Chapter 21: Challenged

Tinatamad na bumangon ako mula sa pagkakahiga at ilang beses na minasahe ang ulo ko. Puto, bakit pa kasi kailangan na may hangover?! I glanced at Megan’s vacant bed. It was fixed already kaya malamang pumasok na siya. Eh?! Wala ba siyang hangover? I shook my head and tried to relieve the pain. The aftertaste of the alcohol isn’t pleasant so I got up and walked my way towards the bathroom.

Tahimik na ang paligid kaya marahil pumasok na iba. What’s new to me? Drunk or not, I don’t get up and go to class on time. Agad akong naligo at nagbihis. I tried to get rid off the pain in my head by popping some medicines. Habang nilalakad ko ang daan patungo sa klase ay hindi ko maiwasang alalahanin ang mga nangyari kagabi.

Paano kami nakabalik sa Bldg. 1485 kagabi? What did we talk about last night? Vague memories came flashing in my mind and there! Got it! Megan’s friend!

Imposible talaga na nagkataon lamang ang nangyari kay Thea at Stella. There must be a connection! I’ll deal with it later after I’ll deal with my headache. Puto, parang umiikot pa rin ang paningin ko.

Nang buksan ko ang pinto ng classroom namin ay maingay ang mga kaklase ko. Ma’am Venna isn’t here yet kaya hindi pa ako late. Unang nahagip ng mata ko si Tatsulok na abala sa kanyang sinusulat. I automatically frowned and ignored the pain in my chest. Iniiwas ko agad ang tingin sa kanya at mabibigat ang hakbang na pumunta sa upuan ko.

Trench was also busy writing on his notebook ngunit wala namang ginagawa ang iba. Nag-uusap lang ang mga ito. They’re murmuring about something that I didn’t bother to listen to.

“Anong meron?” tanong ko kay Trench. Napasimangot ako nang malasahan ulit ang alak. Tiakpan ko ang bibig ko. Mahirap na baka maamoy niya ako. I brushed my teeth and gargled three times ngunit ayaw mawala ng amoy ng alak sa bibig ko.

“Are you feeling better now?” tanong niya at tiningnan ako. My eyes widen. Eh?

“Huh?”

“You’re drunk right?” Napamura ako sa isipan ko. Flashes of memories flood in my kind at isa na roon ang pagbuhat ni Trench sa akin upang ihatid kami sa kwarto namin. “You two drank again.”

Because your cousin rejected me!

Gusto ko iyong sabihin pero hindi ko ginawa. Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya habang may kinukuha siya sa kanyang bag. A tumbler and some medicine at inilapag iyon sa harapan ko.

“That will relieve your hangover after two minutes.”

Nagpalipat-lipat ang tingin ko sa gamot at sa kanya. Why is he taking care of me? Lately, he’s being nice to me.  Bigla kong naalala ang sinabi ni Tatsulok kagabi. His cousin like’s me so he’s getting out of the picture. Wait. Don’t tell me...

Padabog na ibinaba ko ang kamay ko sa mesa. “Did you, TT cousins plan this all along?”

His forehead creased as he looked at me with confusion. “What?”

“This,” itinuro ko ang gamot at tubig. “You’re being nice to me. Pinlano niyo ‘to ano?” kapag napatunayan kong tama ang hinala ko, hindi ko sila mapapatawad! How dare them play with me?! Kung ano man ang plano nila, hindi ko pa rin matatanggap na ginawa nila akong tila bagay! No freaking way.

Trench’s eyes were as cold as ice. I know he has the most blank expression but it suddenly became blanker than it was before. “I’m nice to you all this time.”

“Ano?”

“The first time we met, I gave you your admission letter,” sagot niya. “I’m being nice.”

I mentally frowned. So ibig sabihin ay kagustuhan niya nga iyon, taliwas sasinabi niya na pinabibigay iyon ni Tatsulok.

“I also provided you with an alternative research during your first face-off,” dagdag niya. The memories of that face off flashed in my mind. I lost and I hated Trench because I thought I was sabotaged ngunit mali pala ako. I personally heard it fro he alumni that if my subject wasn’t the fish and chicken, the one that was in Trench’s research  I would have lost with a higher margin.

“I was with you all these times that you wanted someone to talk to.”

Yup, he disguised as Bunny. Si Bunny ang tagapakinig ko noong mga panahong stress na stress ako dahil sa nangyayari sa akin sa Academy. I guess I have overlooked that fact. Maybe Trench was right. He was nice to me all these times but I was just blinded by my thought that the TT cousins are nothing but evil elites.

“I’m sorry,” wika niya kasabay ng pagyuko. “I’m just being overly dramatic.”

Sinalakay ako ng guilt. Hminga ako nang malalim at kinuha ang gamot na binigay niya. Binuksan ko iyon at ininom kasama ng tubig. Puto, uminom na ako ng gamot sa dorm pero sana naman huwag akong ma-overdose dahil sa ginagawa ko. I just wanted to show him that I appreciated him being nice to me at bilang apology na rin dahil sa kapraningan ko. Nagtatakang napatingin siya sa akin.

“I’m sorry too,” wika ko and suppressed my burp. He forced a smile ngunit ramdam ko pa rin na medyo na-offend siya dahil sa pagdududa ko sa intensyon niya. Puto ka Sunny, gamot at tubig lang binibigyan mo ng masamang kahulugan!

I forced a smile and tried to change the topic. “What’s the fuss all about?” Nilingon ko ang mga kaklase kong nagbubulong-bulongan pa rin.

“The first challenger for face-off is already up,” sagot ni Trench.

“Talaga? Sino?”

“Triangle. He wanted to challenge me for the 1st spot,” sagot ni Trench.

Pakiramdam ko ay hindi lang ang dugo ko ang umakyat sa ulo ko kundi pati na yata ang ihi at alak na ininom ko kagabi. Puto bumbong! Triangle challenged his cousin, his very own cousin for a face-off?! Anong katarantaduhan na naman ang naiisip ni Tatulok?!

Tumayo ako mula sa kinauupuan ko at handang lusubin si Triangle. I want to demand some explanation but Trench suddenly held my arm upang pigilan ako. “I don’t know what you’re about to do Gallego but whatever it is, please don’t do it.”

“Bitiwan mo ako Trench.”

Puto, patung-patong na ang inis na nararamdaman ko kay Tatsulok! This is all Moran’s fault! Hoy Moran, look what you’ve made him do!

Humigpit ang hawak nI Trench sa akin. His blank eyes pleaded kaya kinalma ko na lamang ang sarili ko at muling naupo. But it doesn’t mean I’m not mad with Triangle! Clean his own mess, my ass! Siya ang gumagawa ng bago niyang mess! Akala ko ba matalino siya?! He lost Pentagon, does he wants to lose Trench too?

“I cannot stay calm Mariano, nababaliw na ba siya? Saan siya humugot ng lakas ng loob na kalabanin ka sa Face-off?” hindi makapaniwalang wika ko.

“Triangle is very smart,” sagot niya.

“Smart? Is this what you’re saying smart? He wanted to steal the 1st spot from you!”

Trench sighed. “There’s no rule saying you cannot challenge your cousin to a face-off.”

“Pero---”

Pinutol niya ang sasabihin ko. “Just let him Gallego. There’s nothing wrong with it. He did it the right way and I’m willing to give him a fair match. I can give him the spot voluntarily, heck I can give him everything I have but that will not be the case here. Hindi niya tatanggapin na manalo ng hindi patas ang laban so I will give it a go without holding back.”

“Fine,” sagot ko kasabay ng pagkuyom ng kamao ko. “If that’s the case, then I’ll challenged him for a face-off too at aagawin ko sa kanya ang 2nd spot sa Royals!”

Puto, saan din ako humuhugot ng lakas ng loob?!

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