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"I'm Cerulean."

"Hindi kaya," Maddie giggled. "Ikaw si Stephanie, e."

"Oo nga," Lannie said, cackling. Nagsusuot pa lang ng mask si Lannie nang tumingin siya sa akin. She still wore that pinkish and matte mask of Paris. My mind allowed me to remember the time I first saw her with that mask on. Ang bagsak niyang buhok. . . ang masasaya niyang mga mata.

Her masked face was still so clear in my mind. As if I can't see her right now, I thought.

"Pa'no kung may mga lalaking naka-itim na naman?" ang bigla kong tanong. Hindi ko maisip kung bakit ko tinanong 'yon. Napakalayo sa topic namin. Shit, baka sign ito na nasa paligid lang ulit sila.

"Iuuwi ka ba namin sa inyo?" ang nag-aalalang tanong ni Maddie. "Kung gusto mo naman, babalik tayo. Baka mapahamak ka pa."

"Lagot kami kay Tita Michelle," ang sabi ni Lannie habang inaabot sa akin ang Scrapbook of Moments ni Cerulean. Agad kong kinuha 'yon, pero napalingon ako sa likod para tingnan kung may mga kahina-hinalang bagay. Tumingin ako sa kaliwa, sa kanan. Wala naman.

"Hindi 'yan," I said. "Sorry. Don't mind me. Baka. . . ."

"Baka ano?" Lannie asked.

"Baka nag-o-overthink lang naman ako," I uttered.

I took my phone from my bag. . . so as my money. Sa totoo lang ay kinabahan ako dahil bigla kong naalala ang nangyari noong hinabol ako ng mga lalaking naka-itim. Pati na rin 'yong mga taong nakatingin sa akin kanina. Lahat sila ay parang may masamang motibo, at hindi na sila puro lalaki lang. Nakasisiguro ako na sila rin ang iilan doon.

Pakiramdam ko tuloy ay parang kahapon lang noong hinabol ako, I thought while putting my valuables in a pouch, although kaunti lang ang agwat ng mga araw. Then, I stealthily hid my pocketknife in my pouch.

"Basta, nandito lang kami," ang sabi ni Lannie sa akin. "Mas ligtas ka sa loob ng Town in a Building kaysa sa nandito ka lang sa loob ng kotse, 'di ba? Doon, kasama mo kami."

"Hindi pa ba talaga alam ni Tita Michelle 'yong tungkol sa mga humabol sa'yo?" ang tanong naman ni Maddie.

"Hindi pa," ang matipid kong sagot. Tapos nang mag-ayos sina Maddie at Lannie. I think. . . the only thing that's keeping us so long here is this conversation. So I cut it off.

"Let's go," I faked a giggled. Matapos no'n ay ngumiti sila sa akin. I didn't know why. Maybe it was because I had this courage in me in spite of the fact that my fear was still fresh. What could I say? Nandiyan sila para sa akin, e.

Oras na binuksan ni Maddie ang kotse, lumabas na rin kami ni Lannie. It was uncanny because I suddenly felt excited. 'Yong naramdaman ko dati noong first time ko pa lang pumasok sa Town in a Building, 'yon ang naramdaman ko. I didn't know the reason though.

Nang nasa labas na kami ng kotseng kala-lock lang ni Maddie, I recalled the names of the people we currently were. Cerulean Hathaway, Paris Los Santos, and Veronica Hudson. . . . I thought while looking at the masks on Maddie and Lannie's faces. I walked with them, and it took me just a second to realize that I was in front of Town in a Building's neon lights again. Sa paglibot ng paningin ko, nakita ko ang makulimlim na langit. Mukhang uulan, but I did not. . . care.

Lannie led us until we had finally entered the lobby of Town in a Building. I once again had an encounter with the walls of the lobby. The bluish lights still touched the walls just like the way they did before. Inaalala ko ang mga nangyari noong hapong may mga humabol sa akin. Bakit gano'n? Parang. . . habang parami nang parami ang mga araw na nagdaan, unti-unti ko nang nalilimutan ang mga detalye.

Bahala na.

We had finally walked past the entrance where the black screen was. Nakita ko sa malayo ang grupo ng mga table kung saan kami umupo nina Paris at Azure noong nakaraan. It feels weird calling them by different names, honestly, but I didn't have a choice. Ginusto ko naman ang maging ibang tao, e. Ginusto ko naman ang maging si Cerulean ngayon.

So. . . I had to face it with this mask on.

"Cerulean, may mga part ng Town in a Building na hindi mo pa napupuntahan," ang sabi ni Paris.

"Saan?" I asked stupidly. "I mean. . . of course, marami pa talaga akong hindi napupuntahan. Kahapon lang ako nakapasok dito, e."

"It's okay, Cerulean," Veronica smiled. "Marami rin namang tao rito ang hindi pa nalilibot ang buong Town in a Building."

"Sige, let's go," I said.

Lannie, who was—at that moment—Paris, took the lead once again. I'm not sure, but I think that she is the one who discovered the existence of this place first, then she just introduced this to Maddie, then to me. Maybe that was why she always led.

"Dito 'yong mga elevator nila, Cerulean," Paris said while holding my hand. She brought us in front of a wall of marble where two elevators were. She pushed a button of an elevator on the right.

"Where will we go?" I asked as soon as Paris stepped in the elevator, which had just recently opened. Sumunod si Veronica, at pumasok na rin ako. I turned around para makita ko ang mga taong papasok. Wala pa. By then, I was facing the elevator's buttons. And I was the nearest one to the outside.

"Third floor, dear," Paris said, answering the question that I almost forgot to ask. Immediately, I pressed the button that closes the elevator.

But then, a hand stopped the elevator's door from closing. It was a manly hand. I opened the elevator by pushing the button that will open the elevator straightaway, but it didn't help.

Ugh, nakakahiya, my mind said, but I, like, mumbled in my head, Bakit ka naman mahihiya?

"Sorry," I lamely uttered when a gentleman approximately of our age walked in the elevator. He pushed two elevator buttons in front of me, and of course, he got a little closer to me. The elevator closed and started moving. That was when I realized that he would also go to the third floor. . . just like us. Okay.

His features showed much of his young age in spite of the fact that he was wearing a mask. It was black from the right then fades all the way to left. He didn't respond to my apology, but I didn't think much about it because I was so lost in his mask's features. It was covering three-quarters of his face, which means that his right cheek was partly covered. The mask is a little bit different from the other masks that I saw outside Town in a Building. Sa mga maskarang nakita ko kasi, 'yong mga diagonal na mask, hindi kasama sa mask ang paligid ng isang mata, pero ito. . . covered ang paligid ng dalawang mata.

Kakaiba talaga siya, siguro para sa akin lang, but. . . what a handsome mask.

What the heck? I was dumbfounded by my thoughts. Ano ba naman 'tong pinag-iisip ko? Damn, I'm going crazy.

The elevator made a sound, and it opened. Neither of us four moved, and I was keeping my eyes on the outside. Siya ang pinakamalapit sa labas, so I was expecting that he would go out first.

"Miss, go first."

Wow, that's gentlemanly. Pasimple akong tumingin sa kanya, pero nahuli niya ako dahil ang mga mata niya ay nasa akin na.

"Mauna muna kayong tatlo."

Sa pangalawang beses na narinig ko ang boses niya, namangha ako. Hindi ko na nalaman pa kung bakit. Pero ang ipinagtaka ko ay kung paano niya nalaman na same floor kami. Ah, sa buttons ng elevator.

"Thank you," I said then stepped out of the elevator. I felt Veronica and Paris follow me. Gayon din ang lalaking nakasabay namin. Lumingon ako sa likod para hintayin sina Paris at Veronica, pero sa paglingon ko, parang hinila ang paningin ko ng taong 'yon. Just like that, my eyes were set on him. Damn.

"Let's play Truth or Dare," the young man said, and he was a meter apart from us.

Napatingin ako kay Paris dahil alam kong bihira siyang tumatanggi sa mga gano'n. Also, I wanted to join. Paris gave me an "oh-sure" nod. Tumingin naman ako kay Veronica. She grinned.

"Sige," ang nakangising sabi ni Veronica.

The young man walked to a set of comfy couches partly surrounding a low table. The way he moved made me stop and just look for a while. His shirt was plain white, and the long sleeves were rolled up above his elbows. And I only had two words about his style: damn careless. But how in the world did it happen that it still looked good on him?

Shut up, Stephanie.

And Cerulean.

He sat on the solo couch—well, all the couches here are—and said, "Sit down."

Lima pang mga solo couch ang vacant dahil kaming apat lang naman sa gilid na 'yon, at agad mong masasabing malapad ang low table na 'yon. I tried to read the young man's expression, but unfortunately, I failed. He still had that poker face. And that didn't make me feel fear. Napatingin siya sa akin nang umupo ako sa couch na katabi ng kanya.

Our eyes met, and it was surprisingly quick but enough to make me say one thing: there's something amazing in his eyes. Agad akong tumingin palayo para tingnan si Paris. Hindi ko ginustong magpahalata sa pag-iwas ng tingin. It was lame to do it at that moment, and I didn't do it simply because. . . I'm already lame. 'Wag nang magpahalata.

Paris sat beside me, and Veronica sat beside her. So. . . .

"So. . . shall we start?" the young man said. "I'm Chris Hartell. . . just so you know."

His dummy surname is nice.

He spinned a bottle that was already on the table. It was all-gray, and it had the words "Truth or Dare" printed on it, in a modern font. The bottle stopped and pointed to Paris.

"I'm Paris Los Santos," Paris said.

"Truth or dare?" Chris asked, and he still had this poker face. I feel like—at least. Why do guys do that? Why the heck?

"Dare." I knew it. She is. . . brave and. . . I admire her for being so. I told myself that I was going to choose dare, too.

My eyes landed on Chris, whose mask is very pleasing. Kung hindi lang nakalagay ang maskara niya sa mukha niya, tinitigan ko na 'yon hanggang sa magsawa ako. It could be funny, but whatever—I liked the mask. I don't know. Can I already call this feeling a "complicated shit"?

What the heck?

But I actually really like the mask. It reminds me of the artworks I made using charcoal.

"Give me some tips on scrapbooking," Chris said. "Send it to me through Degree One. I should be able to use that for my Scrapbook of Moments."

"Noted."

Damn that. I think that's boring for a game of Truth or Dare.

Chris, ruling this game, turned his head to my direction. I subtly shook my head, and I apparently didn't know why I didn't want to go next to Paris' turn. Quickly, he spinned the bottle again, and it stopped in a short period of time, pointing to Veronica. She was laid back; she always was, but she still had every chance of complying to every single important thing. Yes, just the important things. The mask of Veronica covered Maddie's eyebrows, but I knew that she raised them.

"Truth or dare, miss?" ang tanong ni Chris.

"Dare," Veronica answered. "Veronica Hudson."

"Just the same with her dare," ang mabilis niyang sabi habang ibinabaling ang tingin kay Paris. Seriously?

I heard some people chattering from afar, and two people started to come closer to our table. I set my eyes on the other side of the floor's large room. Many people were surrounding a stage that was high enough to be seen from my seat in spite of the people's various heights. Someone in a scarlet insulated vest went up the stage and took an all-black mic. I took my sight away from them as soon as possible.

"Good morning, we're opening the Mic-Taking," I heard from the speakers' different locations. "You take this black mic, and you say the appropriate things you want to say. I think that explains everything."

I saw Chris spinning the bottle once more, but this time, the spin felt slower. And then, it was my turn.

Ang daya naman. Bakit hindi tumatapat sa kanya?

"Okay, so. . ." Chris said, and he was looking at me. Nakalingon lang siya sa akin at hindi nakaharap sa akin nang buo, pero pakiramdam ko ay parang nababasa niya ang mga iniisip ko. Damn it. Bakit hindi ba ako matakot-takot sa lalaking 'to? He has gotten everything that can make me feel frightened, but damn. . . .

Chris cleared his throat, and he was still looking at me. Scratch that. He was staring at me, and I would not want to take that as a compliment. Medyo. . . matalim siya tumitig. . . pero hindi ko pa rin alam kung bakit hindi pa ako natatakot kay Chris. He moved a little and looked away.

"Okay, so. . ." he repeated, ". . . truth or dare, miss?"

I opened my mouth to say "dare," but I felt like my thoughts were trying to stop them. Veronica and Paris did choose dare, and I would like to do the same. Personally, laging truth ang choice ko—I mean, ni Stephanie. But this place is different from the real world. My thoughts just complemented my answer though.

"Dare," I finally said, although I knew that Chris was probably cursing me in his head because I didn't answer promptly. "I'm Cerulean Hathaway."

"Go to that stage," Chris's hand pointed to the stage, and I had been paying attention to the things people were saying through the speakers. More people came to join us in the table. Gradually.

"I am open to relationships," one said, and I thought, he is straightforward. "You can approach me if you're interested."

"Say that, too," ang sabi ni Chris, at napatingin ulit ako sa kanya. "Say 'I am open to relationships' over the mic. Don't say that it's just a dare."

"Uh. . ." I uttered. "Okay."

I stood up, and I was shocked about the fact that I would say those words over the mic, and I would be facing the consequences even if that was just a dare. Maybe I don't have to. And that was the main thought that was running across my head as my ankle boots made the most of its irritating clicks.

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