TONY

DAMON DOMINIC is a lucky man. Wait, don't get me wrong. Hindi ko niro-romanticize ang pagkamatay niya. Hindi ko rin sinasabing masuwerte siya't hindi na niya kailangang magdusa sa tambak na schoolworks.

What I was referring to was the fact that the school held a memorial for him. Not every student who died within or outside Clark University was given that honor. Most of the time, we would learn that someone committed suicide today, then we would move on tomorrow as if nothing happened.

I guess one's status in the university would determine how much the administration cared for them. Despite his unexposed flaws, Damon was a star here. He was one of CU's pride. He brought honor not only to himself, but to the school. And only stars deserved memorials.

Gusto ko sanang i-excuse ang sarili ko gamit ang media ID—I know the Chief would get mad at me—but this was Damon we're talking about. Who knows? I might stumble upon a clue that would help me understand why he was murdered. Also, the Chief asked me to cover this solemn event for the CAScade. Meron pa kaming pa-article para sa kanya, ah?

At ten in the morning, every student in the campus was called to the school gymnasium. Classes were suspended for an hour. Activities were halted on the grounds. Could you imagine that the university allowed this level of disruption in our daily college lives? Kung ako siguro ang namatay, aalayan lang ako ng one minute of silence, tapos balik sa regular programming na ang lahat.

I was seated on one of the bleachers on the west side of the gymnasium. From where I sat, I could clearly see the huge portrait of Damon Dominic, the flowers for the dead, and the trophies, medals, and certificates displayed on a table. Some students wore black armband as a sign of grieving. Or maybe they just loved the temporary fashion statement.

Nagawi ang tingin ko sa isang estudyante na palakad-lakad sa gilid, itinututok ang kanyang camera sa iba't ibang anggulo. Nataong humarap siya sa direksyon ko, nakataas pa rin ang camera. Bigla niya itong ibinaba at kumaway sa akin. I averted my gaze and pretended that I didn't see Emilio. Sa dami ng katabi ko sa bleachers, malabong mapansin nilang ako ang kinakawayan niya.

"Do you think a-attend si Cleo ng memorial?"

"Duh! Why would she be here? She's probably in a faraway place na, out of reach ng local police."

There's only one person in our class who would speak with such contempt against Cleo: Esmeralda Esguerra. Pasimple akong lumingon sa kanya. She was fixing her lipstick while looking at a compact mirror.

"The only reason why she'd be here is guilt for killing Damon," she said. Ni hindi man niya naisipang hinaan ang boses niya. "But impossible nang makapasok siya rito. Everyone's looking for her. Kulang na lang ay magpaskil ng wanted poster na may mukha niya."

Now that she mentioned it, Cleo was relaxing in our apartment. We already bought her three packs of napkins, so she didn't have to worry about her period. If she had a choice, she would have gone here. Pero alam naman niyang hindi siya pwedeng lumabas kaya kahit gusto niyang mag-attend, wala siyang magawa kundi mag-stay sa loob.

I'd say she made the right choice, and hopefully she wouldn't sneak out of our apartment. Well, meron namang hidden camera sa unit namin. Malalaman agad ni Emilio kapag umalis o nagtangka siyang umalis.

And then the show began. The OSA director took the stage and asked us to stand. We obliged. Dumating na rin ang parents ni Damon na nakaitim. After the obligatory opening remarks, we were asked to offer a moment of silence. Everything went totally quiet. Tanging paghinga ko na lang yata ang narinig ko. If they dropped a needle, pretty sure everyone would hear it.

Nang muling nagsalita ang OSA director, pinaupo na niya kami at isa-isang tinawag ang mga magbibigay ng speech. Unang-una ay ang university president. Minsan lang namin siya makita in public. His appearance here meant that Damon was really valuable to him.

"Today, we are commemorating the life of a student who dedicated his youth in the pursuit of excellence and glory," he began. I was watching him, but his words went in one ear and out the other. He said the same usual stuff that people say in memorials. How tragic that we lost Damon at a young age. How Damon made the university a better place. Mas may emosyon nga lang ang speech niya.

"Next, the University Student Council president Elizabeth Regina."

This must be her first public speech since she assumed the presidency. Thanks to Octavio's unforgiving journalism, she was promoted from being a spare tire to being the driver of the car that was the student body.

"I didn't know Damon personally, but what I heard about him was testament to what a great student he was."

Oh, really? Porke't narinig mo sa tabi-tabi, paniniwalaan mo na? To Damon's credit, he built his reputation very well. So any bad word against him would seem absurd or out of hatred.

"Next, the Honor Society president Heindrich Soler."

A man with towering height went on stage, carrying an aura of authority with him. His hair was swept to the side and his eyeglasses had transparent frame. Kahit na hindi ako malapit sa stage, pansin na pansin ko ang golden crane pin sa kanyang lapel. Kumikislap kaya imposibleng 'di makaagaw ng atensyon ko.

"When we talk about excellence," he began, slowly casting his gaze around, "Damon's name is one of the first that comes to mind. It won't be an exaggeration to say that we have lost a pillar because of his untimely death. The society owes him a huge chunk of the honor and pride that we brought to Clark University."

I had my phone recording his speech so I didn't have to pay close attention. Like the speakers before him, Heindrich spoke of Damon's greatness not only as a member of their exclusive society but also as a student, and how the late debater was someone that every student here must emulate.

Ano pa bang i-e-expect sa isang memorial? Malabo namang isa sa mga speaker ang biglang magsabi ng masama tungkol sa namayapa. They would highlight his character, and bury anything that might hurt his image posthumously—if he wasn't clean as everyone thought.

But a part of me was hoping that someone would make a speech about how terrible of a man he was. Sa ginawa ba naman niya kay Cleo, he deserved to be called out for it. At kung may kinalaman siya sa pagpapakamatay ni Alex, hindi pwedeng ipikit ang aming mga mata at itikom ang aming bibig.

"BOO!"

Heindrich wasn't yet done with his speech when someone from the crowd shouted. Natigil ang speaker sa stage at nagising ang mga natutulog na at halos makatulog na sa pakikinig. I panned my head, looking for the person who had to courage to say that distracting word.

Habang iginagala ko ang aking mga mata, napaisip tuloy ako: Coincidence lang ba na may biglang nanigaw sa kalagitnaan ng speech? O may kapangyarihan ang thought ko na maging reyalidad? Remember during the university night? I wished that something would happen. Something did. Now I wished that someone would spice things up in this memorial. Someone did.

"BOO!" Naulit na naman. Since everyone's now paying attention, searching for the heckler became easy. Sa kabilang side ng bleachers, may isang lalaki sa pinakataas na naka-cup ang mga kamay sa side ng kanyang bibig at sumigaw pa ulit ng "boo!"

The OSA director went back on stage and grabbed the mic from the Honor Society president. "We advise everyone to please show some respect to this event—"

"RESPECT? TALAGA LANG, HA?" Tumayo na ang lalaking nanigaw at lalo pang nilakasan ang boses. Hindi na niya kinailangang gumamit ng mic para marinig ng lahat sa gymnasium. May pagkabrusko ang katawan niya, 'yong tipong walang alam gawin kundi makipag-away. His spiky hair was blond and he had piercings in his left ear.

"PURO KASINUNGALINGAN ANG PINAGSASABI N'YO TUNGKOL SA LALAKING 'YAN! PARANG HERO ANG TURING N'YO SA KANYA! MAY PA-MEMORIAL PA KAYONG NALALAMAN! NI HINDI N'YO NGA ALAM ANG TUNAY NA KULAY NG LALAKING PINUPURI N'YO!"

"Mister... Sorry, I don't know what your name is. But if you have personal issues with Damon, we can talk about it outside," the OSA director tried to deal with him kindly. "Huwag sana nating bastusin ang ceremony na 'to para sa kanya."

"NOONG NAMATAY SI ALEX, GINAWAN N'YO RIN BA SIYA NG MEMORIAL? HINDI! MAS DESERVE PA NGA NIYA KAYSA SA DEMONYONG 'YAN! PORKE'T NAG-UUWI SIYA NG AWARDS, MAY GANITO KAYONG PAKULO? KAPAG ORDINARYONG ESTUDYANTE, WALA KAYONG PAKIALAM?"

Call me weird, but I kinda liked the guts of this guy. May punto naman ang sinabi niya. Kapag excellent kang estudyante, may pa-memorial. Kapag hindi, moment of silence lang tapos move on na.

"Again, mister, pwede nating pag-usapan ang issues mo about kay Damon. Ayaw ko 'tong sabihin pero nakahihiya—"

"MAS NAKAHIHIYA KAYO KASI HALOS SAMBAHIN N'YO ANG DEMONYONG DAMON NA 'YAN!"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK ILL OF MY SON!" Mr. Dominic jumped in the shouting match. Napatayo na siya sa kanyang upuan at napaduro sa estudyante. I thought this ceremony was gonna be boring, that watching paint dry would be more worthwhile. I didn't expect it to be this interesting.

"KAYO BA ANG DADDY NIYA? ALAM N'YO BA KUNG ANONG GINAWA NG ANAK N'YO SA EX NIYANG SI ALEX? DESERVED NI DAMON ANG NANGYARI SA KANYA. LATE NA NGA KUNG TUTUUSIN."

"YOU INSOLENT—"

"Security!" the OSA director called. "Please escort the student outside the gymnasium."

"NGAYON PALALABASIN N'YO AKO KASI NAGSABI AKO NG TOTOO? GANYAN BA ANG GUSTO N'YONG ITURO SA MGA ESTUDYANTE? NA KAPAG NI-REVEAL MO ANG TOTOO, INSTEAD NA SUPORTAHAN KA, PAPARUSAHAN KA PA NG SCHOOL?"

Tumabi ang mga estudyanteng nakaupo sa bleachers nang umakyat ang dalawang security personnel. They tried to grab the heckler by the arms, but he slapped their hands away. Akala ko nga'y makikipagsuntukan pa siya. He held his hands up and stepped down the bleachers.

"Alam ko ang daan palabas," dinig kong sabi niya habang naglalakad sa maple floor ng gym. Every pair of eyes followed him intently until he reached the door.

Sandaling nagkaroon ng katahimikan sa gym. Whew! That was one heck of a show. Salamat sa heckler, may magandang anggulo na ako para sa memorial article.

"We're very sorry for the—"

I thought the excitement was over, but I was wrong.

A projector screen began to roll down from the stage's ceiling. People up there looked visibly confused, from the student council officers to the university officials, whispering some unintelligible words. The rest of us waited for the resumption of the memorial.

Biglang nag-flash sa screen ang nakangiting mukha ni Damon. Medyo redundant na kasi may malaking portrait na siya sa entablado na halos natatakpan na. Baka meron silang pinrepare na tribute video? No, that didn't seem to be case. Naaligaga ang mga officer sa stage, may paturo-turo pa ang mga daliri.

What's going on here—

"WHOA!" Everyone in the gym gasped as the projection on the screen changed. Kung kanina'y nakangiting mukha ni Damon, ngayo'y may dumagdag na sungay, pangil at kinulayan ng itim ang mga mata nito.

"Damon is a monster." May kasama pa palang voice over. Halatang ayaw ma-identify ng nagsalita dahil naka-disguise ang kanyang boses. Was this live? No, this was obviously recorded. Napalitan ng ibang edited images ang naka-flash sa screen, lahat ay merong sungay. Kung sinuman ang nasa likod nito, mukhang pinaghandaan niya ang presentation.

"The Damon that we know is just a facade. A mask that he wore everyday. A projection he wanted us to believe that was him. A character that he has portrayed very well."

"WHAT THE F—"

"He may be the university's golden apple, but he's rotten inside. Rotten to the core."

"Please stop the video! Officers!"

"He's a narcissistic freak who loves treating women as trophies that he needs to win. We all know how competitive he is, don't we? Everything is just a game for him."

"STOP THE BULLSH—"

"You may be praying for his soul to enter the gates of heaven, but those who truly knew Damon know that there's a VIP room reserved for him in hell—"

Then the projection screen went black. Natahimik ang buong gymnasium. Kung may uutot, paniguradong maririnig ng lahat at malalaman kung kanino galing. Now the question was, who did it? Who played that posthumous anti-Damon video?

Well, at least I got something to write about in my article. I had to thank whoever's behind that presentation.

DESPITE THE unwelcome interruptions, the memorial kinda ended well. Pagkalabas namin ng gymnasium, nagbulungan ang mga nakasabay kong estudyante. They asked each other if anything was true. That short video was enough to plant the seeds of doubts in their minds.

One thing's clear: Damon wasn't as clean as we thought he was.

Meron namang ilan na nagbulungan kung si Cleo ba ang may pakana sa video. The original source of tsismis? Esmeralda. Baka raw sinubukan niyang i-justify na deserve ni Damon ang masaklap na kapalaran nito. I couldn't help but glare at them. Pero aaminin ko, malapit na akong mapahanga sa kung gaano kalawak ang kanilang creativity. They should apply as fiction writers for the CAScade.

"It's not Cleo."

My shoulders jerked up nang narinig kong mabanggit ang pangalang 'yon. Lumingon ako sa kanan at napansing sumabay sa paglalakad ko si Emil. Nakatingin siya sa kanyang digital camera at may pinipindot na buttons.

"I didn't even think that it could be her," I muttered, aware that other students might hear us. Dapat yata kaming gumamit ng alias para maging safe ang communication namin.

"Really?" Umangat ang tingin sa akin ni Emil. "Hindi mo naisip na baka siya ang may pakana sa video na 'yon? Ganyan ba kalaki ang tiwala mo sa kanya?"

I shrugged. "Basta may tiwala ako kay Cleo. At saka, nasa apartment natin siya ngayon at imposibleng makapasok siya rito sa campus. There's no way she could have done it, right? Unless... she left our unit and snuck in here?"

"Well, I checked the live feed of the hidden cameras in our unit. Nandoon pa rin siya hanggang ngayon. Wala siyang suspicious na movements. Kaya nga nasabi kong hindi siya, 'di ba?"

'Yon naman pala. May alibi si Cleo—

"Unless meron siyang inutusan para gawin 'yon," hirit ni Emil.

Tumigil ako sa paglalakad kaya huminto rin siya. Kumunot ang noo ko at halos magsalubong ang kilay ko. "You serious?"

"It's still possible, no matter how unlikely."

I shook my head and went on my way back to the school building. Wala akong oras para makinig sa outlandish theories gaya ng ipinapakalat ni Esme.

"Hey, Tony! Ikaw naman, 'di na mabiro!"

Lumingon ako sa kanya. "Ikaw mismo, mino-monitor mo siya sa apartment natin. Ikaw ang unang makapapansin kung may ginagawa siyang kahina-hinala." Muli kong ibinaling ang tingin sa harapan. "May mga kumakalat na ngang rumor tapos—"

Napahinto ulit ako sa paglalakad nang may maaninag na isang lalaki sa ilalim ng puno at nagbe-vape. Nakatanaw siya sa malayo na tila malalim ang iniisip.

"'Di ba siya ang heckler kanina?" tanong ni Emil, sinundan kung saan ako nakatingin.

I nodded. "Baka may mapiga akong info mula sa kanya."

"Go ahead!" Tinapik niya ako sa likuran at nilampasan ako. "Balitaan mo na lang kami mamaya, okay?"

Time to get to work. Nilapitan ko ang lalaki na malayo pa rin ang tingin. Base sa pinagsisigaw niya kanina, mukhang kilalang-kilala niya si Alex at ang naging relasyon nito kay Damon noon. I was hoping he'd be able to shed some light on the dead's past relationship.

"Ang ganda ng speech mo kanina." Nakahalukipkip akong lumapit mula sa likuran niya. "Kung pwede lang pumalakpak, pinalakpakan na sana kita."

The guy puffed a ring of smoke before turning to me. Tiningnan niya ako mula ulo pababa, parang ine-X-ray kung kalaban ba ako o kakampi. "'Di ko in-expect na magkakaroon pala ako ng fan."

Now that I got closer to him, mas naobserbahan ko ang itsura niya. Malalim ang kanyang eyebags at namumula ang mga mata, parang kulang siya sa tulog. Payat din ang pisngi niya kaya halata ang kanyang cheekbones.

"Dahil siguro parehas tayo ng paniniwala kaya naka-relate ako sa sinabi mo." Tumapat ako ng tayo sa kanya. He's a few inches taller than me. "Just change a to e, and Damon becomes demon."

"Huh?" He shot me with a sideward glance. "Mukhang malalim din ang pinanghuhugutan mo, ah? Ano'ng pangalan mo?"

"Antonio. Ikaw?"

"Luis."

Thank God he didn't put up his walls. Mas mapapadali ang pagkuha ko ng detalye sa kanya. Ngayon, kailangan kong makuha ang tiwala niya.

"May kilala akong pinipisikal ni Damon noon. Lately ko lang nalaman," kuwento ko. "Akala ng lahat dito, sobrang perpekto niya, na nasa kanya na ang lahat. Matalino siya tapos may itsura pa kaya marami talaga ang maloloko."

Luis scoffed, puffing another smoke ring again. "Wala silang kaalam-alam na bulok ang ugali niya. Siya ang pinaka-depinisyon ng men are trash."

"Tama," tugon ko na may mabagal na pagtango. "Hindi ka ba nababahala na baka parusahan ka dahil sa mga pinagsasabi mo kanina? I heard na impluwensiyal na tao ang papa ni Damon."

"Sa totoo niyan, wala na akong pakialam," natatawa niyang sabi. "I-suspend man o i-expel nila ako, sila na ang bahala. Ang mahalaga'y nai-share ko sa lahat kung anong klaseng tao ang Damon na 'yan. Worth it kahit anong consequences."

Sandaling nagkaroon ng katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa. Ayaw ko namang madaliin o biglain siya sa mga tanong ko. I needed to take it slow. When I felt that the silence was long enough, I threw him my next question. "Kaano-ano mo 'yong Alex na nabanggit mo kanina?"

Tumingala siya sa langit at kinagat ang ibabang labi. Huminga siya nang malalim bago sumulyap sa akin. "Kapatid ko siya."

Hindi muna ako kumibo. Biglang respeto sa pag-reminisce niya sa kanyang kapatid at para mapilitan siyang mag-share pa, hinayaan kong mamayani ang katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa.

"Kung alam ko lang na gago ang lalaking 'yon, pinaghiwalay ko na sana silang dalawa." Nanlisik ang mga mata niya't kumuyom ang mga kamao. Ramdam ko ang panggigigil niya. "Ilangbeses na nagpa-counseling si Alex dahil sa lalaking 'yon. Buong akala ko kasi, matino siya kaya hindi ko sila pinakialaman. Kung sanang mas naging mapanuri ako..."

"Dahil sa ginawa mo kanina..." panimula ko, "hindi ka ba natatakot na baka pagbintangan ka nilang pumatay sa kanya?"

Lumingon siya sa akin bago tumawa. Ngumiti lang ako at hinayaang matapos ang kanyang tawa. Something must be funny in what I just said.

"Kung naka-attend ako sa University Night, ako sana ang nakapatay sa kanya. Hindi ko ide-deny. Proud ko pang i-a-announce sa buong campus na ako ang killer niya."

"Teka, hindi ka naka-attend?"

"Sumama ang pakiramdam ko noon kaya hindi ako nakadalo." Ibinaba niya ang kanyang tingin at malawak na ngumiti na parang nawawalan na ng bait sa sarili. "Sana pala pinilit kong pumunta para nakita ko siyang malagutan ng hininga. Pi-picture-an at vi-video-han ko pa 'yon bilang remembrance."

If what he said was true, he couldn't have murdered Damon. He needed to be at least physically there to carry out the plan.

"Meron bang makapagpapatunay na hindi ka lumabas ng bahay n'yo noong gabing 'yon? I'm assuming na sa bahay ka nagpahinga dahil sa masamang pakiramdam mo?"

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. That question didn't come from me!

I quickly turned around and saw Sir Julius Claud leaning his back against the tree trunk. He had his arms crossed over his chest. What was he doing here?

Lumingon din si Luis sa direksyon niya.

"Nag-order ako ng pagkain noong gabing 'yon. Nakita ako ng mga delivery rider. Kung natatandaan pa nila ang mukha ko, sila ang makakapag-prove na nasa bahay ako," sagot niya. "Teka, sino ba kayo?"

"The name's Julius Claud. You can call me JC. Isa ako sa mga nag-a-assist sa imbestigasyon sa pagkamatay ni Damon Dominic. Looking forward to your cooperation!"

"Nag-a-assist?" Lalong naningkit ang mga mata ni Luis.

"By the way, Stark, salamat sa pagtatanong sa kanya." Lumapit si Sir JC sa akin at marahang tinapik ang aking balikat. "Mas pinadali mo ang trabaho ko."

Oh, shi—

Luis' eyes threw a glance at me then at the instructor beside me. "Magkakilala kayong dalawa?"

"Sort of!" sagot ni Sir JC. "Base sa line of questioning niya sa 'yo, hindi lang siya basta-basta writer ng CAScade, pwede rin siyang maging detective."

"C-CAScade?!" pagulat na sabi ni Luis. "Isa kang campus journo? Nilapitan mo ba ako para kuhanan ng info?"

"Hindi naman sa—"

Dumura si Luis sa lupa, tiningnan ako nang masama bago siya naglakad palayo sa amin. I shut my eyes for a second, bowing my head. That was my chance to gather intel, but this busybody blew it all up.

"Sincerely, I appreciate your help." Sir JC patted me on the back. "I was thinking of asking him myself, but he might be intimidated because of my status as a college instructor. Mabuti't naisipan mo siyang i-approach."

Wait, I didn't do it for him.

"I think we've gathered enough from him so... see you around!" Kumaway siya sa akin bago ako iniwan sa ilalim ng puno.

LATER THAT afternoon, I went straight to the apartment after submitting my Damon memorial article. I decided to highlight the interruption rather than the purpose of event—which was to celebrate the life a well-respected student. Nagpasalamat ako kay Chief dahil hindi niya pinatay ang article ko. She also liked it, saying "this is the type of campus journalism we need today."

As expected, nadatnan ko si Cleo sa sala, nanonood ng Netflix series sa TV namin. She immediately turned it off pagkapasok ko. Binati niya ako ng isang malawak at matamis na ngiti. Pakiramdam ko tuloy, may asawa akong naghihintay sa akin na umuwi. Teka, asawa agad? Siguro girlfriend muna o live-in partner.

"Kumusta ang araw mo, Tony?" tanong niya nang mailagay ko na sa shoe rack ang mga suot kong sapatos.

Bumuntong-hininga ako bago iniangat ang tingin sa kanya. "Nagkaroon ng aberya sa memorial ni Damon kaninang umaga. May isang nag-heckle sa gitna ng program, tapos may nag-play ng video presentation na siniraan siya."

Umupo ako sa couch at hindi siya nilubayan ng tingin. She averted her gaze for a moment, her eyes blinking.

May ideya na akong pinipisikal siya ng late boyfriend niya, pero wala pa akong confirmation galing sa kanya. I've been wanting to ask her that question, but she might find it intrusive. I doubt she'd be open to share something so personal.

But the morning affairs gave me the window of opportunity. I had a pretext to talk about the elephant in the room.

"Cleo," I called her. My voice must have sounded like the soothing ocean wave.

She returned her gaze at me. "Yes?"

I took a deep breath and mustered all the courage that I could. This was it.

"Do you think that Damon... was not who seemed to everyone in the campus?"

Her lips parted slightly as her eyes blinked almost nonstop for a few seconds. Muli na naman siyang umiwas ng tingin. Kumuyom ang mga kamao niya at nanginig ang mga tuhod. She tried to calm them down, but to no avail.

"Is Damon a monster?" I asked. Wala nang patumpik-tumpik pa.

Ibinaling niya ang kanyang tingin sa akin. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Our eyes were locked in a staring contest for a minute.

I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear it from her. Gusto kong manggaling sa mga labi niya.

"No." Cleo shook her head gently. "Damon is not a monster."

My eyes slowly squinted at her.

"Damon is much worse than a monster. He is a demon."

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