Merceline Cinco's High School Survival Guide By: Rose Tan (COMPLETED)

Chapter 16

THE ENTIRE DAY FELT WEIRD. SURREAL. PERO HINDI MATUKOY NI AYENG kung saan nanggaling ang ganoong pakiramdam o impression niya. Siguro, siya mismo ang weird at surreal. Lutang siya maghapon. Distracted. Para siyang multo na nakamasid lamang, gustong maging bahagi ng mga kaganapan pero imposible.

Sana nga, multo na lang siya.

She surely wanted to die.

But suicide was not an option, aniya sa sarili habang nakahiga at nakatitig sa kisame. Wala siyang balak pakamatay hindi dahil takot siya sa Diyos o mahal na mahal niya ang mga magulang niya.

She was not thinking of God. She was not thinking of her parents. She was thinking of Arvy...of everyone at school..of Anton...of Declan. For it seemed, the thing that brought her to this MESS was the same thing that prevents her from taking her own life: PRIDE

Hindi lang siya pag-uusapan ng lahat kapag nagpatiwakal siya. Kakaawaan pa siya. She cringed at the thought.

Pero..kung patay na siya, ano pa ba ang pakialam niya? Wala.

And maybe Declan was secretly in love with her and every year for the rest of his life, he would visit her grave and bring flowers....unable to love another....begging the heavens to take him so he could see her again.

Namuo ang luha sa mga mata niya. Alam niyang nag-iilusyon lang naman siya. But the emotions were real. Parang nararamdaman nga niya ang lungkot ni Declan. His handsome face would never lose that haunted look...he would take his guitar and make it weep.

...while my guitar, gently weeps...

That was the song he was strumming along on a video he posted so early in the day. The video was recorded late last night. Lahat sila, nagulat at nag-react. Umagang-umaga, trending si Declan. Una, dahil hindi naman ugali ng lalaki na magpost ng sarili o ng tungkol sa sarili. The post was so out of his character. Pangalawa, walang nakakaalam na marunong tumugtog ng gitara si Declan.

Noone. Not even Amber.

Why he kept that a secret, she didn't understand.

Nakatungo lang naman sa gitara si Declan buong video, until the last two seconds, tumingin ito sa camera para patayin iyon. Pero sapat na ang two seconds para matanim sa utak ni Ayeng how sad and troubled he looked.

Nagtaka pa si Ayeng kung bakit parang siya lang ang nakapansin sa bagay na iyon. Ang mga comments at reactions sa post, pawang papuri sa galing at sa kaguwapuhan ni Declan.

She was the only one who tapped the 'sad' face.

That was the start of the weird, surreal day.

8:00 AM, nakahilata siya sa sofa at inuulit-ulit ang video ni Declan, may bumusina sa labas. Inis pa siyang bumangon para sumilip sa bintana. Si Arvy, nakahawak sa grills ng bakod, nakatiyad.

"Ba't ang aga mo?" Palatak ni Ayeng. Lumabas na siya. "Hindi pa 'ko naliligo. Ten pa naman ang usapan natin, ah."

"You can shower in the house, just bring clothes. If you want, we'll use the Jacuzzi."

"Pero---"

"I need help preparing the food and snacks."

Biglang nasa likuran na ni Ayeng si Tita Meng, "Arvy! Kumusta ka?" Bati nito.

"I'm great po, Tita. You po?"

"Fine. Fine. Pumasok ka muna. Ayeng papasukin mo nga ang bisita mo. Nag-almusal ka na ba, Arvy? Tuloy ka muna--"