Part 5

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FIVE

The Asst. Principal...is dead.

Hindi mawari kung ito'y suicide o murder. I heard that the police are still investigating since the Asst. Principal was found in his home.

"What do you think happened, Alas?" Shane interrupted my thoughts.

Napahilot ako sa'king sentido, "Ah, can you please stop for a moment? Hindi pa nga tayo tapos sa unang kaso tapos tatalon na naman tayo sa isa? Isa-isahin lang natin, ha, Shane." Pakikiusap ko sa kaniya. Naturingan ngang tapos na ang exam at makakapag relax na ang isip ko pero hindi pa rin pala mangyayari 'yun. I sighed deeply.

This is so sudden. Ano na ba ang nangyayari? May nabubuo bang sumpa? Bakit sunod-sunod ang death news dito sa school namin?

"...Sorry. I was just worried. Hindi pa nalipasan ng isang taon ang nangyari at nasundan na naman. I don't think it was a simple death. Something must've happened." Nakayuko na rin ngayon si Shane habang hawak ang kaniyang noo. Kiara is still in her class.

"Hey, Alas. I've been thinking...paano kung ang mga may mataas na awtoridad pala dito sa school natin ang may...kinalaman sa aksidente?"

"Shush!" I immediately shushed her. Nasa library ulit kami at madaming estudyante ang nandito. It would be dangerous to be heard like this.

"We cannot say that, for sure. We don't have any proof or evidence. Delikado ang mag-assume. Don't jump into conclusions like that."

"Pero diba...madaling humupa yung balita tungkol sa aksidente? If walang kinalaman ang mga nakakataas...then who?"

"Let's say na may kinalaman sila...pero sa anong rason? Bakit kailangan nilang isali yung mga estudyante ng room 16? It looked like they annihilated the whole section..."

Nagkatitigan kami ni Shane but we also both looked down. It's pissing me off because we cannot do any further than this. Wala kaming awtoridad...wala ring karapatan. We are just naive students of this school.

"Do you think...may tinatago kayang dumi ang school natin? A secret maybe that must be kept..."

"But then what? It was found out by someone?" pagpapatuloy ko sa sinasabi ni Shane.

What if it was? Paano nga kung may sikreto palang tinatago ang school namin kaya't ganun na lamang kabilis humupa ang balita at kaso sa aksidenteng nangyari? At ngayon ang Asst. Principal naman ang namatay. Is it a coincidence?

No, it is not. The accident was not an accident, that meant the Asst. Principal's death is also surely not a suicide. Tatayo na sana ako sa upuan ng mahagilap ng mata ko si Kiara na papasok sa library. She's with someone.

Binuksan ni Kiara ang pinto ng library at ngumiti sa kasamang lalaki bago siya nagpaalam dito at lumiko papunta sa direksyon namin.

The guy was familiar. He's wearing a glasses while tightly gripping the strap of his bag. Our eyes met. Oh, so it was him.

Umiwas siya ng tingin at dumiretso sa locker kung saan pwede ilagay ang mga dalang gamit. Lumapit si Kiara sa amin at ngumiti. Binati niya si Shane. I ignored her and get something in my bag instead.

Naglakad ako papunta sa lalaki. After feeling my presence, he looked back.

"Hi," bati ko.

"Uh...yes?" nagtatakang bati niya pabalik.

Nilahad ko sa kaniya ang asul na papel na hawak ko. The library card.

"This is yours, right?"

Nanlaki ang mata ng lalaki pagkatapos makita ang hawak ko. "U-uh...yeah..."

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