CHAPTER 7

NAPABALUKTOT na lamang ang katawan ni Gemini nang makaramdam muli siya ng sakit. Parang

siyang pinipiga na tinutusok-tusok, hindi niya maipaliwanag ang sakit ngunit alam niyang

nakakaramdam din ng ganito and iba. Lalo na ang mga kababaihan.

Fuck this menstruation!

Halos lahat ng unan at kumot niya ay nasa sahig na. Ang kanyang kama naman ay gusot-gusot

na rin. Sa itsura niya ngayon, mukha siyang fetus dahil na rin sa kanya posisyon. Mahigpit siyang

napayakap sa bandang puson niya nang makaramdam siya ng matinding pamimilipit.

Pasado alas-dos ng madaling araw nang magising siya, nakaramdam si Gemini ng matinding

pananakit ng kanyang puson. Matapos umalis ni Tarius kanina naiwan siyang malalim ang iniisip.

Iniisip niya kung kailangan ba niyang humingi ng tawad sa binata o hindi.

Ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na nahdadalawang-isip siya sa paghingi ng tawad dahil

kahit kailan at kahit sino man ay hindi niya naisipang humingi ng tawad. Tanging kay Tarius

lamang. And it's making her hella confused.

Malalim siyang nag-isip hanggang sa hindi niya namalayang nakatulog na siya kanina.

"Damn it," kapos hiningang aniya. Kahit namimilipit sa sakit pinilit pa rin niyang umupo ngunit

hindi pa man nakakatagal ay muli siyang napahiga.

This is why I hate monthly period. It hurts so fucking bad!

Muli, sa pangalawang pagkakataon, pilit na umupo si Gemini at inabot ang intercom na malapit

sa kanyang higaan na nakakonekta sa opisina ni Leanna. Pinindot niya ang kulay pulang button.

Umayos siya ng upo at hinintay na dumating ang kanyang Ninang. While waiting, Gemini did

some inhales and exhales, trying to distract herself from the pain.

After almost an hour of waiting, Leanna came rushing to her room. Leanna's jaw dropped

seeing Gemini's state as of now. "Oh my, your sheets have bloodstains! Wait, I'll call some nurse

to assist you." She, then, dialed someone on her phone.

After a short call, Leanna came back to her office to get some hot compress. Gemini on the

other hand, keeps on wincing. Good thing that the pain lessen but still, it wasn't enough. Hindi

na napansin ni Gemini ang nangyari, all she knew is that a male nurse carried and put her in a

wheelchair while two female nurses we're changing and fixing her bed, while Leanna was

helping her with the hot compress.

After few minutes, Gemini felt a little sleepy. Her eyes we're slowly closing until she lost consciousness and drifted to sleep.

"Sleep well... my Gemini."

***

AS soon Gemini woke up, she was sweating bullets. Her head is throbbing in pain. It feels like

she had a hang-over even though she's not. Napangiwi ang dalaga nang may maramdaman

siyang parang gustong lumabas sa kanyang bibig.

Mabilis siyang kumilos upang bumaba sa kama ngunit nakalimutan niyang may bali pala ang

binti niya. Napapikit ng mariin si Gemini dahil sa naramdaman niyang parang kuryente at sakit

sa nabali niyang binti. Muntik pa siyang matumba dahil sa bigla niyang pagtapak.

Out of desperation, sa bintana na lamang niya naisipang sumuka. Maluha-luha siya habang

sumusuka. Nang matapos, inabot niya ang tubig na naka-bote sa maliit na lamesa saka

nagmumog. Nang mawala na ang mapait na lasa na bumabalot sa kanyang loob ng bibig,

umupo siya at hinilot ang ulo.

Fuck this menstruation. I feel shit.

"Ito ang pinaka-ayaw ko kapag nagkakaregla ako. Tangina, daig ko pa ang may trangkaso." She

muttered while drinking her water. She always experience this hellish situation everytime her

monthly period come. Minsan lamang siyang dapuan ng sakit, at iyon ay tuwing mayroon siyang

dalaw.

"Gosh, I feel weak but I'm bored," she groaned. She was about to lay down when she suddenly

remembered, "Hmm, what if I'll try to walk? Maybe just for 10 minutes? That wouldn't hurt,

right?" Pagkakausap niya sa sarili at nagkibit-balikat.

"But before that, I'mma gonna call Cawie." She grabbed her phone then dialled Cawie. After a few rings, Cawie answered. Her friend appeared in the screen, she even saw Shanaz with her.

"Hello, good morning, Sissy! How are yah? I heard from Tita Leanna that you had your period."

Cawie said, worried about her friend. Alam na alam niya kung paano magkatrangkaso ang

dalaga dahil sa kanyang dalawa.

Gemini chuckled bitterly, "Para akong buntis. Nagsusuka at nahihilo ako, kingina," she ranted.

Minsan ay pabago-bago ang mga nararamdaman niya. Last month, she experienced tooth ached

and she can't properly so she's more on water.

"I feel hell, Cawie. I need some sweets, buy for me." Nakangusong aniya.

"Wow, makapag-utos wagas ah," she heard Shanaz said.

"Of course, I'm Queen so obey me." She said, half proud and half joking.

Both of Shanaz and Cawie laughed, "Mukha mo, Gaga. Hindi kami si Kuya kaya hindi gagana sa

amin 'yan." Shanaz said making Gemini chuckle.

"Don't care. Just buy me some sweets. I'll give you half an hour or else I won't let you get in

inside my room." She said as she ended the call.

Both Cawie and Shanaz on the other side, shook their heads. "Such a brat," Shanaz commented.

Cawie looked at her friend, amazed on what Shanaz had said. "Wow, coming from you?"

Shanaz rolled her eyes as she pout. "Shut up, Cawie." Cawie chuckled making Shanaz frown.

"Okay, okay, stop this nonsense!" Shana exclaimed, "Let's just go buy some goddamn sweets.

Dumb sweets."

Inasar ni Cawie ang kaibigan na ngayon ay nakahalukipkip na. "Why do you hate sweets so

much, huh? Oh, I remember now. You hate it because of the boy who—" Shanaz started

shrieking as she run away from Cawie.

"No! Stop! I don't want to remember that! Ahh! I don't know hiiim!" Nangingisi namang

sumunod sa kanya si Cawie. Napailing na lamang ang dalaga dahil sa inasta ng kaibigan.

Crazy. Indeed, we're crazy…yet unique.

***

TRUE to Gemini's word, she didn't let them in. Isang oras kasi bago sila nakarating sa Hospital.

Cawie saw Leather flirting with some whore inside the Starbucks. She was hurt, of course, who

wouldn't? So she run away and Shanaz chased her. Shanaz let Cawie to cry for almost five

minutes then she's back again, it's like nothing happened. They even brought Weather with

them para pang-sangga kung sakali mang maging dragon ang kanilang kaibigan ngunit kaagad

din silang iniwan saglit dhil tinawag siya ng kanilang ina.

"Kasi eh, drama-drama pa. 'Yan tuloy hindi tayo pinapasok ng dragon." Paninisi ni Shanaz kay

Cawie. "May pa 'I'm hurt, Shanaz. Your brother hurt me once again,' aba may karapatan ka bang

umiyak at magreklamo?" Dagdag pa nito.

Nakaupo sila ngayon sa mga nakahilerang bakanteng mga upuan katapat ng kwarto ni Gemini.

Napanguso naman Si Cawie bago inayos ang kanyang salamin. "Bakit ba? Nagmamahal ako eh,

saka—teka, akala ko ba gusto mo ako para sa kuya mo? Bakit mo ako inaaway?"

Shanaz raised her a brow. "Sa mga nakikita ko, parang ayaw ko na. Half-half na lang kumbaga.

Ang OA mo na kasi, sis. Nagmumukha ka nang desperadang tanga," she said savagely.

"Aray ha, mapanakit ka na, Shanaz." Nakasimangot na sabi ni Cawie, "Akala ko ba support mo

ako?"

Shanaz scoffed, "People change. Kung dati oo, ngayon hindi na. Nagmumukha ka nang tanga kakahabol kay Kuya na wala naman balak na pansinin ka," she paused, "Maybe Gemini is right.

Habang nassaktan ka, mas lalo kang nagiging tanga at desperada. Marupok na nga masokista

pa." Tumayo siya saka naglakad papalapit sa pintua ng kwarto ni Gemini bago kumatok.

After three knocks, the door opens. Nang makita ni Cawie ang pagbukas ng pinto kaagad siyang

tumayo. Naabutan nila si Gemini na nakaupo sa kanyang kama.

'Huh? Ang bilis naman niyang makabalik sa kama niya.' Saad ni Shanaz sa kanyang isip.

'How come did she get there that fast? As far as I can remember she still can't walk properly?

Nevermind, as long as she's alright.' Cawie thought.

Both Cawie and Shanaz are silently watching Gemini who's now glaring... at the door?

"May problema ba 'yang si Gemini?" Mahinang tanong ni Shanaz kay Cawie.

Napangiwi naman ang dalaga dahil sa tanong ng kaibigan. "Maybe. Ikaw ba naman manatili sa

Hospital ng ilamg linggo tignan natin kung hindi ka masiraan ng ulo."

"May saltik na 'ata," bulong pa ni Shanaz.

Napaigtad ang dalawa nang dumapo ang tingin ni Gemini sa kanila. Tinapunan ni Gemini ng

masamang tingin si Cawie na walang kaalam-alam kung anong nangyayari.

Nakaramdam ng kaunting lamig ang dalawang dalagang magkatabi kaya wala sa sariling

napayakap sila sa sarili.

'Parang ang lamig naman yata dito?' Shanaz unconsciously said at the back of her mind.

'Naka-todo ba ang aircon?' Cawie thought.

"Get the fuck out of here, you bastard!" Dumagundong ang matinis na boses ni Gemini sa bawat

sulok ng kwarto.

Nagkatinginan si Cawie at Shanaz dahil sa pagkalito.

Anong problema nito?

***

GEMINI is furious. She's furious at Tarius. She thought that Tarius was sulking because of what

she said to him but the bastard wasn't!

Tarius said that he was just trying to test Gemini if she'll follow him and say sorry.

Nagpapalambing daw. But that's not the reason why Gemini is furious.

"Why did you do this?!" Gemini said, almost shrieking while staring at her face at the mirror. Tarius who's leaning at the wall just shrugged. "Trip ko lang."

Galit na nilingon ng dalaga ang binatang multo. "Gago ka talaga ano?! Sa tingin mo ba maganda

'tong ginawa mo? Nakakatuwa? Ha? Nakakatuwa ba?!" Gemini is seriously mad right now. Kung

mahahawakan lang talaga niya ang binata baka nasakal na niya ito sa sobrang asar. Tarius chuckled, "Yeah, it's fun. Maybe I should try to draw on your face again next time."

"There's no more next time!" Gemini shrieked as she wash her face.

Gemini grabbed the towel beside her. Binasa niya ang towel at piniga. Maingat niyang

pinunasan ang kanyang mukha na punong-puno ng marker.

Gemini sighed in relief after seeing that some drawings on her face somehow erased. Tarius

burst out laughing, earning a glare from Gemini but he didn't mind it.

Laugh. Just laugh, Tarius, because I'll make sure that one day I'm the next one laughing my ass

out at your misery.

***

GEMINI spent almost thirty minutes in the bathroom. Good thing that the marker was erased

but her face is beaming with redness. She looked like a tomato.

"Fuck off," she said, irritated at Tarius.

"What? What did I do?" Pigil tawang saad ng binata. "Wala naman akong ginagawa."

Wala ka ngang ginagawa pero nauurat ako sa pagmumukha mo.

Hindi na lamang pinansin ni Gemini si Tarius. Dinampot na lamang niya ang bago niyang

cellphone na nakapatong sa lamesa.

Nadagdagan pa ang inis niya nang makita niya ang chat ng kanyang kaibigan na si Shanaz.

From: Feather Shanaz Elcueco

Sis, malelate kami ngayon. Nagdadrama si Cawie, nakita kasi ang abnormal kong Kuya na may

kalandiang haliparot.

Napahilot na lamang ang dalaga sa kanyang sintido at huminga ng malalim.

Shit, I need my sweets so I can calm down!

She spent her time scrolling at her social media accounts while Tarius was just staring at her. She

felt uncomfortable but she just let him. Matigas ang ulo ng binata kaya hinayaan na lamang

niya.

Moments later, Cawie and Shanaz came with Weather but she didn't let them in. She let them

stayed outside.

"Bakit ayaw mo sila papasukin? It's your friends." Nagtatakang tanong ni Tarius. Umiling lang

ang dalaga bikang tugon.

"Bakit nga?" Makulit na tanong muli ng binata.

"Bakit ba ang kulit mo? Basta nga!"

Nagkibit balikat si Tarius at lumapit sa pintuan. "Not enough reason. I'll just open this and let

them in." Hinawakan niya ang doorknob.

Nakarinig sila ng tatlong beses na katok galing sa pinto. "Don't you dare!"

Too late. Tarius opened the door after hearing the knocks. She glared at him, not minding her

friends.

Tarius was obviously teasing her and it's making her irritated.

Pumagitna si Tarius kila Cawie at Shanaz at inakbayan ang dalawa.

"Get the fuck out of here, you bastard!" She just snapped once again.