#WIAE Chapter 12

If I could pull time to make it run faster, I would. I wanted to see Avo. I wanted him beside me because when he's with me, nothing happens... And I wanted nothing but that. I had seen too much death. I had seen too much blood shed in the light of protecting me. Tama na. I didn't need a pile of corpse trailing me.

Laurie said that Avo would arrive any minute now and I wanted nothing but to finish with this class para makita ko na si Avo. But the class was just starting and I had an hour and a half to endure.

"Today is the first day of our practical exam," the prof announced. There were murmurs. Some were excited, some were dreading the idea like me. Iyon kasing klase namin ay tungkol sa self-defense kaya naman hindi ako excited sa exam na magaganap. Being someone new in this school, I was lacking in almost all aspect. Iyong mga kaklase ko ay ilang taon na dito sa AdM kaya naman sanay na sila sa mga ganito... But me? I hadn't even experienced punching anyone, much less doing self-defense.

"As per school rules, you shall only engage with someone in the same level as you. And since this is the first practical, you are given the liberty to choose your partner."

And the hunt began. Nagsimula na silang maghanap ng makaka-pares.

"I can't," Laurie said when I looked at her. "I'm a Quatrième now."

And I shut my mouth. I didn't want to remind her of the tragedy that was her family. Hanggang ngayon, naiinis pa rin ako kapag naiisip ko iyong Uncle niya. Paano niya nagawa na patayin ang buong pamilya ni Laurie para lang makuha iyong negosyo nila? Whatever happened to humanity? Talaga bang nabubulag ang tao kapag pera at kapangyarihan na ang usapan?

Tumayo ako at nagsimulang maghanap ng mga Deuxième na kagaya ko.

"Hi, pwede bang—"

Tinalikuran ako.

"Excuse me. I'm Boe—"

Tinalikuran ulit ako.

"No one will spar with you."

Napatingin ako sa gilid ko nang makita ko si Night.

"Don't talk to me," I said. Tuwi kasing makikita ko siya, ang naaalala ko ay kung paano niya pinatay iyong mga babaeng iyon ng walang patawad... He didn't even blink an eye. He didn't even feel any remorse. He didn't even think about what the family of those girls would feel... Talaga bang kapag miyembro ka ng Mafia ay hindi ka dapat makaramdam ng takot? Dahil ba mas mataas ka sa mga tao ay wala ka na dapat kinakatakutan?

"You can't avoid me."

I faced him.

"Watch me."

Tinalikuran ko siya at patuloy ako sa paghahanap ng makakapartner ko pero tuwing may lalapitan ako, ang makukuha ko lang ay tatalikuran ako o kaya naman ay may kapareha na sila.

"Wala akong partner..." I whispered to Laurie. Dapat kasi ay nandito si Cathy, e. Bakit ba kasi hindi kami magka-klase?

"They're scared," she said.

"Bakit? Hindi naman ako magaling. Sigurado na na panalo sila kapag ako ang kalaban nila..." Sa pagbaril pa nga lang ako medyo gumagaling dahil tinuturuan ako ni Avo, e. Ayaw kasi niya na pumayag na hindi ako marunong bumaril. And because of his constant nagging, I was able to aim and shoot properly. And when he came back, he promised that he would teach me how to fire at moving targets.

"Because you're Avo's girlfriend," sagot niya na parang naiinis pa siya sa akin dahil hindi ko alam iyon.

"But Avo's not even around!"

"He's everywhere. And everyone here knows that a Dieux's word is not ought to be broken. If he says he'll kill anyone who harms you, he actually means it."

"But this is a self-defense class!" I cried. Normal lang naman na masaktan ako dito!

"Obviously," she said, almost rolling her eyes at me. "But do you think they'd risk their life?"

Napa-tahimik ako... The last one who dared ended up dead. Because of Night... Siguro okay na nga rin na wala... Pero paano ako magkaka-roon ng grade kung wala akong partner?

"Sir, no one wants to be my partner," I said to the prof.

"No one here wants to be Miss Estrella's partner?" the prof asked the class. Parang may dumaan na anghel dahil sa sobrang katahimikan. I guess this showed how scared the students of Adm was of Avo. Na kahit wala siya, wala pa ring nagtatangka na bumali sa mga salita niya... And Cathy said that Avo's the scariest man in AdM... At kung natatakot na ako kay Night, hindi ko na alam kung ano pa ang dapat na maramdaman ko kay Avo.

But why wasn't I scared of him?

"Very well—"

"I'll do it."

Napatingin kaming lahat nung nagsalita si Ella.

"I'll fight her."

"But Miss Montrova—"

Tinignan niya iyong prof.

"What?"

Oh, God. She's scary, too.

Umiling iyong professor... Malamang ay natakot kay Ella.

"Miss Montrova and Miss Estrella will pair up for this practical," anunsyo ng prof.

Nagpaliwanag iyong prof tungkol sa mga dapat sundin habang ako, biglang kinabahan. Ella hated me... too much, alam ko. For her, inagaw ko si Avo kahit wala naman akong ginagawa. I couldn't blame her, too. Naaawa ako sa kanya... Para bang tinapon siya bigla ni Avo dahil sa akin... But still, why was she blaming me? Why not blame Avo for what he did? Bakit ba sa tuwing may maghihiwalay, iyong babae agad ang sinisisi? Na para bang walang nagawang masama iyong lalaki?

Why blame the innocent?

"She'll kill me," I whispered to myself. "She'll actually use this exam as an excuse to kill me."

I looked at Laurie.

"Help me here! Paano ko siya tatalunin?"

"I don't know. Ella's heavily trained," she replied. "Just fight her for a while and then purposely lose. Don't prolong the fight because she'll try to put a number on you."

Napa-ngiwi ako kapag naiisip ko pa lang kung paano ako sasaktan ni Ella. And I couldn't even cry foul dahil exam 'to! It was like the universe conspired to help Ella get her revenge on me! Dapat si Avo ang pagbuntungan niya ng galit at hindi ako! At nasaan na ba kasi si Avo? Did he know what will happen kaya nagpa-late siya? Dapat siya sa pwesto ko!

Nagsimula na ang laban. Nauna iyong mga Quatrième at sinundan naman ng mga Troisième... At habang palapit nang palapit kami, pakiramdam ko ay masusuka ako sa sobrang kaba.

"Smith, Laurie and Clarkson, Jessa," pagtawag ng prof.

"Good luck," I mouthed and Laurie didn't even blink an eye. Minsan, iniisip ko na walang puso si Laurie... pero sigurado ako na meron dahil mahal niya si Night, e... Ang weird nilang dalawa.

"For the first round, Smith will be the attacker and Clarkson will do the defense," anunsyo ng prof.

Nagsimula na sila at napaawang iyong labi ko dahil walang kalaban-laban si Jessa sa atake ni Laurie! Tapos sa pangalawang round naman, ni hindi naka-porma si Jessa dahil agad na-depensahan ni Laurie iyong sarili niya.

"Ang galing mo pala!" I said in awe when Laurie came back to our place. Naging magkapareho na rin kasi ang schedule naming dalawa dahil kung hindi, mamimiss niya lahat ng klase niya. Apparently, this school did whatever the Dieux asked of them. At kapag napili ka na slave for the sem, literal na buong semester ka nilang uutusan.

"Stop clapping like a kid and start worrying."

"I already braced myself. Malamang sa clinic kami magkikita ni Avo dahil sasaktan ako ni Ella," I told her. I was already imaging the bruises and probably, some broken bones. Galit sa akin si Ella kaya malamang, kahit isang buto ay gugustuhin niya na balian ako... Mabuti na lang at walang balita na nakakarating sa labas dahil panigurado na magwawala ang 'My ko kapag nalaman niya iyong mga nangyayari sa akin sa school na 'to.

Napailing na lang si Laurie sa akin.

Lorenzo and a Quatrième fought at obviously, nanalo si Lorenzo... And then there was Night and Fuji.

"Are they fighting... for real?"

Tahimik lang si Laurie habang nakatingin kay Night. Pero para kasing iba iyong ginagawa nilang dalawa... It didn't feel like it was still a part of the test... Para bang personal na iyong ginagawang laban ni Night at Fuji.

Fuji punched Night. Night kicked Fuji. Akala ko ba self-defense... bakit parang wrestling na iyong pinapanood namin? And the prof couldn't even stop them because they're Dieux...

"You piece of shit!" Fuji hissed. He continued throwing punches but Night dodged one after another. And I confirmed. They're fighting. But why were they fighting? Hindi ko alam... hindi ko naman kasi nakakausap si Fuji dahil lalapit pa lang ako, parang gusto niya na akong sakalin... Kaya hindi na ako lumalapit.

But after a few punches and few kicks, Night finally pinned Fuji down. May binulong siya kay Fuji na hindi ko narinig but that was enough to make Fuji stop...

And then...

"Next," the prof said. "Montrova, Elliana and Estrella, Boe."

Oh, dear heavens.

Pumunta ako sa gitna, nanginginig iyong mga tuhod ko... Pakiramdam ko ay masusuka ako.

"I'll kill you," Ella hissed when she saw me. The people around us were whispering. Iyong mga Dieux ay tahimik na naka-masid sa amin. Nasaan ba kasi si Avo? I needed him now—before his ex murder me.

And then it began.

Ella tried throwing punches and I tried to avoid them like it costed me my life. But then, after seconds of avoiding her, she finally managed to kick me. Napa-higa ako dahil sa ginawa niya at saka siya naupo sa tiyan ko. She looked at me—those stares could not be mistaken... She hated me. So much.

"I hate you," she said. "It's your fault. You ruined everything! Kasalanan niyo!"

And before she could even punch me in the face...

"Ella."

That voice. That authority.

"Get off of her. Don't make me mad."