CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter may contain content that might be troubling to some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to death, self-harm and suicide, graphic violence, sexual assault, strong language and more.

Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.

LORELEI

"BAGAY BA sa akin?

I stood before a tall mirror, turning around to check if the brown Inverness cape suited me. I glanced at my childhood friend through the reflection as he looked at me from head to toe. Magkapareho kami ng suot, pero parang mas bagay sa mga lalaki ang ganitong outfit.

"You look great!" Alistair replied.

"You sure?" I observed his smiling face. Baka sinabi niya 'yon para hindi ako ma-offend. Hindi masagwang tingnan ang suot kong costume. Medyo naninibago ako dahil first time kong magsuot ng ganitong damit.

Kung may ibang taong makakikita sa amin, aakalain nilang may pupuntahan kaming cosplay event. Nag-request ang editorial team ng Clarion na magsuot kami ng Sherlock Holmes costume para sa cover photoshoot ng magazine. We were reluctant at first, but their features editor Felicity Ferrer convinced us.

Habang sine-set-up nila ang camera, lighting, at designs sa audio-visual room, nasa green room kami para ayusin ang mga itsura at suot namin. Donning the famous detective's costume, Loki sat on a chair with his eyes closed and fingertips steepled. On his lap sat our club cat Freya, licking her paws.

Our cat jumped out of surprise when someone slammed the door open. Lumapit siya sa akin, iwinasiwas ang buntot at tila nanindig ang mga balahibo niya. Napadilat tuloy si Loki dahil sa ingay na umistorbo sa concentration niya.

"Sorry if I'm late!" Pumasok si Jamie na bitbit ang costume niya. Napayuko siya, pinunasan ang kaunting pawis, at hinabol ang kaniyang hininga. She looked perfectly well after what happened last week. Isinara niya ang pinto at niyakap si Loki mula sa likuran. "Loki dear! Did you miss me?"

Wow. Ilang araw lang namin siya hindi nakita, pero parang ilang buwan na siyang nahiwalay sa club president namin. As usual, Loki gave no response—not even a nod or shake of his head. Kung mahilig siyang mag-K-zone sa text message, may gano'ng version na rin siya in person.

Sunod siyang humarap sa amin ng kababata ko, may ngiti pa rin sa mga labi niya. "Na-miss n'yo rin ba ako?"

"A bit," tugon ko.

"Of course," sagot ni Alistair.

"Aba, dapat lang! The QED Club isn't complete without the Jamie Santiago—" Bumaling ang tingin niya sa pusang nasa paanan ko. Nanlaki ang kaniyang mga mata kasabay ng paglawak ng ngiti niya. She clapped her hands over her mouth. "O-M-G! A cat!"

"Her name's Freya. Loki's choice," pakilala ni Alistair sa club cat namin. "She was resting on Loki's lap before you arrived."

Jamie stretched her arms forward as Freya took a few steps backwards. Her tail rapidly whipped back and forth. Hindi ko alam ang meaning n'on, pero halata sa nanliit niyang itsura at tumindig na mga balahibo na natakot siya.

"Oh, my sweet and cute little ball of fur! Come to Mommy!" Sinubukang suyuin ni Jamie ang pusa gamit ang malambing niyang boses. Tumatalab ang charm niya sa mga tao, pero tatalab kaya 'yon sa mga hayop? Mukhang hindi.

"Hiss!" Lalo pang umurong si Freya sabay pakita ng mga pangil nito. Her pupils narrowed into slits as her eyes closely observed the human in front of her.

Hindi nagpatinag ang kasama namin kaya itinuloy niya ang paglapit. "Loki's your dad and I'm your mom kaya wala kang dapat ikatakot sa 'kin!"

"HISS!"

Mahahawakan na sana niya ang pusa, pero bigla siyang kinalmot nito. Mabuti't mabilis na naiurong ni Jamie ang mga kamay niya, kundi nasugatan na siya. Mukhang ayaw talaga sa kaniya ni Freya.

"Come here." Binuhat ko ang alaga namin at kinarga sa braso ko. I gently scratched her head and chin. Nanumbalik sa dating laki ang mga pupil niya at umurong ang kaniyang mga matatalim na kuko.

"Are you okay?" Agad na nilapitan ni Alistair ang kasama namin. "Kailangan mo ba ng alcohol? O gusto mong pumunta sa clinic para matingnan 'yan."

"Don't worry, hindi niya ako nakalmot." Ipinakita ni Jamie ang mga kamay niya bago siya lumingon sa akin. "You've probably brainwashed that cat when I wasn't around to dislike me."

"Cats trust their own instincts," sagot ko habang idinuduyan si Freya. "They know whenever there's danger nearby."

"Are you saying I'm danger—"

Naantala ang gusto niyang sabihin nang muling bumukas ang pinto. Sumilip si Felicity sa loob at sinabihan kaming mag-ready na. Patapos na ang kanilang unang shoot kaya kami na ang susunod.

Muli kong tiningnan ang sarili ko sa salamin bago ako umalis kasama sina Loki, Alistair, at Freya. Nagpaiwan si Jamie sa green room para suotin ang costume niya. Pagpasok namin sa audio-visual room, bumati sa amin ang tatlong staffer. Parang professional photography studio ang arrangement sa loob. May isang nakapuwesto sa DSLR camera na naka-tripod, may isang naka-assign sa lights, at may isa pang merong nakasabit na camera sa leeg para sa behind the scenes.

"Standby na kayo!" utos ni Felicity sa kasamang staff. Sumunod sa kaniyang galaw ang naka-ponytail niyang buhok. "We're just waiting na matapos magbihis 'yong isa nilang kasama!"

Napahanga ako sa preparation ng Clarion para sa photoshoot na ito. Hindi lang sila bumili ng costumes, mukhang nag-rent din sila ng equipment.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Biglang tumayo ang mga balahibo ko nang narinig ang boses na 'yon galing sa likuran. This strange aura . . . there were only two students in Clark High who could make me feel this way: Luthor and Stein. I did not feel the former's chilling aura, so it must be . . .

"Stein Alberts." Loki turned around to greet his archnemesis. "I'd like to shake hands with you, but yours are too dirty."

The bespectacled student only smiled as he approached the three of us. Freya, who followed us from the green room, was also frightened by his presence.

"How does it feel to be under the spotlight?" Hindi pa rin nabubura ang nakakaasar niyang ngisi. "The way you handled that bomb threat incident was impressive! Your club deserves to earn some recognition for your efforts. First, a commendation from the student council. Now, a magazine cover story. What else is next, I wonder?"

"Is this the part where you tell us to thank you?" Nakipagtitigan sa kaniya si Loki. "Did you come all the way here just to hear our words of gratitude? You could have messaged me, but there's no guarantee that I'll reply."

Oo nga naman! Bakit nandito ang lalaking ito? Sa pagkakaalam ko, para sa aming taga-QED Club ang photoshoot.

"Don't flatter yourself too much just because your club got the cover feature," Stein replied. "Yours truly will be also featured for acing the regional math contest. They've taken my photos before you came in."

"What a shame. I thought of asking you to join us." Loki jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "This isn't possible without you. You deserve more credit than we do."

"You better enjoy your moment in the limelight while you can." Stein walked past us and tapped Loki on the shoulder. Inilapit pa niya ang kaniyang bibig sa tainga nito. "This stuff does not tend to last that long."

Kumaway siya sa amin bago tuluyang lumabas ng audio-visual room. Nakahinga na rin ako nang maluwag matapos umalis ang source ng nakaka-suffocate na aura.

"That's a threat, isn't it?" Bumaling ang tingin ni Alistair sa akin bago kay Loki. "The bit about us being in the spotlight for not that long. Mukhang may pinaplano na naman siyang hindi maganda."

"It sounds like one." Napahawak ako sa aking dibdib, may naramdamang kaunting kaba.

"We need to act soon." Tila nakatulala ang tingin ni Loki sa pintuan kung saan dumaan ang mastermind. "We've been on the defensive since the beginning. It's about time to go on the offensive."

"You've got a plan?"

"We'll pay a visit to a certain someone after this shoot. Let's see if we can rattle him."

"You mean Augustus—"

Muling bumukas ang pinto at pumasok si Jamie. Suot na rin niya ang kaniyang Sherlock costume. May halong pagtataka sa mukha nang napaturo siya sa labas. "D-Did you see that guy? Nakasalubong ko siya paglabas ko ng green room."

"As it happens, the Clarion's editorial team has taken photos of him for a feature article." Inayos ni Loki ang kuwelyo ng cape niya. "And he didn't miss the opportunity to send his regards and congratulations to us."

"Kaya pala! Akala ko sinadya niya tayo rito—"

"Excuse me? Are you ready for the cover shoot?" tanong ni Felicity paglapit niya sa amin. Biglang natikom ang mga bibig namin. "Puwede na kayong pumuwesto ro'n sa armchair. Kayong bahala kung saan kayo uupo o tatayo."

We were escorted to the area illuminated by warm lights. May isang upholstered na upuan sa gitna kung saan umupo si Loki nang magkadikit ang dulo ng mga daliri niya. I sat on the chair's left arm while Jamie stood on the right. Pumuwesto si Alistair sa likuran, kitang-kita ang upper body niya.

Itinaas ng cameraman ang kaniyang kamay at isa-isang ibinaba ang mga daliri na nagsilbing countdown. Bago niya na-click ang shutter, biglang tumalon si Freya sa lap ni Loki at humarap sa camera na tila gusto ring sumama sa cover shoot.

"Is it okay kung kasama ang pusa?" I raised my hand, directing the question at the editor who stood beside the cameraman. Masyadong maliwanag kaya halos sumara ang mga mata ko. "We have adopted her as our club cat, so she's technically one of us."

"As long as magbe-behave siya sa harap ng camera, we don't mind including her in the frame," sagot niya.

"Thank you!"

Muling itinaas ng cameraman ang tatlong daliri niya. "Again, at the count of three!"

Huminga ako nang malalim at deretsong tumingin sa camera. One. Two. Three.

Click!

AFTER THE cover shoot which only took half an hour, inalis na namin ang Sherlock costumes at ibinalik ang mga 'yon sa editorial staff ng Clarion. Nagpasalamat kami sa kanila at nagpasalamat din sila sa amin.

Lagpas alas-dose na nang nakabalik kami sa clubroom. Loki wanted to formulate a plan in taking down Moriarty's organization. May isang baraha na kaming hawak, pero hindi pa namin alam kung saan, kailan, at paano 'yon gagamitin.

"Our goal is simple," sinimulan niya agad ang briefing habang naglalakad paikot sa mesa. "Find an evidence linking Augustus Moran to Moriarty."

"That's not as easy as it may sound." Napasandal si Alistair sa upuan. "I hope it's not like finding a needle in a haystack."

"We'll burn the haystack if we need to."

"Saan natin hahanapin ang ebidensyang 'yan?" Nilaro ni Jamie ang kaniyang braid. "At paano natin makukuha? Kailangan ba nating gumawa ng sitwasyon para mapilitan si Augustus na ilabas 'yon?"

"I'm still figuring out that part. Once we get hold of that evidence, we won't hand it over to the campus police immediately. No, we have to play our cards wisely. We'll use it not just to make him confess, but to extort more information about Moriarty. If he chooses to cooperate, the mastermind's house of cards will soon tumble down."

"But the same question remains. How are we going to find that evidence?" tanong ko habang hinihimas ang ulo ni Freya. Kanina pa siya nakahiga at natutulog sa lap ko. "Kung hindi natin alam kung saan tayo maghahanap, wala tayong makukuha. At kung wala ang ebidensyang 'yon, hindi natin mapasusunod si Augustus sa gusto natin."

Natahimik kaming apat habang nakayuko, pinag-iisipan kung paano maisasagawa ang plano.

"How about a simple admission?" tanong ni Alistair. "What if we can get him to admit his connection to Moriarty? Will that suffice?"

"That might work." Sandaling huminto si Loki, sumulyap sa kababata ko. "But he won't simply confess to us, so we need to rattle his cage. We need to make it appear that it's already a game over for him, and he has nowhere else to go but to us."

Kung sakaling aminin nga ni Augustus na isa siya sa mga tauhan ni Moriarty, we needed to put in on record or in writing—in any form that he could not fight off easily.

"What if we surprise him by purposely letting him know we're aware of their connection?" suhestiyon ko. "Siguradong matataranta at mababahala siya. We may catch him off-guard and he may even say some incriminating stuff."

"I have the same thought." Tumango siya sa akin bago nagpatuloy sa paglalakad. "We'll surprise him by visiting him unannounced. Then we'll gamble the piece of information that Officer Montreal provided before he offed himself."

Sana'y maging effective 'yon kung sakali.

Biglang napapalakpak si Jamie. Nagising tuloy si Freya at tumalon sa mesa. "Remember the earrings with hidden camera and microphone? What if we use them for this mission? Kung mare-record natin ang kaniyang admission at kung ano pa man ang sasabihin niya, puwede nating gamitin 'yon laban sa kaniya!"

"Good idea. I've kept them under the table."

"So what will be our tasks?" tanong ni Alistair habang kinakamot ang baba ng pusa. "And who will be assigned to them?"

"Lorelei and I will pay Augustus a surprise visit." Nabaling sa akin si Loki. "As much as I want the four of us to go there and savor the look on his face, this plan may work if there are only two of us meeting him."

"Hindi ba delikado para sa inyong dalawa?" nag-aalalang tanong ng kababata ko, nahinto sa paghimas sa pusa. "He may look harmless, but he's still a high-ranking officer in Moriarty's organization."

"Augustus doesn't strike me as someone who will point a gun at us once we corner him. Don't worry, Lorelei has a stun pen with her. If he tries to do anything funny, we'll pacify him." He turned to me. "Are you bringing it?"

Tumango ako sa kaniya sabay labas ng stun pen mula sa bulsa ko.

"Great."

"How about me?" Itinaas ni Jamie ang kamay at ikinaway 'yon para mapansin siya. "Bakit 'di ako ang isama mo, Loki dear? I can act convincingly in front of Augustus! May iba rin akong talent na puwedeng makatulong sa 'tin!"

"We need you and Alistair to record everything the earrings will pick up. Your role is just as important as ours."

"Fine! Basta next time, ako na ang isasama mo, ha?"

"That depends." Tuluyan nang huminto si Loki at seryosong binato ng tingin ang bawat isa sa amin. "Are there any more questions? Shall we commence this operation?"

Hindi na kami nag-aksaya ng oras. Agad na sinet-up nina Alistair at Jamie ang isang laptop sa clubroom. Direktang naka-connect doon ang earrings na may hidden camera. Hindi rin gano'n kalayo ang editorial office ng Clarion kaya walang magiging problema sa feed na mapanonood sa kanilang screen.

Once Loki and I were ready, nagpaalam na kami sa dalawa naming kasama. Sinubukang sumunod ni Freya, pero sinabihan ko siyang mag-stay sa clubroom. Mukhang naintindihan niya ang sinabi ko kaya hindi siya bumuntot sa akin.

Nagmadali kaming bumaba ng hagdanan at nagtungo sa east wing ng ground floor. Kumatok muna kami sa pinto ng editorial office bago pumasok sa loob. Abalang-abala ang karamihan sa mga staffer na nakaupo sa harapan ng mga desktop computer at laptop, halos walang tigil sa pagtakatak ang mga keyboard. Ni hindi nga yata nila kami napansin.

Nilagpasan namin ni Loki ang mga hile-hilerang mesa hanggang sa narating ang cubicle ng editor-in-chief sa pinakadulo. Sumilip ako sa loob. Walang tao.

"Baka kumakain pa siya o may ibang lugar siyang pinuntahan ngayong lunchtime." Iginala ko ang aking tingin sa buong opisina ng student publication namin. Inobserbahan ko rin ang mga abalang staffer. May isa sa kanilang napatingin sa aming direksiyon at tila nasorpresang makita kami rito.

"Good afternoon! You two must be from the QED Club?" nakangiting tanong niya sa amin nang nakalapit na siya. "I'm Zoey Bernardo, one of the news writers here."

"Oo, kami nga," kumpirma ko. "May maitutulong ba kami sa 'yo?"

"Before I tell you what it is, are you here to see the chief? He went out for lunch, pero babalik na niyan siya. You can wait for him in his cubicle if you want. Baka mangalay kayo sa katatayo rito."

"Thank you."

Binuksan niya ang pinto ng cubicle at pinapasok kami sa loob. She asked us to take our seats as she closed the door. Loki's eyes started to roam around the partitioned-off area, probably searching for clues that could link the editor-in-chief to the young mastermind.

"I was about to go to your clubroom, pero mukhang hindi na kailangan." Nanatiling nakatayo si Zoey sa tabi ng pintuan. "Gusto kong i-grab ang opportunity na 'to para magtanong. May isinusulat kasi akong article tungkol sa cases kung saan involved daw ang taong nagngangalang Moriarty. Is that okay with you two?"

Upon hearing the codename of the criminal mastermind, Loki looked back at her. "As long as they're worth our time. I've had enough answering nonsense questions by your features editor."

How rude. Paano kung ang attitude niya ang isulat sa article? Baka masira ang image ng club namin. Kailangan niyang magtimpi at pumreno minsan.

"Do you mind if I record our conversation? Just a few questions?"

"Ask away."

Zoey cleared her throat first before shooting the first one. "Today, I'm interviewing Loki Mendez and Lorelei Rios of the QED Club. They've given their consent to record this short interview. First question—Is Moriarty even real?"

Kumunot ang noo ko habang naningkit ang mga mata ni Loki. Anong klaseng tanong 'yon?

"Of course, he's real," sagot ni Loki. "He's been involved in numerous cases on campus. If you've read the cases on Lorelei's blog, some of them were meticulously plotted by that elusive mastermind."

"Is it possible that he's just a figment of your imagination? Someone told me that you've conjured up this Moriarty figure to have some sort of a villain."

Saan galing ang mga tanong niya? Sa tingin ba niya'y gawa-gawa namin si Moriarty?

"How many times must I tell you that Moriarty is real? I've met him in person and you must have heard of his real name somewhere," tugon ni Loki. "Whoever told you that Moriarty's fictional must be trying to mislead you."

"That's why I'm asking you these questions. To get clarification directly from you." May isinulat si Zoey sa dala niyang notebook. "I've also interviewed a couple of people on campus. Some of them don't believe that you happened to stumble across some of the cases you've solved. For instance, last week's bomb threat incident."

"And your question is?"

"This may sound nonsense, but I have to ask. Have you ever staged some of those cases—or even just one—to make noise and attract attention to your club?"

Lalo pang nalukot ang aking noo. Ano ang tingin niya sa amin? Uhaw sa atensiyon?

"You've already answered your own question," sabi ni Loki. "That's pure nonsense."

"I see. This one's going to be personal, but please bear with me. Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychological or mental disorder before? That can possibly explain why you allegedly created Moriarty."

Doon muntik na nalaglag ang panga ko. Habang patagal nang patagal, pa-grabe nang pa-grabe ang mga tanong niya. Sinasabi niya ba na may problema kami sa pag-iisip?

"Or have you been exposed to a number of detective dramas? Maybe consuming that type of media has affected your thinking—"

"We're done." Hindi na siya pinatapos pa ni Loki. "We won't answer any of your outrageous questions."

"They have decided to terminate the interview." Isinara na ni Zoey ang notebook niya at kinuha ang kaniyang phone na nagre-record mula sa desk. "Thank you for your time. Pakihintay ang EIC namin dito. He should be returning any moment now."

Iniwan na niya kami sa cubicle. Tanging ang mga takatak ng keyboard ang narinig namin mula sa labas. Pareho kaming natulala ni Loki, mukhang hindi makapaniwala sa mga tanong na ibinato sa amin. Sino-sino kaya ang mga in-interview ng babaeng 'yon? At bakit gano'n ang kanilang mga sagot?

Ilang minuto pa kaming naghintay bago bumukas ang pinto ng editorial office. Pumasok ang isang lalaking nakasalamin. He greeted everyone a good afternoon as he went on his way to his cubicle. Pagbukas niya sa isa pang pinto, tila nagulat siyang makita kaming dalawa ni Loki na naghihintay sa loob.

"We've been waiting for you, Augustus Moran," bati ni Loki.

"Loki Mendez. Lorelei Rios. What a pleasant surprise!" Isang malawak na ngiti ang binati sa amin ni Augustus. Dumeretso siya sa swivel chair niya at tinanggal muna ang kaniyang salamin. "What brings you here? Do you have concerns about the cover shoot and interview?"

"One of your staff interviewed us this afternoon. Now we wanna return the favor." Ipinagkrus ni Loki ang mga binti niya. "It's your turn to be interviewed by us."

Biglang natawa ang editor-in-chief habang pinupunasan ang salamin niya. "It doesn't work that way, but let me hear what you have to say. What do you want to discuss with me?"

"Your connection with Moriarty."

"Excuse me?" Napahinto siya sa pamumunas at nanliit ang mga mata. "May connection with whom?"

Sinuguro kong nakatutok ang mga hikaw sa direksiyon ni Augustus para kapag umamin siya, kitang-kita ang paggalaw ng bibig niya at kuhang-kuha ang kaniyang boses.

"Drop the act now. We know that you're one of his minions," sabi ni Loki. "Wait, that doesn't accurately describe your role. According to an unimpeachable source, you're one of his so-called generals."

Muling natawa ang editor-in-chief habang pailing-iling sa amin. "I have no idea where you got that information, but you're making a serious allegation here, Mr. Mendez. I can charge you for slander."

"You can only consider it slander if it's not true. But this isn't an allegation. This is the truth."

"Truth? So where's your evidence?" Isinuot na niya ang kaniyang salamin. "And who is this unimpeachable source?"

"Let's just say he's someone fully aware of your affiliation with Moriarty's organization. We won't be seating across from you right now if the information isn't legitimate."

Pumalad siya sa amin na parang nanghihingi ng limos. "Do you have it on record? Do you have any concrete proof that I'm connected with that Moriarty?"

"Of course. We'll hand it over to the campus police this afternoon. But we wanna give you a chance to come clean. We don't wanna drag you into a messy affair if we can avoid it."

Kakagat kaya siya? Masyado siyang relaxed. Masyado siyang kumpiyansa. Hindi maganda ang kutob ko rito.

"You're bluffing." Ngumisi si Augustus. "Maybe someone did claim that I'm connected with Moriarty—just to be clear, I am not—but you've got nothing to prove it. Parang nagsulat kayo ng isang controversial news article na puro quotes at walang facts."

"But the quotes in our imaginary article make some sense," buwelta ko.

"Yes, but those quotes are just air. You need something concrete." Nabaling sa akin ang kaniyang tingin, napakumpas pa ang kamay niya. "It seems that you're trying hard to connect dots that don't exist. You even tried to trick me! Nice try, but I won't bite."

Mukhang hindi effective ang strategy namin. Kailangan muna naming umurong at mag-strategize. Marahan kong tinapakan ang sapatos ng katabi ko para bigyan siya ng cue.

"You can dodge the truth today, but you can't dodge it forever." Tumayo na si Loki mula sa kinauupuan niya kaya gumaya ako sa kaniya. May halong pagbabanta ang kaniyang tono. "We won't stop until we expose your connection with Moriarty."

Augustus leaned forward. "I don't appreciate being threatened in my own office. Remember, I can destroy you and your little club in about six to eight words."

"I wanna see you try." Tumalikod sa kaniya si Loki at lumabas na ng cubicle. Agad akong sumunod sa kaniya palabas ng editorial office. Nagmadali siyang naglakad kaya kinailangan kong bilisan at lakihan ang mga hakbang ko.

Pakiramdam ko'y hindi lang si Augustus ang nakaaway namin, kundi maging ang buong editorial staff ng Clarion.

"He saw through your lie," bulong ko nang paakyat na kami sa hagdanan at pabalik na sa clubroom. "Mukhang wala rin tayong makukuhang kahit anong useful sa recording. Instead of making him confess, we ended up provoking him."

"I've underestimated him." Napapalatak si Loki nang may pag-iling. "He's not the type to be rattled so easily. Bluffing didn't work on him. If only we had a bigger ammunition, we could have made him kneel before us."

"So your plan is a complete failure?"

"Plan A failed. Time for Plan B."

"You've never told us about Plan B."

"I've just thought of it. Now that we've let him know we're aware of the connection between him and Moriarty, he might do something drastic to prevent us from uncovering his tracks. If he makes any missteps out of carelessness or recklessness, that will be the perfect opportunity to strike."

Pagbalik sa clubroom, hindi na namin kinailangang ikuwento at ipaliwanag pa sa mga kasama naming naiwan dito. Napanood at narinig nila ang buong pangyayari—mula sa interview hanggang sa komprontasyon namin kay Augustus. Binalaan kami ni Loki na maghanda dahil may chance na gumanti ang editor-in-chief.

Sa paanong paraan kaya niya kami babalikan?

THE NEXT morning, maaga kaming umalis ng apartment ni Loki kaya maaga rin kaming nakarating sa campus. Nang malapit na kami sa high school building, napansin namin ang mga estudyanteng may hawak-hawak na diyaryo habang naglalakad. Nakakunot ang kanilang mga noo na tila may binabasang hindi mapaniwalaan.

"Must be some school gossip." Walang pakialam si Loki nang binanggit ko sa kaniya.

Sana nga'y tsismis lang 'yon. Pero sumama ang kutob ko noong pinagtinginan kami ng mga nakasalubong namin sa building entrance. Paano kung tungkol sa amin ang tsismis?

"LORI!"

Lumingon ako sa likuran matapos marinig ang boses ni Rosetta. Sumabay sa malakas na bugso ng hangin ang paggalaw ng mahaba niyang buhok. Kagaya ng ibang estudyante sa paligid namin, may hawak-hawak din siyang diyaryo. Base sa itsura at tono, mukhang may hindi tama rito.

"Lori, nakita n'yo na ba 'to?" Iniharap niya sa amin ang latest issue ng Clarion at itinuro ang front page. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang nabasa ang mga letrang nakasulat sa bold.

QED'S PATH TO FAME?

Victims, suspect claim deceitby Zoey Bernardo

Napalunok ako ng laway bago sumulyap kay Loki na mukhang nagulat din sa nakita niya.

"In about six to eight words, huh?" bulong niya.

q.e.d.