Sincere Lies

Four

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I was buried in my thoughts as I was turning the pages of Cerulean's Scrapbook of Moments. I really admire the concept of the things in Town in a Building, I thought to myself. Ang pinakatumatak sa isip ko (so far) sa buong Scrapbook of Moments ay ang picture ng mask na sinusuot ko para maging si Cerulean. The mask is just so simple and pretty.

Town in a Building has something I couldn't explain since my very first encounter with it. But if it was a strange feeling, then. . . it's eccentrically beautiful.

Maraming mga bagay akong nalaman sa experiences ni Lannie in being Cerulean, but those were too many. Hindi ko na tiningnan ang mga bagay na maihahayin sa akin oras na paraanan ng mga mata ko ang bawat pahina ng Scrapbook of Moments ni Cerulean. I knew that when I estimate the number of the damn thick Scrapbook of Moments' used pages, I would know that I would not be able to surpass Lannie's moments as Cerulean. Hindi ko malalampasan ang mga kaibigan niyang nakilala, I thought to myself. Hindi ko makikita ang Town in a Building sa paraang nakita niya ito, at higit sa lahat, hindi ako ang unang Cerulean Hathaway na nakilala ng mga kaibigan niya.

Damn, ang drama ko.

The words of Lannie and Maddie—who had to drive as carefully as possible—slowly swam into my consciousness until my interest was finally dragged into their conversation.

"May shout-out daw para sa'yo kahapon," ang sabi ni Maddie habang natatawa. "Sayang. Hindi ko narinig, e."

"Mayroon nga," ang sabi ni Lannie, at sa tono ng mga salita niya, alam kong nakangiti siya. "Para kay Zoey 'yong shout-out. Ang galing daw kasi sa spoken word poetry."

"Ang dami na ngang messengers sa Messengers' Drive, e, 'no?"

My curiosity tortured my mind, and that was when I felt like I had to ask something about what they were talking about. I wanted to know what they were talking about. Zoey. Messengers' Drive.

"Who's Zoey?" I butted in. "Where is Messengers' Drive?"

Napatingin ako kay Lannie, and I saw the blank stare that she gave to the driver's seat. Sa galaw niya ay napansin kong parang medyo nagulat siya.

"Hindi mo pa pala sinasabi, e," Maddie chuckled.

"Sorry na," Lannie said then made the most obvious kind of a smileless face. "I did my best naman."

Her words were, then, followed by our giggles. The laughter was not forcibly stopped by any interruption; however, it faded to give way to Lannie's words.

"Zoey. . . she's a mask of mine just like Paris," she explained. "And. . . Messengers' Drive isn't a place. There's a thing called Secret Mail in Town in a Building. Ito 'yong mga messages na pinapadala sa loob ng Town in a Building. Secret Mail because. . . Town in a Building is a secret.

"There are two kinds of this Secret Mail. The first one is Degree One. They deliver normal letters. They say that these reliable Degree One's letters that are entrusted to them are punctual, but it still depends on the sender when it comes to time. May Degree One na raw kahit pa noong nagsisimula pa lang ang Town in a Building."

She paused for a moment. Tumingin siya sa side mirror. May mga bagay pa palang ganito sa Town in a Building, I thought to myself. I felt more amazed than ever. I didn't know why people would spend their time just to have lies covering them, but. . . I felt comfortable in Town in a Building yesterday, so I think it's a good environment.