SHIELDER (CPAGS Epilogue)

Part 14

When Zeno fronted after waking up from a coma, he dyed our hair gray. He did that without even talking to me about it. Gadriel said he tried to stop Zeno but he didn't listen. Kay James naman ay ayos lang. Bagay naman daw ang ganoong kulay ng buhok sa 'min.

While I hated it. Zeno acted like he owned the body alone. I hated that every time I looked in the mirror and saw my hair wasn't black, mas lalo lang noon pinapaalala ang pagkakaroon ko ng kakaibang kondisyon.

That's why when I fronted again after the game ended, I changed back our hair color to black. But Zeno changed it to gray again when he switched out. Nu'ng mga panahon na 'yon, nakatira na ako sa bahay nina Kuya Hunter at Artemis. They were confused as I always changed my hair color back then. Halos wala pa kasing isang linggong naibabalik ko sa kulay itim ang buhok ko nang mag-switch out si Zeno at gawing gray ulit ang kulay.

I just told them that I was bored. Na kunwari, hindi ako makapagdesisyon kung ano'ng mas bagay na kulay ng buhok ko sa 'kin kaya madalas kong palitan.

It was Gadriel who talked to Zeno as I didn't really want to talk with my alters. I hate acknowledging them. Pakiramdam ko kasi, mas pinapatunayan lang noon na hindi ako normal. Ayokong mapagkamalang baliw.

Who in their right mind would talk to someone living inside their head? Who in their right mind would even have someone living inside their head?

Zeno made a deal. He would tell me what he was doing when he was fronting and he would stay out of trouble in exchange for letting my hair stay gray color.

Pumayag ako. I wanted to know what he was doing to prevent any lapse in my memory. Kung sakali ring may magtanong o may makilala s'yang iba kapag nasa front s'ya, malalaman ko kaagad 'yon. And no one would take notice of my condition.

Especially when I decided to move away.

Being in a new place gave me a chance to start a new life. And to live the life that I want to.

Nagdesisyon akong sa Negros tumira. Kung sakali mang hanapin ako ni Kuya, hindi n'ya paghihinalaan na sa loob pa rin ng bansa ako nagtatago. Magsisimula muna s'yang maghanap sa malalayong lugar, out of the country, bago n'ya maisip na nasa Pilipinas pa rin ako at nag-iba ng pangalan.

It was James who was in front the day I moved to Negros. Ang loko, totoong pangalan n'ya ang ginamit nang magpakilala sa mga tao roon.

I had no choice but to play the part. James ang pinakilala kong pangalan sa lahat. Then I used my mother's surname. Na alam kong hindi rin iisipin ni Kuya na apelyidong gagamitin ko. He would think that I would use a name that didn't have any connection with me. Dahil nga nagtatago ako sa kanya.

I stopped using my skills too. I knew Kuya would track that. He was the EL Ordre's tracker after all. Malalaman n'ya kaagad kapag ginamit ko ang computer skills ko. He knew my codes.

"Pwede bang magpadagdag pa ng order bukod sa in-order kong drinks?"

I looked at the woman who was on the other side of the bar counter. I was busy preparing her ordered drinks when she suddenly said that. Alam kong kanina n'ya pa rin pinapanood ang ginagawa ko.

I smiled at her.

"Sure! Ano'ng idadagdag mo?"

The woman gave me a sweet smile. She was clearly flirting. I could hear James inside my head cheering for me.

Shut up.

"Ikaw sana," the woman said. "Pwede ka rin bang order-in, James?"

"Way to go, Gray!" James said, inside my head.