Chapter 6
Point of View: Eros Magdayo
“Eros…”
She stared at me with an intense look in her eyes, and I had no doubt that if it were possible she’d have hearts in her eyes.
I shifted, uneasy. “Uh, why are you looking at me like that?”
Eris was acting like a weirdo again. She was staring at me while her hand was on her left chest, and (if this wasn’t real life) I bet she’d have hearts for eyes. I flushed, unnerved.
“I… I…”
“You…? Are you mute or something? Speak up clearly!” What does she need from me anyway? Suddenly talking to me, but her voice is quiet like a mouse?
“I love you!” She exclaimed before jumping and trying to give me a kiss. I screamed.
“AHHHHHHH!”
I opened my eyes. Phew! That… was just a dream. Man, did it give me the chills. Sheesh. My hair really stood up there…
*Blink*
I tried to go back to sleep, but then I opened my eyes again.Sinubukan kong pumikit ulit tapos nagmulat ulit ako ng mga mata ko….
*Blink*
I closed my eyes again… and when I opened them…
“AHHHHHHH!”
“AHHHHHHH!” When I shouted, she also started shouting as well! Is she a copycat or something!? I groaned, before hissing at her.
“What are you doing here!?” I pushed her away, since when I opened my eyes her face was the first thing I saw- she almost gave me a heart attack!
“Did you come from my dreams!? Did you follow me into here!? Are you going to kill me with a nightmare, hah!?” Damn it, I just got cold sweat from everything that just happened! First of all I dream of her saying ‘I love you’ to me before kissing me and when I wake up, I see her face so close to mine! For crying out loud! That gave me goosebumps! Brrr!
“Wow, really? You dreamt about me? What was I doing in your dream?” She excitedly asked.
I sat up from where I was lying down and threw the pillow at her. “You weren’t there! And wait a minute! What are you doing in my house!? And most of all why are in my room!? Who let you in!?”
“Eris… is he awake… oh! Eros, you’re awake already!”
“Ate Risa? You let this woman in!?” I pointed at that annoying angel in front of me, a frown on my face.
“Yup!” She answered, grinning. “She said you two were coming to school together so I let her in to wake you up. To be honest, I actually was surprised when she said you wanted to come in to school! Is that true, Eros? If that’s true, I would be really happy that you decided to go to school again!”
She then came in and handed me my uniform. “And because that really made me excited, I ironed your uniform- h
“Ate Risa- why did you do that!? Didn’t I tell you you can’t tire yourself?”
“Ha? But I just ironed your clothes… it’s not as if that’s going to take all of my energy…”
“Even so! What if something bad happened to you? You do know that even just a small thing can get you drained! Do you have any plans of dying!?” I asked her, annoyed at what she did. She just- like an idiot- she knew the doctor told her not to move so much but she still ironed my clothes!
“Don’t be so over dramatic,” she huffed, smiling, before she forcefully handed me my uniform.
“Now hurry, get up before you’re late for school.”
When I didn’t reach for the uniform, she placed it on the edge of my bed and walked out of my room. But before she crossed over the doorway, she turned back and smiled sadly at me. “Did you know, Eros, that it’s fun to go to school? It’s fun at school… being with your friends and classmates… I’m… actually jealous of you, because you can just go to school, while I’m stuck here. I can’t continue my schooling because of my illness… Eros, enjoy the things that I can’t enjoy anymore, please?”
After saying that, she left. I was stuck there on the bed, feeling like someone just hit me on the head with what she said. I know how much Ate Risa loves to go to school, which was why she was really miserable when she was forced to drop out because of her illness.
And I…
Here I am, able to go attend school, without any illness save for laziness…
But instead I brawl with people on the streets, bully, steal, smoke at do things that are really a waste of time…
Shouldn’t it have been me instead that got a severe illness? That I should be the one close to death? I’m the horrible person here, not Ate Risa, so why does she have to suffer?
“I can’t understand it!” I groaned, before standing up from my bed and taking the uniform she left me. I wanted to go change in the bathroom, but before that I turned to that annoying angel. “Hey, don’t tell me you’re really going to accompany me to school?”
“Yup!” She said, beaming, like a kid.
“Impossible.”
“Wha- why?” She pouted.
“No I.D., no entry is the rule of that school,” I answered off handedly.
“Really? But I also want to go…” She sulked, her pout becoming even more pronounced. I rolled my eyes.
“You can’t,” that was all I said before I entered the bathroom and locked the door firmly. Ugh, I still get chills whenever I remember my dream.
“Ero-ero! Nooo! I wanna come with! Let me go with you!”
She started knocking on my door incessantly, but I ignored her and went on to take a bath. I hung my uniform on the rack by the door.
“Erooos! Let me come with yo-u!”
“You’re so loud, can you shut up!?” I yelled at her, annoyed.
“Let me come with you!” She kept on insisting that, until I finished my bath and put on uniform. When I got out of the bathroom, she was still whining about it like a kid…
“Let me come! Let me come! Let me come!”
I felt a headache coming on.
“Fine! You’re so motherfucking loud! Do you know how irritating you are!?” I got fed up with her so I just agreed in the end. “Stay there for a moment.”
I then went to Ate Risa to borrow her old uniform. Ate Risa used to attend the same school I did, so I knew she still had her uniform as remembrace. She asked me what I was going to do it, so I just told her it was for Eris. She didn’t have her uniform because she was a transfer student in our school.
“Well, she can have all of my old uniforms then,” she replied, handing me all of her high school uniforms. I was taken aback when she did. “So she doesn’t have to buy new ones. I think it would fit her anyway.”
If before Ate Risa still had some meat on her bones, now, because of her illness, she was all stick and bones. Everytime I would touch her, I couldn’t help but think that I would snap her bones because of how thin she was.
“But Ate… she’s just going to borrow it…”
“No, give them to her, please?” She pried my hands open and piled her uniforms on them. She the smiled. “Eros, you know, for some reason I really comfortable with her… it’s as if I’m in the presence of angel? … Well, that’s what I feel when I’m with her. Earlier this morning, when she rang the doorbell and told me that she was her because the two of you were going to school, I really felt happy. I feel like because of her, you’re starting to change. Eros, I’m really happy you got to encounter someone like Eris… hopefully you won’t let her go, and instead love her and never hurt her.”
I choked.
“H-Ha!? I told you she’s not my girlfriend!”
She just gave me a teasing look and laughed. “You don’t have to be so shy in admitting it, but alright! Give it to her already, and hurry up or you’ll be late!”
The fuck.
I went back to my room and gave Eris the uniforms. “From my sister, here, quickly go change!”
I pushed her towards the bathroom and shut the door close.
—-
Later on at my school…
“A dog! Dog! There’s a dog!” Eris was screaming out loud.
“Can you quiet down!?” I exclaimed, smacking her. “For fuck’s sake! If anyone hears us… argh, just shut up! It’s not as if the dog did anything to you, nor can he do anything when he’s tied up to the post!”
She shivered. “But they were really frightening! He had a scary look…”
“You’re not going to die by just a look! Psh! Let’s go already, don’t be so noisy, or the guard might catch us.”
See, we were going through the back of the school. Eris may have had a uniform, but as I’ve said before this school was strictly no I.D., no entry! By the back of the school was a large gate that we could use. Although there was a guard house on the way inside, there was never any guard inside. I don’t really know why. I used to use this gate for cutting class. It’s not like I could sneak out the front gate – there were always many guards stationed there, and they never let anyone out during class hours.
But here by the back gate, there were some houses and at this one house near the gate was a large dog, a pitbull tied to a small wooden post by the side and unfortunately enough the dog had a frigtening appearance. Not only that, he looked like anytime he would go bite you and swallow you.
We successfully snuck inside in the end, thankfully enough.
“Mr. Magdayo! You’re late!” My annoying teacher yelled at me when we got inside the classroom.
“Shouldn’t you be thankful instead that I actually attended your class!?” I retorted, annoyed, before I kicked the door shut and walked over to my door at the back, at the very back of the room.
On the way, I could see my classmates looking at me and whispering. Some of them were afraid of me because they knew I could beat them without any hesitation. Maybe they were whispering becauuse for once, I was actually here in school. I… didn’t attend school much, as in I almost never came. I only came in when I was in the urge to bully one of my classmates.
“Out of my seat!” I dragged one of them from the sleeve, forcefully getting him out of the seat next to me and pushing him away. I faced that annoying angel, who was now like my tail from following me around. “Sit down there! What are you doing still standing!?”
“But, it was already his seat…” she mumbled before pointing at the boy I dragged off, who looked really scared of me.
“Mr. Magdayo! Who is that girl? And why did you bring her in our class? She is not allowed in here!”
“Well,” I faced our teacher, who had walked to me to confront me. “From now on, she’s part of the class. You have any problem with that!?”
“Yes! There’s a big problem here Mr. Magdayo! What class is she from?” He must have actually thought that Eris was really a student from here since she was wearing our school’s uniform.
“This class! Can’t you just teach without being so nosy!?”
“What the!? Argh! Watch your mouth, Mr. Magdayo,” he said before turning around. “I’ll let her sit in provided she doesn’t cause trouble. If you two make any mischief I’ll have you thrown out of here.”
“Sir, what about me? I-I have no chair to sit in…” The person I dragged earlier timidly asked.
“Over there, just sit in the back, there are many vacant chairs there anyway!”
***
“Eros, that was mean…”
Class started and I was sitting in my chair, my feet on the chair of the person in front of me. Of course they didn’t complain, they were too scared of me to do that.
“Ha? What did I do to you?” I asked her, surprised when she said that to me in a low voice. Her arms were on her desk and she leant towards me, a disappointed look on her face.
“Why did you take away that guy’s seat? That must have been embarassing for him…”
“Can you just not mind nonsensical things like that?” I groaned at her. Unbelievable. I already got the seat for her, and I’m the one she’s mad at? Tsk, whatever I do, I’m still a jerk.
“Hmph,” she pouted again like an idiot. “Why aren’t you taing notes?”
“I don’t have any ballpen.”
She tapped the person on her left. “Do you have any extra ballpen? Could I borrow it? Thank you!”
After that, she faced me again and handed me the ballpen. “There, now you have a ballpen. Write down notes so you can review something for exams.”
“I don’t have any notebook.”
“Ha? Then what do you have in your backpack?”
“Nothing, just air.”
“Ha? Then why would you even bring a bag if it doesn’t have anything inside it!?”
“I just thought of doing it. Why do you care anyway- leave me alone! You already entered the school didn’t you, then why does it seem like the necklace didn’t have any changes?”
She gave me a glare. “That’s because of what you did earlier. You snatched away your classmate’s seat and even yelled at the teacher! That’s not right.”
“Argh, whatever! I’m going to go sleep,” I put down my feet and slept on my desk.
***
“Damn! I thought this day would never end!” I stretched my arms as I walked home. Finally, classes ended. I just slept through all of it, from morning until afternoon, since they were all so boring.
“Don’t talk as if you actually listened in class! You just slept your whole way though, geez! Look, because of that, even a percent wasn’t added to the neckalce! Argh, this makes me so annoyed!” Eris cried out, looking mad. “It’s a waste! We’re still stuck at the level we were yesterday!”
“Shut up,” I responded before yawning.
“Hmph! Oh, by the way, here,” I raised my eyebrow when she gave me several pieces of intermediate paper.
“What’s this?”
“Notes! I wrote down notes for you from all of your subjects while you were sleeping. Study those notes, alright? Your teacher said you’d have a quiz on Friday.”
I glanced at the notes, before shrugging.
“No thanks. I feel too lazy.”
“What’s so boring about studying!?”
“Everything.”
“Ero-ero, come on! You won’t graduate in that state! This is already your last year in high school, so you really have to give it your all! You already repeated a few times, don’t let it happen again! Do you want to be stuck in that state? Forever never being able to graduate from high school!?”
“What’s the point in graduating? Sheesh, you’ll just get a diploma and a decent job. That’s all.”
“Wha- that’s all? You’re saying it like it doesn’t affects you! Don’t you get it, you won’t forever be a kid with someone who’ll pay your electric bills for you, feed you and your addiction to smoking! Ten years from now, you’ll be all on your own and how can you survive without a diploma and a decent work?”
“I’ll just steal then. Sell drugs. There are so many illegal jobs free. Why bother for a diploma?”
“You are such a big coward!”
“What the-? Coward!? Me!? Do you want to get into a fist fight with me?”
“Argh, whatever, I can’t believe you! Just because you can beat someone up doesn’t mean you’re brave! Bravery can’t be measured by physical strength alone! If you don’t want to graduate, you don’t want to put effort into studying, then that only means one thing, that you are a big coward! Do you know why? You couldn’t even try to finish the things you started! You don’t want to study? Why? Because you’re lazy? That’s not true. You don’t want to study because you don’t have the guts. You don’t believe that you can pass, without anything happening you’re already thinking you’re going to fail. You don’t even try so you’re a big coward, Eros.”
“Are you done blabbering? Finished your speech? Anything else you want to add?”
“Yes!”
“What? You aren’t done yet? What more do you want to say? What the- ow!” I was surprised when suddenly thrust the paper at my chest before walking away.
“I’m hungry!”
What the- after giving me a sermon, she was just going to walk out on me while saying that she was hungry!? What the hell was that!? I can’t get her at all!
Argh, that annoying angel!
“Wait a moment, and where are you going?”
“Um… excuse me, who are you?” While I folded the paper and placed it in my bag, I heard someone talking to Eris nearby and when I raised my head…
Oh shit.
“Eros, your girlfriend? Gotta admit, she’s cute.”
Damn it. That was the person I mugged the other day, and by the looks of it, he even brought back up! I think there’s six to seven of them.
“That’s not my girlfriend. I don’t even know her.”
“Eh? Eros… but you know me,” she said, looking at me with a glint of something in her eye,
“Shut up stupid!” I really felt the urge to facepalm strongly there. I just told those assholes that I didn’t know her so they wouldn’t bother with her! Stupid angel, she just blew away my plan after a second.
“Haha, cute. Lovers quarrel?”
“Damn it! I said she’s not my girlfriend!” Why does everyone keep on assuming that that annoying angel is my girlfriend? It was really starting to piss me off.
“Well the, you wouldn’t mind if we borrow her, right Eros? Just treat it as your payment for what you did to me the other day.”
“Okay,” I shrugged my shoulders and resumed walking home.
“Ha? What- it’s okay? Isn’t she your girlfriend? Why is it just okay with you? No violent reactions whatsoever?”
“I already said she’s not my girlfriend! If you want to take her, then go ahead, I don’t care!”
“Still, if she’s not your girlfriend, she must be your friend or at least acquaintance? But you don’t care about what we’re going to do with her?”
“Why? Should I care?” I raised an eyebrow at them. “Whatever. You shouldn’t even bother with her, she has magic powers. She’s protected by God or something so even if you try to hit her, you won’t at all. Alright, I’m going home. Bye!”
I started walking again, but when I passed them, one of them grabbed me by the shoulder.
“Wait. Are you making us dumbasses or something? What magic powers are you talking about? Are you on drugs or something?”
“Unfortunately, no. By the way, she’s an angel. Careful, you might not get into heaven at all,” I sarcastically retorted back, before I felt someone punch me.
“Asshole! You think you can make us look like idiots!?”
“You motherfucker! What was that for? Asshole!” I was going to punch them, but before I could, I felt someone hold on to my waist and stop me from punching them.
“Eros, don’t! Don’t fight them! You shouldn’t even fight at all! This won’t lead you to anywhere and besides, don’t you want to grant your wish? It won’t be granted if you do that. Do you know how much you’ll lose if you fight? 50%, Eros. That’s a large amount. And if we hit zero and you keep on doing misdeeds, there’s a chance that the necklace will break and if that happens… I can never have my life back again. So please Eros… I’m begging you… let’s just find another way to get us out of here…”
I heard her sniff behind my back… what the- is she crying?
“Oi, what are you talking about? Necklace? Angel? Whateve. Come on, let’s get this show on the road!”
Shit. They started to gang up on us. I wanted to fight, but Eris was still hoding on to my waist and crying… I want to fight…
I fucking want to fight.
I don’t want to get beaten up without a fight.
Besides, only weak people got beaten up.
I’m not weak! I’m strong! I could take them all on!”
“Fuck, let me go already!” I tried to pry her off of my waist, but she just held on even tighter.
“Please, dont!”
I fucking want to fight but… argh!
Damn this annoying angel!
With all force, I tore her hands away from my waist before pulling her. I took a deep breath.
“Run!”
—
“Hurry up! Fuck, can you stop being so slow? Do want to die? Oh yeah, if we get caught, I’m the only one who’s going to die, but still, try and run faster!”
I felt like my lungs were burning what with the speed we were running, and luckily enough, we soon reached an alleyway. I pulled her into it and we hid. Thankfully enough, they passed us by without a second look. When I felt like we were far enough, I couldn’t hold it in anymore- I kicked the wall out of frustration.
“Damn this. For the first time in my life I ran away! This is all your fault- I looked like a loser and a coward! I looked weak, pathethic!”
Eris wiped away her wet cheek and smiled a little at me. “But on the contrary, that wasn’t weak, nor was it cowardly either. You’re not a loser for doing that, Eros. Running away is not always a sign of weakness, sometimes it proves you to be a strong person because it’s hard to walk away from something that you’re addicted to. Like earlier, fighting was everything for you but at that time you gave it up and ran away with me. You listened to me and you fought the urge to fight. I… was really scared that you would throw that punch anyway, hurt yourself and possibly break the necklace, but… you listened to me.”
“Eros, thank you.”
Surprised couldn’t even begin to describe what I felt when she stoodon her toes and hugged me, before placing a light kiss on my cheek.
“What the- you- what was that!? Why did you do that!?” I wiped away the cheek that she kissed. Ugh, that felt weird as hell! Why did I even feel warm for a second there!? I felt like screaming, I really did. Argh, I don’t even want to think about it anymore!
“Look!” She smiled, holding her necklace high.”Because you didnt fight and fought the urge to do so, in the process giving up something for someone’s sake, we are rewarded with 10% red color sa may heart ng necklace! Yay, it’s 20% already, Eros! Aren’t you happy?”
“Ugh, whatever. I’m hungry,” I said before starting to walk away. Eris ran to catch up with me, walking beside me afterwards.
“Me too! Eros, treat me to food, okay?”
I gave her a look. “Who said I’d do that?”
“I did!” She announced, before laughing.
I rolled my eyes at her. “Whatever, try not to stick too close to me, you’re still annoying, you know.”
“How mean,” she huffed before pouting as always.
“Yeah, yeah.”
20%? 80% more? That’s still a long way to go. How much of these things that I never do should I still do? Being a nice person is harder than I thought. Being a jerk was way easier than this.
Chapter 6
Point of View: Eros Magdayo
“Eros…”
She stared at me with an intense look in her eyes, and I had no doubt that if it were possible she’d have hearts in her eyes.
I shifted, uneasy. “Uh, why are you looking at me like that?”
Eris was acting like a weirdo again. She was staring at me while her hand was on her left chest, and (if this wasn’t real life) I bet she’d have hearts for eyes. I flushed, unnerved.
“I… I…”
“You…? Are you mute or something? Speak up clearly!” What does she need from me anyway? Suddenly talking to me, but her voice is quiet like a mouse?
“I love you!” She exclaimed before jumping and trying to give me a kiss. I screamed.
“AHHHHHHH!”
I opened my eyes. Phew! That… was just a dream. Man, did it give me the chills. Sheesh. My hair really stood up there…
*Blink*
I tried to go back to sleep, but then I opened my eyes again.Sinubukan kong pumikit ulit tapos nagmulat ulit ako ng mga mata ko….
*Blink*
I closed my eyes again… and when I opened them…
“AHHHHHHH!”
“AHHHHHHH!” When I shouted, she also started shouting as well! Is she a copycat or something!? I groaned, before hissing at her.
“What are you doing here!?” I pushed her away, since when I opened my eyes her face was the first thing I saw- she almost gave me a heart attack!
“Did you come from my dreams!? Did you follow me into here!? Are you going to kill me with a nightmare, hah!?” Damn it, I just got cold sweat from everything that just happened! First of all I dream of her saying ‘I love you’ to me before kissing me and when I wake up, I see her face so close to mine! For crying out loud! That gave me goosebumps! Brrr!
“Wow, really? You dreamt about me? What was I doing in your dream?” She excitedly asked.
I sat up from where I was lying down and threw the pillow at her. “You weren’t there! And wait a minute! What are you doing in my house!? And most of all why are in my room!? Who let you in!?”
“Eris… is he awake… oh! Eros, you’re awake already!”
“Ate Risa? You let this woman in!?” I pointed at that annoying angel in front of me, a frown on my face.
“Yup!” She answered, grinning. “She said you two were coming to school together so I let her in to wake you up. To be honest, I actually was surprised when she said you wanted to come in to school! Is that true, Eros? If that’s true, I would be really happy that you decided to go to school again!”
She then came in and handed me my uniform. “And because that really made me excited, I ironed your uniform- h
“Ate Risa- why did you do that!? Didn’t I tell you you can’t tire yourself?”
“Ha? But I just ironed your clothes… it’s not as if that’s going to take all of my energy…”
“Even so! What if something bad happened to you? You do know that even just a small thing can get you drained! Do you have any plans of dying!?” I asked her, annoyed at what she did. She just- like an idiot- she knew the doctor told her not to move so much but she still ironed my clothes!
“Don’t be so over dramatic,” she huffed, smiling, before she forcefully handed me my uniform.
“Now hurry, get up before you’re late for school.”
When I didn’t reach for the uniform, she placed it on the edge of my bed and walked out of my room. But before she crossed over the doorway, she turned back and smiled sadly at me. “Did you know, Eros, that it’s fun to go to school? It’s fun at school… being with your friends and classmates… I’m… actually jealous of you, because you can just go to school, while I’m stuck here. I can’t continue my schooling because of my illness… Eros, enjoy the things that I can’t enjoy anymore, please?”
After saying that, she left. I was stuck there on the bed, feeling like someone just hit me on the head with what she said. I know how much Ate Risa loves to go to school, which was why she was really miserable when she was forced to drop out because of her illness.
And I…
Here I am, able to go attend school, without any illness save for laziness…
But instead I brawl with people on the streets, bully, steal, smoke at do things that are really a waste of time…
Shouldn’t it have been me instead that got a severe illness? That I should be the one close to death? I’m the horrible person here, not Ate Risa, so why does she have to suffer?
“I can’t understand it!” I groaned, before standing up from my bed and taking the uniform she left me. I wanted to go change in the bathroom, but before that I turned to that annoying angel. “Hey, don’t tell me you’re really going to accompany me to school?”
“Yup!” She said, beaming, like a kid.
“Impossible.”
“Wha- why?” She pouted.
“No I.D., no entry is the rule of that school,” I answered off handedly.
“Really? But I also want to go…” She sulked, her pout becoming even more pronounced. I rolled my eyes.
“You can’t,” that was all I said before I entered the bathroom and locked the door firmly. Ugh, I still get chills whenever I remember my dream.
“Ero-ero! Nooo! I wanna come with! Let me go with you!”
She started knocking on my door incessantly, but I ignored her and went on to take a bath. I hung my uniform on the rack by the door.
“Erooos! Let me come with yo-u!”
“You’re so loud, can you shut up!?” I yelled at her, annoyed.
“Let me come with you!” She kept on insisting that, until I finished my bath and put on uniform. When I got out of the bathroom, she was still whining about it like a kid…
“Let me come! Let me come! Let me come!”
I felt a headache coming on.
“Fine! You’re so motherfucking loud! Do you know how irritating you are!?” I got fed up with her so I just agreed in the end. “Stay there for a moment.”
I then went to Ate Risa to borrow her old uniform. Ate Risa used to attend the same school I did, so I knew she still had her uniform as remembrace. She asked me what I was going to do it, so I just told her it was for Eris. She didn’t have her uniform because she was a transfer student in our school.
“Well, she can have all of my old uniforms then,” she replied, handing me all of her high school uniforms. I was taken aback when she did. “So she doesn’t have to buy new ones. I think it would fit her anyway.”
If before Ate Risa still had some meat on her bones, now, because of her illness, she was all stick and bones. Everytime I would touch her, I couldn’t help but think that I would snap her bones because of how thin she was.
“But Ate… she’s just going to borrow it…”
“No, give them to her, please?” She pried my hands open and piled her uniforms on them. She the smiled. “Eros, you know, for some reason I really comfortable with her… it’s as if I’m in the presence of angel? … Well, that’s what I feel when I’m with her. Earlier this morning, when she rang the doorbell and told me that she was her because the two of you were going to school, I really felt happy. I feel like because of her, you’re starting to change. Eros, I’m really happy you got to encounter someone like Eris… hopefully you won’t let her go, and instead love her and never hurt her.”
I choked.
“H-Ha!? I told you she’s not my girlfriend!”
She just gave me a teasing look and laughed. “You don’t have to be so shy in admitting it, but alright! Give it to her already, and hurry up or you’ll be late!”
The fuck.
I went back to my room and gave Eris the uniforms. “From my sister, here, quickly go change!”
I pushed her towards the bathroom and shut the door close.
—-
Later on at my school…
“A dog! Dog! There’s a dog!” Eris was screaming out loud.
“Can you quiet down!?” I exclaimed, smacking her. “For fuck’s sake! If anyone hears us… argh, just shut up! It’s not as if the dog did anything to you, nor can he do anything when he’s tied up to the post!”
She shivered. “But they were really frightening! He had a scary look…”
“You’re not going to die by just a look! Psh! Let’s go already, don’t be so noisy, or the guard might catch us.”
See, we were going through the back of the school. Eris may have had a uniform, but as I’ve said before this school was strictly no I.D., no entry! By the back of the school was a large gate that we could use. Although there was a guard house on the way inside, there was never any guard inside. I don’t really know why. I used to use this gate for cutting class. It’s not like I could sneak out the front gate – there were always many guards stationed there, and they never let anyone out during class hours.
But here by the back gate, there were some houses and at this one house near the gate was a large dog, a pitbull tied to a small wooden post by the side and unfortunately enough the dog had a frigtening appearance. Not only that, he looked like anytime he would go bite you and swallow you.
We successfully snuck inside in the end, thankfully enough.
“Mr. Magdayo! You’re late!” My annoying teacher yelled at me when we got inside the classroom.
“Shouldn’t you be thankful instead that I actually attended your class!?” I retorted, annoyed, before I kicked the door shut and walked over to my door at the back, at the very back of the room.
On the way, I could see my classmates looking at me and whispering. Some of them were afraid of me because they knew I could beat them without any hesitation. Maybe they were whispering becauuse for once, I was actually here in school. I… didn’t attend school much, as in I almost never came. I only came in when I was in the urge to bully one of my classmates.
“Out of my seat!” I dragged one of them from the sleeve, forcefully getting him out of the seat next to me and pushing him away. I faced that annoying angel, who was now like my tail from following me around. “Sit down there! What are you doing still standing!?”
“But, it was already his seat…” she mumbled before pointing at the boy I dragged off, who looked really scared of me.
“Mr. Magdayo! Who is that girl? And why did you bring her in our class? She is not allowed in here!”
“Well,” I faced our teacher, who had walked to me to confront me. “From now on, she’s part of the class. You have any problem with that!?”
“Yes! There’s a big problem here Mr. Magdayo! What class is she from?” He must have actually thought that Eris was really a student from here since she was wearing our school’s uniform.
“This class! Can’t you just teach without being so nosy!?”
“What the!? Argh! Watch your mouth, Mr. Magdayo,” he said before turning around. “I’ll let her sit in provided she doesn’t cause trouble. If you two make any mischief I’ll have you thrown out of here.”
“Sir, what about me? I-I have no chair to sit in…” The person I dragged earlier timidly asked.
“Over there, just sit in the back, there are many vacant chairs there anyway!”
***
“Eros, that was mean…”
Class started and I was sitting in my chair, my feet on the chair of the person in front of me. Of course they didn’t complain, they were too scared of me to do that.
“Ha? What did I do to you?” I asked her, surprised when she said that to me in a low voice. Her arms were on her desk and she leant towards me, a disappointed look on her face.
“Why did you take away that guy’s seat? That must have been embarassing for him…”
“Can you just not mind nonsensical things like that?” I groaned at her. Unbelievable. I already got the seat for her, and I’m the one she’s mad at? Tsk, whatever I do, I’m still a jerk.
“Hmph,” she pouted again like an idiot. “Why aren’t you taing notes?”
“I don’t have any ballpen.”
She tapped the person on her left. “Do you have any extra ballpen? Could I borrow it? Thank you!”
After that, she faced me again and handed me the ballpen. “There, now you have a ballpen. Write down notes so you can review something for exams.”
“I don’t have any notebook.”
“Ha? Then what do you have in your backpack?”
“Nothing, just air.”
“Ha? Then why would you even bring a bag if it doesn’t have anything inside it!?”
“I just thought of doing it. Why do you care anyway- leave me alone! You already entered the school didn’t you, then why does it seem like the necklace didn’t have any changes?”
She gave me a glare. “That’s because of what you did earlier. You snatched away your classmate’s seat and even yelled at the teacher! That’s not right.”
“Argh, whatever! I’m going to go sleep,” I put down my feet and slept on my desk.
***
“Damn! I thought this day would never end!” I stretched my arms as I walked home. Finally, classes ended. I just slept through all of it, from morning until afternoon, since they were all so boring.
“Don’t talk as if you actually listened in class! You just slept your whole way though, geez! Look, because of that, even a percent wasn’t added to the neckalce! Argh, this makes me so annoyed!” Eris cried out, looking mad. “It’s a waste! We’re still stuck at the level we were yesterday!”
“Shut up,” I responded before yawning.
“Hmph! Oh, by the way, here,” I raised my eyebrow when she gave me several pieces of intermediate paper.
“What’s this?”
“Notes! I wrote down notes for you from all of your subjects while you were sleeping. Study those notes, alright? Your teacher said you’d have a quiz on Friday.”
I glanced at the notes, before shrugging.
“No thanks. I feel too lazy.”
“What’s so boring about studying!?”
“Everything.”
“Ero-ero, come on! You won’t graduate in that state! This is already your last year in high school, so you really have to give it your all! You already repeated a few times, don’t let it happen again! Do you want to be stuck in that state? Forever never being able to graduate from high school!?”
“What’s the point in graduating? Sheesh, you’ll just get a diploma and a decent job. That’s all.”
“Wha- that’s all? You’re saying it like it doesn’t affects you! Don’t you get it, you won’t forever be a kid with someone who’ll pay your electric bills for you, feed you and your addiction to smoking! Ten years from now, you’ll be all on your own and how can you survive without a diploma and a decent work?”
“I’ll just steal then. Sell drugs. There are so many illegal jobs free. Why bother for a diploma?”
“You are such a big coward!”
“What the-? Coward!? Me!? Do you want to get into a fist fight with me?”
“Argh, whatever, I can’t believe you! Just because you can beat someone up doesn’t mean you’re brave! Bravery can’t be measured by physical strength alone! If you don’t want to graduate, you don’t want to put effort into studying, then that only means one thing, that you are a big coward! Do you know why? You couldn’t even try to finish the things you started! You don’t want to study? Why? Because you’re lazy? That’s not true. You don’t want to study because you don’t have the guts. You don’t believe that you can pass, without anything happening you’re already thinking you’re going to fail. You don’t even try so you’re a big coward, Eros.”
“Are you done blabbering? Finished your speech? Anything else you want to add?”
“Yes!”
“What? You aren’t done yet? What more do you want to say? What the- ow!” I was surprised when suddenly thrust the paper at my chest before walking away.
“I’m hungry!”
What the- after giving me a sermon, she was just going to walk out on me while saying that she was hungry!? What the hell was that!? I can’t get her at all!
Argh, that annoying angel!
“Wait a moment, and where are you going?”
“Um… excuse me, who are you?” While I folded the paper and placed it in my bag, I heard someone talking to Eris nearby and when I raised my head…
Oh shit.
“Eros, your girlfriend? Gotta admit, she’s cute.”
Damn it. That was the person I mugged the other day, and by the looks of it, he even brought back up! I think there’s six to seven of them.
“That’s not my girlfriend. I don’t even know her.”
“Eh? Eros… but you know me,” she said, looking at me with a glint of something in her eye,
“Shut up stupid!” I really felt the urge to facepalm strongly there. I just told those assholes that I didn’t know her so they wouldn’t bother with her! Stupid angel, she just blew away my plan after a second.
“Haha, cute. Lovers quarrel?”
“Damn it! I said she’s not my girlfriend!” Why does everyone keep on assuming that that annoying angel is my girlfriend? It was really starting to piss me off.
“Well the, you wouldn’t mind if we borrow her, right Eros? Just treat it as your payment for what you did to me the other day.”
“Okay,” I shrugged my shoulders and resumed walking home.
“Ha? What- it’s okay? Isn’t she your girlfriend? Why is it just okay with you? No violent reactions whatsoever?”
“I already said she’s not my girlfriend! If you want to take her, then go ahead, I don’t care!”
“Still, if she’s not your girlfriend, she must be your friend or at least acquaintance? But you don’t care about what we’re going to do with her?”
“Why? Should I care?” I raised an eyebrow at them. “Whatever. You shouldn’t even bother with her, she has magic powers. She’s protected by God or something so even if you try to hit her, you won’t at all. Alright, I’m going home. Bye!”
I started walking again, but when I passed them, one of them grabbed me by the shoulder.
“Wait. Are you making us dumbasses or something? What magic powers are you talking about? Are you on drugs or something?”
“Unfortunately, no. By the way, she’s an angel. Careful, you might not get into heaven at all,” I sarcastically retorted back, before I felt someone punch me.
“Asshole! You think you can make us look like idiots!?”
“You motherfucker! What was that for? Asshole!” I was going to punch them, but before I could, I felt someone hold on to my waist and stop me from punching them.
“Eros, don’t! Don’t fight them! You shouldn’t even fight at all! This won’t lead you to anywhere and besides, don’t you want to grant your wish? It won’t be granted if you do that. Do you know how much you’ll lose if you fight? 50%, Eros. That’s a large amount. And if we hit zero and you keep on doing misdeeds, there’s a chance that the necklace will break and if that happens… I can never have my life back again. So please Eros… I’m begging you… let’s just find another way to get us out of here…”
I heard her sniff behind my back… what the- is she crying?
“Oi, what are you talking about? Necklace? Angel? Whateve. Come on, let’s get this show on the road!”
Shit. They started to gang up on us. I wanted to fight, but Eris was still hoding on to my waist and crying… I want to fight…
I fucking want to fight.
I don’t want to get beaten up without a fight.
Besides, only weak people got beaten up.
I’m not weak! I’m strong! I could take them all on!”
“Fuck, let me go already!” I tried to pry her off of my waist, but she just held on even tighter.
“Please, dont!”
I fucking want to fight but… argh!
Damn this annoying angel!
With all force, I tore her hands away from my waist before pulling her. I took a deep breath.
“Run!”
—
“Hurry up! Fuck, can you stop being so slow? Do want to die? Oh yeah, if we get caught, I’m the only one who’s going to die, but still, try and run faster!”
I felt like my lungs were burning what with the speed we were running, and luckily enough, we soon reached an alleyway. I pulled her into it and we hid. Thankfully enough, they passed us by without a second look. When I felt like we were far enough, I couldn’t hold it in anymore- I kicked the wall out of frustration.
“Damn this. For the first time in my life I ran away! This is all your fault- I looked like a loser and a coward! I looked weak, pathethic!”
Eris wiped away her wet cheek and smiled a little at me. “But on the contrary, that wasn’t weak, nor was it cowardly either. You’re not a loser for doing that, Eros. Running away is not always a sign of weakness, sometimes it proves you to be a strong person because it’s hard to walk away from something that you’re addicted to. Like earlier, fighting was everything for you but at that time you gave it up and ran away with me. You listened to me and you fought the urge to fight. I… was really scared that you would throw that punch anyway, hurt yourself and possibly break the necklace, but… you listened to me.”
“Eros, thank you.”
Surprised couldn’t even begin to describe what I felt when she stoodon her toes and hugged me, before placing a light kiss on my cheek.
“What the- you- what was that!? Why did you do that!?” I wiped away the cheek that she kissed. Ugh, that felt weird as hell! Why did I even feel warm for a second there!? I felt like screaming, I really did. Argh, I don’t even want to think about it anymore!
“Look!” She smiled, holding her necklace high.”Because you didnt fight and fought the urge to do so, in the process giving up something for someone’s sake, we are rewarded with 10% red color sa may heart ng necklace! Yay, it’s 20% already, Eros! Aren’t you happy?”
“Ugh, whatever. I’m hungry,” I said before starting to walk away. Eris ran to catch up with me, walking beside me afterwards.
“Me too! Eros, treat me to food, okay?”
I gave her a look. “Who said I’d do that?”
“I did!” She announced, before laughing.
I rolled my eyes at her. “Whatever, try not to stick too close to me, you’re still annoying, you know.”
“How mean,” she huffed before pouting as always.
“Yeah, yeah.”
20%? 80% more? That’s still a long way to go. How much of these things that I never do should I still do? Being a nice person is harder than I thought. Being a jerk was way easier than this.
