Babysitting the Senyorita

A sweet smile spread across Rey Jhon’s lips after the call ended. How could he not smile? It felt like fate was finally on his side, and victory was already within his hands. He could see it shining brightly, almost close enough to grab. If he were alone right now, he wouldn’t just be smiling, he’d be laughing out loud. It is the time that he will sing the song “Ako ang Nagwagi!”

This was his chance to get back at Gabriella for what she did earlier, she is gonna pay for it. She didn’t just crush his pride; she stepped on his very dignity. He knew he was poor and she was rich, but that didn’t give her the right to treat him like trash. Dignity was all he had left, and she had the guts to step on it.

He never thought karma would strike so fast, letting him hold the final laugh. And it was the Don himself who gave him the way to fight back against his spoiled daughter. He was the winner after all.

His smile grew wider when the Don’s text arrived. Karma worked fast, maybe all the goddesses of the universe were on his side. Even the angels’ hands were clapping on his victory.

He read the message. Gabriella’s number was there, followed by her classroom. He didn’t waste time and strutted straight toward her classroom like a beauty queen on a runway. The only thing missing was a crown, but soon, he planned to snatch Gabriella’s crown for himself.

His phone buzzed again. This time, it was Gabriella’s schedule. He couldn’t believe his luck and their schedules didn’t even conflict. Another smile curved his lips. He is the real winner!

The final laugh was his. He could already imagine Gabriella’s angry face when she found out, her eyes narrowing as fire spewed from her mouth. He smiled sweetly to himself. Luck was definitely on his side. Very lucky!

On the way, he spotted Janine waving at him. He didn’t wave back. She might drag him into her birthday again and make him the clown of the night. No thanks.

The only person he ever wanted to be close to in class was Carlo. No other guy was more handsome. His other classmates? Some looked like horses, others like sea monsters who didn’t even bathe in the ocean. It wasn’t that he was insulting them, he was just describing them. That’s different.

As Rey Jhon approached the wrought-iron gates of the high school, the midday sun glinted off the pavement, mirroring the sharp focus in his eyes. Just as he hoped, the bell rang, signaling the start of the break, and there she was. Gabriella emerged from the crowd, surrounded by her usual trio of followers.

She moved with a practiced, infuriating grace, each step calculated as if she were sashaying down a high-fashion runway, her hips swaying with a rhythmic confidence that was, admittedly, far more dramatic than anything Rey Jhon could muster. The air around her seemed to thicken with her presence, a stark reminder of the social chasm between them. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, this was the opening he had been waiting for. It was time to settle the score.

In fairness, he thought she could apply as a Victoria’s Secret model. He quickly shook his head. No, he was still the better one on the runway compared to this spoiled brat.

When Gabriella swept past him, Rey Jhon fell into step behind the procession. The hallway seemed to part for her, the air crackling with the weight of her self-importance. Behind her, her trio of minions marched in a formation so tight it bordered on the absurd, their movements eerie in their synchronization.

Every time Gabriella tossed her hair, three hands mirrored the gesture; every time she adjusted her bag, three shoulders shifted in unison. It was a masterclass in sycophancy that made Rey Jhon’s stomach churn. Watching them copy her every swaying step was like watching a glitchy dance routine performed by well-dressed parrots. He couldn't help but scoff internally at the sheer lack of original thought, it was pathetic, really, how they lived in her shadow, desperate to catch even a stray spark of her reflected glory.

If no one was watching, he would’ve joined in, swaying his hips and finger-combing his imaginary long hair. But this wasn’t the time. He didn’t want to be school gossip or make it to the campus newspaper headlines.

He quickened his steps until he reached her. Placing an arm around her shoulder, he leaned in. Gabriella’s eyes widened, and she quickly shoved him away.

“What the hell!” she yelled, stepping back. Even angry, her face remained pretty. Not a single frown ruined her looks.

What the hell, what the hell! What the hell your face! He mocked her inside his head.

“Who the hell are you?” she snapped, veins showing in her neck.

Her three minions instantly circled him, like he was about to hurt their leader.

If he really wanted to hurt her, he would’ve done it earlier.

Who the hell am I? he thought. This girl must love hell so much. He fought the urge to roll his eyes.

“First, I am your boyfriend, then you ask who I am?” He smirked, biting his lower lip a little. “Am I a joke to you?”

One of her minions gasped, covering her mouth and staring at Gabriella in shock. Rey Jhon chuckled inside. They probably thought he was Gabriella’s boyfriend. Disgusting. Even if Don paid him a million, he would never agree to be her boyfriend.

Gabriella stood frozen, her voice momentarily stolen by the sheer audacity of his claim. Her face was a canvas of shifting emotions; her brow furrowed as she processed the absurdity of his words, her porcelain skin flushing a deep, mottled red. Her eyes, usually sharp and calculating, narrowed into slits that burned with a volatile mixture of bewilderment and mounting, incandescent rage.

Rey Jhon watched her with clinical precision, his stomach muscles aching from the heroic effort required to keep his face a mask of romantic concern. Inside, he was howling. He noted the way her left eyelid twitched, a tell-tale sign of her crumbling composure and felt a surge of cynical triumph. She was like a high-maintenance engine finally redlining, and he was the one with his foot on the gas.

Determined to twist the knife, he leaned in closer, deliberately invading the sacred perimeter of her personal space until the air between them felt heavy and electric. The cloying, expensive scent of her floral perfume, something like crushed lilies and cold jasmine, rose up in a suffocating cloud, cutting through the dusty, sweat-tinged atmosphere of the school hallway. It was the smell of old money and unearned privilege, and he inhaled it with a mocking relish. As his arm draped over her shoulder once more, he could feel the rigid tension in her frame, a silent, vibrating frequency of fury that only fueled his resolve to play this role to its most ridiculous end.

For sure, this perfume costs a fortune. Hope all, he whispered under his breath.

“Let’s go. You told me last night you wanted to eat popcorn,” he said, then kissed her forehead.

Pray for my soul, he thought.

~

THEY hadn’t even gone far when Gabriella suddenly turned fierce. She landed a punch on him. Rey Jhon bit his lip, holding her hand tightly so she couldn’t hit his face again. He had wasted enough beauty products on his face, he wasn’t about to let her ruin it.

“What’s your problem? Are you the guy in our house earlier?” she asked, struggling to break free.

They ended up behind the gym, not too far from where he had first seen her. He was glad her minions didn’t follow, they must have believed he was really her boyfriend.

He let go of her hand with a scoff. If it had been Carlo’s hand, he would never have let go. But Gabriella’s? No way.

“Yes, it was me,” he proudly said.

Gabriella raised an eyebrow, as if she had the right to act all high and mighty when she was the one who wronged him.

“Then what do you want from me? Was the money I gave you too small? You want more?” She opened her wallet and pulled out some cash. “You can just ask it directly. You don’t need to make a scene in front of my friends. But please, stay away from me!”

She shoved the money into his hand without even counting it. Like money meant nothing to her.

Did she really think he could be bought? Did she think he was that cheap? Maybe Don was right, he should really teach this girl a lesson. Even if he was gay, he could still put her in her place. He wasn’t going to just stay quiet.

He grabbed her hand again, though he hated touching it. Gabriella’s eyes widened.

“Let me go!” she shouted. “How much do you want? If you don’t release me now, I’ll tell Daddy. He’ll make sure you’re not my driver anymore!”

“Stupid!” he snapped, then bit his lip. “Do you really think I’d agree to be your driver? You’re crazy.”

“What? I’m not crazy!”

“Oh yeah? Then what do I call you? Delusional?” He rolled his eyes, thankful she was too busy struggling to notice.

“I’m not delusional!”

“For your information, Ms. Gabriella,” he said, letting go of one of her hands, “I’m not your driver. I’m your babysitter. So, I need to know everything you do. Do you understand?”

“Babysitter your ass!” she shouted, kicking him right in the thigh.

You little demon! I think you just cracked my eggs! he screamed in his head.