Heaven Academy

29 - A Train Ride

29 - A Train Ride

"Great job, Charlotte." I could feel all the attention focusing on me. "You got me there."

Charlotte's eyes have always been so sharp and so, her glare felt like they're piercing right through me. Iris's face had that look of shock while Luther's was covered with confusion. Dominic, on the other hand, only looked at me. I couldn't read his expression. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved, except for me.

"Why did I kill Aster? Simple." I walked around the four of them. Their eyes followed my every step. "I just want him out of my life."

Still, no one dared to say a word, so I continued walking. "Have you ever experienced being compared to someone? Well, being compared has been my whole life. I have never been alone in the spotlight. Damn, I wasn't even able to occupy mom's tummy on my own. How 'bout that?" I faked a laugh. "You know, when you've experienced 18 years of that shit, you get tired."

"And so, I eliminated the source of that shit." Smiling proudly, I stopped in front of Charlotte and looked directly in her eyes. "Is that what you want me to say?"

I felt the tension breaking, but it was replaced by something I couldn't explain. The smile was erased from my lips and my eyes automatically turned cold. "I've always wanted Aster out of my life, I'll give you that. He actually knows that too. But some asshole killed him before I could even think of doing it." I took a deep breath, hoping it could lessen the temperature of my boiling blood. "Now, tell me, Charlotte. Am I looking to the eyes of that asshole right now?"

Her eyes didn't blink. She stared back at me with the same intensity. "I could never do that to Aster."

"Then why did you try to kill me?!" Halos hingalin ako matapos sumigaw.

"I'm getting you out of Heaven Academy because that's what Aster would do!"

Her words didn't make sense to me. Napaiwas ako ng tingin at natawa. "You almost got me out of this world. Is that what Aster wanted―"

"Erisk," Luther cut my words as he walked closer to where Charlotte and I stood. He focused his eyes on her. "Why?"

"We've been telling you that, Luther," madiing sagot ni Charlotte. 'Yon pa lang ang naging palitan nila, wala na akong maintindihan.

"Don't start me with that bullshit, Charlotte!" Luther sounded annoyed.

"Why ask if you're not gonna believe my answer?" parang naghahamon na sabi ni Charlotte. Hindi ko alam kung gusto niya talagang galitin si Luther, pero nauna na akong mainis dahil wala talaga akong maintindihan sa mga sinasabi nila.

"What the hell are you both talking about?!" I screamed, again, on top of my lungs but it wasn't enough to get their attention. Their eyes remained on each other.

"She was really aiming for your arm," Luther said. His eyes were still on Charlotte but it was clear to me that he's talking to me.

"You're stupid for taking the bullet that was just supposed to give Erisk a wound," sabi ni Charlotte sa kaniya.

"I was just so scared to attend another funeral with the same face in the coffin."

Nawala ang kunot sa noo naming lahat dahil sa sinabi ni Luther. Hindi pa nawawala sa sistema niya ang sakit ng pagkawala ni Aster. Hindi pa nawawala sa sistema naming lahat.

The room was filled with silence until a phone rang. We all turned to look at Iris as she answered the call. We all saw how worry covered her eyes. "I... I need to go home."

"Why? What happened?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Luther. Mabilis niyang nilapitan si Iris.

"My mom... I need to..." parang wala sa sariling sumagot si Iris. "M-My mom was taken to the hospital, I... I need..."