The Academy's Cold Hearted Princess

Chapter 26

JAY DRAKE

Matapos lumabas nila Cassidy, syempre, sumunod din kami kaagad. The 3 girls we were with kanina pa e mukhang excited s'yang makilala, bumubungisngis at bumubulong-bulong pa nga habang naglalakad kami pasunod sa dalawang tao na nasa harap namin na seryosong nag-uusap.

About ata yun sa napostpone nilang training.

"Gosh. She's so pretty.. ba't di n'yo sinabi agad?" hampas ni Alexis sa isang katabi, si Jeff.

"Tse. Pag ba sinabi namin, maniniwala agad kayo? At tsaka, what for? Duh." tugon nito. Nahampas na naman ulit s'ya. "Masakit ah!"

"Grabe ka naman! And even if di kami maniwala, may picture naman ata kayong maipapakita samin diba?"

Nang marinig namin ang sinabi n'yang yun, natigilan kami. We comically grabbed our holographic phones at nagscroll sa gallery namin and sure enough, wala nga kaming picture ni Cassidy. Liban kina Lance and Jhules na may naipakita ngang picture ni Cassidy sa mga phone na gamit nila sa Mortal world but most of it were just candidly captured.

"Ah? Bakit candid lang? Wala bang formal?" nguso ni Alexis and nagscroll pa sa gallery ni Jhules.

"She doesn't like taking pictures that much." tawa ni Lance.

"WAIT. OMG." nanlalaking matang sabi ni Sunshine kaya napatigil din kami. "She's so cuteeee!" tili nito bigla na kasama si Rhea na nags-scroll sa gallery naman ni Lance. "Look oh!" pakita pa nito samin.

"Oh my God." nasabi ko.

In the picture, standing is a little girl, probably 5 to 7 years old with her long hair tied into a neat and high pony tail wearing a color red knee length dress and black sandals. Pinaggigitnaan din s'ya ng mga batang Lance at Jhules na kapwang nakasuot ng polo, one wearing light blue and one with cobalt blue, pants, then one with white and another one with black shoes.

The little girl was winking at the camera, with her chin slightly raised and lips curved into a smirk, she had an air of arrogance, looking like she's mocking the one who's behind the lens. Little Lance and Jhules naman e kapwang nakataas ang dalawang kamay na naka-V sign with full smiles, showing a perfect set of white teeth.

"Hala! Ang cute! Kelan yan?" turo ni Melvin sa picture sabay lingon kay Jhules, bilang s'ya yung may-ari nung cellphone.

"Sa park malapit sa village namin. If I'm not mistaken, after ng pamamasyal namin yan sa mall kasama yung isang kaibigan ni lola Therese na may dala-dala ring batang lalaki. All four of us are playing that time sa park and the one taken the picture is that kid that's why medyo tilted ang pagka-capture. Unfortunately though, we forgot his name. Di na namin s'ya nakita ulit tas sabi ni lola, lumipat na daw sila on some part of the country." pagkukwento nito. Napatango naman kami at nagpatuloy na sa paglalakad habang nakatingin parin sa mga cellphone nila.

"Whoa! This was captured on the same day right?" turo bigla ni Jake sa isang solo picture. Ang batang Cassidy parin ito with his back facing the camera yet her head was turned over her shoulder kaya nakuhanan parin ang mukha n'ya and this time, it was no longer arrogant but a solemn, smiling pretty face.

With dead and lazy eyes.

Ano bang nangyari sa kanya noon na maging sa picture man lang e hindi nito maitago? I don't want to ask dahil magmumukha lamang akong chismoso at baka personal yun kaya mas lalong hindi pwede.

Napalingon ako kay Cassidy na nasa harap lang namin na naglalakad at kumakain ng ice cream. Salita ng salita ang katabi n'ya habang s'ya naman e tumatango lang and will occasionally hum to answer.

"Hoy, pa-share HAHAHAHA. Pasa mo daliii!" tawa ni Jeff at nilabas ang phone n'yang galing rin sa Mortal World. Yep, we also have those phones at bilang sa Mortal world yung desenyo, syempre sa Mortal world din namin yun nabili. Connections hehe.