Lance Vernon's PoV
***
"Hey! Lance, right?" tawag sa akin ni Yashmine habang nagpa-pack ako ng gamit ko.
Katatapos lang ng Art Class namin na nag-overtime pa.
"Yeah." I said coldly.
"Do you wanna have dinner with me? My treat."
"Sorry, I have things to do." saad ko tsaka siya akmang iiwan pero hinarang niya ang daan.
"Come on, please? We can do it together." she said with her ugly— I mean pa-cute eyes.
"Sorry, I have a meeting with my co-officials. Excuse me." saad ko tsaka siya iniwan.
Yes, the girl I love may not have the same feelings toward me but I won't give an eye to that Yashmine-girl. Yes, she's pretty. Yes, she has big ass and boobs. Yes, she's ma-appeal. But, she's not as God-fearing as her, she's not as soft as her and she's nothing compared to her.
"Pare! Lalim ng iniisip mo diyan!" biglang sabi ni Khallister na ngayo'y nakaakbay na sa'kin.
"Sus! Iniisip nanaman niyan kung paano umamin sa gusto niya!" sabi naman ni Asher.
"Torpe kasi neto eh!" sabi naman ni Oliver.
"Nagsalita ang isa pang torpe." asik ko.
"Sus, mahihina kasi loob niyo masyado!" sabi ni Khallister.
"Mga tol, nakita niyo ba yung freshman? Yung si Gokongwei?" tanong ni Ash.
"Ah 'yon? Anong meron doon?" tanong ni Khallister.
"Balita ko, siya yung dahilan kung bakit umagang-umaga napa-guidance si Sera." saad ulit ni Ash.
"Ano? Bakit daw?" kunot-noong tanong ni Khallister.
"Future bradah-in-law, ang dinig ko nabangga daw kasi ni future wife si Gokongwei tapos shalala! Guidance Office!" sabi ni lover-boy Oliver.
"Ano?! Hindi pwede yun ah!" singhal ni Khallister.
"Using her power to abuse co-tyrants are strictly prohibited by the HMA, pero ba't niya ginawa 'yun? Hindi niya ba alam kung anong parusa matatanggap niya?" asik ko.
Seraphine is also my friend, I can't let them abuse her!
"Did Riley made an action? Alam niya ba?" tanong ni Khallister.
"Yes she knows but, I don't know if she already made an action. No one knows, you know her. She makes an action without us knowing, ewan ko lang." sabi ni Ash.
"Tara na nga! Baka ma-late pa tayo sa meeting." sabi ni Khallister.
The meeting will be held in the meeting room. It's a meeting between ther higher and the lower officials.
When we arrived, Seraphine and the other officials from section A and B was there already. Officials from Section C and D weren't part of the meeting because they're assigned to have a separate meeting about the upcoming events this school year.
"Upo na kayo, maya-maya magsisimula na tayo. We'll just wait for Riley, may inasikaso lang daw siya." sabi ni Sera na nakaupo na ngayon.
We sat, and in no time Riley came in with her messy hair, bruise on her lips and blood on her chin.
What the hell happened?
"Fucking shit! What happened with your face, Vivienne Riley?!" sigaw na tanong ni Sera tsaka tumayo para i-check ang mukha niya.
"Aray! Ano ba, pwedeng dahan-dahanin?" singhal ni Riley kay Sera.
"What happened to your face, Rile?" tanong ni Ava Guinette, ang isa pang bestfriend ni Riley.
Ava Guinette Sy, the Ace of Legends and the most cold student in the Academy.
"Who the hell did that? Look at yourself, you're so sabog!" ani Ana Gwynette, ang kakambal ni Guinette at ang isa pang bestfriend ni Riley.
Ana Gwynette Sy, from section B, and one of the Legends and the most 'conyo' student in the Academy.
"Huwag niyo nalang pansinin, let's start our meeting." saad ni Riley.
"With your face like that? Hell no, best friend. I might only laugh at your freaking face!" saad ni Khallister na tumatawa-tawa.
*boogsh!!*
"Aray! Anong ginawa ko sa'yo? Ba't ka ba nananapak?!" tanong ni Khallister na nakahawak sa mukha niya.
"Now we're even, should I also laugh at you're freaking face?" Riley said mockingly.
"Oh, tama na, tama na." sabi ni Althea Vee Zachary, ang Beta from our Class.
"So, let's start?" tanong ko tsaka ngumiti kay Riley, and as usual irap ang binigay niya.
"Okay, first, about the TDOA. Freshmen will be part of the TDOA for the whole school year." paninimula ni Riley.
"Eh? I thought, ayaw mong masali sila sa mga ganon?" tanong ni Sera.
"Even if they're not part of TDOA they'll still be part of TDOA. Paano kung sila ang targets ng Sophomores? How will they fight for themselves kung alam nilang hindi naman sila kasali? It's better this way, Seraphine." seryosong sabi ni Riley.
"Riley's right, mas dadami ang mamamatay na freshmen." saad ni Ava.
"Oh and by the way." saad ni Riley tsaka tumingin sa kapatid kong galing sa Class B.
"Yes, ate Rile?" tanong ni Lacey.
Lacey Vianne Tanaka, my twin sis. From Class B.
"Remember the case three years ago?" maotoridad na tanong ni Riley.
"U-uh, alin po doon?" tanong ni Lacey.
"Re-open the first case three years ago. After reopening it, send all informations and details to me." saad ni Riley.
"Why?" takang tanong ko.
"You'll know it soon." sabi ni Riley.
"And, tungkol sa nangyari kaninang umaga. Yung maagang pagpapa-guidance kay Seraphine, may ginawa ka na ba doon?" tanong ni Khallister.
"None." sabi ni Riley.
"What?! She used her power to abuse my sister." sabi ni Khallister.
"And what do you want me to do? Ipa-guidance din s'ya? Para ano? To use my power to abuse her too? Ikaw na din ang nagsabi, Khallister Shane. Ginamit niya ang kapangyarihan niya para abusuhin si Seraphine, and yet you want me to do something inappropriate too? I need the informations as soonas possible." madiing paliwanag ni Riley.
"Copy, ate!" saad ni Lacey.
"Para saan ba kasi yan?" tanong ni Ava.
"That case, those informations, those stuffs will help us. Let's go now." sabi ni Riley.
"Oh wait lang! Let's have a dinner party! Please? It's been a long time since we had a dinner together." saad ni Penelope, ang elite sa class B.
"Right! That's a good idea." sabi ni Hans, Rayver, at Rayven ng class B.
Rayver and Rayven are sibs.
"What are we waiting for? Tara na!" masiglang sabi ni Sera habang hinahatak si Riley.
"Can we please take a bath first? Tsaka I need to get my phone din." sabi ni Gwynette.
We agreed to take a bath first. Pumunta na kami sa dormitory namin. I took a half bath, and changed my clothes. I am now wearing my polo, I left three buttons unbottoned tsaka ko isinuot ang black shorts ko. Gumamit lang ako ng Hazel Leather Loafer shoes ko tsaka nagpabango ng Creed Aventus.
I walked out of my dorm and went downstairs. While I was going to the place where we'll meet I saw a familiar person standing infront me, blocking my way.
"Lance!" sabi ni freshman, Yashmine.
"What are you doing here?" kunot noong tanong ko.
"Tapos na daw kasi yung meeting ninyo, so can we eat somewhere?" malanding sabi nito.
"Sorry. I'm not available." saad ko tsaka nagpatuloy sa paglalakad.
"Please, please, please?" saad nito.
"Can you stop? I said I'm not available." sabi ko.
"Okay? Next time nalang." she said as if she was sad and walked away.
Nakarating ako sa meeting place namin and nandoon na si Riley. She's wearing her white long sleeves polo tucked in with her denim skirt paired with her white horsebit loafers.
Why do we look like we planned to wear the same clothes? Well this is... cute.
"What the fudge?" mahinang singhal niya hanang nakatingin sa'kin.
"Wow! You planned to wear same clothes, aren't you?" pang-aasar ni Penelope.
"Yeah, right." sabi ni Gwynette.
"You look cute." sabay na sabi Ava at Ash. Inirapan nila ang isa't isa.
"Whatever! Tara na nga." sabi ni Riley.
Tyrant's Mall
"Saan tayo kakain?" tanong ni Khallister.
"Dun tayo sa tutubi na kulay pula!" ani Penelope na nagpatawa kay Riley.
She looks prettier when she laughs. Wait, what am I even thinking? Darn, this is getting deeper.
"Jollibee nanaman? Nakakaumay." sabi ni Sera.
"Yeah, right." sabi ni Ava.
"Yeah, right to the second power." saad ni Gwynette.
"Dun nalang tayo sa restaurant doon." sabi naman ni Riley na seryoso na tsaka nauna ng maglakad.
Nang makarating kami doon, umupo na kami agad sa long table. Nag-order na din kami.
While waiting, all we did was to use our smartphones.
"Riley, have you seen the news on our news page?" tanong ni Hans.
"Hm? What news?" tanong ni Riley.
"I'll forward it." saad nito.
Sunod-sunod na pag-ring ang narinig namin, Hans sent it not just to Riley but also to us.
'First case of the school year, freshman from section C is found dead in Tyrant's Park...'
"What the hell?!" singhal ko.
"Who the hell did this?"
"This isn't good, TDOA haven't started yet."
"Look at the girl's body, it's full of dugo!"
"Kawawa."
"And look sa pinakababa! The killer left a sign daw. Using the victim's blood, the killer wrote a slingshot?" sabi ni Gwy.
"Here's your order." sabi ng waiter.
Kumain na kami at hindi na muna pinag-usapan ang tungkol sa first case.
"I heard there's an illegal transaction of online orders here in the academy." sabi ni Ash.
"Yeah, that's mine." sabay-sabay na sabi ng mga babae.
"What the hell?" natatawang sabi ni Khallister.
"So, all this time the teachers are blaming the wrong person." natatawang sabi din ni Oli.
"When did you started ordering online?" tanong naman ni Hans.
"Uh, last school year./last week./last month." sabay-sabay na sabi ulit ng mga babae.
Napailing naman ako habang ngumingiti.
"Paano niyo kinukuha yung order ninyo?" tanong ni Ash.
"Wait, isa-isa lang muna!" sabi ni Rayver nung akmang sasagot nanaman sila ng sabay-sabay.
"COD ako, kaya binibigay ko yung pera kay kuya guard para ready na kapag idedeliver." saad ni Penelope.
"Ako din." sabi naman ni Lacey.
"Me, three." ani Vee.
"Ako, din." si Sera.
"So am I." ani Gwy.
"Well mine, since Online Payment ang ginagawa ko, I named it under Nanay Elma then sa house nila ide-deliver then the next day when she and her son comes to the academy she'll give it to me when she delivers my food in my dorm or kapag tutulong ako." paliwanag ni Riley.
"Tulad ng sabi ni Riley, ganoon din ako." sabi naman ni Ava.
Nag-kwentuhan pa nga kami hanggang sa biglang may nag-approach sa amin.
"Hey, Lance!"
I looked up and saw Yashmine.
"Hm." sagot ko.
"You said you're busy but look at you, you're here eating with these useless people here." saad nito tsaka umirap.
"Excuse me?" inis na sabi ni Lacey.
"Dadaan ka?" mataray na sabi ni Yashmine.
"What's your connection with Lance?" takang tanong ng kapatid ko.
"He's mine! Well... soon mine." saad nito tsaka tumingin ng malandi sa akin.
"What the fudge?" rinig kong mahinang sabi ni Riley.
"There's no way he's gonna be yours." saad ni Ava na nagtataray na din.
"And why are you saying shits like that?" tanong ni Yashmine.
"Because, he haven't moved on yet. And, stupid, why'd we let that happen?" mataray na sabi naman ni Gwy.
"Who the hell are you people to decide for him?" tanong ni Yashmine.
"We're his friends. And, as his friends we won't let him fall for a girl like you. A manipulative and an abusive girl does not deserve a Lance Vernon Tanaka. Nothing less, nothing more. You don't deserve him." madiing sabi ni Riley na nagpatahimik kay Yashmine, na nagpa-ngisi sa aming lahat.
That's the girl, I used to love.