Chapter 6: The Tale of Two Pills

"Choose." The person said unto the other who was already trembling in fear. In the person's hand were two pills, one which kills you and one which doesn't.

"Don't you like games? I know that you like games..." Although the mask covered the person's face, she could feel a maniacal smile plastered on it. She doesn't even know if it's a he or a she, the mask hid the person's voice well.

"Ayoko..." Diin ng dalaga na may luhang tumutulo na sa kanyang mukha. She didn't choose to be kidnapped, she didn't choose to die like this. In the middle of the table was a bottled water.

"You can only choose one..." The person mused. She was already hysterically crying, this isn't meant to happen. She was just too young to die!

She was just ready to say no when the person revealed a gun. Studying the person, she just followed his/her sight which was focused on the left. Aha! I got you!

She had hope that she was going to live.

She took the pill on the right and just so she could swallow the poison fast, she took the bottle of water in front of her. Perhaps, it contains the antidote.

And she was right. As she finished the bottle, she was starting to feel better.

Well...That was until she started to choke on air and started grasping on nothing. It was painful and prickly, like acid was flowing through it.

"Nice try." Was all the person said to the dead body, which was now over a pool of her own blood on the table with her head rested on top of it.

Arya's POV

The next day started weird. It's been 24 hours since the hospital discharged me. Pagkagising ko at nakabihis na ay may narinig akong katok sa aking dorm which was peculiar dahil minsan lamang ako makakuha ng bisita.

"Lynch?" Nabigla ako dahil nandoon siya sa labas ng bahay ko. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?"

Pero mukhang naiinip na siya. "Sinusundo kita, alam kong nagcocommute ka eh. Halika na, may gagawin pa ako." Sabi niya at tumingin sa kanyang relo. Hay! Kahit anong oras talaga ay masungit parin siya.

Wala naman akong nagawa kaya kinuha ko na lamang ang bag ko at sumakay sa isang BMW? Mayaman si Lynch!? Malamang, detective consultant ang mga parents niya. Pumunta ako sa passenger seat na walang kibo at siya naman ay parang wala lang.

When I opened the door, I just knew that Lynch was a neat freak.

Pagdating namin sa campus, hindi naman sa nagaassume pero parang kami ang tinititigan ng lahat. This bothered me. I took a glance at Lynch pero nakapoker face lamang siya. "Why are they...?"

"They just discovered what happened in school and in the hospital, you know, the cases we solved. Talk of the school ata." He said it too casually like it's not a big deal. Well, big deal sa akin ito.

"Masakit parin ba ang balikat mo?"

Ikinagulat ko naman ang concerned na tanong niya kaya medyo nagstuttter naman ako, "A-ah, o-okay na...Medyo masakit lang." Wordlessly, he went to my side and took my stuff. "Lynch, you don't have to do that." I get that we are friends but I can manage holding my own stuff for Christ's sake!

"Hi, Lynch!" Bati ng mga babae na nalampasan namin. Psh, flirts. I didn't know that dahil dito naging campus crush na nila si Lynch. Hindi lamang pinansin ni Lynch sila, "Kainis..." I heard him mutter. Inihatid muna ako ni Lynch sa homeroom ko bago umalis.

Pumunta ako sa aking upuan at aktong matutulog dahil may 30 minutes pa bago magsimula ang klase but someone tapped my shoulder. "Marky?"

Marky Shark Alipio is standing right in front of me. 6"2' ang height, basketball player, rich kid, crush ng bayan, at maraming chiks, pero siya yung tipo ng lalakeng may sayd, may topak, at minsan ay weird but still, marami ang ngakakagusto sa kanya. Siguro kung isa ako sa mga babae dito ay patay na patay na ako sa kanyana but ewan, mukhang hindi para sa akin ang mga bagay na iyan. "Bakit?" Parang natataranta ang kanyang mukha na may gustong sabihin.

"Arya, I need your help. My sister, she's missing."

"What? Eh bakit sa akin ka nagpapatulong!? Bakit hindi sa tatay mo na chief."

Parang luluha na siya sa mga sinabi ko, "My father...He doesn't want to help her because she-" He shook his head as if he didn't want me to know something, "Because he wants me to solve this case."

"Pero bakit sa akin? Bakit hindi kay Lynch, kilala mo naman siya dba? Yung sikat na transferee, yun detective parents niya!" Diin ko pa rin dahil ayaw ko talagang mapahamak.

"Lynch and I...We're not on good terms..."

Lumihod siya sa harapan ko, Goddamnit! Ayaw ko tong ginagawa niya, naaawa na ako. "Fine!" I groaned in annoyance and frustration.

"Really!? Ehmeghed!" What the fuck just happened? Tiningnan ko siya at pumyesto na sa kanyang upuan na parang walang nangyari.

Pagkatapos ng last period namin sa umaga ay nakita ko na naman si Lynch na nakasandal sa labas ng pintuan namin, "Lynch?" Napatingin siya sa akin dahil nakalingon siya at tiyak ako na iniiwasan niya lamang ang mga babae. "Halika na." Sabi niya bago kinuha ang kamay ko papunta sa cafeteria.

"You're being awfully nice today, why is that?" Nakangisi akong nagtanong sa kanya.

Ginulo niya naman ang kanyang buhok na napakaitim bago ako sinagot, "We're friends." Wow! Ang swerte pala ang maging kaibigan ng asungot na ito. VIP treatment.

Pumila kami sa linya at magoorder sana ako ng burger ng kinuha ni Lynch ang kamay ko papalayo sa mga pagkain, "Ate, dalawang budget meal na adobo at kalabasa."

"Lynch! Bakit may karne?" Tiningnan ko ang pagkain sa harap ko. Inilibre niya na naman ako kaya wala akong magagawa kundi kainin ito.

"Kainin mo na, para naman tumaba ka. Tingnan mo, wala kang kalamanlaman." Tinawanan pa niya ako. Kainis!

"Hey guys!" Dumapo si Marky sa aming lamesa sa dulo na para bang tumatalon sa saya.

Nakapagtataka nga kung bakit siya pumunta sa lamesa namin kung mayroon siyang sariling pwesto with the populars. Napatingin ako kay Lynch na nakakunot na ang noo.

Biglaan kong naalala ang sinabi ni Marky kanina, "We're not on good terms..." Kung hindi pala sila magkabati, ano ang ginagawa niya dito?

Umupo siya sa tabi ko at habang ginagawa niya iyon, unti-unting nawala ang ngiti sa labi ni Lynch. "Go away. We don't want you here, Marky Shark Alipio." He stressed every word with enough hate that made me wonder what really happened between the two. 'We're not on good terms' pa ba yan eh halos saksakin na siya ng tinidor.

"Hi, Arya. How are you?" Hindi pinansin ni Marky si Lynch. Ay, tanga! I forgot to mention it to Lynch, kaya naman pala nandito si Marky.

"Lynch, I forgot to tell you. Marky is seeking our help. Her sister-"

"Is in danger and that he needs our help. How many times have you done that, Marky?" What? Anong ibig niyang sabihin?

"No, I'm not faking it Lynch. I swear, Marion really is missing this time."

"Are you sure? Ilang beses mo na ginawa sakin ito para lamang maloko ako, para lamang masolba mo ang kaso na nakita mo? Para lamang makuha mo ang fame pero hindi mo parin kaya."

"I admit it. You've always been better than me. I get it. But please, I'm begging you. I really need your help."

Wala akong nagawa kundi panoorin ang kanilang sumbatan. Alam ko na alam ni Lynch na totoo ang sinasabi ni Marky, nagpipigil lang siya dahil alam kong malalim ang nagawang kasalanan ni Marky sa kanya.

"Lynch," Itinapat ko ang aking palad sa kanyang kamay, "He's desperate enough." At alam kong nagkaintindihan kami ni Lynch sa oras na iyon.

"Fine." He groaned tapos ibinalik ang tingin kay Marky, "Ano ba kasi ang nangyari?"

Marky recounted the events that he was aware of, "Well, she went to a party. I think it was in the bar in the city. I called to ask where she was and she said that she was hailing a cab...That was the last time I've seen of her."

"Did you try to look for the plate number of the taxi? Baka naman siya ang may pakana nito?" sabi ko sa kanya.

"I already called the manager of the bar. He said that he will have to get back on me."

"Most likely, hindi ka na nun babalikan. These people are lazy and will never give you information that can cause their downfall, even if it was a crucial case. It's always business to them." Countered Lynch, he was right. If we wanted to get facts, we had to it ourselves.

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A/N: Ang bitin neto but bear with me. Marky is my bitch😂😂😂

~Candy🍭🍭🍭