Assassinate the Class President ✔

Chapter 23

COSMOS members were starting to disseminate information not to support the microchip body insertion by handing out flyers to every classrooms. Her classmates also helped because they saw Gwen and Adhel started helping.

Dinampot ni Aria ang isang placard na nahulog mula sa pile ng mga placards na dala ni Desmond na nauna sa kanya at nakalabas na sa pinto ng headquarters. They plan to camp outside in front of the cubes set up by Holston Tech.

Inangat niya ang tingin nang muli itong bumukas. Pumasok si Gwen na madilim ang mukha. Tumayo siya at sinalubong ito.

"What happened?" tanong niya.

Umirap ito at umismid at nilagpasan siya. Kaya hinawakan niya ang braso nito at hinarap ito.

"Gwen?" muling untag niya.

Piniksi nito ang brasong hawak niya at binigyan siya nito ng masamang tingin. "Leave me be..."

Siningkit niya ang mga mata at sinipat nang mabuti ang mukha nito. "Are you slapped? Namumula ang isang pisngi mo."

Napalunok ito at dinama ang nasaktang pisngi gamit ang isang palad. "It's nothing. Away mag-ama lang ito."

She bit her lip and heaved a sigh. Kung hindi dahil sa kanya, hindi ito mangyayari. "I'm sorry!"

Gwen just snickered as if she can read her thoughts. "Nah! Don't feel so entitled. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for the university which I treat as a second home."

Bahagya siyang napangiti. "Okay, I believe you."

Tumikhim ito at nag-iwas ng tingin.

Mulling bumukas ang pinto nang pabalang. Napatingin silang dalawa roon. Dalawang unipormadong Holston Army ang nasa bukana.

"Oh my gosh!" sambi ni Gwen.

She stepped forward to hide Gwen at her back. Nagsimulang maglakad ang mga ito papalapit sa kanila.

"What do you want?" tanong niya nang huminto ito. Lihim niyang kinapa ang revolver na nasa baywang niya at napailaliman ng kanyang suot na jacket. She can take out these men but she needed time. Bago pa siguro iyon mangyari, may matatamaan sa kanilang dalawa.

"Sino sa inyong dalawa si Aria Montessa?" tanong ng isa sa mga ito.

Marahan siyang itinulak ni Gwen. "It's her," wika nito.

She raised her chin and looked at them in the eyes. "Why are you looking for me?"

"Pinapatawag ka ni Mr. Minyamin," sagot nito.

Tumango siya. "Okay!"

Akmang hahawakan ng mga ito ang dalawa niyang braso pero itinaas niya ang mga iyon. "I can go there by myself. No need to fret and no need to treat me like I am going to jail or court. But since I know y'all just doing your job, you can come with me."

Hindi na sumagot ang mga ito pero sumunod naman sa sinabi niya. Nauna na siyang maglakad palabas ng headquarters. Nasalubong pa niya sina Adhel, Desmond at Green. Nagtataka ang mga matang iginawad ng mga ito.

"It's okay!" she mouthed.

Pagkarating niya sa opisina, nakita niya si Principal Minyamin na nakaupo na sa may couch. Hindi siya nito sinenyasan na maupo kaya nanatili siyang nakatayo sa gilid nito.

"What did I hear that a mere transfer student lead a protest against the MBI?" tanong nito at nilingon siya. Madilim ang mukha nito na tingin niya ay susuntukin siya anumang oras.

Tumikhim siya at napalunok. "This transfer student is also a class president, Sir. And according to Duties of the Class President manual, article 1 section 1, it is the class president's duty to look after the welfare of his/her classmates and I know for sure that MBI is not good from the start because they were not planning it to do good."

"That's bullshit! Wala kang karapatang panghimasukan ang desisyon ng eskwelahan." Sarkastiko itong natawa. "I never thought that at this age, a student can give me a headache."

Naikuyom niya ang kamao. "According to the same manual that the school has given, in article 3 section 2, one must not be afraid to fight for things which he/she knows that are right," wika niya. "And I heard that you slapped Gwen. She is a student in this university and you are the principal. You don't have the right to do that to a student."

Mabilis itong tumayo. Nanlilisik ang mga mata nitong hinarap siya. "Cut the crap. She is my daughter. I have the right to discipline my children. I will not let them take the wrong path."

Nagtiim ang kanyang bagang. "I can prove to the authorities that what you were talking with Gwen isn't related to a father-daughter relationship," pasimple niyang tiningnan ang center table nito na may bugging device. "It's you who are standing in the wrong path, Principal Minyamin. You are tempted by fame, reputation and money. For once, think again, weigh the consequences and rewards."

Umigkas ang kamay nito. Hinanda niya ang sarili sa paglagapak ng palad nito sa pisngi niya pero hindi iyon nangyari. Nabaling ang atensyon nila sa bagong pasok na pumalakpak.

"Wow! It's a great show indeed!" nangingiting wika ni Miss Macasling. May limang namumukhaan niyang agents sa likod nito.

Ibinaba ni Principal Minyamin ang kamay at naglakad papalapit sa mga ito. "Who...?"

"Oh, I'm sorry for intruding here in your office all of a sudden, Mr. Minyamin." Naglahad ito ng kamay. "My name is Monique Macasling, second-in-command at the Philippine Crime Investigation Services."

Kaagad namang tinanggap ng principal ang pakikipagkamay. "Really? It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Monique. And I do apologize for what you've seen. I'm just trying to discipline my student."

Umiling ang babae at mas lumapad ang ngiti. "I know. She is quite difficult to deal with, right?" wika nito at napunta ang tingin sa kanya.

Aria clenched her teeth. They were supposed to be observing under the radar. She liked attention that much para magpakilala itong galing sa PCIS?

"You know her?" tanong nito.

Naglabas ito ng posas mula sa holster na nasa baywang. "Actually, I came here to arrest her." Binigay nito ang posas sa isang agent at lumapit ang mga ito sa kanya.

"What was my charge? Because I know for sure that I didn't do anything wrong, Miss!"

Sarkastiko itong tumawa. Nagtaas ito ng kilay at ipinilig ang ulo. "Do you think so, Agent Aria? Well, if you don't know... I'll tell you. You are under arrest for illegally surveilling this office. And you shot one of my agents which served as a barricade for his mission. The last one is you're supposed to be dead by now. That's your biggest crime, though."

'Damn all the things in the world!' lihim niyang mura. Hinayaan na lamang niya ang mga itong posasan siya.