Untold Chapter: Leviticus

by hanmariam

I watched him over the thick haze of cigarette smoke, looking so unbothered and relax while sipping his iced margarita. Furrowing my brows, I glanced at the dark stage again, where the band members are still up and about arranging their instruments for the show.

"Leila... sino yan?" I elbowed my friend and pointed at the tall guy sitting quietly at the front table.

Leila stopped her momentous flirting for a while and quickly glanced at him. Her brows shot up before she turned to me.

"He's Zeus' brother. I forgot his name, but it's not a surprise you'd notice him. I mean, the kid has got some...appeal." She whispered the last part of the sentence and bit her lips in a seductive manner.

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously? Is he like, one of your nameless guys you'd spent the night with?"

Nilingon ulit ako ng kaibigan. Tinumbasan niya ang irap ko ng isa ding irap. She scoffed. "Puh-lease. He's Zeus' brother. Zeus is hot, so is he. But I've no intention of hooking up with the Ferrer brothers. I don't need that much attention, Tancy. His fangirls are crazy."

"So... you didn't hook up with Zeus' little brother? Or Zeus himself?"

"Nada."

"Good." I nodded in approval and glanced at my untouched glass of beer.

Tuluyan nang inabandona ni Leila ang lalaking kanina pa siya kinakausap. There was inappropriate touching, and I pretended I didn't saw any of it in the last fifteen minutes that they've been talking.

"So, are you gonna hit him up or what?"

"You know I came here for Zeus, Leila." I pointed out.

"Yeah. So, what? Aren't you allowed to have a change of heart? I mean, they're both handsome. But there's something about that guy. He's kind of... innocent-looking." Tinitigan ni Leila ang lalaking ngayo'y may itinitipa na sa kaniyang cellphone at seryosong nakahalumbaba. "Best we know that the most innocent of faces have the devilish bedroom tricks..."

Uminit ang magkabilang pisngi ko sa bulgar na sinabi ng kaibigan. I swatted her eyes away and turned to her, flushed and embarrassed. She only let out hoots of laughter as she dragged her glass to her lips and took a swig.

"Seriously, Constance. What are you waiting for? If you're so interested in him, you should go talk to him right now. I didn't know much about Zeus' brother, but I will certainly know if the guy has a girl already. Ilang minuto na siyang nakaupo d'yan at wala siyang ibang kasama."

"I came here for Zeus." Wika ko ulit sa mas matigas na boses, hoping that I can convince her that I've no other intention for this night but to have at least a glimpse of him. "Siya lang at wala ng iba."

Leila rolled her eyes again in disgust. "You know what? When I said earlier that Zeus' fangirls are crazy, you my friend..." she pressed a manicured finger at my chest. "are one of them."

"Pleased to hear that." I replied, smiling.

Ever since I saw Zeus Vincenticus Ferrer graced our school, I adore the guy. Well, who wouldn't? He's got the good bad-boyish looks that every girl would die for. And he lives up to his reputation by singing naughty songs in a catholic school and making girls drop their rosaries to worship him instead.

He's a live wire, Zeus is.

As for his brother, I didn't know until now that he has a brother. I've been stalking him for quite a while and I did saw some picture of him with a younger man who looked just like him but more... innocent, as Leila would put it. I thought he was just a relative of the Ferrer family, but I wasn't expecting that he is the brother of Zeus.

I've been fangirling Zeus for months now. They're still a small band, and they only play in schools and bars. Not all the time, though. I heard the pianist is still a high schooler and she doesn't live in the city. Minsan ay si Zeus lang mag-isa ang nagp-perform.

I was first his admirer, and then became a fangirl. Kapag napapadpad ako sa college department ay alam na kaagad nila kung sino ang pakay ko. And I stick out like a sore thumb in their area because of my senior high uniform. But who cares, right? I like him a lot. And Zeus being older than me makes it so appealing.

Siguro isa ito sa mga rason kung bakit hindi ganun kalakas ang dating sa akin ng kapatid niya. I think we're just about the same age. Or he's just a year older than me. Anyway, he's tall and I wouldn't be able to know his exact age. And I've no intention of striking a conversation with him and asking him, just like what Leila suggested.

Unless... unless he can help me with his brother!

My lips curved into a cunning smile as I continued to watch him, sitting alone in the dark. Lumabas na mula sa madilim na anino ang banda. Girls are giggling and raising their phones, probably taking pictures of Zeus wearing a black leather jacket with no shirt inside.

My heart melted at the sight. Itinaas ko din ang sariling cellphone. I captured a few photos for myself, and then smiled to myself. Leila made some snorting remarks about how I am completely obsessed with The Luminaries and their front man, Zeus, but I ignored her.

Nakangiti lang ako habang nakikinig sa kaniyang kumanta. Habang nakatingin ako sa kaniya ay hindi ko maiwasang hindi mapatingin sa lalaking nasa harapan. Something about him is bugging me. I couldn't tell what but I couldn't just ignore it either.

Nang matapos na silang kumanta ay dinumog kaagad si Zeus ng mga babaeng gustong magpapicture sa kaniya. Napakurap ako. I cursed. Usually, I am already wading through the tables to get near him as he reaches the end of the song para makipagsiksikan. Masyado akong distracted sa kapatid niya na nakalimutan ko na ang ipinunta ko dito.

Sighing, I got up and readied myself. Zeus is smiling with them, hugging girls and letting them marvel at his masculinity while they take pictures. Napanguso ako. Hindi ko talaga maiwasang magselos lalo na kapag nakikita kong may ibang babaeng humahawak sa kaniya.

"Good luck, Tancy. Kakarating lang ni Orianna..." nakakalokong wika sa akin ni Leila.

I frowned more. Nandito din pala ang babaeng iyon. Kung baliw ako kay Zeus ay mas baliw siya! Ilang beses na kaming muntik na mag-away ni Orianna dahil pinagbabawalan niya akong lumapit kay Zeus. Eh hindi naman sila! She is clearly delusional.

Mabilis akong naglakad patungo sa maliit na stage kung saan nagkukumpulan na ang mga tao. When I glanced at the table where his brother was sitting earlier, I realized he was gone.

Staring at the sea of girls trying to get near him, I sighed irritably. There's no way I could get to him without picking a fight with one of these aggressive girls. Maybe I should really just find his brother, flirt him a bit, and ask for a favor.

Determined to not let this night go to waste, I left the area and scanned the entire surroundings. We weren't allowed here in the bar but Leila has a friend of a friend of a friend who makes fake ID's as his living. We paid him good cash and we got good ID's in return. We only have to wear our hair up and pair it with heels along with the ID, and we've got a ticket to see Zeus at wherever bar he planned to perform.

Lumabas ako nang tuluyan sa bar at tungo sa madilim na parking lot. I could see a couple making out and trying to blend in with the darkness. I ignored and walked past them when I saw the familiar figure of his brother crossing the yard in hurried steps.

"Hi! Zeus' brother!" tawag ko sa kaniya, binilisan ko ang bawat hakbang para maabutan siya. I'm quite sure he heard me, because he stopped for a bit but didn't bother to turn around. Imbes ay mas binilisan pa niya ang paglalakad.

I grunted inwardly. My tight leather pants and ankle boots aren't helping me right now. Mabato ang parking lot at madilim pa ang dinadaanan ko.

"Hey!" tawag ko ulit. Malapit na niyang marating ang nakaparadang Sedan kaya tumakbo na talaga ako.

Before he could reach for the door handle, I immediately slapped a hand against the tinted window. Hiningal ako nang tahimik.

"Hey." Pag-uulit ko.

He turned to me, his eyes widening in surprise. At the mercy of the moon hanging lazily above us, I could see his dark eyes scrutinizing me like a hawk. And the prominent cheekbones that must be a trademark of the Ferrer family. Not to mention the pinkish lips and flawless skin.

Ferrer na Ferrer talaga.

He is officially Zeus' good boy version.

Gumuhit ang pilyang ngiti sa mukha ko habang tinititigan siya. He sports a clean-cut hair, the sleeves of his button-down shirt are rolled up to his elbows and not a single crease in sight. He's tall and intimidating with his silent looks and unsmiling mouth.

"Hi! I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself right away. I'm Constance." Inilahad ko ang kamay ko sa kaniya, pero tinitigan niya lang ito at ibinalik ang tingin sa mukha ko. I started boiling inside. Ignoring the fact that I just got embarrassed in front of him, I slowly withdrew my hands and gave him a wry smile. "Right. You don't like handshakes."

"What do you want?" tanong niya sa baritonong boses na siyang nakapagpagulat sa akin. I was actually expecting that he's has a ridiculously polite voice or a whiny voice but he didn't. Tama lang ang timbre ng boses niya. Tunog... nagbibinata.

A sly smile tugged on my lips. I leaned closer to him, not breaking the gaze all the while making sure that he doesn't take his eyes off me. Nagtagumpay naman ako. Just that my chest pounded oddly which is the completely opposite of what I'm trying to achieve right now.

"You're Zeus' brother, right?" I asked sweetly.

He stared at me for a long time, before he let out a curse under his breath. Nagulat ako nang bahagya. He doesn't seem like someone who'd curse in front of a girl, but there he is. Maybe Leila was right after all. He may have an innocent face but he's just a naughty, little devil.

"Look, if you want to get closer to my brother through me, forget it. I'm not helping you. And I'm not his marshal for Christ's sake. I don't even know you!"

"I just introduced myself." I retorted. "My name is Constance."

"Do you even know my name?" he fired back through gritted teeth.

"You're...uh...well..." I stammered.

"Unbelievable." He muttered angrily under his breath.

"Okay, okay. Sorry." Dahan-dahan akong umatras palayo sa kaniya. My tiny flickers of hope that he'd help me get close with Zeus dissipated into thin air.

He watched me darkly, in pursed lips and glazing eyes. I could tell that he's really angry. He's upset. And I'm to blamed. He probably thinks I'm using him.

Well, sort of.

"I'm just gonna... go..." I said quietly.

"Well, go." He said in a clipped tone, crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at me.

"You're very rude," I muttered and then scoffed. I was about to stalk away when I saw a tiny flood of blood escaping from his nose. Nangunot ang noo ko at imbes na lumayo ay lumapit ulit ako sa kaniya.

"Hey. Are you okay?" I asked, suddenly worried at this stranger.

"Why wouldn't I be—bloody hell..." he cursed when he touched his fingertips to his upper lips and saw the blood on his pale, white skin. "Dammit. Here we go again."

"What's going on? Are you hurt?" nag-aalala ko ng tanong sa kaniya. Nakalimutan ko na ang tungkol sa pagpapantasya ko sa kapatid niya. Cold fear clawed at my throat, as I am very afraid of blood and now that I'm seeing it ooze out from his nose... it scares the hell out of me.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He said, pulling out a white hanky and pressing it to his nose. The color from his face drained. He sucked in a deep breath as he tilted his head and shut his eyes close.

"Should I call someone? An ambulance?"

"God. It's just a nosebleed. There's no need for an ambulance. Just go." He replied irritably.

"Well excuse me for trying to help you when you're bleeding, but I just can't leave you here."

Hindi niya ako sinagot. Bumaba ang tingin ko sa susi ng sasakyang hawak niya sa kaliwang kamay. Shaking my head, I grabbed the car keys from him.

"What are you doing?" iritado na naman niyang tanong sa akin.

Inignora ko siya at binuksan ang pinto. Before he could react, I shoved him inside the vehicle. There were lots of curses and swearing at me, to which I ignored before I shut the door to his face. I circled the car immediately and occupied the driver's seat.

"What the hell are you doing, lady?" he demanded.

I watched the bullets of sweat trickled down his forehead to his neck. Napailing ulit ako.

"I'm taking you to the hospital."

"There's no need—"

"I am taking you to the hospital." Pag-uulit ko sa mariing boses.

"If you're doing this because you want my brother's attention—"

"I do not want your brother's attention, okay?" naiirita ko nang sigaw sa kaniya. Isinaksak ko ang susi at binuhay ang makina. I turned to him and glared. "Just because I admire your brother doesn't mean everything I do has to be because of him."

Tumahimik siya. He started to relax in his seat while I pull out of the parking lot. I glanced at the side mirror, the pulsing neon lights of the bar getting smaller and smaller as the distance stretched between us.

Napailing ako at nagsimula nang magmaneho. The guy remained quiet on his seat, studying the blood on his hanky and then sighing. He opened his compartment and pulled out a box of tissue. Pinalitan niya ang panyo sa pagdampi ng dugo mula sa kaniyang ilong.

"Okay. If you're really taking me to the hospital, we shouldn't let my brother know about this."

"Why not?" I cocked a brow at his intriguing declaration.

"Because he doesn't need to know." Was all he said.

I shrugged. "Well, I am just going to drive you to the hospital and I'll go home. Basta't ayos ka na. Kargo de konsensiya ko pa kapag may nangyaring masama sa iyo kanina at wala man lang akong ginawa."

Pagod niyang isinandal ang kaniyang ulo sa bintana at pinagmasdan ako. He gave me a once-over and now I'm suddenly conscious. Earlier when I inspected myself in the mirror dressed in white midriff tube and leather pants I felt so pretty but now I just felt to...overdressed. That's how he makes me feel.

While he made no comments about it, I can see it in his eyes that he's disapproving my outfit. Or at least that's what I thought.

"My name is Leviticus." Biglang sinabi niya nang papalapit na kami sa hospital. I turned to him, a bit surprised. Napakaurap-kurap pa ako. Kung hindi lang ako naka-focus sa pagmamaneho ay matagal ko na siyang tinitigan. I dragged my gaze back to the road and slowly pulled in front of the building. "Just call me Levi." He said quietly before he opened the door and stepped out of the car.

Sumunod ako sa kaniya. Pinatay ko ang makina at isinarado ang pinto.

"Levi..."

He turned to me. I tossed him his car keys. Mabilis niya itong nahablot sa ere. He's very pale right now but at least the bleeding stopped.

"Well, I gotta go. Nice meeting you, though."

He nodded. Nginitian ko siya at tumalikod na, saka naglakad palayo. Nag-aalangan pa akong tumawid ng kalsada. Napailing ako. I turned and was surprised when I saw him still standing outside the hospital. Mukhang may hinihintay.

I immediately hailed a taxi. Nang huminto ang sasakyan sa harapan ko ay kaagad akong sumakay. I then peeked to the window. Nang makita ni Levi na umandar na ang taxi ay saka pa siya pumasok.

I scoffed. "He's really... something." I muttered under my breath as I sat comfortably and crossed my arms over my chest.

What could've been just a one-time encounter became a series of unfortunate events with him. I could remember the smoke, the way his eyes darkened, his hands caressing my skin like a child, and how good he tasted in my mouth.

I didn't know that that night was the beginning of our tragedy.