Clark High is in lockdown due to the threat of coronavirus. The student council takes over and the QED-4, now part of the student executive committee, assists in maintaining peace and order on the campus.
A/N: The Deduction Game: Quarantine Edition begins!
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LORELEI
LET THE games begin.
News about the upcoming Deduction Games spread in the campus. When the students heard about it, they were quickly hyped up at how the game would play. Ang selling point kasi nito ay maglalaro ang mga sikat na estudyante rito sa campus. Fans wanna see their idols match wits with their other idols. Even the Clarion had no choice but to write an article and promote it among their readers.
With the anticipation building up already, lalo akong kinabahan. Students have certain expectations about this activity that we must meet. As one of the players in the pilot episode, we need to roll out this game with a bang.
The student council was serious in making this game show a hit during the campus lockdown. How did I say so? May mga sinet-up silang eleven na upuan na nakapormang bilog sa gitna ng gymnasium. Sa likuran ng bawat upuan ay may portable changing room. Hindi lang 'yon! May mga naka-posisyon ding tatlong camera sa paligid at may apat na projector screen kung saan makikita ang mga kuha ng cameras.
So this felt like a real game show with all the cameras and the live audience. Mas dumoble ang kaba ko. Imagine the hundreds of students watching you on the floor and in the lenses of the cameras. Imagine if I say something dumb later on.
Pagkatapos naming kumain ng dinner—na lugaw na naman—dumiretso kami rito sa backstage. This was our designated waiting area before the official start of the games.
Sumilip ako mula sa kurtina rito sa backstage. Kalahati ng gymnasium ang puno na ng mga estudyanteng sabik na manood kung ano ang gimik ng student council ngayong gabi. They must be expecting so much, given the promotions all throughout the day.
"You nervous, Lori?" tanong ni Jamie na bigla ako tinapik sa likod.
Napaangat ang aking mga balikat at napahawak ako sa aking dibdib. Akala ko kung sino na. "Medyo kinakabahan lang. I mean, look at the set-up. Look at the crowd."
"Wala naman tayong script na susundan kaya we don't have to be worried about how we'll appear sa harap ng mga camera. Kailangan lang nating magpakatotoo!" kumpiyansang sabi ni Jamie. I know where she's getting her confidence. She was part of the repertory theater, so standing in front of hundreds of people wasn't a big deal for her. Kahit maraming pares ng mga mata ang nakatitig sa kanya, hindi siya basta-basta mawawala sa focus.
"'Yon nga, eh. Wala tayong susundan na script," I mumbled, peeking at the crowd again. "We might say some things that may sound dumb."
She slapped me on the back again. Parang naalog ang baga ko. "Ano ka ba, Lori? Don't worry so much about what you might say. Just have some fun! Hindi mo mae-enjoy ang laro kung magiging concerned ka sa mga ganyang kaliit na bagay."
It must be so easy for her to say that. Not everyone has her confidence.
"Just think as if we're solving a mystery," Alistair said, peeking behind the curtains as well. "Ang importante'y ma-entertain natin ang mga estudyante sa laro natin. Forget that they exist during the game."
