/6/
Unexpected Truce

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SILENCE ENVELOPED the room as the two brilliant students stared hard at the registration sheet in front of them. Nothing but the sound of thunder could be heard from miles.

"There's been a misunderstanding professor." Rein said, being the first one to speak by the time he had digested the evidence before them. He then straightened his back, fixating a firm gaze upon the director of Literary Studies.

Professor Wyanna's face scrunched up in confusion as she glanced back and forth at the two. "I beg your pardon?" She asked in disbelief.

"You see, profe—"

"Actually professor," Ann immediately interjected, drowning Rein's voice. Nagulat ang binata nang bigla siyang hinawakan ng dalaga sa braso. Mahigpit ang kaniyang kamay na para bang pinipigilan niya ito na magsalita.

Agad na kumunot ang noo ni Rein as his eyes moved from her hand, to his hand.

"What are you doing?" He whispered, but his rival merely ignored him.

"Medyo naguguluhan lang po kasi kami." The young lady said sweetly, tightening her grasp onto Rein.

The young man immediately snapped his head up, turning to look at Ann with suspicion. Mas lalong kumunot ang mukha ng binata.

"And why is that, pray tell?" The professor asked haughtily, both eyebrows raised at the two students.

"May rumor po kasi na kumakalat sa campus, and we came here out of concern." Ann lied expertly as Rein narrowed his eyes at her. "People are talking about how I was paired with Javier Dizon in the Writers' Schism, which of course horrified me professor — that boy couldn't write as much as he couldn't settle down for one girl!"

"What?!" Rein muttered, ngunit hinila lamang ito ng dalaga papalapit sa kaniya, forcing him to shut up.

"And your point is?" The professor asked once more with a sigh, removing her half-moon glasses.

"Well, we just wanted to clarify and ensure na talagang kaming dalawa nga po ni Rein ang mag-partners — kasi baka po nagkaroon ng pagkakamali ang board during the registration without our knowledge. Mahirap na po at baka totoo pala ang mga chika." Pagpapaliwanag ni Ann, still smiling sweetly and holding Rein as prison. "Alam niyo naman po dito sa Castillo High profes—"

"The board has no room for mistakes, Miss Lobris." Matigas na sambit ng propesor, leaning forward which intimidated the two.

"You're absolutely correct, professor." Ann nodded somberly. "And for that, we apologize for ever doubting the board. We will now leave professor, thank you for your time."

Rein couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"B-But—" The young boy stammered, but Ann was already greeting the professor goodbye and had quickly pulled him out of the office before he could even have the chance to refute anything.

"Are you mad?? What the hell was that about?!" Rein hissed by the time they were out in the hallway and Ann had slammed the door shut behind them. Agad niyang tinanggal ang hawak ni Ann sa kaniya at pinatong ang kaniyang dalawang kamay sa balikat ng dalaga. His eyes were ablazed.

"Our families hate each other." He blinked furiously. "Hindi mo ba naiisip yung consequences ng ginawa mo?!"

Ann rolled her eyes. "Maccio, hindi ako bobo okay? I am very much aware about the feud between our families. Hindi ako pinanganak kahapon." She snorted.

"Listen, I don't know your relationship with your parents," Rein muttered in a low tone. "But you don't want to know mine. It's a nightmare. The moment my father finds out we've teamed up on any academic activity he'll—"

Hindi tinapos ng binata ang kaniyang sasabihin as he breathed heavily, stammering as he thought about all the times his father had laid a hand on him.

Ann raised an eyebrow. "And you think I have it easy?" She retorted, the two of them staring hard at one another with only a few inches separating them. "My father would take away my own freedom if they find out I was working with you."

"Then why did you confirm that we were partners?" Tahimik na sabi ng binata.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Ann crossed her arms and gave her rival a sly, mysterious smile. "They don't have to know."

Napakurap ang binata, not believing what he had just heard.

"I don't know whether to call you stupid or crazy." Rein said grimly at napairap ulit ang dalaga. "Our parents have connections that you and I are not aware of. What makes you think they won't know that we're partners in the Writers' Schism?"

Ann leaned forward, crossing the boundary between them. "Simple. We can refute any evidence they throw to us by saying we're just working together on a group project. They'll eat it up."

"Oh yeah?" Rein scoffed. "Pa'no pag mismong si professor Perlita ang mag-inform sa kanila? Lobris, our parents can make just one phone call, and they'll have every tidbit of information about everything that's going on in this city."

"We'll think of something." Ann snapped back. "We can bribe the faculty if we have to. The game hasn't even already started and you're already backing out of it."

Rein's eyebrows furrowed as he stared back at her. Hard.

Hindi makapaniwala ito na bigla-biga na lamang gugustuhin ng isang Ann Lobris na makipagtrabaho kasama siya. It was absurd — a total mind game for Rein's own good.

"Okay, tell me the truth." He finally said, raising his hands in defeat. "Why the hell do you want to work with me?"

Napatawa ng mahina ang dalaga. "Hindi mo ba naiisip?" She asked in a calculating tone.

"Na mapapatay ako ng sarili kong ama pag nalaman niya?" Rein asked sarcastically.

"No." Ann scoffed. Think harder. We have a much better chance of winning the Writers' Schism if we both work together instead of against each other." She told him in a hushed tone as rain started to pour down on the campus grounds.

Tahimik ang kanilang paligid at tanging silang dalawa na lamang ang natira sa hallway. Most of the Castillians were already probably snuggled in their dormitories, warm with no worries in their minds.

"If we worked as competitors, there would be a chance you'd win — and you don't want to know what kind of consequence that means for me." She said darkly. "Pag ako naman ang nanalo sa Writers' Schism, you'll be suffering the consequences brought by your own family, because that's just how it is. They've wired us to defeat each other. Whether we like it or not, may isa sa'ting dalawa ang matatalo, at may isang mananalo."

She then encircled Rein, walking around him carefully like a hawk circling its prey. "But if we work together. It'd be a win-win situation. I mean, think about it. If we win as partners in the competition, pwede nating sabihin sa kanila na tinalo natin ang isa't-isa. When in reality? They won't even know that we both won."

Ann explained, and Rein straightened his back as they stared calculatingly at one other.

"What about the other loopholes?" He asked carefully, eyeing her. "Pa'no pag pinagmayabang ng tatay ko na tinalo kita, and your father gets confused because he thinks you won against me?"

"Then it's up to us to make sure we stitch those loopholes." Ann replied, looking straight into his eyes. "We have to work together against them."

Rein looked at her once more, searching her face. His mind was going haywire, plotting whether or not his rival's offer was worth the risk at all.

But before they get the chance to speak again, professor Zaldiga, who was passing by the corridor on his way to the faculty room, had caught eye of the two together.

"Ah," Sabi ng propesor, pointing his whistle at them in acknowledgement. "I was about to look for you both." The discipline officer said. "Buti nalang nand'yan na pala kayong dalawa. Come on, follow me."

The high discipline officer then turned around and the two students glanced at one another before following the professor in a silent manner. Ann, who was wondering whether or not her number one rival would accept her offer, fidgeted with the end straps of her bag as they climbed up the stairs. They soon reached the fourth floor of the junior high school building.

Habang naglalakad, masayang sumisipol ang propesor at nilalaro ang isang kumpol ng mga susi sa isang kamay. Rein on the other hand, had his hands shoved inside the pockets of his pants, deep in thought.

"There you go." The man said as he opened a door with the numbers "414" carved on it.

Sumilip ang dalawa sa loob at nakitang puno ng alikabok ang madilim na kwarto. Only one small lightbulb lit the room and the windows were barred close, making the space smell like a musty shoebox.

"Both of you are tasked to clean this abandoned room until each corner is spotless." The professor instructed, tossing the keys to Ann who caught it just in time.

"You can find the cleaning supplies in a broom cupboard down the hallway. Nasa'yo Miss Lobris ang mga susi, including the keys for this room and the said cupboard. Make sure that you lock this room once you're finished. I will be checking it first thing tomorrow morning to see if you've done your work. Pag nakita kong hindi maayos ang paglilinis na inyong ginawa ay ipapaulit ko ito sa inyo." Sambit ng matanda.

"Now, I'll be on my way. Remember, no funny business if you don't want me to inform your parents about all of this." He warned them, before finally turning around and leaving the two alone. They watched the professor descend down the stairs.

Nang tuluyan nang nakababa ang propesor ay napalingon muli ang dalawa sa loob ng kwarto, taking another peek inside the musty place. Both of them stood by the doorway in silent hesitation, with only the soft pitter-patter of the rain as their company.

It was already getting darker outside, the deep blues of the sky mixing in with the grey clouds.

"Well," Ann finally said, breaking the awkward silence. "I'll get the cleaning supplies." She muttered awkwardly, walking down the hallway when Rein suddenly called her.

"Lobris."

Ann turned around, looking at him questioningly. Rein pursed his lips as he stared back at her, wondering whether what he was about to say was the right thing to do.

"When do we start?"

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