The Phantom Detective ✓

[TCP] Prologue

"FORGIVING IS not about forgetting what happened but about healing the wounds it caused. Whoever the pain is, must be the cure," he said with a weak smile painted on his face.

"Stop saying something amazing. Hindi bagay sa 'yo," sagot ko naman at saka umiwas ng tingin. I was in the verge of crying, knowing that he wanted me to heal him.

Zen Vergara really was something. He didn't wanna do what normal people do. He once assured me that he was different — that he understood all of what I've been through and he didn't mind me betraying them. It's just . . . the promised I made and broke shall never be repeated again.

He gave me a second chance to fix our friendship.

"Man, if only Sophie thought what I did, you two could've been hanging out together again." He leaned his head on the headrest and stared at the ceiling of this fast food chain.

We currently eating on a table with french fries, burgers and ice creams. We sat across each other and next to the glass wall. Nakikita rin namin ang mga taong naglalakad-lakad sa loob ng mall na ito. Katatapos lang din naming manood ng isang movie sa sinehan — he was the only one who enjoyed it.

We were supposed to be with Skye since this was his idea in the first place. But the guy didn't wanna see me, let alone be with me.

When Sophie's named was mentioned, may naramdaman akong kirot sa dibdib ko. It has been two weeks and a half when that incident occurred.

Two weeks pa lang ang nakalilipas — I've barely moved on — 'tapos bigla na lang ding may dumating na Heather sa buhay namin.

Nanatili akong tahimik nang ilang sandali. Naramdaman niyang naiilang din akong pag-usapan ang nangyari sa amin sa Fiasco. It scarred me for life. It's all my fault why the QR fled away and now, nowhere to be found again.

"Napansin ko lang, cursed doll." He lifted his head again to look at me with a grin from his lips. "You hate Heather so much."

"I do?" patay-malisya ko. But he's a detective after all, lying to him is no use. "Maybe."

"It's not maybe. I'm billion percent sure."

First of all, does Zen know that this Heather is actually a delinquent? Queen of blackmailers? — although she said King. I haven't mentioned that matter to Zen before. But since they already knew each other, siguro naman alam niya na ang baho ni Heather.

"What do you know about her?" tanong ko at kumagat ng burger.

"She's a blackmailer — Queen of dark secrets," he said it so casually. Nang ibalik niya ang tingin niya sa 'kin, kumunot ang kanyang noo. "You don't seem surprised. Did she already tell you that?"

I nodded as I chew the burger within my mouth. Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Zen at nabitawan ang ice cream na hawak-hawak. It spilled on his lap but he didn't mind it at all.

"Did she use the Fiasco incident to blackmail you?!"

I almost fell out of my chair when he screamed that. Everyone around us looked confused whilst others were annoyed.

"Keep it down, idiot." I glare at him. Subsequently, I shrugged. "No, she didn't . . .Not yet."

"That scatty little bitch," he whispered which I was the only one capable of hearing.

"May hawak din ba siya laban sa 'yo?" tanong ko.

Was it odd if we converse about something so grievous like this with a calm composure and as if we were so grown-ups?

"Yeah, the phantom detective's identity."

"Why does she call you boo anyways?"

He looked at me unbelievably with an annoying smirk. "Damn, cursed doll. Are you . . . jeal—"