Officially Meeting You

Chapter 23: To Die

"Cleo!"

"Elizabeth, sandali! Elizabeth!"

Hindi ko sila pinakinggan at nagtuloy-tuloy lang sa paglakad hanggang sa makalabas ako ng VegaChicken. I can feel the stares of some customers inside but I didn't care.

Papara na sana ako ng taxi pero humarang si Zeus.

"Tabi."

"Makinig ka mu—"

"Wala akong dapat marinig!" I yelled and that made him step back. I sighed. "Umalis ka d'yan."

"Hindi naman namin sinasadyang marinig," Anna said. "We are sorry but—"

"You heard something you shouldn't hear," I said and looked at them. "It's not something you should know."

"We are your friends, Cleo," Slade said. "It was an accident but we are glad we found out about it. In that way, we will understand you better."

I calmed myself and shook my head. "You won't understand."

"We do," Sabrina insisted. "We know what you feel. We understand."

"Kaibigan mo kami kaya bakit ayaw mong malaman namin?" Anna asked.

Natahimik ako at napakagat labi. I might say something right now if I won't shut my mouth.

"Elizabeth..."

Napapikit ako at napailing-iling. I shouldn't say any words regarding to that tragedy. I should have kept my mouth shut and didn't tell anyone, not Lolo Juan. And not even Zeus.

"Cleo, we didn't mean to," Anna said.

I shook my head and looked at them straight. "You do. Because if not, you should have blocked your ears and stopped listening. Pero pinakinggan niyo lahat, which proves that you did wanted to hear that."

"Sabihin na nating gano'n. Pero ano bang mali doon?" Jiro asked and I looked at him.

"Jiro, don't say anything," Slade said.

Jiro snickered. "Kaibigan mo kami kaya anong masama kung malaman namin ang nakaraan mo? Ano bang ikinagagalit mo? Pasalamat ka pa nga at nag-aalala kami sayo, na naaawa kami sayo kaya—"

Before he can finish his sentence, Zeus already punched his face. Gulat kaming napatingin sa kanya na mukhang galit na galit ngayon.

"Gago, wala kang alam!"

Tumayo kaagad si Jiro at bumawi ng suntok. They started exchanging punches and the others tried to stop them while I just stood still.

"Jiro! Zeus!"

"Stop it!"

Nagkagulo na din pati mga tao sa loob ng VegaChicken at lumapit na din si Kuya Eric para tumulong. And while they are all struggling, I was just watching them.

'Na naaawa kami sayo'...Those words kept echoing inside my head.

I thought everything will be fine.

But why did it turn out like this?

---

I never imagined myself inside a police station while watching an interrogation. But because of these two, pati kami nandito.

It's already seven in the evening but we are still here in the police station. Kinakausap ng ilang pulis sila Zeus at Jiro dahil sa pagsusuntukan nila sa isang public place. At syempre, kinailangan naming sumama.