Maybe I'm Lying [COMPLETED]

KABANATA 22- Favourite Position

“Why is she here?”
“Shouldn’t she be in prison?”
“Ano ka ba?! Of course mayro’n siyang connections!”
“I’m scared for our safety….”

Diretso lang ang lakad ko. Hindi alintana ang kaliwa’t-kanang bulungan ng mga estudyante dito sa hallway. I don't care what they think as long as I know that I'm innocent, and once the court convicts the real culprit. Those people: who judged me based on how they knew me before would eat their words raw.

Itinaas ko ang shades ko nang marating ang pintuan ng room ko for today. I wore glasses because I didn't put makeup on; I'm not sure what was wrong with me, but I told Eddie not to go because I wasn't in the mood, which was strange. After all, anytime I wasn't okay, I'd put makeup on and feel better.

Nakita ko sina Bessie at Gracia na nasa dulong bahagi ng kuwarto at nagbubulungan. Sabay-sabay na pumihit ang ulo ng mga iba pang nasa kuwarto palingon sa akin at hindi pa ko nakahahakbang ay nagligpitan na sila ng gamit para lumabas.

Isinuot kong muli ang shades ko at diretsong naupo sa tabi ni Gracia.

“Charm!” Napatayong sigaw ni Bessie. I didn't mind her and proceeded to fix my things. I put my shades back in my purse. Kaming tatlo nalang rin ang natira sa loob ng room. Nang kumalma siya ay muli siyang naupo.

“Buti naman at nasa maayos kang lagay—”

“You wouldn't believe what Gracia did to that Shrek Amy” kuwento ni Bessie na pumutol sa sasabihin sana ni Gracia at dumukwang pa palapit sa akin. Napataas ako ng kilay. Wasn't she curious about what a prison looks like? Shouldn't I be the one who has a lot of things to say? I sighed.

“The day you were arrested. Amy locked us in the CR and took our phones. Masyadong marami siyang alagad kaya hindi kami nakalaban. Pero ito”—Tinuro niya si Gracia na ngayon ay nagtatakip na ng notebook sa hiya—“She kicked the door open. Although we were still too late to rescue you, Gracia made that bitch Amy pay!”

Napangisi ako at nilingon si Gracia. Sinubukan kong alisin ang tinatakip niyang notebook sa mukha niya. “What did you do to her, Gracia?” I asked, yet still no reply.

“Gracia pulls Amy’s hair all around the soccer field! Grabe! Even me ha, even me! Natatakot pa rin ako sa tuwing naiisip ko!” maaksyong pagku-kuwento ni Bessie at sa huling sentence ay nanginig pa siya na para bang kinikilabutan.

I laughed. Napatingin ako sa yumuyugyog na balikat ni Gracia and when I pulled the notebook away from her, I saw her quietly laughing. Bessie and I burst into laughter as we both saw Gracia's face.

Nang makahuma ay nagpaliwanag agad si Gracia, “That wasn't me. That day it wasn't I who pulled Amy’s hair! That was my alter-ego... DisGracia!” aniya at winawagay-wagayway pa ang kamay sa hangin.

I shook my head slowly, pretending that she couldn't convince me with that statement.

“How about you, Bessie? Tell her what you did!” pagpapasa ni Gracia kay Bessie.  Maalis lang sa kanya ang usapan. Nanahimik si Bessie at nagpanggap na nagmamasid sa buong classroom.

“Hindi pala white ang color ng paint ng room kundi cotton white?” pag-iiba ni Bessie sa usapan. Hindi naman siya hinayaang makatakas ng pursigidong si Gracia.

“I’ll tell it!” presinta ni Gracia at hinarap ako sa kanya. “I know this might sound crazy… kaya please huwag kang mawawala sa sarili ha? The same day when DisGracia pulled Amy’s hair, Bessie threatened the pores of Amy about slander! She even recited the consequences of that… oral defamation!” My eyes widened, and I froze, blinking my eyes occasionally.

And when it sinked in, I fell laughing, gasping hard for air. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!”

“Hahaha… haha… ha.. hoooh! Hooo… that had me in stitches!” I exclaimed. The sound of my laughter bounced through the four corners of the room, and it was like a new genre of music I had discovered within me.