15: Sad devil

FAITH

I hate him! I hate him so much! And that red-haired guy? I hate him too! They're so alike! Both mean... and not normal.

Sinarado ko lahat ng pinto, securing every locks although I know that's kind of foolish tactic to lock myself away from Orion dahil paniguradong lilitaw rin siya anumang oras na gustuhin niya.

Whatever that trick is, even the best locks will be rendered useless. Pero gusto kong mapag-isa. Seriously I feel bad after they simply talk about reaping me and something like that without considering how I would feel?!

There were times I wish I was dead but when they started talking about it, it was rather scary and I realized, ayaw ko pa palang mamatay. Marami pa akong gustong gawin sa buhay. And I want to heal myself from all the pain I've experienced but having that devil around is a bad idea.

Bakit ako pa ang minalas na guluhin niya? Sa dinami-dami ba naman ng tao sa buong mundo, bakit ako ang napili niyang buwisetin?

I refused to see my doctor after I figured out Orion is real and it's time to cut cost. Mag-aaksaya lamang ako ng oras sa mga therapy sessions ko but then at the end of the day, Orion will only make me lose my mind.

He's so hard to bear! Para siyang spoiled brat— but he's so old why hasn't he matured yet?

Niyakap ko nang mahigpit ang unan ko. At least I've been Orion-free these past hours after I told them not to follow me. It actually felt so nice without him around. No foul language, no insults, no vain remarks about himself, no sexual innuendos just pure peace.

Napatingin ako sa relo ko. It's almost two in the morning yet I am still awake.

Hindi ba dapat masarap ang tulog ko, now that he's not around? Bakit hindi pa ako dinadalaw ng antok? I keep on thinking about nothing in particular. This is supposed to be my blissful sleep ngayong walang Orion na mangungulit.

But still, I cannot sleep.

Whereas when he's here and consuming more space on the bed than me, I always sleep soundly.

Argh, ano bang pinag-iisip ko?! I grabbed my pillow and covered it on my face, with hopes of falling asleep.

***

I woke up early despite sleeping late. Dahan-dahan akong nag-inat, like I always do when Orion's around pero bigla kong naalala na wala siya. I looked around the room and it's the same last night.

No Orion in sight. Minsan ay nagigising ako na wala siya sa kama but then I can hear the shower and his happy hum of some weird song that sounded like a nursery rhyme. Pero ngayon ay wala. Tahimik na tahimik ang buong kwarto ko.

No signs of him around— except that I found something on my study table to which I am certain was from him.

Jar of gummy worms and gummy bears.

So he's here, pero nasaan na siya?

I noticed the pink sticky note on top of the jars kaya lumapit ako roon at tiningnan ang nakasulat.

THESE WORN-OUT BABY DICKS AND TINY BEARS ARE MINE. DO NOT EVER TAKE ONE, I WOULD DEFINITELY KNOW IF YOU DO!

Napasimangot ako at muling binalik ang sticky note. Huh, talagang hindi ko iyon tatangkaing kainin— especially now that he referred to gummy worms as worn-out... Worn-out d... I cannot even say it!

“Hello not so gorgeous, miss me?”

Muntik na akong mapatalon nang magsalita si Orion sa mismong tainga ko. It was odd feeling because instead of getting annoyed, I felt another, maybe like excitement? I’m not really sure.

“Orion!”

He grinned, tossing his shoes somewhere in my room. He swept his hair back. “I know you miss me Angel, I know.”

Ano? I-- what?

“B-bakit ka pa bumalik?” iyon ang naging tanong ko. I kept telling my mind not to anno him because who knows he’ll try to kill me if I get on his nerves.

“Okay Angel, I’ll take that as a yes, you miss me, ” sagot niya.

"Seriously Orion, bakit ka bumalik?" tanong ko sa kanya, ignoring how he put meaning to my previous words. "Dapat ay sumama ka na sa grim reaper na iyon!"

Nagpakawala siya ng buntong-hininga, which somehow gave me an idea that something is bothering him. Akala ko ay mangungulit pa siya ngunit nahiga lamang siya sa kama. He grabbed a pillow and hugged it as if he’s a kid with his favorite stuffed toy.

May bumabagabag ba sa kanya?

Of course, the devil’s problem is not my problem but then watching him slouched on the bed like that sort of bothers me. Mahinang umupo ako sa kama, making sure my weight doesn’t dip much on the bed.

“Orion?”

“Hmm?” he hummed gently than usual.

Huh, he's making me feel sorry for nothing in particular with that hum!

“May problema ka ba? H-how’s your talk with t-the g-grimreaper?” tanong ko. It’s weird to talk about them but I guess it’s weirder to see him bother over something.

I mean, Orion is lively like most of the time. He cannot let a minute passed without praising himself. He will spend good hours in front of the mirror, saying “oh dear oh dear, don’t I look so damn gorgeous, do I?”

If not, he will never shut up about anything sexual, or how stupid people are and then goes insulting me for my bad fashion or boring personality. Point is, he is always noisy and vain, but this Orion now? It’s making me uncomfortable.

Narinig ko ulit ang kanyang buntong-hininga. “It went well.”

He doesn’t want to talk about it.

But I still want to know more.

“I see,” sa huli ay pinigilan ko ang sariling makiusyoso.

He suddenly rolled and sat straight, looking confused. “I have a question. Do you have a sibling?”

I shook my head.

Seriously, the way his lips twitched is like he’s saying “pathetic.”

“Or a best friend?” tanong niya ulit.

Muli akong napailing. “I think the closest friend I had right now is Annie.”

“Right, fat Annie, but don’t you have anyone who means a lot to you?”

Unang sumagi sa isipan ko si Jack-- of course he was my everything. Lover, brother, best friend-- or so I thought. It was a relief that I felt nothing about remembering Jack.

“I cannot think of anyone,” sagot ko sa kanya. He didn’t react at sa halip ay mas hinigpitan pa ang pagkakayakap sa unan. “Ikaw?”

Gusto kong sapakin ang sarili. How could I pry about his relationships? I mean, it doesn’t have anything to do with me, alright, and I am not interested at all... but I still want to know if it’s something that bothers him. Hello, he’s the devil for goodness’ sake so whatever or whoever it was to make him go from a wild animal to a lost puppy like this must really be something.

He sighed. “That bastard, I guess. He was... and he still is.”

“Dearil, the grim reaper?” hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko. The devil and grim reaper were sort of... friends? Hmm, not really impossible considering Dearil is death and this guy is the devil but in terms of personalities? A playful Orion and a silent grim reaper? Hard to imagine.

“He wasn’t a grim reaper before,” mahinang sagot niya. “He was an angel, like me.”

“An angel?!”

He crunched his nose as if he’s annoyed sa paraan ng pagsagot ko sa kanya ng mga tanong. He cannot blame me! These are all new to me kaya halos hindi ako makapaniwala sa mga sinasabi niya!

“Are you stupid? Do I have to repeat myself?”

“Sorry...” mahinang bulong ko. “So, you’re friends?”

Still, he looked annoyed. “No!”

“Oh--”

“We’re brothers,” he said in happy yet sad voice. Muli siyang napabuntong-hininga and it must be something that hurts him. Hindi ko man alam ang tunay na nangyari, base sa pag-uusap nila ng grim reaper, it appears like they’re rude to each other, contrary to what he claims that they’re brother.

Wow, the devil had a strong bond with someone before. If the books tell the truth, Orion is nothing but the bad one who defied his father, pero kung titingnan ko siya ngayon? No trace of any evilness in him-- of course maliban sa kanyang foul language at kung anu-anong pang-iinsulto niya sa akin.

"We were angels and to make the long story short, I am damned and that bastard do whatever shit he had to do so he's like demoted from angel to grim reaper. And he... He forgot all his memories with me," malungkot na sabi niya ngunit mayamaya lamang ay napangiwi siya. "Well, ew, that sounded so gay."

Napatawa ako sa nasaksihan. He looked sad but at the same time, we looked whiny. Which is sort of cute, considering he's the devil.

"Anong nakakatawa?" biglang tanong niya.

I smiled. "Nothing, naisip ko lang, now that you're like that--- annoyed and whiny, I think I believed you if you say you used to be an angel."

That made him more annoyed.

"Ah still stupid," he replied, rolling his eyes. Bigla niyang nahagip ng tingin ang jar ng gummy worms. He jumped off the bed to reach for it and bounced back on the bed.

See? How could a childish guy like this be the devil?!

"Did you touch these?" tanong niya at umiling naman ako. "Good, because I'll know if you did. Oh, by the way your bed is so uncomfortable."

Then go find a comfy one!

"I'm used to it," sagot ko.

"I'm not!" reklamo niya. "Hey, Dearil's bitch has the softest and huge bed. Do you think you could get one like that?"

Huh? Wait, paano niya iyon nalaman? Did he... Oh god, forgive me but did he... Ugh... make it with Dearil's girl?! The one he calls "my human?"

Bigla niya akong binato ng unan. "Stop your pervy thoughts Angel, I did nothing to Zab but hey, we become instant bff overnight."

Ngayon ay tila nawala na ang kanyang lungkot. It was amazing how he shifts that easily. I have no idea what he meant by that and he explained it.

"The reason why he showed up is to ask me a favor about his human," panimula niya. "She's a lost soul, long overdue and if it's not because of me she's long dead. Do you see how good I was, Angel?"

Well, hardly.

"L-lost soul?"

"Yup!" He played with the gummies in his tongue and pulled it. Gross, I know. "If dicks are like these, I think girls will be sad. Would you like one, Angel?"

I forced a smile. "No, thank you." Ayaw ko nang makarinig pa ng kung anu-anong pambababoy niya sa mga pagkain. Tumayo ako upang maghanda na sa klase ko ngayong araw. "I'm going to shower."

"Is that an invitation to join you?"

Argggh! Now that's really him. Kapag ganyang kung anu-anong kabastusan ang sinasabi at naiisip niya, that's more likely Orion the devil. Hindi iyong tila malungkot.

"No and don't even try to peek!" I said with emphasis.

He grin.

... Like a suggestive grin.

"Orion!" saway ko.

"What?" he crossed his arms. "Dapat nga nagtitipid tayo ng tubig, I suggest we should shower together."

Natampal ko ang sariling noo. "NO!"

"I was told women say the opposite. Kapag sinabi nilang oo, ibig sabihin niyon ay hindi. Kapag sinabi nilang okay lang, ibig sabihin ay hindi okay. So, if you say no, it means yes...?" He wriggled his eyebrows.

"Ugh... Hindi sa lahat ng panahon, okay?! My no means no!" God, how do I make it clear to him?

"Fine," he surrendered. "But make sure to make the floor clean okay? Pick up the strands of your hair and prepare me a fresh towel for my balls. I'm taking a shower too so we could attend your class."

I think I'll go berserk upon the mention of his whatever, pero anong sabi niya? Bubwisiten na naman niya ako sa klase?! "No!"

"So you'd rather have me join you in shower?" he grin again. Argh, it's hard to establish a decent conversation with him!

Well, gone were my peaceful hours!

#

ShinichiLaaaabs

A/n: yes, Orion is back after a looooong time hehe