Hindi ko alam kung masisiraan na ba ako ng ulo nang makita ko ang mukha ni Louise Villaruel sa video tape na iyon. Ito ang ebidensya na ibinigay ni Nica noon para mahuli si L, patunay na si Louise ang totoong salarin sa lahat ng ito.

Hindi ako makapaniwalang muntik na rin akong makumbinsi. Kailangan kong makahanap ng ebidensya na hindi si Louise Villaruel ang tunay na L kundi kamukha niya lang.

Ipinunta ko na ang atensyon ko sa phone na iniabot sa akin ni Leo.

Kinalikot ko iyon at pumunta ako sa messages. No messages. I checked the contacts. There's no saved numbers. Tiningnan ko ang dial history. Bumigat ang paghinga ko nang makita ko ang parehong number na tumatawag din sa akin. +639**8658497.

It simply proves that they exchange phones. That they are really after me. Mas lalo pang bumigat ang paghinga ko nang maalala ang sinapit ng aking mga magulang. I don't understand why does it have to be me? Bakit ako ang unang task ni Lyca?

"And this is Paul Rosales' phone, we found it on his body. There are a lot of photos of Lyca Ruiz here on his phone. And also it proves that he's also present when Lyca's joining the fraternity." I clicked on the photo gallery and as he said, there are a bunch of photos in different places and angles of Lyca. He seems to be the real stalker after all.

But what caught my eye is the last photo in the gallery. This is heartbreaking. The photo of their shoes together proves that Marco was with Paul. The friendship ends in betrayals.

"We've checked the messages of him and in this phone." Pinakita niya pa sa akin ang isa pang phone na pamilyar sa akin. It must be Marco's.

"Based on their messages, Marco was the first one who discovers the fraternity. Because of his desperation, he recruits his classmates and joined together." I looked at the messages. So they joined the fraternity.

"These are the lists of people who joined the fraternity that time. Nandito rin ang pangalan ni Louise Villaruel which we believed to be the real L."

Napahawak ako sa sintido ko. "So it was all came from Nica. She proves that Louise Villaruel was the president of the fraternity and the one behind of these shits."

"And the student council proved that the lists are reliable. It was signed by the deans and campus director. It is not fabricated."

I heaved out a deep sigh. It became so complicated yet interesting.

***

November 29, 2013

Dear Diary,

It was finalized. Our organization which aims to help students with disabilities like me is now approved. I'm so glad that there are a lot of students who joined the org. One suggested giving apples every day since apple keeps the doctor away. It was fun and I feel welcome here at the university. No discrimination, fair treatment.

Ps. The stranger I was talking about became my partner in a project. Thank God I am mute so I won't think about what will I say.

Apple Fraternity

***

Hindi ko namalayang hapon na pala kung hindi dumating si Didrae. "Aedrian, sa'n si Fleur?"

"She's gone now," sagot ko at itinago ang diary sa bag ko.

"What do you mean?"

"Police brought her."

"Really? Kung gano'n, anong gagawin ko sa mga gamit niya?" Umalis siya at mukhang bumalik sa kabilang kwarto. Akmang susunod na ako sa kaniya upang tingnan ang gamit ni Fleur nang dalhin niya na ito sa akin.

"I thought she's innocent," sambit niya.

"I'm sorry for putting you in danger, Didrae. Hindi na iyon mauulit." I apologized. I looked at her trying to convince her that I'm sincere.

"Then what about you help me with my project? Tanda mo ba nung nagpresinta ako sa university week natin? Medyo pinagsisisihan ko ng kaunti kasi wala akong alam do'n pero naisip kita, maybe you can help me."

I'm a student after all. It is my responsibility also.

"Sure."

Lumawak ang ngiti niya. "Talaga? Seryoso? Walang bawian 'yan ha!" Nakangiti siyang umalis sa harapan ko.

Dumapo ang mga mata ko sa bag ni Fleur. I went inside my room and locked it. Hindi na ako nagdalawang-isip pa at tiningnan ko na ang mga gamit nito.

A book of Romeo and Juliet. I scanned the book and see some of the pages have highlights. There's nothing here. I was about to return it inside the bag when a piece of paper fell. No, it's a picture. It's a picture of them together. Louise Villaruel and Fleur Dela Fuente, prove that they are really in a relationship.

There's a note in the back. Que sera, sera.

And then I saw inside the bag a lot of folders. It must be the discoveries of Louise Villaruel.

I gasped. He's not L. I was right, he's not the man behind all of these. And these things are evidence that he is purely innocent. And he's also after the real L.

There's a timetable which shows me incidents chronologically. From the year 2013, which Apple Fraternity was created. It also indicates that that year was the freshmen year of Apple Fratern.

I stop when I saw the next sentence in that same year, "The stranger became her boyfriend based on the diary." I read.

Napalunok ako. Ilang segundo akong napatulala bago ko naisipang tingnan ang diary ni Apple Fratern. At katulad nga ng sulat ni Louise, ganoon din ang nasa diary. I am starting to be curious about that mysterious guy.

Sinarado ko ang diary at muling tumingin sa time table.

"The Year 2015, Apple Fratern died. She's in her third year of college. Her body was discovered at the main ladies' comfort room in Laguna University. She committed suicide, based on the investigation of the police."

The next day, I went to our university that early, for me to be able to visit the lady's room without being suspicious. Two years had already passed but I doubt if there are a lot of changes here.

There are three cubicles and I checked each of them, especially the last one in which Apple Fratern was discovered. There are two separated mirrors and two sinks. There's a single-hung window beside the last cubicle.

Muli kong pinagmasdan nang huling beses ang paligid ng c.r. saka ako tuluyang lumisan sa lugar na iyon. Dumiretso ako sa library at pumunta sa school's newspaper section. Unfortunately, lahat ng dyaryong naka-display ay puro latest and this year only.

"Where can I find the newspapers last 2015?" Tanong ko sa librarian. Tila ba nahiwagaan siya sa tanong ko.

"Saan mo gagamitin?" Tanong niya.

"I have to check something that happened in the year 2015," sagot ko.

###