STUNNED

Chapter THIRTEEN

TRIGGER WARNING!
This chapter may contain: pessimism, depression, self-harming, schizophrenia, suicide, death.

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I took a seat in the bathtub and gasped for air right away. I'm starting to have trouble breathing because of my water-filled lungs. I tapped my chest so hard that I caught several times.

When I had managed to calm down, I left the tub and slammed into the wet floor with my quivering knees. My vision is becoming fuzzy, and I have my eyes partly closed. My head hurts so severely due to suffocation. However, I had to overcome this weakness and assist myself in getting back up.

My gaze fell to the bathroom floor. There are currently water all around. The entire bathroom floor was soaked due to the spilling water from the open faucet from the tub. With dismay, I bit my lip.

I started cleaning and getting ready for whatever this day had in offer for me. After wearing my hoodie and jeans, I looked at the mirror. I could see my despair clearly with the naked eye, yet I didn't care to hide the black circles in my eyes and the blue-purple tint on my lips. Seeing how the events of yesterday affected every part of me, broke me into pieces.

I shrug my shoulders, gather my belongings, and head out.

“Form in line and start counting! ” malakas na sigaw ni Coach Rio nang makarating na ako sa school. Humanay naman agad ang mga estudyante at wala akong nagawa kundi makisama na'rin. 

Hindi bukal sa loob ko ang pagsama sa field trip na ito. Ngunit nang malaman kong si Mr. Marcello ang nag donate nang ilang kagamitan at supplies para sa field trip, nagdesisyon akong sumama. After what happened, he's now my number one suspect.

Ang isa pang rason, natatakot ako sa posibleng mangyari. Hindi ako magbubulag-bulagan sa kakaibang kilos ni Mr. Marcello. Kung kinakailangan kong paghinalaan lahat at gagawin ko, malaman ko lang ang katotohanan.

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three!" Nagpatuloy ang bilang hanggang sa isa-isa nang pinapasok ang lahat sa bus. 

Everyone in the bus stared at me when I got inside. Their expressions convey disdain, hate, or terror. I smirked and made the decision to find a chair.

“The seat is taken,” sabi agad ng babaeng nadaanan ko. Tumaas naman agad ang aking kilay at bumaling sa kaniya.

"Really? Well, no one ask," I said before moving on to find some seat.

In fact, there are only three chairs left: first on this girl, second besides Hunter, who is now pursuing me to sit besides him, and third besides Noah, who is not looking at me or to anyone else. His eyes are locked outside of the window. I bit my lip when a sudden feeling of disappointment and guilt started to build up, so I took a deep breath and decided to sit beside Hunter.

"Hunter!" hinihingal na umakyat si Nikko papasok sa bus bitbit ang nakaluping papel.

"Pinabibigay ni Dean. Para kay Coach Rio dapat 'yan pero nakaalis na ang bus nila. Ikaw nalang magbigay sa kaniya mamaya," anito bago iniabot kay Hunter ang hawak. Kamot sa ulong tinanggap naman iyon ni Hunter at binuksan.

Umandar ang kuryusidad sa sistema ko kaya't pasimple kong sinukyapan ang laman ng papel.

It's actually a list of students. Palagay ko'y listahan ng mga sumama sa field trip. Mukha namang walang importanteng impormasyon duon kaya sumandal nalang ako at ipinikit ang aking mata.

Nagsimulang umandar ang bus at hindi ko maiwasang titigan ang pigura ni Noah sa aking harapan. He was so silent, kahit pa daldal nang daldal ang katabi niyang si Nikko. Kung minsan ay tumatango naman ito ngunit agad ding ibabalik ang paningin sa labas ng bintana.