Chapter 2 - Side B

"Oh, that's the end!?" Reign keeps shouting and shouting along the hallway facing the School of Law building. Those nerdy group of friends turned their heads and showing fierce look unto us.

"Shut up Bis, all of the students were looking at us, they think that we are came from rural area!" She cannot force herself to keep her high toned voice spreads all over this classy and rich university.

"Imagine, he found his wife hanging and there's no urge for him to scream for help? And then he cried for justice for his wife even though he is the reason why his wife made that!?" The last part of the chapter ended her grieve of her read Ebook saved from ordinary phone bought from hometown. "Oh Alia, you should read it! I mean, don't dare to read it, I discourage you for being a selfish husband to her partner. I want a happy ending story! Oh Romeo, where are you?"

"I said shut up, I listened my news coverage from the most issued article this past few days" I replied then I walk ahead from her keeping my distance to clearly hear the tape recorder.

"Oh common Bis Alia, stop being obsessive by that network. You chose that topic for the reason of that young man engaged in a multi-million worth of advertising engagements!!" She keeps me boiling my blood and telling me to stop fantasizing dreams. Speaking of, my dream employer in the future! Oh my beloved NMN, the National Media Network recorded as the biggest and highest grossing television and radio network in the country. Composed of multi-awarded news anchors and reporters and other journalist, which greatly influenced people by its reliable and honest newscasting.

"This is just part of the process, we are doing our very best to serve and help your daily news report. We are aiming for truth, and that's our main priority." That ends the record of the tape. It's not yet done, I have to attend my next class. This news writing class really lose my brain cells!

After A.P class, I rushed to the nearest empty classroom to the right wing of Damian High. Our school isn't that huge but it's got tons of secret passages such as hallways that leads to a wrecked storage room, a room full of paintings and my favorite spot, the abandoned radio studio for the school paper. It has been years since the speakers echoed fresh and current gossips from around the campus including student standing, upcoming dances and midterms. I sway to the left of a pile of lockers and step foot into the studio. Inside is a massive mess of paper full of scripts, a junked sterio on the very left and desks with unfunctioning microphones, headsets and tape recorders. I slide to my favorite spot. The dj's throne as they call it. I sigh in contempt as I raise my feet on the desk.

"We are live in 5!" I point into the air with my left hand grasping on my tape player.

"Where's the script? Where is it!?" I speak one more time louder and with force. I chuckle as my madness drive me like no other. If only I toughen up to join the club during Fresh year, I may have probably saved this place. I collapse on my chair as it squeaks as if it's about to break and I pull unto my tape.

"Side b." I whisper into the thin abyss of the studio. I flip the tape and cranked play on my recorder and I close my eyes to feel whatever I'm about to be hearing. The voice of a barritoned boy emerges through the audios. It's the same person from side a. A voice, I still could not recognize.

"You're probably wondering why you're hearing this. What's it for? When was this even recorded? Who am I? Don't worry. I'm not a creep. Atleast I think I'm not. I come in peace like most villains say and they end up double-crossing the real protagonists of the story. But I'm not villain, I'm not a character from a story. I'm a simple person, yet I'm very complicated. And you? You make me complicated. Complicated in the most encouraging way.. Alia.."

I tap pause unto my player. He knows me. He knows my name. Well he said he's not a creep but this is too much creepy for me. I'm not even sure if I should continue listening to it. But he cleared he isn't a villain, like some sort of person who'd embarass and make me foolish or reveal the secrets that he might now about me. Do I have a stalker? My overthinking is rapidly pursuing and I clench to the edge of my seat.

"Calm down Alia. It's just a tape."

Just a tape. I press play and listen like a 5 year old waiting for Santa.

"The truth is. I do want to talk to you. And not just through this lame tape. In person. But I know I cannot ever have the guts to do so. So I hope this will suffice as we get to know each other. Everyday you will find clues that leads to my next tape. I might probably leave it at your seat on the next class. And that's the first clue. Yes, I am from Damian High and yes we probably share the same classes together. I have so much to tell you but please give me some time. I know you have alot of questions in your head as well.."

I think about the people from my morning periods to my very last electives. Nobody looks suspicious or interested in me. So who would it be?

"But my tape will have to end here. From this point you have a choice. It is to either continue listening to my audios or forget this ever happened. If you choose the latter. Leave this tape at the abandoned studio at the left of the school. If you choose to continue listening, the next tape will be sent tomorrow morning at your locker. Thankyou Alia. Til the next tape."

A blank frequency submerges from my earphones, the tape did end there. And from here on I have a choice to continue listening to God knows whoever is sending these tapes. He sure does have a clever mind for knowing how to manipulate my choices but I'm not that dumb to follow his orders. I push the tape out of my player and placed it at the top of the dusty ashgray desk next to a canister of blotted pens and broken pencils. I skipped steps and hid unto a pile of chairs. If I leave the tape and wait, I might be able to catch whoever this creep is. I wait for a shadow. Nothing. All I hear is the empty studio filled with silence and my mild breathing. My wrist watch ticks and my chest is pounding. He has got to be on his way by now. 5 minutes have passed. 10. 15. This is ridiculous. He'll probably get the tape by evening when nobody's around the campus anymore. And I'm not allowed to stay out as house rules. I pick my navyblue backpack and head to the door when suddenly, the doorknob twitches. It's him! I rush to the chairs once more and reinacted how Nala awaits to pounce on Pumba and Timone from the movie The Lion King. I touch the dirty floor with my quaking palms. Footsteps give the dead room life. On the count of three. Three... the footsteps grow louder. Two... they become faster and nearer towards my way. One... I launch like a missile and landed to the figure who appeared in the studio. He smells like vanilla. What a preference for a boy.

"Gotcha!"

I go for his legs to maoe sure he doesn't escape. To reveal someone's identity is like the adrenaline of exposing a blind item from the latest weekend gossips on radio. I've never felt so alive.

"Ha!!! You cree-"

"Ouch ow! Ow! Alia! Get off of me..."

That voice. It's no sound of a boy! And it sounds so familiar! I scramble to look at him... or her.

"Reign?!" I say in complete disbelief.

"What are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't I be asking that? We're late for lunch princess!"

Reign and I dust each others' skirts as we compose ourselves from our ramble. I thought I had him.

"So... what are you doing here?"

"I was just chilling. How'd you know I was here?"

"Cause I know you're always here. Period! Now let's go and we might run out of milkshakes!"

Reign grabs my arm and leads me out of the studio. And before I knew we were about to face a queue of crazy milkshake lovers, I had lost the memory and the fact that I left the tape at the top of the desk. Did I just make a decision I didn't want to make?