DETECTIVE FILES. File 2 (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER 22: DEATH NOTE

Chapter 22: Death Note

There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.
(Bram Stroker, Dracula.)

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Parang kanina lang ay halos hindi pa ako makapaniwala na ang inaakala kong assessment test ay isa pa lang qualifying exam para maging exchange student ng Athena High. I don't know what Bridle is up to. I never heard such event before. Ngayon lang nangyaring may ipapadala silang mga exchange student. Athena and Bridle used to have a silent rivalry on which
school is the best. Or maybe such rivalry was just created by the students at hindi naman talaga iyon nag-eexist. Parang kanina lang din halos hindi kami makapaniwala ni Jeremy sa mga pinagsasabi ni Ma'am Saderna. But now it's all in front of us.

Kakababa lang namin sa harap ng Athena High School. The shuttle van with a big print of Bridle's logo caused some students to stop at hinintay na bumaba kami. I'm thankful na binigyan pa kami ng pagkakataong magbihis kanina dahil kapag nagkataong naka-uniform pa rin kami ay mas lalong makakaagaw atensyon. Binuksan ng guard ang malaking gate at sinalubong kami ng babaeng nakasuot ng eyeglasses at pencil skirt.

"Good Afternoon Miss Sison and Mr. Martinez of Bridle High School. We're already notified about your arrival. My name is Casie, the principal's secretary and I'll be your guide this afternoon. Enjoy your stay at Athena High School!"

Nagulat ang mga estudyanteng nasa paligid at nagbulong-bulongan. Mukhang nasorpresa ang mga ito tungkol sa pananatili namin sa Athena.
Well, know what freaks? Hindi lang naman kayo ang nasorpresa. Kami din ni Jeremy.

"Amber! Athena's students are scary. Mukhang mga asong ulol na anytime ay mangangagat", bulong ni Jeremy sa akin. "This is my first time here tapos ganyan pa ang tingin nila."

"Himala, nawala ang bestie mo", komento ko and he made a face.

"The endearment is least of my concern. I want to go back to Bridle now", wika niya at yumuko nang tiningnan siya ng isang babae mula ulo hanggang paa. Pinasunod kami ni Miss Casie sa kanya kaya sumunod kami. She brought us to the principal's office kung saan naghihintay ang matandang babae. Despite her old age, hindi maikakailang respetadong-respetado itong tingnan. She smiled at us at niyaya kaming maupo sa harap niya. May nakaukit na 'Atty. Melinda Quezon, Principal' sa kahoy na nasa harapan niya.

"You two must have been surprised by this new arrangement", wika ng babae. "Sorry, this is all so sudden. The purpose of this is to eliminate the imaginary rivalry between Bridle and Athena so we, kasama si Mrs. Roxas, Bridle's top regeant scheme this one which was also approved by Mr. Bridle himself. By the way, I'm Atty. Mel Quezon, Athena's principal."

"Of course Ma'am. We're not even given some time to bid goodbye to our classmates. Ako nga rin po pala si Amber Sison and this is my classmate, Jeremy Martinez", wika ko sa butihing ginang.

"Well, that's the rule. Para naman hindi kayo mag-alangan sa pag-alis niyo. The Athena's students who qualified the exam were also given no time to bid farewell", sagot ni Ma'am Quezon.

"I hope you don't mind if I ask, Ma'am, pero kasali po ba sa naqualified si Khael Alonzo?", tanong ko. Khael is famous in Athena kaya hindi malabong kilala ito ng principal. Baka kapag isa ito sa nalipat sa Bridle ay mahihirapan kami ni Jeremy dito dahil wala kaming kakilala.

"Oo nga pala no, si Khael yung unggoy! Taga-Athena nga pala yun", wika ni Jeremy at tiningnan ko siya nang masama. Agad naman itong tumahimik at tinakpan ang bibig.

"Ah. Mikhael Alonzo. Well Miss Altamira said he aced the exams but he got zero on the aptitude test which is our main basis on choosing our exchange students", sagot ng principal na ikinagulat ko. Khael got zero on the aptitude test? Paano naman nangyari iyon?