Ione's POV
"Wake up ate! Wake up! " someone said as i feel my body shaking.
"Ugh" I groaned when I felt something sit on my stomach. Unti unti ko'ng binuksan ang mata ko. I found the five years old Dylan, my younger brother, sitting on my stomach.
"Wake up already ate!" he said while giggling. In frustration I rolled out atsaka dinaganan sya. I tickled him while trapping him with my body. He was in a fit of laughter when my door swung open. Sabay kaming napatingin dun.
"Enough playing, the two of you bumaba na, kakain na." Mom said with a smile on her face. Hindi na kami nakasagot dahil nauna nang bumaba si mama. Tumayo na din ako.
"Go down stairs now Dy, baba na si ate mayamaya." Ani ko ng nakangiti atsaka ginulo ang buhok nya. He obediently followed and got down.
I took a bath and bumaba na. I surprisingly looked at kuya Drake. Andito pala sya? Since when? I kissed them on the cheeks and I took a seat across kuya.
"Andito ka pala kuya, since when? " i asked and started eating.
"Oh, I just got here earlier. May paguusapan lang kami ni dad." sabi nya but still focused on his food. Napatango nalang ako.
After eating nagbihis na'ko, it's friday so may classes ako.
"Manong, pakihatid na po'ko" I stated. When kuya spoked behind me.
"Sa'kin ka na sumabay, sia. Madadaanan ko naman yung school mo. " kuya said.
While we're on the road, someone's calling kuya, naka-connect yung phone nya sa sasakyan nya. He answered the call.
"Hey, bro napatawag ka? " he asked
"Yeah, where the hell are you? The meeting will start soon" the guy on the other line said with irritation in his voice.
Ang lalim ng boses nya. Huhu. Ang manly.
Kuya laughed at the guy. "Chill bruh, hahatid ko muna si sia. " he said and looked at me. They often call me with my pet name 'sia' from my second name 'zosia' it was supposed to be pronounced at 'zo-sa-ya' but instead they pronounce it as 'sia'.
"Sia? You mean your sister? " The guy on the other line asked. I felt my heart pulsiating the moment I heard my name from his mouth. This is wierd, this never happened to me in the past. May sakit na ba ko? Is it because he called my name? Kung ganon...
"Don't call me sia! " napatingin sa'kin si kuya. Oh my! I accidentally stated my thoughts. Natahimik nalang bigla ang kabilang linya. Mag-s-sorry na sana ako nung naunahan nya akong magsalita.
"What should I call you then, Love. " nanlaki ang mata ko when I heard him call me love. Mas lalo lang bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko.
Confirmed! May sakit talaga ako, and it's because of him!
"Don't tey to hit with my sister, Xandrie" kuya said with authority in his voice. Ambilis nya talaga mag-switch ng mood. He's just like dad.
Xandrie pala ang pangalan nya.
The guy on the other line just chuckled. Kahit ang tawa nya ang pogi huhu.
"I know, i'm not a fool that messes the princess of the Griese, Just get here faster Drake naiinip na kami dito." he stated with a slight irritation in his voice and kusa nalang namatay ang tawag. I looked at the screen his number is showing mabilis kong ini-memorya ang number nya at pasimpleng nilagay sa contacts ko naming him...
'The reason why my heart palpitate'
I didn't know what gotten unto me ay si-nave ko pa talaga ang number nya sa phone ko. Hangang makarating kami sa school sya parin ang nasa-isip ko, I'm actually thinking kung bakit nag-p-palpitate ako. May sakit na yata ako. Should I ask Tita
Before going out kuya reminded me about the 'no boyfriend law' which was made by Dad and my brothers excluding baby dylan he's still a new born when they made that rule, he's five now so the rule was made five years ago, after they found out I was the only daughter and sister they have. I actually has six brothers including Dylan . Si kuya drake ang pangalawa. We only have four years age gap.
Then my kuya Drair which is thirty-one now, the oldest. Then after nya sina kuya Damien and Damian, they're twins, twenty-six na sila in a few months. Then kuya Drake. Tapos, si kuya Dustin which is twenty now, college student, nasa dorm sya kaya hindi namin kasama sa bahay but he often calls to check on us. Then lastly my five years old baby brother Dylan.
"Ione, di ka mag-l-lunch?" Luke asked. My cousin sa mother side.
"Uhm, and in na ba sina Aca? " Aca is my best friend which is actually his girlfriend.
"Yeah, she reserved a table for us" I grabbed my things at sumunod na sa kanya. When we reached the noisy and crowded cafeteria.
We sat down on the table Aca reserved, crowded kasi ang cafeteria lalo na pag-lunch so kung gusto mo ng umupo you need to reserve early. Nag-order na pala si Aca ng foods, alam nya naman ang usual order ko.
A few moments later I heard some screams, di na'ko nagulat, it's always like that pagdadating ang mga pinsan ko. My cousin from the father side are actually good looking, I won't lie. Kaya ganun maka-tili ang mga babae dito.
I just sighed in annoyance ang ingay naman kasi nila. Who can eat peacefully if everyone's this noisy? I looked at them and I saw my dear cousin, Kuya Lander, who's using his charm para maka-agaw ng table. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. Tinuro naman ako ni Kuya Valen, or should I saw Valentino. Napatingin sila sa'kin di'nako nagtaka ng lumapit sila sa mesa namin. Agad na ipinalibot ni Kuya Achilles ang kamay nya sa balikat ko.
"Yow, my dearest cousin" Kuya Achilles said and kissed my forehead. Nagsimula nang mag ingay ang mga abnoy kong pinsan.
"Uy, sia paupo kami dito ah? " Kuya Greg said. Nagtanong pa talaga sya eh kanina pa naman sya nakaupo jan.
"Uy,pahingi nyan Acasia, wag madamot " Si Kuya George naman yun, Kuya Gregs twin.
"Oo nga, pahingi nyan" gatong naman ni Kuya Paris one of the triplets. The other two is Kuya Apollo na mas maputi pa ang balat kesa-sakin and Kuya Adonis na sobrang hangin magsalita. Chase and Caleb joined the chaos too. Napahilod nalang ako sa ulo. Sumasakit ang ulo ko sa kanila. Ikaw ba naman lapitan ng sampu mong pinsan na magugulo pa.
Kuya Lander, matanda lang sya ng ilang months mula sakin, he's also the most naughty one. Then Kuya Valentino, but we prefer to call him valen. Ang taas kasi ng Valentino, he's usually a quiet one sa mga taong di nya masyadong close. Kuya Achilles, the most malambing one. Then the twin Kuya Greg and Kuya George na parehong matakaw. Then the triplets, Kuya Paris who's mapang-asar, mas nagkakasundo sila ni Kuya George pagdating sa kalukohan, then Kuya Apollo he's the serious one na palaging naka jacket, kaya siguro ang puti nya di nag-s-sando ih. Then Kuya Adonis, pinakamaingay na ubod ng hangin. Then the twins Chase and Caleb they're noisy lalo na pagkasama nila sina George and Greg, chismoso din sila.
Nagtataka siguro kayo bakit they're all boys. Simply because it runs in the Greise blood na bibihira lang magkaroon ng babaeng anak, kaya nga umabot sina Lola Aida ng anim na anak, seventh is Lolo's first child sa namayapa nyang unang asawa, they tried and tried just to have a daughter kaso hindi talaga sila binigyan so nag-stop na sila sa anim, naisipan nalang kasi ni Lola na since mag-aasawa naman din ang mga anak nya, mag-kakaroon din sya ng daughter-in-law.
Kaya nga nung nagpa-ultrasound si mommy nagulat sila, no one expected it to be a girl, I even heard nagpa-party ang mga Greise dahil dun.
"Sia!" napatingin ako kay Kuya Achilles nang tawagin nya ko. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"Kanina pa kita tinatawag, do you have a problem Sia? " He asked with a bit of worry in his eyes. Napatingin naman sa'min ang iba ko pang pinsan. They suddenly became serious.
Kuya Adonis raised his eyebrows.
Taray.
"Did someone bully you Sia?" He asked na para bang nambibintang na tono. Mabilis akong umiling, ni wala nga lumalapit sa'kin maliban kay Aca at Luke dahil takot sila sa'kin, more specifically sa apelyedo ko, na parabang pag may mali silang masabi sa'kin, my family might destroy them.
"Did someone insult you?" This time si kuya Apollo naman ang nagtanong.
"No, no one did this or that alright, may iniisip lang talaga ako." I stated. Thier expression eased ang bumalik na sa dati ang atmosphere. Naging magulo ulit sila. I just sighed and continued eating kahit na ang iingay nila. Dumeretso na kami sa next class after eating.
Uwian na. Nasan na ba si manong, kanina pa'ko naghihintay dito sa shed. He usually come on time. I just sigh and opened nyo phone. While texting manong, I felt someone looking at me. Nilibot ko ang paningin ko, I saw a suspicious guy on a hoodie and mask na nasa kabilang shed, on the left side. Shit. Hindi na maganda ang kutob ko,.
I started dialing manongs number in panic kaso di sya sumasagot. Fvck it. Napatingin ako sa lalaking yun, he's not there anymore, shit, inilibot ko ulit ang paningin ko, nawawala talaga sya. Damn. I called mom's number, I felt relieved when she answer her phone.
"Mom, some—mmmmm" I didn't finish talking nung may nagtakip ng panyo sa bibig ko mula sa likod. I tried to fight but masyado syang malakas. There's a big difference between a woman's strength and a man's strength.
Shit, I'm losing my strength, dahil sa kung anong nilagay nya sa panyong yun. Nabitawan ko ang phone ko. I even heard mom's voice from the phone. Pahina ng pahina ang lakas ko. Damn, I need to move but my body isn't cooperating, he carried me papunta sa isang van, I remember kanina that's the van na kanina pa naka-park, I thought that's a car of one of the faculty member. He throwed me at the back. I can see he's talking but i can't hear him. Damn. Is it because of the handkerchief?
I feel so high right now. I can't feel my body, I can't hear anything and I can't damn talk. My mind is awake but my body is not. Pakiramdam ko isa nalang akong kaluluwa. This is bad. I looked at them, nakita kong nagtatalo sila based on their expression but what the hell is happening. Tumingin ang isa sa'kin? No, he's not looking at me he's looking at he back of the car!