CHAPTER 2
"Ayan na si Kiezer!"
"Nabalitaan niyo ba ang nangyari sa school na 'to? That was fucking scary, dude."
"Whatever. Huwag niyo ngang pag-usapan ang taong walang kinalaman sa buhay natin. Napaka chimosa niyo talaga, Kei at Florence."
Hindi alam ni Zola kung bakit ba siya pumayag mag enroll sa university na ito kasama ang dalawang chismosa sa buhay niya. Well, wala naman siyang choice dahil gusto niya malapit lang sa bahay nila, also ayon din naman ang gusto ng parents niya. As if naman na may pakealam sila.
Nagulat siya nang may marinig siyang baritono ngunit kalmado ang boses. "You are blocking my way, babae," Ani nito. Nairita siya sa itinawag nito sa kanya, ngunit bago pa siya mag protesta hinila siya agad ni Kei.
"Sorry! You can go now, Kiezer," Kei apologized as she glared at Zola, who's now irritated.
"Ang yabang," Zola muttered but Kiezer heard it.
"May sinasabi ka, inday?" Asar nito sa kanya.
Kiezer raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips as he took a step back, feigning offense. "Wow, ang dami mong sinasabi, inday. Mukhang may issue ka sa daan, ha? Baka kailangan mo ng mapa."
"Shut up!" Zola shot back, her cheeks flushing with anger. She hated how he could get under her skin so easily. "You think you're so funny, huh? Just because you're some big shot here doesn't mean you can treat people like crap."
Kei and Florence exchanged glances, clearly enjoying the spectacle unfolding before them. "Zola, chill ka lang," Kei said, trying to diffuse the tension. "Kiezer's just messing with you."
"Messing with me? More like being a total jerk!" Zola retorted, crossing her arms defiantly. She was not about to let Kiezer get away with his attitude.
Kiezer leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a mock-serious tone. "Listen, Zola, if you want to survive in this university, you better learn to pick your battles. I'm not the enemy here. I'm just... a friendly neighborhood freak."
"Friendly? You? That's a joke," Zola scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You're just a bully hiding behind your stupid jokes."
Kiezer's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of something more serious crossing his face. "You think I'm a bully? Maybe you just don't get the humor. Or maybe you're just too uptight."
Zola opened her mouth to retort, but Kei interrupted, sensing the tension escalating. "Okay, okay! Let's not turn this into a full-blown war. We're all just trying to get through this day, right?"
Florence chimed in, her voice light and teasing. "Yeah, Zola, just think of Kiezer as your personal comic relief. You know, to lighten the mood."
Zola shot her a glare. "Comic relief? More like a headache."
Kiezer chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter. "See? At least I'm entertaining. You should thank me for making your day less boring."
"Entertaining? More like infuriating," Zola muttered under her breath, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips despite herself. She hated to admit it, but there was something oddly charming about Kiezer's relentless teasing.
"Alright, enough of this," Kiezer said, straightening up. "I have places to be and people to annoy. But hey, Zola, if you ever need a map, just let me know. I'll draw you one."
With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Zola fuming but also slightly amused. Kei and Florence burst into laughter, and Zola couldn't help but join in, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all.
"Seriously, what is his deal?" Zola asked, still trying to process the encounter.
"That's just Kiezer," Kei replied, a grin on his face. "He's a pain, but he's harmless. Just don't take him too seriously."
"Harmless? I don't know about that," Zola said, her mind racing with thoughts of Kiezer's sharp tongue and the way he seemed to effortlessly push her buttons. "He's definitely not my type of person."
Florence nudged her playfully. "Maybe that's exactly why you should keep an eye on him. You never know what might happen."
Zola rolled her eyes again, but deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something unexpected. As they walked away, she found herself glancing back at Kiezer, who was now chatting with a group of friends, his laughter echoing through the hall.
"Ugh, what a freak," she muttered, but a small part of her couldn't help but wonder what lay beneath that cocky exterior.
As Zola walked with Kei and Florence, she couldn't help but think of Kiezer. His teasing and the way he carried himself seemed to leave a mark on her, but it wasn't due to any positive feelings. "Why is that jerk like that?" she asked herself, but the answer seemed to be hidden behind her anger.
"Zola, anong iniisip mo?" tanong ni Kei, na tila nabasa ang kanyang isip. "Mukhang malalim ang iniisip mo."
"Ah, wala. Basta, ang yabang lang niya," sagot ni Zola, sinubukang itago ang kanyang tunay na nararamdaman. "Sana hindi na lang siya nagpakita."
Florence laughed. "Come on, admit it. You were amused by him, at least a little."
"Amused? By a jerk? Never!" Zola exclaimed; her voice filled with anger. "I wish he hadn't enrolled here."
"Okay, okay, just chill," Kei said, laughing. "You might end up being friends after all."
"Magkaibigan? Sa tingin mo ba magiging kaibigan ko ang isang taong parang may hangover sa umaga?" Zola replied, nag-aalangan. "Wala akong panahon para sa mga taong walang modo."
Habang naglalakad sila, napansin ni Zola ang isang grupo ng mga estudyante na nagkukumpulan sa isang sulok. Ang mga boses nila ay puno ng excitement at takot. "Ano kaya 'yon?" tanong niya, naisip na baka may nangyaring kakaiba.
"Alam mo na, mga chismis," sagot ni Florence. "Baka may bagong balita tungkol sa nangyari sa school."
"Halika, tingnan natin," sabi ni Kei, at naglakad sila patungo sa grupo.
Nang makalapit sila, narinig nila ang isang estudyanteng nagsasalita. "Sabi nila, may mga tao raw na nagmamasid sa campus. Parang may mga gang na nag-aabang."
"Talaga? Bakit naman?" tanong ng isa pang estudyante, ang takot ay halata sa kanyang boses.
"Di ko alam, pero may mga nag-uusap na baka may kinalaman ito sa nangyaring shooting last month," sagot ng estudyante. "Kaya dapat tayong maging maingat."
Zola's heart raced at the mention of the shooting. "Ano bang nangyayari dito?" tanong niya sa sarili. "Bakit parang ang campus na ito ay nagiging mas delikado?"
"You know, it's probably better if we leave here," said Florence, who also seemed worried. "We might get into some trouble."
"Yeah, you're right," Zola replied, and they decided to leave the area.
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ENIGMA: SERPENTS
Mystery / ThrillerAnastacio Brothers- dominant russian males and powerful ones. They hide tons of things. They are plain motherfuckers, they said. Why are people scared of them? Knees shake when their presence appear. They never loved anyone aside from their family.
