Soulstone Academy

Chapter Seventeen: Deception

I volunteered myself first. Hindi ako nagtaka sa pagkagulat nila nang malaman na ang sinalihan ko ay Zig-Zag Balance pa.

It was a wooden bar which is eighteen feet in length and 3 inches in width. Towards the end, the height of the bar gradually increases, going to four feet. We have to balance ourselves while crossing it, and it must be impossible to look at with my high heels.

It wasn't. The thing was easy.

Since there were ten groups and only five wooden bars, we were halved. Parte pa rin naman ng apat na nakalaban ko si Giovanni who handled the course with ease. I could have finished it earlier than Kaizen, who finished second, but I took my time admiring the sky as I balanced myself on the bar. Nang matapos ay mayabang pa akong ngumiti kay Andreas na dismayado ang mata.

Maghintay ka.

In the second course, we were bound for defeat. I pushed Tamara into trying the left-hand vault and her upper arm strength couldn't handle it. Well, maybe because I also told her to preserve her energy but make it look like she's giving her best. Since hindi pinalaking artista ang kaibigan ko, halos maiyak na siya sa pagkalito kung aayusin ba o hindi ang laro. Beatrix, her opponent for that round, smirked smugly.

The third and fourth one, kami ni Griffin ang sumali at hindi ulit kami nanalo. Namali ng talon si Griffin sa high wall at malapit pang masira ang ilong niya. Matangos kasi. Ako naman ay nakaharap ulit si Giovanni na pinatikim sa'kin ang pagkatalo sa race. We had to race kasi to get some weapons and I only got a paper and pen in the end. Some soul item where we can curse some names, perhaps?

"Sino naman kukulamin mo?" kunot-noong tanong ni Matteo nang ipaliwanag ko sa kanila ang nakuha.

"I would select you first but seeing how we're vibing right now, I have to pick another."

"Isulat na lang kaya natin ang mga pangalan dito? Tapos ilagay natin sa tent." Tamara suggested, beaming.

Ngumiti ako. "That's a good idea!"

Kinuha ko ang papel at isinulat una ang pangalan doon. Tamara wrote her name next, in that neat manner of hers contrasting my cursive one. Kay Azriel na sana ipapasa nang nagpakita si Andreas sa tabi namin.

I held a hand on my chest. "Heavens, Andreas! At least say something. Ano ka, some ghost, na mag-a-appear lang kahit hindi invited?"

"I've been calling your group for the last minute but you seem preoccupied, Raven." iritado niyang tugon at sinulyapan si Azriel na magsusulat na sana. "Let Azriel play next. I think you're just playing right now."

"This is a game, Andreas. It's meant to be played."

Pagod niya lang akong sinulyapan at sinenyasan si Azriel na magparticipate. The rope climb he joined on became a disaster when Giovanni said something that made Azriel go red. Napabitaw ito sa pagkakahawak sa rope kaya nahulog sa lupa, while Giovanni just laughed as he reached the top.

"Okay, that was cheating. He was distracting AA!" reklamo ko.

"May sinabi lang naman siya. Hindi namin kasalanan na nagpadistract si AA mo." depensa ni Beatrix.

I looked at her as if she was as stupid as my Math-hating self. "If I kissed you in the middle of a fight, wouldn't you be distracted?" nanlaki ang mata niya sabay ng paglaglag ng panga, so I turned to face Tamara. "'Di ba? You'd be distracted?"

There was a flush in Tamara's cheeks as she nodded, averting her eyes. "O-Oo naman."

Halos lahat naman ng ka-house ko ay hindi pa nakakarecover sa pagkabigla. "Oh, what now? Lahat na lang ba ng sasabihin ko parang may bomb effect sa inyo?"