Scarper House

4•3 Not Just a Show

3 - Not Just a Show

"T-Tayo lang ang nandito?" Wren voiced out the question I'm sure we all had in mind. We can now clearly see the surroundings but we remained seated, not knowing what to do—and what to think either as we are still in great puzzlement.

"That concludes our show!" Naibalik lang namin ang tingin sa gitna ng ring noong sabihin 'yon ni Theo. Pumalakpak pa siya na para bang tunay na showman sa isang normal na circus act. Tinanggal niya ang suot niyang sumbrero saka madramang nag-bow. "Scarper House says good night."

Wala pa ring makapagsalita sa amin. Nanood lang kami sa paglabas ni Theo sa backstage na para bang nag-perform lang talaga siya... na para bang walang naganap na krimen.

Hanggang sa bigla na lang tumawa si Justin.

"Justin..." Isla sounded worried, and a little terrified, when her boyfriend's laugh slowly turned into a creepy sounding one. He sounded like those guys you know you shouldn't talk with, like those guys who could kill.

Wait.

He actually killed someone tonight... right?

Isla ran down to the ring. Sean immediately followed, trying to stop her. Until everyone followed. We all went down.

They all went straight to Justin, but I found myself walking towards the wheel.

I don't know what to feel, actually. Did I miss him? Do I even want to see him? Am I happy that he's out of jail? Or am I relieved that he's now dead?

Not one person inside that huge tent was crying for him. Not a single soul is even minding him. Kung titignan, para kaming mga walang kaluluwa na hindi man lamang nagre-react habang may pinatay ang kaibigan namin sa mismong harapan namin. But if you know the person who died, you'll understand. And, I bet, even if he was killed in our town, the situation will be just the same.

Everybody abhors Trevor Alejandro. No one even has to think twice about his death. He deserves it. That's that.

"Trace."

I only took my eyes away from my dead father when I heard Justin calling my name. I turned around and saw him looking at me.

Nasa gilid lang ang mga kaibigan namin. Kahit si Isla, hindi pala tuluyang nakalapit sa kaniya. Sabagay, kahit si Trevor Alejandro ang biktima niya, hindi pa rin nga mababago n'on ang katotohanan na pumatay ng tao si Justin.

"Your shoelaces are untied."

My eyes slightly widened upon hearing what Justin said. I held my breath as he walked towards me.

"Kid, your shoelaces are untied."

I suddenly found myself back in my 10-year-old body, standing in the middle of the park.

"Let me help you."

A familiar teenage guy was running towards me. He knelt down in front of me and grabbed the ends of my shoelaces. He tied them. And when he was done he looked up at me.

I automatically stepped back as it dawned on me that it was Justin who tied my shoelaces in the present. That he was the one kneeling in front of me, looking up at me with that very familiar smile. "Y-You are..."

"Babe," Saint called for me but I couldn't spare him a glance.

I couldn't take my eyes away from the guy who I thought was just a friend that I met in Nicolas University. He stood up, also not breaking eye contact with me, as if telling me through that stare that what I'm thinking is right.

My tears fell down when Justin smiled a sad smile. "You are the 8th boy?" I whispered.

All eyes suddenly turned to me. Our friends were obviously shocked. Even Isla didn't know that her boyfriend was that kid whose suicide note put Trevor Alejandro behind bars.

Justin's eyes watered as well but he remained smiling at me as he confirmed it. "I'm the 8th kid you brought to your father."

Saint must have not liked his tone, he punched Justin. Walang pumigil sa kaniya.

"Why me?" Justin asked, still slumped on the floor. "Yes, I planned all these, but I'm not the reason why you're all here." He looked at me again, gone was the smile on his face. "Right, Trace?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"Just like 12 years ago, you brought kids to see your dad—except now, he's dead."

Saint attacked him again but he's prepared now. Justin was the first to throw a punch.

"Saint!" Nag-aalalang lumapit ako sa kaniya. "Are you okay?"

Tumango lang si Saint saka inalis ang tingin sa 'kin. Sinundan ko rin ang tinitignan niya. Pinanood naming lahat ang paglapit ni Justin sa roleta, at ang walang sabi-sabing pagbunot niya sa kutsilyong nakatarak sa mata ng sarili kong ama.

Ni hindi ako nag-iwas ng tingin.

Justin looked at me again as he pointed the knife at each person inside that tent, including his self. "And all these kids will die too."

What?

"Justin!"

It happened too fast. None of us was able to move.

Justin stabbed his own neck with that knife.

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