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“We will be having a trip this coming 30th of the month, details will be posted later today, all students who are interested on joining can fill out the form, I will send the link after lunch. Deadline would be next Tuesday around 12 in the afternoon—class dismissed,”

Nang makalabas ang professor namin ay mabilis na dumukdok ako at pumikit. Nakaka-stress ang up coming exams namin, exam na simula bukas at talaga naman halos hindi na kami makatulog dahil sa pile up ng reviewers. Midterms pa lang ganito na kami, paano pa kaya kung finals na? Hay, hirap. And I’ll be doing this for the next two years.

Gusto ko na lang maging hotdog sa freezer.

Speaking of hotdog—tanginang Cole na yon.

Dalawang buwan na nang lumipat kami sa kanila, pero yung bwisit na nararamdaman ko sa kanya, nare-renew everyday. Talagang araw araw ako tinatarantado nang isa na yon. Kaya madalas, sa kwarto na lang ako kumakain or nananatili, minsan naman lumalabas na lang ako para naman maiba environment ko, baka kasi maaga akong mamatay kung mananatili ako don.

Kinuha ko na ang gamit ko tsaka latang lata na naglakad sa corridor. The weather is to good para mag kulong sa room.

Besides, ayoko umuwi agad, naiinis ako sa bahay. Wala din naman ako ibang uuwian, sa hindi malamang dahilan, well, alam ko naman talaga kung bakit, ayoko lang tanggapin.

“Lau! You don’t have any classes na ba for the rest of the afternoon?” Bungad ni Sue nang makalabas ako sa room.

“Bakit? If you’re asking kung gusto ko mag bar, no. Wala ako sa mood, at mainit, it’s nearly summer, anong trip mo, gaga?”

Ngumiwi siya pero kumapit pa lalo sa akin, “Ehh, come with me na kasi, birthday ni Seff, inaaya ka nya, malay mo, he’s the one na pala! Come on, Lau!”

“No, and besides, madami akong assignment na kailangan gawin. Malapit na ang midterm, baka hindi ka nanaman mag review?”

She rolled her eyes, “Ano ba naman yan! I hate exam week, it’s freaking hard! Kaya we need to unwind, sumama ka na! You always rejected me, kahit once ba, hindi manlang kita maaya? Parang hindi naman tayo mag pinsan niyan,”

I sighed while looking at her, “Fine,” I breathed out, “Pero hanggang 10PM lang ako,”

“What?! The party starts at 9! Kakastart lang nun, hindi pa nga ako tinatamaan sa drinks ko nun!”

“Fine, then 11, that’s final,”

“Yeeey!” She cheered and hugged my arms, “I know, hindi mo ko matitiis,”

Umiling na lang ako, “You’re hopeless,”

I decided to just finish my review paper before heading home to change. I changed into a fitted black top that hugged my figure just right, paired with high-waisted jeans that accentuated my shape without being too tight. To complete the look, I threw on a cropped blazer and slipped into a pair of heeled boots—just enough to look party-ready without being too revealing.

Mom was not home, I heard she’s busy planning for their wedding, either way, I dont really care. I looked at my wrist watch and saw that it’s already six in the evening, I took a final glance of myself before going out.

Pagbaba ko, sakto naman na pumasok ang isa sa mga lason sa buhay ko ngayon, pinasadahan niya ako nang tingin bago ngumisi.

“Looks like you’re going to have fun today, Faye?” Salita niya agad nang makita ako na pababa, “I didn’t know you like partying,”

Inirapan ko siya at diretsong naglakad pababa, “Shut up,” I shot back, I thought he will get offended. But he just gave me an amuse smile.

“And which bar are you going?” Tanong niya habang nakatayo pa rin sa harap nang main door, kaya hindi ako makalabas.

“None of your business,” rebat ko at akmang lalabas nang bahay nang pigilin niya ang braso ko.

“I’m asking you nicely, Faye. If I were you, I would answer nicely too,” mababa at kalmado ang boses niya—what I don’t understand was, why did I felt afraid of his tone?

“The hell?” I muttered, lalong dumiin ang hawak niya sa braso ko, kaya napangiwi ako, sira ulo yata to, “MS,” I finally said.

Umaliwalas ang mukha niya at ngumiti, bago ako tuluyang bitawan, feeling ko, namanhid ang braso ko dahil dun.

“Oh! Okay, Midnight Society? That’s a good choice, I know the owner—”“I don’t care,” I muttered. May kinapa siya sa bulsa niya at nilabas ang phone niya, “Give me your number,” utos niya, kaya umarko ang kilay ko.

“Why would I—” “Just give me your number, hindi ka makakaalis hanggat hindi mo binibigay sakin ang number mo, ayaw mo nun, textmate tayo?”

Umikot ang mata ko at kinuha ang phone niya tsaka mabilis na tinipa ang number ko, dahil mukhang wala siyang balak magpatalo.

“Nice, do you want a lift—"

“Asshole,” putol ko sa kanya at tinalikuran siya tsaka lumabas nang bahay.

Nakakainit talaga nang ulo ang isa na yun, huminga ako nang malalim, sakto naman na dumating ang taxi na binook ko kanina pa.

The clock had just struck 7 PM when I arrived at Midnight Society. From the outside, the place barely stood out—no flashy neon signs, no grand entrance, just a sleek black façade with subtle gold accents. It had an air of mystery, the kind that made people stop and wonder if they were even supposed to be here.

I stepped onto the polished sidewalk, the glow of the streetlights casting long shadows against the pavement. A single heavy oak door stood before me, its polished brass handle gleaming under the dim lighting. Above it, the name Midnight Society was engraved in elegant gold lettering, almost blending into the darkness unless you knew where to look. To the side, a small crescent moon-shaped neon light flickered in a deep shade of blue—subtle, but just enough to hint at the exclusivity hidden within.

A couple of luxury cars were parked nearby, their glossy surfaces reflecting the city’s golden glow. The low hum of distant conversations and soft jazz music spilled out for just a second when the door opened, revealing a glimpse of plush velvet seating and warm, ambient lighting. Then, just as quickly, it shut again—sealing away whatever secrets lay inside.

“Lauuuuu! Akala ko hindi ka na pupunta, magtatampo talaga ko!” Lumabas si Sue sa kumpol nang mga tao, as usual, she’s the life of the party. Her aura was all over the place, every eyes was looking at her, “I was calling you several times, bakit hindi ka sumasagot?”

“Edi pinuntahan mo ko sa bahay?” Sarkastiko kong sabi, she grin and snaked her hands around my arms, “May nakasalubong akong aso, akala ko kakagatin ako,”

“What? Where? Are you okay? OMG!”

I was talking about my future Step Brother

“Nevermind that,” Putol ko sa usapan.

“Hmp! Okay, come on, I’ll introduce you to my girl friends!” she was so hyper, hindi ko alam kung bakit naging pinsan ko ang isa na to, dumiretso kami sa kumpol nang mga tao na busy sa isang table, “Guys! Hear me out, this is my cousin, the one that I always mentioned to all of you—Laura!”

They all looked at me, and smirk, some greeted me, and some just gave me a short nod, some guys were looking at me—lustfully.

Hay.

“Nice body—Laura,” kinilabutan ako sa pag banggit niya nang pangalan ko.

“Lau, this is Freya, I met her two years ago, she with her girlfriend, Maine. That’s Scarlet, my gym buddy, along with her boyfriend—Ethan, and that’s Troy—my ex fling, but we’re friends now,”

Napangiwi ako nang ngumisi si Troy at pinasadahan ako nang tingin, pero hindi ko na lang pinansin, bahala sya, isa pa itong baliw.

The night had deepened. I hadn’t planned on drinking, Pero sino ba niloloko ko? I was in a bar, and my cousin—who happened to be a heavy drinker—was with me. She was on the dance floor, moving like a maniac with her friends, completely lost in the music. I could only shake my head as I glanced around the place.

My vision blurred slightly, my head spinning from the alcohol. I felt like throwing up at any moment. The mixture of cigarette smoke, liquor, perfume, and the overwhelming noise made it worse. I was getting sleepy, and honestly, I just wanted to go home. It was already past 11 PM.

“Hi, Laura, right?” A voice spoke beside me—Troy. His eyes were hazy, definitely tipsy. “Why did you only come with Sue now? We could’ve met earlier.”

“I’m not interested, but thanks,” I replied, grabbing my phone and pretending to be busy, Makaramdam sana ang isang to, na hindi ko siya trip kausap.

“Oh, come on, talk to me.” His hand moved fast, gripping my thigh. I stood up immediately, but the moment I did, dizziness hit me hard. I hadn’t realized how many drinks I’d actually had.

“You have no right to touch me. Kaya please lang, I want my personal space.”

“Who are you kidding? But yeah, I like girls who play hard to get. I love the thrill. It’s fine, it’s just us. Sue’s probably too wasted to notice anything. We can get a room—I know the bar owner.”

“No.” I forced myself to walk away, but the dizziness only worsened. The overwhelming scents, the thick smoke, the pounding music—it all made my head spin.

“Hey, don’t be rude. Don’t walk away while I’m talking to you.”

“Ano ba, bitawan mo nga ako, baliw ka ba?!”

He ignored me and grabbed my wrist roughly, dragging me through the crowd. People bumped into me as he pulled me forward, making me even dizzier.

“Let me go! What the hell, Troy! Tumigil ka nga!”

His grip tightened. “I hate being embarrassed in front of people! You’ll regret doing that to me.”

I could barely keep up with his fast strides. My legs wobbled, and my body felt heavy—sleepiness and intoxication weighing me down.

Then, a new voice cut through the chaos.

“Oops. I think you have something that belongs to me.”

Troy stopped. “And who the fuck are you?”

I couldn’t process anything anymore. My surroundings blurred, my body gave up, and my eyes shut on their own. I collapsed.

The last thing I heard before everything went dark was a low chuckle.

“What am I going to do with you? You’re hopeless. But yeah, sleep well—I got you.”