The Man

Enid and I headed to the first building. Though we are already on the third one, she said she wanted to start at the front and top.

"Here is the main building. As you see, it's the biggest one. So... this is the gym."

We walked around the gym. There are still some students walking back and forth. Maganda ang gymnasium. Maraming designs at mayroon ding mga kumikintab. Hindi talaga mawawala sa pakiramdam mo na nasa isang palasyo ka.

Malaki ang gym. Gaya ng sinabi ni Enid ay itong man building ang pinakamalaki. Baka nga magkasya rito lahat ng estudyante. Ganoon iyon kalaki.

"Do'n sa front deck ang attendance whenever there's an occasion."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Is that necessary?"

She laughed. "Not really, they said it's a must but I've been here for years. And I never signed an attendance even once."

Pareho kaming natawa. Maloko rin pala itong si Enid kung gano'n. I can't believe she's that kind of a student. Well, kung titignan mo naman kasi si Enid, she's not the nerdy type of girl. I could tell that she's really not serious in studies at times. Pero siya iyong estudyante na alam mong may ibubuga. 

In other thoughts, why am I even thinking? She's the president of the student council. She can do whatever she wants basta hindi lumalabag sa batas ng paaralan. I almost forgot about that. 

"Ito ang biggest hall na mayroon tayo. Mostly, dito ginaganap ang mga events like prom and whatevers."

"This is the widest floor," I unconsciously said.

She nodded and roamed her eyes around just like what I'm doing. "Right. Siguro kasi walang laman."

It's true. Iyong baba ay mas maliit pang aisle at lobby. There's also some chairs too kaya nagmumukhang masikip pero malaki. Habang itong sinasabi niya na tinatawa daw nila na hall ay walang kalaman-laman. Binatana lang yata at mga kurtina. Also the chandeliers na hindi mo mabibilang agad sa sobrang dami. The designs are paintings and torches na hindi ko alam kung gumagana ba o pang-design lang talaga.

"So I guess the owner loves gold, huh?" biro ko.

Iyon kasi ang napansin ko. Halos puro white and gold ang kulay ng lahat. The front of the school is colored white and gray. Kapag pasok  mo naman sa bawat building ay mapapalitan na iyon ng gold.

I heard Enid's laugh. "You caught that one, huh?" 

"Ayaw nila ng silver?" I jokingly asked.

She smiled at me. "I guess the owner you're saying wants to live longer."

I was left speechless and brows furrowed. Habang si Enid naman ay natatawang dumeretso sa paglalakad. What she just said is a puzzle to me. Hindi ko talaga nakuha kaya pinagsawalang bahala ko na lamang. Besides, who doesn't want to live longer, right?

Matapos sa unang building ay dumeretso na kami sa second main. Gaya sa nauna ay hall nalang din ang nakita ko sa unang palapag kaya nagtungo na kami sa second floor kung nasaan ang library na sinasabi niya.

"Ito ang library natin. You won't believe but this is a twenty-four seven unlocked."

"Kahit walang pasok?"

"Ahuh. There's a lot of students who comes here late and even without school so the heads decided to keep this open."

"That means the school is twenty-four seven open too?"

She turned to me and said, "Yup."

My mouth twitch because of amazement. I've never seen a school with a regulation like that. 

"That's cool," I said with a low voice.

She giggled. "You think?"

Naglakad-lakad ako sa pagitan ng dalawang mataas na shelves. There's a lot of books. Syempre, ano pa bang aasahan ko, library ito. Sa ngayon ay marami-rami pa ang students na narito. I saw some sleeping but majority is reading. 

Pinada-usdos ko ang kamay ko sa mga libro habang naglalakad. From the end of the shelves that I'm in, I saw a girl and a boy doing the worst thing a student can do. Napataas ang kilay ko at napaiwas ng tingin. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero napatingin ulit ako sa gawi nila. Nanlaki ang mata ko nang makitang nakalingon na sa kinatatayuan ko iyong lalaki. He let out a playful smirk before claiming the girl's mouth like it's the most delicious dessert he can ever taste. I even saw their tongue fighting. 

Sa gulat ko dahil sa nangyari ay napakuha ako ng libro at mabilis na iniharang iyon sa mukha ko na para bang may pinagtataguan.

"Hey!"

I jumped in shock when Enid suddenly showed up beside me. She laughed when she saw my reaction.

"Why? What are you doing here?"

"I-uh..." wala akong masagot.

Pero mabilis akong nakabawi nang maalalang may nakuha nga pala ako na libro. I showed her the book.

"Reading!"

"I see." nginusuan niya ako bago nalipat ang paningin sa likuran ko. Alam ko na agad kung ano ang makikita niya roon. "And... peeking?" 

"What the hell?" naiusal ko sa gulat.

Tumawa siya. "What's wrong with that? They're kind of... intimidating," sinabi niya nang hindi inaalis ang paningin doon sa babae at lalaki.

Wala sa sariling napatingin ulit ako sa dalawa sa likuran ko. Their kisses are more wild now. Iyong uniporme ng babae ay halos wala ng nakatabing sa balikat. Kulang nalang ay hilahin iyon ng lalaki paalis. 

There's no one around. Plus this side is too hidden kaya siguro walang nakakapansin sa ginagawa ng dalawa at walang sumasaway.

"Do you want to kiss?" Enid suddenly asked.

Nanlaki ang mata kong napatingin sa kaniya. "What the fuck?"

She laughed so hard. Malakas na malakas iyon. Sa sobrang lakas ay nakalimutan niya na yata kung nasaan kami ngayon.

"Shh!" saway sa kaniya noong isang babae na nakaupo malapit sa amin. Enid immediately stop from laughing. Pero naroon pa rin ang hagikhik.

"I'm just kidding!"

"Well, no duh." I rolled my eyes.

Nabigla lang ako pero alam kong hindi iyon totoo. Mas maarte pa nga yata siya sa akin.

"Let's go. Don't believe what I said a while ago. They look..." Isa pang sulyap sa likuran ang ginawa niya. "Gross."

Then she turned her back and she was about to start her ramp nang napahawak siya bigla sa kamay ko. Mahigpit iyon. Nang lingunin ko siya ay nakapikit ito at para bang may inaamoy sa ere. I tried to do the same to see if I can also smell something pero wala naman. Nakakunot ang noo ko habang pinagmamasdan ko siya. Habang tumatagal din ay mas humihigpit ang hawak niya sa akin. 

Hahawakan ko na sana siya sa braso nang bigla siyang bumitaw. She quickly turned behind us. Napagaya tuloy ako at nagulat nalang ng makitang wala na iyong lalaki. The girl was left alone buttoning her shirt and whispery yelling to her side where I guess the boy headed.

Pag lingon ko sa harapan ay wala na roon si Enid. I was about to return the book I have taken para makasunod na kay Enid nang matigilan ako. I stared at it. It was a book written by Stephen King. 

Nangunot ang noo ko pero ipinagkibit-balikat na lamang iyon. I put back the book to where it belong bago sumunod kay Enid.

"Do you still want to visit the canteen?" she asked nang maabutan ko siya sa labas ng library.

In shook my head. "I already know it."

"Okay. So, what are we going to do next?"

Hindi ako nag salita. That was an awkward moment between us. Lalo na dahil doon sa nangyari kanina. Well, first off, I don't know this school yet so I don't know where else we can go. Second, she's the school council president and she knows every bits of this school so she should not ask me.

She was about to speak when a phone suddenly rang. 

"Lily?" she answered the other line.

If I'm not mistaken, that's my classmate Lily, right? Iyong late at weird kanina. Why is she calling Enid?

Lalo lang tuloy akong naguluhan sa kanila. I want to know what they are and if they are related to each other. Lily herself and her personality is a big curiosity for me. Paano pa kaya ito na pinagsama silang dalawa.

"I'm busy. You can do it." That's all and the she hang up her phone call with Lily.

I cleared my throat kaya sa sakin napunta ang atensyon niya. Her eyebrows shut up, waiting for me to say something. Sa ginawa ko lang na iyon ay alam at ramdam na niya na may gusto nga akong malaman. Nahiya tuloy ako bigla.

But taking the risk is more acceptable than get killed by your curiosity.

"Do you mind if I ask?" panimula ko para lang hindi mag mukhang uhaw sa sagot.

"Yeah, sure."

"How are you related to Lily?"deretsong tanong ko.

Pagkatanong ko niyon ay napa-irap agad siya. 

"She's my stupid sister."

My eyes widened. I was surprise. Though I have been thinking that they really are related to each other. Pero ang malaman ang katotohanan at nanggaling pa sa kaniya ay nakakgulat.

So that's why they treat each other like that. Parang sobrang libre iyong pag trato nila sa isa't isa at walang galitan. It's all because they are sisters.

"A-ahh, I see."

She chuckled sweetly. "Why? Is Lily bothering you?"

"Hindi. She's just...w-weird." Napabaling ang tingin ko sa iba.

I'm not sure if I can say that to her. It's her sister we are talking about here. Iyong kapatid niya na walang kaalam-alam na pinag-uusapan namin siya.

"Yes, indeed. She's so weird. Mas weird pa nga siya sa mga estudyanteng nakikipag-sex 'di ba?" tumawa siya ng malakas.

Hindi ako nakasabay. Una, dahil ay hindi ko alam kung nasaan ba ro'n ang nakakatawa. Tuloy ay natigil siya bigla sa pagtawa nang nakitang naguluhan lang ako sa sinabi niya.

"Anyway, are you going home na?"

"Ahh, oo." I glanced at my phone. No missed calls or anything.

"Sabay na tayo sa labasan?"

I nodded. 

Sabay nga kaming naglakad papunta sa labasan ng school. As soon as we got out, isang kotse agad ang humarang sa amin.

"See you tomorrow?" Enid said.

Wala sa sariling napatango ako. "S-see you tomorrow."

"Uhh, gusto mo bang sumabay sa amin?" she pointed the car.

Hindi maalis sa driver ang tingin ko. Tuloy ay nasagot ko si Enid ng iling kahit ang paningin ay nasa unahan.

"Okay then, see you."

Umikot si Enid para makarating sa passenger's seat. Nang makapasok ay isang kaway ang iginawad niya sa akin at tuluyan na silang umalis. The driver didn't even glance at me. Kahit isang segundong tingin ay wala. Kung ginawa niya man ay siguradong makikilala niya ako. 

He's the boy I saw on the library! The one making out with some girl student. Bakit sumama si Enid sa kaniya? Is she just like those girls? Is she her new prey to play with? 

Oh my God, Enid. Bakit ka pumpayag?