Just the Ticket

Chapter 14

Chapter 14 #jttwbs

"Spell QUIT!"

"Never-Q! Never-U! Never-I! Never-T! Never QUIT, Sir!" the candidates obediently spelled aloud in chorus.

Nagpaiwan kami ni Camara sa service upang manood sa panghapong form. The two of us stayed at school beyond dismissal because Hadya approached us earlier and asked us to wait for her. She didn't tell us why, though.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Camara dahil... may ibang narinig. The Corporal Commander's forehead wrinkled, seeming to notice what Camara and I noticed too.

"Spell QUIT!" he repeated.

It only turned out to be a confirmation that there was really someone among the candidates in the platoon who spelled it differently... on purpose. Hindi nangibabaw ang mayuming tinig ngunit rinig ito.

"Attention, Sierra. Spell QUIT!" he commanded one specific candidate.

Kumapit sa braso ko si Camara habang nakaupo kami sa semento. Both of us didn't regard the dust possible to stick on our uniforms. Huminto rin ako sa pagkutkot sa mga halaman sa chapel na nasa likod namin. Our curiosity was piqued to the apex.

Sinuri ko ang Corporal Commander na mukhang naiinip na. Maputi ang lalaki at malinis tingnan, lalo sa suot at kahit ang gupit ng buhok. Matikas ang tindig at mukhang malupit. Matangkad at matipuno sa murang edad.

I darted my gaze to Hadya next and watched her keenly. I also heard Camara uttering several drastic profanities under her breath as soon as Hadya opened her mouth.

"I-Q, I-U, I-I, I-T! I QUIT, Sir!" Hadya's voice boomed, and that surely stunned everyone owing to the silence that smothered the surrounding.

The Corporal Commander stared at Hadya with fused eyebrows and tightened jawline. "No," he stated with a firm tone after a long while.

Camara scoffed and clicked her tongue. "Sungit! Kaya talaga 'di kami close niyan, e!"

"Sierra, spell QUIT," he commanded calmly this time around.

"I-Q, I-U, I-I, I-T, I QUIT, Sir!" inulit lang ni Hadya. Her voice and stance was reeking with adamance.

Tahimik lamang ulit na tumitig kay Hadya ang Corporal Commander. But gone was the meeting eyebrows because his expression turned to stone cold that he was close to appear impassive this time.

Umabante ang isang babae na mukhang may mataas na ranggo rin at kumapit sa braso ng lalaki. "Attention, Sierra. Down. Tumalikod 'rap," utos nito na sinunod naman ni Hadya. "Leave."

Napatayo kami ni Camara nang walang lingon na iniwan ni Hadya ang pulutong. Hindi siya matapos sa pagbulong ng mga mura habang pinanonood namin ang mga dambuhalang hakbang ni Hadya. Until another voice broke the silence.

"Sir, permission to leave!" Xenos voiced out from the platoon, meeting my expectation about what he should do.

"And why? Talk!"

"Susundan ko lang, Sir."

"No," the Corporal Commander stated in a hard tone. "Down!" aniya dahil nakasaludo ang kamay ni Xenos nang humingi ng permiso.

Camara didn't waste any second and dragged me to meet our friend while showering me with her litanies. "I mean... wow! She could've just quit backstage, right? But she chose to do that in front of us all. I raised her dauntless, huh? Hey, Hads!"

"Please don't talk about it, Ate," Hadya requested, stopping Camara in her tracks. Ako rin. Noon lang din namin napagpagan ang mga likuran namin.

"Yeah. S-Sure!"