BOOK 3: The Mafia Game (Hiatus)

TMG 36: Sports Fest

TMG 36 ♠

Vincent Mc Garden

Hindi ko maiwasang magtaas ng kilay nang bigla na lamang humarurot ng takbo ang babaeng katabi ko.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" sigaw nito sa gitna ng hallway habang nagtatatalon sa harapan ng grupong hinintuan niya. Napairap na lang ako nang magsimulang magbulungan ang iba pang estudyanteng nakasaksi.

"Why can't she stay still?" I hissed, still glaring at the girl that's busy flailing her arms.

"Chill, Vincent." Azmaria coughs on my left half-smiling, giving me a knowing look.

"How can I chill, Azmaria, if she keeps bouncing off the wall for roughly half an hour now?" Crossing my arms over my chest with my brows still sky high.

"She just misses being out of the white corners for nearly a month," she shrugged.

I hissed with her matter-of-fact tone, rolling my eyes so hard it almost hurts. I darted my sight back to the bubbly girl with crinkling eyes of early sunshines, spreading contagious laughs and giggles in the hallways after she stumbles over Marcus and the rest of the gang (group) on the way to our designated lecture room.

"How can she tirelessly bounced off her feet with flailing arms of overjoy?" I wondered, more like asking myself than the calm Azmaria beside me.

But she still answered, "Devy is just being Devy, and I expected you see this coming."

"Yeah, I did, of course." Sarcasm confidently rolled off my tongue as I continued, "But she's still too blindlingly bright for this ungodly hour." Just the thought alone made me shook my head in disbelief that earned a soft laugh from Azmaria.

It's just freaking 6:45 in the morning, totally too early for all this.

A comfortable silence filled the space between me and Azmaria as we both silently observed the rest of Superiors. Smiling faces around me, which is a torture for my eyes, as they all stares at that one motor-mouthed girl they misses the most, named Devy.

Kailangan ko nga ba sila huling nakitang ngumiti ng ganito? Simula nang nangyari sa bunso nila, wala na. Nawalan na rin sila ng dahilan para ngumiti. Oo, minsan ngingiti sila pero pilit. Ngingiti sila para sabihing magiging maayos rin ang lahat. Ngingiti sila para pagaanin ang loob ng iba at nang sarili nila. Pero ibang ngiti 'to. Ngayon ko mas nakita ang halaga ni Devy para sa grupo; hindi dahil sa kagrupo siya, kun'di tinuturing na siyang pamilya.

Pero ano ba'ng alam mo sa pamilya Vincent para sabihin 'to?

"Ugh." Sabay hilamos ko ng mga kamay sa mukha. Badtrip.

"Hey! Ayos ka lang?" Naramdaman ko ang marahang paghawak ni Azmaria sa balikat ko at kahit hindi ako tumingin sa kanya, bakas sa boses nito ang pag-aalala. "May problema ba?"

"I'm fine," mahina kong sagot habang tumatango, like convincing myself too that I am indeed really fine. And the fuck, why wouldn't I? Saka ko muling itinuon ang buong atensyon kay Devy.

Another full minute of silence passed between us when suddenly, an unexpected question stole my attention from the cheerful girl and startling my insides, "What are your plans now, Empress?" Without beating the bush, Azmaria asked quietly. "What will you do about Devy, Baskerville and Rogues?"

Swallowing the sudden mass building behind my throat, I glanced at her from the corner of my eyes and sigh.

I honestly didn't think about it. I still don't have plans on how to deal with those pricks. I decided to set that aside for now despite of knowing that that's a sign of being careless. Tatanda ako ng maaga sa patung-patong na trabaho sa Mafia kasama na ang pagbabantay dito kay Devy. Before Devy was released from the hospital roughly two days ago, I secretly assigned Azmaria to look after this girl, but I still can't help but check her myself from time to time - if possible. Hindi naman sa wala akong tiwala sa kakayahan ni Azmaria as a reaper, pero mas mapapanatag lang ako kung alam kong ligtas ang member ng Trackers Clan na ito. Hindi siya pwedeng magalaw muli ng Baskerville, lalo na't wala pa rin siyang alam tungkol sa pamilyang kinabibilangan niya.