ADRIANNA
"Do you like red or blue?"
Everyone seems excited and happy for the school program today. Students are wearing shirts with their name, section and course printed on their back. Each course has its own shirt color and for journalism, we got white. My classmates keep complaining about the color of our shirt and the task given to us. They think that it's too boring.
"Red," I replied to Giselle who's beside me.
Nasa loob kami ng field at kasalukuyang tumutulong sa pag-dedecorate. Pinipintahan namin ang mahabang tela na magsisilbing welcome banner papasok sa field. It was the easiest task for me and unlike my classmates, I don't complain about it. Mas gusto ko na 'to kaysa maglinis sa school o mag-invite ng outsiders.
ADRIANNA"Ria, gising na. Magsisimula na next period natin."I woke up when I heard Freya's voice. Bumangon ako mula sa pagkakahiga sa damuhan at tinanaw ang paligid. Nasa garden ako ng school kung saan maraming puno, halaman at bulaklak sa paligid. Natanaw ko si Freya na naglalakad palayo kaya naman mabilis kong kinuha ang bag ko saka sumunod sa kaniya.The strong wind blew my hair. Maaliwalas ang kalangitan at payapa ang garden ng school. Nakakapagtaka kasi dapat ay may mga students na naka-tambay rito. I looked at Freya's back where her long and jet black hair is swaying as she walks. Binilisan ko pa ang paglalakad para maabutan siya. Nang mas makalapit ako sa kaniya ay huminto siya sa paglalakad."Why a
ADRIANNA"Your sister is really a bad luck magnet, don't you think?""She just lacks awareness.""I feel bad for her. Kakagaling niya lang dito noong nakaraang buwan at heto na naman siya.""Just be thankful she didn't die.""Hindi ka ba masaya na nakaligtas pa siya?"Unti-unti kong iminulat ang mga mata ko at kaagad na bumungad sa'kin ang puting kisame at nakakasilaw na ilaw. I blinked a few times and turned my head to the side. Napansin ko ang swero sa kamay ko at doon lang narealize na nasa loob ako ng hospital room. I looked in front and saw my brother talking to Inspector Fajardo. Lumipat ang tingin niya sa'kin nan
JENSEN"Where have you been?"Adrianna, my older sister, asked me when I got home from school. I took off my wet jacket as I walked inside our house. Basang-basa pati ang damit ko sa loob dahil sumugod ako sa malakas na ulan para lang makauwi. I didn't bring an umbrella so I took the responsibility of getting soaked by the rain.I walked past my sister who's standing in the doorway. Dumiretso ako ng lakad patungo sa hagdan nang magsalita siya kaya napahinto ako."I'm asking you a question. Don't turn your back on me as if you didn't hear me," aniya sa seryosong tono.Lumingon ako sa kaniya at ipinakita ang blanko kong ekspresyon, "I'm tire
ADRIANNA Isang linggo ang itinagal ko sa ospital bago ako magpa-discharged. Kahit pa medyo masakit ang mga tahi ko ay pinilit ko pa ring kumilos at pumasok sa school. Tapos na ang first sem namin kaya naghahanda na ako para sa second sem. Isa ring dahilan kung bakit ayokong magtagal sa ospital ay dahil minsan lang ako bisitahin ni Jensen. Araw ng sabado ay nagtungo ako sa school para kunin ang card ko. Nagpapasalamat ako dahil wala akong bagsak na subjects. Habang naglalakad ako sa school ground ay napapansin ko ang kakaibang tingin ng mga students. Ang iba sa kanila ay nagbubulungan at masama ang tingin sa akin. Pinilit kong huwag silang pansinin dahil alam ko naman kung bakit. Many of my schoolmates have talked about me often ever since. It only got worse because of my involvement in Frey
ADRIANNAUnknown number:Meet me at the top of the castle's tower. If you're alone, you're welcome. But if not, sorry not sorry.Titig na titig ako sa screen ng cellphone ko habang paulit-ulit na binabasa ang mensahe ng unknown number. Base sa text ay mukhang si Lawrence ito at hindi na lang nagpakilala dahil umaasa siyang kaagad kong mapapagtanto na siya ito. Hindi ko lang alam kung paano niya nalaman ang number ko lalo na at bago ito.Pasado alas kwatro na ng hapon at nanatili ako sa loob ng agency. May inasikaso lang si Inspector Fajardo kaya tumungo muna ako sa reception area para maghintay. Nagdadalawang isip ako kung ipapaalam ko kay Jensen ang tungkol sa pakikipagkita ko kay Lawrence. Sigurado naman kasi na wala siyang pakialam sa
ADRIANNA "Bakit hindi mo sinabi sa'kin ang tungkol dito?" Salubong ang kilay at matalim na tingin ang ipinukol ko kay Jensen. Walang gana siyang nakaupo sa sofa ng sala habang nakatingin sa kawalan at parang hindi ako naririnig. I'm just holding myself not to shout at him. Stressed pa rin ako sa mga nangyari kahapon kaya naman pinipigilan kong ma-high blood dahil baka sa ospital na naman ang bagsak ko. While washing his clothes earlier, I found a small red card from his school's detention office. Nakasaad dito ang pangatlong record niya ng violence sa eskwelahan. Required din na papuntahin ang guardian sa school para makausap ang principal at adviser ng estudyante. Bukod sa may ganito akong natuklasan, ang mas ikinagagalit ko pa ay ang hindi niya pagsasabi sa'kin. Noong nakaraang linggo pa
DAVEN"The girl is clearly into you."I put the book back on the shelf when I didn't like its story. It has so many mature scenes that I have no interest in. I prefer mystery books with less romance but what I got here are books with crappy story lines and cringe plots. Wala akong problema sa romance genre pero nakakasawa na ang paulit-ulit na mga cliché plot structure. I want an unpredictable story with roller coaster plots."Tingnan mo, oh. Kanina ka pa tinitingnan," Trevor continued saying gibberish things.I looked at the girl he was referring to. She's pretty, not gonna lie, but even if she's the most beautiful woman on earth, I won't waste my time approaching her.
ADRIANNA"You're kidding, right?"Hindi makapaniwalang tumingin ako ng diretso kay Daven. He just dropped the news like a missile bomb. We're talking about a different topic until he suddenly said a surprising thing. Walang sino man maliban siguro sa kanya ang basta na lang maiisip ang kanyang sinabi ngayon lang. But his face is very serious as if he's really stating a fact."Nasa inyo kung ayaw n'yong maniwala," aniya."It's impossible! Freya's family died in a fire. Paanong buhay pa ang kuya niya at siya ang misteryosong lalaki?" Naguguluhang sabi ko.Ano na naman kaya ang pumasok sa utak niya at may naisip siyang ganito? Siguro ay masyado na s'yang nadadala sa pagiging matali
[EPILOGUE]DAVENLife really moves in a mysterious way. No one can tell what would be their fate. Everything can be changed and what is already written to every life cannot be rewrite again. Sa bawat buhay na isinisilang sa mundong 'to, may nakahanda ng tadhana para sa kanila at hindi na 'yon mababago pa.When I was a child, I thought that happiness would always be there. That in every problem, there is always a solution. In every chaos, there is peace. But as I grew up, I gradually realized the meaning of life. All the happiness can be replaced by grief, and all grief can be relieved by new joyful things that will come.I realized that in every struggle, a person always has his or her choice. Nasa tao na lang kung ano ang pipiliin niyang daan. Maraming
DAVENRage is the emotion that rises up inside me right now. The eagerness of smacking Adrianna's head on the wall is all over my system. I feel like I want to hurt her so badly to the point that I'm gonna kill her and no one could ever recognize her appearance anymore. But these ties are keeping me from doing that.If only I could untie them with all of my strength, I will do that even if I get hurt. Adrianna's presence, her voice and movements are making me push myself more to my limit. Parang ngayon ay gusto ko na lang wasakin ang dignidad ko maibigay lang sa babaeng 'to ang kung ano mang nararapat sa kaniya.She's a monster. Isang demonyo na nagkatawang tao para makagawa ng kasamaan sa mundong 'to. Kung titingnan ko siya ngayon ay ibang-iba na ang nakikita ko sa kaniya. She has an innocent lo
ADRIANNA"Are you awake?"Naglakad ako palapit kay Daven na nakaupo sa tabi ng kapatid ko. Unlike my brother who has bruises and wounds, Daven is completely fine. Jensen fought me back and even though I don't want to hurt him yet, he left me no choice.Daven's eyes are not focused. Dala ito ng pampatulog na in-inject ko sa kaniya kanina. I tied him on the chair next to Jensen. My brother did nothing but look at him. Now, they're both hopeless. This will be my victory."Ayoko pa sanang gawin 'to, kaya lang……" inangat ko ang ulo ni Daven. "My hands are itching to kill you."The look of being betrayed, rage, regret and disappointment. His piercing brown eyes reflect a
ADRIANNAI am not sick.That's what I'm always thinking to myself. I'm not totally aware of my own illness. I feel like there are two types of me. The one that I have since I was born and often shows to other people, and the one that was just created by my own emotions. The latter, however, is a dangerous one.It all started when my stepfather tried to kill me. Sobrang takot na takot ako sa mga oras na 'yon. Wala akong ibang inisip kundi ang kamatayan ko. Kung saan ba ako mapupunta pagkatapos mamatay. My emotions were bigger than what was on my mind. They were drowning me into darkness.Nagdilim ang paningin ko at nakita ko na lang ang sarili na paulit-ulit pinupukpok ng figurine ang amain ko. I did my best not to leave any fingerprints
DAVENHinilot ko ang sentido ko habang nakatingin sa bulletin board na nasa loob ng kwarto ko. Naka-pinned lahat ng mga importanteng impormasyon dito. Magmula sa kaso ni Mommy, Freya Mendoza, Jefferson, Uncle Alejandro at Adrianna. Nilagyan ko ng marka ang mga kasong may malinaw ng kasagutan.Sa kaso ni Freya ay malinaw na ang lahat. Inakala namin noong una na si Denmark Ferrer at Ashlee Sarmiento ang mga suspects pero nagkamali kami. Adrianna Valiente is the real suspect here. She killed the three of them and hid all the possible evidence that the police could see.Pangalawa ang kay Jefferson. Ngayon ay malinaw na kung bakit niya gustong pahirapan si Adrianna. Dahil 'yon sa pinatay nito ang kanyang kapatid. Hindi niya sinabi sa mga pulis ang tungkol dito dahil mahirap paniwalaan at walang matiba
ADRIANNAJefferson Mendoza, our great enemy, is finally gone. Tao pa rin naman siya at marunong mapagod. Hati ang nararamdaman kong emosyon sa nangyari sa kaniya. Una kong naramdaman ay ang tuwa at kapanatagan, pero sa kabila no'n ay naaawa rin ako sa kaniya kahit konti.I know that he didn't want to do that from the start. Kung talagang hindi lang namatay si Freya ay hindi niya magagawa ang lahat ng 'yon. Masyado lang siyang nalunod sa sakit at pag-iisip na maghiganti. I feel like he was a good person before an unexpected tragedy happened.Lahat naman ng tao nagbabago. Saludo ako sa mga taong kahit na paulit-ulit nakakaramdam ng sakit ay nananatili pa ring mabuti. I can't really tell if I'm one of them. Whenever I feel pain, I just cry and cry. I also think
JENSENI was silently watching everything downstairs even though I wanted to go down. My mother is lying on the floor and bathing in her own blood--lifeless. My stepfather hit my sister on the head using his gun. Nagpagulong-gulong ito pababa sa hagdan at naglakad naman palapit sa kaniya ang amain namin."Magsama na kayo ng mga magulang mo," sabi nito sa kapatid ko at tinutok ang baril sa kaniya.However, something unexpected happened. Sinipa ni Adrianna sa paa ang amain namin dahilan para mapaluhod ito sa sahig at mawalan ng lakas. Tumayo si Adrianna at kitang-kita ko ang umaagos na dugo mula sa kanyang noo."Hindi ako ang susunod sa kanila kundi ikaw," anito saka ngumisi.
DAVEN Now that Jefferson is gone, we don't have someone to chase anymore. But things don't end here. We didn't close Freya's case even though her primary 'suspects' are dead. In fact, they're not the real suspects here but someone who hides in darkness. That someone who was close to Freya. Wala na siyang pamilya at hindi rin naman si Denmark ang pumatay sa kaniya dahil pwedeng diretsuhin na lang ako ni Jefferson kung siya nga. Freya had no friends that were really close to her...except for one person. Yes, and that person is none other than Adrianna. For me, it's kinda unbelievable to think that she's the true enemy here. I see her as a stupid and dumb woman who has a weak emotions. But even though looks can be deceiving, words a
JENSEN It's already New Year. The tiring year of 2019 finally ended. I can see colorful fireworks everywhere in the sky. Our house is silent as usual. Patay lahat ng ilaw sa buong bahay maliban sa kwarto ko at kay Adrianna. People are celebrating and welcoming the year of 2020 while we didn't even bother to make a feast. Palagi kaming ganito tuwing may okasyon. My sister is always asking me if we could celebrate it but I'm not in the mood for that. Wala namang masama sa pagcecelebrate pero para sa'kin ay sayang lang ito sa oras dahil kami lang namang dalawa. Ayoko ring makipag-plastikan sa kaniya sa harap ng hapag. We both know that we're not happy together. Pareho kaming pagod na sa buhay at parang walang kasiyahan. Paano pa kami makakapag-celebrate sa ganitong sitwasyon? We have plenty of