Caught In Flames

20 : Just wait

ARTEMIS

"So you mean the person's phone has to be open or if not, the person must either be bugged or watched from afar? Teka. Paano mo siya masusundan kung hindi mo alam kung nasa'n siya---"

"For the nineteenth time Art. We're studying how to track someone through his or her phone. And you're not making any fucking--- Uh, wait. I think you actually do make sense."

"What?"

"The fuck?"

Pareho kaming napailing sa ginagawa namin. Tanghaling tapat na pero kalahati pa lamang ang naituturo niya sa'kin. Paano ba naman? Every time I ask something, she says I don't make any sense then say I actually do afterwards. Hindi naman kami nagmamadali, kasi na-wrong send daw yata ang nakatataas. But we decided to continue the lessons para makatulong din ako.

I found it suspicious since he doesn't strike me as a person who'd make such mistakes. But I didn't want to stress myself out with small things.

For some reason, most of the parts were easy for me to take in. Nagtataka nga din ako dahil kapag may klase kami noon ay kinakailangan ko pang muling i-review ang lesson after discussing it. Siguro I dahil bakasyon ngayon at papasok na ako para mag-kolehiyo sa susunod na taon. I decided to rest for a while. Hindi ko pa kayang pumasok sa school right after everything.

Shit. Naalala ko na naman.

Magsasalita na sana si Sue nang biglang tumunog ang cellphone ko.

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Dean:
Hey

Dean:
May sasabihin ako

Dean:
Punta ka muna sa balcony

Artemis:
Gago ka

Artemis:
May ginagawa ako tse!

Artemis:
De jk. Maya na di pa kami tapos

Artemis:
Peace tayo AHAHAHAHHA

▪︎▪︎▪︎

DEAN

I woke up hearing a loud thud. Agad akong napabangon at kunot noong humarap sa pinto. Bahagya pa itong nakabukas kaya napamura ako. I tried to reach for my phone pero hindi ko mahagilap. Muli akong napamura ng malutong at tumakbo palabas ng kwarto.

I thought it was an outsider. It was Sue. Holding my phone. This isn't new. She uses our phones without our consent frequently. Siya naman ang pinakabata dito kaya pinagbibigyan namin. We know she wouldn't do anything to harm our team.

"Hey. Akin na ang phone ko." I asked firmly. Medyo inaantok pa ako kaya hindi ko maiwasang umakto ng ganito. It's a lame excuse but whatever.

Her shoulders raised. Nagulat ata. Hindi siya humarap sa akin at sa halip ay binilisan ang pagtipa sa keyboard. I was getting annoyed. Sa huli ay marahas kong hinatak ang balikat niya para humarap sa'kin.

Bago pa niya maitago ang cellphone kong hawak niya ay nakita ko kung sino ang kausap niya. Kumunot ang noo ko at inis siyang tiningnan sa mga mata niya. She was about to cry, I could see it. Pero hindi ko mapigilang bulyawan siya nang dahil sa inis.

"What the hell, Sue?! I told you to wait didn't I?!" Kumukulo ang dugo kong sigaw. Hindi ako makapaniwala sa ginagawa niya.

"G-Gusto ko lang tumulong, Dean." Narinig ko ang mahina niyang paghikbi. I could see she was guilty through her eyes. Huminga ako ng malalim at marahas na napabuntong-hininga.

"Fine. Give it back."