Hatin' Hue: A JOKEN AU

HH 4

"Permanent black na buhok mo?" Silver greeted his friend, who was waiting outside the comfort room.

"Oo, par! Narealize ko lang wala naman akong mapapala sa mga kulay. Pinamigay ko na rin old shirts ko, hindi ko rin naman maappreciate mga 'yon," Han replied, playing with his ID lace.

"Diba malapit mo naman nang makita ulit? Kasi tuloy na sa treatment?" Silver questioned.

Han nodded and said, "Pero iba na ngayon, par. Ayaw ko na sa makukulay."

Silver shushed him, "Tungaw! Wag mo sasabihin 'yan pag nandito mga Hue. Matic life endangerment 'yan! Asan nga ba si Hue number 2?"

Han made an eye gesture toward the comfort room. "May kausap," he uttered in a displeased manner.

Han said, "Hep, hep! Out of order!" as he barred one of the students from entering the comfort room.

"Sino ba kausap?" Silver whispered, and right after he asked, Caleb went out together with a well-known figure.

"Thanks for the talk, Calamine," the man patted Caleb on the shoulder before heading his way out.

"Calamine?" Han asked in a whisper, echoing what he had heard from the man, to Caleb.

"He used to call me that as an insult for being weak and fragile. But it doesn't matter now," Caleb said, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Tangina? Only son ng Nase family 'yon diba? Si tagpag-mana?" Silver asked, gasping.

"Crimson? Yeah, also Austin's ex," Caleb responded.

Han answered, "Pota! Yun 'yon? Tsk lamang ako isang paligo."

"Why? Lalabanan mo ba?" Caleb questioned, meeting Han's eyes directly.

"H-hindi. Hindi 'no! Naawa lang ako kay Gold, ba't kailangan i-arranged marriage don," Han responded.

With a laugh, Caleb said, "Who? Austin?"

Han crossed his arms over his chest and shot out, "Oh, bakit? Totoo naman ah! Kaawa-awa ang kung sino man ang mapapangasawa ng mayamang 'yan. For sure, pera lang ang habol at walang pag-ibig."

"You mean, naaawa ka sakin?" Caleb said, crossing his arms as well.

After saying, "Pogi pogi nga ni Crimson eh... ha? Caleb? Paki-ulit nga 'yong sinabi mo," Silver seemed perplexed.

Han was taken aback by what he learned from Caleb as well. He replied, "Caleb, pinagbibiro mo naman kami."

He grinned, "Yeah, I was just kidding." Caleb continued, "Ano, let's eat?"

Caleb ran upon some black-clad people—possibly students as well—on their way to the lunch.

"Hey!" Caleb snarled as one of them gave him a forceful bump.

Han shouted, throwing out his arms to shield Caleb, "Oh, tabe! Wag didikit!"

One of them unintentionally let his face mask fall, exposing himself. "Hoy! Hindi kayo estudyante dito!" said Silver.

They took off right away as Silver called for the security guards; fortunately, Silver and the guards chased them fast and managed to apprehend one of them.

"Han," Caleb muttered.

"Okay na, Cal. Nahuli na 'yong isa," Han said as he kept his toes pointed, trying to watch how they catch the attackers.

"Han," Caleb called to him again.

Han responded, "Okay na nga..." but stopped as he saw Caleb. "Cal!" he yelled, catching Caleb in his arms. Once more, calling for help, he yelled, "Silver! Pota! Tulong!"

Silver was stroking Han's back outside the school clinic, attempting to soothe his friend. "Tangina, first mission ko, par, failed agad," Han said, sobbing.

Silver asked, "Sa tingin mo, off na 'yong deal?"

"Huy! Ano ka ba? Nasaksak na yung tao, yung deal pa ba iisipin ko?" Han said, brows raised. He went on as he massaged his temple, "Ako na mismo aatras sa deal, pre, maging okay lang lagay niya ngayon."

"Magiging okay siya, Hate. Tingnan mo nga oh hindi nagpatakbo sa ospital," Silver responded. "Buti nga naharang mo agad 'yong iba pa, lahat pala sila may dalang patalim!" he added.

"Kusa akong aatras, par. Wag lang 'to maulit ulit," Han insisted.

Silver asked, confused, "Aatras ka because?"

"Kasi hindi ko kaya, ayan masaya ka na?" Han replied.

With a chuckle, Silver answered, "Hindi kayang protektahan o hindi kayang makitang nasasaktan?"

Han was about to defend himself when a man asked behind them, "What were you guys talking about?"

"Caleb!" exclaimed the two of them. In a worried tone, Silver questioned, "Ba't tumayo ka na? Okay ka na ba?"

"I'm fine. Sanay na, ano late lunch?" he said.

"Pwede ka na ba kumain? Baka bumulwak!" exclaimed Silver, causing Caleb to giggle briefly until he stopped when he felt pain.

"Alis na ako," Han remarked and walked away.

"What's with him?" Caleb asked, and Silver just shrugged his shoulders.

Soon after, the school doctors ordered Caleb home to recover, leaving Silver alone himself.

"Silver!" a man shouted in the cafeteria. "Where's Han?" he asked.

"Gold! Umalis na," he answered back. As he was about to leave, he looked over to Crimson seated at Gold's table.

"Come on over," Crimson said to him. Silver swiftly took a seat next to Crimson and listened to them the whole time as they talked about private matters.

Crimson questioned, slicing his steak, "I heard Calamine was stabbed earlier. Where the hell are his bodyguards?"

Gold said, still preoccupied with carving his steak, "He fired all of them. You know my brother, he's just really stubborn. I called home, but ang sabi he's not there."

Silver glanced at his plate; the adobo with a single quail egg was entirely different from what was on theirs. "Oh, you want steak ba?" Crimson asked, holding up one hand, then added, "One steak here."

While those on Silver and Han's level waited patiently for their turn, elite people did not have to stand in line to eat. Never having felt so small before, Silver responded, "Hindi. Hindi pala ako gutom. Mauna na ako."

He doesn't feel like attending his next classes, so he went off campus. And in the pedestrian lane, he spotted a familiar figure. He shouted, "Han!"

Han turned his gaze on his friend, and it seemed like he was looking for someone behind Silver. Silver said, "Ako lang, tungaw! Pinauwi na si Caleb."

Han heaved a sigh of relief before saying, "Kanina pa walang makasabay," alluding to the other individuals he will be crossing the street with.

Silver responded, "Red pa, teka itatawid kita," putting Han's hand on the sling of his bag. Han held it right away, as if it were routine.

Han noticed someone dozing off on the porch when he got home.

"Ba't nandito ka?"

To be continued...