SEEKING IDENTITY

Chapter 11: Tasteful Lips

Chapter 11
Tasteful Lips
[ Ava Maureen ]

"ATE AVA!"

May kapareha ako ng pangalan dito? I'm sure it's not me who the girl is calling. I didn't tell anyone here about my first name. Only important people in my life would dare to call me using that name. Not that my new 'so-called' friends weren't important to me. It's just that, I didn't fully gave my trust to them. I have trust issues.

"Ate Ava!"

People in my country used to befriend me and it's very obvious that they're just using me for their own sake; popularity it is. I was just letting them to do that because I'm so suck of it. Hindi naman siguro gano'n ang mga estudyante rito . . . dahil bakit nila ako kakaibiganin kung hindi ko pa nga nadidiskubre ang aking kapangyarihan na siyang nagpapatakbo sa sistema rito?

The real question is, do I really have those?

"Ate Ava!" someone shouted at my back.

A petite girl with brown highlights on her hair approached me. Hanggang chin ko lang ang taas niya. She was smiling from ear to ear. Kung makatingin siya sa 'kin ay parang matagal na kaming magkaibigan.

Okay, who's this?

"Hi, po! I'm Kacey Laboriante from Freshmen J57, first section. Rank 9 in Rank DELTA, the one and only freshman in that rank!" she introduced herself with her wide smile. Why whould she even brag about that?

"Konnichiwa, I'm Maureen. How may I help you?" maikli kong tugon.

Her face lit up. "Ikaw po si Ava, 'di ba?" she asked.

I frowned. How did she know it? I didn't even write that name to the form that the headmaster gave me. "No, I'm not. Why?" May nakababasa ba ng isipan dito? I should ask Jane for that. But, how the h-ck did she know about that? Unless . . . I look at Kacey who's still smiling widely. She didn't even answer my question earlier.

"What is your magic and ability?"

"When I'm 10 years old, I already discovered my ability! Birthday ko po no'ng time na 'yon. Tapos, sa magic ko po naman noong maglabing-isang taong gulang ako. Tapos—" I cut her off.

I sighed. "I was only asking for your magic and ability. Not your story."

Kacey's confident smile turned into a shy one. She laughed awkwardly. "Ah . . . s-sorry, po. I can turn the person invisible, including myself and the things around me—that is my ability. Tapos, cloning naman po ang magic ko," saad niya at bahagya pang kinamot ang kaniyang batok.

After she said the last sentence, Kacey became 2 and disappeared. She literally doubled herself! Napaatras ako sa gulat at kalauna'y dahan-dahang tumango. She's not a mind reader but how come she does know my name?

I composed myself and acted like I don't know the name that she's talking about awhile ago. Dito naman ako magaling, sa pagpapanggap. "Who is Ava?" I said with fake confusion in my whole face together with my eyes. Baka ito ang ability ko, being an actress.

"A-Ah? Hindi ba ikaw po 'yon? Someone told me that. S-Sorry, po! Nagkamali lang siguro ako." I was about to ask her who's that someone but she already ran away. I sighed. I turned my back and started walking again towards the Training Field.

She's weird. Who could possibly told her that? May alam ba siya sa pagkatao ko? I should really ask Jane Hilary kung meron bang mind reader dito. But for now, I must enjoy the possibility that Jack Harrison will be my partner!

Pagpunta ko sa Training Field ay naroon na sa harap ang first at second section senior students. Pero hindi naman lahat. Every section has 30 students maliban sa First. First Sections has only 20 students pero sa Senior Class ay 15 nalang. Well, what should I expect? Kapag nasa first section ka, it only means that you can already control your magic and ability that much.