Treacherous.

I was about to got out of our school gate when I got a call from an Unknown number. Sinagot ko naman ito.

"Hello? Who's this?"

"Liam! Liam! It's me Deanda!" Ibaba ko na sana ang tawag ng bigla sya sumigaw sa phone!

"OH! PLEASE! PLEASE LIAM! DONT DROP THIS CALL!" Rinig ko na nagsimula ng sya umiyak. Naguilty naman tuloy ako. Nagsalita naman ulit sya. Habang ako naman hininto ko ang sasakyan sa isang tabi.

"I just wanna say sorry for what happened Lee. But please! Make Louie happy! It's her birthday! Pero eto naman ang nangyari! I'm so scared to lose her! Its not the first time! Please Liam! Please!" Nagmamakaawang nya pakiusap saakin. Today is August 26. So birthday pala ng EX ko. Ano bang gagawin ko? Nahabag naman ako dahil Birthday pala ni Louie pero ganito ang nangyari.

"Okay. I'll come back. Saan na ba kayo?"

"Infirmary. Oh my god! Thank you so much Liam!" Yun lang at binaba nya na agad ang tawag.

**
Infirmary

"Miss, saan ang room ni Louie?" Tanong ko agad sa receptionist nung Infirmary ng school pero mukha naman syang ospital sa laki.

"Si Montiedad po? Sa Room 107 lang po. Dyan po sa gawing kanan tapos pang apat na pinto po."

"Sige salamat Miss." Tumakbo ako na parang nakasaalang alang ang buhay ko. At agad ko naman ito nakita. Binuksan ko ito ng kaunti mula dito kita ko si Deanda na umiiyak sa tabi ni River.

"You could've stop her Ash! We trusted you!! Pinabayaan mo sya!!" Galit na sigaw ni Deanda habang umiiyak.

"I wasn't there when she took those fucking medicines or whatsoever! I said to her that I'll be right back just to buy her some fucking food from that fucking 7/11 store! It's not my fault!!" Galit din na sagot ni Ash.

"Kahit na! Alam mong hindi sya okay! It's just not her birthday! It's the death anniversary of--"

"Tama na! Pwede?! Lalong hindi magiging okay si Louie kung naririnig nya kayong ganyan!" Matigas na salita ni River.

Bakit ano ba talaga nangyari? Anong gamot ang ininom ni Louie? Sinong may death anniversay? Nang medyo huminahon na silang tatlo saka ko lang naisipan pumasok. Napalingon naman silang tatlo sa pagpasok ko. Di ko sila pinansin at dire-diretso lang ako kay Louie na nakahiga sa hospital bed. Sobra syang namumutla. Parang tinakbuhan ng kulay ang mukha nya. Hindi mo akakalain na tinatablan rin pala ng sakit ang isang 'to.

"Ano daw findings?" Lumingon ako kay Ash. Tinagilid naman nya ang ulo nya na parang sumenyas kay River at Deanda na umalis muna. Tumayo naman silang dalawa nauna na si River makalabas ngunit bago isara ni Deanda ang pinto lumingon sya kay Ash.

"Tell him the truth Lucas Asley Fuentebella Diaz. Im dead serious. He deserved it." Saka lumabas at dinabog ang pinto.

"I'll tell you everything. But keep your fucking mouth shut!" Titig na titig sya sa mga mata ko na para bang ang sasabihin nya ay napakalalim na sikreto. Tumango na lang ako. Humugot na muna sya ng malalim na hininga kasabay nun ang pagkunot ng noo nya at nagsimulang magsalita...

"Louie's taking anti-depressant pill. It started when she found out that Raffy caught her life by an accident. Raffy or Rafaela Mikel is her youngest sister. Si Miggy or Miguela Alexis was their Eldest and obviously Louie is the middle child." So, ang lagi palang tinutukoy ni Louie na Raffy ay isang babae! Hindi lang babae! Her late younger sister!

"Louie is the last one to know about what happened to Raffy. Because that night of the incident she was so wasted after partying with us because we were celebrating her birthday. Tinatawagan sya nila Tito at Tita pero hindi sya macontact dahil naiwan nya ang phone nya sa bahay nila. Pag-uwi nya, nagulat sya dahil sinampal sya ng malakas ni Miggy telling her what kind of sibling she is. Then starting from that night on Louie started to call her Monster." Kaya pala ganun na lang sya sumagot sa ate nya dun sa wallpost sa Facebook.

"Walang nagsasabi sakanya na wala na si Raffy dahil hindi matagpuan ang katawan nya. Ang tanging evidence lang na andun sa crime scene ay ang nasunog na damit ni Raffy dahil sa pagsabog ng sasakyan na dapat susundo kay Louie. Tatlong araw nyang hinahanap si Raffy dahil paborito nya itong kapatid. Hands on sya dito kaya pag hindi nya ito nakikita it really makes her worry. Until one night she dreamt of Raffy saying goodbye to her with an explosion. Nagising sya ng sumisigaw that everybody was panicking to go to her room. Kasama kaming apat. Dahil alam na namin. Sya na lang hindi." I feel saddened about what happened to her. I now fully understand kung bakit sya ganito. Hinaplos haplos ko ang buhok nya habang nakapikit pa din sya.

"Then we came to her room. Ako, Riv, Deanda, Oli, Miggy and their parents. Louie is crying hysterically. And asking where the fuck is Raffy. Its been 1 week and still she doesnt see her favorite sister. Her mom went to her crying. Louie told us about what she dreamt. And her mother cannot take it anymore she hugged Louie so tight and said to her that Raffy is gone. By a car accident, together with the driver. After that she barely speak. I was the one who assigned to seek her from time to time and dont leave her. Then one night I was awakened by her loud scream! I came to her and hug her. Then she said: In my dream everybody who loves me will fucking die, Ash! Nagulat ako. Kami pa that time and I love her fully! Pero she break up with me, she thinks that I'm next to Raffy. Pati sa family and friends nya she keep her distance." So doon pala nagsimula why she breaks every mans heart? And being so cold to anyone?

"I just cant leave her! Kaya ganon kami ka-close because she barely speak to anyone. Except me, parang diary nya na ako. 4months after her therapy from her depression. Nagpasama sya sakin magpatattoo. I let her. Nagpalagay sa right ribcage nya saying: Ce qui se passe autour, revient autour. Means What goes around come backs around. She believed that after breaking every mans heart, eventually she'll find her karma. But knowing Louie, she wont accept it. Natatakot syang mangyari ang nasa panaginip nya. Kagabi natakot ako kasi nilalagnat sya ng mataas at tulala lang sya, sabi ko bibili lang ako ng pagkain at meds nya. Pagbalik ko nakita ko na lang ang bote na hawak nya. It was her anti-depressants. Akala ko tapos na sya sa stage na yun. Siguro naalala nanaman nya na birthday nya ngayon at death anniversary din ni Raffy. Kanina bago kumanta sabi nya she misses Raffy, nag-alala kami bigla pero sabi nya The show must go on kahit may lagnat sya." Napatingin naman sya kay Louie, yumuko sya at hinagkan eto sa noo. Tumayo ng tuwid at tinapik ang balikat ko.

"My turn is way too outdated from its expiry date. Others does not have the patience that you have. Man, its your turn. Use it wisely." Sabi ni Ash at tuluyan ng lumabas.