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Chapter thirty-five

COURAGE

"To make it thrilling, sasabihin ko nalang sainyo mamaya because someone failed to answer the easiest question out of all three—"

"That's not true! Pinaglalaruan lang tayo ni MC!" Prisoner four spoke in-between her sentences. It wasn't a live video so there can't be any pauses.

"Can you zip your mouth?! We can't hear her!" Prisoner two shut him off.

"—Imagine? When that's all you've done all your time last year. You've ruined so many lives, ******." The audio was clear until her last word, she probably had name dropped. The rule still stands by now, I guess.

"Mukhang may purpose pa ako kaya ako nabuhay, and maybe because the world has to know how real shit you both are; Hindi na kayo makakawala sa mga kasalanan niyo, ****** at *******. Pagbabayaran niyo lahat! Lalo ka na ******! Lahat ng sinira mong buhay dahil diyan sa lintek mong kapangyarihan magmanipula!" Para siyang nasiraan bigla ng ulo, kasabay no'n ang pag-glitch-glitch nanaman ng video. It must be MC's influence but I think I keep seeing her with dirty blood everytime it glitches.

Pagkatapos ng ilang hindi maipaliwanag na nakita namin kanina, naging maayos ulit siya na parang walang nangyari, she's finally composed and normal.

"When we first met, I was a transferee back then, classmate tayo ng mga tatlong subjects. You approached me kasi kulang kayo ng isa sa groupings. What could've happened kung kumpleto na kayo noon? Then my life would have been the best it could ever be. At first, you gave me Regina George vibes— I believed I was just judgmental when we became friends— but turns out I was right after I also became the victim of your own game." Naging seryoso bigla ang tono niya, kanina ay parang gusto niyang manakot.

"I am poor. I belong to the 3 percent of students in Creighton granted financial assistance scholarship. As a person who was bullied because I did not fit the status quo, when I first came here all I cared about was my social status. I'm sure not everyone would understand but it's okay, it's all in the past now. Her—she was my role model, hindi ako makapaniwala na magiging isa ako sa pinakamatalik niyang kaibigan. Noon. It all went downhill no'ng inamin ko sa kaniya na nagkagusto ako kay Bastein— wala pang sila no'n at wala pang nagiging sila no'ng mga panahong iyon. I guess you could say, nagkaro'n si ****** ng ex na lahat ng kabutihan napunta sa mukha at walang natira sa kalooban. Dahil sa akin." I glanced at Barbie to confirm whether the statement is true, it must be, guilt is written on all her face.

"I tend to fall for guys who I know would break my heart into pieces, yet I did not care at all. Bastein was one example, 'yong mukha niya, certain guys you would see on television. He's really that handsome. He's also skilled at basketball, hence we see him usually at the court. Pero alam ko namang wala akong pag-asa sa kaniya kahit na kaibigan ko ang isa sa pinakasikat na estudyante sa Creighton. If you compare me to her, talo na ako agad. I'm not complimenting her by the way, just stating facts. Sa ugali? Aba. Hindi ko nga sigurado kung may mananalo sa amin, dahil ginagawa ko 'to ngayon parang mas masama na yata ako. I mean, ginagawa ko lang naman ang tama 'di ba? I'm just informing everyone how fake she is. Just incase she plots on another victim." Her last sentence had some sense of worriness in it, I could tell there's some truth in her words; but her madness already washed off her kindness.

"It took me lots of courage to even let her inside our home. Since I am poor, we don't really have that much things you'll find in a well-off family. Ang meron kami ay sala na ginagawa naming tulugan at katabi lang no'n ay ang kusina namin. 'Yung banyo, nakikiligo nalang kami sa kapitbahay namin na mabait. Sa sobrang hiya namin minsan, isang linggo kaming 'di nakakaligo. My lifestyle was the opposite of hers. I was insecure, I once even blamed my parents for it." She's almost near crying, halata sa boses niya na pinipigilan niya ito. Nonetheless, it's probably a step to insanity; at sa pagkarugtong-dugtong ng problema ay natuluyan na siya.