A/N: I know that it might be late, but Happy Halloween! Here's my treat (without a trick) for the first day of November.

[Art by chiire_dumo]

LORELEI

SEEING LOKI seated at the dining table of our apartment unit was an unusual sight in the morning. Seeing him awake at six in the morning was a rare occasion. I thought he only wanted to change his daily routine, but when my head panned to the direction of the gas stove, I realized what caused the dramatic change.

"Tita Frig?" Namulagat ang mga mata ko nang makilala ang likod ng nakatayong babae. What really gave it away was the crown braid on her head. She turned around to face me, her mouth grinning from ear to ear.

"Good morning, Lorelei! I hope you had a good night sleep!" she greeted me as she placed a platter of eggs on the table. She was probably the second person to have prepared breakfast in our unit. The first one was Jamie. Remember when she slept over in Loki's room?

Kinukusot ko pa ang aking mga mata habang papalapit sa mesa. Nang magawi ang tingin ko kay Loki, he yawned and did not care to cover his mouth. He looked usually bored. What else was new with him?

Frankly, I didn't expect to see his mother anytime soon. That's why it came as a surprise to me to see the Mendez matriarch wearing a pink apron and battling the flames of our stove.

"I hope you don't mind if I fried the eggs in the fridge," Tita Frigette placed the platter of fried rice next on the table. "Let me guess: My son has never touched any of the kitchen utensils here. He'd rather order his food from fast food chains than cook his own. Oh, don't be amazed. I saw a number of meal packs in the trash can."

She's quite right. Unlike Luthor who has displayed his interest and talent in cooking, Loki never bothered with any cooking chores. He told me a few weeks ago that if other people can do it for him—cooking, for instance—why would he exert effort on it?

In normal days, si Tita Martha ang nagluluto ng mga pagkain namin. I sometimes cook my own food. Yes, my own. Loki has no trust in my cooking skills. He thought that the food that I prepare would only upset his stomach.

"Parang mantika siya kung matulog kanina!" Naglagay ng mga plato at kubyertos si Tita Frigette sa mesa. "Lagi sigurong late magising ang lalaking 'to. I know that school bores him, but he at least needs to pass his subjects and graduate on time."

"I appreciate you waking me up by tickling me," Loki rolled his eyes, grabbing a plate and a pair of spoon and fork.

Breaking news: May kiliti pala si Loki. Never thought that's the first thing that I would learn today, courtesy of tita.

"I'm your mother, of course, I should know your weakness!" Tita Frigette pulled a chair and sat on it. "Let's share this blessing like one big, happy family! Take a seat, Lorelei!"

Maingat kong hinila ang isang upuan para hindi lumikha ng nakakangilong kaluskos. I sat down and took a deep breath. The situation reminded me of the day when we had a third person sharing the table with us.

"Lorelei wants to ask you why you are here," Loki said after we exchanged glances. The thought wasn't on my mind and my facial expression surely never hinted at such. "She isn't expecting to see you anytime soon."

"Oh!" Nilagyan ni Tita Frigette ng kanin ang aking plato. "I want to see where my little prince is staying. He hasn't told me about the address, but thanks to Lulu, I found out about it. My son has a habit of keeping secrets, even from people close to him."

I chuckled at the mention of the term "secret." That single word briefly reminded me of Loki's betrayal which, to this moment, was still fresh on my mind. "You are right, tita. He's so good at keeping secrets. He has grown fond of keeping people in the dark, it seems."

Loki stared at me with his unamused eyes and flat-lined lips. His blank face was screaming, "Oh, that thing again?"

"But he is a good man," Tita Frigette added, putting an egg cooked sunny-side up on my plate. "With vulnerabilities and trust issues, just like everyone else in this world."

"Thank you for coming to my defense, mom," Loki replied, taking in a spoonful of rice. "But you shouldn't have added that last bit."

Pinanood ko silang kumain habang nagkukuwentuhan. Loki doesn't realize how fortunate he is for having a mom who deeply cares for him, who unconditionally understands his idiosyncrasies. My last memory with my mother was vague. I was still a child when she died. I can't remember how she sounds like. I can't even recall how she looks like.

"Are you okay, dear?" Tita Frigette asked, touching my hand. "Do we bore you with our mother-and-son talk?"

I slowly shook my head as I resumed enjoying the delicious fried egg and rice. "Don't worry about me, tita. I'm okay. May naalala lang ako."

Knock! Knock!

All our heads turned to the door that creaked open. On the doorway emerged my Tita Martha who's wearing her permanent good morning smile.

"Tita, kain ho kayo!" Loki's mother offered, her hand motioning to the vacant chair.

Umiling ang aking tita sabay sabing, "Salamat pero kumain na kasi ako sa baba. Kay ganda pala ng mama mo, Loki. Bakit hindi mo siya kaagad pinapunta rito? Manang-mana sa kagandahan n'yo ang anak n'yo, ma'am."

"Please, don't call me ma'am. Frigette na lang," sabi ng mama ng nag-iisang lalaki sa unit. "Sana'y hindi kayo masyadong binibigyan ng sakit ng ulo ng anak ko. He can be stubborn sometimes, always doing as he pleases."

"Wala 'yon sa akin," natatawang sagot ni Tita Martha. "Mabait namang bata 'yang si Loki. Wala pa naman siyang ginagawang kalokohan... yata."

"I don't know how to thank you," Tita Frigette said, her eyes blinking. "But I hope that somehow, this will help."

Iniabot niya ang kanyang bag at may kinuhang parihabang libro. It looked like a checkbook. Nakakita na kasi ako ng ganyan dahil madalas 'yang ginagamit ng papa ko sa mga transaction niya.

"Earlier I noticed the damaged rooms a few doors away from this unit," Tita Frigette went on, signing the check. She tore it from the book and walked to my aunt. "As a token of gratitude, please accept this small donation. Sana'y makatulong sa pagpapasaayos n'yo roon sa mga nasirang kwarto."

"Ginagawa ko lang ho ang trabaho ko bilang landlady," tugon ni Tita Martha, nahihiya pang tanggapin ang tseke. "Hindi n'yo na ako kailangang pasalamatan o bigyan ng ganyan."

"But I must insist!" Tita Frigette held my aunt's hand and slipped the check into her palm. "Consider it as a small help, okay? Maliit na bagay pa nga lang ito kumpara sa ginawa mo para sa anak ko."

Wala nang nagawa si Tita Martha kundi tanggapin ang tseke. Nanlaki ang mga mata niya, halos lumuwa ang mga ito nang makita siguro ang figure.

"Why?" Tita Frigette also noticed my aunt's reaction. "Maliit pa ba ang two hundred thousand pesos para ipaayos ang mga nasirang kwarto? I can double the amount, if you want."

Tita Martha shook her head. "Masyado naman yatang malaki ang ibinigay n'yo. Parang hindi ko deserve na makatanggap ng ganito."

"You've done so much for my son," Tita Frigette smiled. "You deserve it. Kulang pa nga 'yan, kung tutuusin."

"Maraming salamat!" tugon ni Tita Martha. Hindi niya matago ang kanyang abot-tengang ngiti. "Teka, balikan ko muna 'yong pinaplantsa ko sa baba."

My aunt left us three in the room as we continued eating. Tita Frigette put more rice on my plate. I was about to protest and say that I had enough, but her smile silenced me. Minsan lang naman mapadami ang kain ko. Another rice serving wouldn't hurt.

Hinintay kami ni Tita Frigette na makaligo at makabihis sa aming school uniform. She offered to give us a ride to school. When my riding experience yesterday flashed briefly on my mind, bigla akong kinabahan.

Before we got out of the apartment unit, I gave a goodbye kiss to Freya, who's busy sleeping and purring in her makeshift bed in our living room. She must have stayed late up night, chasing the rats—if there's any—in our unit.

"Such a cute kitty you got there," Tita Frigette commented, watching me caress the cat's head. "I'm surprised that my son did not object to have that feline creature in your room. He prefers dogs actually. Remember Mjolnir, Loki?"

Her mom's probably talking about Luthor's pet dog, not the magical hammer of the Norse god Thor. Naikwento na kasi sa akin noon ng kuya ni Loki na meron silang alagang aso. Loki wanted to name it "Fenrir," in consistent with the Norse mythology naming scheme that runs in their family, but Luthor shot down the suggestion.

"I can't remember seeing Mjolnir at home this weekend," Loki answered, crossing his arms. "My dear brother probably sacrificed his pet dog to commune with the devil."

Her mom rolled her eyes as she got out of the unit. Loki and I followed her through the stairs and out of the apartment gate. A red SUV was parked on the roadside with a dent visible on its bumper. Tita Frigette crushed her car into the Mendez residence gate and she appeared to not feel any regret about it.

Loki sat on the passenger's seat while I settled down at the back. I don't usually buckle up when I'm seated here, but knowing our chaffeur's extreme driving skills, I had to.

To my surprise, however, Tita Frigette drove the car slower than yesterday.

"Can you now tell us why you paid a visit to our apartment?" Loki asked. I could see him shooting a sideward gaze at his mom.

"I told you already, didn't I?" Sandaling napasulyap sa kanya si Tita Frigette. "I wanted to see where you are staying and express my gratitude to your landlady. She's a good woman, that Martha. I feel relieved to know that she's there to take care of you, apart from Lorelei here."

There's something I wanted to tell his mom, but I held my tongue. I am not taking care of Loki. Why would I? Am I his babysitter?

"What's the other reason?" Loki followed up.

Tita Frigette's finger tapped repeatedly on the driving wheel as we waited for the traffic light to go green. "I want to make sure that your father will honor our agreement. 'Yon ang dahilan kaya ako na mismo ang maghahatid sa inyo. You do know that your father is a close friend of the school chancellor. Just one phone call, a deed can be done. If he has insisted on having you kicked out of Clark High, you won't be able to get past the main gate security."

"Just like what happened to my club," Loki sighed. "With just one word, the QED Club is no more. Can't you do something about that, mom? Bring back the club from the dead?"

"If only I have a direct influence in your school, I can," Tita Frigette replied, shifting the gear then wheeling the car to the left. "Ang importante'y patuloy pa rin kayong makapag-aral sa Clark High. With or without your club, you can still do the things that you have to do. Frankly, I don't think that your father is comfortable with the idea of taking back an order that has been already executed. It might affect his image with the chancellor. Baka sabihan siya na urong-sulong."

"I hope you two would stop your stupid lovers' quarrel," Loki commented. "You and dad are already in your forties, yet you are acting like teenagers."

Tita Frigette smirked. "How old are you, Loki?"

"Seventeen."

"You are still too young to understand the concept of love and marriage," his mom said. "And I don't think that you are already in the position to comment about our—what's the term you used?—ah, lover's quarrel! Maghanap ka muna ng girlfriend bago mo ako pagsabihan. Right, Lorelei?"

"Yes, tita." Tumango na lamang ako, hindi ko inakalang hihingian niya ako ng opinyon. Loki may be a master of deductions who can solve a case within the hour, but he's a novice when it comes to the matters of the heart. That's why he appears insensitive most of the time. He can understand how a wife killed her husband, but not why she killed him.

"Our misunderstanding will resolve itself in the coming days or weeks," Tita Frigette went on. "Leave the adult stuff to us. Focus on what you have to do. I will support you all the way, even if that would require me standing up to the man that I love."

"Love. Present tense," Loki observed. "If you still love my father, why are you making life so hard to him? Why don't you just return home? You know that he loves you more than anything else in the world. By the way, that makes me cringe."

Muntik na akong mapa-facepalm dahil sa sinabi niya, but I couldn't because he's glancing at the rearview mirror every now and then.

"Let me put it in the way that you can understand," Tita Frigette said, keeping her eyes on the road. "Do you have friends, my dear?"

"None," Loki answered firmly. He then gazed at the rearview mirror, exchanging a split second look with me before averting his sight again. "Actually, I have."

"Kapag nagkatampuhan kayo ng kaibigan mo, 'di ba minsan magkakalayo muna kayo?" his mom began to explain. "You need to give each other time to reflect on the rift that threatened your fragile friendship. Posibleng may ma-realize ka, posibleng may ma-realize siya. After that short tampuhan, magkakabalikan na ulit kayo, stronger than ever. Ganyan din sa buhay mag-asawa. Or in your case in the future, buhay mag-boyfriend-girlfriend."

"So you want my father to realize something first before you go back to his arms?" Loki sneered. "You do have a knack for the dramatic, mom."

That you inherited, I thought to myself. Sometimes he had to resort to theatrics to make a point. Not that different from his mother. Halatang may pinagmanahan.

"Gusto mo munang magkaroon ng drama bago kayo magkabalikan," dagdag ni Loki, nakatingin sa mga estudyanteng naglalakad sa sidewalk. Malapit na kami sa main gate ng Clark High. "I can't say if my father will appreciate that move."

"If he still loves me, I'm a hundred percent sure that he will."

Our red SUV stopped before the main gate. A campus security personnel approached the driver's side. Tita Frigette asked for our ID cards before rolling down the car window. "Ihahatid ko lang ang anak ko pati ang friend niya."

Nang makuha na 'yon ng security, kaagad niya itong ini-swipe sa kanyang device. Nagkatinginan kaming tatlo sa loob ng kotse dahil ilang beses na sinubukan ng security na i-swipe ang mga ID. May kaunting kaba sa mga dibdib namin. Well, I don't know about Loki because he seemed not bothered.

Would his father risk losing his mother by initiating our expulsion from the school?

"Welcome to Clark High, ma'am and sir!" the security personnel greeted, returning our ID cards to us. Parang nabunutan kami ng tinik sa lalamunan nang makalagpas na kami sa main gate.

"You dad doesn't want to lose me," Tita Frigette smiled, may halong kilig ang pagkakasabi niya. She was pleased that her husband took back his threat.

The crimson car stopped in front of the school building. Loki and I removed our seatbelts and bade farewell to his mom.

"Take care of yourselves, okay?" Tita Frigette pulled the head of her son close to her lips and kissed it. "Kapag may problema, i-text o tawagan n'yo lang ako. Should Odinaire change his mind, pupuntahan ko talaga siya sa bahay at aawayin ko siya."

Nagmano muna ako kay tita bago lumabas ng kotse. Loki and I stood on the roadside, watching the red SUV drive back to the main gate.

"You are still upset, aren't you?" Loki asked when we started making our way to the steps of the school building.

I wasn't expecting him to start the conversation. Normally we would walk quietly until we reach our destination, unless there was something important that we needed to talk about.

"You went straight to bed last night," Loki went on when I refused to give a reply.

"I was tired and I did not get much sleep at the hotel," I reasoned. Totoo naman kasi. "Thanks to the case that we had to solve."

"You didn't greet me good morning earlier," he pointed out next.

Natigil ako sa paglalakad at tiningnan siya ng mga naningkit kong mata. "Why? Am I required to greet you a good morning every time we see each other in the kitchen?"

"You are a detective, Lorelei. You know that consistency in action is a huge factor in determining whether something's wrong or not," he explained in his matter-of-fact tone. He also came into a halt, turning to my direction. "The fact that you did not make such greeting is a potential indication that you are still hurting from what you learned two nights ago."

Napabuntong-hininga ako. I can't believe that I had to explain this thing to a seventeen-year-old. "Let me put it in the way that you can understand—"

"You are beginning to sound like mother," he interrupted.

"Have you been wounded in your entire seventeen years of existence?" I asked in a mocking tone. "Does a wound heal overnight? No. I hope that you got my point."

"Yes, the wound doesn't heal immediately, but the platelets should start the blood clotting and stop the bleeding as soon as they can—"

"Even if the wound heals, a scar will be left," I finished. Of course, I couldn't let him have the last word. "And that scar shall serve as a gentle reminder of the pain that a person had to go through. Every time you see that scar, you can't help but remember the agony. So if you see the person who hurt you on a daily basis, you will be constantly reminded of it."

There was a brief silence and exchange of glances before he uttered, "Point taken."

He went ahead, walking on a faster pace than usual. Sumunod ako sa kanya at sinubukang sabayan ang bilis niya sa paglalakad. Good news. I won the early verbal fencing.

Kataka-taka na dinudumog ang isang mesang naka-set sa entrance lobby. That table was not usually there. Some curious students lined up, waiting for their turn to be given a copy of a magazine.

The strange flocking of students on that station caught Loki's attention. He broke through the line without saying "excuse me." Ako na ang humingi ng dispensa para sa mga nakabangga niya.

I was expecting them to be mad for us cutting the line, but the students started whispering to each other, pointing at the cover of the magazine. Nang marating ko ang unahan ng pila at makita ang mga nakahilera sa mesa, I saw an image that I personally knew was taken some weeks ago.

On the magazine's cover, the four members of the now defunct QED Club donned Sherlock Holmes outfit. Our majestic feline friend sat on Loki's lap, posing for the camera.

"Sila 'yong nasa cover, 'di ba?"

"Talaga? 'Yong sikat na QED Club?"

"I heard na na-disband na ang detective group nila."

"Bakit? Dahil ba sa isyu noon na ipinakalat ng Clarion?"

"Fake news daw 'yon."

Loki and I grabbed our own copy of the latest issue of Clark Clarion's magazine. The paper's circulations manager did not protest when we cut the line. He greeted us with a smiling face and said, "Enjoy reading!"

As my hand felt the glossy cover, Jamie's words rang into my ears. Back in Black Dahlia hotel, she revealed that Moriarty's organization was receiving funds from the Clarion's budget.

"I also heard that our student publication has an annual budget of more or less one million for its operations. Imagine how much percentage of that can help Moriarty's cause."

Kung totoo ang intel niya, these magazines with our faces plastered on the cover somehow contributed to the young criminal mastermind's growing "business."

"We were supposed to circulate the magazines last week, but we had some problems with the budget." That sinister yet familiar voice made me and Loki turn around.

Emerging from the crowd was a young man with slicked back hair. His rectangular spectacles gleamed with malice, one end of his lips curving with spite.

"I am sorry to hear about the dissolution of the QED Club," the editor-in-chief of Clark Clarion said. "Don't worry. Your club's existence has been immortalized in the history pages of Clark High, thanks to us."

"Long time no see, Augustus Moran," Loki greeted back. "Let's dispense all the niceties, shall we?"

q.e.d.