Chapter 5

Dianna defends Kristine from her bully.

Presently, Dianna and Kristine were standing on a deck while they talked about their past. Specifically, their high school lives. Waves were crashing gently below. They felt the water move under the ferry. It’s as if the waves were rocking the ferry in a mild manner. Like a mother rocking her baby to sleep.

“You know what, Kristine?”

“Yes?”
“You’re so much prettier now than when we were in high school!”

“Wow, that’s a huge compliment coming from you, Dianna!”

“Please, don’t act like it was a big deal,” Dianna laughed. The wind touched her face and played with her hair.

“Yes, it really was! You rarely compliment my physical appearance!” Kristine said.

“I never complimented you before because you were wearing those ridiculous butterfly clips. I was so glad you stopped following trends. You look so much better when you’re being original.”

“Yeah, I remember…”

 

Everyone in class never loved nor hated Kristine. In fact, they did not care about her. She was simply a shadow that’s been following Dianna everywhere. Her batch mates would not even notice her if she was not beside Dianna all the time. Kristine was like a personal assistant to a celebrity.

 

But there was one girl who hated Kristine so much: Therese.

“Oh, come on! What does she have that I don’t have?” Therese asked her friends while they were eating their lunch in the canteen. “I’m so much richer and prettier than Kristine! How come Dianna hangs out with her but ignores me?” Her friends did not have the answer to Therese’s question so they just kept their mouth shut as they let their plain-looking friend rant. Yes, it’s true that Therese was richer than Kristine. Her parents owned a Porsche. But Therese was not prettier than Kristine. The truth was Kristine’s features were more delicate than Therese’s. But they did not tell her that to their friend because she might breathe dragon fire at them and roast them. Meaning, if they tell the truth, Therese might do more than just say harsh words. She might ruin their lives. Therese had a really bad temper no one would want to be her enemy. She was a great bully.

Kristine did not do anything to make Therese hate her. Therese was jealous of Kristine because the latter was close to Dianna. No matter what she did, Dianna wouldn’t talk to Therese for more than five minutes.

One break time, Therese approached Dianna in the hallway.

“Hello, Dianna,” she said. “Can I join you in the canteen?”

“I’m sorry, Therese. Our table is full,” Dianna said curtly.

Kristine stared at Dianna. She was surprised that her friend rejected Therese. Normally, Dianna wouldn’t reject anyone.  “Why don’t you want to hang out with her?” She was talking about Therese.

“She’s like a crazy, devoted and obsessed fan!” Dianna answered.

Kristine raised an eyebrow. “Care to elaborate?”

“She always copies my hairstyle.” Dianna’s hair was tied in a chic ponytail. Therese’s hair looked exactly the same.

“Oh, you know what they say. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”

“Who said that?”

“Oscar Wilde.”

“You’re such a nerd,” Dianna teased Kristine.

 

Therese bullied Kristine in so many ways:

Therese pulled out Kristine’s hair which was tied in a very tight ponytail; pulled out her chair when she was about to sit down; tripped her when she walked; called her “sabog” or drug addict for always looking tired or mad (these days we had a term for that face. It’s called, “resting b***h face”); and told her she was ugly and would never have a boyfriend.

Dianna told Kristine not to mind losers like Therese. Saying or doing something bad against your enemy would make things worse. “Just ignore her as if she’s just wind,” Dianna said. “Karma will get her soon.” Kristine followed her dear friend’s advice because she also believed in karma.

 

One time, Therese approached Dianna in the locker room. Dianna was opening her locker to get her books.

“Hi, Dianna,” Therese said. “How are you?”

“Hello Therese. I’m okay.”

“Your books look heavy. Let me help you carry them.”

“Umm, no thank you. I can do it. They’re not that heavy.”

Dianna looked at Therese. Therese’s hair was down, with braids at the back. A small section of hair was braided at the back. Just like Dianna’s.

Dianna wanted to scream. The fact that Therese copied her hairstyle all the time freaked her out.  Can’t this girl be original for once? She thought.

“Can I ask you something, Dianna?”
“Sure.”

“What did you see in Kristine? What did you like about her? How come you and her are best friends?”

“Gosh, you asked too many questions.”

“Please answer at least one.”

“Okay, Kristine and I are neighbors. We have been friends since we were kids. We were playmates. I like Kris because she’s sweet, smart and nice. I notice that a lot of people don’t like her. I don’t care at all. She’s loyal and trustworthy.”

Therese just nodded at this.

“I know that you don’t like her. She’s the most unpopular girl in this school, even though she really tried her best to fit in. But she’s cool, at least for me.”

Therese did not say anything. She just smiled. “Oh yeah, she’s cool. I think I’m starting to like her.”

Oh, you like her? Then why do you bully her relentlessly? Dianna thought.

“I’m sorry for bullying her,” Therese said as if she read Dianna’s mind. “Do you think she’d ever forgive me if I tell her I’m sorry?”

“Yes!” Dianna said. “If you apologize to her, she will forgive you instantly. She has the kindest heart.”

“But please, stop bullying her,” Dianna added. “Your bullying has hurt her feelings deeply.”

“Will we be friends if I apologize to her and start to be nice to her?”

Dianna inadvertently rolled her eyes. Then she said, “Yes!”

“Good to know!” Therese replied excitedly.

 

One afternoon Kristine was reading a Harry Potter book under a mango tree in the quadrangle. It was a windy day�" leaves were falling on the grass. The quadrangle was full of trees and other plants.

Kristine’s back was hunched and her eyes were glued to the book. Her hair was blown by the wind. She did not fix her hair because she was busy reading the book. A familiar voice interrupted her reading.

“Hello, Kristine.” It was Therese. Kristine knew that trouble would ensue when Therese appeared. She did not respond. She pretended that Therese wasn’t there. She kept on reading.

“I’m sorry for all the things I said and did to you,” Therese said. Kristine looked up to see Therese properly. Therese’s apology sounded sincere to Kristine’s ears.

“Apology accepted,” Kristine replied. So, Dianna was right, Therese thought. Kristine forgives people easily. Therese smiled her warmest smile.

“Heh. I know that saying sorry isn’t enough. So, I want to do something to make things right.”

“Oh, no. It’s okay. I have moved on.”

“No, I really want to do something for you. I heard that you’re a big fan of the goth rock band Das Velvet. I have a cousin who is friends with the lead singer of that band. I have a copy of their latest album and their lead singer Lacey�"“

“Stacey.”

“Okay, Stacey, signed my CD!” Therese showed the said CD. It had the autographs of the members of the band.
Kristine took the CD. She was amazed and felt envious. The band did not just sign Therese’s copy of their album, “Our October Butterflies.” They also wrote sweet messages in front of the CD. The members wrote messages like:

“Keep rockin’!”

“Stay golden!”

“Thank you for supporting us. Without you, we are nothing.”

But what really caught Kristine’s eye was Stacey’s message to Therese.

“Hello, Therese. I heard that you’re a member of Prayer Warriors of God. That’s sweet! I was a member too when I was a teen. I hope you continue serving the Lord and helping poor people. Stay awesome and God bless you!”

“Wow, it looks like you and Stacey are pretty close!” Kristine said.

“Hehe. Of course, we are!” Therese said. “We talked for eight hours after their gig. We also exchanged numbers.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, we never stopped talking since then. We hang out every now and then at her place.”

“You know if you have their CD, you can give it to me and I can ask for Stacey and the other members to sign it for you,” Therese added.

“You would do that for me?” Kristine asked in a surprised voice.

“Of course.”

“Thank you!” Kristine hugged Therese. “This means a lot to me. I’ll give you my CD tomorrow.”

“The pleasure is mine.”

When Kristine left, Therese brushed off her shoulder and sprayed her perfume on them as if Kristine had a contagious disease.

The pleasure was indeed hers.

The next day Kristine decided to meet Therese on a nearby mall to give her the CD. It was a Saturday. Hence, there were no classes.

 

Goth and emo punk rock were very popular in the early 2000’s. Bands in the international and local scenes played the said genres of rock so most of them sounded exactly the same. The depressing lyrics interweaved with angry guitar riffs and heart-pounding drum beats and ear-splitting screams. Music had changed dramatically. Bubble gum and teeny bopper music was no more. It had been replaced by whiny and suicidal music.

Singers no longer sang about their crushes and beaus. They sang about how much they hated their parents, their exes, and the society.

Gerard Way and Pete Wentz popularized the use of black eyeliner. Boys and girls followed this trend.

The kids loved that type of music; while their parents couldn’t stand it. Kristine no longer listened to Britney and Christina. She listened to emo and gothic bands. She also stopped wearing blue eye shadow and started wearing black eyeliner.

“What happened to you? You’re wearing your eyeliner the wrong way,” her mother complained. “It looks messy.”

“This is uso (the trend) nowadays,” Kristine said.

Mrs. Robles sighed.  You look like a w***e, she thought. But she just let her daughter be. She’s just a teenager who wants to experiment with things. Someday, she will learn.

“Gotta go!” Kristine kissed her mother on the cheek as she left. She went to the mall.

 

She met with Therese on a coffee shop at the mall. Therese was sitting at a round table while sipping a mug of chocolate milk shake.

As Kristine entered the coffee shop, Therese noticed that Kristine was wearing black eyeliner like all those alt girls she saw practically everywhere. Ugh, she looked like a w***e, Therese thought.

Kristine matched her eyeliner with nude lipstick. So, she did not look that bad. But still, Therese thought Kristine looked ridiculous.

Okay, it’s time to be nice. “Kristine, I’m glad you came!” You’re 15 minutes late.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Kristine said as if she read Therese’s mind. Kristine opened her leather bag and grabbed her CD. Then she handed it to Therese. “Here you go,” she said.

Therese took the CD.  “I’ll give this back to you this coming Monday.” She placed the CD inside her bag.

“Oh, Kristine! Before you go, please order something. It’s my treat.”

“Come on. You don’t have to do this.”

“I insist. Please take a seat. We have a lot of things to talk about.”

Kristine smiled. She was glad that Therese was being nice to her for a change.

Kristine ordered a cup of brewed coffee; she’s trying to be healthy so she could be as skinny as her best friend Dianna.  Therese paid for their coffees.

They talked about school and the boys. Therese asked Kristine who her crush was. But Kristine did not tell her. Kristine did not like any guy in that school.

“You’re kidding, right?” Therese said. Kristine just shook her head.

After chatting for about an hour, the two girls said goodbye to each other. Therese said she had to buy something in the mall, so she stayed there. Kristine went home. She rode a jeepney and a tricycle.

 

Later on, Therese met up with her friend Mark outside the mall, to the smoking area. He was a plain-looking, dark and tall lad.  He did not go to the same school with her. He went to a Christian school.

“Did you bring the CD?” he asked. He was smoking a cigarette.

She waved a hand to ward off the smoke. She belched. Dude, you stink!

“Of course, I did!” She showed the CD of Das Velvet.

“Sweet!” He almost grabbed the CD, but she slapped his hand. “Úh-uh. You have to pay first.”

“How about a kiss, babe?” He held her chin. She removed it vehemently. “Eww!”

“Hehe. Come on, I’m just joking. How much is it?”

“300 pesos.”

“How about 200?”

“No bargaining. It’s 300.”

He sighed. “Okay.” He gave her 300 pesos. She took the money. Then he left.

Oh, Kristine. You really think you are so smart. Therese laughed inside her head.

On Monday, before the class started, Kristine asked Therese about the CD.

“I’m sorry I forgot to bring it. Tomorrow I’ll bring it back to you,” Therese said apologetically.

“Okay,” Kristine said.

Dianna noticed that the girls who used to be enemies suddenly talked to each other in the first-name basis. “So, you two are friends now?” she asked.

Kristine and Therese nodded. Therese beamed.

“That’s good,” Dianna said.

 

On Tuesday while eating in the canteen Kristine asked about the CD again. Therese told her that she left it in the car and she’ll return it to Kristine the next day.

 

On Wednesday while Therese was walking down the hallway with her friend Joy, Kristine told the former to give back her CD. Joy winked at Therese. Therese said that she was listening to it last night and she enjoyed it so much that she forgot to eject it from her CD player. “I’ll bring it tomorrow for sure,” Therese assured her. Kristine just sighed and said okay. Kristine knew something might be up. But she hoped to God that Therese was telling the truth.

 

On Thursday, Therese was absent. Kristine knew that something was definitely up. After school, she went to Therese’s house. Her house was big and painted in beige. The roofs were grayish blue. The front yard had red and white santan bushes and some other decorative plants planted in wooded pots.

In front was a black gate. Kristine pushed the doorbell.

A woman in her late 40’s went to the black gate.

“Yes?” she said. She looked like Therese.

“Are you Therese’s mom?”

“Yes, I am. Why?” Therese’s mom tilted her head.

“I am Kristine, Therese’s friend.”

“I haven’t heard of you,” Therese’s mother said matter-of-factly.

“Well, I’m her new friend. She’s my classmate. Is she there?”

“I’m sorry she isn’t here. She paid a visit to her sick cousin.”

“Oh.”

“Do you need something from her? I’ll tell her as soon as she gets back.”

Because Kristine had conscience, she did not tell Therese’s mother about the CD Therese was supposed to return to her but didn’t. “No thanks, madam. I’ll just see her in class.”

Kristine realized that Therese’s mother did not let her inside the house the whole time. She also noticed that Therese’s mother folded her arms while they talked. She did not want me to be there.

Kristine told Dianna about her problem. They were in Dianna’s pink room. Kristine was eating chocolates while crying.

“I can’t believe you trusted that girl!” Dianna said.

“Why shouldn’t I?” She was so nice to me,” Kristine replied.

Dianna rolled her eyes. “Just because a person was nice to you doesn’t mean you can trust them!”

“How am I gonna get that CD back?”

Dianna sighed and walked to the other side of the room. “Right now, we don’t even know if she still has it. But we’ll both talk to her tomorrow in school.”

On Friday, Dianna and Kristine walked down the school’s garden. The sun was up and the sky was blue. It was a lovely day. The flowers were in bloom and the trees were so green and produced lots of fruits.

Everything in the garden flourished. The air was fresh. The garden smelled so fragrant one could smell it even from far away. There was a wooden bridge at one side and underneath it was a clear pond. On the other side was a blue swing where children and the young-at-heart played. A few meters from there was a white bench where lovers usually sit or make out.

Dianna and Kristine were talking about how they would confront Therese. Dianna said she had a plan, but did not divulge it to Kristine.

“Please, just trust me on this,” Dianna told Kristine. Kristine just nodded.

As they walked, they spotted Therese talking and laughing with Joy. Therese and Joy were walking opposite them.

“Can you believe she fell for that?” Therese said. She continued to laugh. Joy laughed uncontrollably to the point that she snorted like a pig.

Dianna and Kristine glared at the two girls.

“Ooh, you’re here! What a coincidence!” Therese said.

“Coincidence or not, I want my CD back,” Kristine retorted.

Therese chuckled. “You really think I’d give it back to you?”

“You have to give it back as you promised. Or else…” Kristine couldn’t continue. She was bad at making threats.

“Or else what? Or else you’d crush me like a bug? Or else you’d break my ne--- AHHCK!”

Therese suddenly felt like her neck was naked. She looked at her neck and saw that her emerald necklace was gone!

Dianna snatched her necklace. The emerald necklace shone as it dangled in Dianna’s fist.

“Please give it back!” Therese implored. She almost cried.

“I’d only give it back to you if you return Kristine’s CD.”

“I can’t! I already sold it to my friend!” Therese confessed.

“You what?” Kristine interrupted.

“I can’t believe you will do such nasty thing to my best friend,” Dianna said. “You said you will be nice to her because you want to be my friend. You’re a liar!”

“Haha! I don’t want to be your friend anymore!” Therese said with conviction. “I have moved on from you.” Dianna noticed that Therese did not copy her hairstyle this time. Therese’s hair was bob cut; while Dianna’s shiny long hair was down.  Therese looked rather nice. Dianna did not compliment her.

“Why did you sell Kristine’s CD? Is it because of the money?” Dianna said. “I can give you money.”

“I’m rich, you idiot! I don’t need your money!” Therese yelled.

“I know why she bullied and tricked me,” Kristine said. “She’s jealous of me because I’m your best friend. I have the privilege of hanging out with you all the time. Therese can’t compete with me because you like me and you don’t like her.”

Bingo!

“Let’s stop all this soap opera drama. Give me my necklace back!” Therese shouted.

“I’d return it to you in one condition,” Dianna said. “If you say sorry to Kristine and promise her that you won’t bully her anymore. This time you do it for real. No more gimmicks. Or else I will read to everyone watching us your secret love letters and poems to your crush, which you never sent him because you’re such a big wimp.

“I don’t even have�"” Suddenly, Dianna brandished Therese’s diary, which Therese accidentally dropped in her seat in the classroom. Therese felt stupid for forgetting to put her diary inside her bag. Dianna grabbed Therese’s diary when no one was around. She laughed so hard while reading the diary.

A group of students were watching the four girls. They were eager to know what Therese wrote. “Read it, Dianna!” Someone in the crowd said.

Then they chanted, “Read it, Dianna!” a thousand times. The crowd erupted into laughter.

Therese was so embarrassed that her face turned hot red. She didn’t want Dianna to read the love letters and poems the former secretly wrote for the popular jock Robert. She did not want her classmates to know that she had a huge crush on a boy she used to bully.

“Darn it!” Therese cursed. “Alright, I’ll do it!”

Therese apologized to Kristine and swore that she would never bully her again.

 “I forgive you,” Kristine said. The two girls shook hands.

Dianna returned the emerald necklace to Therese. The crowd left disappointed that they never learned the name of Therese’s crush.