twenty-eight

The Numb by JeAnnPulido

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Anyways, enjoy the story guys!

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Chapter 28

Tori's POV

Natawa ako nang maalala ko ang pagod na itsura ni Alice nang makarating siya kanina.

That's what you get for losing in the jack-n-poy game! HAHAHA. She probably won't join us anymore in the near future.

Anyways, nasa room 306 ako ngayon para sa meeting ng mga members ng group namin. Group for what? For Gaein Academy's school festival. Kasali daw ang Public Colleges' students sa festival nila dahil nandito raw kami sa school nila, so kahit na gusto ng mga estudyante sa school namin na hindi sumali ay wala silang choice kundi sumunod nalang.

Our groups are assigned by our adviser, and each group are given tasks for the said festival. Ang sa grupo namin ay binigyan ng task na gumawa ng magazine for our classes' Gaein Academy's Exhibition.

As to who the rest of the group members are, except for me, Kath, Alice and Ashley, I don't know the others yet.

"Tori? Ba't ka nandito? At bakit nag-iisa ka lang? Saan ang squad mo?" kumunot ang noo ko nang lapitan ako ni Xander at ng mga barkada niya

Grabe, grabe kung makapagtanong ano? Sino ba siya sa tingin niya? Annoying smooth talker.

"Ha? Sino ka?" tanong ko kaya naman umakto siya na para bang nabaril siya't napahawak siya sa dibdib niya

"Napaka-bastos pa rin ano? Si Xander 'to no. Madali lang namang tandaan ang pangalan ko eh. At isa pa, ako 'yung kainuman mo sa bar nun, diba? Nakalimutan mo na?" patanong niyang sagot kaya naman nag-crossed arms ako

"Sorry, I don't really remember" pang-aasar ko't hindi pinansin ang tawanan nila Ashton sa naging sagot ko

"You.. you're really unbelievable. Don't you know that?" bulong niya saka niya ako nilapitan kaya naman nagdekwatro na ako saka nag-crossed arms at nginisian lang siya

"Oo na. Joke lang naman eh. Hindi ko alam kung nasan ang mga kasama ko, ang alam ko lang ay babalik din sila maya maya. Anyways, ba't ba kayo nandito?" tanong ko kaya naman ngumiti siya

Napalunok ako.

O..kay. That was quite a shock to my sensitive heart.

"Sa group niyo kami na-belong. Hoping we're going to have some fun together" nakangisi niyang sabi kaya naman napanganga ako

"What? Kayo?" tanong ko saka ko tinignan ang mga kasama niya

"Anong bang mali sa amin at hindi pwedeng kami ang kasama niyo ha?" tanong ni Ashton kaya naman napa-shrug ako at natawa

Damn. Just what the actual hell is happening? Bakit namin kasama sa iisang grupo ang mga leaders ng Gaein Academy? Isn't that kind of ironic? Kami ang kinikilalang leaders ng Public Colleges eh.

Niyakap ko kaagad ang sarili ko. Gosh, I suddenly felt goosebumps. I feel like something's going to happen.

"Where's Ashley?" tanong ni Zac kaya naman nabigla ako't napatingin sakanya

Fcking hell. So he does speak, huh?

Ngayon niya lang ako nakausap at ang nakakagulat pa ay tinanong niya kung nasaan si Ashley. Since when were they so close to each other?

Napatingin ako sa mga barkada niya't dun ko lang napansin na pati sila'y nagulat sa tanong ni Zac. After all, our school's are enemies and to top it off, both of them are leaders of our schools. Just what on earth does she need from Ashley?

Speaking of Ashley, they have tons of similarities. Parang si Ashley lang kung galit siya, parehas silang napaka-lamig ng boses. Nakakatakot naman. Their domineering and dangerous auras are very much alike. If they were to stand on the same stage, would the world break?

Napailing ako kaagad sa iniisip ko at patanong na sinagot si Zac.

"Si Ashley? Bakit?" tanong ko

"Her name wasn't on the list" sagot niya kaya naman "Ah?" ako

Napaisip ako. List? What list?

Ah, does he mean the attendance sheet?

"You mean the attendance sheet, right? Yeah, well, she's absent"

"Why?" tanong niya kaya naman kahit nagtataka pa rin ako eh sinagot ko nalang siya

Don't eat me, sire! I'll answer each and every one of your questions!

"S-she said she's not feeling well. She probably ate a lot of sweet or cold food again. Nobody else knows about this but us. Ashley can't handle sweets or cold food. So whenever she ate too much of it, it affects her health" sagot ko

Natahimik ako sa naging reaksyon ni Zac at agad na napa-zip ng bunganga ko.

Uhh, why.. is he looking.. at me with such a.. terrifying gaze? Anong mali sa sinabi ko!?

He looks irrational like a very wild beast that could possibly lose control in any moment soon.

He's.. scary.

Magsasalita na sana ako pero agad na humarang si Xander sa harapan ko.

"Bro, what's wrong?" napatitig ako sa likuran niya

Is he... protecting me?

"Ah. I apologize for my rude behavior," sabi ni Zac saka niya hinawakan ang noo niya bago ako tinignan

Ah. He's back from hell.

'Yung usual na poker face nanaman ang ekspresyon niya ngayon. Thank goodness.

"Where is she?" tanong ni Zac kaya naman walang dalawang isip akong sumagot

"She's at her neighborhood's restaurant now, probably trying to recuperate by eating ginger soup" sagot ko

Sa hindi malamang dahilan eh wala pa ako nakakatapos magsalita ay nakaalis na siya.

Napakamot na ako ng batok ko. Where is he planning to go?

"He can't possibly be.. going to Ash, right?" tanong ko kina Ashton

Natawa ako nang makita ko ang mga hindi maipinta nilang mga mukha. Nang marinig nila ang tawa ko ay para bang nabuhusan sila ng malamig na tubig at agad na nagising sa reyalidad.

"Damn. Isn't he just too much? He moves too fast, don't you guys think so?" tanong ni Ian dahilan kung bakit sumagot ang mga kasama niya

"Something must've happened when he wasn't with us yesterday, huh?" tanong naman ni Dwayne

"He's gone like the wind. Hays. Mukhang matatanggap niya 'yung punishment. Should we burn the attendance sheet?" tanong naman ni Ashton saka sila nagtawanan

Hindi naman sila pinansin ni Xander saka ko hinarap at tinignan mata sa mata.

"Are you okay?" tanong niya kaya naman napatitig ako sakanya

Uhh. Is he concerned for me? And hell, why does he keep on looking at me this way! Whatever! It must be one of his flirting skills!

"I'm okay. Zac's just really really scary," bulong ko at naalala ko kaagad 'yung tingin ni Zac kanina kaya naman nanginig ako sa takot

"I'm sorry. He's just.. he has little control of his temper. He's famous for his vicious eyes that could instantly kill people who don't have enough willpower," sagot niya kaya naman bumugtong hininga na ako

"I've heard of it from the rumors, but experiencing it first hand, I never expected it to be so scary. Anyways, what just happened? Anong bang mali sa sinabi ko? Sinagot ko lang naman ang tanong niya ah? Na hindi maganda ang lagay ni Ashley ngayon dahilan kung bakit siya nag-absent" sagot ko kaya naman natawa si Xander

"It's probably because he's the reason to why she wasn't feeling well. Don't worry about it anymore. Zac might look dangerous and merciless but he's unexpectedly kind and gentle to those people he respects," sagot niya saka niya ako ngitian dahilan kung bakit ako napatitig ulit sa mga mata niya

He.. really admires Zac huh? At what the hell, kind and gentle to those he respects? 'Yung mga matang 'yun kanina?

Pero teka lang, teka lang.. ano bang koneksyon nila Zac at Ashley sa isa't isa? Bakit wala akong kaalam alam tungkol dito? Close pala sila? What does Xander mean that Zac was probably the reason why Ashley wasn't feeling well? What do these guys mean by what they said earlier?!

UGH! MY EARS ARE ITCHING FOR GOSSIP!