Bright's POV

"Bro- oh, what happened?" I slightly flinched as Luke suddenly popped at my side. I look around dumbfounded. I saw Noah and Marc's worried expression plastered on their faces.

"You're spacing out again, is it because of Ianna again?" Marc ask, I sigh and lean on my chair before slowly nodding.

I slightly massage my temples, "It's just.. she kept on popping in my head. I can't just forget about her." I said and I hear Luke flick his tongue before sitting down beside me.

"Bri, of course you won't forget about her. Bri, she is just there. You see her 5 times a week, well the whole weekdays. So you really won't  forget about her." Luke said. I look at him for a second before looking towards Ianna's direction. She is once again with her friends.

Her friends seems like laughing and having fun while she's just there, sitting down and forcing a smile.

I know it's fake, I can tell.

My eyes widened when our eyes met. I immediately look over Luke's direction which surprised him a bit.

"Why? What is it?" He ask before looking at his back.  And looking around as if he is finding the thing I'm looking at.

I shake my head, "Nah, it's nothing. Just.. it's nothing." I said before getting more comfortable on my seat.

Noah and Marc sit down on their chairs as us four just went silent. Noah and Marc on their phones as well as Luke. I just stare at the ceiling tapping my fingers on my phone screen which is on my arm rest.

"May tournament daw ng ML dito sa school. Sasali kayo?" Marc ask as he lean on my chair rest. Me and Luke look at him.

"Kailan?" Luke ask. Marc looked back at his phone.

"Saturday, game ako. Kayo ba?" Marc asked.

Noah stand up, "Ako, game ako." Noah said before earning a high five from Marc.

Marc look back at us, "Kayong dalawa? Luke? Bri?" He said.

I sigh and once again faced the front. "Pass muna," I said.

"Seryoso ka pre? Bri, it's a tournament, you never skip a single tournament here in school. Seryoso ka ba?" Noah said a bit irritated.

I hear Marc scoff, "Oo nga Bri. Dahil lang kay Ianna? Come on bro, para yun-

"Hindi lang yun basta-basta Marc. It was a fucking two years relationship I ended." Marc look at me with wide eyes. I glared at him before sitting down once again.

"Geez, easy bro. Pero yun naman talaga eh, it's two years, yung iba nga five to seven years pero nag bre-break pa rin sila." I heard Marc said from my back. I just stared at the front, my fingers under my chin.

"See, your's isn't that bad." Noah said before patting my shoulder.

"Kahit na, it's still a relationship." I said giving stress on the word relationship.

"A toxic, unhealthy relationship." I glared at Marc before shaking my head.

"Bahala nga kayo." I said before pulling out my Mathematics notebook from my bag.

"Okay, easy young men. 'Wag tayong mag-away, may test pa tayo sa Math." Luke said with a somehow funny accent making me chuckle a little as I read my notes.

We were all busy reviewing when my phone suddenly beeped.

"Oh, sino yan? 'Yan ba yung taga STEM student na sinasabi mo na naka ano mo last week-

"Shush!" I immediately cut off Noah's words. I open my messenger and there I saw her name.

"Xaviana Feliz? Sino yan Bri? Another harem girl-

"No, she's.. she's not. She's innocent, I can't do it with her." I cut off before typing a good morning to her.

She had been messaging me everyday and every night. Asking if I already ate or if how's my day went. Actually it's pretty cute for me, like what I said, no one cared for me like this who just met me online.

Even Ianna don't greet me good mornings like this. It's always me who greets her, then I'll just receive a 'morning' when I greet her. Or when I ask if she already ate I'll receive a 'yeah'.

"Innocent? How old is she? Naku pre, baka grade seven lang yan." Marc joked making the three of them burst into laughter.

I flick my tongue before hitting a send and looking at Marc.

"Gago ka, grade 12 din yan. Taga Quezon nga lang." I said before putting down my phone. And once again picking up my notebook looking back to my notes.

"Quezon? Ang layo pre, Rizal tayo. Naku-naku, LDR pa nga si Bright." Noah said, a small smile formed on my lips before slowly shaking my head.

I saw Luke pick up my phone and I just let him be. As if there's something I'm hiding from there. They know my passwords and stuffs, it's like my phone is their phone too. But same goes with their phone.

Once Marc even used Noah's phone go watch adult videos. And once Noah found out about it, he literally throw Marc's bag from the window of our classroom.

"Gago Bri, innocent daw, you guys were talking about harem last night!" Noah and Marc is the first one to go behind Luke who is reading our messages last night.

"Master? Naol pre, edi masaya ka na naman kagabi?" Marc said. I sigh and put down my notebook before snatching my phone away from them.

"Hindi niyo ba nabasa? We ended the adult conversation last night. Because her feet and hands went cold. Hindi nga siya sanay dun, okay? And I respect that, I only do the shit with girls who wants to do it with me. But you know I'm not the one who ask girls to have one with me." I said as I read Xavi's message. She is ranting about her research project and I find it funny and cute specially when she just randomly type letters at her keypad.

I look back at them three, "If a girl don't wants to, then it's a no. But if they told me, directly that they want one. Then I'll give them one.. or two." I said before putting down my phone.

"But you still haven't done it actual right?" Noah ask and I can clearly hear hesitance in his voice.

I shake my head, "Yes, I haven't. It's just my online body who have been used several times already. But my real body.. clean." I said making some hand gestures making the three laugh.

Classes started smoothly, started with Music class which is not boring but not also my favorite. A class then I can say I'm being a real student. Listening and learning, then second period is the math exam. Which I easily aced. Then Filipino for 3rd, English for the last period in the morning.

"Bri, lunch, cafeteria or labas?" Luke said as he already put his arm on my shoulder.

I put my phone inside my pocket and my hand too.

I look around and shrug, "Kayo bahala, I just wont spend that much on foods outside." I said my feet following where they are just going.

"Cafeteria nalang, I heard there's a fish fillet, salad, and.. carbonara. Those are the foods for lunch today." Noah said before adjusting his glasses.

Luke look at me, "What do you think? Carbonara sounds nice." Luke said,

"Sure, but I'll take salad and the fish fillet." I said before we take a turn, going back to the cafeteria.

As we are in the line, two female 11 graders approached us.

"Hi po kuya Bright," One girl said, I look at her before slightly nodding.

"Pwede po bang.. mamayang gabi-

"No girl, hindi pwede, you guys are still 17, minors, I mean so do we. But no, you're not ruining your innocence at this point." Luke immediately cut of the girl. I smirked at Luke before looking back at the two girls.

"At baka hindi maganda ang kalabasan ng binabalak niyo. Madamay pa si Bright, he is cautious to what he is doing. But you two don't look like thinking about your decisions." Noah coldly said.

I saw the girl frown, "Pero hindi naman po kami magsasalita about dun." The girl said.

"Kahit na, hindi nga tama yung ginagawa ni Bright. He is aware na hindi maganda ang ginagawa niya. Hindi pwede, mamaya hindi niyo kayanin ang mga pananalita ni Bright. Mag-iyak pa kayo." Marc said and I hear Luke chuckled.

"Sige na nga po, bye." The two girl immediately leave. Us four look at each other before laughing and paying attention to the line.

"I'm telling you Bright. You should stop your harem thing. Ano ba naman ang nakukuha mo dyan?" Marc said before taking a bite of his carbonara.

I swallow my food before looking at him.

"Wala, I don't know too. Na realize ko nalang, some girls are sending me private messages asking for some." I replied before stabbing a tomato with my fork.

"I think you should stop what you're doing, hanggat maaga pa. Because what you're doing might end up messed up.  Who knows? When did you start doing the thing again?" Noah ask..

I sigh and put down my fork.

"2 months ago, it was Layca's friend who ask me to seduce her. And that's when it started, I get used to the words." I said before continue eating.

"But still, stop what you're doing. Baka mapahamak ka sa huli. It's a reminder, you know what you're doing, and we know it's not good." Noah added, I just slowly nod and looking back at him.

"Yes Sir, I won't accept any requests from anyone." I said making Noah laugh.

But all of our attentions turn towards my phone who beeped from nowhere.

Marc first look at it. "It's Xaviana again, your baby." Marc said, I slightly chuckle before picking up my phone.

"Wow, she's getting.. slimmer." I said as I saw the picture she sent. It's a mirror selfie of her inside their bathroom. She's wearing her uniform that actually really suits her.

"Who? Xaviana? Let us see." Marc said leaning closer. I immediately pull my phone closer to me.

"First, don't laugh at her, get it? If you have anything bad to say, keep it to yourself! I don't want you three saying thing about her. I'm letting you see this cause I think she looks pretty." I said, the three look at each other first before nodding.

"Here," I said before showing them her picture.

"Oh.. that's her? Nice, she have glasses." Noah said adjusting his glasses.

Marc look closer. "Hmm.. I like her hair, she probably dyed it." He said and I nod.

"She did," I said and look at Luke who is still looking at my phone.

"What do you think Lu?" I ask, he slowly nod before sitting back down.

"Do you have any pictures of her? Like.. her face?" Luke ask, I confusedly look at him before squinting my eyes.

"Search her Facebook account, I don't want showing you guys her pictures, maybe she doesn't want me showing it to anybody, just this one cause I find it pretty." I said before putting down my phone and taking a bite of my fish fillet.

"Here, Xaviana Feliz Alvarez? G12? Dancer, broadcaster, 06 liner? Wow her bio is like... screams herself." Marc said making me chuckle a little. He showed us her account and when I saw the right profile I nod.

"That's her, she might have posted pictures of her there. Just look from there, at least there she is aware that the public can see it." I said before taking the last bite of my salad.

"Check her IG, girls tend to post prettier pictures on Instagram." I heard Noah said. I confusedly look at them.

"Why? Wala siyang pictures?" I ask and Noah slowly nod.

"Just pictures with her friends. We want to see her face closeup." Noah replied and I just nod.

The two became silent, before I hear Marc mumbled a small 'wow'.

"She's thick tho-

"Marc! Stop what you're thinking." I immediately cut him off, my brows furrowed as I find his words a little off.

Noah hum, "He's right, and she's pretty too." Noah said before sitting back down comfortably at his seat.

"Let me see," Luke said and Marc hand his phone to Luke.

I watch Luke's expression. I saw him nod as he scrolls to her pictures.

"Mhm, she is pretty. You got a jackpot this time Bri. Congrats." He said before handing Marc his phone back.

"So.. what's your plan to her?" Noah ask, I look at him before shrugging.

"I don't know, she's pretty, yes. But I don't know." I said and he nods.

"Just to remind you, you are once again single. So.. it's up to you if you want to try someone from Quezon and take a break from someone from Rizal." He said making me laugh a little bit.

"Girls are not things that you can just try and if you think it's not for you, you can just give them back to true stores or just throw them away. You value them, okay Noah? That's a friendly reminder so next time your STEM girl won't cheat on you with the HRM student." I said, just as I finished my sentence Marc choked on his food making Luke burst into laughter.

I look at the two holding my laugh as I saw Noah's blank expression. But he looks like her can kill anytime soon.

He shake his head, "Shut up, at least I'm not the one who became a dog of his girlfriend." Noah fired back.

My mouth formed a small 'o' as i heard what he said.

Marc laughed, "Naol aso."

—

"Bri, sure ka you won't join the tournament?" Marc ask as we are walking towards the gate of the school.

I scratch the back of my head.

"I'll think about it, okay? I'm not yet sure." I said and I saw Noah shake his head.

"Yeah, think about it, you still have days to think about it. And if you're going to join, let us know. May nakausap na ako na pwede pa natin ka team, someone from HUMSS. Magaling siya, hindi pabuhat kagaya ng kasama natin last time. Diba Marc?" Noah said giving Marc a look.

Marc awkwardly laugh, scratching the back of his nape.

"Hehe, malay ko ba na grandmaster palang pala siya, 1 star pa. Ang alam ko kasi player din siya. Pabuhat din pala." Marc said, us three flick our tongues and shake our heads.

"Okay, I'll be going now, andito na sundo ko." Noah said before running towards his white car, waving us a goodbye.

"Una na rin ako, I'll meet mom sa mall. Bye, Bri, Marc." Luke said before walking away.

I look at Marc, he grin. "Paano ba 'yan Bri. Alis na rin ako, bye. Pagisipan mo nang mabuti, gamitin mo 100% ng utak mo sa pag-iisip." Marc said while walking away making me burst into laughter here at the waiting shed.

I was about to walk towards the other direction when I suddenly almost bumped into downwind. And as I saw her face, my eyes widened.

"Oh, Ianna, w-what are you doing here?" I hesitantly ask. She's alone and not with her friends today. Weird, me, Luke, Noah and Marc would always see her with her friends when classes ended.

I notice her avoiding the eye contact. And I understand it. She probably also haven't moved on yet.

"Hey.. Ianna? You okay?" I once again asked.

There's nothing wrong if I ask her if there's something wrong right? It's just.. a friendly gesture?

"Yes Bri, I'm fine. Now leave me alone!" She suddenly snapped. I froze on my spot as well as my hands. I pursed my lips and gulp before slowly nodding.

"Okay... I understand-

"Don't approach me ever again? Okay?! As if you're not spreading false rumors about me!" She cut me off. I look at her with confused look and my brows furrowed.

"False rumor? What are you talking about? I didn't do anything." I said, defending myself.

"Oh come on Bri.." she now look at me with a irritated look.

"You kept on telling your friends that I'm suffocating you! That I'm being too possessive and it feels like you're my prisoner! Don't be too dramatic Bri! That's normal! I'm your girlfriend that time that's why I always want you at my side. I want that we are always together. Cause that's what couples are." She said, almost screaming. Gladly there is no one around right now.

I stared at her, my brows still furrowed cause I don't understand what she means. Are couples really supposed to be like that? Always with each other? Don't spend time with friends cause they should just be them? Can't hang out with friends anymore?

Dang, that's not the relationship I know.

"Now if you don't mind I'm leaving now." She said before turning her back at me. As I watch her walk away I lower down my head.

It's my fault, I should really gave more time for her. I shouldn't be demanding and ranting about those kind of stuff. Maybe she's right, maybe couple should really be with each other all the time.

—

"Kuya! Look! I have three stars! Very good daw ako sabi ni teacher!" Lila greeted me as I enter the house. A small mile formed in my lips before ruffling her hair.

"Very good Lila! How bout you Lali?" I ask the other twin. Lali from the couch look at me, a pout on her lips.

"She just got 1 kuya! I got three!" Lila excitedly said. I smiled at her and nod.

"I know very good Lula. And you too Lali, at least you have a svgtar right?" I said and the little girl smiled and nod.

"Lola, sa kwarto po muna ako." I said before going upstairs.

As I enter my room I close the door and put down my bag before throwing myself on my bed. I stayed there for few minutes before standing up.

As I was about to walk towards my cabinet my phone beeped. A small smile formed on my lips as I read Xavi's message.

From Xaviana Feliz:
Heyyyyy

From Xaviana Feliz:
You're home na? How's your day?

From Xaviana Feliz:
Mine was great! I got 96 point to my presentation!

From Xaviana Feliz:
How bout you?

A small smile formed on my lips, I took a few breath first before typing a reply.

To Xaviana Feliz:
Mine was great, I aced the math exam.

To Xaviana Feliz:
I gtg now, I'll just do something.

To Xaviana Feliz:
Bye!
Love youuuu!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I sigh, "I can't tell you I'm not okay. You'll be worried and I don't want to talk about it."

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