slapping him!" Paps' remark triggered laughter from the guys.

"Angelle is really different from Gipsy," Wendell commented.

"Let's not pry and just focus on eating," Prof interjected, probably sensing my discomfort with the topic.

"Just eat it, cousin," Ate Jove said, offering me a reassuring smile.

Ate Jove then turned to Andre, who was feeding her. Seriously? Are they even feeding each other here?

Despite feeling shy and confused, I took a bite of the food that Link had given me. Besides not having breakfast before leaving, my stomach was growling with hunger.

"Oops, there's sauce on the corner of your lips," Andre said as he wiped the side of Ate Jove's mouth.

Paps, Prof, and our companions teased them. I glanced at Link in front of me, who had been staring at his food with a serious expression. Did he just realize now that he regretted giving me his food?

After their playful banter, Ate Jove resumed chatting with our companions, while I remained silent and stole glances at Link. It was unusual for him to be so quiet, considering I knew him as someone eccentric.

"What are you looking at?" Link raised an eyebrow, catching me off guard.

Damn it! He caught me staring at him again.

"Huh? Was I looking at you? Maybe I was looking at the couple," I quickly denied, hoping to divert his attention. He turned around to look, and my heart sank at the sight of two little girls sitting there.

He faced me again, grinning. "You weren't looking, huh?" I cleared my throat, feeling flustered, and decided to stand up, capturing everyone's attention.

"Oh, couz. Why?" Ate Jove asked, concerned.

"Um... I'll just go to the bookstore. I've lost my appetite," I said, hoping to escape the awkward situation. Ate Jove nodded understandingly.

"Don't you want company, Angelle?" Prof offered. I smiled and shook my head.

"It's fine, I'll go alone," I replied.

After bidding them farewell, I left and made my way to the bookstore.

This was the only way I could escape from Link's probing questions, especially since I found myself looking at him more often, sometimes unable to control it. I didn't want them to misinterpret my feelings.

I was thrilled to see that the books were in excellent condition. As I perused the shelves, carefully selecting the captivating stories I would indulge in during my vacation at home, I sensed someone's presence behind me. I turned around, and my eyebrows nearly shot up when I saw Link with his back turned. What is he doing here? I winced and decided to ignore him, focusing on my search for books that would transport me to new worlds and adventures.

"Try reading some detective stories. Your mind shouldn't be filled with just love stories," Link suggested, raising an eyebrow as he held up a book.

"Excuse me? Are you talking to me?" I asked, my annoyance evident in my tone.

POK!

I was startled when he lightly tapped my forehead with the book. I held my forehead and rubbed it, giving him a stern look. "You have the audacity to hit me. Do you think we're close or something?" I raised an eyebrow and slightly raised my voice.

He leaned in closer, causing me to instinctively step back. Oh, no! This scenario is straight out of a cliché scene from every story I've ever read.

"Don't you dare kiss me!" I hissed, knowing what perverted guys like him are capable of.

He suddenly smiled and moved his face away, bursting into laughter. What just happened here? I looked around and noticed that other people were peeking, probably thinking that someone incredibly handsome was laughing. Argh! Did I say handsome? Duh.

"Yah! Stop laughing!" I said, lightly hitting his chest to make him stop, but he still didn't. So, I was about to hit him again when he caught my hand and became serious.

"You're so assuming. I won't kiss you, okay? I have a girlfriend, and I won't trade her for an Amazon like you," he raised an eyebrow at his statement.

Amazon? Me? Why did his words hurt me?

"Are you insulting me?" he grinned.

"If you think so, then yes," I glared at him and forcefully pulled my hand away, turning my back on him to search for more books.

After making my book selections, I headed to the counter and prepared to pay for the four books. As I reached for my wallet, someone carelessly bumped into me, nearly causing me to lose my balance. When I turned to see who it was, I was met with Link's presence. I couldn't help but feel the urge to punch him! What is his problem with me? It seems like there's always something going on between us.

Rather than engaging in an argument, I decided to let him pay for the books. I couldn't help but wonder where he got the money from.

Once the transaction was complete, I paid for my purchases and left the bookstore. However, before I could fully exit, I noticed Link leaning against the wall as if waiting for someone.

I chose to ignore him and walked towards Ate Jove when suddenly he grabbed my arm. I turned to look at him, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Why?" I asked, pulling my arm away from his grasp.

"We're going home," he replied, causing my eyebrow to raise even higher.

"Excuse me? We're going home? What about Ate Jove and your friends?"

"They already left," I paused, feeling a sense of disbelief.

"Seriously?"

"It's just the two of us going home now," he stated.

I couldn't help but feel betrayed when Ate Jove called me and told me that they already left. It seemed like she intentionally left me behind. I had assumed we would continue shopping together, but it appeared that wasn't the case.

Negative thoughts started to flood my mind. What if something terrible happens? What if he takes advantage of me in a dark place? I scolded myself for being such a pessimist.

"I have no intention of doing anything harmful to you. I'm not interested in you," he assured me, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his statement.

"The feeling is mutual," I replied, unimpressed. He chuckled softly and then suddenly glanced behind me. Before I could turn to see what caught his attention, he swiftly pulled me away.

Once we were outside, he remained silent, and I simply followed him, wondering what was bothering him.

We quickly hopped on a jeepney, and I couldn't help but notice a change in his mood. What was going on?

"Why did Ate Jove leave me with you?" I finally broke the silence between us.

"I don't know," he answered in a low voice, avoiding eye contact.

"What's the deal with that?" I complained, feeling frustrated.

"Don't you want to be with me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Excuse me?"

"Enough with the 'excuse me,' you're not going anywhere," he stated, causing me to roll my eyes. "By the way, answer my question. Don't you want to be with me?" This time, as he asked, he looked directly into my eyes.

Why was he acting like this? Was he under the influence of drugs or something?

"Yes," I reluctantly admitted.

In reality, I didn't want to be with him at all. He forced a smile and avoided making eye contact.

"Okay, so the feeling is mutual," I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his statement.

We both fell silent. As the jeepney stopped to pick up more passengers, I glanced at three girls who had just boarded and were whispering and looking at Link, raising an eyebrow at their behavior.

"Brother, aren't you Link?" one of the girls suddenly spoke, catching Link's attention. He looked at them and nodded in response. I couldn't help but wonder how they knew him.

"Do you know Prof?" one of the girls asked, and Link nodded again.

"Brother, please tell Prof to check our message," another girl requested. I raised an eyebrow, curious about their message for Prof.

"Okay, I'll let him know," Link replied. The conversation fell silent once again. The girls stopped asking questions, but I couldn't help but notice their lingering gaze on Link. It was puzzling. I thought they were interested in Prof, so why were they looking at Link as if they wanted to devour him?

The jeepney stopped again, and two young men boarded. Since there were already many passengers, one of them squeezed in beside me.

Feeling cramped, I instinctively held onto Link's arm, seeking some relief. Link looked at me, assessing the situation.

"Move to the other side, bro. You're squishing my companion," Link said to the guy.

"There's no space there," the guy replied.

Link glanced at the seat on the other side and confirmed that there was indeed no space available.

"It's okay, don't move him yet," I interjected.

Link sighed and looked at me. "Just sit on my lap. You're already squeezed there, and someone might see," he suggested.

I glanced down and noticed that my skirt had ridden up slightly. I definitely didn't want to sit on his lap! Why was he insisting on it? Did he think it was a normal solution? It was quite repulsive to me.

"I don't want to!" I retorted, expressing my discomfort.

"Either someone sees you or you sit on my lap. Which one?" he challenged.

"I don't want to sit on your lap. It's embarrassing," I firmly stated.

He rolled his eyes at my response. And to my surprise, he suddenly lifted me and placed me on his lap, causing me to almost curse out loud as soon as I settled. Oh my goodness! This is incredibly embarrassing!

I could hear people gasping and whispering around us. Sitting on his lap made me feel like an unpaid child.

Feeling overwhelmed with embarrassment, I closed my eyes. I wished the ground would swallow me whole. Why did this have to happen to me? I wanted to punch and kick Link, but there were too many people around.

I wanted to cry because of the shame I was feeling, but I held myself back. I was also experiencing a strange mix of emotions that I couldn't quite understand.

•~•~•~•~•~•

I felt a slight tap on my back, which startled me, and I wondered where I was now.

"Angelle, we're almost there," Link's soft voice said abruptly, causing me to adjust my sitting position and accidentally hit my head on the roof of the jeep.

GOSH! I just remembered that I was sitting on Link's lap. I quickly got off his lap and sat next to him, trying to compose myself. We were the only ones left inside the jeep. I didn't even realize that I had fallen asleep while thinking about the embarrassment I was feeling.

"Th-thank you," I said, and Link just nodded in response.

When the jeep stopped at the terminal where we were supposed to get off, he pulled me out.

"Did we already pay?" I asked him as he pulled me towards a tricycle.

"Yes," he replied.

"Do you have money?"

"I borrowed some money from Prof earlier before they went home." Oh, I remember now. Ate Jove needed a good explanation as to why she left me with Link.

"Is your neck still hurting?" Link asked as we rode the tricycle.

"Why are you asking?" I asked him.

"You complained earlier and said, 'my neck hurts'." I talked in my sleep? How embarrassing.

"I-it's fine now," I shyly replied.

The tricycle stopped in front of our house. I got off first, and Link followed, paying the fare.

"Thank you," I said awkwardly without looking at him.

He faced me. "Alright." That's all he said before leaving.

I sighed. That guy is really annoying. If he hadn't pulled me to sit on his lap, I wouldn't have felt this kind of embarrassment. What does he care if someone sees me, right? I'm not his Gipsy.

When I arrived at home, I saw Ate Jove chatting happily with Mama.

"Oh, Couz. How are you?" How am I? Is she asking me how I am?

"You need to explain to me why you left me with Link."