Chapter 15

Hours passed by, and Lockey prepared himself to meet his Aunt Amora as told by his professor he'll be meeting him tonight. He wasn't sure what else he would say to his aunt and if he would tell him the truth or just go with what his professor told them where he went.

"I mean, you know, you cannot go alone so we're coming," Simon said, shrugging his shoulder off. "You don't have a choice anymore. We'll be coming with you."

"All of you?" Lockey asked.

"No! Not everybody," Malcolm interjected as if he argued with the idea. "It's just gonna be me and Malcolm who are coming with you."

"What about me?"

And all of their attention shifted to the one who peek her head by the door and they saw Aurelia smiling at them.

Malcolm shook her head together with her finger. "No. Nope. You're not coming with us. It's just the boys only and to be honest, we don't need you to be here. It's guys' night, so..."

"Kind of rude, Malcolm," Aurelia said rolling her eyes. "Anyway, fine."

She left them all while Lockey was looking at himself in the mirror. Hinarap naman niya muli ang mga kaibigan at tinawag ang atensyon nito.

"Tara na. Alis na tayo, but I think I should send a message muna kay tita kung papunta na ba sila."

"Do that," Simon said. "We'll be there in a blink."

"That's a fact," pagsang-ayon naman ni Malcolm sa kanya.

Simon smirked as it is the truth.

Lockey texted his aunt and then he received a phone call right after. It was his aunt calling so he answered it right away.

"Tita Amora!" bungad ni Lockey. "Nasa'n na kayo?"

"We're on our way na."

"May kasama ka?" tanong pa nito.

"Yes, Gage is coming with me. S'yempre, he wanted to see you rin and you'll be away from home so he also just wanted to make sure you'll be safe and everything."

"We got you, Lockey," sabi naman ni Gage sa kabilang linya.

"Yes, we got you, Lock," ani Amora. "Ikaw ba? Nasaan ka na?"

Kinuha naman ni Simon ang atensyon ni Lockey at may sinasabi pa ito.

Tell her we're already here, he mouthed.

Tumango naman si Lockey sa sinabi ni Simon. "Nandito na kami sa meeting place natin. Wait na lang namin kayo. Hindi kami papasok ng resto hangga't wala pa kayo."

"Ang bilis niyo naman, ha? Sige, malapit na lang din naman kami. See you, Lockey-lock-lock!"

"Sige, tita! See you!"

Nang ibinaba naman nito ang tawag ay agad na pumwesto ang tatlo ayon sa utos ni Simon. They locked the door so no one will find out where they went—obviously, their professor know where they will go so they weren't hiding it from them, but some may think they do.

Pinatong ni Simon ang kama sa balikat ni Lockey at Malcolm and looked at both of them.

"Are you guys ready?"

"Rea—" Lockey was interrupted when everything changes. "...dy. What?!"

Malcolm chuckled at Lockey's reaction. "I got used to it, but whenever Simon did this. I always feel like it was my first time. I wish I could transport everywhere in the world. That'll be easy peasy for me."

"Well, you're smarter than me so we're quits." Ngisi pa ni Simon. "Let's go to the spot where we will be meeting them so they won't be guessing where are we."

Sumunod naman ang tatlo sa sinabi ni Simon. Pumwesto ang tatlo sa tapat ng resto kung saan nila kikitain ang tita nito. Aside from what Sir Gregory told him, that's all he knew so he wasn't sure how his aunt reacted to it when she found it out in the first place. Kinakabahan si Lockey and that's why Simon and Malcolm come with him—to make them understand that being away for some time wouldn't make much difference, well that's their reason.

"Does your aunt's new boyfriend should always go with her?" Malcolm innocently asked.

Lockey shrugged off. "I don't know, Mal. I just don't want to see her get hurt at the end of the day..."

"True, fair enough," Malcolm said as he agreed.

In just a moment, a car stopped right in front of them. Lockey already knew who was inside the vehicle so when Malcolm and Simon looked at him, he confirmed it to them with a simple nod. When the engine stopped and they jumped out of the vehicle, they saw Lockey's aunt and then her boyfriend, Gage.

Nakangiti nitong binati ang pamangkin at niyakap ng mahigpit. Tiningnan ni Gage ang mga kasamahan ni Lockey at tinanguan ang mga ito. Gano'n din naman ang mga naging sagot nina Malcolm at Simon.

"Kahit surprised pa rin ako sa mga nangyayari, I'm happy for you," anito. Pinisil pa nito ang magkabilang pisngi ng pamangkin.

"Ouch! Masakit, tita."

Natawa na lang din naman ito sa usal ng pamangkin.

"Lockey, kumusta?" tanong ni Gage at tinapik ang balikat nito.

"Ayos lang," tipid na sagot nito saka sinundan ng tango.

"Mabuti naman," aniya. "Tara na sa loob para makapag-usap na kayo ni Amora nang mas mahaba-haba."

When they all walked inside, a staff greeted them and assisted them toward the reserved table. Once they are settled in, Lockey is seated across from his aunt and her boyfriend and Simon's sitting next to him while Malcolm sat in the middle. They started ordering their food and said it would be Gage's treat so Malcolm and Simon took advantage of it.

"So, I met your professor kanina... si Sir Gregory," panimula ni Amora. "I think what he said to me is that you'll be going through this school transferring and you'll be continuing your studies there na from now on. Tama ako, 'di ba?"

Tumango si Lockey. "That's right, tita."

"And where is this school?" tanong ni Gage.

Napalunok ng laway si Lockey at nilingon ang mga kaibigan. "Sa... CA..."

"Carlston Academy," pagpapatuloy ni Simon. "Nalilito ka pa rin sa school mo rati tapos sa school mo ngayon. Okay lang 'yan, bro."

Napangiwi na lamang si Lockey dahil ang school na kanyang babanggitin ay ang CAPES Academy.

Napatango-tango naman si Gage. "Nice... I've heard good things sa school na iyon. Most of students na galing do'n ay nag-e-excel sa mga big university in and out of the country. Good thing for you, Lachlan."

"Thanks..."

"Pero paano na iyong mga kaklase mo sa dati mong school?" tanong ni Amora.

"Hindi ko pa sila nakakausap dahil kanina lang din sinabi sa akin si Sir Greg 'yon," paliwanag ni Lockey.

"That professor... does he work on both schools? Medyo malayo ang distance ng dalawang school kung araw-araw siya nagbabalik-balikan."

"I just know he was my teacher back in my previous school," sagot ni Lockey. "Hindi naman masamang mag-part time if hindi naman siya full-time faculty staff do'n. Mabait 'yon si Sir Greg. Nagulat nga ako kanina nang ibalita niya sa akin iyon."

"Well, I was, too," sagot ni Amora. "I feel like... I couldn't lose my sight from you! Kung papayag ba ako o hindi. Nagdadalawang isip din talaga ako kanina, but he reassured me na nasa mabuting kamay ka and... I think you've found good friends na rin!"

Napalingon sina kina Malcolm at Simon.

"When we met Lockey, mahiyain pero we know he has a potential to outgrow it," sagot ni Simon. "Kaming bahala sa kanya sa Carlston. Pagbalik niyan may muscle na siya."

"Loko ka, Simon."

Natawa naman ang lahat.

"And people who go to Carlston are smart students," pagpunto pa ni Malcolm. "I think he really deserves there."

"I truly believe that," sagot ni Amora. "We also brought some of your stuff na rin para hindi ka na bumalik sa bahay pa. We already packed your stuff and hopefully, we packed the right things for you."

"I hope you packed all of my favorite sweatshirts... and mom and dad's stuff."

"I did," Amora said. "They were all there and if we missed it, we'll bring it to you."

"No visitors allowed in Carlston," singit ni Simon.

"Oh, talaga? When did that rule apply?" takang tanong ni Gage. "Because I've been there a year ago and visitors are allowed."

"There are times that visitors aren't allowed in the campus' premises... that's why I mean."

"Yeah, and they knew the rules more than me so that's that..." Lockey added. "And if I forgot something else, maybe you could just send it over through the mailbox or something. That'll be efficient so you won't have to drive long hours."

"How did you guys get here? How long was the drive?"

"We were—"

"They dropped us by here," Simon interjected. "Susunduin na lang nila kami once we told them. I think they parked just around the area kaya hindi naman problema 'yon."

"Are you now Lockey's spokesperson or just a good friend?" Gage questioned him. Hindi nakasagot si Simon. "Seems like you're answering most of the questions that were supposedly answered by Lockey."

"Oh, my bad, I didn't mean to..."

"That's alright. It's just funny," Gage commented.

When their orders started getting served to their tables, they couldn't wait to feast on every meal they picked. While they are waiting for everything to be served, a group of men started circling their table and wondering what was going on.

"What is happening?" Amora asked. "Why are you all being so weird?"

Amora saw the man next to her flash his gun on his side which made her stiffen on her chair while when Gage saw it, he was about to call him out, but immediately told to put his ass back on the chair. There were five men around them and they weren't sure what was going on.

One man hold Lockey's shoulder and gripped it.

"Lachlan Chapmann, we are arresting you for the murder of Margaret and Oscar Chapmann..."

"What?!" he exclaimed. "What the hell is going on? I didn't—no! This is wrong! I didn't kill my parents!"

"You're wrong!" his aunt added. "He didn't do anything!"

Malcolm and Simon had a feeling of what was going on and thought they need to find a way to resolve this quickly, but they couldn't even move themselves to do what they need to do. The man who was holding Lockey grabbed him to stand up and force him to put his hands on his back.

"No!" he shouted, resisting what the man is doing.

Everyone inside the premises are scared of what was happening, until the electricity inside the restaurant exploded turning all the lights shut down. At that moment, it was a chance for them to escape the mess. Someone grabbed Lockey by his arm and the next thing he knew, they were running towards the back door.

Lockey's chest was beating fast, same for Simon and Malcolm who believe this isn't just some kind of arrest, but more than that.

"We need to go now," Simon said.

"But my aunt is—"

"There's no time," Simon cut him off and place his hands on Malcolm and Lockey's shoulder.

The next thing they knew, they were back inside their room and felt confused and raged after getting caught into some kind of trouble.

"What the hell was that?" Malcolm asked. "Why would they want to arrest you?"

Hindi nakasagot si Lockey dahil naguguluhan din ito sa mga pangyayari.

"We cannot tell this to Sir Gregory," Malcolm suggested.

"I think we should," Simon stated otherwise. "They should know what happened back there and should be aware of what was happening. I'm sorry we have to leave your aunt back there, Lockey, but it was for our safety. I'm not sure why they are after you and reasoning about your parent's death, but for now, you cannot go back to Summit City..."

His head rose as Simon said those words. "No..."

"You see what happened there, right?" he asked and Lockey nodded. "They are after the abomination..."

"But I'm not one of them..."

"What are you doing here if you aren't one?" Simon questioned him. "You belong in this place and we'll keep you safe."

Lockey was left speechless as if he was still trying to process everything that just happened. He was so confused as to why they are arresting him for something he didn't do. But if it was true that he was an abomination, he would never kill his parents. Never.

***