Chapter 24

Inspection

It is still bugging me the way Lathomia approached me. She was sorry for what happen and I'm okay with it pero dahil sa panggagatong na sinasabi ng mga kaibigan ko, I really should feel conscious about becoming friends with her. Hindi naman sa minamasama ko na kaagad ang trato niya sa akin but if Pee shooter and Bella were right, paano ko na lang kaya siya iiwasan at layuan nang hindi niya nahahalata? Lalo na't ngayon ay kasama namin siya sa Drama Club.

While binging a television series, I saw my parents coming towards me pero tutok lamang ang mata ko sa pinapanood ko. But I can tell that they were talking beside me dahil naririnig ko silang dalawa. And when I look at the both of them, nagtuturuan silang dalawa pero nang makita nila akong nakatingin sa akin, tumigil sila at nginitian ako. Nahuli ko pa ang paniniko ni Dad kay Mommy.

"Alex." Mom started. I paused the tv and give her my attention. "Your Dad and i—"

"But it was all your Mom's idea—I just had to approve her." Aniya, pinalo naman siya ni Mommy dahil sa pagsingit nito.

"Anway, your father was right, it is my idea and we would like you to have a debut party. You know it is not months away, we're only just weeks for that."

"Wait, Mom—isa lang po ba ang ibigsabihin nito, I can get to celebrate my debut party?"

They nodded, "yes, and we'll give you this kind of celebration kasi we know you really did great something and we are so proud of you."

"This party would be all yours. Ikaw bahalang mag-isip ng themes, guests to invites and every thing to serve. We'll just be here for you, to give what you want."

Hindi ko ine-expect na may mangyayaring celebration in my coming birthday and I'm so giddy just by thinking of it. Niyakap ko naman ang parents ko and to thanked them, and how grateful I am that they didn't took away a chance to make me feel that kind of specialty. I'm their only child that's why they all give what they have to give on me.

"This is great," my tone were still undescribable of excitement, "I should tell this to my friends and help me to prepare my party, right?"

They nodded, "yes, we would like you to have your greatest day ever." Dad said.

When Mom and Dad left me alone, I still can't contain my feelings. Ang dami nang nangyayari sa utak ko at hindi ko na maisa-isa ang mga gusto kong happenings sa araw na iyon. Nawala rin naman ako sa concentration sa pinapanood ko kaya pinatay ko na lamang ang tv. Sabik na sabik naman akong ipaalam iyon sa mga kaibigan ko kaya kinuha ko ang phone ko para i-message silang dalawa.

While typing my message with full of typographicals errors dahil sa panginginig ng kamay ko, a notification popped out. Mas naintriga ako nang mabasa ko ang pangalan ni Lathomia. I-clicked it and it directed me sa kanyang profile. Whether to accept her friend request or not. Hindi ko pa naintindihan sa una kung anong meron but suddenly, the moment I'm trying to comprehend and analyse everything, mas lalong nanginig ang kamay ko at naibato ko na lamang palayo sa akin ang phone ko.

Napasigaw ako sa sobrang lakas, na tila umalingawngaw pa sa buong paligid ng bahay namin. Nakalimutan kong touchscreen nga pala ang phone ko at baka sa ginawa kong paghagis ay nabasag iyon.

"Alex?!" I heard my Mom shouting my name, as if really something bad had happened. And I hope it wasn't that bad at all.

"Nothing, Mom!" sigaw ko naman pabalik.

"No, it's like you're not?!" she responded, shouting from the second floor.

"Really, Mom! It's good, nothing to worry about!" I answered.

"Okay, darling!" she said and I took a deep breath to attend my phone that landed on the floor.

Naka-taob ang phone ko, it means ang touchscreen ang nakadapa sa sahig. Dahan-dahan koi tong kinuha, and without hesitations, kaagad kong hinarap ang phone ko and I was crying inside to find out that it has a shattered, thunder like glass. Siniguro ko rin naman kung gumagawa pa ang screen nito, nakahinga ako ng maluwag dahil gumagana pa iyon.

My parents shouldn't know this drama.

Binalik ko sa wisyo ang sarili ko at muling naupo sa sofa. Sobra-sobra naman kasi ang pagre-react ko doon. Nagkaroon ng road construction ang utak ko kaya nagkaroon ng delay at traffic. Hindi kaagad umusad ang mga information na dapat makarating sa utak.

And I don't know what comes into me and I accepted her request.

Mga ilang segundo lang din ang nakalipas ng bigla siyang mag-message sa akin.

Lathomia: Hi Alex! Thanks for accepting my request!

Tinitigan ko lang iyon, hindi ko alam kung anong sasabihin ko. But then, she send one again.

Lathomia: I hope we really can be friends!

Lathomia: By the way, I wanna invite you tomorrow, after class, in my house.

I replied by the curiosity of her motives.

Me: Hi! No problem. Ahm... anong meron bukas?

She replied, "Wait, can I call you na lang? Hirap mag-explain if thru chat?"

Hindi pa nga ako nakakapag-reply sa kanya, she called me immediately.

"Alex!" her tone is so high and screechy by the signal, "I just wanna invite you, please, wala naman tayong gagawing masama doon. It will just be a girl bonding. Please, come and join?"

And maybe, I don't have any choices, "sure, magpapaalam na ako ngayon."

"Gosh, I really like you na as a friend!" aniya at napapakunot noo lang ako sa tono ng pananalita niya, it is so conyo yet so cringy to listen, "can we talk more?"

"Ah, sige, tungkol saan naman?"

"About Gian—Korg, if okay lang."

Napaismid naman ako sa sinabi niya pero ayoko naman siyang babaan ng tawag kaya hinayaan ko na lang, "okay..." wala talaga akong masabi, natahimik na lamang ako.

"What subjects are you in with Gi?"

"Ah—" inisa-isa ko naman ang mga subject ko at isa lang naman doon ang pagkakatanda ko, "PE. Isang subject ko lang siya classmate, bakit mo naman natanong?"

"Nothing, I just wanna know lang... and may I ask?"

"Sure, you are still asking anyway." I sarcastically answered.

She laughed, as if I was joking. "I know that Alex. Natanong ko lang naman iyon kasi wala akong class same schedule with Gi. Nakakaiinggit lang dahil kasama mo siya sa isang subject."

Napa-anga naman ako sa sinabi niya, "bakit ka naman maiinggit sa akin?"

She scoffs, "of course, you get to be with Gi for an hour and a half, sino bang hindi maiinggit diba? And for me na lagi niyang nilalayuan, I couldn't even get to him." She grunted, based on her tone.

"I wanna ask, don't be offended..."

"Sure, go on."

"Why would you still want Korgian even if he pushes you away?" I asked on her but it is like I have been talking to a dead air. For almost three minutes, hindi niya ako kinibo. "Hey, are you still there?"

"Ah, yes! Got busy! See you na lang bukas!" she said and then hang up the call.

Napaisip din naman muli ako sa tanong ko baka na-offend nga siya doon but she accept it, at wala namang masama sa itinanong ko ah? Baka nga mostly of the people are still asking the same thing. Lathomia wanted Korg's attention when he didn't want her now.

Mukhang pinipilit naman ni Lathomia ang kanyang sarili kay Korg. That's what I'm seeing. At kay Korg? He had change when this girl comes and change the crazy atmosphere and turned into a drama one.

—

Last night, I forgot to message Pee shooter and Bella kaya pagkababa ko pa lamang ng school bus ay agad ko nang hinanap ang dalawa. Nagtuloy-tuloy na lang din naman ako papasok sa building ng hindi ko sila mahagilap.

Napansin ko naman na pila-pila ang mga estudyante papasok sa building, napakunot-noo naman akong nakipila rin kahit hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari.

Kinalabit ko naman ang nasa unahan ko para tanungin kung anong nangyayari pero kibit-balikat naman ang naging tugon nito sa akin. Tinatanaw-tanaw ko naman at pansin kong may mga guards na sa entrance ng building. It is like they were scanning, searching every corner of the backpack and even examining the clothes of every students.

"Ano bang nangyayari?" aniko, at nakikinig naman sa usapan ng iba kong katabi.

Wala rin naman akong nakuhang impormasyon dahil iba-iba ang pinupunto nila.

"Amethys!" napalingon naman ako sa paligid ko ng marinig ko ang boses niya.

He was putting his hands in the air and it's like he's making it up for something. Pero nang makalapit siya sa akin ay bigla niya akong inirapan at binaba ang kamay niya na hindi ko tinanggap dahil makikipag-high five pala siya sa akin.

"So slow girl, ikaw nakitaan nila ng potential para sumali sa Decathlon team?" he mumbled, and he shifted his attention on me at inalis ang pagkahiya niya sa ginawa ko. "But anyway, ano bang meron dito? More like five minutes na lang at magka-klase na."

"Girl, ano ba 'wag ka sumingit!" nagkatinginan naman kaming dalawa ni Pee shooter ng marinig namin boses na iyon at nanggagaling iyon sa likuran namin. Nang makita naman namin siya, kumaway si Pee shooter at pinalapit sa pila namin. Inirapan niya pa iyong babae na umaagaw sa linya niya. "Kagigil iyong babae na 'yon," banas niyang panimula at inayos ang kanyang buhok at ipinusod ito. "Bakit ba kasi ang tagal nila magpapasok?"

And we were answered by a school staff where he uses a megaphone to get all the students attention.

"Savvy Student's please follow in line and so all can enter the building soon."

And then there's a student who shouted by asking the school staff, "what's happening? Why the guards are checking the students and our stuffs?"

"The school staffs found an evidence in the boys comfort room a drug that we prohibited in the premises in the first place, that's why we're trying to inspect every student before entering the building and figure out the person who brings the prohibited drug in Savvy." The school staff said, "I hope you understand the situation, this is for everyone's safety and security."

We were enlighten by the sudden situation but somehow a girl student outrage her sentiments.

"Why would girls still had to fall in line when it is boy's comfort room?!"

"Why wouldn't we do that, huh?" the staff said, "you may be girl but you still need to follow the schools policy, and maybe you got something possessed and you don't wanted to be inspected?"

Her eyes widened by the speculations, "how could you say that, I'm clean. Clean as my vagina, not Lathomia's ass."

And there comes a commotion when she bursted out those words. At dahil doon, kakarating lang ni Lathomia para masaksihan ang pangyayari. She was embarrassed and so she run away. Nakaramdam na naman ako na kailangan ko siyang sundan at kausapin but then, Pee shooter hold my hand and stopped me from whatever I was gonna do.

Ang advance niya mag-isip.

"Alam ko na ang binabalak mo, and you shouldn't." Pee shooter said.

Napatingin naman ako kay Bella, "oh, girl, don't look at me. Alam mo naman na wala akong magagawa diyan. And it's her fault to transfer in Savvy when everything embarrassed could fall on her feet. Hayaan mo na lang siya."

"She shouldn't be getting that treatment." Aniko.

Tinapik naman ako ni Pee shooter, "kung alam mo lang talaga kung anong nangyari noon sa kanilang dalawa ni Korg and her scandal."

Naningkit naman ang mata ko sa sinabi niya, "I know about her and Korg and somehow that scandal..."

He smirked, "you may know something but it is just the surface of their deep problematic issue."

Natahimik na lang din naman ako sa kanya. I couldn't say more.

Hindi katagalan nang kami na ang sumalang sa inspection. I was really nervous to know if they find something I didn't possessed. Pansin ko naman ang pagiging confident ni Bella at Pee shooter dahil wala naman talaga silang kaso ditto. Pero, bakit gano'n, iba na lang kung kumabog ang dibdib ko.

"Kanino itong bag na 'to?" a guard call our attention, he's holding my pink and black polka dots backpack.

I slowly raised my hand to claim my possession, "why po, Sir?" and I bit my lower lip, trying to ease the tension I felt. I don't possessed drugs in my backpack... but I do have something, I don't wanna people see.