Chapter 1: Staying with the Dauntless

They always said that the First day of school will be exciting 'cause you'll meet your new classmate or your friends. But for my opinion, I don't think so. Except when my best friends are my classmates.

I was born in Scotland and when I turn five years old we moved to Spain to study there. When I turned 11 years old we moved back again to Scotland to finish my Middle school and High school, and now that I'm 18 years old I moved here in the Philippines.

My mom is a Spanish and half Filipino and my dad is a pure Scottish that made me Spanish-Scottish and half Filipino. My parents decided that I will spend my College here in Philippines since all my friends are here. Yeah I only have two friends in Scotland and their names are Airi and Mihim.

"Lady Luciana, your mom is calling." One of the bodyguard gives the phone to me. Why do they have to give me some bodyguards? I can take care of myself.

"It's Ms. not Lady and its Gabriela, okay?" I told him, and he nod.

"Hey mom—"

"Anak its Mama, nandyan ka sa Pilipinas kaya magtagalog ka, marunong ka naman magsalita ng tagalog." She said and I sighed. My mom's right I know how to speak Tagalog, she teach me when I was young even were in Scotland or Spain.

"Okay I'm gonna speak Tagalog na, but I have one request."

"Sure what is it?"

I smiled even though she can't see me. "I don't need bodyguards Mom, I can take care of myself. So please let them go back there in Spain or in Scotland." For some reason, my dad is in Scotland and my Mom is in Spain. I think. Maybe they are together now.

I heard Mom sighed. "Okay hija, and I'm here in Scotland with your dad. We're going outside, so I have to end the call."

"Okay—"

"Speak in Tagalog, Gabriela." And she ends the calls.

I love you mom.

"Ms. Gabriela we're here." The driver said. And I looked outside the window and I saw the school name.

'Welcome to De la Croix University'

Here it is, my new school. I grabbed my bag and got out of the car when my phone vibrated. I looked at it and I saw mom texted me. So I open her message.

Mom:

Anak, nakalimutan kong sabihin sa iyo na wala pala kayong klase ng dalawang buwan. But you still need to attend or you will be mark as absent. Enjoy! We love you.

Two months without class?! Oh great, first day being here and we have no class in Two months. Such a great news.

It's now or never. I'm going to spend all my College year here. And of course, I'm going to try to speak fluent tagalog or my mom will kill me.

As I enter the gate I saw the sign that you need to show your ID first.

"ID Miss." And he winked at me. I raised my eyebrows on him. He's a young guard, no doubt he would act like this.

Aalis sana siya sa lamesang nakapagitan sa amin ng dumating din yung isang guard. "Ay ineng pasensya na at baguhan lang ito." Sabi ni Manong Guard at sa kanya ko ibinigay ang ID ko.

"McAllister?" He asked, "Opo, it's my surname." Tiningnan ulit ako ni Manong Guard na nakakunot at bahagyang lumapit sa akin.

Hininaan nito ang kanyang boses. "Ineng ikaw diba yung Luciana na anak ni Mr. Alexander?"

Tumango ako. "Gabriela po ang tawag nila sa'kin." Sabi ko. Wait he's familiar.

"Manong Luis?" Tanong ko dito at ngumiti ito sa akin at ibinigay ang ID ko. I knew it he was our family driver when I was a kid.

Niyakap niya ako at agad din namang bumitiw sa pagkakayakap. "Naparito ka Ineng sa Pilipinas?"

I smiled at him. "Dito na po ako mag-aaral."

"Alam ba nang mga kakilala mo dito—" Sinenyasan ko si Manong Luis na wag ng ituloy ang sasabihin.

He also teach me Tagalog when my parents are out doing some work. He's like a grandpa to me and Manong Luis retired to be our family driver when he found that his wife is sick so he had to go back here in the Philippines.

"Pasensya na pala hija sa inasta nitong batang 'to." He's pointing to the young guard, he looked at me.

"Next time don't act like a jerk like what you're doing earlier, winking at me. For me, it's uncomfortable. Don't do that again even if it's attracting to the other girls but for me it's not." I said and he just nods. I told Manong Luis a goodbye before I finally go inside. Some students are looking at me with a death glare. I think its because of what I told to that young guard.

I was passing by to the girls wearing too much makeup and I heard what they're talking about, "Sino na naman kaya siya? Ang gwapo kaya nung guard na yun tapos may pa English-english pang nalalaman di naman maganda." And they judge my appearance. I know I'm not pretty but will they stop judging a person on how it looks.

Nilagpasan ko na lang ang mga ito. And then someone tapped my shoulder and I looked who it is.

"OMG! Ikaw nga!" Bigla niya akong niyakap. "Can't breathe Charlotte, too tight." Sabi ko at niluwagan niya ang kanyang yakap at tiningnan ako.

"I'm glad that you're here now but its Des not Charlotte." Sabi niya. "Let's go and you will meet the others."

Naglakad lang kami ng naglakad at halos ng student ay nakatingin sa'kin.

"Dun na tayo sa classroom wala na sila sa cabin e." Sabi niya at nakatingin sa kanyang cellphone.

"Cabin?" I asked her. She just smiled at me. "Malalaman mo din mamaya." Hindi din nagtagal ay nakarating na kami sa classroom na tinutukoy ni Charlo— Des.

I noticed that it was divided, 12 students are on the left side and 13 students are on the right side. The students on the left side are looking at me with confusion. So Des and I walk towards to the students here in the right side. Now I finally recognized them. They're my friends— no best friends.

"So guys here's—"

"Group hug!" Sabay-sabay naman nila akong niyakap at pagkatapos ng isang minuto, kanya-kanya na din silang bumitiw.

May tumikhim naman kaya napalingon kami sa may pintuan, agad naman umupo ang mga kaibigan ko ng makita kung sino ito.

She walks towards me. "I'm Orissa Rodriguez, Principal of DLCU." And she smiled at me. "I'm Gabriela, Gabriela McAllister." I said.

Tiningnan niya ang ibang student na nasa loob ng classroom na 'to. "Okay everyone, Ms. McAllister will be your classmate starting today. So make her feel that she's your classmate." At binalingan niya ako. "Oh I would likely to tell you that our school has no class for two months for some reason." Sabi nito.

"I already know that but Thank you, Ms. Rodriguez." Tumango ito at lumabas na ng classroom. May isang upuan naman na bakante sa tabi ni Des kaya dun ako umupo.

"So Gab do you still know how to speak Tagalog?" Tanong sa'kin ni Kent. "Of course, but you know it's a little bit hard for me because I usually speak in English and Spanish."

"Wag kang mag-alala masasanay ka din." Ellie smiled at me so I smiled at her too.

Sa loob ng 30 minutes ay madami na silang sinasabi tungkol sa school na 'to. Just like the cabins and why are we divided into groups. They also told me that it's normal for them to have the cabins and the groups.

I actually find this school as weird. First, no class for two months. Second, about the cabins. And last, why are they divided into groups?!

Ilang sandali ay may tumikhim sa kabilang grupo kaya tiningnan namin kung sino.

Tumayo ito at lumapit sa amin. "So ikaw pala yung hinihintay nila simula high school."And she looked at me from head to toe.

Tumayo din ako at hinarap siya.

"Hi newbie, I'm Zia Valerie Valencia leader of the Brigade." She said and she offers her hand for me to shake it. So I accepted it.

"You already know my name. Nice to meet you."

She smiled at me. A fake smile. "Ipapaalala ko lang sayo na hindi tayo magiging kaibigan unless you want to join my group." She looked to my friends. "And leave the losers group."

"I'm sorry but I never said that I want to be friends with you."

She glared at me and I just shrugged and smiled at her then she went back to her seat still glaring at me.

Humarap naman ako sa mga kaibigan ko. "I guess I just met the Queen bee?" Tanong ko sa kanila at umiling lang ang mga ito.

"No, we don't have the 'Queen B's' here pabayaan mo yun, papansin lang yang babaeng yan akala mo naman nakakatakot." Sabi ni Sera na nakatingin kay Zia.

Sumingit naman si Rose. "Kaya naman kasi ganyan siya akala niya kaya niyang manipulahin ang estudyante dito."

"Kung ganyan girlfriend ko, ba't ako magbabalak na ligawan yan?" Saad naman ni Wendel at binatukan naman siya ni Jason. "Tanga kahit sino naman nililigawan mo."

And then these two started teasing each other.

"Ay oo nga pala Gab may announcement ako kanina." Sabi ni Kate. "Mag s-stay din dito sila Tristan since malaki itong room."

"Who's Tristan? Tristan Hunter?" I asked them and they looked at me. Confused. He's the only Tristan I've ever met, well when I was a kid.

"Yup. Si Tristan Hunter paano mo siya nakilala?" Tanong sa'kin ni Erish.

"Well I only guessed and I never knew that he's actually here in the Philippines. We've met—"

Sam stopped me. "In tagalog Gabriela." I sighed and this is torture for me!

"Okay, nagkakilala kami noong bata pa kami. His Dad used to visit my Mom and Dad and that's how we've met. Ilang linggo lang kami nag-usap maybe one or two weeks and then they leave Spain. We were five years old that time. He's the only Tristan I knew." I explained. "I know I'm sorry as much as I want to speak fluent tagalog but its hard and I'm trying okay?"

Erish hugged me. "We understand naman and you're really trying you're best kaya its okay." I noticed that the boys are now busy with their phones so we didn't disturbed them.

"Ibig sabihin parang childhood friends kayo?" Des asked me.

"Maybe?"

"Kilala mo pa din siya? Or kilala ka pa din niya?" And Sam also asked me.

"I don't know if he remembered me but I still know him my Mom used to show me his pictures when I was 16 years old, maybe he still know me or not." I said. I doubt that he still know me or recognized me.

"Sabi nga din pala nila na 'they are really staying with the dauntless'." Dagdag ni Kate.

"Why dauntless?" I asked them one more time. "Diba bawat grade level may mga grupo? Meron din ranking na nagaganap, pang second ang Brigade at first ang Intrepid which is us. And yes, you're the one who named it."

"And that's why they call us dauntless?"

"Yup." They answered at the same time as well as the boys who were still busy on their cellphones.