Secret Lovers

Chapter 25

[25]

Crystal

"Is Amber okay?"

Iyon ang unang tanong na binungad sa amin ni Miss Madrid nang pagbuksan niya kami ng pinto. Matagal pa kami nakasagot dahil sa gulat sa itsura ng aming disciplinarian.

Nakasuot lang siya ng tank top at maong shorts. Her hair was tied into a bun and she wears a reading glasses. Hindi ko makita ang sign ng masungit at strict na teacher namin.

She looks so young.

"A-Ayos lang naman po si Amber, ma'am. Nasa bahay lang siya." tahimik na sagot ko.

Huminga siya nang maluwag. "Thank heavens. Come sit with me on the sofa."

Sinunod naman namin siya. Magkatabi kami ni Denver sa mahabang sofa at siya naman ay umupo sa solo na adjacent sa amin. Uminom muna siya ng kape na nasa table sa gitna. Everything in here is mostly white. So classy.

"Miss Enzo." Bumalik ang atensyon ko kay ma'am. "Your mother, as well as Mr. Reyes', told me that you were friends with Amber for almost 12 years, am I right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

It took me a moment to realize she's calling my best friend by her first name.

"How was Amber when you were still in elementary?" She asked. Sumagot naman kami agad.

"She's kind and considerate towards us."

"She's funny to talk to. Always."

Nagngitian kami ni Denver. Amber was the only girl I have ever talked to. Hindi siya mapili sa kinakausap. Hindi siya negative. Hindi siya kill-joy. She was always there for me.

"Kaklase niyo ba siya noong Grade 6?"

"Ako po, ma'am. Si Denver po kasi ay nasa pilot section."

"So, you were there, Miss Enzo. With Amber. On your graduation."

Tumango lang ako. I don't know where she's going with the topic.

Uminom siya muli ng kape bago magsalita. Then she stared at me.

Something... Something's not right about what she said.

Naramdaman ko ang mahigpit na hawak sa kamay ko ni Denver. Nalipat sa kaniya ang atensyon ko.

"Babe, don't you remember that day?" Pati siya ay tinititigan na rin ako. It's like they both know something I don't. "You and Ambs didn't attend our graduation."

Napakurap ako at tumawa na lang sa sobrang nerbyos. "What do you mean, Denny? Katabi ko siya noon. We were talking nonstop until the end of the ceremony. Tapos nagkayayaan kami sa bahay ni Jenny kasi uuwi na siya sa probinsya."

Kumunot ang noo ng boyfriend ko at tinignan niya ako na parang baliw ang nasa harapan niya. Bumaling siya kay Miss Madrid. "What happened? Why is she remembering it wrong?"

"She also went to that session, Mr. Reyes."

My eyes widened. What am I remembering wrong? What session? Hindi ko maintindihan. Pero parang tama ang sinasabi nila.

Something in my brain trickled.

Tumayo bigla si Denver at nakita ko siyang nangingitngit sa galit. "Nobody told me this. You said they were both okay!"

Nagulat ako sa taas ng boses niya. He dared to raise his voice towards our disciplinarian!

But Miss Madrid didn't even flinch. "She obviously think highly of her best friend, Mr. Reyes. Malayo na ang kanilang pinagsamahan. We needed that much reliance to boost Amber's recovery."