My Roommate is a Detective: A Project LOKI AU

05: Like Wildfire

LORELEI

PEOPLE FIND rumors enjoyable. 'Yan ang dahilan kaya mabilis ang pagkalat ng tsismis. It didn't have to be true. It just needed to sound like true. Para siyang pagsisindi ng posporo sa gitna ng kagubatan. A single stick can create a spark that would spread like wildfire and burn down a forest.

Pagpasok ko sa classroom, busy ang halos lahat ng mga classmate ko. Nagkukumpulan sila't nagtsitsismisan. They had their phones out as if the topic of their gossip was on their device.

I didn't mind them gossiping as long as I wasn't the one they're talking about. Mukhang hindi naman ako dahil hindi sila nagbato ng mapang-intrigang tingin at nagbulungan nang dinaanan ko sila. They must be talking about someone or something else. Well, whatever. I went straight to my seat and put my shoulder bag there.

"Good morning, Lori!" masiglang bati ni Rosetta sa akin.

Nginitian ko siya at binati rin ng "good morning." Mukhang hindi siya one hundred na masaya, ah? Parang may kaunting hesitation sa mukha niya. How could I tell? Sa ngiti niya. Parang pilit na ewan.

Oh, what happened to her and my classmates finding out about my roommate Loki? In-explain ko sa kanila nang maayos na hindi kami nagli-live in. It just so happened that all units were occupied that's why I couldn't get my own place. But there's a vacant bedroom in Room 302, so my aunt put me there. I didn't know beforehand that I would be sharing the same living space with a boy. . . or with Loki.

They kinda accepted my explanation and didn't ask any questions. Nakiusap ako sa kanila na huwag ipagsabi kahit kanino ang sinabi ko at ang nakita nila sa apartment. Ayaw kong may kumalat na tsismis na maglalagay sa 'kin sa spotlight. They agreed and they left the unit. The next few days, they acted as if they knew nothing and saw nothing.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

Rosetta kept a forced smile. "Lori, naka-follow ka ba sa page ng Clark High Confessions?"

Kumunot ang noo ko. "Clark High Confessions? Para ba 'yan sa students na nagko-confess ng feelings sa kanilang crush?"

"Noong una, gano'n. Pero later on, naging pugad na 'yon ng tsismis at pamba-bash. Pinapa-take down na raw 'yon ng student council, kaso wala pang action sa request nila."

As much as I could, I stayed away from social media. Maliban sa halos ka-toxic-an ang nakikita at nababasa ko roon, hindi rin ako mahilig makisagap ng updates sa buhay ng virtual friends ko. I only used the chat app to talk to my friends and ex-classmates in Manila. Other than that, hindi ako masyadong nag-i-scroll sa timeline ko.

"May problem ka ba sa page na 'yon?" tanong ko. "Wait, don't tell me na naging topic ka nila?"

Umiling si Rosetta. "Actually, it's not me. But it might be someone that I know."

Naningkit ang mga mata ko sa kanya. She took out her phone, made a few taps on the screen and showed me the app. Naka-flash na ang isang post ng Clark High Confession na may five hundreds comments and lagpas one hundred shares.

I leaned closer to read what was written on it.

"SINO ang male campus celebrity na may ka-live-in na female student sa kaniyang apartment?"

My eyes almost protruded after reading the post. Tumingin ako kay Rosetta na may pagkabahala ang mukha.

"Hindi naman sa masyadong assuming ako, pero sa tingin ko, ikaw at si Loki ang subjects ng blind item na 'to," hininaan niya ang kanyang boses. "He's a campus celebrity because of his club's popularity and you are technically living with him in an apartment unit. Possible na may iba pang students na fit sa descriptions, but you two are the only ones that I can think of right now."