Training for the football team began early in the morning. Troy was running around the circle of the oval field, sweat pouring down his face, chest heaving as he struggled to keep up. He pushed himself harder, but fatigue began to set in. He finally stopped and walked over to a bleacher near the road, gasping for air. After a minute, Rick, riding his bicycle, passed by. Their eyes met, and they gave each other a small, silent fist bump in the air. It was subtle, but it felt like they were beginning to build a connection.
Later in the day, Ms. Belinda entered the classroom, and as usual, the entire room fell silent. The history lesson began with a deep dive into how Spanish colonization shaped Philippine culture, including its lasting influence on the modern Filipino's physical features. A student raised a question: "If we hadn't been colonized by Spain, what would the face of the Philippines look like today?" The classroom buzzed with different murmurs, each student offering their version of an answer. Ms. Belinda, ever the teacher, cut through the noise, telling the class that while the history of colonization played a role, it was more crucial to focus on how Filipinos today utilized their privileges. She reminded them that many outside these school walls didn't have enough to eat, while they were privileged to be part of an elite institution. Rick sat quietly, absorbing her words, thinking about how different his life would have been if his parents hadn't passed away in that accident.
After class, Rick found himself sitting with Tristan again in the cafeteria. As they ate in silence, Fey passed their table, walking with a group of girls. She cast a brief glance at Tristan—just a fleeting look, but enough to catch Rick's attention. Curious, Rick leaned in and asked Tristan who she was. Tristan, his expression cold, responded with a curt "No one." Rick didn't press further, choosing to let it go, but the interaction lingered in his mind. As Fey walked away, Rick noticed how uneasy Tristan seemed, and it made him wonder what connections he might have with her that he wasn't willing to talk about.
Later that afternoon, during practice in the swimming pool, Rick pushed himself beyond exhaustion, lap after lap. Kevin, his senior on the team, noticed his determination and approached him, telling him to take a break. "You're going to tire yourself out," Kevin said, chuckling. "You're aiming to be the captain, huh?" Rick didn't answer, only nodded slightly before diving back into the water. Kevin left him alone after that, but his words stuck with Rick.
Later, as Rick was walking toward his bicycle, he spotted Troy standing by the bleachers. Seeing him, Rick called out, and Troy jogged over to meet him. The two finally exchanged a proper fist bump, more solid this time, their connection growing stronger. They sat down on the bleachers, and the conversation began.
They talked about football—how Troy came to love the sport, something his parents had decided for him. Troy explained that it had started as an expectation, a way for them to have a son who would bring them fame as an athlete. Eventually, though, Troy grew to enjoy it, and it became his passion.
The conversation shifted, and Troy asked Rick about his life. "What's your story?" Troy asked curiously, leaning slightly toward Rick. Rick hesitated for a moment before beginning, his voice quiet but steady. "My parents... they're long gone," he started, his eyes flicking toward the school grounds. "They... died in an accident. Inside the campus."
Troy's expression shifted, surprise crossing his face, but he said nothing. Rick kept going, his voice calm but tinged with a depth that spoke of the pain he had carried for years. "The school... it was responsible for what happened to them."
For the first time, Rick spoke openly about the accident, though his words were carefully measured, as if he were afraid of revealing too much. There was no emotion in his voice, but his eyes—those eyes that had seen too much—held a kind of silent desperation. The past had been haunting him, and he knew he couldn't change it, but moving forward was the only option.
Troy didn't respond at first. He sat silently, absorbing Rick's words. But back home, Troy couldn't get it out of his mind. That night, he sat in his dining area, scrolling through his phone. He did a quick search of St. Dominic High School and found an old article—something buried in the archives. It was dated ten years ago. The headline read: "A Boy Left Orphaned as Parents Mysteriously Die Inside St. Dominic High School."
Troy's eyes widened as he read the article. It was vague—so vague, it barely gave any details about the incident, only that two people had died, and a boy had been left without parents. The entire thing was unsettling. His curiosity grew as he continued to read, but there was nothing more to find. Until... he clicked on a seemingly unrelated link.
It was a surprise—something he wasn't expecting. It was an obscure news page from years ago, a small story hidden in a corner. The headline read: "A boy left orphan as parents mysteriously die inside the campus of St. Dominic High School."
Troy couldn't believe what he was reading. His mind raced as he skimmed the article—there were no details. Just a brief mention of two lives lost and the lingering question of what had happened. As he read, his father walked past him, casually, seemingly uninterested. But Troy couldn't contain his curiosity anymore. "Dad," he asked suddenly, "Do you remember anything about this... this incident at the school ten years ago?"
His father stopped in his tracks. For a brief moment, his face tightened, and his eyes flickered with something—surprise, maybe shock, definitely hesitation. Without answering, his father merely walked away, leaving Troy sitting there, wondering what he might know but wasn't willing to say.