The Land of the Morning Star

CHAPTER FIVE

ROYCE JORDAN LANCAMON

"I'm here to report my lost ID." I said as I entered the property custodian's office.

Today's Monday and my first weekday is already ruined. I misplaced my ID somewhere and I'm pretty sure na nawala 'yon dito sa school-I mean, not really sure kasi sinundan ko pala si March no'ng Friday sa tambayan n'ya. Wala rin naman sa bahay.

The property custodian scanned the record book for any reports of a missing ID as I waited patiently. Napatingin ako sa wall clock, it's already 7:45 am and I'm late for my first class.

Napakamot ako sa ulo. I cannot possibly attend any class if I don't have my ID kasi nakasulat sa LPO 'yon, and I don't want to taste another punishment again. Dang. Ba't ba kasi ako nalate ng gising.

"Mr. Royce Jordan Lancamon?" She said then looked at my direction.

I nodded, "Yes, ma'am." I answered.

She closed the record book, "May nagreport sa ID mo last Friday. Kunin mo nalang sa lost and found cubicle." Ani n'ya at tinuro ang cubicle na nasa likod n'ya.

I sighed in relief, "Thank you, ma'am." I said and went pass through her desk.

I effortlessly turned the cubicle's doorknob and opened it widely; not expecting a person standing in front.

Napalingon s'ya sa'kin. It was Stephan. His expression was... I don't know, a little freaky?

"Royce! Hehe." He waved his hand and pulled me inside as he closed the door shut.

Napatingin lang ako sa kanya habang binibusy n'ya sarili n'ya sa mga boxes dito sa loob ng cubicle.

"Ginagawa mo rito?" Tanong ko sa kan'ya.

He didn't bother to turn his head to face me, "Wala lang." He responded in the middle of his business. Nanghahalukat s'ya sa mga boxes. Don't tell me naghahanap na naman s'ya ng mga Playboy magazines?

I just shrugged him off and went on the boxes too to search for my missing ID.

"Aha!" Bigla n'yang ani kaya napalingon ako sa direksyon n'ya.

He was holding a... fountain pen at ang saya-saya n'ya.

Dude, seriously? What the hell is wrong with him?

"That's not yours, I presume?" I said with a blank expression.

He grinned, "Yeah dude, that's obvious." Then he put it in his pocket.

"Tch."

Nagpatuloy ako sa paghalughog sa mga kahon. He suddenly grunted in pain kaya napalingon ulit ako sa kan'ya, nabigla ako nang binangga n'ya 'yong ulo n'ya sa pinto tas bigla s'yang tumawa.

"Naluwag ata turnilyo mo, Stephan." Pang-aasar ko.

Tumigil s'ya sa pagtawa saka nagsalita,"Your ID was on the second box on the left." He said that made me stopped searching inside the box I was looking.

He smirked, "What a clumsy prick." Then he went outside and left me.

I opened the box that he mentioned and there lies my ID inside. Napakunot-noo ako tsaka napalingon sa labas ng cubicle at nakita s'yang mabilis na gumagapang palabas para 'di makita ng property custodian. "What a weirdo." I whispered in thin air.

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"Guevarra?"

"Twenty-one, ma'am."

"Gomez?"