Chapter Two
The Mystery of an Imaginary Suitor
BORING DAY for me. Third day na simula nung nagsimula ang classes ng Liberty High. Ang first two days ay puro orientation lang at ngayon lang naglesson. Ano pa nga ba ang ginawa ko? Naggawa lang ng notes at naglecture. Matalino ako in some aspects pero tamad ako in all aspects. I admit, I don't enjoy studying and all dahil wala rin naman ako mapapala riyan. At saka, kahit hindi ako makinig, nasasagot ko naman ang mga tanong nila.
"Friday! Pwede ka bang sumama sa akin bukas?" Tanong ng kaklase kong si Hazel na hindi ko naman ka-close. Bihira lang kami mag-usap kaya nakakagulat na bigla niya ako kausapin ngayon.
Kumunot ang noo ko. "Saan?"
Ngumiti siya. "Ahm, imi-meet ko kasi ang manliligaw ko. Taga Liberty High siya at sabi niya, imeet ko raw siya bukas sa rooftop." Excited na sabi niya.
Magsasalita pa sana ako nang biglang may magsalita sa likod ko. "Don't bother saying yes to her, Thursday."
I frowned then looked back. It's Chaos.
"It's Friday!"
Umiling ito, "Today is Thursday."
Nagpapadyak ako na tumingin sakaniya. "It's Friday. My name is Friday."
Chaos just shrugged then went near us. "As I was saying, do not bother going. She's making it all up."
Napatingin ako kay Hazel na medyo nalukot ang mukha. "What do you mean na gawa-gawa ko lang 'to. My suitor wants us to meet in the rooftop tomorrow after school at pupunta ako. Magpapasama sana ako kay Friday para picturan kami ng stolen at para na rin remembrance." Kinikilig na tugon nito bago umalis. "Friday, tomorrow ha?" Sigaw pa nito bago tuluyang makaalis.
"That's rude." Puna ko.
Tumaas ang kilay ni Chaos. "What was rude?"
"Ikaw. Bakit mo sinabi na gawa-gawa lang yun? Malay mo, totoo pala at may manliligaw na si Hazel."
"Love is easy to use as a tactic to lure out a victim," bulong nito sa sarili at aktong nagiisip, "what if a suspect is on the loose and planning to use Hazel as a victim?"
Umiling-iling ako. "Teka, ano ba yang pinagsasabi mo?"
"I changed my mind."
"What—"
"You're coming with Hazel tomorrow at the rooftop and I'm going with you."
"Why? Hindi ka naman inimbitahan at diba magnet ka sa mga disasters? Baka magulo lang ang mangyayari bukas." Naguguluhang tanong ko.
"Because I believe this is going to be a crime scene." Ngumisi ito saka umalis ng classroom at iniwan akong magisa.
Ang weirdo naman ng lalakeng iyon. Bahala na. Pero hindi ko siya isasama sa akin bukas! Ayoko. Isa siyang magnet sa disasters. Baka masira ang lahat bukas.
At bakit ba imiisip niya na magkakaroon ng crime bukas? Fortune teller na ba siya ngayon?
"Friday." Anang boses lalaki
Tumingin ako sa pinto at umaliwalas paligid nang makita ko si Daeril. "Hi." Bati ko.
"How's your frst three days in Liberty High?" Tanong nito.
"Masaya naman, so far. Teka, bakit ka nandito? Hindi ba dapat nasa klase ka pa?" Daeril is a grade 12 student at hanggang 5 pm ang klase nila kumpara sa aming junior high na 4 pm ang uwian. Same age lang pala sila ng ate Monday ko.
Daeril shrugged, "Papunta na ako sa class namin when I passed by your classroom and thought of checking you out before you go home."
Nahiya ako bigla. Alam kong trabaho niya iyon as a student council vice president pero tapos na ang first day. Ibig sabihin, tapos na ang trabaho niya na siguraduhing maayos ang lagay ng mga new students.
"Pero tapos na ang first day. Tapos na rin ang trabaho mo na tignan-tignan ako." Puna ko.
He shrugged, "I just find everything about you interesting, I guess."
~~~
"Bitawan mo nga ako." Naiinis na sambit ko kay Chaos habang nakatago kami sa isang sulok at hinihintay ang "manliligaw" daw ni Hazel at si Chaos naman ay panay ang dikit at hawak sa braso ko.
"May I remind you that there will be a crime scene today that's why I am so eager to watch this, Friday."
Tinaas ko ang kilay ko, "Oo nga at magkakaroon ng crime scene dito dahil kasama kita. Kung wala ka dito edi masaya ang lahat," I continued, "at for the first time ay natama mo na pala ang pangalan ko."
He shrugged. "Today is Friday." Sabi niya. I rolled my eyes at tinuon ko nalang ang atensyon ko kay Hazel na nakatayo at hinihintay ang manliligaw niya.
"Ready the voice recorder." Biglang sabi ni Chaos.
Kumunot ang noo ko, "hindi ba dapat camera ang ihahanda ko dahil kulunan ko sila ng picture?"
"That is absurd! If this is going to be a crime scene, then the pictures won't be of concrete evidence. You can't record their conversation by taking pictures!" Puno nang frustrasyon na sabi ni Chaos.
"Bakit mo ba ako inuutusan? Hindi ka naman invited dito. Kumuha ka ng voice recorder magisa mo."
"My phone is not with me."
Pinikit ko ang mga mata ko at huminga ng malalim. Kalma lang, girl.
"Bakit ba kasi iniisip mo na crime scene 'to? Ano ka, police? Detective? Hazel will just meet her suitor and they will have a nice and romantice conversation. Walang patayang mangyayari."
"Ahh!!!"
Napatingin kami ni Chaos nang biglang sumigaw si Hazel. Wala na siya sa puwesto niya kanina. Luminga-linga ako. Walang tao ang naroon maliban sa amin ni Chaos.
I was about to fetch my phone in my pocket nang pigilan ako ni Chaos. "What?!" Natatarantang tanong ko. He was looking down the building.
"Look." Turo niya sa ground floor ng school.
And there she is. Hazel. Lying on her own pool of blood with her eyes open. "W-We need to call the police."
Sumenyas si Chaos sa akin na tumahimik muna at may papel na kinuha sa sahig. "Don't touch that! Baka ebidensya yan tungkol sa nangyari." Suway ko pero hindi nakinig sa akin si Chaos.
Binuklat niya iyon.
20/13/09/07/23 // 08/05/14/08 //05/02/19/20 // 07/05/18 /14 // 01/07/09/15
"W-What's that?" Tanong ko. Ano ang ibig sabihin nung nakasulat sa papel? Are those dates? Or just random series of numbers? Hindi rin nakatakas sa paningin ko ang nakaguhit sa papel na mukha ng isang halimaw.
"It's a code probably for Hazel," humarap siya sa akin, "or for us."
Bago pa ako makasagot, may siren ng police ang tumunog at bumukas ang pinto ng rooftop. It was Daeril with a female student—probably the student council president.
"Daeril..."
"Leave before the two of you become the police's prime suspects." He coldly said.
"We are witness to what happened." Chaos said.
"Witness?" Tanong ng babae.
"Friday," inakbayan ako ni Chaos at kaagad na sumama ang mukha ko pero di ko pinahalata, "wanted to explore Liberty High so I offered to tour her around when we heard a scream coming from the rooftop. When we got here, there were no students then we saw Hazel on the ground of the building."
Kumunot ang noo ko. But that's not what happened.
Tumingin si Daeril sa akin bago tumingin kay Chaos. "It's my job. To tour her around."
"Not anymore." Sagot ni Chaos at hinila ako palabas ng rooftop.
Hila-hila niya ako hanggang sa makarating kami sa isang classroom—ang chemistry room.
Inagaw ko ang kamay ko kay Chaos at naguguluhang tinignan siya. "Bakit iniba mo ang storya? Hindi naman 'yon ang nangyari." Giit ko.
"If I tell them the truth or not, they will never believe us unless we have evidence," kapagkuwan ay ngumisi ito, "I told you, this will be a crime scene."
Oo nga 'no. "Paano mo ba nalaman na magiging crime scene 'to? Manghuhula ka ba?"
Umiling ito, "if you are courting someone and planning to meet her, no one will suggest the rooftop,unless you're a new student, of course. Hazel is not a new student. She knew what happened in that rooftop two years ago."
"So anong pinapahiwatig mo?"
"Hazel may have been set up, or she planned this with someone's help."
"What do you mean?" Naguguluhang tanong ko.
"Hazel knew what happened to that rooftop ten years ago but still, pumayag pa rin siya na makipagkita roon. Old students from Liberty High don't have the courage to go to that rooftop anymore; and isn't she suspiscious? I mean, you two barely talk and then all of a sudden, she invites you to go to that rooftop with her?"
Nawala ang kunot ko sa noo. In fairness, may sense lahat ng pinagsasabi ni Chaos.
Bumalik ang pagkunot ng noo ko. "Ano bang nangyari sa rooftop ten years ago?"
Chaos crossed his arms, showing his muscles and veins. His deep gray eyes stared into mine while his finely combed hair matches the aura around him.
"A massacre. Twenty-five students were killed brutally in that rooftop including teachers—my parents."
"Your parents?"
"My parents were professors in this school. They were killed and the killer is still out there. I swore to my parents's graves that I will give them justice that they deserve." Galit na sabi ni Chaos.
Aside from his name, ngayon ko lang nalaman ang storya na 'to tungkol kay Chaos.
Huminga siya ng malalim at kinuha ang papel na nasa lamesa. "We need to find out what this code means." Sabi niya.
"Ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng code na yan?" Tanong ko. I am smart pero clueless naman ako sa mga ganitong bagay.
Nagiisip ng malalim si Chaos at tahimik na tinatapik ang daliri sa lamesa nang biglang umaliwalas ang mukha nito at nanlaki ang mga mata. "I know what this code means!"
Gamit ang likod ng papel, mabilis ang kamay na nagsusulat ng kung ano.
"It's latin code." Aniya habang nagsusulat,
"each number represents a letter. A for 01, B for 02 and so on.."
Nang matapos magsulat, pinakita niya sa akin ang papel.
TMIGW HENH EBST GERN AGIO
Kumunot ang noo ko. "It doesn't make sense." I said.
"It doesn't, does it? But.." nagsulat ulit ito sa papel.
"If you use Ceasar's box, you'll get the answer." Aniya habang sinusulat ang sagot, "read the letters in vertical order then it'll all make sense now." Pinakita niya sa akin ang sagot.
THE GAME BEGINS RIGHT NOW
"Game? What game?" Tanong ko, "and what does the beast face drawn in the paper means?"
Humugot nang malalim na hininga si Chaos. "I don't know what that beast face means but about the game? I'm one hundred percent sure that the sender is not joking around."
"Why? Anong klaseng laro ba iyon?"
"A game of murder," tumingin ito sa akin, "and it has just began."
CHAPTER TWO: THE CASE OF AN IMAGINARY SUITOR PART TWO WILL BE POSTED SOON !!