CHAPTER 1.3: You Hate Me, I Love You (Part 3)

NIGHT ANGEL

CASS

"Cassidy sweety, choose a suitable dress okay?"

"Yes mommy-bear!" I yelled from my room before I open up my closet to check out a dress to wear for the family dinner at the house of Trevoirs.

Since Zeke will be there, I want to find a perfect dress to look perfect and dazzling. I want his whole attention to mine. Although all of my dresses are classy, I still want to choose something that will make me look like a very deceiving princess.

"Hmh~" I hummed while scratching my chin as I try to decide what to wear.

Wearing this black bubble skirt dress will make me look like I am attending on a funeral. The red fitted spaghetti strapped dress is too good but I want to wear that color on my first date. The blue straight tube dress is too daring so it leaves me to the light green dress with a halter neckline and a big waist belt. Well, it is not bad after all.

"Sweety have you chosen your dress?" Mommy-bear immediately come on my room’s doorway to ask and check-up so I raised the dress I chose.

"I wish to wear this tonight." I said while leaning the dress to my chest which she scanned immediately before nodding.

"Whatever you want baby. Anyway, we'll be going to a salon for a hairdo before we go to your tita's house okay?"

The idea made me smile before I nodded as a response. My mother replied with a curve on her lip before leaving so I went immediately to the bathroom to clean myself. I want Zeke to be dazzled with my perfect façade.

***

As the family limousine set its wheels in the Trevoir’s entrance, our driver immediately got out to open the car door for me and to give a good view in the huge door of the mansion.

As I step my white closed stilettos on the cemented floor, the crafted wooden door of the house immediately greeted me paired with its black doorway and clean white walls. The porcelain stairs and the arranged potted plants makes the entrance even more pleasing and so is the people who lives here.

"Let’s go now sweetheart." Mommy-bear took my arm as we climb on the stair and waited for the door to be opened by someone inside the house.

A maid slowly opened the door from the inside of the mansion and give her bow as a respect to us like how royalties are used to be treated. The next person behind her was tita Devin wearing red fitted dress in an Elizabethan collar.

"Glad you could make it!" She exclaimed with her arms wide open to welcome me and my mother. I give my smile as mommy-bear immediately eloped her arms to hug each other.

"Looks like the Castillo family has arrived." I glance at tito-papa who is walking towards me. Since my mother and tita Devin are enjoying their company, sa akin lumapit si tito habang nakasalubong ang dalawang mahabang braso.

"My daughter in law." With me giving a warm smile, I lean close to him so that he could elope his arms easily to embrace me.

"You're so sweet titopapa." As my body touched his, I leaned my chin on his arm and saw Zeke sitting at the long brown leather sofa in the living room beside Chad who is looking at me staightly with his eyes as serious as it is. Bumitaw sa pagkaka-akap si titopapa at lumingon sa mga anak nya.

"Zeke, Chad, go and prepare the foods for our visitors." Tito commanded to his sons but both of them look at him like they are begging not to. Eventually, they had no choice since their father give do-not-make-me-say-it-again look so they have no choice but to go to the kitchen. These boys are really rude.

"Well, let’s go and have some fun."

***

I am sitting beside mommy-bear in front of Chadler in the long table in their dining room. You will immediately drool in front of the mouth-watering meals at the top of the table. From the fried to roasted viands, up to the sweet desserts. Para bang lampas sa sampu ang kakain.

The room looks so fancy and the 3 chandeliers above our heads are even making everything look so luxurious. The yellow dim light gives me this Buckingham palace vibe as it reflects to every corner of the room. Even the chairs look like the ones that King Arthur sat on and the other furniture are worthy of appreciation.

But what keeps bothering me is my mommy-bear checking her phone like a hundred times now. My guess is that she is checking at daddy-bear who is on his business trip in Tokyo.

"Come on Margaret! Your husband can never cheat on you! Let him be!"

I glance at tita Devin who scolded mommy-bear since she knows why my mom keeps on looking at it. She has this obsessive personality which is what I also hate about her.

"I'm just worried. You know him, he's the same jerk I married."

Tito-papa almost blow off his food out of his mouth when my mother insulted papa-bear. He immediately took his glass full of wine and drink it before laughing.

"Just eat okay. Your daughter is distracted because of you." Tita Devin pointed at me so I shake my head as a disapproval.

"Nah! I’m used to it. Mommy-bear is really clingy to daddy-bear."

The couple laugh when I made fun of my mom and so was I but their children looks like they do not mind after all. If I were to ask what are they thinking about us? I think we are total idiots.

"Anyway, I am very proud that Chad is joining the Mendel Tigers! It’s a very great news!” Napatingin ako kay Chad na napatigil naman sa pagsubo pagkatapos marinig ang anunsyo ng ina. So, he plays basketball?

"Awh! Congrats Chad! You know what, Cassidy always watch the game." Everyone knows that I watch the game but the reason made me feel a bit shy to Chad. I only watch because Zeke is a varsity player.

"Thanks tita Margaret. I just hope Cass could watch me too." Napakagat-labi ako dahil parang nagpaparinig talaga si Chad. Lahat din sila ay nakatingin ngayon sa akin at nakangiti na para bang may hinihintay silang sagot.

"S-sure. At least, magkasama na kayo ng kapatid mo." Kinakabahan kong sagot at naiilang na ngumiti.

Sumama bigla ang tingin sa akin ni Zeke na napatigil na ngayon sa pagkain pero ngumiti lang ako bilang tugon. He knows me anyway. He knows that he is the only reason why I want to watch. To be more general, I think he is also the reason why my world is spinning.

"Speaking of Mendel Tigers tito-papa, I also want to congratulate Zeke. They won the game last Monday and he was the best player of the game."

I was expecting them to respond gasps or claps for appreciation but they remained silent. Para bang nailang ang lahat sa naging anunsyo ko.

"W-well, we already knew it Cass. Anyway, Chad will be having his jersey tomorrow." Tito-papa tapped Chadler in his shoulder with a proud smile on his face. "I am very proud to this man."

I do not know why they ignored my topic without even showing any happiness for Zeke’s achievement. Are they not proud too that Zeke made his own success?

***

Nakaramdam ako bigla nang pagkabagot dahil wala akong ibang magawa kundi ang panoorin si mama at sina tito’t tita na kumanta nang mga awit na hindi ko na inabot. Hindi ko na mabilang kung ilang beses akong napabuga at kaunti na lang na minute ay aantukin na talaga ako.

I am just sitting on the sofa while the parents are enjoying themselves singing on a videoke. Chad excused himself since he was going to finish something while Zeke immediately left after the dinner and go to his room. My sight is now focused on the second floor of the house and thought of a crazy idea.

I decided to go and find Zeke's room to snoop since I really have nothing else to do. Umakyat ako sa hagdan at nilibot ang mga kwarto sa second floor ng bahay nina tita Devin. Binuksan ko ang unang pinto na kaagad na bumungad sa akin and to my surprise, nakita kong kalalabas lang ni Zeke sa restroom niya habang naka-topless at nakapulupot sa beywang nya ang isang white towel.

"Kyah!"

"What the hell?"

Halos malaglag ang puso ko sa sobrang gulat. Zeke is shirtless in front of me! And what is even worse is that he just finished his bath and I cannot help but to admire his wet look.

"I-I'm so sorry!" My mind is already blank and I do not know what to do or how to respond in the situation pero nabigla ako nang hilahin niya ako papasok sa kwarto sabay sara ng pinto at idinikit ako sa pader.

"What the hell are you thinking huh?"

Napatulala ako hindi dahil sa natatakot sag alit niyang mukha. My mind is completely blank because all I could think of is his manly scent filling my nose, making me hypnotized.

"U-uhm..."

"The next time you open my room again, I'll kick you out do you understand?"

Instead of answering or even saying anything, ibinaba ko pa ang tingin ko sa abs niya. Makapal na kung makapal pero hindi ko talaga mapigilan ang sarili ko. His oozing yummy six pack is a bit wet and it makes me want to bite my lip.

"Cassidy!" Galit niyang tawag sa pangalan ko kaya't agad akong napatingala sa guwapo niyang mukha while still feeling high and the image of his abs still in my brain removing all the data in my mind.

"W-what?" I absent-mindedly asked that I even forgot how to breathe.

Lalong sumama ang tingin niya sa akin dahil sa sobrang galit. He was about to speak nang biglang bumukas ang pinto kaya't napatingin kami sa doorway kung saan nakatayo si mommy-bear.

"What is going on?" Lalo akong napanganga na para bang lutang na luting at walang maintindihan sa nangyayari. What happened again?

"It’s not my fault! She just opened the door without knocking! What is your daughter thinking?" Tiningnan ako ni mommybear nang masama at hinila ako palapit sa kanya sa labas ng kuwarto.

"It was an accident mommy-bear! I swear! I didn't know he was---" I tried to explain my side but then I was cut off when tita Devin came.

"What’s happening Margaret?" She asked with her usual high-pitched worried tone before turning to Zeke. "Zeke?! What have you done?!"

She looks very angry to her son like he was not hers. Her voice is very loud and hard while pointing at him.

"It wasn't me okay?! She opened up my door without even knocking!" Zeke tried to explain his side to her while pointing at me angrily too. Agad naman akong nakaramdam nang matinding hiya. Naghanap pa ako ng gulo.

"You could've locked your room! Masyado ka na namang naglalandi sa babae!" I got shocked with tita Devina’s words. Zeke never flirted to any woman. Not even to me. She did not even saw what happened.

"Ako pa ang malandi?! She's the one who's after me!" Zeke is also raising his voice while telling his point out. I want to second the motion but tita Devina already spoke.

"You're grounded! Give me your gadgets now! You won't step out of this room until I said so!" That made my eyes widen already. This is too much. This is not Zeke’s fault.

"Tita Devin, it was my fault. Please spare Zeke. I was the one who opened the door without asking permission." I already speak out and confessed.

Nakakaawa naman kasi kung siya ang pagagalitan at hindi ako. I was the one who was sneaking and just open a random door. I admit that was rude of me and it was inappropriate.

"Let go of it Devina. Let’s just go down." Sabi naman ni mommy-bear dahil mukhang naawa naman siya kay Zeke sabay tingin sa akin nang seryoso. "And you, young lady, it is not right to sneak in a man's room. Hindi yan gawain nang matinong babae." Saway ni mommy sa akin kaya’t agad akong napayuko at lumingon kina tita Devin at Zeke.

"I-I'm sorry po. Sorry din Zeke." I said sincerely to them while I try to look into Zeke’s eyes.

"Tss." He slammed the door really hard without minding the people outside the room and left all of us shock.

"That man! Argh!" Nanggigigil na sambit ni tita Devin habang matalim na nakatitig sa pintuan.

***

"Tomorrow, I want to see your prepared introduction for your research paper. If you fail to prepare one, then don't expect that you'll pass my subject."

We got home exhausted last night so thankfully, mommy-bear did not bring up the mistake I did and just went to her room early. She enjoyed the party too much that she did not even noticed that we went home passed 1 am.

Now here I am in class trying to keep my eyes open as our teacher announce another stressful activity. I hate Practical Research. It kills people. They drain not just my money, but also my mind and my soul.

"I hope your research for this school year is better than your former research. Remember that you are all graduating students." She lectured as if we are too forgetful to not remember about our research last year.

Because of this K-12 curriculum, I would have been a college student already. Nakakapanghinayang at inabot ko itong batas na ito. I just hope that when I graduate, the government will not add another high school year.

"That’s all for today, dismissed." Our subject teacher stands up then she walks out of the room which made everyone take their deep breaths as if they forgotten how to breathe for the past 1 hour.

"Goodbye maam!" Pahabol na bati ng mga kaklase ko but they did not even receive any response from the teacher.

"Pano ba yan Cassidy?! Research season is starting to come again!" Pananakot bigla sa akin ni Trixy which made my eyes roll. She sat beside me since we are seatmates on the next subject but as what best friends does always, she teased me. Trying to point out that I am a dumb researcher.

"Oh, shut up! Your research is not even good!" Kung makapagsalita ay parang ang galling niya sa research! Pareho naman kaming hindi magaling sa Academics eh! Ganda lang ata ang nakokontribute ko dito sa Mendel.

"At least I passed. If I heard it right, you paid for our former research teacher to pass right?" She even crossed her arms as she raised her left eyebrow tand look at me in an insulting way. Kailangan bang ipaalala yun?! I know what I did and I do not need a reminder!

I can never forget about last year’s research since that moron sir Claude give me the highest price I have ever heard from the former teachers my mother paid for me to reach SHS. Talagang sinamantala ng loko ang kahinaan ko.

"Are you insulting me?"

"Nope. I just want to tell you to get ready so that it won't happen again." Umirap ako ulit bilang tugon dahil hindi ko naman maitatanggi ang katotohanan. I am not really a smart student. I have to admit that I do not excel at school and I don't care.

"Fine. I'll ask for help na lang."

Pera lang naman ang katapat para pumasa ako eh. People will do everything just to earn money nowadays. Sab inga ng ama ni Chanel Oberlin ng Scream Queens, If you want something done then pay someone a lot of money to do it for you.

"To Chad?"Biglang sumama ang tingin ko kay Trixy nang mabanggit na naman niya ang pangalan ng kapatid ni Zeke. She knows I am not asking anything from that man! He maybe smiles at me now pero hindi makapal ang mukha ko para humingi agad ng pabor sa kanya.

"Of course not! Ano ka ba! Wala naman akong ibang lalapitan kundi si Zeke angel ko!" My Zeke is smart. He can help me out without any monetary compensation. He’s a Trevoir so he is way richer than me.

"Ang tanong, papayag ba? You know what Cass, Chad is just there. He can help you out for sure since siguradong hindi iyon tatanggi sayo. Why won’t you give him a chance?” The truth is, I want to try. But I really want to think of ways to be with Zeke. It is not that I hate him since we are starting to be okay na rin naman. I just want to try to find reasons to make Zeke talk to me.

***