HARRIET

TODAY'S THE start of a new era, like a flower blooming at the start of spring. New beginnings. New hope. New experiences.

Nagmadali akong bumaba mula sa second floor ng Holmes Hall, bitbit ang foldover bag ko. Hindi ako late nagising para sa first day namin pero dahil sa sobrang excitement, naunahan ko pa ang pagtilaok ng manok.

"Good morning!" bati ko sa mga nakasasalubong ko sa hagdan.

"Good morning din!" sagot nila sa akin na sinabayan ng malawak na ngiti.

Judging by their faces filled with enthusiasm, I wasn't the only one looking forward to this day. My fellow Housemates also woke up early and started dressing up for the morning classes. May mga nakasabay pa nga ako sa hallway ng first floor na mukhang hindi na natulog dahil sa pagkasabik.

"Good morning, manong guard!" Sumaludo ako sa security personnel na nakaistasyon sa entrance ng hall. He returned my salute, greeted me with a smile and gave words of good luck for the day.

I could feel it! The positive vibes, the scent of the morning dew, the blossoming flowers on the roadside—Simula na nga ng bagong semester!

From where I was walking, tanaw-tanaw ko na ang mga school building na ilang metro mula sa dorm namin. I can't help but notice a sea of blue — the official color of our House — as I got closer to my destination. Like me, they were wearing blue inverness cape that covered about half of our bodies. 'Yon kasi ang prescribed uniform sa amin.

Welcome to Q.E.D. University, the exclusive school for aspiring detectives! Yes, gusto kong maging isang magaling na deductionist kagaya ng greatest fictional detective of all time na si Sherlock Holmes kaya dito ako nag-enroll instead na sa ibang universities.

My dad was against my decision to pursue the science of deduction and art of detection. Mas gusto niya kasing sundan ko ang yapak niya at mag-take up ng law. But I refused to be like him. Ipinaglaban ko na mag-aral sa university na 'to at maging detective balang-araw. He had no choice but to give in to what I really wanted.

All students here are sorted into four Houses, named after four prominent characters in the same detective series. Bago ka officially ma-enroll, kailangan mong dumaan sa isang aptitude test para malaman kung saang House ka bagay. And fortunately, napunta ako sa House Holmes.

Ang tawag sa dormitory namin ay Holmes Hall kung saan tumutuloy ang lahat ng mga Holmesian. Meron ding dorms para sa ibang House na malapit din sa mga school building. Isa sa mga kondisyon bago ka makapag-aral dito'y dapat sa campus premises ka nakatira. We are not allowed to go out during weekdays except if our classes require it. Tuwing weekends, pwede kaming lumabas basta't makapag-secure kami ng permit.

Dahil walking distance ang mga school building, nakarating ako sa harap ng Baker Building in less than five minutes. Dito na naghalo-halo ang mga official color ng bawat house—blue, red, green at yellow. Iba-iba rin ang uniform na suot ng bawat estudyante. May nakapulang blazer, may nakaberdeng sweatshirt at may nakadilaw na vest.

Dumagsa ang lahat sa entrance hall. Marami din palang early birds mula sa ibang Houses na hindi rin makapahintay sa resumption of classes. Bago dumiretso sa hallway, dumaan muna ako sa electronic bulletin board kung saan may bagong naka-flash na poster.

"NUMBER TWO?!"

I can't believe it! Napanganga ako habang tinitingnan ang rank ng House namin. Kinusot-kusot ko pa ang mga mata ko kasi baka namamalik-mata lang ako. Kahit ilang beses kong gawin, nasa second place pa rin kami. This must be real!

Where did we go wrong? Maganda ang performance namin noong previous semester at confident akong natalo namin ang ibang Houses, kaya paanong bumaba ang rank namin? Last year, nasa first place kami at nasa three points ang lamang namin sa House Moriarty. Posible kayang nandaya sila kaya number one na sila ngayon?

Just like in the Sherlock Holmes series, our House's bitter rival was named after Holmes' archnemesis: Professor James Moriarty. Time and time again, napatunayan naming hindi nila kami kayang pataubin. Except this time where they seemingly won the rankings.

Napabuntong hininga na lang ako at napayuko. My fellow Holmesians who were standing beside me also had the same long and sad faces as we tried to accept our grim defeat.

Hindi ako maka-get over sa results. Umaasa akong may darating na faculty member at sasabihing mali ang computation sa overall scores na naka-flash sa bulletin board. Pero hindi, eh. Mukhang final at irrevocable na ito.

"Mukhang may dayaang naganap dito, ah?" pailing-iling na sabi ng katabi kong Holmesian. I was a little surprised to see the familiar face of a girl with bobcut hair. Her eyes were transfixed at the results. "But should we still be surprised?"

"Sherry!" I called. "You think so too? Kapag talaga involved ang House Moriarty, hindi mo maiiwasang isipin na may dayaan."

"In my own estimation, we should have been ahead by three points," another Holmesian on my left spoke. He was gently touching his chin, his jetblack eyes staring at the bulletin board. "Our performance has been consistent since the start of last semester. Even if they did well, there's no way that those manipulative bastards could have surpassed us."

"I agree with you, Locke," I nodded. Gusto ko sanang sabihan siya na i-tone down ang kanyang mga salitang lalabas sa kanyang bibig na laban sa mga karibal namin. But he had a silver tongue. "Look, almost everyone is as shocked as we are about the results. Hindi sila makapaniwala na naungusan tayo ng mga 'yon."

"Papayag kaya sila na magkaroon ng recount?" Sherry mused. "The only way we can erase the doubts in our minds is to see the numbers and check if they all add up to the results."

That would be a tedious process, I thought, since every score that the four Houses had earned were needed to be computed again. And knowing how the so-called leading House reacts to situation, they wouldn't let it happen.

"Sakaling hindi sila pumayag, kailangan nating malaman kung anong dirty trick ang ginawa nila," sabi ko habang nakatitig sa pangalang Moriarty. Okay sana kung Watsonians o Adlerians ang number one, basta hindi sila.

Ugh! I can imagine the smug on the faces of the Moriartians kapag nakita nila ang first semester results.

"What a good way to start the new semester."

Oh my golly. Speaking of the devils!

Isang grupo ng estudyanteng nakasuot ng pulang blazer ang lumapit sa board. Pinangungunahan sila ng isang lalaking nakapamulsa pa habang naglalakad. Naramdaman kong lumakas ang aura ng kayabangan nila kaya nagsitabi ang ibang nakatambay sa board.

"As the saying goes, what goes up must come down," the leader of the pack said in monotone as he pointed at the name of their House. He did not sound boastful yet one could feel in his words na gusto niyang ipamukhang number one sila. "But House Moriarty shall remain at the top."

Meet Morrie Moreno. He always has that bored look on his emotionless face and dull, auburn eyes. He may appear innocent and does not care about the world, but his mind must be cluttered with evil schemes and cunning maneuvers. Nasa parehong class kami at ilang beses ko na rin siyang naka-showdown.

"TALIA RAUX!" sigaw ng lalaking nasa kanan niya. Nakataas pa ang kanang kamay nito at nakakrus ang hintuturo at hinlalato. I can't forget the name and face of André Reyes, also one of our classmates and the sidekick of Morrie.

"TALIA RAUX!" They all cried in unison with raised hands and crossed fingers. Napatingin tuloy sa kanila ang mga estudyanteng dumadaan sa entrance hall, akala siguro'y may mga aktibistang nagra-rally sa loob.

What's with their chant, by the way? Ours is "soar high," in reference to our House sigil that is an eagle. Theirs? Tal-ya-row or something. Hindi ko alam kung saang language galing 'yon.

Pasimpleng sumulyap sa akin ang kanilang lider. I wanna slam his blank face on the board. Nakakaloko na kasi ang tingin niya. 

"We shall celebrate our victory tonight," he announced to the other Moriartians who were all smiles. Siya lang yata ang mukhang walang pakialam. "However, I can't help but feel slightly downhearted for the champions we have finally dethroned. Maybe we can invite them over? If our House Leader Yohan would agree, that is."

Everyone except him laughed in unison. Parang mga demonyong nakawala sa impiyerno. Nahiya tuloy ang mga kapwa Holmesian ko dahil sa pagmamayabang ng mga 'to. Babatukan ko na sana si Morrie ngunit biglang hinawakan ni Sherry ang braso ko. Nang mapatingin ako sa kanya, umiling siya.

"Calm down!" she reminded me. "Do not let that arrogant man get in your nerves."

"If you make a scene here, they would only think that we are a House of bitter students," Locke added, eyeing the faces of the celebrating Moriartians. "Let them have their fun. It won't last anyway."

Huminga ako nang malalim at ipinikit ang aking mga mata. Tama, hindi dapat ako pangunahan ng emosyon. I would only bring dishonor to our House kung papatulan ko ang mga mayayabang na 'to.

"Paano kayo hindi magna-number one e nandaya kayo?" Someone shouted at the men clad in red as they went on their way to the hallway. Dumilat ang mga mata ko at hinanap kung kaninong boses 'yon. It came from a fellow Holmesian.

Huminto sa paglalakad si Morrie at tumalikod para harapin ang matapang naming Housemate.

"Pandaraya?" Nanliit ang mga mata niya sabay lapit sa babaeng bakas ang panggagalaiti sa mukha. Despite the aggressiveness, Morrie maintained a calm composure, not alarmed that the girl in front of him might strangle him with bare hands.

"Oo! Doon naman kayo magaling, 'di ba? Lagi n'yo kaming sinasabotahe at malamang, binlackmail n'yo ang ilang professors natin para mataas ang makuha n'yong score!"

Lahat ng mga napararaan sa entrance ay napapatingin sa kanya, may ilan pa ngang humihinto para panoorin kung anong susunod na eksena. She was creating a scene this early. One may see it as an act of courage, standing up to the enemies. But this did not look good at all. She's messing with the wrong guy!

Pagsasabihan ko sana siya na tumigil pero naunahan ako ni Morrie. He put his hands behind him and slightly raised his head. "That's a serious allegation, what's your name again? Ah, Miss Aquino."

Nanlaki ang mga mata ng Housemate namin nang banggitin ni Morrie ang apelyido niya. Hindi niya siguro in-expect na alam ng taga-ibang House kung sino siya. "Where is your evidence?"

Hindi nakasagot ang babae at natulala lang sa kalaban. Lumapit ng isa pang hakbang si Morrie sa kanya, his evil aura intensified.

"Holmes once said it is a capital mistake to theorize before you have the facts," he said, glancing at everyone who belonged to the same House as the girl before him. "Where are the facts, Miss Aquino? Facts, not baseless accusations."

Kung ako ang nasa sitwasyon ng Housemate namin, manliliit ako sa kahihiyan. Yes, we think that Moriartians cheated in some situations but they were so discreet that they did not leave any evidence.

Morrie raised his forefinger as his eyes continued to kill our Housemate with his deadly stare. "But here's a fact, Miss Aquino. Every night, you are sneaking in the library, meeting with someone from the other House to do something... entertaining."

Natawa ang mga Moriartian habang pinapanood ang panggigisa sa isa sa amin. The tables have been turned against us. Ang mas masakit, wala akong magawa kundi panoorin ang eksenang 'to, thanks to Sherry who was restraining me.

"We have evidence to prove your nocturnal activities," Morrie continued, his voice gave me goosebumps. "I can submit it to your House adviser and have you kicked out of this academy. But because we are not evil as you think we are, we won't do that sort of thing. So the next time you cry foul, make sure you have a rock solid proof."

"And that, Holmes losers, is how you deliver a threat!" sigaw ni Andre. Tumitibok na ang ugat sa noo ko sa sobra-sobrang pamamahiya nila sa amin. Who would dare call us losers?

"Ngayon, alam na ng lahat kung bakit naungusan natin sila." Again Morrie's remarks elicited laughter from his peers. Kaagad nilapitan ng mga kasamahan namin ang napahiyang Housemate na hindi na napigilang mapahagulgol.

I glared at the arrogant Morrie. He did not care whether he would hurt someone's feelings or not. Coincidentally, napatingin din siya sa direksyon ko and he replied with a cold stare.

Ako na sana ang susunod na babanat sa kanya verbally ngunit biglang tinakpan ni Sherry ang bibig ko. But I resisted and managed to break free.

"What an idle threat!" Nilakasan ko ang boses ko para siguradong dinig na dinig ng mga mayayabang. Lahat sila'y napatingin sa akin. Good, I have their attention now.

"Anong sinabi mo?" sigaw ng isa sa kanila. But I didn't care about his reaction, I was only interested in Morrie's. He seemed to be calm.

"Kahit magkakaiba tayo ng House, iisa lang ang curfew hours na ipinapatupad dito sa university." I crossed my arms across my chest and raised my right forefinger. "If you knew that our Housemate is sneaking in the library every night to meet someone, wouldn't that mean na nilabag n'yo rin ang curfew? Para makakuha kayo ng ebidensya, dapat nandoon kayo mismo sa scene, tama?"

I smirked, savoring the confused looks on the Moriartians' faces. Akala n'yo siguro uubra 'yang pagbabanta n'yo sa amin, huh? Your threat has been countered—

"Nice try, miss." Morrie's chilling eyes gazed at me, his face still expressionless. Hindi ko tuloy masabi kung effective ang pangontra ko sa kanya. He's like a code who cannot be easily deciphered. "Your deduction and the wi-fi signal in our Manor have something in common. They're both weak."

Eh?

Bumalik ang kayabangan at muling nagtawanan ang mga Moriartian. Naramdaman ko ulit ang pagtibok ng ugat sa aking ulo habang pinapanood silang humahalakhak.

"Let's say we have photos of your Housemate with someone in the library. Would that necessarily mean that we were there?" Morrie glanced at his companions before returning his gaze at me. "No. We could have gotten those photos from someone who was also at the scene—maybe from a security guard who's making rounds, a janitor who's cleaning the library late at night or an ordinary student who slept at that place."

"Boom, basag!" sigaw ng mga lalaking nasa likod niya, with matching hand gestures pa.

"Therefore, your argument that we also violated the curfew rule because we were also on the scene for us to take photos or videos could be easily dismissed." There was a slight crack of smile on his lips. I could see in his eyes—no matter how cold their gaze was—that he enjoyed mocking me in front of his fellows and my Housemates.

Napakuyom ang mga kamao ko, sabay kagat sa aking labi. If only it wouldn't give me a one-way trip to the guidance counselor's office, I would have punched his annoying face.

"This further proves why they are no longer the top House." Muling tumawa ang mga baliw na Moriartian sa komento ni Morrie. Maybe I should start calling them Moriartards? "Wala palang dahilan para ma-threaten tayo sa kanila."

Ugh. Sumosobra na ang lalaking 'to, ah! Kung pwede lang, na-flying kick ko na siya sa kinatatayuan niya at diretsong clinic na ang aroganteng 'to.

"Let us not waste another second with the former champions." Kumumpas si Morrie sa direksyon ng hallway. Walang reklamong sumunod ang mga kauri niya. "They can pray to any gods, but the numbers on the board wouldn't change. Only a miracle can make that happen. Unfortunately for them, there are no miracles."

Muli na namang napatawa ang mga Moriartians at nag-echo ito sa buong ground floor. Parang maririnig mong humahalakhak ang demonyo dahil napaka-creepy ng tawa nila.

"Talix Raux!"

"TALIA RAUX!"

"Pagbigyan na natin sila ngayon," sabi ni Sherry habang pinapanood kong mawala sa paningin ko ang mga mayayabang. "Pwede pa naman tayong bumawi, 'di ba? Gaya nga ng kanilang sinabi, what goes up must come down."

"Yeah, no one stays at the top forever. We can kick their asses in classroom discussions," dagdag ni Locke. "That Morrie should enjoy their moments of glory while it lasts."

There's one thing that some of our colleagues learned this morning: Never mess with the Moriartards.

But those arrogant fools should also not mess with the Holmesians. Huwag silang masyadong maging kampante. May araw din sila.

-30-