Behind A Smile

Chapter 25

Kabanata 25

"Maglaro muna ulit kayo ng kuya mo, Zelize. I'll just talk to Ate Iris."

She giggled. "Okay, ate!"

Nang bumalik na ulit sa paglalaro ang kambal ay binalingan ko ng tingin si Iris, at ramdam ko ang pagkakaba niya dahil hindi siya makatingin ng maayos sa akin. Is there something to be nervous about?

"Miss President." pagkuha ko sa kaniyang atensiyon.

"H-hi. Y-you're Lorraine, right? Miss Komze's friend?" sa tensyunadong boses.

I tilted my head a bit, trying to find the confidence and power I used to see in her, at school.

"Yup, ako nga." Malamig kong sabi.

She licked her lower lip. "I-I think we haven't formally introduced ourselves to each other yet,"

Kumunot ang noo ko. Something is really fishy about her.. same with the first thing that I felt noong una ko siyang nakita. Right now, I can feel that she's just pretending.. only trying to be like... friendly, trying to be someone.. she's really not.

Sa huli ay napili kong ipilig ang mga naiisip ko sa kaniya. Alam kong hindi maganda ang nanghuhusga ng kapwa, pero hindi ko maiwasan, sadyang malakas ang pakiramdam ko sa kaniya.

"Yes, I think so." at ngumiti ako. I don't want her to think that I'm... doubting her.

She smiled too. "I'm Iris Saavedra," sabay lahad ng kaniyang kanang kamay, na agad ko namang tinanggap at mahina siyang kinamayan.

"Lorraine Cortez."

"Nice to meet you, Lorraine."

"Nice to meet you, too, Iris."

Hinintay kong siya ang bumitaw, at binigyan ko siya ng mga nagtatanong ng mata. I'm very curious as to why she's here, and with the twins.

Seeing her here, in this kind of place, is unusual, and with the twins.. is it really some sort of... coincidence? Or.. a motive? I am sure if Karina sees her here, she'd feel and think the same thing as well.

"So, anong ginagawa mo rito?" natunugan ko sa sariling boses ang pagiging friendly, pero nananaig ang pagiging malamig doon.

And she's back to being tensed again. Humawak siya sa strap ng sling bag niya na tila makakakuha siya ng lakas doon. I really should refrain from doing this. Hindi ko alam, pero basta kasi kapag ganito ang tono ko, kahit ako, hindi ko rin makilala ang sarili ko.

"U-uh, I-I was just passing by here to uhm.. to get something for my nephew..."

Really, huh?

"Kilala mo ang mga kapatid ko?"

"N-no. Uh, actually I was asked for a favor by the staff to look out for the twins..." she paused, and continued. "..Kasi tinawag yata ng manager at nangako naman na babalik rin kaagad. So ayun, binantayan ko muna ang mga kapatid mo tapos nakipaglaro na rin ako,"

Now, that's confusing. How the hell did she know that they are.. twins?

But I really appreciate what she had done, so I smiled. "Ah. I see. Salamat, Iris."

I always believe in what my instinct says, truth be told. But right now, I don't want to show her that I'm bothered by.. something.

Napansin niya siguro ang pagiging magkahawig ng dalawa kaya nasabi niyang kambal nga ang mga ito. Of course, they're almost identical, nagkakaiba lang si Louiz at Zelize sa pag-uugali. Pero pagdating sa pisikal na anyo, talaga namang hindi ko maitatanggi ang pagkakapareho ng features nila.