CONTENT AND TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter may contain content that might be troubling to some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to death, self-harm and suicide, graphic violence, sexual assault, strong language and more.

Please be mindful of these sensitive themes and other possible triggers. Remember to practice self-care before, during and after reading.

LORELEI

THE GARLICKY scent from the kitchen woke me up. Sa sarap ng amoy, biglang kumalam ang sikmura ko. I also heard the striking of the spatula to the metallic frying pan. Ang akala ko'y sa katabing unit galing amoy, pero hindi pala. Obviously, someone in our unit was cooking. But who?

Not even once did I see Loki cook anything. Ni hindi nga siya marunong magprito ng itlog o hotdog. Lagi siyang umo-order sa mga fast food resto kapag walang dinadalang pagkain sa amin si Tita Martha. Kaya imposibleng siya ang nakagising nang ganito kaaga para magluto.

Could it be Tita Martha? Possible, pero may sarili siyang kusina kaya bakit siya magluluto sa mismong stove namin? Baka nasira ang stove niya kaya nakigamit siya sa amin? But she would not barge into our unit unannounced.

Could it be my great father? My aunt could give him access to our unit, but he would not waste time cooking for her daughter. Hindi ko nga alam kung marunong siyang magluto dahil laging mga kasambahay namin ang naghahanda ng pagkain.

To clear my head of this early morning mystery, I got off my bed and exited my room. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I turned to the kitchen and noticed a girl standing before the stove and frying a couple of eggs. Seeing her long braided hair, I instantly recognized her—Jamie Santiago.

"Good morning, Jamie," I said, walking past her and toward our bathroom.

"Good morning too, Lorelei!" she greeted me with a warm smile. I could not tell if that was genuine or not. "Did you have a good night sleep?"

"Yeah, I did. Thanks to—"

Wait. Something's not right here. I traced my step backwards and stared at the slim figure of my companion. My eyes roamed around the kitchen, slightly confused if this was our apartment unit. The familiar arrangement confirmed it.

Only one question remained: What in the world was Jamie Santiago doing in our apartment?!

Tiningnan ko siya mula ulo hanggang paa. Napansin kong suot niya ang white shirt ni Loki, medyo maluwag para sa payat niyang pangangatawan. Maiksi ang suot niyang shorts kaya agaw-pansin ang mapuputi at makikinis niyang binti.

"Gusto mo na bang mag-breakfast?" nakangiting tanong niya. "I've prepared meals for three!"

My eyes blinked for a couple of times. Kinailangan ko ring kusotin ang mga mata ko para makasigurong hindi ako nananaginip o namamalikmata. Si Jamie nga talaga ang kaharap ko!

"You must be surprised that I'm here." Inilagay niya sa mesa ang isang bowl ng fried rice at platter ng mga itlog. "Loki let me in last night when you were asleep."

"Last night? Dito ka natulog?"

"Alangan namang sa labas? I also brought my uniform para dito na ako makapagbihis." Sunod niyang kinuha ang mga utensil at inilapag ang tatlong plato sa mesa. "Kung puwede lang, dito na rin ako mag-i-stay kasama si Loki. Don't you think that's a good idea?"

After almost two weeks of not seeing her, she popped up in our very home and cooked breakfast for us. What was she up to the past few days?

"You two seem to be getting along."

Bumukas ang pinto sa aking likuran kaya napalingon ako roon. Kalalabas pa lang ng kuwarto ni Loki habang humihikab pa. Mas magulo ang buhok niya tuwing umaga, parang binagyo. Kinukusot din niya ang kaniyang mga nakasarang mata.

"Good morning, Loki!" Agad na dumikit sa kaniya si Jamie at hinila patungo sa mesa kung saan nakahanda na ang agahan. They looked like a young couple who had started living in.

"Your knitted eyebrows tell me that you have a question," Loki told me. There was no need to say my thoughts out loud. "You were probably surprised to see Jamie in our apartment. Just so you know, she begged to stay here until sunrise."

"That means na natulog siya rito," tugon ko. "Where did she sleep?"

"I offered our cozy couch to her. But she insisted on sleeping in my room."

"When I insist, I can be very convincing!" Jamie exclaimed. "Persuasion is one of my strong suits after all."

"Bale natulog siya sa kama mo habang ikaw ay natulog sa sahig?" tanong ko nang hindi pinapansin ang bisita namin. "Gano'n ba ang sleeping arrangement n'yo kagabi?"

"Why would I sleep on the floor? We shared the same bed."

I stared blankly at Loki, my eyes blinking. Then I cut my gaze away from him to the girl who was smiling widely as if she had a game. Seryoso ba ang dalawang ito? Or were they pulling a prank on me?

"You two . . . slept together?" I asked slowly.

"Something wrong with that?" Umangat ang isang kilay ng roommate ko. "Is there a law prohibiting a boy and a girl from sharing the same bed? Literally, if I may add."

"You know how inappropriate that looks and sounds, right? If other people hear that a boy and a girl slept together—either literally or figuratively—they might entertain some dirty ideas."

"Do you wanna know what happened last night?" Nanatiling nakangisi si Jamie, may halong pang-aasar ang boses niya. "It was quite fun actually—"

"I don't need to hear any of the details." I strode off to the bathroom, rolling my eyes. Gusto kong takpan ang mga tainga ko para hindi ko na marinig ang mga sunod na lumabas sa kaniyang bibig.

Anuman ang nangyari sa kuwarto ni Loki kagabi, wala na akong pakialam doon.

MATAPOS KONG makaligo at makapagbihis, agad akong umalis ng apartment. Nawalan ako ng ganang kainin ang breakfast na inihanda ni Jamie. I was not that hungry anyway. Wala rin ako sa mood para makasabay siya sa pagpasok.

Pagdating sa classroom, nadatnan ko si Rosetta na kasama ang iba kong classmates. Kahit na naku-curious ako kung ano ang kanilang pinag-uusapan, hindi ako nakitsismis. She would always share to me the latest tsismis in our class, so there was no need to stick my nose into other people's business.

Umupo ako at sinimulang basahin ang notes ko sa General Mathematics. Ilang sandali ang lumipas, gaya ng inaasahan, bumalik si Rosetta sa kaniyang upuan sa tabi ko.

"Hey, Lori! Narinig mo na ba ang tsismis?"

"Hmm?" Tumaas ang kaliwa kong kilay. "Ano'ng meron?"

"Napadaan kasi ako sa faculty room kanina at nakita ko ang adviser natin na may kausap na lalaking estudyante. At first, I didn't pay too much attention pero narinig kong magta-transfer daw siya sa class natin!"

"Nasa kalagitnaan na tayo ng semester. Tumatanggap pa pala ang school ng transferees? Hindi pa ba tapos ang period para doon?"

"Baka special case ang lalaking 'yon. No wonder! May itsura siya, may killer smile, mukhang physically fit at super tangkad pa yata!"

Now I understood what the fuss was all about. They were excited about a handsome boy transferring to our class. I might be one of the few students who were not looking forward to meeting that guy. Wala namang magbabago sa buhay ko kung makikilala ko siya.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto, pumasok na ang class adviser namin kaya tumahimik ang mga nagtsitsismisan kong classmate. Bumalik na sila sa kani-kanilang upuan at umupo nang maayos.

"Good morning, class!" bati ng aming class adviser matapos ipatong sa mesa ang mga dala-dala niyang libro. "Before we start our homeroom session, I have a few announcements to make. First, let me introduce your new classmate, a transferee who will be with us starting today."

Rosetta shook me by the shoulders. "Ayan na siya!"

Pilit akong ngumiti sa kaniya bago ibinalik ang aking atensiyon sa notebook na binabasa ko. I chose to focus on my notes than waste another second on that transferee. Dahil na rin siguro sa ilang buwan ko nang kasama si Loki, nahawa na ako sa I-do-not-care attitude niya pagdating sa ibang tao.

Narinig ko ang mga mabibigat na yabag ng lalaki. Hindi ko pa rin naisipang iangat ang ulo ko para tingnan siya.

"Please introduce yourself."

"Good morning. My name's Alistair Ravena. You can call me Al. Pleased to meet you all."

"Alistair?" I mumbled as I turned the page of my notebook. "What a nice name."

Wait. Alistair? Hindi lang pangalan ang pamilyar, pati ang boses ng nagsalita!

I tilted my head up and raised my gaze to the student standing before the whole class. Nabitiwan ko ang aking notebook nang nakita ng mga nanlaki kong mata ang mukha niya. I could not believe what I was seeing. The guy standing before us was Alistair, my childhood friend! He was supposed to be studying at St. Bartholomew High in Manila. So what in the world was he doing here?

Kanina, si Jamie. Ngayon, si Alistair. How many surprises were in store for me today?

"Alistair has recently transfered here from St. Bartholomew High School in Manila. Please be good to him, okay?" nakangiting sabi ng class adviser namin, napahawak sa balikat ng transferee. "Gusto mo bang maupo roon sa likod ni . . . ano nga kasi ang name mo? Miss Rios, right?"

Hindi na umangal pa si Alistair at deretsong nilagpasan ang mga row ng upuan. Ang ilan sa mga babae kong classmate, nakatitig sa kaniya at halos tumulo na ang laway. I made a stifled response when he walked past my seat. Sa sobrang pagkagulat ko, hindi ko alam kung paano magre-react.

Sa buong homeroom session namin, hindi ko pinansin ang lalaki sa aking likuran. Kunwari'y hindi siya nag-e-exist. Si Rosetta? Hayun, agad na nakipag-close kay Alistair gaya ng pakikipag-close niya sa akin noong bagong transfer ako rito.

"Saan ka nga ulit nanggaling?"

"St. Bartholomew High. In Manila."

"St. Bart's? May classmate din ba tayong galing din doon? Parang familiar, eh."

"Teka! Taga-Manila rin si Lori, 'di ba? Ano nga ang name ng school niya dati?"

Nagkunwari akong walang narinig. Hinintay ko munang matapos ang first period namin bago ko nilapitan si Alistair. Busy siya sa pagsusulat sa notebook nang bigla kong hinawakan ang braso niya at hinila siya palabas ng classroom. Wala na akong pakialam kung magbulungan ang mga makakita sa amin.

"Grabe, napaka-aggressive pala ni Lorelei!"

"Sa guwapo ba ni Alistair, kahit ako poporma na agad!"

Maging si Rosetta'y halos nalaglag ang panga dahil sa ginawa ko. Tinawag niya ang aking pangalan pero hindi ko na muna siya pinansin. Mamaya na siya.

Siniguro ko munang malayo na kami sa classroom bago sinimulang kausapin ang lalaking kasama ko. I did not want my classmates to eavesdrop on our conversation. Hindi nga nila alam na magkababata kami at dating magka-schoolmate ni Alistair.

"Sa ganitong paraan mo ba ako balak batiin, Lori?" nakangiti niyang tanong matapos kong bitiwan ang kaniyang braso. "Hindi mo man ako nginitian nang dumaan ako sa tabi mo."

"Sorry, I didn't know how to react. You should have given me a heads up." Nagkrus ang mga braso ko. Kahit sino, maninigas na parang estatwa kapag may nakitang hindi inaasahan. "But first things first: What are you doing here? Did my dad send you?"

"What am I, a dog to do your father's bidding? I'm not here under anyone's orders. I'm here because of you, Lori."

"B-Because of me?" Parang uminit at namula ang mga pisngi ko. Sandali akong umiwas ng tingin mula sa kaniya, parang hindi ko muna siya kayang tingnan nang direkta.

He shot a sideward glance at some students passing by and waited until they were out of earshot. "Ever since I watched that video, I have become worried about you."

Video? He must be referring to the one where Loki slammed Stein with a chair. Siya kaya ang nagpakita n'on kay Papa?

"I thought you got yourself in some deep trouble for being associated with that detective guy," he added. "Gusto kong siguruhin na hindi na ulit mangyayari sa 'yo ang nangyari noon."

Napakuyom ang mga kamao ko, halos bumaon ang aking mga kuko sa palad. That was a topic that I had always avoided since I transferred here in Pampanga. Whatever happened that night, I no longer wanted to remember.

"Are you here to protect me . . . again?" I asked.

"As always, Lori," he answered.

Biglang tumahimik sa parte ng hallway na kinatatayuan namin. The tension on my shoulders eased as my fists unclenched. Wala na rin akong magagawa. Nandito na siya't makasasama ko bilang aking classmate. At nandito na naman siya para protektahan ako kahit hindi kailangan.

"By the way, how's that detective boyfriend of yours? His name is Loki, isn't it?" Binasag niya ang awkward na katahimikan sa pagitan namin. "It's been weeks since I last saw him."

Uh-oh. Nagdalawang-isip ako kung dapat ko bang sabihin sa kaniya ang current status ni Loki. But knowing him, he would definitely find out sooner or later so I would rather break the news to him.

"He's been indefinitely suspended by the school admin. It's quite a long story."

"Is that so? I was looking forward to meeting him again."

Paniguradong masosorpresa rin si Loki kapag nalaman nitong nag-transfer siya sa Clark High.

Lumingon sa kaniyang likuran si Alistair kung saan tanaw si Rosetta at iba pa naming classmates na nagsisiksikan sa likod ng pillar at pilit na sumasagap ng tsismis. "Balik na tayo sa classroom? Mukhang may gustong makibalita kung bakit tayo nag-uusap sa labas. Baka ano pa'ng isipin ng mga classmate natin."

"S-Sure." Tumango ako. "Mag-start na rin ang first subject natin niyan."

Pagkatapos ng morning period namin, tinanong ako ni Alistair kung puwede siyang bumisita sa QED clubroom. Napaisip ako noong una kung bakit gusto niyang pumunta roon. Pero pumayag din ako dahil open ang club para sa lahat ng mga estudyante. Wala ring tao roon ngayon. Gaya ng inaasahan, may ilan sa aming classmates ang nang-asar sa biglaang closeness namin—lalo na si Rosetta. Ignoring their side comments, we left the classroom and proceeded to our destination.

"So this is where your adventures begin, huh?" Alistair asked as he roamed his gaze around our small clubroom. "How many members do you currently have?"

"Three. Me, Loki, and Jamie," I answered, watching him pace around the table. "We usually have clients every day. We get to investigate some interesting cases. Pero wala pa kaming natatanggap na requests recently."

"Ah! Those written on your blog?"

"Yes—wait, you're reading my blog?"

"Just recently." He beamed at me. Huminto siya sa tapat ng bintana at sinilip ang scene sa labas. "May kinalaman ba sa isa sa mga case na iniimbestigahan n'yo ang nangyari sa video? Loki doesn't strike me as a guy who would assault someone without any particular reason."

I sucked in a deep breath, contemplating whether to tell him or not about our pursuit of the elusive mastermind. Dapat ba niyang malaman? I chewed my lower lip as I reconsidered the thought.

"This is the long story that I mentioned earlier," I began. "To give you context, it all started more than half a year ago . . ."

In the end, I narrated to him the important points of the Moriarty case, beginning from Rhea's death until our confrontation with Stein Alberts. Mas mabuting alam niya kung ano ang kaniyang pinasukan. Karamihan sa mga detalyeng ikinuwento ko ay hindi kasama sa aking blog posts, kaya first time niyang narinig sa akin ang mga 'yon.

"Now I understand why he acted that way. It was a natural response," Alistair muttered once I was done with my storytelling. "Nevertheless, he should have let justice take its course. Look at what happened. It only got him into a deeper trouble."

"Unfortunately, no one believes him." Sumimangot ako. "Apparently, there's no evidence to prove that Stein is Moriarty. I thought we already got him."

"So that means . . . once Stein wakes up from his coma, he can go after you two and put your lives in danger?"

"If he wakes up, that's certainly possible."

My childhood friend paused for a few beats before turning to me. "Tatlo lamang kayong member ng club, 'di ba? Do you mind if you add another one? I would like to join this club."

"W-What?" Ilang beses munang kumurap ang mga mata ko sa kaniya. "You want to join our club? Seryoso ka ba?"

"Sa ganitong paraan, I will always be here to protect you. Some of the cases you shared were dangerous. You almost got into trouble in one of them, right?"

My eyes looked away. "I don't need protection, Al."

"Then I want to share the enthusiasm you have for mysteries. Will that reason be enough?"

Accepting new members or not is the responsibility of the club president. Loki rejected some membership applications before—one of them was Rosetta. Since he was suspended and I was acting on his behalf, I could theoretically make crucial decisions for the club. Pero dapat siguro'y konsultahin ko muna siya kung gusto niyang makasama si Alistair. Kung papayag siya, magiging apat na kami sa QED Club.

"I have to inform Loki first about your intention to join us," I replied. "He's the club president. I can't decide for myself—"

Naantala ang sinasabi ko nang may kumatok sa pinto. Sabay kaming lumingon doon ng kasama ko. Sumilip ang isang babaeng may buhok na abot hanggang balikat sa siwang ng pintuan. Her face was strangely familiar. I had seen her before—Aha! She's the literary editor of the Clarion, Agatha Cortez.

"Good afternoon, Lorelei! Do you still remember me?" tanong niya. May bitbit siyang ilang papel. Mula sa kinatatayuan ko, may napansin akong red marks sa mga 'yon. She was probably editing the pieces submitted to her.

"Yes, of course," nakangiti kong sagot sabay turo sa bakanteng upuan. "Please take a seat."

"Ah, hindi na kailangan. Hindi rin naman ako magtatagal dito." Lumapit siya sa mesa. Nabaling ang tingin niya sa katabi ko. She must be wondering why an unfamiliar face was in the clubroom.

"He's Alistair Ravena, an interested applicant of our club." I gestured to my classmate who shook hands with her. "What brings you here? May maitutulong ba ang QED Club ulit sa 'yo?"

"Gusto sana kitang i-inform na tapos na ang draft ng literary folio kung saan featured ang ilang blog posts mo." Iniabot ni Agatha sa akin ang ilang hawak niyang papel. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makitang naka-layout na ang mga isinulat ko. Some words were either encircled or crossed out and replaced with other words. "Our editor-in-chief wants to push for the folio's release one to two months from now. Gusto ko sanang ipakita muna sa 'yo bago namin i-submit sa printing press."

Nabanggit niya sa akin dati na avid reader ng blog ko ang kanilang editor-in-chief.

Hindi ko na napigilan ng mga labi kong kumurba at ngumiti nang malawak. Gusto kong magtatalon sa saya! Alistair was smiling at me, muttering the word "Congratulations." Ako nama'y nagmadaling chineck ang bawat page ng draft. Mukhang ang mga entry ko lang ang ipinakita ni Agatha kasi nag-jump ang mga page number.

"By the way, busy ba kayo ngayon?" tanong ni Agatha matapos ang ilang sandaling katahimikan. "Aside sa pagpapakita ko ng draft sa 'yo, may iba pa akong pakay kaya naparito ako."

Umangat ang tingin ko sa kaniya. "Wala pa kasi si Loki, kaya hindi pa kami tumatanggap ng mga request. Bakit?"

"Uhm . . ." Tumingin muna siya sa kabilang direksiyon at napakagat ng labi. "May panibagong mystery na naman kasi sa isa sa staff namin."

The first time that we met in this room, may ini-refer din siyang kaso sa akin tungkol sa isang contributor na natagpuan patay. Ano naman kaya ang nangyari ngayon?

"Kung may time kayo, gusto n'yo ba akong samahan sa editorial office ng Clarion? Mas mabuti siguro kung ang editor-in-chief mismo ang magsasabi sa inyo ng problema namin."

Nagtinginan muna kami ni Alistair. Kahit walang lumabas ni isang salita mula sa mga bibig namin, mukhang nagkaintindihan kami at sabay na tumango. Loki was not around to make decisions, but I had the authority to accept requests as the club's acting president. At isa pa, puwede ring ma-test ang kakayahan ng kababata ko sa pag-solve ng mga case. I never doubted his skills, by the way. He might be even superior to me.

Agad naming iniwan ang clubroom. On our way to the Clarion's office, pinangunahan kami ni Agatha, binabati ang mga nakasasalubong niyang teacher. Nagkapantay naman ang lakad namin ni Alistair sa likuran niya.

"Will this be considered as my qualifying exam in the club?" pabulong na tanong ng kasabay ko pagkaliko namin sa hallway.

"Puwede," bulong ko pabalik. "Pero mas mabuti sana kung nandito si Loki para personal niyang makita ang performance mo."

"Kailangan ko pa ring galingan. Don't worry, I won't let you down, Lori."

Narating namin ang editorial office sa east wing ng ground floor. Pagpasok sa loob, hile-hilerang mesa ang bumungad sa amin. Abala ang karamihan sa mga writer at editor na nilagpasan namin sa kani-kanilang mga article. Ang ilan sa kanila'y sinundan kami ng tingin. Sa bandang dulo ng room, may isang cubicle kung saan nakalagay ang signboard na EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.

Agatha knocked on the door before swinging it open. "Gus, nandito na ang mga taga-QED Club."

Napalunok ako ng laway bago tumuloy sa loob. I had not yet seen the chief editor's face nor his shadow. Siguro'y mukha siyang istrikto at malalalim ang mga eyebag dahil sa sobrang dami ng mga article na ine-edit at nile-layout niya. To my surprise, it was the exact opposite. His face was welcoming, and the circles under his eyes were not that dark. His blond hair was swept-back. A pair of spectacles also rested before his black eyes.

"At long last!" bati niya sabay tayo para iabot ang kaniyang kamay sa akin. "It's a great pleasure to meet you face to face, Lorelei. I'm an avid reader of your blog. My name's Augustus Moran. You can call me Gus."

q.e.d.