The Lady in Shining Armor: Monte Carlo High

XLVIII. Divert

Ito na talaga, last na talaga! hahaha! May bigla kasi akong naisip, kaya kailangan ko pa i-post muna itong isang chapter bago ang isang malaking bagsak! Ayan! Maraming maraming salamat sa lahat ng sumusuporta sa TLISA! Hindi ito aabot ng ganito, kung hindi dahil sa inyo!

By the way, I'm planning to request a book trailer for our dear story. I want your bright ideas for this, guys. Can you please suggest a song that would fit the story? Ang dami ko kasi naiisip, hindi ako makapag-decide! So baka sa mga suggestions niyo, makapili na ako. Woo!

This chapter's soundtrack by the way is Slipped Away by Avril Lavigne. Enjoy! :)

***Red's POV***

"Uhm... I didn't know what to say, actually." Joyce started to speak in front of the podium. "Ilang buwan ko lang naman nakilala si Kuya Vince, pero ang masasabi ko lang, mabait siyang tao. Mukha lang siyang mayabang, pero kabaliktaran siya nun. Simple lang naman ang gusto niya sa buhay-- maging masaya at i-enjoy lahat ng oras na meron siya." I saw her held back tears and looked at the crowd. "There's more to him than his good looks. He had a selfless heart and a brave soul."

"Nagtataka siguro kayo kung bakit may kulang sa okasyon na 'to. Hindi kasi niya kaya. Hindi niya pa rin matanggap ang nangyari. She's in our room still crying over his death." Joyce looked at the Dorms direction as if she could see her grieving roommate. "She told me great things about Kuya Vince-- mabait siyang anak at kapatid and he loved his family more than anything. He made a promise to himself na aalagaan niya ang pamilya niya since they don't have their father anymore. Pero mukhang hindi na iyon mangyayari."

"Kuya Vince, wherever you are, thanks for the good memories that you've shared with us. You will always be in our hearts and we will make sure that this will be addressed soon." Silence crept as she said the last phrase. May binabalak ba siyang gawin?

I climb the stairs of the make-shift stage and held the piece of paper tightly. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would do this soon. Hindi ako natulog magdamag, flashes of him popped out of my head everytime I closed my eyes. Ayokong isipin ang hirap na pinag-daanan niya sa kamay ng mga walang-pusong taong iyon! He didn't deserve that! He didn't deserve to die! I stood in front of the podium and faced the grieveing crowd. I swallowed a big lump in my throat before I started to talk.

"Nakita ko si Vince noong Freshman orientation three years ago. Noon kasi, orientation muna, bago magbigay ng Dorm assignments. Nainis ako sa kanya noong una kasi parang ang hangin hangin, presko at sobrang bilib sa sarili. Madami na talagang humanga agad sa kanya, day one pa lang. Kaya noong naging roommate ko siya, inisip ko agad na magpa-transfer ng kwarto. Unfortunately, switching of rooms was not allowed, kaya nag-tyaga ako sa kanya." I heard a few chuckles from the crowd and I inhaled deeply before continuing my speech.

"Hindi ko siya kinakausap, ayoko kasing makarinig ng kahit na anong salita galing sa isang mukhang mayabang na tao. He was the first to approach me habang nag-aayos kami ng mga gamit namin sa kwarto. Naalala ko ang una niyang tinanong sa akin, "Nagba-basketball ka?", mukha daw kasing maganda 'yung court dito sa Campus Grounds. Sinungitan ko pa siya, hindi ako sumagot. Tapos, inaya niya naman ako kumain sa Cafeteria. Nairita ako kaya nasinghalan ko siya agad na 'wag akong kausapin."

"Pero kahit ganun ako sa kanya, naging mabait siya sa akin. He may not look like it, pero sobrang bait ni Vince. He's just the typical high school guy, nagkataon lang talaga na biniyayaan siya ng sobrang ka-gwapuhan." I couldn't help but to smile at the thought. "He shared things that he had, food, clothes, his gadgets. Napaka-simple ng pagkatao niya, kabaliktaran sa unang impression ko sa kanya. Malamang, marami sa inyo, ganun din ang tingin sa kanya. Pero sa kabila ng chickboy image niya, isa lang siyang simple at masayahing tao."