First Chapter - The News

How was it to be the moon? To be the moon either? To be Armstrong whose the first person who lift off his feet on the ground on this loving moon? How was it to be love priceless despite of its none the less imperfections. How was it? Can I be the moon?

The moon for you?

The prologue was seems too shallow with a current depth. I could now be so sure that the author of this novel is a kind of moon addicted, well, maybe I could say that because all of this author's stories, novels, one shots, however mystery of thriller it was, the moon have and always going to have its own character, not just mostly but all of the piece of work of this author.

I smile and close my eyes.

Ang galing niya..

I put my earphones on. The sound of vehicles that keep on beeping that were maybe due to this annoying traffic, were giving an ache to my balmy ears. Why do they have to keep on beeping their vehicles?! Will that help in this situation and make the movement of traffic lightly and ease it from being worse? 

But in the other side. I understand them.

Maybe because of them being irritated, annoyed and infuriated due to this really super mega ultra vexatious traffic! Who wouldn't be? If you have an important event to attend, work to go and even classes which on my side right now, if you're stuck in traffic, sitting pretty inside the bus with your ass flattered down to a hard chair won't ease your irritation, it could even driven worse!

Ewan ko ba. Bakit ba hindi ayusin ng problemang pantrapiko sa bansang ito, if it wasn't that alarming, then I hope we could have our own air vehicle tho.

My eyes darted to the old man who stand up from his seat with a complete madness in his face, he look so irritated because of the traffic. Okay, I bet this man have an important event to attend to. He's wearing a black office coat and holding a brownish attache case with his right hand. A usual office man in the Philippines.

I look away and just watch how we're all stuck in traffic but a sudden exclaimed takes my attention to look at the old man who've just left his seat.

“PUTANGINA!”

I look at him, I tried hard to stop myself from laughing out loud. Well, he just slipped over the wet side of the bus, near the stairs. 

Malas, late na nga, nadulas pa.

I took a glance to my watch. It's still 8:15 and the registration on the campus I'll study is in 9:30. I sigh and lean my back. I still have a one hour and fifteen minutes in free so I'm that confident that I'm not going to be the last one on the lane later.

Aba! Sinadya ko kayang agahan dahil alam kong sobrang traffic sa dadaanan ko.

“Wow, umaandar pala 'to?” I whispered to myself and act as if I'm surprised and amused as the bus start moving forward. Ipinikit ko nalamang ang ang mga mata ko to intently feel the words, sentence, phrase and the meaning the song that I played on my phone through my earphone. 

I smirk when taking a nap suddenly entered my mind. It was favorable to me in the other side cause I haven't get an enough sleep last night because of me reading the new chapter of the novel that my favorite author updated yesterday evening. WELL, if I fell asleep here in this bus accidentally, I will going to bet a thousand that as I open my eyes as I get awake, I'm still in the same location where I was when I feel asleep! 

See? That's the reason why everyone hates traffic! And that makes me keep on ranting on social media ragarding to this kind of issue and if I become late today, my blood will surely going to boiled and I will sue them all! Kidding tho.

I decided to close my eyes after having a debate to myself if I'm going to take a nap or not and as you could know, the side of taking a nap win. I closed my eyes and crossed my arms, I also full the volume of my phone so that there's noway for those vehicle's beeps to ruin the moon of the song I'm listening to.

“PUTCHAAA! DITO NA NGA!” I exclaimed as I wake up and saw the time on my watch!

As what I've guess—or not really a totally guess because now I'm already on the urge thinking if it was already a factual—I'm still in the same spot, same location and same place where I fell asleep. 

The irritation and infuriate climbs up my spine that makes me pull myself to get out from that bus. I hardly closed my eyes. Did I just take a nap for an hour?! Traffic is really getting into my nerves. 

Hurriedly, I run the way going to the university I'm up to go and as I reach the main gate, it's already 9:27. I still have a three minutes so I run more faster to reach the registration office and as I saw the long lane, I rapidly stopped myself but the floor was too smooth that it almost makes me slipped and bump over a white tall guy wearing an eye glasses! I hold on to my chest as the guy move quickly to avoid me without even looking at me, make me bump at the last woman on the lane.

“Sorry!” I show a peace sigh to the woman in front of me whom I bump to, I even smiled sweetly to her but she just rolled her eyes from me and look away.

Ang sungit.

I stand straight and fix myself. I cleared throat and stand over the lane patiently but my gaze suddenly went off to the guy who I almost bump to who's at the men's lane. He's wearing a black hoodie partnered by a black jeans and a black robber shoe, he's also wearing a black cap that makes me think that he's a man in black. 

I chuckle but I suddenly cease it, if anyone sees me chuckling here alone, they would surely going to think that I'm out of my mind or crazy that I don't want to happened.

I fixed my eyes to him. He's really tall and white but not too much, just an average white filipino. He's not that big person with a big body built but not also a skinny one, his body is an average too, but I could say that he look attractive in the way he own his built. 

Mukhang mayaman.

The women's lane start moving forward but I couldn't recognize that because my attention is accupied in the man in black I've almost bump too. He's a bit far from me because obviously I'm late and I start from the bottom of the lane.

I play any thought inside my head just to ease my boredom while waiting for my turn.

The lane I'm on move quicker that the men's lane and as I reach the main desk when a registrar is going to assist me, I made things quickly so that I won't take long. After filling up anything needed, I just give a sign and then done. I stand straightly and was just about to walk away to go inside the campus, I stop in sudden when I've realize that I finish registrating first than man in black. 

I notice that the registrar who's handling their lane is not that quick assesor. He's chill and just sitting pretty in his seat and that makes me cringe.

I look away and start taking my way going to the campus. This scenario is always familiar, not just here in the school but in every different way happening in this life. And this things keep on making resemblance of acknowledge on my mind.

Arriving early ahead doesn't mean that you surpassed from others. Sometimes, it depends on the person whose handling you and the situation that you've been through. If you are the one who'll surpassed the others or the one who'll being surpassed by others.

I sigh. Life is always unfair. Kahit gaano mo pa agahan, if the one who's handling you doesn't mind the running time, wala ring mangyayari. 

Moral of the story..

...mag pa late nalang palagi..

Kidding.

My first day being a grade twelve student went nice, I could say that professors on this university were nice too... or not really. It's just the first day, what could I expect.

I stay at the cafeteria for the break time, the classes went smooth and as I entered my last class, a familiar person catched my attention. 

The man in black.

I smirk a little and went at the nearest unoccupied chair. 

So, we're classmates in Math Class? I wonder what he was taking.

After my last class, I hurriedly went to the apartment where I was renting, our house was seriously far from this university so I decided to had my own apartment the fact that I could live with my self so no worries. 

Before sleeping, I got a call from my mother, she start consulting how's my first day and as expected, I tell her everything that happened today including things about the man in black.

“Ano pala ang sabi ni Senator?” She asked. Pertaining to the senator whom I'm being scholared. 

“Last week pa po yung last na pag uusap namin, ma,” I answered.

My whole week went good in the campus where I was studying. The professors were now starting to give activities and for my last class, our math professor recently gave us a 'by partner activity' about calculus to discuss a different topic regarding it. I had my girl partner, we work our activity yesterday and now when we discuss it infront of the class, it went good and we even got a compliment from our professor.

“Next partner,” The professor.

The next partner immediately catched my attentions making me shift over my chair, I sit straightly and fixed my eyes to Xheidan, the man in black, with his partner that went infront of the room.

Whew, so they are the group next to us, what an exciting coincident.

For the whole week, all I could say is... Xheidan is that kind of man who ain't approachable, he barely talk and when in class, all he do is to listen and do what a grade conscious wannabe student like others do. Those students who were always in the list of honor students, I could say that Xheidan is one of them and also, Xheidan is an academic highness. I could say that he's really that great in mathematics even though we're just classmates for a week. Xheidan is also that kind of guy that would look at you like you are the most stupidest and nonsense person in the world, well, he barely look at anyone's eyes but if he did, you'll surely feel intimidate and think that he's insulting you inside his mind through his eyes, and maybe that's why he lack of friends. 

I look at him, he's currently standing straightly with his both hands in his pocket, chin up and looking at the whole class with his bored eyes. The usual him. Despite of his 'not-so-really-nice-attitude', a lot of girls around the campus was already head over heels to him, well man, Xheidan is really a good looking guy and a lot of people were being interested to him because of him acting so mysterious.

I look at them, Xheidan is now wearing a dark blue hoodie with a polo inside it, ang puting kuwelyo ay nakalabas. Kapansin pansin rin ang itim niyang relo na nakakabit sa kanang pulsuhan niya. Ang itim na pantalon ay bumagay sa kasuotan niya gayon rin ang makintab niyang itim na sapatos. Mukha siyang koriyano kung pumorma.

I look at Xheidan's partner, he's not that tall and tan color, he's currently sitting at the monoblock chair in front of his laptop, probably assisting the powerpoint that they will use.

“Good day everyone,” He greet coldly.

That.was.kinda.annoying.

I want to laugh!

“Integral Calculus, that's exactly what we could read at the headline of the powerpoint, meaning, that's the topic that will going to be discuss,” He said seriously without any sound of humorous but some of guys at the back laugh at that. “Before that, I want to get the attention of each of you, all eyes were on mine, no gossips and no talking,” He said seriously before he could look at the projection.

Hindi ko napigilan ang pag ikot ng mata ko nang marinig ang hagikhikan ng mga babae sa harapan nang dahil sa sinabi ni Xheidan.

“Differential calculus that we have learn in the previous report was about differentiation. If we will recall, the differential calculus was about the rate of change, the slope of a graph, and the tangent of a curve. The introduction of that topic has already discussed by the previous reporters so let me jump to my main topic.”

I smiled sweetly to some of my classmates who look at me as Xheidan mentioned 'the previous reporter'.

“Integral Calculus is mostly about adding an incremental process to arrive at a “total”. It will cover three major aspects of integral calculus: first, the meaning of integration. We’ll learn that integration and differentiation are inverse operations of each other.They are simply two sides of the same coin (Fundamental Theorem of Calculus). Second, the techniques for calculating integrals and lastly, the application. In this topic, we have sub commons which were Sigma Sum—we'll learn about adding a sequence of numbers, about the regulars versus irregulars sequence, the sigma notation, Gauss's formula and other formulas for simple sums, important rules of sigma sum and the application of sigma sum...”

Xheidan's prensentation go along, alot were amused in Xheo's way of reporting that made all of the person inside the classroom fixed their attention to him. 

I lean my back and listen to Xheidan's discussion carefully and start taking notes. Xheidan finish their report with all his stand infront, his partnered was just sitting over the monoblock chair, doing the things in the powerpoint through laptop and as Xheidan was just about to go back to his seat after getting a warm hand of applause from us, our math professor called him back infront together with his partner.

“What's your name?” The professor.

“Xheidan,” He answered naturally.

“And your partner?” The professor pointed out the guy beside Xheidan.

Xheidan lift off his glance to the guy beside him, shotting it a cold and firm eyes that makes him shift over his position and answered the professor's question nervously.

“D-Drew, po,”

“Drew, what can you say about Integral Calculus?” The professor asked calmly, a light smile curve in his lips.

“M-maayos po,” Drew answered, scratching the back of his head that makes some of our classmates laugh to him.

“About the topic, what can you say about it?” 

“O-Okay naman, po,”

The whole class laugh including me, napakagat pa ako sa labi ko para pigilan ang pag tawa. I look at Xheidan, he's standing straightly beside his partner with a bore in his eyes, you could simple see how much he was bored. We all stop from laughing as the professor glared at us making us roam by a silence.

“What are the sub topics of Integral Calculus?” The professor raised his brows to Drew.

We all silently wait for Drew's answer but instead of answering the professor's question, he bowed his head and put his hands together. My brow arched. Don't tell me he haven't read their powerpoint?

The professor lift his glance to Xheidan. “Xheidan, I won't deny that you impressed me by your great way of discussing your topic, you're also a good public speaker even though you're not good in communicating with an eye contact, but are you aware that this presentation is by partner and not solo?” The professor asked Xheidan firmly.

“Yes,”

Geez, why does he answering like that? Oh gosh.

“Then what do you call your presentation? You present it by yourself, do you call it by partner?” The professor ask sarcastically leaving a different kind of silence around the room.

“Yes,” Xheisan answered making the professor gasp. “Obviously, my partner is the one who manage the powerpoint that we've used in the presentation. If my partner wasn't there, there would be no powerpoint to use and the listener won't understand it indisputably. That's my partner's contribution to this presentation, sir, and yes, I call it by partnered.” Xheidan answered that makes me widen my eyes. His voice was full of confident and boredom that makes him look rude in that way, he's not even looking at the professor!

“If that so, why does it seems like your partner don't know anything about this topic?” The professor sound insulting.

“I don't know,”

“Bakit hindi mo alam, hindi ba't partner kayo?” The professor ached the right left corner of his lips.

“Yes, but it's not my fault that he doesn't know anything about Integral Calculus.”

“So, kasalanan ko?” The professor growl.

I bite my lower lip, they sounds tlike they were arguing. The professor seems like he's in the urge losing his temper. The brows were furrowed and eyes were sharp to Xheidan. Napapakagat nalamang ako sa loob ng pisnge ko dahil mukhang nagagalit na si professor while Xheidan is still in his calmness! What's up with this man?!

“No one blamed you, sir,” 

“Bastos kang bata ka!” The professor shouts to Xheidan. Nag simula nang uminit sa loob ng silid. “Do you think na magaling ka na porket napuri ka? Do you think you better than anyone right now that's why you're acting like this?” The professor exasperate.

“No, sir,”

“Who told you to talk back?!”

“No one, sir, but you asked me so I'm oblige to answer,” Xheidan answered without any hesitation.

WHY IS HE ACTING LIKE THIS LIKE OH MY GHOSH! DON'T HE KNOW THAT HE'S TALKING WITH OUR PROFESSOR?! IS HE EVEN AWARE?!

“Bastos ka talaga,” The professor, holding its temper. “It's just a week since the classes started and your true colors are now showing up, shame on you! I want to see you in detention office, NOW!!” The professor exclaimed, leaving a dark and frightening atmosphere inside the whole room. No one dark to talk or mutter any whisper.

The class ended that way, the professor go out from the classroom without bidding any words to us while on the other side, Xheidan just silently leave his seat and follow the professor probably heading the detention office now. Naiwan ang buong silid na tahimik, almost all of use still not moving on after that scene that we've film. Nang ang pigura ng dalawang nag away kanina ay hindi na matanaw pa ay nag umpisa nang uminit ang usapan sa loob ng silid, some were talking about what happened, I could even heared some rants to Xheidan from behind that makes me look at the girls at my back gossiping.

“He's rude, napaka guwapo nga pero wala namang galang, ang yabang yabang kung makasagot! Grabe, ngayon lang 'yan!” The girl with pony and long hair grimaced.

“Ang cool kaya! Biruin mo, siya lang ang nakasagot ng ganoon sa terror prof na iyon!” The chubby girl with average hair exclaimed.

“What's cool about that? Cool ba iyong walang manners?! Sayang ang talino at hitsura kung ganon,”

“Pero grabe, parang hindi manlang siya natakot kay prof, ano? He didn't even show any emotion kanina!”

“You just like him that's why you're skipping the fact that he's rude, having no manners and all thinking about his perfections, that not good, Hail.” The girl with long hair rolled her eyes.

I sigh and blink slowly before standing up to walt towards them, I couldn't stop but to talk with them behalf that they were right in their gossips. Xheidan is not so nice person but I think that he's not really rude, I find him interesting and cool at the same time like how Hail find Xheidan, maybe Xheidan just get to used in that kind of attitude that's why he don't mind.

“My God! First week palang ay ganito na kaagad,” Hirit pa ng babaeng mahaba ang buhok.

“Hi!” I greeted them that's makes them stop talking, they gave me a small smile.  They greet me back so I smile to them sweetly before sitting on the table of hails chair.

“Gwapo ba si Xheidan?” I ask Dein, the girl with long hair. I glance at her D so I knew her name. She raised her brow to me and protrude her lips.

“Yes but he's rude so—”

“Gwapo ba si Xheidan?” I asked again making her knot her brows.

“Oo pero masiyado—”

“Yes or no?” I cut her words with a smile curved in my lips. 

“Yes! But he was too—”

“Just yes or no, Dein,” I smiled sweetly. She look like she's alreadi loosing her temper to me.

“I don't care about his apperance if he's fucking rude—”

“Just yes or no, Dein. One word at a time,”

“Ano ba?!!!”

“Just yes or no!”

“Oo na, oo na! Okay na?!”

I gasp and smirk, I close my eyes and smiled sweetly to Dein before opening my eyes, flashing my lavish eyes to her.

“You talk too much, nagaguwapuhan ka rin naman pala sakaniya e,” I said, cram the insult in my tone.

“Ha! So you're one of the bitch too huh? Sayang ang talino mo kung mag kakagusto ka lang sa taong iyon,”

“Hmmn, too bad. Mabuti nga ako ay may talino, e ikaw?” 

I smile to her still cramming the insult in my tone that makes her eyes burn in anger that gave her the urge to freak me. Ngumisi nalamang ako, nakangiting umalis na kinauupuan ko at iniwan sila sa loob ng silid. I stay at the open door of the classroom to look outside and as I cannot see their figures at any of my sight anymore, I head the way going to the detention office.

In the matter of fact, I have really no idea why I am going there either, maybe I just want to get some gossips the fact that some of our classmates went to there too, meddling on what's happening. When I reach the hallway infront of the detention office, I was surprise to see no one there. The hallway is totally clean without any sense of mark about any others except of me. 

I stopped infront of the big door of the detention office, I was in my urge putting my ears over the door to hear what they were talking but I'm still in my senses to do that crazy thing. There's no noise inside, I couldn't hear anything from outside, if it was a shouts or what that could mark as an arguement, or maybe I was outside that's why I couldn't hear anything.

I glance over the glass window but there's a curtain blocking the view inside so it's still totally useless. I stand straight in quick as I heard a click of the door, I act walking slowly as the door opens. 

Silence.

Totally silence.

I want to look behind to know who is that but I was too ashame if they would think that I'm evesdropping! I just look there when it reach a couple of minuye of silence.

Dang!

Xheidan's bored eyes met mine. He was standing straightly infront of the door with his both hands inside his pocket, looking at me coldly, no hint of any emotion regarding what happened inside. 

I forced my self to smile sweetly to him, all in all awkward. My both hands were cupped to each other, I just nodded to Xheidan before turning my body to other direction. I didn't move and just stay in my current position until I heared a steps going away from me, when I coulnd't overhear the steps anymore, I look at my back and I saw Xheidan fine and naturally walking away like he hasn't been inside the detention office!

Ghosh! I swear man, if I were him, I would surely going to feel ashamed! Like bro! He's all cool with that! What's seriously up with him?

I arrived at the apartment after my last class, as I finished doing all the homeworks and reviewing the discussions, I decided to lay on my bed and rest. I pull out my phone and check some news online. I have no television here so I would just rather watch online.

My eyes immediately arched upward as I read the bold headline of the news, I shift over my position and fixed my attention to the newscaster.

“PITONG MILYONG HALAGA NA DROGA, NATAGPUAN SA LOOB NG ILEGAL NA PASUGALAN NA DI UMANO'Y NASA ILALIM NG PROTEKSYON NG ISANG SENADOR, BULILYASO!”