Chapter 10 - Truth

"Yes! Phew-"

Paglabas na paglabas namen ng horror house agad kong kinalma sarili ko at nilanghap yung simoy ng hangin na dumadampi sa mukha ko, hays bilis ng tibok ng puso ko nyeta.

"Huy love HAHAHA" agad na tawag saken ni Ava at tinapik tapik nya likod ko.

"Ays lang yan, di naman nakakatakot eh HAHAHAHA" sabay tawa nyang nangaasar saken, tsk.

"Panong di ka matatakot eh nakatago ka lang sa likod ko ako sumalubong sa lahat p0tek HAHAHA" sabay tawa nameng dalawa.

Nyeta kase amp, di naman kase talaga sya nakakatakot epal lang kase yung mga nanggugulat, bey kada liko mo tas kada may nahahanap kang susi may bigla nalang manggugulat sayo nyeta.

Pero kudos sa gumawa ang galeng ng concept, para syang escape room cool!

Kada round may isa, dalawa or magkakabarkada na ibliblindfold tas iaakyat nila sa fourthfloor nyeta, tas ikukulong sa isang room.

Ngayon ang goal mo hanapin sa room yung susi para makalabas tas pagnakalabas ka na ng room may 3 rooms ka pang titignan para naman mahanap yung susi sa gate nung hagdan, eh kada room may manggulat or ewan tas kada floor nakalock yung gate HAHAHAHA.

"Oh ano, ays ka na? Parang di ka naman lalake" sabay suntok nya sa braso ko, lol.

Mahina lang kase puso ko, atsaka ewan ko bumibilis yung tibok ng sobra pag napapagod ako, nagugulat or ewan HAHAHA.

"Tara ano, try pa tayo isang booth?" Tanong ko sa kanya saka punas ko ng pawis ko at agad naman syang nagnod saken saka kame naglakad.

"Try naten yung booth ng mga Culinary baka may pagkaen"

"Matakaw"

Sabay hampas nya sa ulo ko atsaka ako tinignan ng masama HAHAHAHA

"Masarap kumain! Atsaka atleast di ako mataba gaya sayo, botchog!"

Sabay takbo nya palayo saken HAHAHA, nyeta di naman ako mataba eh, chubby lang cheeks ko ng konti beltukan ko kaya sya.

"Sinong botcho--"

"IKAAAAW!!"

Sigaw nya agad at di man lang ako pinatapos, bastos tong batang to ah.

Binilisan ko naman lakad ko para habulin sya habang nailag ilag sya sa mga tao sa paligid na parang nagpapatintero lang HAHAHA, minsan talaga may pagkaisip si Ava eh.

"Nyay, di makatakbo taba kase!"

Muling pangaasar nya saken habang natakbo sya ng mabagal patalikod para lang makaharap ako.

"Nyay epal, Kiss kita dyan ng manahimik ka eh" pangaasar ko den sa kanya at agad naman syang nagpout.

"Kung mahahabol mo" saka talikod nya ulet at muling tumakbo.

Epal HAHAHA, katapat lang kase ni Ava eh kiss, nahihiya kase sya tas napipirmi pag ganon, di ko den alam sa kanya kung baket basta daw nahihiya sya--

"Ava! May tao!"

"Ha? Aww--"

Sinigawan ko agad si Ava ng may biglang naglakad na lalake sa gitna but the moment she turned around to me nabangga na nya yung guy na kinatigil ni Ava sa pagtakbo.

"S-sorry.. sorry po"

Agad na sabi ni Ava habang nakayuko dun sa lalake atsaka ko tumakbo papalapit sa kanila and I grabbed her hand at pinapunta ko sya sa likudan ko.

"Sorry po kuya, di po namen sinasady--"

I got interrupted at di ko natapos yung sasabihin ko ng hinarap kame nung lalake and a familiar face shows up to us tsk, kala ko kung sino p0ta.

"Oh how fun, we meet again Ava.. and Aiden, anyare sa kamay mo? HAHAHA" sabay tawa nya saken and I didn't even bother to answer his stupid question.

"Huh, yeah how fun"

I said in a sarcastic voice and I ignored his question kase ayoko ng pahabain pa usapan namen cause I can't stand this pyscho.

"Musta na kayo? Uyy stay strong ah? pero next time wag in public mag landian, school to baka akala nyo bahay nyo lang" wtf, what an insult.

"Okay, thanks for the advice haha.. nice meeting you again, bye--"

I took a step para umalis na sana dahil naiirita nako sa pagmumukha nya but he blocked the way and he let out a small laughter.

"HAHA, No Aiden tss tss, how rude kakakita pa lang naten aalis kayo agad? Namiss ko kaya kayo ket ilang days palang tayong di nagkikita"

Wtf does he mean, anong ilang days palang? Ilang years na kameng di nagkikita punyeta baliw.

I stopped looking away at tinignan ko na sya diretso sa mukha kahet naaalibadbaran ako and I caught him looking intensely with his sharp fvcking eyes kay Ava.

"Eyes off my girl, ako nasa harapan mo, wag kang bastos" saka hila ko ulet kay Ava para itago sya sa likod ko.

"Oh, my bad" sabay ayos nya ng buhok nya and then he looked at me directly at my eyes.

"I thought she's still 'my' girl"

I clenched my fist and gritted my teeth the moment he said those fvcking words, I suddenly felt the urge to punch him but I felt Ava holding my hand to stop me from doing it.

"Remember Aiden.."

Then he lean closer to my ear and whispered.

"We can easily get back together, naaawa lang ako sayo"

I felt fire bursted out of me and I badly wanna destroy this guy's face if di lang ako pinipigilan ni Ava.

"Oh, HAHAHA you clenching your fist? What you gonna do lover boy? Punch me with your injured ar--"

Agad ko syang tinulak the moment he succeeded pissing me off, bumwelo ako and then I took a blow on him in the face that makes him stoop a lil lower, psh.

That's a lesson to never mess around with me, pilay man kanan ko but don't underestimate my left hand when it comes to punches.

Aakto pa sana ako ng isa pang suntok papalapit sa kanya ng biglang hinawakan ulet ni Ava kamay ko at niyakap ako sa likod.

"Don't Aiden, please.."

Rinig kong bulong ni Ava saken at naramdaman kong tumulo luha nya habang yakap yakap ako, tsk.

Bigla namang tumawa yung tanga habang hawak hawak yung pisngi at dumudugo ilong nya tsk, taena mo kase Andrew Dylan ano bang gusto mo.

"HA-HA-HA, eto?! Eto ba pinalet mo saken?!! HA?!! HA-HA-HA" sigaw nya samen saka naglapitan mga tropa nya at pinapakalma sya, p0ta baliw.

"a-antagal na nateng wala Dylan, a-ano ba? Can you just get over it?!"

Sigaw ni Ava sa likudan ko at napansin ko namang nanlisik mata ni Dylan sa sinabe nya.

"Matagal? Okay-okay.. HAHA HHA.. tell me Ava MATAGAL BA ANG 3 ARAW?!?"

Parehas naman kameng nagulat sa sinabe ni Dylan p0tek, baliw na ata to eh 3 taon na silang wala ni Ava since Highschool pa kame eh, bobo amp.

"Pre baka may dumating pang teachers pag tinuloy tuloy nyo to baka matanggal pa tayo sa E-games" rinig kong sabi nung isa nyang tropa sa kanya.

Agad namang nagbuntong hininga si Dylan at pansin kong kinalma nya sarili nya and he let out a smile, a fvcking wide smile sarap bungiin.

"Have fun guys, I'll be back.." pagbabanta nya sameng dalawa without his smile fading taena, what a pyscho.

He took some steps towards our direction to walk past us at mukhang doon ang punta nila but I was surprised when he stopped for a second right beside me.

"If you don't stop feeding it"

He whispered in my ear then he continued walking as I hear his footsteps behind our backs away from us.

"Told you don't feed it"

"Curiousity kills... literally"

"If you don't stop feeding it"

Voices whispers to me and I was shocked standing with Ava among the crowd tsk, dami palang taong nanonood kanina pa, punyeta kase Dylan.

My head grew heavy as I feel the pain again consuming me..

Arghh.. I hate this bullshit, I've heard these familiar phrases already but I don't know where or when, fvck it.

"Love"

Said Ava while she was holding my cheeks making me calm down and I didn't noticed I was clenching my fist badly that my nails slightly wounded my palm.

"I'm sorry but I just need to go somewhere" paalam ko sa kanya at bigla naman nya akong pinagtaasan ng kilay.

"Where? Isama mo ko"

"No, sorry I need to go alone" I said to Ava in a serious tone.

I can tell she doesn't agree with me as her eyebrows furrowed and she looked at me straight in the eyes.

"No, your mom entrusted you to me lalo na't hindi ka pa okay sa voices mo and besides what are you going to do--"

"I'm just gonna find something"

Agad kong sagot sa kanya and a big question mark covered her face.

"Find what?"

Natigilan ako sa gulat at saglet na natulala sa kanya as I became unable to speak and I suddenly can't find the strenght to answer her question.. tsk, I hate it when this happens.

My surroundings became inaudible and time ticked slowly while my heart pumped faster and faster looking at her, I find myself amazed and shocked again at the same time.. as I was caught off guard from her beautiful eyes..

Her beautiful ocean eyes..

hays.. hahaha yeah, I knew all along..

That my Celeste Ava Morgan Gale has the calm beautiful ocean inside her eyes.. hahaha..

I love you Ava, you're just perfect to me and more than enough for me..

I don't want you to be involved in this mess, I don't want your life to be inside this chaos

I don't want this world to collide with you and I don't want you to be in this fictitious world too.

So please be out of this madness cause I don't wanna know that you're just a fantasy too.

Just let me believe that you're my reality, cause I can't stand it if I would knew that you were also just a part of this story.

"l..love? bat ka naiyak?" Sabay punas nya ng luha sa pisngi ko.

"s-sorry hahaha, p-please.. please may aayusin lang ako babalik den ako, i-i just wanna know something"

She just nodded at umagree nalang sya saken ng marinig nyang magcrack boses ko hahaha, iyakin Aiden.

"Okay.. but tell me this first.."

Her face becomes serious and her eyes burned blue as it's color intensifies.. weird.

"What is it that you want to know love?"

I lost my focus on her eyes when I heard what she said hmm, should I tell her? Would she even believe me?

"What is it love?"

"I wanna know the truth" I said bluntly to her, I was surprise that she's convinced and she believed in me and didn't asked for more.

"I love you Aiden"

"I love you too Ava"

She kissed me in my cheeks and then she smiled happily to me, I noticed her blue eyes wear off and turns back into it's original color.. ngayon lang naging ganon ka intense color ng mata ni Ava weird.

Nagpaalam naman nako sa kanya and then she told me dun lang daw sya sa booth namen kasama sila Angel at Daisy kung hahanapin ko man sya.

We walked towards the opposite direction of each other at nagtaliwas na kame ng daan..

Each step I took I felt the hunger inside me, hungry to know what really is the truth cause I'm freaking tired of your games author, I'm done with your silly games, wala nakong pake sa kung anong mangyayare I just need to know something..

Great decision Aiden, claps for you.

...

"Hoy pre top napupush na yung top"

"Lah, hoy yung Rift herald!"

"Ahhhh! P0tek"

Maingay sa com lab at puro sigaw nila naririnig at mukhang nagprapraktis sila ng maigi para sa tournament nila sa E-games bukas.

"Non gamers aren't allowed po, mga participants lang pwede"

"Patawag lang po si John Michael may sasabihin lang"

Paalam ko sa nagbabantay at agad naman nyang binuksan yung pinto at sumilip sya sa loob.

Defeat

"P0taena, bobo nyo HAHAHAHA"

"HAHHAHA, si Deni kase sabing sa top na eh bobo"

"Pano na tayo nyan bukas taena nyo"

"John michael daw po, may naghahanap sayo"

Agad na tawag nung fasci na nagbabantay sa may pinto ng com lab kay mico at nagulat naman ako ng mag ayieee lahat ng mga kasama nya tf.

"Aba mico may jowa ka na ba ngayon"

"Kow ikaw ah"

Asar sa kanya nung mga kaibigan nya habang naririnig ko mga yapak nya papunta sa pinto at saka sya bumungad sa harapan ko.

"Uyyy... Aiden, baket?"

Agad na tanong nya saken at kita kong nagtataka sya kung baket ako nandito.

"Pwede ba kitang makausap? Saglet lang"

Sabi ko sa kanya in a serious tone at bigla syang natahimik ng ilang segundo bago muling nagsalita.

"Suree, suree paalam lang ako sa kanila"

Sabay pumasok ulet sya ng pinto at nagpaalam sa mga kasamahan nya at nagulat ulet ako ng magayiee ang mga gago.

"Bobo lalake! Kaibigan ko"

"Aba bakla ka na ngayon mico?"

"Tigang na tigang na ba? HAHAHAHA"

P0ta mga siraulo, nakita ko naman ng lumabas na si mico ng com lab habang natawa at nakangiti saken.

"Ay sorry HAHAHA narinig mo ba? Mga siraulo talaga mga yon eh pagpasensyahan mo na lang HAHAHA"

Nagnod nalang ako sa kanya at sinabe kung ays lang saka den ako tumawa HAHAHAHA.

"So ano yun? Anong sasabihin mo?" Agad na tanong nya saken pagkaupo namen sa bangko na nasa labas lang ng comlab.

I took a moment to breathe muna habang tinetyempo ko kung pano ko sasabihin sa kanya, hindi ko naman madidirektang sabe lahat.

"Room 12 ka diba?"

Ngina what a stupid question Aiden, natanong mo na sa kanya yan eh tsk.

No, it's a good start HAHAHAHA.

P0ta, shut up wag kang umepal ngayon.

"Ahh hahaha eh oo" naramdaman ko namang naawkwardan sya sa tinanong ko wtf kase pumunta ka lang ba para itanong yon Aiden taena.

"Ahh de, kase.."

Natigilan ako ng saglet at nablanko bigla utak ko, di ko alam sasabihin, di ko alam pano sisimulan, tsk.

Diretsuhin mo na kase, nahiya ka pa.

Shut up.

"Kaseee?"

"Ah hinde kase, ehem yung sa test paper mo kay Maam Realyn"

I started off the conversation with the test paper saka ko dinukot yung phone ko sa bulsa ko at inopen yung galler--

"Wala akong kinalaman dyan! Hahaha" sabi nya agad saken with his voice shaking saka takip nya agad sa phone ko para ibaba yun.. wtf?

"What do you mean wala kang--"

"Wala akong alam, swear!" Bigla naman syang tumayo mula sa bangko saka lumayo saken habang umiiling iling takot na takot at pinagpapawisan buong katawan.

"Tanungin mo pa sila! Wala akong alam!" Sabay turo nya sa may room ng comlab and I think he's talking about his friends.

"Wala pakong sinasabe what are you--"

Nagulat ako ng bigla syang tumakbo palayo saken and my brain suddenly shuts off di ko maprocess ng ayos yung mga nangyayare, what does he mean wala syang alam? He's hiding something isn't he?!

Wtf are you doing?! Ofcourse he's hiding something!! Chase him! Tanga amp.

Nagulat naman ako sa lakas ng sigaw ng boses sa utak ko that made my senses came back at agad agad akong napatayo at hinabol si mico.

"Hey! Stop" sigaw ko sa kanya pero parang wala lang syang narinig and he continued running into the crowd.

"Excuse, excuse me.. Hey! Stop that guy!" Sigaw ko sa mga tao at nagtinginan naman sila dun kay mico.

Tf's wrong with that guy, what does he know? He seems nice and all di ko alam na may gentong side sya tsk.

May mga taong tumulong at kinapitan nila sa damit si mico para pigilan sya pero tinulak lang sila at nagpumiglas siya saka tumakbo paakyat ng building na under construction pa.

"Hoooyy! Micoooo, don't make this any harder for us! Under construction pa tong building!!"

Muling sigaw ko ulet sa kanya habang naakyat kame ng hagdan papuntang 4th floor but still he didn't answer me and continued running like he didn't heared a thing.

"Hoy! Anong ginagawa nyo"

"Bat kayo nandito!"

"Huwag kayo dyan! Malambot pa semento dyan!"

Narinig ko naman mga sigaw ng construction workers sa lugar pero parehas nameng di pinansin ni mico at patuloy lang syang tumakbo habang habol habol ko sya.

We've reached the fourthfloor and a dead end HAHA, akala nya siguro connected buildings to na meron pang daan sa kabila tsk.

"You got nowhere to run michael, sabihin mo nalang ng matapos na to.. what do you know?"

Sabi ko sa kanya but he still ignored it at nakatalikod lang sya saken..

Bigla naman akong nagulat ng bigla nyang suntukin yung pader ng building that makes his hand bleed.

"M-mico.. hey we can talk this ou--"

"Why do you have to ruin this for me? Taena"

Natigilan ako sa sinabe nya at ng biglang tumulo luha nya sa sahig same with the blood on his hands.

"Why Aiden?! WHYY WHYY WHYY?!?"

He continued punching the wall 3 consecutive times again along with his shouts that makes his hand bleed much more.

"Hey, mico.. stop it"

"Hey what are you doing!"

Nagulat ako ng may umakyat na mga construction workers at sinagawan kame pero sinenyasan ko silang tumigil at wag na munang lumapit.

"We can talk this out mico, just tell me.. tell us the truth"

Inalis naman na nya yung kamay nyang puro dugo na mula sa pader tsaka nya pinunasan mga luha nya sa mata nya.

"fine.. i'll tell"

He said in a weak voice saka na sya humarap samen with his angry eyes only looking at me.

Your first lead Aiden, claps.

Bulong saken ng boses sa utak ko and I can't help it but smile and be happy, nakakagaan lang ng loob, finally may malalaman na ak--

"Yes! I cheated on the test!!"

Nanlake mata ko sa sinabe nya and my joy was briefly interrupted, wtf.. what the fvck does he mean?

"W-what?.. what?..i-i don't understand?"

"I cheated!.. but only because I badly wanna join the tournament! You happy now?!"

My world started to crumble as my hope was shattered into pieces wtf, am I digging deep on that room for nothing?!

HAHAHAHA, Curios Aiden.. oh anong napala mo? Wala diba? HAHHAHA.

Fvck you, you knew all along don't you? Kaya umagree ka bigla saken.

You're so funny when you're so curious Aiden, now where that it leads you? To nothing HAHAHAHA ang hirap magpigil ng tawa kanina pa nyeta HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Tsk, am I being played again, wtf?! I don't understand.

The construction workers suddenly walked past me and towards mico and they applied first aid on his wounded fist and I was there...

Standing, confused.

Wtf is this author?!

...