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LORELEI

"So tell me, Lorelei, what did you and my dear brother talk about this morning?"

I DROPPED the paper bag with the milk tea inside. Dali-dali ko itong pinulot sa sahig at ipinatong sa mesa. I could feel Loki following me with his gaze.

I was caught off guard when he asked me that question. Can I stop the time for a moment and let me think with a believable palusot? I wish I have that power. But I don't.

Kailangan kong mag-isip nang mabilis. Let me take three to four steps back.

Last night, I asked Luthor kung pwede kaming mag-meet nitong umaga para pag-usapan ang tungkol sa notebook. I told him it was very urgent, so he agreed.

Kaninang umaga, habang busy si Loki sa paglalaro ng darts, sinabihan ko siyang makikipag-date ako. I didn't mention any name. At kahit chineck niya ang phone ko habang tulog ako, he wouldn't know kung sino ang ka-meet ko.

Nang makarating na ako sa mall kanina, conscious din ako sa paligid ko. I know that this meeting should be kept in absolute confidentiality. Wala kahit isang estudyante ng Clark High ang dapat makakitang magmi-meet kami ni Luthor.

To make sure na mababa ang chance na may makakita sa amin ni Luthor, I chose the least popular coffee and tea shop sa mall. It's not trendy at hindi rin gano'n ka-appealing sa mga ka-edad ko. They'd rather go to more popular establishments.

When Luthor arrived at our meeting place, he told me that he had asked his dad's bodyguards to secure the perimeter. I don't know what that exactly meant, but I guess pina-check niya muna kung safe ba talagang mag-meet kami roon.

One of his bodyguards, either Hugh or Munroe, stayed in the cafe while Luthor and I were talking. I bet he's been on guard since they got inside. If someone suspicious came in, he would have alerted Luthor as soon as he could.

Nang matapos na ang discussion namin, naunang nagpaalam si Luthor. He left the cafe along with his bodyguard. Ako naman, hindi agad tumayo at umalis. Nagpalipas pa ako ng fifteen minutes bago ko iniwan ang shop.

Habang naglalakad naman ako palabas ng mall, alerto pa rin ako. Pasimple akong nagmamasid sa paligid, baka may sekretong nakasunod sa akin. After all, the M case doesn't end in Clark High. Pwede itong mag-extend sa labas ng campus.

Pagkasakay ko sa binook kong Grab car, ako lang mag-isa ang sumakay roon. Wala ring kahina-hinala sa paligid ko.

Now the question is: How did Loki find out that I met with Luthor?

He's still staring at me, waiting for my answer. Naantala ang pagdidikit niya sa pader ng fake layout ni Hershey. He wanted to know kung ano ang pinag-usapan namin ni Luthor. Kung sanang normal na chikahan lang ang ginawa namin ng kuya niya, I wouldn't think twice of telling him.

Natawa tuloy ako sa isip ko. I can't imagine na magmi-meet lang kami ni Luthor para mag-chika-han. Hindi ko nga alam kung naka-register sa vocabulary niya ang salitang "chika."

Anyway, back to the problem at hand. Hindi pa rin ako nilulubayan ng tingin ni Loki. His eyes may lack the vibrance that the others have, but I'm pretty sure he's already scrutinizing my facial expressions: How many times did my eyes I blink? Did I wrinkle my nose? Did my lips twitch? He's processing every little information like a super computer.

Hay, ayaw talaga niyang ikalas ang kanyang tingin sa akin. Why was he so interested in what Luthor and I talked about? Was he jealous or something? Nah, I don't think so. Baka nga wala sa dictionary niya ang salitang "jealous." Maybe he's only interested to find out if his brother was backstabbing him.

Kailangan kong maging maingat sa isasagot ko. I'm facing one of the most brilliant minds in Clark High. If I hint about a lie, it's all over for me. Teka, what was his question again?

"So tell me, Lorelei, what did you and my dear brother talk about this morning?"

No, I shouldn't reply, "How did you know?" Kapag 'yan ang isinagot ko, I would be confirming na si Luthor nga ang ka-meet ko kanina. As much as possible, I don't want him digging sa kung ano ang pinag-usapan namin ng kuya niya. He wouldn't stop bugging me once he found out.

His tone when he asked that question... he sounded so sure about it. But how did he really know? Sinundan niya ba ako sa mall? Well, he's still wearing his loose shirt and pajama. I doubt he'd go to the mall in that dress. But Loki being Loki, he wouldn't mind how he looked. Kahit yata naka-underwear lang siya, pupunta siya kung saan niya gustong pumunta. But I may be exaggerating.

Kung sinundan niya talaga ako, bakit hindi ko siya napansin? I was alert all the time. Isa pa, nagbabantay rin ang mga bodyguard ni Luthor. I doubt they wouldn't notice the son of their boss sneaking into the cafe.

So why did he sound so confident? Maybe he's bluffing?

"Hanggang ngayon ba, iniisip mo pa ring maglalayag 'yang Lorelei-Luthor ship mo?" I said with a straight face. Muli akong lumapit sa pader at tiningnan ang mga nakadikit na layout doon. I may not be a good liar, but as long as I could keep my microexpressions away from Loki, he couldn't read what might be going on my mind.

"So you're denying that you met with him this morning?" sunod na tanong ni Loki. His eyes rolled to my direction.

Feeling ko tuloy, parang nasa isang game show ako kung saan hindi ako dapat magkamali ng sagot sa bawat tanong. If I admit that I was with Luthor, it would be a game over for me. If I deny it, I would be lying to him and there's a chance he might detect the lie.

I need to deflect.

Humarap ako kay Loki at ngumiti. "You're the detective. You tell me."

I didn't admit. I didn't deny. Ipinasa ko lang ang bola sa kanya. Nakalusot ako sa tanong niya.

He stared at me for another minute while I maintained my smiling face. We're like playing chess. We're making moves and countermoves.

"You're getting better at this game," Loki replied, nodding.

"I don't know what game you are talking about." I shrugged my shoulders and turned around. Bigla akong may naalala kaya muli akong lumingon sa kanya. "Teka, you've accused me of meeting with your brother. 'Di ba ang laging sinasabi sa judicial process ay the burden of proof lies on the accuser? Do you have any evidence to support your claim?"

Masyadong mabigat yata ang word na "accused" na parang krimen ang pakikipag-meet kay Luthor.

Lagot ako kung sinundan niya talaga ako tapos may nakuhanan siyang picture. That would be a conclusive proof na tama ang hinala niya. But I'm betting on the scenario that he hasn't left the apartment since I left him here.

"I was hoping that your tongue would slip and confirm to me if that my conjecture was correct," he smirked. "I have no evidence or whatsoever. It's a mere guess. I haven't let go of the thought that you are interested in my brother."

"You should let it go," sagot ko. "Nothing's gonna happen between him and me."

We may both have a burden to bear, pero hanggang doon lang 'yon. It would be absurd to think that it could lead to something else.

"If you're really that interested in my brother, let me remind you for the nth time that he has no interest in romantic relationships," Loki said, pinning another page on the wall. "When we were young, Luthor and I made a bet. I told him that he won't find a suitable bride until the day he dies. He said the same to me."

Kunot-noo akong napatingin sa kanya. What kind of childhood did these two have? Noong mas bata pa ako, ang pinagkakaabalahan namin ay 'yong fake palm reading. Titingnan ng classmate ko 'yong palad ko tapos sasabihin niya kung ilan ang magiging anak ko.

"Good luck on you two," I told him before walking to my room. Kailangan ko na munang magpahinga. The good thing is, nakalusot na ako sa pang-iintriga niya.

"Lorelei," Loki called.

Muli akong napaharap sa kanya. He didn't bother turning to me. Patuloy lang siya sa pagdidikit ng papel sa pader.

"Remember what I told you yesterday? That I trust you?" Loki said. "I meant it."

Biglang bumigat ang dibdib ko. Why was he telling me that out of the blue? "Of course, you did."

He turned his head to his right. "So should the day come that you need to keep something from me, I would totally understand. We've known each other for quite some time. I believe—and I bet my life on it—that whatever you do, which may directly or indirectly involve me, you will always have our best interest in mind."

I can't help but swallow the lump in my throat. Parang may pinapahiwatig siya. Pakiramdam ko tuloy, naninikip ang dibdib ko. Those three words—"I trust you"—may be short, but their impact is so powerful, they can make my knees tremble.

Telling him nothing, or worse, lying to him make me feel like I'm betraying his trust and confidence. But if he really meant what he has just said, I hope that he'd understand. Tama naman siya. I only have our best interest in mind.

"If you choose not to tell me who you are dating, it's fine with me. I respect your privacy," Loki went on pinning another piece of paper. "You may not want me interfering in your partner selection process, and I understand that completely. Just remember that whoever's gonna be your choice, that decision might indirectly affect me. So choose wisely."

Napabuntong-hininga na lang ako at marahang napailing. Pumasok na ako sa kuwarto ko. Ayaw ko nang i-entertain kung anuman ang nasa isip niya.

***

MONDAY CAME. The start of a new week. The continuation of our game against Augustus.

Mula nang sabihin naming blangko ang laman ng notebook sa desk ng editor-in-chief, the execom was in low spirits. Parang ang gloomy ng atmosphere sa office namin. Puro buntong-hininga ang maririnig every minute. Well, we thought we're onto something.

Si Loki nga, ibinuhos ang frustrations sa kakabato ng darts sa picture ni Augustus. Doon siya nakapag-vent out ng kanyang pagkadismaya sa mission. Nabuhos na yata niya lahat doon kaya medyo normal na ang mood niya ngayon.

Jamie was also sad about what happened. I could see it in her face. Maybe she felt that disguising as a corpse for more than an hour became useless. Nagpakapagod siya para sa wala. She tried to force a smile every now and then, but the sadness remained.

How about Alistair and I? Well, nakikisakay kami sa mood ng lahat. Kami lang dalawa ang nakakaalam sa kung ano talaga ang iniwan ni Augustus sa drawer niya. If we had told everyone about the notebook's content, this office and the whole school might already be in chaos by now.

Hindi pa kami nag-uusap simula nang magkahiwalay kami noong Biyernes ng gabi. We decided it would be best if we do not speak about it.

"Are you done sulking in the corner?" tanong ni Loki sa amin. Napatingin kaming lahat sa kanya.

"Nanghihinayang lang talaga ako dahil sobra ang effort natin last week," sagot ni Maggie na paikot-ikot sa kanyang swivel chair. "We even involved the campus police for our charade. Tapos wala pala tayong mapapala."

"Maybe we underestimated Augustus," komento ni Rye na nakasandal sa pader. As always, he's chewing on the lollipop stick in his mouth. "We didn't expect him to leave a fake notebook in his drawer."

Sandali kaming nagkatinginan ni Alistair. We really underestimated Augustus. We didn't expect him to make a move that could shock the student body. Thanks to two unsung heroes, we avoided a tragedy. The question is, for how long?

Naalala ko ang sinabi ni Luthor sa akin. Kahit na hindi ko sabihin kay Loki ang laman ng notebook, pwedeng sabihin sa kanya ni Augustus. The editor-in-chief has proven himself to be unpredictable. Baka mamayang lunch time, kausapin na niya si Loki tungkol dito.

"We can mourn all day about our failure," Loki said. "But we have to move forward. We haven't lost the game yet, mind you."

"Bilib talaga ako sa positive outlook ni Loki dear!" singit ni Jamie na sa wakas ay ngumiti na. This time, it's genuine.

"So it's time for our second offensive?" tanong ni Maggie. She leaned forward and rested her hands on the table.

"Herschel sent me a copy of the fake student publication layout last Saturday," sagot ni Loki sabay pakita sa hawak niyang folder. "We can still attack Augustus on this front. Once we expose the discrepancy in the pricing, I wonder how he's gonna get away with it."

"As long as we can make the general manager of the printing press talk, may chance pa tayong manalo kay Augustus," komento ni Alistair na napatango. "But we need to act quickly. We've seen kung gaano kagaling si Augustus. He might pull something that might affect our plan."

"We need to ask for a quotation today." Ipinadulas ni Loki sa mesa ang isang folder kung saan nakapaloob ang layout ni Hershey. Maggie picked it up and started checking the contents. "But we have to be careful. The general manager shouldn't suspect that we're up to something."

"We need to pretend as students from a different school," Maggie said, flipping a page of the layout. "Kapag pumunta tayo sa printing press, hindi pwedeng itong school uniform ang suot natin. We must wear something else."

"And the three of us who went there shouldn't pay the general manager another visit," Alistair added. "Alam na niya ang mga mukha natin. Kahit mag-iba tayo ng school uniform, may chance na makilala pa rin niya tayo."

"We also have to assume that Augustus informed the general manager to be on guard," Loki said, raising his right forefinger. "He might have told him what we look like."

"So we need to ask some unfamiliar faces to reach out to the printing press?" tanong ni Maggie sabay lapag ng folder sa mesa.

"There's no need for that!" Jamie exclaimed. Nagulat ako sa pagsingit niya. "Nakalimutan n'yo na bang part ako ng team?"

"Ah, your disguise skills!" I clapped once then pointed at her.

"Best buddies talaga tayo, Lori!" she replied. "You knew what's on my mind! Mas delikado kasi kung iaasa natin sa hindi natin gano'n kakilala ang mission na 'to. Mas mabuti kung tayo-tayo lang din ang mag-execute ng plan. Lucky y'all, you have me!"

"So who's gonna ask for a quotation?" Iginala ni Maggie ang kanyang tingin sa amin.

"Me and my best buddy Lori!" Inakbayan akong bigla ni Jamie. Sinubukan kong alisin ang pagkakaakbay niya pero masyadong mahigpit. "Mas sanay kasi akong mag-make-up ng babae kaysa lalaki. Pwede ko siyang pahiramin ng wig. O kung 'di niya bet ang collection ko, we can steal one in the props room."

"What time should we—"

TOK! TOK! TOK!

Biglang natikom ang mga bibig namin at natahimik sa office. We waited for the door to open. Kapag kasi execom member ang kumakatok, sunod ay bubuksan niya ang pinto. But since the door didn't open, it must be someone not from our group.

Tumayo si Jamie nang nakataas ang kamay. She volunteered to check who's knocking. Maggie nodded at her.

Bigla akong nakaramdam ng kaba habang pinapanood siyang i-turn ang doorknob at buksan nang kaunti ang pinto. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest.

Was it Augustus? Did he come here to tell Loki or the execom the truth about the notebook?

Nang bumukas ang pinto, nakita ko ang biglang pag-angat ng mga balikat ni Jamie. She took a step backward and hid her shaking hands behind her.

Who was it? Bakit gano'n ang reaksyon niya?

"Good morning. This is the office of the executive committee, right?"

Napalunok ako ng laway nang marinig ang boses ng nagsalita. Halos malaglag na ang puso ko sa kaba. Nagsimulang manginig ang mga tuhod ko. Boses pa lang ang narinig ko, pero halos mahimatay na ako sa takot.

I can't be mistaken. That was Augustus' voice.

The door was swung open. There we saw Augustus' figure, standing tall and proud. His round spectacles gleamed, reflecting the light outside. He held his chin up and I could tell he was looking down on us. After all, he beat us last week.

I thought that only Luthor could make me feel this way. Meron pa pala.

Ano ang gusto niya? Bakit siya naparito? Why was our enemy visiting our camp?

"Good morning, Augustus," Maggie spat his name like poison. "This is the first time you've ever paid a visit to our office. What brings you here?"

"Despite having four eyes, maybe he lost his way," Loki scoffed. Kung may hawak lang siyang darts ngayon, malamang inihagis na niya sa lalaking nasa pintuan. "Oh, wait. He has already lost his way since a few years ago."

Humakbang papasok si Augustus habang si Jamie ay paurong na bumalik sa kanyang upuan. Bawat yabag ng sapatos niya, nagbibigay ng malakas na kabog sa dibdib ko. "Margarette, I hope you don't mind if I talk to one of your members. In private."

Teka, ano 'yong nakaipit sa braso niya? A black notebook? I knew it! He made a copy of the notebook that I stole from his drawer!

Mabilis na nabaling ang tingin ko kay Alistair. Maging siya'y nababahala na. Kahit malamig dito sa office, may namumuong pawis sa noo niya. Our cover-up would be exposed as soon as our visitor talked to Loki.

We didn't expect Augustus to act this early! What can we do? What can we do to stop him from talking? Think, Lori!

"Sakto, kakatapos lang ng meeting namin," sagot ni Maggie. She was trying her best to sound friendly kahit na alam naming iritang-irita siya sa aming bisita. "Sino ang gusto mong kausapin? I hope na you're not trying to get any confidential info from us para i-publish sa next issue n'yo?"

Augustus chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna ask anything. I'm gonna say something to this person. Can I talk to you..."

Kumuyom ang mga kamao ko habang sinusundan ko pa rin ng tingin si Augustus. Kung mangyayari na ang dapat mangyari, I hope that something happens right here, right now. A strong earthquake? A fire? An explosion? Anything that can distract us from the situation.

Augustus set his gaze at Loki. Ilang segundo rin silang nagkapalitan ng tingin.

Napapikit na lang ang mga mata ko at napayuko. Sana may mangyari... Sana may mangyari...

"...Lorelei?"

"Eh?" Napamulat ang aking mga mata at napaangat ang aking tingin.

Augustus was smiling at me. "Can we talk for a while, Lorelei?"

q.e.d.

Bakit kaya gustong kausapin ni Augustus si Lorelei?

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