Beneath the Mask

01

RIES

I-News

Everything happens for a reason. I am madly in love with a man named Keiron.

He's my everything.

I'm a college student while he's a graduate student. We're both former gazettes, and dahil para lamang 'yon sa mga juniors and seniors kaya we're now in past members.

Looking forward to what we are today, malaki ang pinagbago ng gazzetes. Hindi ko maiwasan na ikumpara ang gazzetes noon.

We're inside the campus and to what I am looking right now, the gazzete is preparing for something. I think it's for their journaling.

Akmang lalapit sana ako nang may mabangga akong babae. She looked at me and I was stunned to speak when I saw her face. She's pretty and untouchable. Tiningnan ko ang tie and pin nito na nasa uniform at tama ang hula ko-senior.

"I'm sorry, Miss. I wasn't able to look at the pathway, hindi ko sinasadya na mabangga ka." she apologized while bowing her head. I panicked about what she did kaya naman mabilis ko itong inalo.

Umiling ako rito. "No, I'm the one who should say sorry. Hindi rin kasi kita napansin."

She just smiled at me. "I need to go na po. Pasensya na ulit."

Mahinhin itong naglakad patungo sa kung nasaan ang gazette at doon ko napagtanto na isa rin ito sa kanila.

I was about to go there but I changed my mind. This isn't the time to meet them.

Lumabas na ako ng campus dahil alam kong nag-iintay na si Keiron sa labas. Mula sa senior building ay kitang-kita ko na si Keiron na nakatayo sa gilid ng guardhouse habang nakikipag-usap kila Manong.

Nagmadali na akong maglakad hanggang sa makarating sa kanila. Mabilis na nalipat ang atensyon ni Keiron sa akin. Lumapit na ito at kinuha ang gamit ko.

"You're still pretty even though you're stressed, huh?" biro kong hinampas ang braso niya habang natawa. He never failed to make me smile.

"Kumusta naman ang araw ng reyna ko?" tanong nito. Ilang minuto ako nanahimik para isipin ang sasabihin sa kanya.

Nagsimula akong magkwento sa nangyari sa klase namin hanggang sa mabanggit ko ang tungkol sa club.

"Alam mo naman ang Heirachy of Truth?" I asked him. I saw how his eyebrow raised the reason I chuckled. He's too old.

"Girl, kailan pa napalitan ang name club?" he asked.

If I'm the one of the member or let's say if I'm still part of the gazzetes, mas gugustuhin ko pang mag-stay sa dating name ang club.

"Hindi naman nagbago ang tawag sa kanila?" umiling ako sa naging tanong niya. Mukha itong nabunutan ng tinik sa sagot ko dahilan upang bahagya akong matawa.

"Why are you laughing, Ries?" taas-kilay nitong tanong.

I shake my head. "Wala, para ka kasing ewan."

"What about them, baby?"

"The new members look suspicious to me. Para silang may tinatago na kung ano, pero hindi ko malaman." saad ko. I don't know If this is just a thing or my instinct is right.

"Hmm? How do you say so?" sinamaan ko ito ng tingin bago sumagot sa kanya.

"You know, mahahalata mo naman sa tao kung may tinatago sila-" naputol ang sasabihin ko ng hilain niya ako papunta sa bisig niya.

Muntik na ako mabangga.

I sighed while trying to sink in kung ano ang nangyari. Mabuti na lamang at nandito Keiron at mabilis akong nahila. May mali rin ako because I wasn't paying attention on the road.

"Gago 'yon, ah? Are you okay? Wait me here." he was about to walk away papunta sa may ari ng sasakyan ng pigilan ko siya. "Hindi naman ako nasaktan."

"Be careful, okay? Magkwento ka, but make sure your attention is on the road." tumango-tango na lamang ako sa kanya.

Nagsimula na ulit kami maglakad at ngayon ay naka-aklay na ang braso ko sa kanya.

"So 'yun, madalas ko naman sila makita pero iba kasi ngayon. At saka, have you heard the news?"

"No."

"There's a new case of bullying inside the camp. The victim took her life." kwento ko. I'm also curious about what happened to that victim, but better not to stick into someone's business.

"What do you mean?" kuryorisado nitong tanong. I was also shocked when I heard that news, to be honest. Because back then, there was no case of bullying inside the campus. Or maybe hindi lang maugong unlike today?

"I don't know the whole story. They just announced it. First time magkaroon ng case, malala pa suicide." sagot ko sa kanya. And even if I know the whole story, hindi ko sasabihin na may alam ako.

This society will never heal. Even medicine can't cure the toxicity and inequality of this society. They'll do what they want to others, and the only thing we can do is nothing.

How funny those people keep on telling you what you need to do, but in the first place, they were the ones who needed to be corrected.

It'll never work the way we wanted.

"Mag-iingat ka sa pag-uwi, ah? Update me pag nasa bahay kana." pang-aasar niya. Ngayon ko lang napansin na nasa tapat na pala kami ng byahe. Hindi ko man lang namalayan ang oras dahil sa usapan namin.

"You should be the one na mag-ingat!" singhal ko habang nakaharap sa kanya. He's crazy.

"I love you, good night!" huling sabi niya bago ako talikuran. I watched him walk away from our house until he vanished from my sight. Pumasok ako sa kwarto at nagbihis.

Pabagsak akong humiga sa kama at nag-isip isip. What happened today really blew my mind. Dahil sa pagod at nalaman ngayong araw ay unti-unting sumuko ang mata ko.