Chapter Four: Wrong

Louinna Therese's POV

I am half awake now. But still, my eyes are closed. My head hurts a lot! I feel like someone beat my head using a brick.

Right! I am still inside a dark room.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around the room. The room is not dark at all. It is very familiar to me. The bookshelf full of detective and cooking books, the vase full of daffodils on top of a study table, the slightly opened curtain with a Hello Kitty design, the glow in the dark on the ceiling, the fuchsia-colored walls, the well-organized collection of bags and shoes and the light ambiance of the room. I feel like I was here before. I feel l've been sleeping here for too lo---

Wait! This is my room!

I rubbed my eyes to corfirm if what I am seeing is real. I did it multiple times but nothing changed. I blinked many times, too, but nothing changed. I even pinched my cheeks, but still, nothing changed. I am still in my room.

I stopped doubting when I smelled the scent of my favorite perfume which is English Pear and Freesia by Jo Malone that I use everyday.

"I really am home now! I am safe!" I said while jumping on my bed.

I immediately stood and was about to leave my room when something flashed in my mind...

The big guy. The gun. The trigger. The very bright light that emerged on the ceiling. The loud groan. The... sparkling WINGS?!

What the heck are all those?! Was that happening a dream? A nightmare? But... it seems so real to me. Did it really happen?

I immediately went down and headed in the dining room. I saw my dad there. He was sitting on a chair where he usually sits. He's reading a newspaper with his eyeglasses on while drinking coffee.

He kept on smiling everytime he turn the pages of the newspaper. Why is he so happy?! I just nearly died yesterday and yet... AISH!

"Good morning, dad," I greeted to steal his attention.

"Good morning," he greeted back without even looking at me. He just continued reading the newspaper that he was holding.

I sat on the chair beside him where I do not usually sit and looked at him for a couple of minutes without even blinking.

He then let out a deep sigh and folded the newspaper that he was reading. Afterwards, he looked at me with his usual serious face.

"What do you need?" he asked.

"Dad..."

"Spill it."

I diverted my gaze to the foods on the long table, avoiding his gaze.

"Dad, aren't you worried about me?" I asked while getting a slice of bread.

"What are you talking about now? Is it about what happened last week?"

"No, dad."

"Then what? About the wound that you had when the knife that you used yesterday while slicing an apple slipped in your grasp? My God, Therese! It's just a cut! Do I need to worry about you when something like that happen?! You're a senior high schooler now! You also know how to use the first aid kit!" he shouted at me.

I accidentally dropped the slice of bread that I was about to eat on the table. I immediately stood up and was about to leave when he spoke again.

"I AM TALKING TO YOU, THERESE! GO BACK TO YOUR SEAT!" he said with full of autority. "Tell me. Do I need to worry about you?!"

Then it hit me.

"I nearly died, dad! Something bad happened to me yesteday! I nearly died yet everything is fine with you? YOU DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR OWN DAUGHTER AT ALL!!!"

I bursted out. I wasn't able to control my temper because he is too much! Dads out there worry about their daughters and sons everytime their children were out of their sight. My dad? He does nothing but to worry and care! Worry and care about what? POLITICS!

He stared at me as if he's scanning my whole body.

"Nearly died, huh? How?"

I did not answer as if I heard nothing.

I immediately went inside my room and prepared myself for school. Pagkatapos ay pumunta na ako sa aming garahe at sumakay sa aking sasakyan. Pinaharurot ko agad ang aking sasakyan.

Malayo ang paaralang pinapasukan ko ngunit nakarating ako doon na sampung minuto lamang ang byahe.

"Hi, Therese! Good morning!"

Someone from the back greeted. Hindi ko na kailangan pang lumingon sa likod upang malaman kung sino ang nag-good morning sa akin dahil kilalang-kilala ko na ang boses niya. It's Crystal.

"Bad morning," I greeted back.

"Why? What's wrong?" she asked.

Iniharap niya ako sa kanya at tiningnan ako ng maigi. Nang makita ko ang mga mata niya ay punong-puno ang mga ito ng pag-aalala.

Hayssst. If this best friend of mine was my father, I would be very glad today. Unfortunately, she's not.

"We had a fight," I said and let out a deep sigh.

"Again?" she asked.

"Yeah. What's new?" I said and faked a laugh.

Crystal is my best friend since we were in elementary. She knows all of my secrets, problems and everything about me.

When I say WE HAD A FIGHT, she would already figure out who I am pertaining to. I do not need to tell her the complete detail because as I have said, she knows EVERYTHING about me.

"You know what? I want to leave our house. I want to show to my dad that I can be better off without him. I want to show him that even if he's not around me, I can manage to live. I won't show in front of him until he realize how worthless he is!" I said with my voice full of anger.

"Hey, girl, chill! He might be busy now but for sure, he loves you. He cares for you," Crystal said, trying to calm me down.

I looked at her.

"No, he doesn't. He never cared about me. He never worried about me. He's a complete mess in my life!"

"He does care and worry about you. Hindi mo lang alam. Hindi mo lang napapansin dahil hindi siya showy," she explained but I did not listen to her.

"I nearly died yesterday when we went to the mall. Do you remember? The guy that kidnapped me tried to kill me. The gun pointed on me..."

Nang maalala ko ang pangyayaring iyon kagabi ay agad na may tumulong luha sa aking mga mata. Para bang bumalik ako sa sitwasyong iyon.

Lumapit si Crystal sa akin at hinagod ang likod ko.

"Shhh. Tahan na, Therese. Sige ka. Mapagkakamalan kang iyakin niyan," aniya na siyang ikinatawa ko.

"Thank you, ah?" panimulang sabi ko.

"Saan naman?"ntanong niya.

"For everything, for your time. Thank you. Salamat dahil palagi kang narito sa tabi ko. Salamat dahil palagi mo akong sinasamahan kapag kailangan ko ng kasama. Thank you talaga."

"Ano ka ba? Hahaha! Para saan pa at magkaibigan tayo, 'di ba?"

"Still..."

"Okay. Hahaha! Tsaka pangit ka kasi kapag umiiyak, eh, ayoko kaya ng kaibigang pangit. Hahaha!"

"What the..!"

"Hahahahaha! Peace yowww!" aniya at tumakbo na palayo sa akin.

"Yah! Wait for me!" sigaw ko nang malayu-layo na siya sa akin.

"Hahahahaha! Ayaw! Magpromise ka muna na hindi ka na mag-e-English kapag ako ang kausap mo! Dapat pure Tagalog ka lang!"

"What?! Ayoko!"

"Eh, di mag-isa kang maglakad papunta sa classroom niyo!",sabi niya.

Tumigil siya sa pagtakbo. Lumingon siya sa akin at bumelat siya. Aish!

Naabutan ko naman siya kaya naman agad ko na siyang inakbayan para hindi na muli pang makatakbo.

Sabay kaming naglakad patungo sa mga classroom namin. Nang makarating kami sa tapat ng classroom nina Crystal, section B, ay nagpaalam na siya sa akin. Ako naman ay dumiretso na sa classroom namin, section A, na katabi ng room nila.

Nang makaupo ako sa upuan ko ay siya namang dating ni Professor Fenny, ang Professor namin sa Science.

"Good morning, students. Our lesson for today is all about genetics. Does anyone here know anything about genetics?" she asked.

Someone from the back raised his hand. I saw it through my peripheral vision.

"Yes, Mr. Villanueva?"

Tumayo kaagad si Reyson.

"Ma'am, I don't know. Hehehe!" sagot ni Reyson.

Tumawa ang mga classmates ko kaya naman padabog na ipinatong ni Professor Fenny ang dala niyang libro sa mesa.

"Silence!" aniya. Tumahimik naman ang buong klase dahil doon.

Bumaling siya kay Reyson na tatawa-tawa pa rin.

"Then why did you raise you hand, Mr. Villanueva?!" pasinghal na tanong ni ma'am.

"Eh, ma'am naman! Nag-uunat lang naman po ako, eh!" sagot niya na kakamot-kamot pa ng ulo.

"My goodness, Mr. Villanueva! Do not sit down for the whole period! Stand still!" galit na galit ni Professor Fenny.

Natahimik ang lahat. Halatang ayaw nilang damayan si Reyson.

"Anyone, raise your hand if you know anything about genetics," muling sabi ni Professor Fenny.

Agad na nagtaas ng kamay ang katabi kong si Angelito.

"Yes, Mr. Molina?"

"The father of genetics is my father, ma'am," sagot niya na muling ikinatawa ng mga classmate ko.

"Give me a proper answer, Mr. Molina!"

"'Yon nga po, ma'am. Ang tatay ng genetics ay tatay ko rin. Hehe."

"Ano ba ang ipinaglalaban ng tatay mo? Who's your father, Mr. Molina?"

"My father is Gregor, ma'am. Hehe. Magkapatid po sila ni Gregor Mendel."

"'Yon lang naman pala ang nais mong ipahiwatig, Mr. Molina. Tama ka diyan. Maaari ka nang umupo," sabi ni ma'am. Nagpalakpakan naman ang mga classmate ko. "Anyone? Ano pa?"

After a couple of minutes, someone raised her hand. It was Amelia, our nerd classmate. She was our class valedictorian last year.

Professor nodded while motioning her to stand.

"Ma'am, genetics is the study heredity. The father of heredity is Gregor Mendel, as Angelito said a while ago."

"Well said, Ms. Salviejo."

"So,..."

Blah blah blah...

Blah blah blah...

Blah blah blah...

Nagdiscuss nang nagdiscuss si Professor Fenny pero hindi ako masyadong nakinig dahil alam ko na naman 'yong mga idinidiscuss niya.

Nagsunod-sunod na ang pagtuturo ng mga Professor namin ngunit hindi ako nakinig sa kahit na ano mang idinidiscuss nila. Well, you know me. I am intelligent.

Huwag niyo nang itanong kung bakit hindi ako ang nag-class valedictorian kung talagang magaling ako dahil hindi ko pa sasabihin ngayon ang dahilan.

Natapos na ang morning class. Lunch break na. Agad akong lumabas ng classroom. Dumiretso ako sa canteen upang bumili ng makakain. Medyo nagutom kasi ako.

Nang makarating ako doon ay nandoon na si Crystal. Nasa reserved table na namin siya.

"Hey! Bilis! Sit here!" aniya na nakaturo ang kamay sa upuang nasa harap niya.

"Order lang ak---"

"Nakaorder na ako. Bilis na! Upo!"

I immediately sat on the chair that she motioned me to sit. I looked at her with my right eyebrow raised.

"Why are you such in a hurry? What are we going to talk about?" I asked.

"About you," she answered.

"About me? What about me?"

"'Yong sinabi mo kanina. 'nearly died yesterday'? What about it?"

Mas tumaas ang eyebrow ko dahil sa sinabi niya.

"You don't know? God, Crystal! The guy that kidnapped me yesterday when we went to the mall. He almost killed me!", bulalas ko.

"Tayo? Pumunta sa mall? Hindi naman tayo pumunta sa mall, ah! Noong niyaya kita kahapon before last period, sabi mo sa akin ay masama ang pakiramdam mo. Sabi mo pass muna kaya mag-isa akong pumunta. Ang lungkot kaya!", paliwanag niya. Halatang naguguluhan siya sa sinasabi ko.

"What? But we were together yesterday. We even ate in Dairy Queen! Tapos sabi mo pa kahapon ay may sumanib sa akin kaya naman may lumapit na pastor sa akin at dinasalan ako. 'Yong pangyayaring iyon ang dahilan kung bakit kita tinakbuhan kahapon."

Kumunot ang noo niya dahil sa mga sinasabi ko.

"Hindi mo ba naaalala?", muling tanong ko.

"Actually, nothing like that happened yesterday," she said and shook her head.

"How about the jeepney? Do you remember?"

"Of course! Sumakay ako ng jeep kahapon dahil nawalan ako ng gasolina kahapon. Ang malas nga, eh! Pero sulit naman dahil may nakilala akong lalaki. Si Ma---"

She was not able to finish her statement when I spoke.

"Si Mark? 'Yong lalaking gwapo, mabait, maalalahanin?"

"Yes! Exactly! But how did you know him?"

"Because of you. Nakikipag-usap ka sa kanya kahapon tapos ako naman, nakatunganga lang. You didn't even dare to look at me."

"Ha? P-Pero wala ka naman talaga kahapon, eh. Kaya nga kanina ay nagtataka ako kung bakit sinabi mong 'I nearly died yesterday.' kaninang umaga, eh. Tumawag pa nga ako sa daddy mo kahapon, eh. Sabi niya nilalagnat ka daw."

Everything was wrong, I swear. Bakit hindi maalala ni Crystal ang nangyari kahapon? What the hell happened?! Si daddy. Bakit sinabi niyang may lagnat ako kagabi gayong wala naman ako sa bahay? How the hell did this turn out like this? What is happening?!

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