Chapter 16: LOCKED
GUSTO ko pa sanang matulog at magkulong na lamang sa silid ko dahil weekend naman pero paulit-ulit na kumakatok si Margo sa pinto ko.
"Sunny! Gising na at maligo ka na. Hihintayin ka namin sa sala."
Tinakpan ko ang tainga ng unan at sinubukan siyang ignorahin ngunit muli siyang kumatok at inulit ang sinabi. Bumangon ako at paulit-ulit na kinusot ang mata. I took all my time taking a bath. Bahala sila maghintay sa akin. Halos umabot rin ng tatlumpung minuto bago ako bumaba kung saan naabutan ko sila sa sala.
All of them were gathered and a paper lies on the center table. Nagtatakang humakbang ako palapit at isa-isang tiningnan sila.
"Ano'ng meron?"
Suri picked up the paper in front at iwinagayway iyon. "Preliminary Assessment is coming."
"Oh? Tapos?"
Napalabi si Coco. "Sunny, sa madaling salita, malapit na ang exams so you have to do good in your studies. Palagi ka na lamang napapalabas ni Miss Venna."
I cringed. They knocked and waited for me just to tell me na malapit na ang exams? Hello, pwede naman nilang sabihin mamayang gabi, or they could just slip the paper under my door. Talagang ginising nila ako nang maaga kahit weekends para lamang doon? Seriously?
Tumayo si Drix at hinawakan ang balikat ko. He gently pushed me to a chair at napaupo ako roon. "Relax Sunny, hindi lamang ito tungkol sa Preliminary Assessment."
I rolled my eyes. "Then what?"
"Hindi lang puro exam ang prelim assessment," wika ni Jeffrey. "This is about proving ourselves. We must do good upang maipakitang deserve natin na makapasok dito sa academy."
I cringed again. Well, it doesn't help. Nasa prep class pa rin kami at hindi iyon mababago. "Why? Kapag ba malaki ang marka natin, malilipat na tayo sa regular class?"
Iris shook her head. "No, it's not that easy. Pero at least, maipapakita nating malalaki ang scores natin. All freshmen will take the same exam."
"Kung gayon ay maliit ang pag-asa nating makakuha ng malaking marka. Look at the regular class. Lahat ng pwedeng makatulong sa pag-aaral ay nasa kanila samantalang tayo ay wala kahit isang maliit na screen." I don't want to sound negative pero mukhang iyon na nga ang nangyayari.
This is really unfair. How could they expect us to get good grades gayong hindi naman maganda ang foundation nila sa pagtuturo sa aming mga prep class? It's like planting grasses and expect it to bloom into a flower garden.
"It's not like I will enter the Royals list if I do good in this assessment."
Nagkatinginan silang anim. Pilit na ngumiti si Suri sa akin bago nagsalita. "It's not really like that but there's a way."
BINABASA MO ANG
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE
Science FictionIn the near dystopian future where the population has blown up, women and the poor are more oppressed, and those with positions who abuse their power remain unscathed, a girl called Sunny wants nothing more than to break the vicious system. But how...