3rd PERSON

She rose up from her bed. Her short hair is a mess and drool marks on the side of her mouth. She checked her phone to see kung anong oras na ba.

It's already 6:46 in the morning. She only have twenty-nine minutes before the school gate closes.

She immediately ran to her bathroom to get ready. Agad na siyang naligo at nagsipilyo ng kanyang ngipin pagkapasok niya roon.

After taking a bath, isinuot niya na ang kanyang uniporme at kanya nang kinuha ang kanyang mga gamit.

Without combing her hair, she got into a taxi and proceeded to her school.

"STANLEY HIGH"

"Manong, bayad ko ho." Inabot niya ang bayad niya sa driver ng taxi at pumasok na ng tuluyan sa kaniyang paaralan.

As you enter the school, bubungad sa iyo ang estatwa ng isang babaeng may hawak na weighing scale na naka-blindfold. I wonder what's the connection of that 'justice' statue to this school.

She can feel the stares of the students around me. Sino ba naman ang hindi mapapatingin sa bagong mukha sa paaralan nila?

'What's with them? First day of school nga diba? Is it really that rare for them to have a newbie in their school?' Wika niya sa isip niya. She just continued to walk towards her destination. The Faculty room for her to talk with her class adviser para sa pagpasok niya sa kaniyang kabibilangang klase.

Makalipas ang ilang mga segundo ay nakarating na rin siya sa tapat ng Faculty room. Kumatok muna siya ng tatlong beses bago tuluyang pumasok.

"Ah! Miss Ravena, halika rito." Tawag sa kanya ng isang babae na siguro'y nasa 20's ang edad.

"Ako nga pala ang magiging class adviser mo. Just call me Ms. Geia. Come tara na sa klase at malapit na ring mag-bell." Inigya niya ito palabas ng Faculty room

As they were walking on the shool's hallways, some students eyes are still on her.

"You seem to attract their attention miss Reino?" Ngiting wika ng kaniyang guro.

She smiled even though it has been bothering her and is starting to make her feel conscious about how she looks at the moment.

MARIONNETTE

When we reached the front of a door with the sign '11-A', my teacher told me to wait outside until she would tell me to come in. "So, since today is the first day of school, you guys will have a new face in your class." Panimula ni Ms. Geia. "Come in, now." She gestured me to come in and so I did. "Please intoduce yourself." Utos sa akin ng aking adviser.

"Marionnette Alexia Ravena, looking forward to be with you, guys." I flashed a smile as I looked at the new faces in front of me. Karamihan sa kanila nakangiti. They seem nice.

"You mag take a seat at the back. You'll use the vacant seat sa tabi ni Ms. Fabro." Said Ms. Geia so I went to take a seat.

"Rhaena, nice being your seat mate." My seat mate said as she offered her hand for a hand shake. I gladly accepted it at umupo na. Ms. Geia only gave us our schedules then left. Nagpakilala na lang din ang mga teachers sa amin. Karamihan daw kase bago ang mga teachers this year para sa amin kase hindi na daw kagaga ng subjects ng junior high ang subjects namin which is expected.

I put my notebook back sa bag ko at pupunta na sana ako sa canteen ng mag isa when some of my classmates came near my table. 'Woah! What's with them?'

"Hey, so what school did you come from?" Tanong ng isang lalaki who has brown hair.

"Uh... Suitchershelf—" Di ko na napatapos ang sasabihin ko nang magtanong ulit ang isang lalaki.

"Hey, hey! What made you decide to study her—"

"Guys, she's not a celebrity para i-interview niyo siya ng ganiyan." Rhaena said which made me chuckle.

"Gusto lang naman namin siya makilala eh." Said the guy with brown hair earlier. "Pyro Mortimer Santos. You can call me Pyro." Nilahad niya ang kanyang kamay kayat kinamayan ko naman ito. Biglang nagsi ingayan naman ang aking mga kaklase.

"Hoy, Pyro! Ayan ka na naman!" Singhal ng ibang mga kalalakihan kay Pyro na ikinapula ng mukha nito. "Hoy! Magtigil nga kayo!" I smiled. Napalingon naman ako sa babaeng nasa aking likuran nang hawakan niya ang braso ko. "Tara na! Recess!" Nakangiting sabi niya at tinanguan ko lang.

"Pasensya ka na sa inasta ng mga kaklase natin ha? It's so rare kase na magkaroon kami ng transferees dito." Rhaena explained. "Gano ka-rare?" I asked her. "Since the time when I got here, apat na taon, tatlo palang ang naging transferee. And those three entered the school on my grade 7's first month kaya parang pahabol na enrollees lang sila." I nodded.

"So kayo kayo lang din ang magkakaklase since junior?" She nodded as a response. "Medyo di din kase ganon ka-open ang Stanley sa enrollees. Mataas kase masyado ang requirements para makapasok ka rito." Which is true. It was weird for me at first kase hindi lang IQ ang basehan para makapasok ka.

We got to the canteen and bought some foods. Sa daan na kami kumain kase malapit na rin ang next subject namin.

"Can I ask why it is required for you to master a lot of codes and ciphers for you to enter the school?" I asked. Napatawa naman siya. "You'll know about that this afterno— what? Don't tell me you entered the school not knowing why?! How did you pass the exams then?!" Gulat na tanong niya. "I know how to decipher many codes and ciphers. I love mystery novels kase." I smiled. Pero hindi nawawala ang pagkagulat sa mukha niya. "Oh, don't worry. I took the test like the rest of you did." I said then chuckled.

"Did you by chance really wanted to get to this school?" Tanong ni Rhaena. "Not really. Gusto ko lang talaga umalis sa Suitchershelf kase ang daming mga kung anu-anong pakana doon. I find it a waste of time." I smiled. "Them why did you choose Stanley?" Tanong niya ulit. "Kase I had no other choice. Kung sa iba kase mapapalayo ako sa apartment ko and I don't really like to look for other places na pagrerentahan kase it's exhausting." Napanganga siya sa rason ko. "So that means you just enrolled here without knowing what kind of school this is?" I nodded. "Another reason is that They have my strand." I said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Unbelievable..." Rhaena whispered. "Why?" I asked. "Then you didn't even prepare that much for the exam, if I'm right?!" I nodded. What's with her reaction? "Can you tell me what's with that shocked reaction on your face means?" I asked as i faced her.

Bumuntong hininga siya then started to explain. "Stanley High is a school that gives training session for their students on how you can investigate crime scenes and also gives lessons focused on codes, ciphers, martial arts and other stuffs that would be helpful on investigation fields." Napatango ako. "That explains the statue." Rhaena gave me a you-really-are-unbelievable-look. "Let's go back to the classroom! Ayoko malate!" Sabi ko saka siya hinila papunta sa classroom namin.

***

"I'm hungry~" Reklamo ni Pyro nang makalabas ang hulung teacher namin for this morning. Nagsilabasan na rin ang ibang mga kaklase namin since wala na kaming ibang gagawin dito sa classroom ngayong umaga. "Di ka ba nag recess?" I asked him na naging dahilan para iharap niya sa akin ang upuan niya. "Hindi eh. Papakainin mo ko?~" Bago pa man ako makasagot i saw a ball of crumpled paper hit him on the face. "Stop that, Pyro! Kabago bago pa lamang nung tao eh." Napatawa naman ako sa kagagawan ni Rhaena.

"Ganito na lang. Why don't we eat lunch together? Tayong tatlo!" I said. Ngumiti ng malawak si Pyro. "Sure thing, Princess!" I felt a bit flattered by the word 'Princess'. "Sure! Ano tara na sa canteen?" Suhestyon ni Rhaena. Tumayo na rin ako.

Nang naglalakad kami palabas ng classroom, i felt the urge to look back inside. When I did, I saw this guy with jet black hair. Nakalugmok siya sa kaniyang desk mukhang tulog yata. 'Hmmm, I haven't heard him speak since kaninang umaga ah.' "Hey, Alex! Tara na!" Dinig kong tawag ni Rhaena kaya sumunid na ako sa kanila.