Late na ako pero nakuha ko pa talagang mag-lip tint at ngumuso sa harap ng salamin. I even took a few mirror selfie bago makuntento sa itsura ko. May sampung minuto na ang nakalipas nang tumunog ang bell bilang hudyat na simula na ang susunod na klase.

I gathered my things and exited the bathroom. Maluwag na ang corridor dahil nakapasok na ang mga estudyante sa kani-kanilang mga silid-aralan, kaya kahit anong yuko ang gawin ko sa cellphone ko ay ayos lang. Wala akong mababangga.

Napanguso ako at agad na nilagay sa favorite ang mirror shot na nagustuhan. Post ko 'yan mamaya.

I took my sweet time hauling my feet into the next subject, kampante ako dahil ka-text ko si Elio kanina lang at sinabi niyang wala silang professor sa Advanced Biology. Eh, pareho lang naman kami ng guro doon, so ibig sabihin ay wala rin sa amin. Walang dahilan para magmadali. Baka nga nasa canteen na ang mga kaklase ko, eh.

Nang malapit na ako sa lab ay itinago ko na ang cellphone ko sa loob ng bag. Inaasahan kong maingay at nagkakagulo na sa room namin dahil wala ngang professor. But boy, I was wrong.

"You're late, Miss De Salvo,"

Isang baritonong tinig ang bumungad sa akin. Agad kong hinanap ang pinagmulan noon, walang tao sa harapan. Wala sa harapan ang nagsalita kundi nasa likod. I spotted a tall, serious-looking guy standing by the beakers. His posture straight and imposing.

Lalong nangunot ang noo ko dahil hindi siya pamilyar sa akin. He wasn't wearing a teacher's uniform, nor did he have the look of someone who belonged in a position of authority here. Kaswal na kaswal ang ayos niya. He wore a knitted sweater with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong, lean forearms. Mukha siyang bata para maging guro, yet too old to be a junior.

His face was sharp and angular, with high cheekbones and a defined jawline that gave him a slightly intimidating look. Medyo magulo ang kaniyang buhok, parang sinadya. And his eyes—a piercing shade of gray—were fixed on me with an intensity that made me feel like he could see right through me.

Who was he?

"Tutulala ka lang ba dyan o papasok ka?" Inalis niya sa akin ang tingin, dinampot mula sa lamesang katabi ang libro na ginagamit namin sa klase ni Mrs. Vergara at sinimulang buklatin iyon.

It snapped me back to reality. Mabilis na hinanap ng mga mata ko ang kambal kong si Anja na nakaupo sa puwesto ko. I narrowed my eyes on her, lalo nang makita na naka-lip tint rin ito na kapareho ng sa akin. Dumiretso ako sa bakanteng silya na para talaga rito.

I knew what she did. Malamang ay hindi rin inaasahan ni Anja na may professor kami ngayon, tinext ko kasi ito kanina at ibinalita ang sinabi sa akin ni Elio. Pero fake news, eh. Kaya marahil noong magsimula nang mag-attendance ay sa pangalan ko ito nag 'present' imbes sa kaniya. Damn! So, si Anja pa ang late sa record.

"Saan ka ba kasi galing?" Pabulong na tanong sa akin ng katabi kong si Vios.

"Nag-cr," simple kong sagot.

Of course, I wouldn't tell him na kaya talaga ako natagalan ay dahil sa building pa ng seniors ako nag-cr para lang masilayan ang crush kong si Skyler Saavedra.

"Inabot ka ng halos kinse minutos? Eh, nasa dulo lang ng corridor ang cr."

I rolled my eyes. Ito talagang si Vios! "Tumae ako, okay ka na?"

He chuckled a bit. Akala ko ay ayos na, tatantanan na niya ako pero sumeryoso siyang muli. "Si Anja ang late dahil sa'yo."

I sighed. I know. I felt guilty about it. Ilang beses ko naman na kasi sinabihan si Anja na hindi niya iyon kailangan gawin tuwi-tuwina pero sige pa rin siya sa pagsalba sa akin sa mga kalokohan ko.

Binalingan ko ng tingin ang kinaroroonan nito. She was in my seat, sa kabilang bahagi ng silid. Sinasadya ng mga teacher namin na paghiwalayin kaming dalawa para hindi sila malito. Anja and I were identical twins, bukod sa mga kamag-anak at malalapit na kaibigan katulad nitong si Vios ay hirap ang iba na mapagsino kami. Kahit ang mga kaklase namin na araw-araw naming kasama ay nalilito pa rin. They would only know it was me because of my red lip tint, si Anja kasi ay hindi naman mahilig sa ganoon. Pero tulad ngayon na pareho kaming makulay ang labi, hindi mahahalata kung sino ang sino.

Sinadya ni Anja iyon so she could pretend to be me for attendance.

"Pinigilan mo sanang gawin niya," kinuha ko ang workbook ko at sinimulan nang buklatin iyon katulad ng ginagawa ng mga kaklase namin.

"Nagpapapigil ba 'yon? Isa pa, pangatlong late mo na ito ngayong linggo dito sa subject ni Mrs. Vergara. Lagot ka na naman! Mapapatawag na naman sina Tita Moana."

"Eh, ayos na 'yun. Hindi naman magagalit si Papa. Si Mama naman mga five minutes lang dadaldal. Ayos na sana ang ganoon. Kaysa naman ngayon, siya tuloy ang late!"

"Kung saan saan ka kasi nagpupunta, eh!"

"Malay ko ba? Sabi ni Elio wala silang prof kaya akala ko ay wala rin sa atin!"

"Eh, ang kaso mo meron!"

"Sino ba kasi 'yan? Bagong prof ba dito sa school?"

"Hindi. Ang sabi kanina sub-teacher lang daw habang nasa ospital si Mrs. Vergara. Inatake, eh. Asthma."

"Huh? Kawawa naman pala si Mrs. Vergara! Eh, sino daw itong pumalit? Anong pangalan? Bakit parang ang bata? Student teacher ba?"

"Hindi. Fresh graduate daw 'yan, Summa cum laude! Napakiusapan lang na mag-sub dahil mukhang wala pang balak gawin sa degree niya. Mr. Yniguez ang pakilala kanina, eh."

"Mr. Yniguez, hm?" I repeated, intrigued.

Just as Vios was about to respond, a sudden clearing of a throat interrupted our chatter. I felt my stomach drop and turned slowly, realizing with a sinking feeling that the substitute teacher was standing right behind us. Eh, syempre, sino pa ba? Ito lang naman ang may karapatan na mag-ikot sa paligid habang klase.

"Am I interrupting something, or is my discussion interrupting your conversation?" Malamig niyang tanong. Sandaling sinulyapan si Vios pero mas na sa akin ang baling ng atensyon. Maybe because I was late tapos ay nakuha ko pa talagang dumaldal.

I almost froze on the spot, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Hindi agad ako makapagsalita, parang kanina nang pumasok ako at punahin niya ang pagka-late ko. Kung si Mrs. Vergara pa ay baka nginitian ko sabay hingi ng paumanhin. Pero siya? I couldn't speak. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit.

Naramdaman ko ang marahang pagsiko sa akin ni Vios, signaling me to say something.

"I—I'm sorry, sir," I stammered, trying to regain my composure. Napatuwid rin ako ng upo. "We didn't mean to disrupt your class."

He nodded, though his expression didn't soften. "I appreciate the apology, but actions speak louder than words, don't they? Stand up, please,"

Napakurap ako, nabigla nang imuwestra pa talaga niyang tumayo ko. I swallowed hard and got to my feet, feeling the eyes of every student in the room on me. Vios looked like he wanted to melt into the floor, his head bowed slightly. Kahit si Anja ay ganoon rin ang itsura.

"So," Mr. Yniguez continued, "Why were you late?"

"I—" I began, but he cut me off.

"Anja De Salvo, isn't it?" Mataman niya akong pinagmasdan, tila nanunukat ang kaniyang mga tingin.

Of course. He thought I was my twin sister. Paano nga bang hindi? She pretended to be me again so I wouldn't get marked as late. Ang kaninang kinakabahan na si Vios ay mukhang natatawa na ngayon. Inakala siguro nito na dahil sa pagchichismisan namin kaya ako pinatayo. Akala ko rin, eh. Well, we were both wrong.

"Yes, sir," I answered reluctantly. Ah, bahala na! Panindigan ko na lang dahil baka pati si Anja ay mapagalitan kung itatama ko pa. "I'm Anja."

"And what was so important, Anja, that you felt it was acceptable to arrive late and then disrupt my class with your chatter?" he asked, his voice still carrying that strict tone. Dammit!

Sandali akong hindi nakapagsalita. I was trying to think of a believable excuse that wouldn't make things worse.

"Um, I had a bathroom emergency, sir," I blurted out, nag-init agad ang aking mukha sa dahilan na iyon.

The words were out of my mouth before I could think them through, and I immediately regretted it. Lalo kong naramdaman ang pagpipigil ng tawa ni Vios mula sa aking tabi. Hindi ko ito pinansin, sa halip ay ibinaling ko kay Mr. Yniguez ang aking tingin upang antayin ang reaksyon niya. His eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of his lips twitching as if he was trying to decide whether to believe me or not. The skepticism in his gaze was clear, but after a tense moment, he nodded. Palagay ko naman ay binili niya ang palusot ko.

"Fine," he said, clearly not convinced but letting it slide. Niyuko niya ang hawak na libro at inilipat-lipat ang mga pahina.

I breathed a silent sigh of relief, thinking he was going to let it go. Maybe I would get away with it after all. Kunsabagay, palagi naman akong nakakalusot sa mga ganito.

Uupo na sana ako kung hindi lang siya muling nagsalita.

"Before you sit down, Miss De Salvo, remind me—what was your score on the short quiz last Friday with Mrs. Vergara?"

Tangina.

Malamig naman sa lab pero pakiramdam ko ay bigla akong pinagpawisan, lalo nang hustong nasa akin na ang atensyon ng lahat. My heart stopped. I froze, panic rising in my chest. How would I know Anja's score? Dammit! I knew my own score, of course, but Anja and I didn't always have the same results, especially when it came to quizzes. Bukod pa sa magkalayo ang aming mga upuan. Well, siguro naman ay puwede kong hulaan!

I could feel my palms start to sweat, and I clenched them into fists to keep from fidgeting. My mind was blank, every possible number seeming equally wrong. I had no idea what Anja's score was, and I knew if I guessed wrong, he'd see right through me.

"Uh," I stammered, trying to buy myself some time. "I... I think it was—"

Mr. Yniguez looked up from the workbook, his gaze sharp and expectant.

"You think?" he repeated, his tone dripping with doubt. "Surely you know what your own quiz score was, Anja. It wasn't that long ago."

Fuck. Alam niya ba? Alam niya ba na hindi naman ako si Anja? But how? Ito ang unang beses niyang hawakan ang klase namin. Imposibleng alam niya!

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his stare bearing down on me. Si Vios rin sa tabi ko ay parang nanigas sa takot, malamang kinakabahan rin kahit hind naman ito damay sa ginawa naming ito ni Anja.

"I—I mean, yes, sir," I stammered, trying to come up with a plausible answer. "I just... I've been a bit distracted lately, and I can't remember the exact number off the top of my head."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with my response. Ano ba? Ipapahiya niya ba talaga ako sa klase? Puwede naman iyon, ah? Kung hindi ka talaga grade conscious, 'di ba? Malilimutan mo kung ano ang score mo. Kahit pa nga ba tatlong araw lang ang lumipas.

"Is that so? Well, perhaps you should pay more attention to your work, then. It's important to know where you stand academically."

Ang sungit! Ang sungit sungit!

Mabilis akong tumango, gusto na lang matapos ang usapan. "Opo. Sorry, sir."

He didn't reply immediately, his eyes narrowing as if he were trying to decide whether to press further. Nako naman, huwag na! Sana huwag na!

"Very well," he finally said, closing the workbook with a soft thud. "But let this be a reminder to you, Miss De Salvo: punctuality and attention to detail are crucial, not just in this class but in life. Now, take your seat."

"Yes, sir," I mumbled, quickly moving to sit down. Nahuli ko pa ang malapad na ngisi ni Vios. Talagang nakuha pa nito akong pagtawanan, ah!

I shot him a glare, but before I could say anything, I felt a presence looming over me.

Mr. Yniguez had walked over to my desk, and I froze as he placed a finger on the edge, leaning down slightly. Hindi ko na siya nakuha pang lingunin sa labis-labis na kaba na aking nararamdaman. I could feel my stomach twist.

"Tomorrow," he whispered, his voice so low that only I could hear, "I expect to see you in your seat, Miss De Salvo. Your seat."

Napasinghap ako sa gulat. My eyes widened in shock. How did he know? Alam niya nga? Talaga ba? Had he somehow figured out that I wasn't Anja? Pero paano? He didn't know us before this! Kung minsan nga ay maging mga pinsan namin nalilito pa. Kaya paanong siya'y hindi?

Before I could react or even think of a response, he straightened up and walked back to the front of the class. Parang walang nangyari na binalikan niya ang discussion.

"Alright, class," Mr. Yniguez said, addressing everyone now. "Let's continue where we left off. Open your textbooks to page 143. Today, we'll be discussing the fundamentals of Mendelian genetics and how they apply to our ongoing research projects."

Walang ibang rumerehistro sa akin kundi ang huli niyang sinabi. I couldn't focus on a single word he was saying. My mind was in overdrive, replaying his whisper over and over. He knew. He definitely knew. But how could he have figured it out? Anja and I had switched places so many times before, and we'd never been caught. We had the same voice, the same mannerisms, the same everything. What had given me away?

"Anong sinabi ni sir?" Pasimpleng bulong ni Vios. Hindi pa rin talaga nadala! Nahuli na nga kami kanina, 'di ba?

"He knows, Vios," I whispered back, tutok ang atensyon ko sa sub-teacher namin na abala na sa discussion. "He knows I'm not Anja."

Iyon ang huling klase namin para sa araw na iyon. Hindi na ako muling binalingan pa ni Mr. Yniguez sa buong durasyon ng pagtuturo niya. Ang akala ko pa nga ay pagdidiskitahan niya ako dahil syempre, hindi man sinasadya ay sinubukan pa rin namin siyang linlangin ni Anja. Mabuti na lang rin at pinalagpas niya ang ginawa naming iyon.

"Paano naman niya malalaman? Eh, hindi naman tayo kilala nu'n!" Si Anja nang sabihin ko sa kaniya ang binulong sa akin ni Mr. Yniguez kanina.

Pumasok na rin ako sa loob ng SUV at pinasalamatan si Mang Pedring sa pag-alalay bago nito maisarang tuluyan ang pinto ng sasakyan. I turned to Anja. "Hindi ko rin alam! But I'm telling you, he knows I'm not you!"

"Hinuhuli ka lang nu'n! Imposibleng alam niya!"

"Basta! Huwag mo na ulit gagawin 'yon! Hindi na bale kung ipatawag ulit sina Mama at Papa dahil late ako. Hindi naman masyadong magagalit ang mga 'yon, pumasok naman ako, eh. Nahuli lang ng kaunti."

Binura ni Anja ang lip tint na ipinatong niya sa kaniyang nguso kanina bilang bahagi ng kanyang pagpapanggap. "Huwag ka na kasing dumaan-daan pa sa kabilang building para hindi ka nale-late sa susunod!"

Hindi ako nagsalita. Hindi ko maipapangako. It was hard to resist the urge to swing by the next building, lalo kung alam kong doon ko lang makikita si Skyler. Nagsimula nang umandar ang sasakyan, I took my phone off the pocket of my skirt.

Inabala ko na lang ang sarili ko sa pag-e-edit ng lighting sa mga picture ko kanina sa cr. Si Anja naman ay abala na rin sa pinapanuod niyang crime documentary sa Netflix. I posted a few photos in my Instagram story nang biglang may maisip.

"Anja,"

"Oh?"

"What was the name of our sub-teacher? Mr. what Yniguez?"

"Hm," napanguso si Anja parang inaalala. "Averianov ata..."

Ako naman ang napanguso. Arevianov? That's an unusual name. I had never heard it before. It sounded almost foreign, like something out of a spy novel or a mysterious thriller.

"Sigurado ka?" Tinaasan ko pa ng kilay si Anja na parang ayaw ko pang maniwala.

Anja shrugged, her expression indifferent. Nakatutok na rin ang mga mata sa pinapanuod niya sa IVI. "That's what I remember. Puwedeng mali ako ng dinig, but it was definitely something like that. Tanong mo na lang bukas, kung hindi ka ma-late."

If he was young enough to be a fresh graduate, there was a good chance he'd have some social media presence. Hindi na ako nag-isip pa at nagtipa na agad sa cellphone ko. I typed in the name 'Averianov Yniguez,' ewan ko ba kung ba't excited akong mag-load ang results!

To my surprise, a single account popped up. The username was iany, and the display name read 'Averianov Yniguez.' I stared at it for a moment, a little taken aback. So he wasn't that old after all—he had an Instagram account like the rest of us.

The account was private, but the profile photo caught my eye immediately. It was definitely him. The same sharp jawline, intense eyes, and dark hair. Pero mas namangha ako sa katabi niya sa picture! He was petting a freaking tiger!

I blinked, leaning closer to my phone to make sure I was seeing it right. Yep, it was a tiger, alright. He had one hand on the tiger's massive head, his face calm and collected, almost like he did this sort of thing every day. Who was this guy? A substitute teacher who casually posed with a tiger?

My curiosity only grew, bigla tuloy akong napaisip kung anong klaseng mga picture ang ina-upload niya sa kaniyang account. Ako kasi ay puro ootd ko lang, kung hindi selfie or travel pictures.

Without thinking too much about it, I hit the 'Follow' button. If he accepted my request, maybe I'd learn more about him. Maybe he'd even follow me back, and I could see what kind of person he really was outside of school.

Oh, why was I so curious about him?