Chapter 9: Best Buddies?

GRAY

WE were instructed to go to our room before dinner.

Sabi ng host na maaari muna naming ayusin ang mga gamit namin sa silid habang inihahanda pa nila ang hapunan. Since we were separated from Amber and Math, napansin kong naging tahimik si Jeremy. I expected him to throw puns like rockets, but surprisingly, he was silently observing our company.

“Are you good?” I checked on him. He shook his head as he sat on his chosen bed.

“No, I’m not,” sagot niya at tiningnan nang masama si Loki. “On the way here, Loki said, ‘This is the way to the boy’s room, Jeremiah!’ How could he call me Jeremiah?!”

I replied with a shrug. “Maybe he’s good at deductions but bad with names.”

“Hindi ko pa rin matanggap!” maktol niya. “I highly respect their club since I heard a lot about them. Pero pagkatapos n’on, ime-murder lang niya ang pangalan ko? Pati ang pangalan ng grupo natin, iinsultuhin pa niya?”

“Deal with it, Puns. Just fix your things while waiting for the go signal na puwede na tayong pumunta sa dining hall,” sabi ko at inayos ang aking gamit sa napili kong kama.

The tension on air was undeniable mula pa kahapon nang magkasagutan kami sa interview. I must admit this Loki guy is sharp. He tends to see things in many perspective, and he’s definitely someone worthy to be called detective.

I noticed Alistair comfortably lying on his bed with his head beneath his arms samantalang abala naman sa pag-iikot sa kabuoan ng silid si Loki. He inspected every corner of the room as if he’s searching for something. He closely examined mirrors, cabinets, everything inside the room. Maging ang mga nakasabit na painting ay hindi niya pinalagpas.

“What are you doing?” Hindi ko napigilang itanong.

Napatigil naman sa paglalakad si Loki upang bahagya akong tingnan. “Inspecting the room. Obviously.”

“Hindi pa nagsisimula ang second round, Loki,” sabi sa kanya ni Alistair. “Maybe you can relax a little.”

“Well, we aren’t prohibited to do so and what difference does it make if I do it now than later?” tanong niya, completely shutting Alistair kaya napakibit-balikat na lang ito.

Well, Loki has a point. Kung kami lang din sana ni Jeremy ang nandito ay malamang ginawa ko na rin ang ginagawa niya. But then they’re here and if I acted like how I usually do, baka isipin nilang masyado akong atat sa gagawin.

Napansin kong lumapit si Jeremy kay Alistair at nagsalita nang mahina. “Is he always like that?”

“Like what?” Alistair asked.

“Silent and always in deep thought. Hindi naman siguro siya nakikipag-telepathy sa mga bagay, ‘di ba? Or baka bored siya. Hmmm . . . I have an idea!” biglang bulalas ni Jeremy na maging sina Loki at Alistair ay napatingin sa kanya. “This is a deduction show, and I, Jeremy Martinez, is in charge of stimulating and sharpening my members’ minds by giving them quizzes. I will give the QED Club an honor to answer my quizzes today!”

Alistair looked interested while Loki looked bored as he continued his search.

“Why not?” sabi ni Alistair at saka ngumiti. “This can be another ice breaker.”

Jeremy stretched his arms as if he’s about to throw something sensible. Oh, please, hopefully he wouldn’t embarrass himself.

“Why do skeletons like comedy?”

Alistair thought for a while but Loki frowned. “How do you know skeletons like comedy?” he asked.

At matapos naman ang ilang sandaling pag-iisip ay napailing si Alistair. “No idea. Why?”

Tinakpan ko ang aking mga tainga at hinintay ang sagot ni Jeremy. “Because they find it humerus.” He laughed hard. Kulang na lang, magpagulong-gulong siya sa kama.

When would this guy learn? Ah, I already saw this coming. I should have warned the QED Club about him.

Loki averted his gaze. “Why do we have to share room with them? I wonder how Grant cope with all that stupidity.” Unlike Loki, Alistair seemed to find it a little funny or maybe his smile was out of respect.

But wait, Grant? Sino si Grant?

Hindi pa rin nagpaawat si Jeremy. “Do you know Murphy’s Law?”

It was Alistair who nodded. “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.”

Jeremy nodded. “How about Newton’s First Law?”
This caught Loki’s attention since it sounded sensible. Oh, if he only knew.

“Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it,” sagot ni Loki.

Muling tumango si Jeremy at hinimas-himas pa ang kanyang baba. “You seem to know a lot about Murphy and Newton’s Law. How about Cole’s Law?”

Napaisip ang dalawang kasama namin but none of them thought of an answer to his quiz—I mean, pun.

“Can’t recall discussing that in one of our science classes. Tungkol saan ‘yon?” tanong ni Alistair. Loki also focused on Jeremy, interested to know something useful from him.

“Cole’s Law is a thinly sliced cabbage!” bulalas ni Jeremy at halos maiyak naman sa katatawa.

What the heck was wrong with him? Walang patawad. He threw puns whenever and wherever and to whoever he wanted!

Napansin ko ang paghigpit ng hawak ni Loki sa kanyang maleta, as if he wanted to slam it on Jeremy any moment now. Tinapik ko na lang siya sa balikat at tinakpan ng kumot.

“He’s going through something,” wika ko sa kanila. Bumaling ako kay Jeremy na binato ako ng masamang tingin.

He made a face at nagsimula nang mag-ayos ng kanyang mga gamit. The QED Club resumed fixing their things on the designated cabinets and drawers. Mabilis namin ‘yong natapos at nagpahinga muna habang hinihintay ang go signal mula sa crew ng show.

“I’ve been dying to ask this since I heard the name of your group. Why do you call yourselves as Detective Triumvirate when there’s four of you?” Loki asked. It made Alistair smile a bit while Jeremy frowned.

Bago ko pa man masabi na labag sa loob namin ang pangalang ‘yon ay nauna nang magsalita si Jeremy. “It’s because there are supposedly three of us pero may salingketket, thus may Plus One.”

It still did not convince Loki. “Why not call yourself Detective Quadrumvirate?”

Jeremy faced me and rolled his eyes a bit. “Ay, nangingialam sa mga desisyon natin sa buhay,” he said in a low voice. At nang humarap siya sa kanila ay pilit siyang ngumiti. “Well, I like the sound of it. Detective Triumvirate Plus One. It sounds exquisite and unique.”

Loki deadpanned. “So it’s Jerecho who came up with this name, huh? It sounded like your group will eventually fall, like the First Triumvirate of Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey.”

Correction, Loki: Jeremy not Jerecho. Napatingin naman sa akin si Jeremy as if he’s asking my opinion over Loki’s statement but I couldn’t say more. He has a point anyway.

Maging si Alistair ay sumang-ayon sa sinabi ni Loki. “Right, they fell since they’re all seeking personal glory more than a unified goal.”

“Instead of seeing it that way, bakit hindi na lang natin isipin ang rason ng pagkabuo nila? Remember, may sumunod sa mga yapak nila, ang Second Triumvirate! They wanted to restore the stability of the Roman Republic, right? Just like them, Detective Triumvirate Plus One has a purpose—”

Pinutol ko ang sinasabi ni Jeremy. “But eventually they fell apart just like the first one dahil nabulag sa sariling mga ambisyon.”

He threw me a glare. “Kanino ka ba kampi, sa akin o kay Loki?!”

I didn’t have the chance to say anything about the topic dahil may kumatok sa aming pinto at sinabing puwede na kaming pumunta sa dining hall.

A battle of wits awaits before dinner is served. 

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