"Look at yourself and look at me. A toad like you wants this?"
Reyna's voice dripped with disdain as she gestured at her body, her short skirt swaying with every move, and her shirt struggling to hold her chest.
The crowd of Manila High School, a high school in Manila, gathered quickly, drawn to the commotion.
"I... I..." Rico stuttered, feeling the weight of their stares like stones pressing down on him in the hallway just outside the classroom.
He was 'Rico Santos', an orphan forever branded the 'loser' of the school.
His tattered uniform was a constant reminder of his struggles, his trousers barely brushing his scuffed shoes—an echo of a life he could never afford.
Laughter erupted around him.
"Haha, hilarious, Rico!" Mateo pushed through the crowd, his sneering face a symbol of Rico's humiliation.
"Look at her closely, Rico. That's the closest you'll ever get to my goddess," Mateo taunted, flanked by his friends, their laughter sharp and cruel.
It cut deeper than any punch ever could, but the punch came anyway.
!!!
Without warning, Mateo delivered a swift kick to Rico's stomach.
Rico doubled over in pain, barely able to react before a punch slammed into his nose, sending him sprawling onto the floor.
His vision blurred as pain shot through him, making it hard to breathe.
"That's where trash like you belongs—beneath the rest of us," Mateo sneered, gesturing as if dismissing garbage.
"Leave the trash, Mateo. Let's go eat," Reyna said casually, flipping her hair as she turned and walked away.
Rico lay there, gasping, defeated.
The crowd's laughter echoed as they dispersed.
"Pitiful Rico."
"Aiming for higher fruits when he can't even pick the ones on the ground."
"Pathetic."
The taunts echoed, and though some of the students pitied him, none dared to help, too afraid of being Mateo's next target.
So much for loving her... Poor me,
Rico thought, gritting his teeth as he struggled to stand with his lean, bruised body.
He dragged himself to the bathroom, his blood staining the sleeve of his old jacket.
A few minutes later, he stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at his reflection. His face was a mess.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it," he whispered, his voice thick with frustration.
"I'm pathetic. What did I expect? This isn't a movie."
His voice cracked, choking on his emotions.
"You're pathetic, Rico Santos. Pathetic!"
He mumbled to himself, his emotions swelling until they overflowed.
He broke down, kneeling on the cold tile floor, tears streaming down his face.
"Why me? Why, Rico, why?" He cursed himself, recalling how Reyna, the girl he loved, had humiliated him in front of everyone.
Being bullied was something Rico had endured for years.
But today was different. Today, his pride—what little he had left—had been shattered.
Being humiliated by the girl he loved cut deeper than any insult or beating ever had.
He stayed in the bathroom, cleaning the blood off his face, trying to fix his clothes, and waving his jacket to dry.
Time seemed to slip by as he stood there, lost in thought.
Then...
Thud, thud, thud.
Footsteps and laughter echoed down the hallway. Panicking, Rico rushed into one of the stalls, clutching his jacket tightly.
"Haha, Mateo, you're the man! I've got everything arranged for tonight," one of the boys said as they entered the bathroom, the door slamming behind them.
"I trust you, Jomar. You better have everything ready," Mateo replied.
"Of course, Mateo. One sip, and they'll be begging for it," Jomar laughed darkly.
"Perfect. We're gonna have fun tonight, boys—a great way to start the weekend," Mateo said, licking his lips.
"I talked to Reyna. She said she and her friends will meet us at the spot," Mateo reassured them.
"Ha! Tonight we'll swap those girls and enjoy them till we drop," Mateo boasted, and his friends joined in, laughing as they mimed thrusting their hips.
As they continued talking, Rico stood frozen in the stall, his emotions spiraling out of control.
They were planning to drug Reyna and her friends, to take advantage of them.
His crush... the girl he loved... was in danger.
His teeth clenched, and his breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled to contain the flood of emotions.
Then...
Ring, ring, ring.
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Mateo and his friends left the bathroom, still laughing.
Rico stayed in the stall for a moment, breathing heavily, unsure of what to do.
His mind raced as he barged out of the stall, running toward the classroom to warn Reyna.
He ran like a madman, pushing through the crowd, barely able to think straight.
He burst into the classroom.
Empty.
The classroom was empty except for his bag sitting on one of the desks. He didn't care about it.
He had to find her.
Panting, he rushed to the window at the end of the hallway, looking down.
He saw Reyna and her friends getting into a car. Another car, with Mateo and his friends, followed closely behind.
"Dammit!" Rico shouted, banging his fist on the window frame.
"He's lost it," a student muttered as others exchanged glances.
But Rico didn't care. He had to act.
His hands shaking, he pulled out his phone, scrolling through his contacts as he ran.
He had no plan, no clear direction.
He only knew that they were heading Somewhere around 'Dominga Street' where an abandoned construction site lay.
His hands trembled as he scrolled through his contacts, finding Reyna's number, saved under the name 'Goddess.'
His heart pounded in his chest as he dialed, but the call didn't go through.
He tried sending messages, every last one of his remaining texts used up.
Meanwhile, in the car, Reyna and her friends sang along to the music blasting from the speakers.
She glanced at her phone, seeing a flood of messages from Rico before it shut off—her battery was dead.