The Unseen Trial [Ace Lucifer's Series Three] ON GOING

Fifteenth Trial

BRYSON 15

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

It's almost midnight when they got home. Bryson's family driver picked them up, along with his father's secretary to drive Bryson's motorbike at home. Yakap-yakap nilang dalawa ang teddy bear at ang mojacko stuff toy habang naka-upo sila pavement ng parking area. Sakto kasing nasa boat sila ay tumawag ang mommy ni Bryson at hinahanap silang dalawa.

And to their surprise, Bryson's mom was with their family driver. Pareho silang napa-ayos ng tayo ni Bryson nang lumabas si Tita Becca mula sa shot gun seat. At that moment, she knows that both of them are at stake...of tita Becca's wrath.

"Bryson Austin Ainsley! ALAM MO BA KUNG ANONG ORAS NA?!" Pareho silang napa-pitlag nang sumigaw si tita Becca. "Get in the car! Sa bahay ka sa akin mamaya!" dugtong pa nito.

"G-good evening po..." natatakot man ay pilit niyang binati ang ginang.

Kaagad itong napatingin sa kaniya, bago lalong nabakasan ng galit ang mukha nito at tumingin kay Bryson. "Isinama mo pa talaga si Candace ha!" Akmang huhubarin nito ang sandals na suot nang mas mabilis pa sa alas-kwatro silang pumasok sa loob ng kotse.

She fell asleep along the way, and tita Becca seem to holding herself back seeing how tired their faces are. Naalimpungatan na lang siya nang biglang bumilis ang andar ng kotse. She was about to move and see what's happening when Bryson suddenly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and burying her face on his neck. Hinaplos nito ang ulo niya.

"Tulog ka pa, malayo pa tayo..." Bryson assured her, and before she could complain, Bryson already covered her eyes, causing her to fall into slumber again.

"Don't let her see it, Bryson..."

***

When they reached home, tita Bella asked them to have a decent meal first before she goes home. Hindi na siya tumanggi dahil tanging ang libre lang ni Bryson na Takoyaki, at ang snack nilang ang hapunan nila. They both don't feel like eating anything at the mall, and they also didn't expect that they will go home this late so they ended up both hungry.

Nagpalit muna ng damit si Bryson habang ipinaghahanda naman siya ni tita Becca ng makakain. She was seated on the high stool chair, habang yakap-yakap niya ang stuff toy na si Mojacko. She already feels sleepy so she rested her head on the counter while tita Bella was preparing their food.

"Candace..." Tita Bella called her attention.

Papikit-pikit man ang mata, she still answered tita Bella. "Bakit po?"

"I heard what happened." Panimula nito. Para tuloy Nawala ang antok niya. "You good?"

She nodded her head. "Opo..."

"Candace, kung hindi ka okay, magsabi ka lang okay? Everyone knows your condition, and we are all concerned about you. If you're hesitating to tell it to Bry, you can tell it to me...okay?"

She tried her hardest to smile that doesn't look creepy. "T-thank you po..."

Ngumiti lang si Tita Becca sa kaniya. She looked down, feeling shy, and sad at the same time. Not because of what tita Becca said, but because she's hoping that she can hear it from her own mother too. The last time she heard it from her own mother was when she was still a kid. Sa sobrang tagal na niya simula nang naranasan niya 'yon, she felt thirsty to hear that kind of words from her mother—from her parents perhaps.

"Anyway, I have a question for you...I already asked Macey and Arrow about this last week..." tita Becca placed the food in front of her. It was a sinigang na hipon, and a serving of rice.