Chapter 3

"Tristan will pick you up later. You'll sleep in their house later." Dad said.

"Why?" I asked.

I put the plates in our sink and picked up my bag.

"We have a business trip honey, 3 days and 2 nights. That's why the both of you will stay there for a while. Please behave." Mom smiled.

I nodded and looked at Kuya. I know he don't like Hazel, our cousin. Among all of my cousins she's my least favorite. She's bossy and always think that we are her maids, not cousins.

I stepped out of our car and walk together with Kuya Anthony.

"What do you want? I'll sleep with Tristan and you'll sleep with Hazel? Or we'll sleep together?" He asked.

"I rather sleep with my stinky brother than to sleep with that bossy bitchy girl." We laughed.

"Remember what I told you yesterday? Don't go near Ciro." He pat my head and waved goodbye.

I was busy thinking about who texted me last night when a group of juniors blocked my way. I saw the girl who spilled her juice at me, standing in the middle. I faced back, I don't want trouble damn.

"Where do you think you're going?" The girl shouted.

"I don't want trouble, please leave me alone." I said as I plugged in my earphones.

"Ciro just reported me because of you! He got my number to reported me! It's all because of you." She shouted.

I felt a warm sensation in my heart. Like it was happy. I suddenly felt the tingling sensation in my stomach, is it what they called butterflies?

As I was thinking someone grabbed my arms. My earphones fell down together with my bag.

"Don't make a scene, let me go!" I protested.

"You think that's easy? Sorry miss grade 10 but I'm not an angel."

She then slapped me that makes my head touch the ground. Before I could stand someone throw me a vase resulting my body to collapsed. It felt like my knees are jello, my head hurts like it's struck by a truck. I felt a wet thing running down my nose.

"B-blood." I whispered before everything turns into black.

"We just need to run some test. Her knees are injured due to the tube that they use to struck her." I heard someone but I can't clearly see her.

"How about her head? I saw her collapsing when she saw her own blood." A guy said.

"Maybe she's hemophobic. When she woke up, feed her and let her drink some medications."

I rubbed my eyes but I can't see anything. The last thing I remembered someone struck my knees using a water tube.

"Are you ok?" Someone said.

"Sorry I can't clearly see you. My vision is blurry. Do you have something for contact lenses?" I said still rubbing my eyes.

"Stay still, don't rubbed your eyes."

I stopped rubbing my eyes when I felt someone walks closer to me. I hope it's Kuya, I hope he's here. He's manly scent linger on my nose, that's the most fragrant scent I've ever smell. He opened my eyes and drop something in there.

"Try to blink." He ordered.

I blinked slowly and my vision became clear. I was about to shout out him for moving so close to me when I saw he's angelic face. Ciro's face.

"Why you're here? You have your class."

"I'm excused. I saw them beating you up, don't worry I already reported them to the guidance." He smiled.

"You're weird." I laughed.

His attitude changed. From being a flirty and annoying to a handsome ang caring prince.

"You're fantasizing about me." He laughed.

I shrugged my shoulders and tried to stand to go to my class. I was about to step out of the bed when I felt my knees were like jello, it hurts every time I move them.

"Stop moving, you should eat so you can drink your medications."

He gave me a bowl of chicken soup and hand me a white capsule.

"You sure this is not drugs?" I joked.

"Nah, I don't want you to get addicted. You're only allowed to be addicted to me." He smirked.

"You're creepy."

"You're cute."

"Can I borrow your phone? I just need to text my brother." I said.

He handed me his phone, I opened it and I saw his wallpaper. He's wearing a tuxedo together with a girl beside him. They have their best smiles, they look good together.

"Hey, I thought you're gonna text your brother, why do you keep looking at my wallpaper?" He laughed.

"Nah, I'm finding the message logo." I excused.

To: 09*********

Kuya I'm at the clinic, someone beat me up. Please pick me up later after your class. This is Selena.

I gave his phone back and start overthinking how beautiful that girl is. Am I jealous? She's beautiful as fuck. Wait?! Why the hell I'm jealous! I don't like him for God's sake.

"Go, hey! Are you even listening?" He snapped.

"Ow I'm sorry, can you repeat." I scratched my head.

"I said let's go, we will watch the basketball match. What are you thinking huh?" He smile like he's teasing me.

"Nothing, it's just—"

"That's my sister, my wallpaper it's her birthday."

"I'm not even asking but she's beautiful." I complimented.

"Yeh, try to guess her name and I'll give you 10 dollars."

What could be her name? Maybe it's connected to Ciro. Zero? One?

"I bet it's One, because your name is Ciro." I said proudly.

"So close but no. It's izza you little girl." He laughed.

"In the Philippines they count it, ciro, isa, dalawa, tatlo, and so on. My mother named her Izza because it sounded nice and beautiful."

"Now I get it." I winked She lifted me up and let me sit in a wheelchair. It's uncomfortable but I don't have a choice since my legs are injured, damn that girl. She's going to get her karma.

"Am I allowed to watch? I have classes for today." I said as we reached the basketball court.

"You should be admitted for the whole day so you're excused Miss. Portia." He said.

"You're doing background information on me huh? Mr. Ciro I don't know and I don't even care about your surname." I laughed.

"Shh the game will start." He said and hand me some food.

I saw Liam playing on the court, law students vs medicine students. I haven't watch any game before that's why I'm happy that Ciro brought me here.

I saw Kuya Mikko shooting the ball. I don't even know that he studies here. He's my cousin, one year older than me.

"Go Kuya Mikko!! Go, Kuya Mikko!" I cheered.

His fangirls looked at me when Kuya Mikko gave me a flying kiss. Bet they were gonna beat me up again. I don't know it's hard to have a handsome cousins.

"You know him?" Ciro asked.

"He's my cousin, mother side." I said while chewing the popcorn.

Liam got a 3 point shot that's why her cheerleaders shouted for him.

"Liam for the win! Liam for the win!" They shouted.

I looked around and saw how sharp they looked at me. Like they're gonna eat me alive, shocks. Maybe it's because I cheer Kuya Mikko or is it because I'm beside this handsome guy?

"Who's going to pick you up later?" He said breaking the silence between us.

"Kuya Tristan."

"Santiago?"

"Yup, my oldest cousin." I said still watching the game.

"Tell him he should carry you. Don't force your legs to move they will get worse. Don't go to school tomorrow if you can't, you're still excuse." He explained.

"Copy boss." I laughed, he sounded just like my dad.

"I don't like the boss thing, call me master instead." He grinned.

I beat him with my hand and we laughed together as we teased each other, he's not bad at all.

"That's the end of the game! Score 97-99. Medicine students won!" The guy over there announced.

I clapped my hands when I saw Kuya Mikko showed her thumbs up. Liam together with his teammates went to us. Maybe because of Ciro.

"Nice game." I commented.

They all smiled at waved their hands at me.

"I received my stuffs, Ciro gave it to me earlier. Are you ok now?" Liam seems so worried.

"Yah I'm good, thank you again." I smiled.

"Next week is the semi, we're ranked 3, we need to win the game between Education department in order for us to reached the finals." Liam said.

"Hope you're there, we need you." A tall guy said.

"I'll be there. We are gonna go now." He waved his hand as he pushed my wheelchair.

"What do they mean? They need you there as a supporter?" I asked him because I'm so confused.

"Nah baby girl, I'm their captain."

I was about to jump off my wheelchair when I heard what he said. Why he didn't play?!

"You should play earlier! You big brat!" I rolled my eyes.

"But I'm taking care of you." He pointed me.

"But—"

"Shh it's ok." He smiled.

I felt guilty, maybe they won if she played. Why am I being such a burden to him when all I did was to hate him.

"I'm guilty." I pouted.

"Don't be, just watched my game next week."

"I'll watch, I'll cheer for you!" I said without even thinking, easing my guilt.

"I will expect much baby girl." He laughed.

"Stop calling me baby girl you big brat." I rolled my eyes.

He stayed silent and I let him decide where will we go. We stopped at the door of the guidance office and he knocked on the door.

"This is Ciro Privino Ma'am, can we come in?" He said politely.

He opened the door and pushed my wheelchair. I saw the girls who beat me up earlier, they are all crying. They deserve that! Little bitches!

"Can you state what just happened?" Our principal told me.

I was about to tell everything when I felt the pain in my heart. The trauma that it caused me, how they beat me up, how I saw my own blood. My eyes starts watering and the pain embraced my heart.

"Ma'am can I tell what I saw?" Ciro said.

"M-ma'am I-I w-was—" I stuttered.

"Ma'am let me tell what I saw." Ciro insisted.

"Go on Mr. Privino."

"I was going to Ms. Portia's building to give her something when I saw that girl struck Selena with the vase. I shouted at them, then that little girl beat Selena with the water tube. I saw how she collapsed because her blood starts to escape from her nose." Ciro said in a baritone.

"Is that what happened Ms. Portia?"

"Y-yes Ma'am, she e-even slapped me." I pointed the girl with bitch face.

"I granted the four of you suspension and not being able to get the exam for this sem. I want to talk to your parents." Our principal said referring to the 8th graders.

"I'm sorry for what happened Ms. Portia. You can now leave it's getting late."

Ciro pushed my wheelchair and we end up in the school clinic. He seems so pissed but I didn't mind that instead I reached for my bag and dialed my brother's number.

"Kuya I'm at the school's clinic."

"Ok, I'll pick you up there. I already told to our parents what happened and they will going home by tomorrow."

I sighed, I need to apologize for ruining their business trip.

"Ok, I'll wait for you." I hang up the call.

"Thank you for taking care of me big brat." I said shyly.

"You're welcome baby girl." He chuckled.

A minute after Kuya arrived and checked me. Ciro waved his hand and smiled before he leave.

"Little girls are so mean." Kuya Tristan said looking at my condition.

"Yeah, I wish for their karma." I sighed.

"Sleep in the guest room, Anthony might kick your legs when he's asleep."

"Where's Hazel?" I asked.

"Shopping." He rolled his eyes.

I laughed at his reaction, he's tired of her sister. Such a brat.

Kuya Anthony lifted me and took me to the guest room. I sighed when I felt the pain in my legs when I tried to move, this is hard.

"Look at your Facebook. I told you not to go with Ciro, such a hard-headed girl." He smirked.

I opened my Facebook and saw a lot of assumptions about me. Maybe they envy me because if what happened earlier at the basketball game.

I was about to sleep when my phone vibrated and I saw Carylle mentioned me in her comments.

I saw a video, Ciro is standing on the stage holding a microphone. A lot of students are there, waiting for what he's going to say.

"Don't you ever lay your finger on my baby girl or I'll let you experience hell."