The Lady in Shining Armor: Monte Carlo High

XXIV. Monday Mourning

Update update pa rin kahit malungkot. hohoho! My submitted manuscript was rejected. Hindi ito, ha? Pero sabi nga, move on. Aja lang!  21 Guns by Greenday for this chapter's soundtrack.

***Dawn's POV***

The weekend passed by slowly. News about Mr. Julio and Vargas' deaths spread like virus. The entire Monte Carlo High mourned for a lost teacher and student. The details of their deaths were not given out dahil hawak pa rin ng mga pulis ang kaso. Pero para sa amin, para sa mga nakaka-alam ng mga nangyari, it was one night in our lives na hindi namin malilimutan. Lalo na ako. It was the night when my life was extended. Andito pa ako ngayon dahil sa kanya, dahil kay Sebastian Vargas. 

A day after Prom, Inspector Gia Chan came back to check on every detail of the case. She gathered everyone who were involved and got the statements that she needed. She came back to check on me. Rachel and the others freaked out nang malaman nilang nawawala ako. She said they tried to look for me, but I was nowhere to be found. 

We learned that it was Vargas who only knew where I was. Nakita niya yung clutch bag ko sa tapat ng SC Room at dun niya biglang pinasok ang kwarto at nangyari na ang hindi dapat nangyari. Kung naging maayos lang ang plano namin, wala sanang ganun, wala sanang namatay. At ang ikinagalit ko pa, eh si Pineda  pala ang tumawag sa kanya para humingi ng tulong sa paghanap sa akin! 

"Dawn! Oh, my God!! Napasigaw si Rachel nang bigla kong sapakin si Pineda. Hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko. Bakit ko ba sinisisi ang sarili ko, eh ito pala ang may kasalanan?!  

"Tandaan mo 'to, Pineda! Sagad sa buto ang sama ng loob ko sa 'yo! Andito pa sana siya kung hindi dahil sa 'yo, hayop ka!" Nakayakap na sa akin si Rachel and Miss SC President stood between me and Pineda. 

"Dawn, Dawn, please, tama na." Pag-awat sa akin ni Rachel. Muling tumulo ang mga luha ko, hindi dahil sa nalulungkot ako, kundi dahil sa matinding galit. Things could've changed. 

"Dawn, I'm really sorry... Hindi ko gustong mapahamak si Baste, believe me! I just asked him for help and--"

Itinaas ko ang kamay ko to cut him off. "Save your bullshit, Pineda! Kahit ano pa'ng sabihin mo, hindi mo na maibabalik si Vargas!" He was trying to regain composure at hawak-hawak niya ang kaliwang pisngi niya.

"Ayoko munang makita ang pagmumukha mo, baka ano pa magawa ko sa 'yo." Kumawala ako kay Rachel at mabilis na lumabas ng bakanteng Admin Office kung saan kami tinipon ni Inspector Chan. I saw concern on all their faces, pero siyempre, I assured them that I was okay. Bumaba ako ng Admin Building at agad tumungo sa Cafeteria para kumain.

Dumaan muna ako sa SC Room bago mag-start ang klase, isinara muna ito matapos ang imbestigasyon at pagkalinis nito. Outside the room, leaning against the wall, were two framed photos and they were a meter apart. Mabuti, kasi ayokong makita ang mukha ng demonyong iyon tuwing pupunta ako dito. Maraming bulaklak sa paligid at may tag-isang kandila din na nakasindi sa tapat ng mga larawan. Ginawa nila itong parang memorial nilang dalawa since we're not allowed to go out at pumunta sa totoong lamay.

A mass was held here yesterday at nagpalipad kami ng white balloons for the departed. During the eulogy, a couple of teachers spoke in memory of Mr. Julio, na hindi ko binigyan ng pansin kasi wala siyang kwenta para sa akin kahit na anong mgagandang bagay pa ang sinabi nila about him. Castillo was the first one to speak for Vargas, and he somehow made the mood light because he shared some of their funny moments bilang mga school bullies, but in the end, he told us that Vargas was the best person he's ever known at isa siyang tunay na kaibigan.