Academie Beat

By Louise A.S.

BE THE NEXT FPOP SUPERSTAR!

No matter how many singing competitions he joins, despite having a good voice, Monfort never wins. At the school where he starts his day as a college student, he meets DJ, known as the ‘piranha’ bully, who refuses to get out of his comfort zone. Then came along a new school transferee, Raoul, who used to be a bully; then, later learns to change his character and outlook toward friends, and on love. The charming and cool guy, Alex, for some reason, hates the I.G. group. Monfort hopes to become the Next Generation FPOP Idol, so he convinces his newfound friends to form an all male group to compete in the Search for The New FPOP Superstars competition.

As the competition nears, each of them faces unexpected turn of events and exclusive revelations with an all female ‘bitchy’ group, Incredible Girls, or better known as I.G. Will these affect their journey toward their dreams, or would it be toward disbandment?

Catch the story of the eight leads episode per episode until the competition begins... And ends.

• Language: Tagalog
• Publisher: Louise A.S.
• Release date: Sep 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311875754

Louise A.S.

Louise A.S. is a Filipino Part-time Writer from Metro Manila, Philippines. She prefers writing stories with easy to read content and with simple plots. Mainly inspired by teen and young adult themes, as well as stories available to career-oriented individuals who like reading pocketbooks with a mix of English and Filipino words and phrases in the stories.Some of her stories were distributed in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Middle East, and Italy years before for the Filipinos who are fans of Filipino-English pocketbooks, and now the stories have been revised to be enjoyed by the current generation in a world of technological innovation and young adult themes.Her stories do not include erotic content so readers of any ages are free to check it out. Except that for some of her stories focused on Teen Readership, parents are also encouraged to read her teen stories. Parental guidance is still advised because some teens might be able to relate to some teen issues. Otherwise, Louise's stories are fun to read.Email: [e-mail]

Book preview

No matter how many singing competitions he joins, despite having a good voice, Monfort never wins. At the school where he starts his day as a college student, he meets DJ, known as the ‘piranha’ bully, who refuses to get out of his comfort zone. Then came along a new school transferee, Raoul, who used to be a bully; then, later learns to change his character and outlook toward friends, and on love. The charming and cool guy, Alex, for some reason, hates the I.G. group. Monfort hopes to become the Next Generation FPOP Idol, so he convinces his newfound friends to form an all male group to compete in the Search for The New FPOP Superstars competition.

As the competition nears, each of them faces unexpected turn of events and exclusive revelations with an all female ‘bitchy’ group, Incredible Girls, or better known as I.G. Will these affect their journey toward their dreams, or would it be toward disbandment?

Catch the story of the eight leads episode per episode until the competition begins… And ends.

***

The content of the story is a mix of Filipino and English languages.

I am dedicating this story to my parents, and to my older sister, Veronica.

Mabuhay ang Filipino Pop Music and the Philippine Pop Culture!

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful gift!

Table of Contents

Blurb

Dedication

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Epilogue

Académie Beat

Copyright © 2014 by Louise A.S.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. It is forbidden to copy or reproduce this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or used in any manner whatsoever, nor copy and paste to any websites, print and re-print, or sell to any publication in the same language or in any foreign language, without a written permission from the original author.

All the characters' names and events mentioned in this page are all fictitious. Any resemblance to establishments, agencies, brands, and actual persons, living and dead, are purely coincidental.

For permission requests, write to the author, addressed Attention: Request Permission, at the email address: [e-mail]

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

BEAT ONE

GOOD MORNING, MONFORT… I miss you! Desire was attempting to kiss Monfort. Monfort's lips extended while he waited for her kiss. Until he was in action of kissing—his dog, Gigolo! The image of the girl of his dreams faded when he went back to his real world, after feeling the moisture all over his face. That was when he realized he was no longer dreaming. So, he opened one eye to peek, slowly. When he saw his dog’s white furry face, his eyes opened wide and jumped up from his bed. This slimy dog shattered his beautiful dream. Aaah! Monfort knelt down onto his bed and screamed in disappointment, wiping his face with his hands. Gigolo! Pwe-pwe!

Napabukas ang pinto ng kuwarto ni Monfort at bumungad ang mga magulang niya at ang panganay na kapatid. Hoy, ano’ng nangyari? his mother asked worriedly.

Parang nakakain nang mapakla ang kinalabasan ng hitsura ni Monfort. Ma! Hinalikan ako ni Gigolo!

Gigolo, the dog, was licking his own mouth and barked.

At the dining area, Monfort’s family was having breakfast together, while the St. Bernard dog, Gigolo, was resting his face on the floor, sa paanan ni Monfort. Unang araw ng pasukan para kay Monfort kung saan ay first year college na siya.

O, Mon, kain nang kain anak para kaya mo pang sumayaw-sayaw, said Mrs. Claudia Batungbakal. She was dancing around while serving her family with a delightful breakfast.

Si Claudia ay isang average looking mother, plump, with average height, at madalas na naka-hair net dahil mahilig itong magluto at maglinis ng bahay. Maasikaso ito sa mga anak at asawa, at madiskarte sa buhay for the sake of her family’s livelihood and welfare.

Oo, Anak, hindi mo na itatanong, marami akong fans noon kapag nagpe-perform ako sa stage, O, Mr. Nestor Batungbakal proudly said, showed off his dance moves.

Dati ring performer si Mang Nestor, pero backup dancer lang ng mga sikat na artista noong kapanahunan nito. Maliit lang si Mang Nestor, masayahing tao, hindi man katalinuhan ngunit masipag, at isa itong Batangueno. Ito ang nagma-manage ng kanilang negosyong bakery na kaisa-isa lang na nakatayo sa kanilang village. He loved talking about his dance performances in the past, over and over; halos nakakabisado na ng pamilya nito ang kuwento.

At kapag kumain ka ng masusustansya, lalo ka pang gag’wapo, gaganda ang boses, at higit sa lahat, magugustuhan ka ni Desire, his older sister, Yumi, said.

Si Mayumi ay ang magandang older sister ni Monfort na nag-aaral sa pinakamalaki at kilalang University sa Pilipinas kung saan puro mayayaman na students ang naka-enroll. Mahiyain si Yumi kapag nasa circle ng mga mayayaman, ngunit matapang ito if she knew that she had reasons to stand for what is right. Bukod dito, masipag itong si Yumi, simple, magalang, mabait, at marespeto sa nakatatanda. Nakuha lang nitong makapag-aral sa Royal Asian University dahil sa scholarship grant na ibinigay sa kanya for her excellent track record in Wu shu martial arts.

Thanks, Ma, Pa, Ate. Kayo ang inspiration ko kaya ako nagsusumikap. Don’t you worry, my family dearest. Kapag sumikat na ako, ipagpapatayo ko si Papa ng malaking bakeshop; si Mama naman ay ipagagawa ko ng malaking kitchen; si Ate naman… he looked at his older sister, hahanapan ko ng mayaman na mapapangasawa!

Binatukan ni Yumi si Monfort. Umm, bakit naman ‘yan ang ibibigay mo sa ‘kin? Bata pa ‘ko para mag-asawa.

Eh kasi naman, Ate, hindi ko alam kung bakit allergic ka sa mga lalaki sa school. Marami namang gustong manligaw sa ‘yo, pina-Pacquiao mo lang kaagad. At saka, mag-iba ka na nga ng fashion style mo, parati ka na lang naka jeans and shirt.

Bakit mo ba pinakikialaman pati ang pananamit ko? H’wag mo ngang pinoproblema ang buhay ko, ha. Ang atupagin mo ang pag-aaral mo. Oo, kung sakaling sumikat ka nga, pa’no naman ang pag-aaral mo, isasantabi mo na lang ba? Aba, hindi ako papayag n’un. Kapag nangyari ‘yon, kahit nagpe-perform ka pa sa stage, at kahit maraming fans na nagpapakamatay sa ‘yo sa kakatili, pipingutin ko ‘yang tenga mo at hihilahin papuntang school para mag-aral ka, she warned him.

Si Ate talaga, O, pagtatampong sabi ni Mon.

Sige, kumain ka na, baka mahuli ka pa sa klase mo. First day pa naman ngayon. Buti na lang kami next month pa, his sister said.

Monfort or Samuel Monfort Batungbakal, 19 years old, was ambitioning to become the next FPOP Prince. Kumpara sa mga mayayamang kaibigan niya, Mon belonged to the middle class family. May negosyo ang mga magulang, ngunit hindi ito kalakihan. Komportable naman ang pamumuhay ng pamilya niya at masaya kahit nasa gitna ng problema.

Musically inclined si Monfort. Sa ganda ng boses niya ay madalas siyang napapabilang as one of the contenders sa singing contests, magmula sa barangay hanggang sa malalaking singing competitions. Ang nagiging problema lamang niya kaya hindi siya nananalo sa tuwing dumarating ang finals ay ang pangunguna ng takot sa sarili niya kapag makakalaban na ang pinakamagagaling. Despite of that, due to his family’s support, he would never stop reaching for his dreams—to become the best-known Filipino Pop singer all over the world.

~~

DURING THE FIRST DAY of school in August, clad in backpack that Monfort carried on one shoulder and wearing the uniform of the Academy that he had longed for, he could not believe that he was already at Simonet Bordeaux Académie (pronounced Si-mo-ney Bor-dough Academy), located in Asian City in the Philippines. The school had been known for being the only College that could provide its students with excellent training in their chosen craft; the foundation of home-grown talents who soon became the next big stars in their own particular field of expertise. This Academy was excellent in developing their students’ talents and skills so that they could become the next Filipino world-class performers and achievers. However, masuwerte na ang makapasok doon sa Simonet Bordeaux Académie if the enrollee incurred an average rating of ninety percent and up in their fourth year high school academic standing, and should be able to pass its College entrance examinations, at higit sa lahat, dapat ay may talent talaga ang student.

Inside the campus grounds, there were several buildings in Simonet Bordeaux. Every student was assigned to a particular building based on their field of interest and chosen major, except for one building, which was a dome-like structure—that was exclusive for the faculty and the school heads’ offices, with a large auditorium occupying the entire top floor—That structure could give motivation to the students to achieve their dreams. Monfort went straight to his assigned building. He discovered that aside from the regular classrooms for academic classes, there were several mini-auditoriums that were available for performance activities. The building also had a large gymnasium, a big school cafeteria that served all-you-can-eat buffet meals, including a range of cakes and pastries, and vending machines for a variety of beverages; however, should not contain anything even a very small amount of alcohol. In order to avail this all-you-can-eat buffet service, the students should have their IDs with badges scanned on the scanning machine. There was, likewise, the Campus Garden outside the building. It had cemented benches, sculptured bushes, topiaries, and some bonsai, with a Japanese garden bridge built over a big fish pond containing koi fish and lilies, and with fresh scented flowers bloomed in the garden.

As soon as Monfort entered the school building, there were many students who had been going in and out of the building, loitering in the corridors and in the hallways. Those with the latest cell phone models use their gadget mainly to talk or text with anyone, doing ‘selfies’ or taking snapshots of themselves all over the place to post in their social media account, while others discuss the latest happenings in showbusiness, music, fashion trends all over the world, and the likes. All of these students were waiting for the first school bell alarm, which would suggest the start of their first-class.

A College uniform was required for the students: For college males—white, short-sleeved polo shirt, with burgundy and deep blue Tartan patterned vest with the same Tartan patterned necktie, black skinny jeans, and black leather shoes. While for college females—white, short-sleeved polo shirt with burgundy and deep blue Tartan patterned necktie matched with the same pattern in their pleated hell-bunny mini skirt, a pair of black shoes of any style, and a Tartan patterned trench coat.

The size of the Academy amazed Monfort, and judging from the appearance of the students, most of them looked like celebrities.

While standing on the middle of the hallway inside the building, someone accidentally pushed over Monfort that caused his backpack to slip from his shoulder. It was the fault of the bully, Oscar, who looked like the cartoon Shrek, but quite shorter. The expression of arrogance pasted on his face.

Oscar even got the nerve to be angry with Monfort. What are you looking at, Man! Bakla ka ba?

Nagtawanan ang mga kasama nitong bullies din na maituturing.

H’wag kang haharang-harang sa dinaraanan ko, naiintindihan mo ba?! Oscar warned.

Walang nagawa si Monfort except to stare at the guy.

This guy must be dumb, Oscar said to his friends, his sharp stare pinned on Monfort.

The gang laughed aloud. HOY! NARIRINIG MO BA AKO? OR ARE YOU BLIND?! his voice was so sharp and loud as if there was a whirlwind that blew Monfort’s face.

Monfort’s facial expression changed. He pinched his nose with his fingers. Did you gargle? he said to the bully.

Nagtawanan kahit ang mga students na noo’y pinanonood lang sila, hinihintay what could be the first day of a fist fight.

Gago ‘to ah! Oscar raised his hand and was already attempting to hit Monfort with the book that the so-called Shrek was holding, pero bigla na lang may pumigil sa braso nito.

Don’t try to ruin my first day of school, a young, handsome man replied, with seriousness on his expression.

Nag-ingay ang mga students sa paligid nila. Ang ibang babae naman ay nagsitilian nang makita ang binatang ito.

Parang Shrek ang hitsura ni Oscar na napakalma at saka ibinaba ang braso. Tumingin kay Monfort, galit ang mukha. I’m not through with you! sabi nito saka asar na umalis, kasunod ang barkada nito.

The school bell rang. Nagsiunahang pumasok sa kani-kanilang classroom ang mga students. Seeing that his savior was walking past him, hinabol ito ni Monfort.

P’re, sabi ni Monfort. The guy just ignored him. I’m Mon, short for Monfort. Salamat, Pare, sa tulong mo ha. Kala ko titilapon na ‘ko eh. Pareho rin kaya tayo ng klase? Minor ko ang Philippine Culture and Arts; however, I choose TV and Film Production for my major. Ikaw?

Hindi pa rin siya kinikibo nito.

They both entered the same classroom. Everyone found their own seats pero hindi pa roon nagtatapos ang pag-iingay ng mga ito habang wala pa ang kanilang Professor. Nagsilabasan ang mga mini-tablets ng mga ito which was provided by the Academy. Dito nakalagay ang lahat ng college textbook contents nila, pati na rin ang computer applications and operating systems na exclusive lang para sa school use. Maliban sa mini-tablets, bawal na ang kahit na ano pang gadgets sa loob ng classroom.

Naupo ang binatang nagligtas kay Monfort mula sa galit ni Oscar, while Monfort found a seat in front of this guy. I’m happy that we’re both classmates. Interesado ka rin pala sa Philippine culture, Monfort continued.

DJ, P’re, another good-looking guy, who sat on another armchair adjacent to Monfort, greeted the guy Monfort was trying to befriend with. Both guys knocked their fists together.

Si Alex Miller, 19, ang Fil-Australian cutie who liked being the center of attention among his group. He was the coolest guy and the most charismatic kaya nito madaling makakuha ng positive feedback sa mga kakilala nito sa campus. He was someone who did not want to encounter issues among his peers, but would not hesitate to pick a fight if needed. Up-to-date din ito sa kahit na anong trending topics dahil madali itong ma-influence ng new trends sa new generation of teen society. Pero hindi ito bilib sa I.G or Incredible Girls dahil puro kaartehan lang daw at walang substance. However, despite being cool and charismatic, Alex was quite a sensitive person.

It’s always taking my Mom too long to get herself ready. Muntik na naman akong ma-late. Why don’t I just ask my parents to buy me a car para hindi na ‘ko parating sumasabay sa kanila sa pagpasok? He looked around, I don’t think our Prof will be present, that’s cool. Napatingin ito kay Monfort. First time in Simonet? tanong nito.

Y-Yeah. Hi, Monfort, pakilala niya rito. He extended his hand to Alex.

Alex, sagot ng binata. He reached for Monfort’s hand and shook it.

S-S’ya? tanong ni Monfort kay Alex, itinuturo ang isang lalaking kanina pa niya kinakausap, ngunit hindi siya kinikibo.

DJ, sagot naman ni Alex on behalf of his friend.

DJ or short for David Johnson Yap, 19 years old, who grew up in a prominent family. DJ was the youngest child among the brood of three: one older sister and an older brother. His parents were of Chinese and Spanish descent. His father, Mr. Ricardo Yap, was a very successful businessman; while his mother, Mrs. Anabelle Monte-Yap, was a socialite and very active in managing their foundations, Monte-Yap International Foundations, Inc. They are busier taking care of their respective businesses than taking care of their children.

DJ was a snobbish, unfriendly person who used to be a piranha bully as what his former high school classmates tagged him. The reason could be attributed to his lack of motherly love and his brother was always indifferent to him that caused him to grow up with an attitude problem. DJ was also musically inclined, but had lost interest in singing or composing songs because of his lack of inspirations in life.

DJ’s older brother, Davidson or David for short—tall, smart, and handsome, and was studying at the Royal Asian University, the most prestigious university in the Philippines. He had a business acumen and through this, he was hoping to succeed his father's chairmanship position in the future. David was more arrogant and very spoiled among his siblings; despite of that, he tried to follow whatever his father was telling him to do to win his favor. He was not close to DJ, but DJ admired him as a good example of a potential businessman.

Kayla was the oldest among the siblings—intelligent, very pretty, straightforward kind of woman, with such high standards, and her sense of fashion and taste were impeccable. The dress to impress guru, and one of the most admired fashion and commercial models in the world. Aside from her physical and mental attributes, she was also an empowered woman that set her apart from her brothers: headstrong, not afraid to speak her mind on any topic, working her way toward her goal independently, and she was also trained in Taekwondo, Wu Shu martial arts, and figure skating. She was the only one who understood what issues occured within their family, including DJ’s role.

Are you both brothers? Monfort continued to ask.

Napatawa si Alex nang bahagya. "What?! Hell, no! I wouldn’t want to have a family like his. But yeah, we’re brothers ever since high school, not blood related, ‘though. We went to Simonet Bordeaux Ecolé. Ikaw, sa’ng school ka galing? Because you seemed new here."

"Sa Makati International Montessori ako nag high school," sagot ni Mon.

"Makati International Montessori... Nag-isip ito, … ah, do you know Raymond. Raymundo Cortez, a.k.a the FPOP Prince?"

O-Oo, alangang sagot ni Monfort. How could he forget that guy?

Raymond Cortez had been his rival in elementary and high School singing competitions in the Philippines and even got first place in the Search for New Generation FPOP Superstar two years ago. That was Raymond’s ticket to stardom.

He’s from the same high school you’ve been to, I think. He is also studying in this school. He belonged to another building.

Naging schoolmate niya si Raymond noon. Nasa Third Year college na pala itong si Raymond, sabi ni Monfort sa isip. Despite being too busy with his projects, Raymond could still manage to continue with his studies. Kahanga-hanga.

And! excited na dugtong pa ni Alex, the girls. Amazing women. You will find them here, in this Academy.

Talaga? Sabagay, when I got here, I saw too many beautiful girls. Most of them look like celebrities, sang-ayon ni Monfort.

Hey, notice the girls’ Tartan patterned skirts, and our vests? Alex was referring to their patterned uniforms. "Our uniforms were inspired by the fashion brand, Buttery."

Blueberry? ignoranteng tanong ni Monfort. He may be the first person who was very well informed about music and the pop singers across the globe, but he was never a fashion brand conscious.

Hahaha! Alex laughed out loud. DJ smirked. "Dude, Buttery! Aren’t you familiar with that imported brand?" added Alex.

Monfort smiled reluctantly.

Look at those skirts. Turo ni Alex sa mga skirts ng female students. Do you know who started the trend?

Umiling si Monfort.

From the I.Gs., Alex said.

I.G.? pagtataka niya.

The Incredible Girls. Those ‘B’s’ as what we call them. In high school, they’re quite annoying because of their kaartehan. However, I cannot deny that they have tons of following on any networking sites worldwide. Name it, imposibleng hindi mo makita ang pangalan at pictures nila, paliwanang ni Alex.

Ano naman ang B?

Bi***es, Man, bulong pa nito.

B-E-A-C-H-E-S? Monfort spelled it out.

No, Man! B-I-*-*-*-E-S…

Ha?! Bakit gan’on? Monfort was surprised.

That’s because they thought that most of the boys and the girls everywhere adore them. They're bullies! Their attitudes suck! The B’s look at themselves as goddesses. My a**!

Hindi pa rin makapaniwala si Monfort sa nalalaman mula kay Alex. Curious siyang makita ang tinutukoy nitong B’s sa campus.

Pumasok na ang Professor nila at nagsimula na ang klase.

~~

MAGKASABAY ang tatlong bagong magkakaibigan sa paglabas sa classroom, going to another classroom for their next class.

Nang makapasok ang Professor for their Current Affairs class, kasabay rin ang pagpasok ng isang magandang babae, prim and proper, taas noo hanggang sa makaupo sa unahan.

Tumungkod si Alex sa armchair ng katabing si Monfort. There’s your B, bulong nito, looking in the girl’s direction.

Hindi naman ito nakita ni Monfort dahil nakayuko siya at nagsusulat.

Pumasok naman ang isa pang member ng I. G. at naupo sa tabi ng isang naunang member.

Their Professor handed over some sheets of paper sa mga students na nakaupo sa unahan. Then, the students passed around the sheets to the next row. Doon pa lang napansin ni Monfort ang babaeng tinutukoy ni Alex na isa sa mga Incredible Girls.

His eyes narrowed. D-Desire? he murmured. Hindi siya sigurado, pero iyon ang pakiramdam niya. Bumilis tuloy ang pagtibok ng kanyang puso.

Where is Mr. Batungbakal? Monfort Batungbakal? their female Professor asked as her eyes looked around.

Here, Ma’am, Monfort raised his hand.

When that lovely girl in front heard Monfort’s name, napatingin ang mga mata nito sa isang tabi, pero hindi lumingon sa likuran. She thought that she recognized the name her Professor called.

Can you please read the first paragraph of that article? requested by the Professor.

Monfort stood up and started reading…

Later, the school bell rang indicating their first break.

Naunang lumabas ng classroom si DJ and Alex. Nagmamadali naman si Monfort na ligpitin ang mga gamit at saka kinuha ang kanyang backpack. Hinabol niya si Desire sa paglabas ng dalaga sa classroom.

Desire! tawag niya.

A voice interrupted the lovely girl while walking through the hallway and conversing with another I.G. member. Napahinto ito at lumingon sa pinanggalingan ng boses na iyon. Nang makita nito si Monfort, she did not move.

Hi! Remember me? It’s Mon, your classmate in Montessori, pakilala niya sa dalagita.

How can I forget you? You’re the one who’s been irritating me since day one. Hanggang dito ba naman? Desire replied snobbishly.

He just ignored her attitude toward him. Mas nangingibabaw ang tuwa nang makita ito. I can’t believe that you’re also here. I’m glad.

Well, I’m not. She got irritated. Umirap ito saka iniwan siya. Sumunod pa rin siya sa dalaga. Someone had told me that you’re one of the I.G. members. Well, I’m not surprised, ‘coz I know that you are talented.

May kausap sa cell phone si Tinah, ang isa sa mga I.G. members na kasama ni Desire. Hey, Desire, O-M-G! I just got news that Raymond is at the cafeteria right now. C’mon, let’s go. Kelly and Heather are already there.

Really? C’mon, tuwang nagmadali sa paglalakad ang dalawa.

Hindi na sumunod pa si Monfort sa kanila. He stood in the hallway as if frozen. Hindi man siya makapaniwala na ganoon ang naging pagtrato sa kaniya ni Desire, hindi rin niya maintindihan kung bakit andoon pa rin ang pananabik niya sa dalaga.

Sumunod pa rin siya sa dalaga. Someone had told me that you’re one of the I.G. members. Well, I’m not surprised, ‘coz I know that you are talented.

May kausap sa cell phone si Tinah, ang isa sa mga I.G. members na kasama ni Desire. Hey, Desire, O-M-G! I just got news that Raymond is at the cafeteria right now. C’mon, let’s go. Kelly and Heather are already there.

Really? C’mon, tuwang nagmadali sa paglalakad ang dalawa.

Hindi na sumunod pa si Monfort sa kanila. He stood in the hallway as if frozen. Hindi man siya makapaniwala na ganoon ang naging pagtrato sa kaniya ni Desire, hindi rin niya maintindihan kung bakit andoon pa rin ang pananabik niya sa dalaga.

BEAT TWO

HINDI PA NAKA-UNIFORM ang bagong student sa Simonet Bordeaux Académie nang makapasok ito sa campus. He refused to wear the required uniform dahil ayaw na niyang magmukhang parang isang high school student. Kung tutuusin ay hindi ito papapasukin ng school guards if he was not compliant with school standards, but he was allowed—this once, unless he was granted a school permission.

When he went inside the classroom, the Professor stopped discussing something to the class when the new student, who was standing in front of everyone while looking in the back seeking for an available seat, disrupted him. You! the male Professor pointed the chalk he was holding at the male student who just entered the room. Why are you here? Do you belong to my class? tanong nito in a serious tone; he adjusted his eyeglasses .

I believe so, the new student answered without looking at the Professor.

What’s your name and why are you not in uniform?

Raoul. Raoul Montecello, and I’m a transferee.

Si Raoul Montecello (pronounced Monte-shel-lo), 19, ang mestisong school transferee. His parents got divorced after he had graduated from elementary. His father left for Spain at doon na nanirahan, with his new girlfriend; while his mother and he moved to an apartment-townhouse sa isang village. Dahil nag-iisang magulang na sumusuporta sa anak nito sa Pilipinas, his mother started working day and night to continue providing her son the kind of lifestyle he got used to. Mayaman ang father ni Raoul sa Spain at hindi naman ito humihinto sa pagbibigay ng sustento sa anak. Nag-aaral na noon si Raoul sa isang mamahaling University with a very high standard of education when his mother decided to transfer him to a different College because his father’s financial support had always been delayed, samantalang kulang naman ang isinusweldo ng Mommy niya para mabayaran nito ang kanyang tuition fees.

Before his parents’ divorce, he was an arrogant boy and hardheaded. He was trying