Chapter 1
Sallie guards as sharp as a hawk. Nobody – as in not a soul was able to hide from her sharp, watchful eyes. Kahit ang konting paggalaw ng mata at ng ulo hindi nakakatakas sa kanya. And once caught? Might as well think of a death wish. Ganyan siya katindi.
Parang isang pusa na nag-aabang ng daga sa labas ng lungga nakatutok ang mga mata ni Sallie sa harapan niya habang nagbibilang ng oras. At wala pang sampung minuto napangiti na sya. Game over. She just caught her first sneaky rat and like a cunning predator that she was, she slowly, silently headed to her prey. The rat was still oblivious, its eyeballs moved to the very corner looking sideways as if it was a matter of life and death. Until its neck stretched like a giraffe and she cleared her throat.
Nanigas ang katawan nito na parang yelo dahil ngayon lang nito napagtanto. He was caught. The cheating student cautiously looked up to her and she plastered her fake sweet smile. She held out her hands with palms wide open and the student paled. Mapang-uyam at nakakaloko ang ngiti nya sa namumutlang estudyante at dahan-dahan nitong kinuha ang papel mula sa desk at binigay sa kanya.
With no further ado, she crumpled the paper.
Her students knew the drill at heart, memorized it like it’s the lyrics of their favorite song that once caught cheating you’re finished. With no chance of mercy. With zero percent survival. So without her giving instructions, the student stood up and walked out of the room.
Satisfied na bumalik si Sallie sa teacher’s table sa harapan at iginala niya na ulit ang mapagmatyag na mata sa buong silid. Lahat ng estudyante nya nakayuko ang ulo sa test paper nila at wala na ni isa ang sumubok na gumalaw.
Nang naubos na ang dalawang oras na nakalaan para sa test agad nagsitayuan ang mga estudyante na para bang hindi na sila makapaghintay na lumabas ng room. Like they’ll willingly give one of their kidneys just so they can be out of her sight.
Once student even literally jumped out of his chair. Funny. Was she that scary?
Binilang ni Sallie ang napasang test papers at ng sigurado na sya na tumugma ang bilang nito sa lahat ng estudyante lumabas na siya sa room.
In the hallway there were hordes of students crowding the space but when they saw her it was like the ocean divided itself to make a way. Tumabi ang mga estudyante dahil sa takot nila sa kanya at pinanindigan niya ito na parang kontrabida sa pelikula. Taas-noo syang naglakad ng walang kaemo-emosyon ang mukha.
The feeling was like everything she passed through turned into dead ice.
She was out of the building and was now crossing the open filled to the faculty building when a girl student walking towards her direction suddenly stopped midstep, she looked at her in wide eyes and detoured in hurried steps. Tumingin siya sa paligid. Sino ba ang iniwasan ng babae? Walang ibang tao sa field maliban sa kanya.
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“Ugh! Salome saang burol ka galing?” Salubong sa kanya ng co-teacher niyang bakla na si Kennedy.
“Shut up.” Usal niya saka nilagay sa table niya ang bitbit nyang test papers. “Ang init. Gumagana pa ba ang aircon na yan?” Mataray nyang tanong.
Ngumiti si Kennedy ng nakakaloko sa kanya. “Ang lamig-lamig kaya! Naku Salome ha, alam ko yan. Naiinitan ka? Gurl, lalake lang ang katapat nyan.”
And she gave her bestfriend an icy look, narrowed eyes, furrowed brows and lips set in a straight line. “Kennedy zip your dirty mouth shut.”
“What? I’m not talking dirty!”Kennedy was a huge loser in acting innocent. Sa mukha pa lang kasi nito ang dumi na, ano pa kaya ang nasa utak. “Seryoso ako Salome, ilang taon ka na bang tigang?”
