#CTG02 Chapter 02

I couldn't move.

It felt like the world stopped revolving and I couldn't peel my eyes from Iñigo who was laying on the ground... unconscious... and the shards of glass near his body.

What... the hell?!

I slapped my face to remind me to stay focus. Agad akong tumingin sa paligid at baka ako naman ang hampasin sa ulo. I didn't have any weapon with me, but my law books were fucking thick! Ihahampas ko sa mukha nila iyong codal ko!

Nang masiguro ko na wala ng tao sa paligid namin, mabilis akong lumuhod para tignan ang kalagayan ni Iñigo. I was careful not to move him because I remember my brother telling me that I'd do more harm than good kung papakielamanan ko ang katawan ng tao.

But I just wanted to know if he's still breathing! I didn't want to be a witness in a murder!

"Shit," I uttered to myself when I felt a pulse. Agad akong naka-hinga nang maluwag. So... not a witness in murder... frustrated murder na lang...

I looked around and saw that no one's around! Bakit kasi dito kami binaba?! I quickly grabbed my phone to call Rory. Hindi ko na ipinaliwanag sa kanila ang nangyari, basta pina-punta ko sila agad dito. Marami silang tanong pero hindi ko masagot kasi ano ang isasagot ko?! Hindi ko rin naman alam!

One second, I was telling him my name... The next second, a bottle was smashed against his head!

"Are you okay?" Yago asked.

I nodded. "Yeah..."

"You sure? You want us to report this?" he asked, sounding concerned. Napa-tingin ako kay Rory na mukhang nag-aalala sa akin. Bakit sa akin sila nag-aalala? Hindi naman ako iyong binasagan ng bote sa ulo.

I was about to answer, but the nurse called us para sabihin na gising na si Iñigo. Paglapit namin sa kama niya, napailing ako nang makita na halos pula na iyong kulay ng kaninang puti niyang polo shirt.

"What happened?" Yago asked. He was the one asking all the questions because truth be told, I didn't know what the hell was happening! Rory quietly stood beside me, holding me as if I needed care and protection.

"Wala," tahimik na sagot ni Iñigo.

"We need to report this—"

"Can I talk to Charisse Faith?"

My lips parted. I could see a playful grin on Iñigo's face. Nabasagan na ng bote, nagawa pang ngumisi. Kulang pa ba iyong isang bote? Dapat ba isang case?

Rory and Yago left us. Nanatili akong naka-tayo. I couldn't peel my eyes away from his bloodied shirt... I just... I just couldn't believe how easy it was for some people to hurt other people... How some people do not have a conscience and could stomach doing something as horrible as this...

"Cha—" he said. I arched my brow. "Can we agree that some random guy was harassing you and I helped you kaya ako nahampas sa ulo?"

"Ako pa gusto mong sisihin?"

His lips parted. "What? No!" sabi niya at saka napa-hawak ulit sa ulo niya. "I mean... if anyone asks? Wala namang sisisi sa 'yo. If anyone really did harrass you, tutulungan naman talaga kita."

I stared at him. Why did he want us to tell this story? Why couldn't he just say that he was randomly attacked on the street dahil iyon naman talaga ang nangyari?

I mean, he's annoying... but that didn't mean someone could just break a bottle on his head.

"You want me to lie?"

"No... Just modify the truth a little."

I remained silent. I really just wanted a quiet night in the library... but instead I was unwillingly dragged into this mess, and was being asked to lie.

Consequences.

"I just don't want trouble," he said.

"You're the one who's lying on a hospital bed."

"You don't understand."

"You're right; I don't. So, don't ask me to lie for you for something I don't completely understand," I told him. "You're like asking me to sign a contract without reading the terms and conditions."

May pumasok na nurse at nagsabi na kailangan ni Iñigo na magpa-test para malaman kung may naalog ba sa utak niya o kung anuman. I wasn't expert in medicine, but I was sure that the tests would cost him money...

"I'll call someone—" Yago said nang bumalik sila.

"No, it's fine," Iñigo said.

"Just report it."

"Hindi ko nakita kung sino ang gumawa," Iñigo said, looking at me like he was trying to get me to confirm his lies. I remained silent. Ayokong magsinungaling sa bagay na hindi ko naiintindihan. Consequences. Baka kung saan pa makarating ang kasinungalingan niya.

"Let's just drop this," he further continued.

May mga tao na naman na lumapit kay Iñigo para i-check iyong tahi sa noo niya. I was debating on what I'd do next. I looked at my watch. It's almost 10pm... Dapat pauwi na ako. Tatanungin ako ni Papa kapag na-late ako ng uwi.

I looked at Yago.

"Can you look after him? Uuwi na ako," sabi ko habang sinaglitan ng tingin si Iñigo na naka-ngiwi habang inaayos iyong sugat niya. What's he hiding? Why didn't he want to report it?

Yago nodded. "Paano ka uuwi?" he asked.

"I'll book a ride."

"Okay. Did you really not see who did this?"

Huminga ako nang malalim. Screw you, Iñigo Borromeo. You couldn't even remember my name, yet I was already lying for you.

"No... Madilim. At saka mabilis."

"Okay... but was it really random? Ang weird naman..." Yago said. He's not stupid... I hated Yago sometimes, but he's really smart. He'd figure out that something's not adding up.

So, I did the stupid thing and corroborated Iñigo's lie. "Just some drunkard who tried to catcall me. Things escalated quickly," I said. "Sige. Uuwi na ako."

Mabilis akong tumalikod at lumabas ng ospital. Naka-tayo ako sa isang gilid habang hinihintay na dumating iyong sasakyan na maghahatid sa akin pauwi.

This had been a long day.

* * *

I was quiet during the entire breakfast. Pinapagalitan ni Papa si Chase dahil lumabas na iyong grades nung first quarter sa school nila at nataasan siya nung transferee. I ate my breakfast with fear because I knew that I was next in line... My dad's always asking about Jax and Yago because he knew that those two were the highest in our batch... He's always constantly asking me kung ano ang grades nila. And I hated that. I hated how he's trying to get me to compete with them.

"Charisse," Papa called. "Midterm grades?"

Isa-isa kong sinabi ang mga grades ko sa mga subject na naglabas na ng results.

"Who got the highest in your class?"

Huminga ako nang malalim. I hated asking my friends their grades... but I couldn't help it because I was always expected to report them.

"For most subjects, Jax..."

"And Yago?"

"The other subjects, Yago got the highest. If not highest, second or third."

"And where are you?"

"I'm always in the top five in our section, Papa."

"Work harder," he said before sipping his cup of black coffee. Tahimik akong tumango. I needed to work harder. I wanted him to look at me the same way he looks at my eldest brother... He's the most successful one—built his own business from the ground and now, already a multi-millionaire.

I wanted that for myself.

My own money.

Para maka-alis na ako sa bahay na 'to.

Nang matapos ako sa pagkain ko, tahimik kong kinuha iyong bag ko at saka nagsimulang maglakad palabas sa subdivision. I didn't want to be driven to school because I knew that the driver would just report my every movement to Papa. I wanted to at least have a bit of freedom...

I'd rather stay in school all day than at home. Home... didn't feel like home. It's more of a torture chamber for me.

Pagdating ko sa school, agad akong dumiretso sa library. I studied there quietly until lunchtime came. Iniwan ko iyong mga gamit ko para pumunta sa cafeteria.

"What?" I asked, frowning nang humarang sa harap ko si Iñigo. May benda pa iyong ulo niya.

"Thanks," he said.

"For?"

"Lying."

"You owe me."

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay. Tabi," I said because I was really hungry. Hindi ako naka-kain nang maayos sa bahay dahil sa takot. I only had twenty minutes allotted for lunch dahil magbabasa pa ako ng case sa Property. Tapos magmememorize pa ako sa Election Law.

"Lunch on me?"

"No, thanks. Ipang-bayad mo na lang diyan sa ulo mo," I said. He's the one who said that he's not rich. He needed all the money because the hospital tests were costly.

Umawang ang labi niya. There still was that almost smile on his face. Na para bang entertained na entertained siya sa mga lumalabas sa bibig ko.

"May sasabihin ka pa ba? Kasi nagugutom na ako."

Umiling siya. "Nothing... Thanks again."

I just nodded at him before walking straight to the cafeteria. Dahil sa pang-iistorbo ni Iñigo, nagmadali tuloy akong kumain. Nang pabalik na ulit ako sa library, nakita ko siya na may kausap na mga lalaki. They were pointing at his injured head. Napa-kunot ang noo ko. Member ba siya ng frat? Because some of the guys he's with were my classmates... and I was pretty sure that they're a member of a frat.

So... frat-related iyong nangyari kahapon? But why didn't he want to say anything? Hindi ba siya po-protektahan ng brothers niya? Wasn't that the sense of joining a brotherhood? Protection? Connection.

Kagaya ng ibang classmate ko na maraming connection kaya nakaka-pasa. I pity their future clients.

I had no choice but to pass by them dahil iyon lang ang daan papunta sa library. I wanted to mind my own business because I didn't want to be involved in anything related to frat or sorority. I was good at studying on my own and passing based on my own hard work.

Sabi nga nila, if you really want it, work hard for it.

"Cha!"

Agad akong napa-pikit at napa-hugot ng malalim na hininga nang marinig ko ang pamilyar niyang boses na tinatawag ako. Ano na naman ang kailangan niya sa akin?

"Cha!" Iñigo called again. I had no choice but to turn around. "I was just telling my friends about what happened yesterday."

Medyo napa-kunot ang noo ko. Why was he speaking like this? It felt pretentious... Iba sa naka-usap ko kahapon.

"Remember? When a drunk asshole tried to harass you?" Iñigo stated.

I just nodded. The hell. Kung saan-saan na naka-rating iyang kwento niyo. Paano kapag hinanap nila iyong drunk asshole? Maghahanap na ba kami ng artista na magpapanggap?

Iñigo looked relieved when I confirmed. "See? No need to get worried," he told his 'friends. Nagpaalam siya sa mga kaibigan niya dahil ihahatid niya raw ako. Saan niya ako ihahatid? Sa library? Maliligaw ba ako?

"Thanks, Cha," he said.

"I don't appreciate you making me an accomplice to your lies."

"I know... I'm sorry."

"They're your brothers, right? Why can't you just tell them?"

Tahimik kaming naglalakad papunta sa library. I could see him smiling at some female med students. Akala ko ba may gusto siya kay Katherine?

"Mas maayos na kapag ganito," he said. "Kapag nalaman nila na galing sa kabila iyong humampas sa ulo ko, mag-aaway pa sila. Gulo lang."

"Hindi ba mag-aalala magulang mo?"

He smiled. "Patay na pareho."

My lips parted. "Sorry."

He laughed. "Sorry," he said when he abruptly stopped laughing. "Ang weird lang kasi maka-rinig ng sorry mula sa 'yo."

I arched my brow. "I know when to apologize. I'm not an asshole."

"Yeah... Sorry," he said, smiling. "Sobrang intimidating mo kasing tignan. Natatakot nga ako minsan na kausapin ka, e. Parang lagi kang ready makipagtalo."

"For someone who owes me, you surely know how to show gratitude," I told him as we were taking the stairs. Naghi na naman siya sa isang naka-salubong namin na law student. Na babae. Ang babaero naman nito.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "First impression lang naman. But you're not that scary. Konti lang."

"I'm not scary—you just lack balls," I said as I opened the door of the library. "Thank you for walking me to the library. Baka naligaw ako kung wala ka."

Tumawa siya. "No problem... Charisse Faith," he said. "I'll see you around."