ERALD

"YES, I contacted the K-OS Club before the club fair," I admitted to everyone who's still interested in hearing my defense. "But don't be mistaken. Hindi ko 'yon ginawa para makahakot ng pansin ang club namin. I did it to get a headstart on that rogue club. If I did not establish any communication with them, I wouldn't have gotten close to their leader."

Of course, that was an outright lie. That good-for-nothing group wasn't a threat so they weren't within my crosshair back then. Ang tanging dahilan kaya ko sila kinontak ay para may kasabwat ako sa gimik.

Still, no matter what explanation I offered to them, they did not seem to care at all. Inulan ako ng "boo!" habang nagsasalita. Ang mga muntikan ko nang ma-convert na supporter, bumaligtad na naman.

This was not the first time that what I did in the past haunted me.

During our first face-to-face meeting, Torry threatened that he's going to release the recording of my conversation with them. That's the card that they have been holding close to their chest. Hindi ko in-expect na ibaba nila ngayong araw ang kanilang itinatagong baraha.

But what bothered me most was the fact that the K-OS Club managed to play the forbidden recording while the debate was ongoing. Their boss was out of reach kaya paano sila nakapag-come up ng isang counter-attack sa akin?

During the thirty-minute break after the three-way debate, sinilip ko ang storage room kung saan naka-detain si Torry. There was no sign that the padlock was picked. Sa loob, nakatali pa rin siya sa lumang upuan at tila walang malay.

So how in the world did his group manage to make a move? May hinabilinan ba si Torry sakaling bigla siyang mawala sa eksena? Meron ba siyang deputy na nagdedesisyon kapag wala siya? O kusang kumilos ang mga galamay niya kahit walang utos mula sa kanya?

This was frustrating. I thought that they couldn't meddle in the election without their leader. I was wrong. I underestimated them which was my critical mistake.

After my quick trip to the storage room, bumalik na ako sa backstage. To my surprise, Charlotte and Clyde were waiting there for me. Something's strange with how our club president looked. Mukhang disappointed siya. Nope, that wasn't just disappointment. There was a glint of anger on her face.

"Bakit kayo nandito—"

"Is it true na kinontrata mo ang K-OS Club noong club fair?" Charlotte was fuming mad. Hawak-hawak niya ang kanyang journal kung saan niya siguro isinulat ang nangyari ilang linggo na ang nakararaan. "I can't recall what happened back then, and my notes did not mention anything about me approving your action."

Napahiya na nga ako kanina sa harap ng mga tao, mukhang mapapahiya pa ako kay Charlotte. I expected that she would be mad. But to deal with her a few minutes before the polling starts? Pwede bang i-postpone muna ito?

"Narinig mo naman ang sinabi ko kanina, 'di ba?" tanong ko. "I contacted them para magkaroon ako ng lead sa kanila. Hindi ko na lang sinabi kaagad sa inyo dahil hindi ko inakalang magiging relevant ito ngayon."

"Aside sa magiging masamang tingin sa 'yo ng mga estudyante, concerned din ako sa magiging perception nila sa club natin," Charlotte said. "They might think that we were too desperate to resort to such strategies."

Frankly, I was too desperate back then because I did not want the student council to take away our clubroom. Ang tanging mali ko lang noon ay hindi ko in-expect na magiging campus-wide threat ang K-OS Club.

"Let them think whatever they want!" I exclaimed. "Ang importante, nagbunga ang ginawa kong pag-contact sa kanila noon. If I didn't, I wouldn't have a chance of meeting their leader. Baka nga wala pa tayong kahit anong lead tungkol sa kanila."

Look at the bright side, would you? Every action has a corresponding positive and negative reaction. If we focus on the negative alone, we might become blinded to see the positive in the situation.

"Erald is fond of using vile tactics to solve a problem," Clyde miraculously came to my defense. "Others may see it as distasteful, but that is Erald's way of doing things. And so far, his methods work. Gaya ng sinabi niya, alam na natin kung sino ang leader ng K-OS Club, and he's being detained somewhere at the moment."

Thanks sa support, apat-na-mata. I thought he would also point out how wrong my action was. He's usually a pain in the ass, but his "words of support" may help me alleviate our club president's worries.

Unti-unting nawala ang pagkayamot sa mukha ni Charlotte, muling nanumbalik ang cute niyang itsura. She let out a long sigh. "Sorry kung mukhang nag-overreact ako. I was just concerned about our club."

"Think of it this way: I won't do anything that will ruin the reputation of the QED Club," I clarified. "Gaya ng pag-detain ko kay Torry, sisiguruhin kong magiging maingat ako at ilalayo mula sa club natin kung anuman ang isyung pwedeng mag-ugat dito. Just trust me, okay?"

Charlotte nodded, smiling. "Tayo-tayo lang din naman ang magtutulungan, 'di ba?"

"Speaking of Torry, mukhang nalusutan ka, ah?" Clyde pointed out. "They still found a way to make their presence felt in the election despite the absence of their leader."

"He's still in the storage room," I whispered, just in case someone was eavesdropping. "Walang sign na may nagtangkang pumasok sa pinagtaguan ko sa kanya. Mukhang may iba pang merong utak sa kanilang grupo. I abducted Torry an hour before I filed my certificate of candidacy yesterday. No one was expecting na tatakbo ako. So how come they managed to prepare that call recording and play it during the debate earlier?"

"Can it be your sister?" Clyde asked.

I shrugged. "Possible. She's the only one who's craving for the presidency. Hindi niya hahayaang may makapipigil sa kanya. Sana nga lang ay nabawasan ko ang bilang ng mga tagasuporta niya."

"What are you going to do now?" tanong ni Charlotte. "Mukhang wala na ring tiwala ang mga botante sa 'yo dahil sa K-OS Club issue."

"Time for Plan B. I will withdraw from the race and rally my supporters, no matter how few they are, to vote for Reign," sabi ko sabay silip sa mga estudyanteng nagtsitsismisan sa bleachers. "Masasayang lang ang kanilang boto sa akin."

"Mahirap ding basahin ang mood ng mga botante," sabi ni Clyde. "You were starting to win over some voters earlier... until the K-OS Club dropped the bomb. The crowd became split again between the two legitimate candidates. It's either Madelaine or Reign."

"And I will be a nuisance candidate," I added. In other words, pampagulo.

"How about Torry?" Clyde asked. "May dumulog sa club natin para hanapin siya, 'di ba?"

"You can rescue him now," sagot ko sabay tingin sa orasan sa aking phone. "With only a few minutes left, there's little that he can do to sway the elections in favor of their candidate. Ikaw na ang bahalang sumagip sa kanya. Just talk to his classmates and tell them that you know where he is."

Clyde nodded. "Copy that."

"In the meantime, kailangan ko nang nag-withdraw sa presidential race." I fixed my coat's lapel and tightened my necktie. "This is going to be my last ditch attempt to make sure that Madelaine isn't going to be our student council president."

Palabas na sana ako ng backstage at pupuwesto sa isang lectern nang bigla akong unahan ng ate ko. She checked the microphone if it was live before addressing the student body.

Teka, masyado pang maaga para sa acceptance speech niya. Lalabanan niya pa si Reign sa bilangan ng boto. Atat na ba talaga siyang maging president?

"Good afternoon again," she greeted, flashing her fake smile. "We are only two minutes away from starting the democratic process of electing the next president."

I see. Gusto ni Maddie na ang mukha niya at pangalan ang matandaan ng mga voter bago nila i-shade sa balota ang kanilang kandidato. What else should I expect from my sister? Her power-grabbing streak was unstoppable.

Napasilip din si Reign sa kabilang wing. Nagtataka siguro kung bakit biglang umeksena ang ate ko na magiging katunggali niya sa botohan.

"Before we cast our votes, may gusto lang sana akong sabihin," Maddie continued when she got most of the crowd's attention. "The job of the student council president is not an easy task. Hindi tulad ng sinasabi ng ilan diyan, hindi lang basta-basta pag-o-organize ng events ang ginagawa ng taong nasa posisyon. Sound decision-making is one of the qualities that a president must possess. The ability to settle disputes in the most effective way possible."

Ano bang nginangawa ng babaeng 'to? Let's start the polling and see who's going to win! Tama na ang delaying tactics.

"As you all know, I served as the secretary under former President Agnes Aguinaldo," Maddie looked down, trying to appear emotional. "I have been in the shadow of her leadership. Laging sumusunod sa kanyang gusto. But that's what I was supposed to do. We follow the president's orders and serve at her own pleasure. I wasn't a leader. I'm just a follower."

What was she trying to achieve in that impromptu speech? Acceptance speech na ba niya 'yan? But the votes weren't cast yet! At hindi pa nagwi-withdraw ng kandidatura niya si Reign.

"This snap election gave me the opportunity that I can also be a leader, that I can step out of the shadow of my predecessors. Kaya nga kaagad kong kinuha ang chance nang buksan ang filing," Maddie went on with her unnecessary promotional speech. "But after the debate earlier, I realized something. The presidency is not a position reserved for someone who wants to prove that they can lead. The presidency is a position reserved for those who are already prepared to lead."

Wait a minute. Saan patungo ang speech niya? Bakit bigla akong kinabahan?

"That's why before the election officially starts, I'm announcing to the student body that I am withdrawing my candidacy for president of the student council."

Nagsitayuan ang ilang tila hindi makapaniwala sa kanyang anunsyo. Maging ako'y natulala sa ate ko habang hinihintay niyang huminto ang mga pag-angal. What in the world was she doing? Hindi ba't ito ang posisyon na matagal na niyang inaasam? Why was she giving it up a few moments before she could finally grab it?

"My decision is final and irrevocable," Maddie raised her voice to drown the noise. "I will no longer seek the position. Instead, I'd like to tell those who would vote for me to support the candidate who, I believe, deserves to win. I have known this man for years. We may have had our disagreements every now and then, but I know that he's only trying to pursue what he believes in."

Napalunok ako ng laway. Don't tell me that she's going to—

"I urge all my supporters to vote for the person who is prepared to lead not only the student council, but also the entire student body." Maddie turned to my direction, still maintaining the fake smile.

"Let us all support Reign Imperial of the student executive committee!"

Umalingawngaw ang palakpakan sa buong gymnasium nang maglakad sa entablado si Reign at nilapitan ang ate ko. Maddie raised his hand and declared, "Our next student council president!"

I was at loss for a moment on what the heck happened. My sister, who dreamt of becoming the student council president, threw her ambition out the window. My sister, who thinks so highly of herself, decided to support another candidate.

I can't believe that this was happening. The puzzlepieces that I put together in my mind scrambled and reorganized themselves, painting another picture. A picture that I was too blind to see!

Tumalikod na ako't naglakad paalis ng backstage. Charlotte and Clyde were still there to watch the whole drama unfold before our eyes.

"Mission accomplished?" Charlotte asked.

I shook my head frantically. "We were wrong! I was wrong!"

"Wrong about what?"

I made an about-turn to face them. "Madelaine wasn't the one who connived with the K-OS Club. It was Reign Imperial!"