SHE'S NOT A SAINT (MIKHAIAH) by: Pinkvettes

Chapter 2: she's an actress

Mikha

To my surprise, the meeting with the dean went by quick. All the accusations thrown at me last night were completely gone and the dean chose to give me the benefit of the doubt. Sabi lang eh, I will be given a warning. Wala daw akong punishment kasi walang actual proof na ginawa ko yung sinasabi nila kahit may empty bottle sa bag ko. I left the room with a sigh of relief.

As I was walking down the hall, someone from the restroom near the dean's office was also walking towards me. I squinted para mamukhaan ko siya. It was Mrs. Arceta, Aiah's mother.

"Iha, how did the talk with the dean go?" she asked as she pulled me into a hug. Paano niya alam?

"Uh, okay naman po tita. They let me go off with a warning cause wala silang evidence. Nakwento po pala ni Ays sainyo?"

"Ay yes, she was so worried last night. Called me crying. Napakalma siya when I said I'd go here agad in the morning to talk to the dean."

"Hala, you didn't need to po. Sorry po sa abala. Pero thank you so much tita. Di ko po kasi maikwento kay mommy kasi natatakot ako sa magiging reaction niya."

"No worries, Mikha. I did this for you and Aiah rin. Alam mo naman yun, mas inaalala ka kasya sa sarili niya."

At the back of my mind, I remembered Aiah's face looking me at as I was being accused. I brushed off the little part of that thought maybe, just maybe, she had something to do with it. I knew she went to the bar. I knew she wanted to drink. But how could that same girl call her mom crying cause she was so worried about me? Hindi ko masagot ang tanong ko. Anything's possible with Aiah.

-

Dumiretso na agad ako sa cheer practice kung saan nauna na sina Aiah, Stacey, at Gwen. They asked me about my meeting with the dean and I told me what happened. It was brief. Nag apologize na rin si Stacey at Gwen kasi daw baka hindi nila masyadong nabantayan ang bag ko. But really I couldn't blame them. Ako ang nagpaiwan sa kanila ng sobrang tagal.

As I was talking, wala namang masyadong interest si Aiah, like she already knew how it would all fall into place at the end.

Agad ko naman silang sinabayan sa warm-ups.

"May hindi umuwi kagabi." sambit ni Stacey while stretching.

"May nakascore ng bartender kagabi. Blind item!" dagdag ni Gwen.

They were obviously talking about Aiah. This girl had the time to take someone home pa, while I was a mess and being accused of something I didn't do. She didn't even bother to check up on me last night, pero somehow she was crying to her mother? Ano ba to Aiah? Was it just guilt, kasi you were behind everything?

"You were sleeping with someone habang pauwi ako scared what would happen to me in the morning?" nawala ang ngisi niya.

"Well I couldn't find you after Mikhs. I'm sorry."

"Bartender? Paano kayo nagkakilala?"

"Binentahan niya ko even if it wasn't allowed. Then he found me before we left."

"Binentahan ka?"

"Ano to, interview?" I just stared at her hoping she understood what I was implying. What I was asking. Hindi mo to magagawa diba, Aiah? Maybe to others, but not to me.

She let out a sarcastic laugh. "Mikhs? Don't tell me you think I had something to do with the incident." I didn't respond.

"Surely if it was me, mapapansin nila Staks. Right, girls?"

Stacey and Gwen nodded and made a lame excuse right after to leave. Mag-CCR daw, leaving me and Aiah.

"I'm not saying anything, Aiah. I'm just trying to piece this all together. I thought maeexpel na ko. Kahit anong reason I'll try to latch onto just for it all to make sense."