Record The Shot (SOON TO BE PUBLISHED UNDER IMMAC PPH)

Prologue

Prologue

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Gigil akong ngumuya ng kinakain kong tinapay habang tinitingnan ang papel na binigay sa 'kin ni Chief Dacua. Tinitigan ko 'yon ng ilang segundo bago muling kagatin ang tinapay na hawak.

Kinausap ako ni Chief Dacua kanina sa loob ng room ng club namin. Journalist club o ano, puta, ewan ko. She warned me that she might fire me for not being active as a photojournalist. Hindi niya ako pwedeng tanggalin sa pagiging photojournalist ng school dahil nakakuha lang ako ng scholarship dahil do'n. Hindi ko naman kasalanan na hindi na ako active dahil marami na rin ang umagaw sa mga rati kong posisyon.

Sa rami nang sumali sa club para maging scholar, naubusan na ako ng ideas kung saan ako pwedeng tumoka. Inagawan na ako ng mga bagong sali. Putang ina talaga.

"Wala ka na ba talagang maisip na pwedeng solusiyon?" Tanong ni Amanda sa 'kin habang kumakain ng burger niya.

"Lahat nga, meron ng nakatoka!" Suminghal ako.

"Gano'n na ba talaga karami ang photojournalist ngayon?" Kumunot ang noo ni Kheerah. "Parang dalawa lang kayo last year, ah?"

Sumimangot ako dahil sa sinabi niya. I won't deny the fact that I'm happy that being a photojournalist is now kinda lit because a lot of students applied to our club or something. Nakikilala na kami dahil sa rami nila. Ang kaso lang, ako naman ngayon ang nawawalan dahil nauubusan na ako ng topic.

"Maevhelle..." pag-tawag ni Kheerah sa atensyon ko.

"Ano?" Nakasimangot na tanong ko bago muling kagatin ang hawak na tinapay kasabay nang pag-simsim ko sa iced coffee na binili ko.

"Kung nawawalan ka na ng pwesto ngayon dahil sa panga-agaw nila, bakit hindi mo rin gawin ang ginawa nila sa 'yo?" Kheerah asked, catching my whole attention.

Kheerah's tone was hypnotizing as it shivered my whole body, knowing that I like what she just said. I looked at her as my chewing went slower. I heard how Amanda sighed as she heard her best friend suggested a funny yet realistic idea. Kheerah showed me a smirk upon seeing how she got my attention before leaning closer to me to whisper.

"Steal their spot, Maevhelle. Ipakita mo sa kanila na hindi ka dapat inaagawan dahil mas marunong kang mang-agaw," Kheerah whispered as her tone became addicting. "Be a stealer, Maevhelle. Be like them because it's your future that it's on risk right now,"

Like a hypnotized person by her, I slowly nodded my head as a smirk slowly appeared on my lips, already having an idea on how should I make it. I heard how Amanda groaned because of our silliness, but she didn't stop us. Instead, she reminded us how hard it would be.

"If you're going to steal their spots, who and how?" Amanda asked as her finger played with the straw that was on her lemon juice. "That will be hard, knowing that they can be removed by Chief Dacua. Tapos kapag nawala na sila sa pagiging photojournalist nila, mawawalan pa sila ng scholarship, maliban na lang kung sasali sila sa ibang club,"

"They can only be a journalist, but without a photo," I said, trying to justify what I was about to do.

"You can be a journalist without a photo," Amanda emphasized her words.

"Ayoko nga! Photojournalist ako! Ayoko ng iba! Photo lang! Dapat, may photo!" Giit ko habang umiiling-iling sa kaniya.

"Kaya nga, Amanda... Journalism nga, 'di ba, ng kinuha?" Pagtatanggol pa ni Kheerah, alam na siya ang may kasalanan.