High School Popular

Chapter 30

Truth and Blood.

Madilim. Amoy lumang kahoy. Amoy alikabok. Nanlalamig ang balat ko habang unti-unti kong idinilat ang mga mata ko. Napansin ko agad ang kisame na may basag, may bahagyang tubig na tumutulo mula sa tagpi-tagping bubong.

Wait...

This place...

My heart raced.

I've been here before.

Hindi ko man maalala nang buo, pero pamilyar sa akin ang mga lamat ng pader. Ang sira-sirang mesa. Ang tunog ng pinto sa kanan na may kaluskos na parang may kalawang sa bisagra. No doubt... this was where they took me before. When I was younger.

Hindi ko na alam kung ilang taon ako no'n, pero tandang-tanda ko 'yung takot. 'Yung lamig. 'Yung iyak ko na walang nakakarinig.

At ngayon, nandito na naman ako.

"Finally, gising na ang prinsesa," anang pamilyar na boses.

Tumaas ang ulo ko. Mabigat pa ang katawan ko pero pilit kong sinilip kung sino.

Si Andrea.

Nakasandal siya sa mesa, naka-cross arms. Naka-all black. At nasa tabi niya ay isang familiar na lalaki. Nang maalala ko kung sino siya ay natauhan ako.

"Kenzo?" bulong ko.

Kenzo Castillo, former captain of The Luxion. Ang rival ni Froi sa MVP title at bigla na lang naglaho na parang bula.

He stepped forward, smirking. "Long time no see, Bricelle. Or should I say... Zyn?"

Nanlaki ang mata ko. That name.

"Paano—?"

"Alam namin lahat," sabat ni Andrea, lumapit pa. "Your family, your secrets, even the deals you tried to bury. Pero alam mo kung anong hindi namin makakalimutan?"

She crouched beside me, eyes sharp. "How your family destroyed ours."

Napakapit ako sa sahig. Hindi ko maintindihan.

"Business, wealth, land," dagdag ni Kenzo. "Your family took everything. Our fathers were partners once, until your dad turned his back on ours."

"Tito Marco—my father," he said, voice suddenly tight, "helped build your family's empire. But one betrayal, one greedy decision, and we lost it all. You lived in castles, while we were pushed out of our own legacy."

"And by the way... my father is the one you killed when you were young."

Nanlaki ang mata ko. Hindi ko inaasahan ang mga nalalaman ko.

Andrea's eyes glinted with rage. "And Froilan? You think he's your hero now? He's just like his father. The Casterñados turned their backs on us too. My mom... she begged for help when her business was falling apart. Guess who ignored the calls?"

"Froilan's dad?" I whispered.

"Ding ding," Andrea smiled, mockingly tapping my nose. "And now you—sweet, clueless Bricelle, ikaw lang naman ang prize ngayon. You have everything. You're the girl Froilan chose. The girl who gets to be Zyn and Bricelle."

"Pero naging fiancé mo si Froi, and your father trusts him," sagot ko.

"It was a bait," panimula niya.

"I was supposed to be seen, to be heard! But no, ikaw ang laging bida," she hissed, ang galit sa boses niya parang sumasakal.

Kenzo moved beside her. "We'll take it all back. Your name. Your safety. Your peace. And when Froilan finds this place... it'll be too late. We'll break him, like your family broke ours."