A/N: Hi! I noticed that the previous update kinda riled some of you up, but let us be mindful with the words we throw at the characters. It's also too early to judge them right now. That's all! 

FABIENNE

I HAD NEVER been to a team building event before. Hindi kasi ako mahilig sumali sa clubs at ibang student organizations. I didn't have time for those stuff dahil sa part-time job ko. Sapat na ang pag-rehearse ko sa play namin. Ah, teka! Member pala ako ng repertory theater, pero wala kaming ganap outside the stage. Ang tanging naaalala ko ay ang pa-dinner ni Direk no'ng natapos na ang showing ng Mulan.

Kaya magkahalong excitement at kaba ang naramdaman ko magmula pa nitong Friday. Hindi man ako magiging participant sa games, medyo kinakabahan ako kung magagampanan ko nang maayos ang role ko bilang facilitator. Aside from that, kailangan ko ring gampanan ang pagiging First Lady ko kay Priam.

Castiel mentioned something about temporarily suspending the "no PDA rule" and "working hour rule" for the team building. Pumayag kaming dalawa ni Priam dahil gets namin ang reasoning behind his proposal. Ang hindi ko alam ay kung ano exactly ang gagawin namin.

Would we hold hands while walking? Would we kiss under the moonlight?

Kiss? I could only give mine to three people: my parents, my boyfriend and my co-actor in a scene where kiss was required. First lady man ako ni Priam, hindi ko siya mako-consider na boyfriend ko. At kahit considered na may script kaming sinusundan sa pretend relationship na 'to, he's not technically my fellow actor. Hindi rin required ang kissing scene sa amin.

Sa sobrang dami ng iniisip ko, nahirapan akong makatulog kagabi. This was the first time na na-break ang routine ko. I regularly slept at nine, pero lagpas alas-dose na ako nakatulog. Six o'clock pa naman ang call time namin sa waiting area. Mabuti't naihanda ko na ang mga damit, gamit at essentials ko para sa two-day-and-one-night event na 'to. Pwede na akong sumibat agad pagkabitbit ko sa aking backpack.

Dahil sa dorm ako nag-i-stay, it only took me around five minutes para makababa at makapunta sa waiting area malapit sa school gymnasium. Dito laging naghihintay ang mga estudyanteng hindi nag-i-stay sa campus para sa bus service. Wala pa ang mga bus na sasakyan namin, pero may mga estudyante nang nakalupong sa bawat grupo nila.

Kung tama ang pagkakatanda ko, ang participants ng team building ay ang officers ng College Student Councils. So that meant . . . almost the entire student government was here! Bigatin pala ang mga kasama rito. Dapat mas galingan ko ang aking role bilang facilitator mamaya. Baka may masabi silang hindi maganda kapag pumalpak ako. Madamay pa ang USC.

Come to think of it, may nabanggit si Castiel no'ng meeting namin last Tuesday. He mentioned na may ilang CSC officers ang may ayaw sa kanila. Kaya nga dapat kaming mag-act ni Priam para ma-convince silang hindi stunt ang namumuong relasyon namin. Also . . . Castiel warned me about someone na dapat akong maging wary.

Ano nga ulit ang pangalan ng lalaking 'yon?

"Miss Lucero?"

Huh? Hinarap ko ang lalaking tumawag sa pangalan ko. I didn't recognize the voice, but I turned to face him para hindi ako magmukhang rude. A boy in navy blue hoodie stood before me. Halos pantay ang height namin, mas lamang siya nang kaunting inches sa 'kin. Naka-print nang all caps sa chest part ng jacket niya ang THE HERALD. Ibinaba niya ang hood ng suot, ipinakita ang kanyang messy hair at isinuklay ang mga daliri.

He leaned his face closer to mine. I thought he's moving in for a kiss! Mabuti't huminto siya bago pa dumampi ang labi niya sa 'kin. Kung hindi, sampal ang aabutin niya. Tinitigan niya ako nang mata sa mata. Napahakbang ako paurong. His face was still too close!

"You look prettier in person. The photos don't do your beauty justice!" Iniurong na niya ang kanyang mukha at umayos nang tayo. Iniabot niya ang kanang kamay sa 'kin habang nakapamulsa ang kaliwa. "Sorry, nakalimutan kong magpakilala. I'm Reynard Falcon, a reporter from The Herald assigned to cover the team building. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too—" Tatanggapin ko na sana ang alok niyang handshake nang natigilan ako. My eyes widened at him for a second. Tiningnan ko ang mukha niya, 'tapos ang THE HERALD na naka-print sa kanyang hoodie.

What name did he just say?

"He's Reynard Falcon, a reporter for The Herald. He's known for his exposés in the university. . . Siya ang ipadadala ng Herald para i-cover ang team building. So expect him to be snooping around."

"Is something wrong?" He tilted his head to one side as he kept his stare at me. Naningkit ang mga mata niya sa 'kin habang nakangiti pa rin siya.

If he's the person that we should be careful of, dapat hindi niya mapansin na may certain awareness ako sa kanya. It might seem suspicious if I looked frightened in front of him.

Nakipagkamay ako sa kanya at nilawakan ko pa ang aking ngiti. Kung smile ang labanan, hindi ako magpapatalo sa kanya. "Parang familiar kasi ang name mo. Naalala ko 'yong nabasa kong exposé sa The Herald. 'Yong sa CCF director at 'yong sa Social Sciences prof? Ikaw pala 'yon? Nice to finally meet you!"

Relax ka lang, Fab! You shouldn't give anything away to this man! Remember Castiel's warning!

"I didn't know I have a fan here!" He grinned. Pinakawalan na niya ang kamay ko. "I've been seeing your face lately sa CampuSite." Muli niyang inilapit ang kanyang mukha sa 'kin, sa bandang kanang tainga ko. "Rumor has it that you're dating the USC president. Is it true? Don't worry, this is off the record. You can be honest with me."

Nanatili ang ngiti sa labi ko. "Isn't that the question in everyone's mind?"

"So you won't really tell anyone, huh?" Nakapamulsa ang mga kamay niya't tumuwid ang tayo. How long was he going to maintain that creepy grin? Having an idea on he was, it's starting to make me feel uneasy. He's like an obsessed fan who was so excited to meet his idol.

I had to be careful with my answers. Dapat walang slipup! "You're the one who writes exposés. Maybe you can try exposing what's the real score between me and Priam?"

"Oh, don't worry! I will." Reynard's grin went ear to ear. I sensed confidence in his voice. "You and the USC president are next on my list."

So he's really after us? Hindi pa rin mapawi ang ngiti sa labi ko. Thanks to our mouth exercises, hindi basta-basta nangangawit ang bibig ko sa kangingiti. If I showed him any sign of worry, baka lalo siyang maghinala sa 'kin. No, I would never give him the satisfaction.

"By the way, why are you here?" Napatingin si Reynard sa bitbit kong bag. "You're not just here to see the USC president before he leaves for a two-day event. You're not a CSC officer either."

"I signed up for the USC volunteer program!" I replied with enthusiasm. "I heard na nangangailangan ng makatutulong ang USC para sa kanilang events kaya sumali ako. They asked me kung available ako ngayong weekend. I said yes, and they told me to join the team building. That's why I'm here!"

"Whoa!" Napanganga siya, hindi ko masabi kung nagpapanggap na na-amaze o hindi makapaniwala. "Natatakot ka ba na may makitang sexy ang boyfriend mo sa team building? There's a pool in the venue and everyone's asked to bring their swimwear. Are you a jealous First Lady?"

My lips parted, akmang sasagot sa tanong niya. Mabuti't hindi ko itinuloy. Binato ko siya ng ngiti at napaturo sa kanya. "You almost got me." He tried to trick me. Kung sinagot ko 'yon, I would have more or less confirmed that Priam was my boyfriend.

He clicked his tongue. "Almost!"

Tama nga si Castiel na balaan kaming mag-ingat sa lalaking 'to. Mukhang friendly at tunog friendly siya, pero kung hihimayin, one would sense that he shouldn't be trusted so easily. He's smiling and saying positive stuff to catch the person off guard, gaya ng sinubukan niyang gawin sa 'kin. Mabuti na lang, mabilis ang pag-iisip ko.

"Do you mind me asking kung saan ka nag-i-stay?" Napatanaw sa 'di kalayuan si Reynard. "Ang aga mo kasing nakarating dito. You didn't come from the direction of the campus entrance, so you must be staying in one of the dorms here."

Itinuro ko ang building na malapit sa amin. "Diyan ako nagdo-dorm kaya minsan lang ako ma-late sa classes ko. Teka, bakit mo naitanong? Wala ka naman sigurong balak na i-stalk ako, 'no?"

"Baka kapag bored ako, bisitahin kita sa unit mo," tugon niya. "Just kidding! I'm just wondering kung bakit hindi kayo magkasabay pumunta rito ng USC president. Did you know that he also lives there? Assuming that he's your friend, it's common na sabay na lumalabas ang magkakaibigan. So why didn't you two?"

"T-Talaga?" Priam and I had not talked about where we were staying individually. Hindi kasi gano'n kalalim ang usapan namin kapag nagkikita kami. Halos tungkol sa USC duties at theater rehearsals ang topic.

Ngumisi siya. "Just kidding! Hindi ko alam kung diyan talaga siya nakatira pero . . . Isn't it strange na hindi mo alam kung saan siya nag-i-stay? Isn't that a piece of information that you normally share with your friend, especially if you're interested in them?"

Oh, shoot. I managed to maintain my smile, but I was screaming inside. Gusto kong sabunutan ang sarili ko dahil nahulog ako sa trap niya. Nalusutan ko nga 'yong mga nauna, pero dito pala ako mapapahamak.

"He didn't tell me exactly where," palusot ko. "Basta ang sabi ni Priam sa 'kin, dito lang siya sa campus nag-i-stay." Quick, Fab! Change the subject! "How about you? Saan ka nakatira?"

"I'm staying at the—Wait a minute! Ako dapat ang nagtatanong sa 'yo—"

"Fabienne?"

Agad akong lumingon sa aking kanan. I felt relieved when I saw six familiar faces. Thank goodness! Dumating na ang anim na USC officer, dala-dala ang kanilang bags at ilang plastic boxes. They all wore maroon polo shirts with the USC logo on the left chest part.

Priam was on the lead, carrying a large multi-purpose box. Sandaling nagkasalubong ang tingin namin bago ako nabaling sa iba. Kunot-noo akong tiningnan ni Castiel habang napaangat ang kilay ni Valeria. They all stopped just a few steps away from us and put the boxes on the ground. Priam approached me after being nudged by his chief-of-staff.

"Is there a problem here?" tanong niya pagkalapit sa 'kin.

Umiling ako sabay turo sa ka-chika-han ko. Lumapit ako sa kanya, isang foot ang pagitan para ipakita ang closeness namin kahit obvious na. "I was just chatting with Reynard here from The Herald. I've been wanting to meet him kasi nabasa ko ang articles niya. They're so explosive!"

"Good morning, Mr. President," bati ni Reynard sa kanya na may pagyuko. "I hope you still remember me."

"Of course, I still do," sagot ni Priam na may pagtango. "You're the reporter who asked a silly question during my monthly briefing last Monday."

"Questions have to be asked. I hope you're not offended."

"No offense taken. You're just doing your job. It's perfectly understandable."

I didn't feel any tension between the two. Priam was handling the conversation well.

"I'm just curious," sabi ni Reynard. Heto na naman siya, nag-iba ang tono na nakahandang mang-intriga ulit. "You two must be quite close already, judging by the number of candid photos circulating online and by how literally close you two are. Yet you still call Fabienne by her full name? Shouldn't you call her by her nickname as a sign of closeness? Fab or Yen?"

Mukhang hindi talaga kami tatantanan ng lalaking 'to. He's like someone throwing darts randomly at a board, hoping that one of them would hit the bullseye. Hindi pa nagsisimula ang team building, ganito na siya umasta. Paano pa kaya mamaya?

Go, Priam! Alam kong kaya mong lusutan 'yan!

Pero kapag hindi siya agad nakasagot, ako nang magko-cover para sa kanya. This was a team effort after all.

"I prefer to call Fabienne by her full name," Priam answered, glancing at me. "Why shorten her name when it sounds beautiful in its entirety?"

"Point taken! That does make a lot of sense. Napaka-unique at napakaganda nga namang pakinggan ng name na Fabienne. Did you know that it's a girl's name of French origin—"

"Excuse me?"

Si Castiel na ang sunod na pumunta sa puwesto namin. His walking cane made a loud tap on the ground. He must have noticed that Reynard wasn't leaving us alone. Oh, please save us from this man.

"Priam, we need to double check the bags and the boxes," sabi niya sabay turo sa likuran. "Paparating na rin daw ang buses, ayon kay Sab. Let's make sure na wala tayong maiwan, okay? We can't ask the driver to go back here if we left something."

Tumango sa kanya si Priam at saka sumunod. Sumenyas naman sa 'kin si Castiel na sumama. They turned their backs to me and walked away.

"Let me also help with the checking!" sabi ko sabay sunod sa dalawa. Lumingon muna ako sa kausap kong campus journalist at kumaway sa kanya. "Nice meeting you again, Reynard. Do you mind if I call you Rey? See you later!"

"Talk to you again later!"

Mukhang may balak pa siyang tanungin ako mamaya. I'd try my best not to be cornered by him.

Nagkasabay kaming tatlo na maglakad at pumunta sa area na may patong-patong na boxes. Pinagtinginan kami ng ilang CSC officers. May ilan pa ngang napaturo sa 'kin o sa direksyon ko. They weren't being so discreet, so I heard their whispers.

"'Di ba siya 'yong rumored girlfriend ng USC president?"

"Bakit siya nandito? Hindi naman siya taga-USC, 'di ba? Hindi rin siya taga-CSC."

"Baka taga-Herald siya?"

"Meron nang taga-Herald na nandito. Si Mr. Exposé na nandoon."

"OMG! Baka nandito siya kasi totoo ang rumor!"

"What? Ang pangit naman no'n! Dadalhin mo ang jowa mo sa school activity?"

Gusto kong i-clarify sa kanila na nandito ako bilang volunteer, but I should pretend that I didn't hear any of them. Wala rin ako sa mood na makipagsagutan o makipag-away.

"I told you to be careful around him, didn't I?" Castiel whispered as he limped his way to the spot. His face was also twitching, parang may kumikirot sa kanya. He looked slightly annoyed. Magsisimula pa lang ang araw namin, grumpy na agad siya. "Bakit parang close na close kayong nag-uusap kanina?"

"He approached me first," depensa ko. "Wala akong ibang kakilala na present dito kaya no choice ako kundi makipag-usap sa kanya. I also can't just leave him there. Baka magmukhang suspicious at mahalata niyang aware ako sa threat na dala niya."

"Did he ask anything related to our plan?"

"He tried to make me confirm kung may something sa 'min ni Priam. But don't worry. I gave him a non-answer response. Sinubukan din niya akong i-trick para indirectly ma-confirm ang status namin. Mabuti't nakakambyo ako at hindi tuluyang nahulog sa trap niya."

Pinalibutan namin ang storage boxes, binuksan ang mga 'yon at kunwari'y nagbilang. I saw the materials that we'd be using for the activities later. May mga cloth para sa paggawa ng flag, may paint canisters at brushes na gagamitin sa pagpipintura, may mga recycled paper, at iba pang gamit.

"Good, good." Castiel nodded twice. Napahawak ang kanang kamay niya sa kaliwang binti. "Mukhang dapat tayong mag-extra ingat sa presence niya. He may have a smiling emoji as his face, but beneath that facade, he's devious. Do you think he managed to expose the Center for Christian Formation director by merely asking questions? No. I'm sure he used some kind of underhanded tactics."

"You believe he'd go that far just to expose your Oplan First Lady?" tanong ni Priam, dahilan para mapalingon ako sa kanya.

"He will," mariing sagot ni Castiel. "If he wants more fame and notoriety, this is the perfect chance for him. Kapag na-expose tayo, hindi lang ikaw ang lagot. Maging ang iba pang officers, madadamay dahil kasabwat mo kami. In short, he can take down the entire USC in just one exposé."

I had not heard him to be this threatened before. Kung ganito ka-worried si Castiel, dapat nga siguro kaming maging vigilant kapag kausap namin si Reynard. He wouldn't be this concerned kung hindi legit threat ang lalaking 'yon.

The buses arrived at the waiting area five minutes later. Ipinasok na sa compartment ang mga kahon at iba pang gamit para sa team building. Once everything's in, pumasok na sa loob ng bus ang USC officers. Castiel asked me to join them inside. Huwag daw akong lalayo dahil baka ma-corner na naman ako ni Reynard.

Noong una'y magkatabi sina Priam at Valeria sa pinakaunang row. But Castiel gave the vice president the look. Rolling her eyes, lumipat si Val sa kabilang side, katabi si Sabrina na nakasuot ng headphones at tila may sariling mundo.

Ngumuso na si Castiel sa bakanteng upuan. He didn't have to tell me what to do. Umupo ako sa tabi ni Priam bago pa niya ako mapalo ng walking cane. Wala namang kaso sa 'kin kung seatmates kami. But we had not been this close since we shared the seat at Moonbucks Cafe.

Sunod na pinapasok ang CSC officers na naghanap ng kani-kaniyang puwesto. Pinakahuling pumasok si Reynard at ang kasama niyang may digital camera. Dahil kami ni Priam ang nasa unahan, kami ang unang bumungad sa kanila. May ilang nagulat na parang monsters kami sa haunted house. May ilang napangiti nang nakita kaming magkatabi. Baka kinilig sila or what. I greeted them with a smile.

After ten minutes, umalis na ang bus sa campus. Priam just sat in silence beside me. I was still feeling sleepy kaya ipinikit ko muna ang mga mata ko. The trip would take an hour. Enough na 'yon para makaidlip at makabawi ako nang kaunting tulog.

This was going to be a long day, so I needed more energy to make it through.

Nagising ako nang naramdaman ko ang biglang paghinto ng bus. Dahan-dahang namulat ang mga mata ko. Something's wrong with my vision. Parang nakatabingi ang paningin ko. Parang may pinapatungan ang ulo ko—

My eyes went wide. Doon ko na-realize na nakapatong ang ulo ko sa balikat ni Priam. Bumalikwas ako mula sa kanya at pinunasan ang labi ko, baka may tumulong laway.

"You okay?" tanong ni Priam.

Paulit-ulit akong tumango. "Sorry, nakatulog ako sa shoulder mo."

"It's fine. You must not have slept well last night."

Kami ang unang bumaba ng bus. Sinalubong ng malalaking villas na may tiled roof ang paningin ko. W-in-elcome din ako ng malakas na bugso ng fresh na hangin. Saglit kong ipinikit ang aking mga mata at huminga nang malalim. I wasn't sure if it's just me, but the air here felt different from the city.

Pagkabukas ng mga mata ko, sinimulan nang inilabas ang mga gamit mula sa compartment. Sina Priam at Rowan na ang nag-asikaso ng mga 'yon habang hinarap nina Valeria at Sabrina ang participants. Meanwhile, Castiel and Tabitha talked to the villa manager who went out to welcome us.

This two-day-and-one-night was going to be challenging.

★ ★ ★

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Special thanks to raze_dali and imthecentralorgan for the illustrations!