🎭CHARLES

“Hi, Charles! Akala mo siguro nakalimutan ko na ang hindi mo pag pansin sa akin, 'no?”

Napairap na lang ako nang maabutan ko si Mikha sa Arts Club. Ewan ko ba sa babaeng 'to pero palagi akong ginugulo.

Hindi naman siya aso pero para siyang Viszla kung makadikit sa akin. I don't know what to do about this girl anymore. She's so clingy.

Imagine she's already a Student Council officer and she still bothers to join Arts Club. I don't even know if she knows something in Arts. Yes, I admit, she's good when it comes to drawing but Art is more than just a drawing.

Well, for me, Art is not just an Art. It conveys emotions. As a proclaimed artist myself, it represents as the voice of the voiceless, of the unheard individual.

When I was a kid, I really want to be an artist but the tiny and thin string of my dream was junked when my father said that Arts cannot make you rich. He always reminds me to be practical in any aspects of my life. He always tells me that I should follow his footsteps ; to become a lawyer.

But lawyer is not my calling.

Like right now, where was I? I'm under STEM strand because I want to take Applied Physics as my course in college. My Dad was furious when he learned that I took STEM strand. He even punched me in the face.

People will never understand how important Art is like how artists do.

“Sige lang, Charles, 'pag ako hindi mo pinansin...” Pananakot niya pa sa akin. Oh, I'm scared.

Napailing na lang ako sa kakulitan niya. I've never meet someone who has the same energy as her. Hindi yata nade-drain ang social battery niya.

“What?” I coldly asked. People often call me nonchalant but the truth is tamad lang talaga akong magsalita kaya gano'n.

Nagsasayang lang ako ng laway.

“Ipapabroad ko sa mga campus journalist na tayo na!” She giggled like a happy kiddo.

“Seriously?” Hindi makapaniwalang sabi ko. Bakit naman niya iaanunsyo sa buong Mallory na kami na. Does she like me?

“Oo, seriously talaga!” Sigaw niya naman. “Alam mo, ako na nga ang nag-e-effort na makipag-usap sa 'yo, ikaw pa 'tong si OA! Ay, nonchalant ka pala, my false!”

Hindi ko na siya pinansin pa dahil wala ako sa mood. Hindi maganda ang bungad ng araw ko. Si Miah kasi ay nagboluntaryong magluto, hindi naman pala marunong.

Sino ba naman ang gustong kumain ng sunod na hotdog at sobrang alat na fried rice.

Edi si Dani!

“Charles, wala pa akong nakuhang participants sa section ninyo, pwedeng pasuyo? Ikaw na lang ang maghanap,” Julia, the Arts' Club secretary gave me a sweet smile.

Tumango ako at kinuha sa kaniya ang dala niyang clipboard. Doon nakalista ang lahat ng mga sasali sa poster-making contest.

We were given 3 days to prepare for the upcoming Foundation Day at ngayon na ang last day. Bukas na ang opening ng Foundation Day kaya kailangan may mahanap na akong sasali sa section namin.

Gaya ng ibang clubs, may pakulo rin ang club namin. We will hold a poster-making contest only for grade 12 students each strands. Mayroon din kaming art work shop for those aspiring young artists.

Bumalik ako sa classroom namin para maghanap ng pwede kong isali. Nahihiya kasi akong mag message sa group chat namin. My classmates are busy in their respective clubs and booths kaya malabong mayroong tao sa classroom namin ngayon.

I heaved a relief sigh nang maabutan ko si Welvin doon. Exactly who I need.

Pero nabigla na lang ako pagpasok ko nang makita rin si Ayesha. Silang dalawa lang ang nandito pero magkalayo sila ng inuupuan.

Strange. They weren't close before.

“Charles! Why are you here, bro?” Tumayo si Welvin upang lumapit sa akin at umakbay.

I should be the one who's asking you that. Why are you two here?

“Sinali kita sa poster-making contest ng club namin. Na-submit ko na, hindi na pwedeng bawiin,” I lied. Hindi ko pa na-submit, hawak-hawak ko nga ngayon ang clipboard.

“Ah, ganoon ba? Sige, bro, walang problema 'yan. Malakas ka sa 'kin, eh,” tumatango-tango pa siya. Mukha siyang tanga.

“Nasa'n na ba kasi 'yung nonchalant na 'yun?”

Napabuntong-hininga na lamang ako nang marinig ko na naman ang boses ni Mikha. Mukhang ako yata ang hinahanap niya. Ako lang naman ang tinatawag niya ng ‘nonchalant’. Mukhang walang takas na talaga 'ko rito sa babaeng 'to.

Maybe I should loosen up a bit?

🎭 MARGARET

“It feels so wrong to be having fun after our classmates died,” I whispered to myself.

As I looked at the Mallorians being excited for tomorrow's event, I couldn't help but to think about my classmates who were now in His hands.

It's just sad how they look up to this event but they were not able to attend anymore.

“Hoy, ang lalim naman ng iniisip mo! Sino ba 'yan?” Asked Zyra. She wasn't wearing our school uniform since wala namang classes ngayon. Ako naman ay nakasuot ng uniform ng Student Council.

“Sino kaagad? Hindi ba pwedeng ‘ano’ lang?” I emphasized the word ‘ano.’ Mukhang nami-misinterpret niya kasi yata ang pag-e-emote ko rito.

“Anong iniisip mo?” Pag-iiba niya ng kaniyang tanong. Napatingin din siya sa mga nagtatawanang mga Mallorians kasama ang kanilang mga kaibigan.

I shifted my weight in order for our eyes to meet. “Aren't you wondering why does this academy didn't further investigate about the deaths of the students?”

She squinted her eyes a little and slowly nodded. “Naiisip ko rin 'yan minsan pero tahimik lang ako. Ayokong makisali sa mga ganiyang usapan, baka ako ang isunod ng killer. Who knows na isa lang pala siya sa mga kaklase natin?”

“How can you say that so on?” I asked, not buying it but honestly, there are times that it crossed through my mind. What if one of us is the killer. Or two.

“Weird lang kasi, parang alam niya lahat ng mga nangyayari sa 'tin. The killer knows some of our secrets, remember Therese's and Lanizah's issue? The killer surely knows our whereabouts,” she shrugged her shoulders. Fear is written all over her face.

“Wow, you have a lot of knowledge pero bakit hindi ka nagsasalita tuwing pinag-uusapan natin ang bagay na 'to kasama ang iba?” I arched my left brow and crossed my arms over my chest.

Parang natigilan siya ro'n. “Ha? It's just that--Wait... Are you suspecting me, Margaret? I didn't kill them!”

I bit my inside cheeks. “I didn't say anything, Zy, why are you exaggerating?”

“Ewan ko sa 'yo, Marga. Ang tagal-tagal na nating magkaibigan pero bakit mo ako pinaghihinalaan,” I saw how her fist tightened. Oh, did I provoke her?

“Why are you mad? Nagtanong lang naman ako kung bakit tahimik ka lang sa tuwing napag-uusapan natin ang bagay na 'yun?” The thin string of my patience is getting thinner.

“Mahirap bang intindihin na ayokong madamay?” Bigla na lang nagtubig ang mga mata niya. “I'm too young to die, Margaret. Marami pa 'kong pangarap sa buhay.” And then she walks away. Nakita ko pa ang pagpahid niya sa mga kaniyang luha.

I bit my bottom lip.

Was I wrong for asking her that? Ang akin lang naman ay sana sinabi niya iyun, kahit sa aming magkakaibigan na lang if she's not comfortable with our classmates. Did I cross the line? I think I didn't.

I really agree with Martin Luther King Jr.

Our lives begins to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.

_________

📑– noticed a lot of errors from the previous chaps. please bear with me, im still on progress.

expect grammatical and typographical errors for the upcoming chapters

im sorry