Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Princess Pedregosa

I woke up to bed felt dizzy and my world is whirling, can't even balance myself standing up from my bed.

Sumilay ako sa bintana ng kwarto ko, mataas na ang araw. I reached for my phone on the study table to look for the time at the screen.

I was shook, almost jump into my place when I saw the time on the screen. It's almost 8 o'clock in the morning.

My first class is already starting a moment had passed. I walked down to the kitchen to rinse my face and saw my Mom walking with her corporate office attire. She might be going to work.

I went directly to the bathroom to take a quick cold shower. Wala na akong oras para magpakulo ng tubig sa kalan. Mas gugustuhin ko magtiis kesa dumating ako sa school ng 3rd class na.

I went out the bathroom, embracing my towel around my body. I used face towel drying my hair. And I started walking back to my room.

Mom saw me her mouth formed into an 'o' like she didn't saw me coming at the kitchen at this moment. She went near to me. Touching my neck with the back of her palm — checking my body temperature.

"Oh nak? Okay ka na?" sounded worried sick about my health.

"Bakit, Ma?" Takang tanong ko sa kaniya. "Wala naman akong sakit, a."

"May sinat ka kasi kaninang umaga kaya hindi na kita ginising. Sabi ko sa kapatid mo, ipasabi nalang sa mga kaklase na hindi ka makakapasok kasi may sakit ka." She stated.

I raised my hand holding a face towel leveled with her chest gestures her to stop worrying. "Ma, ayos lang ako. I'm perfectly fine. Nothing to worry about, okay?" I assured.

"Sabi mo, e." She sighed, surrendering.

I gave her a kiss on the cheeks. "Bye, Ma. Ako na bahala sa bahay." I waved at her, walking to my room.

She nodded, smiling. "Take care, honey."

I smiled as response.

It's her time to go to work. Ako ang late kaya ako na bahala na magsarado sa bahay.

I ran immediately to my room to get up quickly as possible. Hinila ko nalang ang bag ko na nakasabit sa upuan ng study table ko pati na rin ang cellphone ko na nakapatong sa mesa.

I'm going to take tricycle, para mas mabilis ang byahe. I doubled checked the doorknob's locks on the whole house before going out of the house.

I'm riding a tricycle while I'm on my way to school. Saglit na oras lang ang ginugol ko para makarating sa school. Feeling ko kilala na ako ng guard, pangalawang beses ko ng late sa first week ng klase.

Pinapasok nalang nila ako at hindi na pinansin. I tapped my ID at the scanner to let my Mom notified that I'm already inside the school premises.

"Hey," halos mapatalon ako sa gulat ng may biglang bumulong na malamig na boses sa tenga ko.

I looked at him, throwing some death glares. I gritted my teeth. Wishing he gets the way I looked at him.

"Hi," he greeted, again. "Did I sacare you?" He raised his hands waving on the side of his face.

"Nope," was I said, popping the 'p'. "I'm in a hurry, kaya nagulat ako." I explained.

"Sabay na tayo," aya niya. "Pareho naman tayong late. Seatmate nga kita. We shared the same shits." He laughed after saying, shits.

Aba't ginaya pa ako sa kaniya. Ngayon lang ulit ako na-late. Ayokong araw-arawin ang pagiging late. Masama sa health ng grades ko.

"Kapal ng face. Igaya mo ko sa 'yo." I rolled my eyes to him. "Minsan lang ako ma-late, ikaw yata araw-araw." I glanced him, smirking.

"Bro, personalan na 'to. Uuwi na 'ko." He turned his back, walking to the gate.

"Arte mo!" I shouted made him to looked at me. "Tara na. Late na tayo magda-drama ka pa." I hissed.

He smiled walking back to me and rest his arm to my shoulder. Disadvantage of being small: laging pinagpa-patungan ng braso ang balikat — akbay, in short.

"Bakit ka nga pala nalate?" Takang tanong sa 'kin ni Jarius habang naglalakad kami sa grounds. He's just guiding me on the way.

"Hindi kasi ako ginising ni Mama may sinat daw kasi ako kaninang umaga. Kaya ito nalate ako." I raised my hands, shrugged

"Okay ka na ba?" He asked, assuring.

"Yep. I'm okay," I smiled. "Makakasama mo ba ako dito sa school grounds kung 'di ako maayos?" I hit his tummy with my elbow.

He's laughing while in pain — holding the spot where I hit him with my elbow. "You're learning," ginulo niya ang buhok ko. "Kung doon nalang tayo sa headquarters pumunta hanggat hinihintay natin yung next subject natin."

Tumango nalang ako. "But I haven't eaten yet," I confessed in a low soft voice.

"May pagkain sa HQ. Mga timawa ang mga kaibigan natin kaya laging may stocks doon." He admonished.

After few rooms we've passed with students listening attentively to the teacher speaking in front. I envy them. Ayoko ng maging late.

Lumipas ang ilang minuto na paglalakad patungo sa HQ ay sa wakas ay nakarating din kami.

Unang bumungad ang mukha ni Khylle nang binuksan namin ang pintuan ng HQ. She's picking something in a bowl of food. Renz is absolutely right at all about his sentence. An indeed yes.

"Good morning, Princess. Bakita ngayon ka lang? You didn't attend your first and second class." She announced, glancing on Renz arm resting on my shoulder.

"Tinanghali ako ng gising kasi hindi ako nagising sa alarm ko pati na rin sa boses ni Mama tapos may sinat pa raw ako kanina. Kaya hindi na nag-abala si Mama na gisingin pa ako, kasi wala talaga siyang balak papasukin ako," kwento ko.

She made a low sound. "Now I know. So, how are you?" She's worried, too.

"Okay lang ako. Mas okay pa sa okay." I raised my thumb, telling I'm okay. Mas malakas pa ako sa kalabaw sa bukid.

"Good to know." She sighed in relief.

Renz removed his arm on my shoulder faced me. "Ano ginawa sayo ni Cedric kaya nagkasinat ka, huh?" He quickly asked..

"Nag-gala lang kami sa Mall, napagod lang siguro ako kaya ganun." I shrugged.

I didn't elaborate much. Baka kung anong masabi kong kabastusan. Khylle is eating in the first place. And I'm hungry.

"Siguraduhin mo yan, Princess." Banta niya. "Kundi lagot sakin si Cedric." I heard a gnashing sound from her mouth munching her chips in bowl.

"Oo nga. Promise." I raised my right hand to show sincerity and honestly.

She nodded as if believing my alibis. "Promise mo yan, a. Kapag nalaman namin na may pinagawa sayo si Ced na kung ano lagot siya sa 'kin." I'm sensing worried on her voice.

I saw Peter was there but quietly playing games on his phone. I saw his avatar holding a gun. Is he playing COD or ROS? Any of those?

"Good morning, Elites!"

Halos mapatalon kaming tatlo sa gulat nang biglang bumukas ang pinto sa gilid namin at may biglang sumigaw. I am looking at Peter, observing him. While these two were fighting for a piece of chips.

I hold my chest still panting in shock because of Yassi's shrieked. Peter wasn't affected at all. Naka-focus lang siya sa screen ng phone niya at pata bang walang tao sa loob ng kwarto kundi siya lang.

"Ang gulo mo, Yassi." Kunot noong sigaw ni Renz kay Yassi. Bakas ang pagkainis at pagkairita sa mukha niya.

"Hoy, Jarius! Noong ikaw ba ang nag-iingay nagrereklamo ako?" Balik na sigaw sa kaniya ni Yassi, raising her brow.

"Ewan ko sa 'yo. Gulo mo." He pulled me to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator to get something and at the corner where utensils are placed.

Iritable siyang nagpapalaman ng Nutella sa tinapay. Nang matapos niyang lagyan ang isa ay pinagsaklob niya ito at binigay sa 'kin.

Yassi tsked. "Bad mood kaya pala late," pang-aasar niya kay Renz.

"Lagi naman akong late. May bago ba doon?" Biglang nagtaka ang mukha ni Renz.

I want to laughed at him. Kanina naka-ngiti tapos ngayon mukhang bwisit kasi naputol ang moment nila ni Khylle. Torpe kasi. Kung babe time kasi ang gusto kailangan may puhunan at label muna.

You got to be kidding me. Label muna bago landi.

Hapon na ngayon. Tapos na lahat ng klase ko para sa araw na 'to. Hindi muna ako pumunta sa HQ para nagkaroon ako ng oras para gumala sa school.

Naglalakad-lakad ako ngayon sa school grounds nang may nakasalubong ako na familiar na mukha at mga mata.

Alam kong parang nakita ko na siya. Saan nga ba? Iniisip kong mabuti. I tried to figured out where I saw his soft but rough features. I didn't know that I stopped and turned my body to tailed him wherever he goes.

Hindi ko nalamayan na nakapasok pala ako sa isang gate na may archway sa taas. This place is at peace but a little mysterious because of the tall bonsai plant and eerie air flipping my hair. Tanging mga puno, halaman, at bulaklak ang nakikita ko. Sa gitna nito may makikita kang fountain.

Naglakad ako sa entrance ng lugar. Unang hakbang ko palang napansin ko na agad ang pattern ng lugar. Para siyang maze.

"Sinusundan mo ba ako?"

"Ay palaka," I hold my chest, catching my breath.

Nagulat ako doon, a. I roamed around my glance but I didn't see any human body build nor its shadow. The guy I'm tailing was nowhere to be found in the maze.

I heard him hissed in annoyance.

"Nasa'n tayo?" I asked him when he walked out from the bushes.

"Labyrinth Fountain," He replied turning his back to me, placing his hands on his pants pockets.

I silently nodded mesmerizing the beauty of this place. It's almost near perfection for the word, fantasy that accidentally mixed with reality.

He scoffed. "Ano bang ginagawa mo dito?" I directly looked to his eyes blocked by his thick pair of lenses on his eyeglass.

I glanced him with a squint look to remember him. I think deep ransacked the images of person I'm interact with. I recalled his features. He was the guy who help and catch the glue and feathers.

"Honestly, sinusundan kita." I answered without hesitation or thinking twice.

"Why?" Ba't ba ang cold neto?

"Gusto ko sanang magpa-salamat sayo — yung timba kasi" I lowered my gaze. "... bakit mo sinalo?" I asked in a low soft voice.

"Ah, ayun lang ba? Okay, you may now go." He shoo me in a plain bored eyes and hoarse voice.

I gritted my teeth and looked away to reduced my anger — calming myself from his irritated fucking glare.

Ako na nga ang nagpa-pasalamat, parang ako pa ang may kasalanan. That's supposed to blast at me but he pushed me, para siya ang sumalo.

Ikaw ang mabuti rito, Princess. Siya ang kalaban. Ikaw ang biktima, siya semi lang.

I breathe. "Not yet." I said firmly. "Hanngat hindi ko nalalaman ang pangalan mo, hindi ako aalis dito."

"Fine." He sighed in irritation. "I'm Lynndon. Umalis ka na." Pointing the maze I passed subconsciously.

"Okay. Okay." I leveled my hands, gesturing him to calm down. "Thank you ulit, Lynndon."

I smiled, he responded with a hissed. "Tss."

I turned my back, walking to the path I think I passed awhile ago. 'Di ba dito ako dumaan kanina? Parang hindi. Fudge. Wala akong mapa.

"Buset na lalaki yun." I snapped. Padabog 'ko na naglakad patungo ng Labyrinth. Saan ba ako dumaan kanina? Kaliwa o kanan?

I tried to tiptoed. I can't see the way. Puro tip lang ng bush ang nakikita ko. Perks of being small.

Tinuro ko ang magkabilang daan na nasa harapan ko animo'y pinagpipilian ko kung saan ako dadaan.

Humakbang na ako patungo sa kaliwa. After a few steps I stopped walking because I heard a manly chuckles from behind. I shifted my head to look at the back, he's standing behind me, near laughing.

"Sinusundan mo ba 'ko?" I teasingly asked him, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Absolutely," was all he said, smirking wickedly.

I was caught off guard. "Ha?" My mouth remain open in shock.

"I assumed that you will take the wrong path to walked out this maze." He glanced my toe up to my head. After, he didn't removed his eye contact pierced with mine. "At hindi nga ako nagkamali ng hula."

"How can you say so?" I eyed him giving the sane bored intensity.

"I looked at you. You're in your stupid state — subconscious — when you get here. I'm happy that you didn't loose me on the way." He shook his head, discard what he said. "I followed you. And I found you taking the wrong way, babe. As always, I'm your knight in shining eye glass." he laughed with his simple joke.

"Dream on. Babe your ass." I scowled.

He saw him licking his lower lip. "That's the way where you find can human traps and be trapped." He added, not minding what I just said.

"Human traps?" I repeat, asking.

"Yes. There are buttons scattered on the floor. There's only one safe way to walk — we passed there awhile ago." 

He pulled my hand and tightened his hold on it.

We started walking on the path he called the most safety way not to die. "One time, there is a thief tried to passed here and steal something here at MDSV. That time, the human traps were under construction — still not done yet. This way is not guarded by any on the school guards. This is a forbidden place. This is the easiest way to get inside. The Board of Directors decided to make booby traps if there is more thieves to come over."

He's talking while we're walking out the place. I looked at him — at the side of his features. Pwede naman pala siyang maging madaldal, aartehan pa 'ko.

"Thank you for accompanying me to the right way." I smiled with sincerity. "Alis na ako baka hinahanap na 'ko ni Mama." I pointed the archway, looking at him bidding goodbyes in words.

I looked up the sky. It's turning violet and dark at this moment. The sun is now setting down to the mountains.

"By the way," I heard him spoke. When I looked at him he just shook his head. "Nothing."

"I will always be your knight with or without this glasses. I will save you when needed me the most." I heard him whispered in low voice.