Chapter 12: Looks Like
"What?! You are friends with that playboy?!" Sigaw ni Julia.
I was shocked when she said the word playboy. Selton is a playboy? What the heck?
Tinanong niya kasi ako kung saan ako galing at sinagot ko siya na kumain ako ng lunch kasama si Selton, which is my friend.
"Heck! He is an asshole, Zaya!" She says.
"He is not!" I defended.
"You better stay away from him and he is the son of Madame Selina! He is a big trouble!"
"He is just a friend, Julia." I said to her, calmly. She doesn't need to overreact like this since Selton and I are just friends, nothing more.
"Kukunin lang 'nung gago na 'yun ang loob mo! Marami babae 'yan! Nako, ikaw naman ang bibiktimahin niya this time! Stay away, okay?"
"We are just friends, Julia. Nothing more."
"Make sure of that! I'm warning you right now. Also, I want you to be aware of what he is. He will just hurt you so don't fall for the likes of him. Yaman mo lang ang habol niya."
What 'yaman' does she mean?
"What 'yaman'?" I asked, confused.
"'Yung bataan," Walang pasubali niyang sabi na ikinagulat ko naman.
"Gosh, Julia! Ano ba 'yang pinagsasabi mo?!" I exclaimed.
"I'm warning you, Zaya, 'yung bataan lang ang habol niya sayo kaya dapat huwag kang maging malapit sa kanya." She said to me, without entertaining what I said. And she is serious. I haven't seen Julia this serious before.
"Why are you so serious?"
"Cause this is a serious matter, Zaya."
"I'll be aware. Thanks for warning me. But really, Selton is just a friend of mine."
*****
Naglalakad ako papuntang library upang maghanap ng libro para sa isang subject sa klase nang makita ko si Selton na nakikipag-usap sa isang babae. Pero hindi lang simpleng pag-uusap ha! They are flirting! Tama nga talaga si Julia.
Nang makita niya ako ay napawi ang ngiti niya. Ang babaeng kanina pa dakdak ng dakdak ay iniwan niya bigla at napanganga ang babae dahil sa pag-iwan ni Selton.
"S-Saan ka pupunta?" Tanong niya agad.
"On my way to the library... Go back to the girl. Mukhang type na type ka, eh." Sabi ko at halata sa boses ko ang inis.
"I-It's not what you think—"
"Naku, ano ka ba, okay lang. Tama pala talaga ang sabi nila." I just whispered my last sentence. Aalis na sana ako ng hawakan niya ang braso ko. "Ano ba?! Pupunta pa akong library." Naiirita kong sabi.
"Can we talk, please?"
"Fine. Meet me at the cafeteria at two." I said and stormed off.
Nang makarating ako sa library, naghanap ako ng libro na kakailanganin ko. Konti lang ang estudyante dito ngayon. Well, I don't know why.
Pero mostly, mga nerd ang nandito ngayon. Ano 'to? Out of place lang ako?
Habang naghahanap sa mga bookshelves na malayo sa mga estudyante, I heard Madame Selina talking to a man. Pero hindi ko makita ang mga itsura nila pero I'm sure na ang boses ng babae ay kay Madame.
"Hanapin ninyo! Walang magpapahinga kung hindi mahahanap ang traydor na nagnakaw ng librong iniingatan ko!" Mahina pero mariing sabi ni Madame.
Napatakip ako sa aking bibig. Dumungaw ako ng konti sa kung saan sila naroon at nakita ko si Madame Selina na stressed na stressed talaga at kitang-kita ang galit sa mukha niya. Shit! And I'm sure na ang lalakeng kausap ni Madame ay isang officer ng school na 'to.
"We will try our best, Madame." The man said.
"No, you idiot! You will do your best. Hindi ninyo susubukan lamang! Gagawin niyo talaga ang lahat! Naiintindihan mo?!"
"Y-Yes, Madame," Sabi ng lalake at umalis na.
Madame Selina was left alone now. Siya na lang ang nag-iisa sa area na kung saan sila nag-usap ng lalake. Laking gulat ko nang sumigaw si Madame at kumuha siya ng mga libro sa bookshelf na malapit sa kanya at inihagis niya ang mga ito sa kung saan-saan dahil siguro sa frustration.
Shit, nakakatakot siya! I haven't seen Madame Selina this angry!
*****
Nandito ako ngayon sa fountain area kung saan kami nagharap ni Demi noon. I have no choice but to go here dahil eto na lang ang lugar na alam kong tahimik dito sa DU.
I have to figure things out. Damn it, there's something really strange about the book. When I touched the soft pages of the book, the pages glowed like gold. And that was the most awesome book that I ever touched and saw in my entire life!
I think that there is something special with that "rarest power" book. Dahil kung hindi iyon espesyal, why is Madame Selina crazy over it?
And crap, mga ilang araw ko na ring hindi nakukuha ang libro sa pinaglagyan ko. Nandoon pa kaya iyon?!
I immediately ran from the fountain area, to our dorm. Habang tumatakbo ako, I bumbed on a hard chest. Damn it, who is it this time? When I looked at him, parang gusto kong mapasapo sa ulo ko! Anak ng—siya na naman!
"S-Sorry," I said and I ran. I don't have time to stop running!
When I arrived at the dorm, I immediately went to the bedroom and I have a little box inside my closet, and it is the place where I kept the book. May kanya-kanya kaming closet ni Julia.
And when I opened the closet, I immediately searched for the box where I kept the book and thank God it's still there! Parang nabunutan ako ng tinik at parang nawala ang kaba na nasa puso ko.
Kinuha ko ang libro sa itim na kahon na pinaglagyan ko. And of course, it's still shiny. Nilinis ko kasi ito last time.
I flipped the pages again, and then napadpad ako sa isang pahina. Isang pahina na hindi ko pa nakikita noong binuksan ko itong libro....
W-What... is the meaning of this? The girl looks like me! No doubt that it's me!
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BINABASA MO ANG
Death University
Mystery / ThrillerZaya chose to run away from home with nowhere to go. After a long drive with her car, she stopped in front of a big old building, which turns out to be a school. And when she entered, not only did she meet new people and hear about their own stories...
