CHAPTER TWO: Detention

ANG WEIRD talaga! Nagawa niya akong mapansin? Napa-iling nalang ako para tumigil sa pag-iisip. Inubos ko na 'yung pagkain ko because I still have a detention session to attend! Bakit ba kasi napansin pa ko nung Joshua na 'yun?

Hay! Hindi naman siguro nakaka-baba ng grade ang isang detention no?

Napa-buntong hininga nalang ako at nag-simula nang mag-lakad papuntang Principal's Office. Kailangan ko kasing ibigay tong detention slip sa Principal para ma-clear yung records ko.

*DINGDONG*

"Come In."

Pag-pasok ko, bumalik 'yung gulo sa utak ko nang makita ko si Joshua dun. Seriously? Of all people siya ang naka-pansin sakin? Akalain mo marunong pala siyang maka-pansin? Eh kadalasan kung umasta yan akala mo siya lang ang tao sa mundo!

"Ms...?" Baling nung Principal sakin. Lagi nya akong kasama sa mga contests, ni hindi man lang niya alam pangalan ko? Hayst what would I expect? I'm an invisible girl after all.

"Cri-"

"Cristeph po. Cristeph Tan"

My eyes widened as I diverted my gaze towards Joshua. He knows me?

"Oh well Ms.Tan, what brought you here?"

"Detention po." Inabot ko sa kanya yung detention slip at nagtata-type naman siya sa laptop niya.

"Your first detention in 5 months." sabi niya habang tinitignan 'yung record ko.

"At ikaw Mr.Tolentino, your 65th detention in 5 months! Ms.Tan, sumabay ka na kay Mr.Tolentino he's also having a detention you two may leave."

Nag-bow ako sa Principal bago naunang lumabas ng Office.

"I didn't expected that you would really show up to think that no one even noticed that you're late." sabi nya habang nag-lalakad kami.

"Well you already gave me a slip and it's true na na-late ako. Walang rason para hindi ako mag-detention." sagot ko.

Pero paano nga niya napansin na na-late ako?

"Anyways, how did you noticed that I'm late? I mean no one even noticed that I'm there." tanong ko. Tumigil siya sa pag-lalakad at malamig na tumingin sakin.

"It's none of your business." sagot nito bago naunang mag-lakad habang naka-pamulsa yung kamay.

Tsk! Ang sama din ng ugali niya eh no? None of your business mukha mo! Kala mo gwapo Tss!

Tahimik nalang akong sumunod sa kanya.

Isang malawak na empty room ang Detention. Dati 'yung theater room ng drama club. 1 hour kang ikukulong dun pag na-detention ka. May sabi-sabi pa nga na may mumu daw dito. Ang creepy!

Pag-pasok dun, agad akong sumiksik sa isang sulok at humiga naman si Joshua 'di kalayuan sakin. I checked my watch and it's already 1:30 pm. Which means mga 2:30 pa kami maka-kalabas? Nag-earphone nalang ako at nanood ng anime sa phone ko.

Yung Kaichou Wa Maid Sama? Crush na crush ko kasi si Usui Takumi. I was in the middle of fangirling and drooling over Usui's perfection nang na-lowbat ang phone ko at 2:00 palang.

Ba't ang tagal ng oras? Napa-lingon ako sa gilid ko at si Joshua? Ayun! TULOG NA TULOG!

Bigla nalang namatay yung ilaw sa buong kwarto. Brownout? Nagsimula na kong manginig at unti-unting tumulo ang luha sa mga mata ako.

HAHAHAHAHAH! Ano lalaban ka pa ha?

Pabida ka kasi!

You deserve this!

No! Stooop! Eto nanaman! Ayoko na tong maalala! Ayoko!

Get the hell away from her!

Kuya!

No! Pleasee tama na! Not this again!

Blood... Blood...

Blood everywhere!

Kuya! Kuya! Hold on!

I hate the darkness! It's killing me!

May naramdaman nalang akong kamay na yumakap sakin.

''KYAAAAAAH GO AWAY!!'' Sigaw ko pero mas lalo lang humigpit yung yakap na yun.

"Ssh It's okay it's me." bulong nito habang yakap ako na naka-suporta sa ulo ko yung isang kamay niya at yung isa naman sa likod ko and his chin resting on my head. It's Joshua. Suddenly, I felt safe. Alam kong weird pero wala na kong nagawa hinayaan ko nalang na kusang gumalaw ang braso ko para yumakap pabalik sa kanya.

Napa-pikit nalang ako habang patuloy sa pagpatak ang luha ko. Until darkness completely devoured my vision.

A weird sensation disturbed me from staying in dream land. I have my eyes closed and I'm well aware of that. But it just seems like it got darker than earlier.

I gently opened my eyes only to see that the lights really was off. I immediately fished for my phone out of my pocket turning my flashlight on. I scanned the surroundings until that strike of light landed on the nerd. I forgot that I'm not alone here.

Out of human emotions, I slowly took my way towards her. She was crying at the same time shaking while hugging herself tightly.

My chest suddenly pounded. Is this some kind of an emergency situation for her? I don't have any idea! Instead I tried to get her attention by slowly wrapping my arms around her, trying to comfort her.

But I guess that didn't work. Instead of calming down, she pushed me away screaming,  ''KYAAAAAAH GO AWAY!!''

"It's okay it's me." I whispered.

I felt her hand tightly gripping my shirt. She was breathing heavily and as the lights went back on, her pale face was the first thing I saw. She was also sweating cold sweats.

I hurriedly carried her bridal style and ran all the way to the clinic. While on the hallway, I can't help but listen to the student's conversations.

'Omg! Who's that girl? '

'I don't know her'

'Dito ba siya nag-aaral?'

'Anong connection niya kay Joshua?'

'She's so lucky'

Talaga bang ako lang ang nakaka-pansin kay Steff? (short for Cristeph)

"Nurse Dee! Help!" I panted as the school Nurse immediately came to assistance.

"What happened?"

"She fainted tapos nag-pawis siya then namutla siya.''

She gently sat beside Steff and started finding for her veins, the dextrose waiting on standby just beside her.

"Maybe it's because of her phobia." She said after successfully putting that medium sized needle in.

"Phobia?"

"Well I'm friends with his brother and he told me that Steff has this fear with darkness."

Darkness?

I don't know Steff that much. But there's something in her makes me wanna know her more.

And phobia with the dark? What happened to her that her phobia affects her to this extent?