Verzalias High: School of Secrets

EPISODE 1

Warm Welcome

"Ms. Alfaro and Ms. Lewis, she is your new roommate," the school principal, Madam Park, introduced me to my roommates. Hindi ako makapaniwalang ang principaI mismo ang naghatid sa akin. I find it really unbelievable because she seems to be unapproachable.

"M-Madam," nauutal na sambit ng dalawang babae sa may pinto ng room. Tinignan lang sila ng principal at umalis.

Ipinasok ko na ang mga gamit ko. Pagkain lang ang laman ng dalawang bagahe at mga gamit ko naman sa pangatlong bagahe. For me, foods are more important than clothes. Naninirahan nga ang mga tao noon na walang suot na kahit ano, maliban na lang sa telang nakatakip sa kanilang mga hiyas. Err, what am I thinking?

"Hi new roomie! I'm Gianna Alfaro. Nice to meet you!" pagpapakilala niya. Her long brown hair suits her well and she seems nice but I only shrugged my shoulders. I am not here to make friends.

"Hello Cutie! I'm Jahara Lewis!" I can see from my peripheral view that she's holding a book by Gustave Flaubert! She's wearing a loose shirt paired with gray baggy pants, thick glasses, braces and a messy hair.

"Ikaw, what's your name?" the nerdy girl asked me. I just looked at her.

"You know me already," sagot ko saka nagpatuloy sa pag-ayos ng mga gamit ko. Nagugutom na ako kaya bibilisan ko na lang ang kilos ko.

"But I want to hear it from you!" she exclaimed like a child throwing tantrums. I glared at her.

"Are you comfortable making strangers feel twitchy with your presence?” I asked and rolled my eyes. They sure are very welcoming, a little different from the behavior that I expected from the students.

Nakita ko ang kalungkutan sa mga mata nila. Nag-iwas ako ng tingin dahil baka bigla akong bumait. Wala naman akong kasalanan, sadyang ayaw ko lang makihalubilo. I just hope they know how to read between the lines.

"Kaano-ano mo ang principal, Skyler?" tanong sa akin ng nerd. Wow, first-name basis.

“I don’t know her.”

"Nakapagtataka lang eh kasi hinatid ka niya, parang may special treatment," sagot ni nerd.

“Does that matter? The reason why you are here is your family is ashamed for the underachiever that you are,” I said harshly. “Anuman ang makamit mo sa paaralang ito, kahit may special treatment ka’y di ka pa rin ipagyayabang ng magulang mo.”

"Are you comfortable making strangers feel twitchy with your presence?” Gianna repeated my words. Jahara got teary-eyed and I can no longer feel her welcoming aura. I ignored them both.

Kahit di pa tapos sa pag-aayos ay lumabas ako ng kwarto para makaiwas sa dalawa. Suot ko ngayon ang paborito kong oversized black hoodie at nag-mask na rin ako. May trangkaso kasi ako at hindi maganda ang aking pakiramdam simula kahapon.

Kung ihahambing sa dati kong paaralan, isang All-Girls School, mas maganda at malaki ang academy na 'to. Saka masyadong secured sa lugar na 'to, halata pa lang sa labas. Ang daming mga guwardiya at saka nasa tagong lugar. Only those who have connections and money know this school. I am unlucky to be one of those people.

This school is a crevasse for the outcasts and misfits from affluent families. The last names won’t do justice since the students are basically thrown away in this isolated pit. As for me, I brought myself here.

Nilibot ko ang tingin sa paligid. Hindi ko alam kung nasaan ang cafeteria. The principal instructed me to let my roommates give me a tour, but I don’t think we can get along as I have given them a really bad first impression.

The school forbids students to get out from the campus as instructed by the families running this institution. Parang binura ang bawat pagkatao ng mga estudyanteng nag-aaral dito. How considerate, the families still let them live and study instead of directly killing them. Doux.

Napahinto ako sa paglalakad nang makarinig ako ng sigaw mula sa likod ng isang building. Mabilis ko itong pinuntahan at nagtago sa isang puno. Tinatapakan ng isang lalaki ang braso ng lalaking nakahandusay sa lupa. Siya siguro ang sumigaw kanina.

Violence. This is what Verzalias High is all about.

"Sa oras na sabihin mo sa iba ang nalalaman mo, hindi kami magda-dalawang isip na patayin ka," banta ng lalaki habang dinidiinan ang pagkatapak sa braso niya. Doon ko lang napansin na may sugat pala ang tinatapakan niya. Napasinghap ako.

"I-I will spread everything I kno--"

"Don't dare," malamig na sabi ng lalaki at sinipa ng pagkalakas-lakas ang nakahandusay na kawawang nilalang. I took a step back. Hindi ako pwedeng masangkot.

"Hey! Someone's eavesdropping!"

I froze when I heard those words. Everyone looked at me aggressively. Damn, it’s too early to get into such troubles like this. I have to escape.

Itinaas ko ang aking hoodie at tatalikod na sana nang salubungin ako ng isang lalaki. I was caught by surprise and reacted a little too late until five men surrounded me. They’re fast!

“Sino ka?” tanong ng isang lalaki. Nasa sulok na ako kaya di na ako makakatakbo. I shall face them.

“I heard nothing, if that’s what you wanna ask.”

“How can you be so sure we are indeed talking about something confidential?” a guy asked me. I refused to look at them since I don’t want my face to be seen. Who the hell are they?

“You were trying to silence him, aren’t you?” sagot ko at tinuro ang lalaking nakahandusay sa lupa. “The reason for that is none of my business. Hindi ko kayo kilala.”

“You bitc—“

“Very well,” a man with such intimidating aura looked at me with a slight smirk on his face. “You can now go.”

Kahit hindi ako makahinga ng maayos ay pinakita ko pa ring hindi ako apektado at taas-noong naglakad. Akala ko ay makakatakas na ako sa bitag nang may naramdaman akong matalim na bagay na itinapon sa direksyon ko. Agad akong umilag ngunit nadaplisan pa rin ang balikat ko.

“What more do you want?” I hissed. The five guys looked at me with amusement.

"Ikaw ba ‘yong bagong dating?” asked the guy with the side parted short hair. Tumango lang ako. Damn, I just wanna eat.

“Kaya pala hindi mo kami kilala,” pagpapatuloy niya.

“Should I know you, then?”

“You are too cocky for a woman,” the guy with a faux hawk haircut stepped forward and walked towards me. I acted unfazed by the situation as if the wound on my shoulder does not bother me. Binaba ko ang mask at ang hoodie ko.

“We are in a modern era and you are still a sexist?” I laughed at him. “You are too ignorant for your age, honey.”

He lost his composure and attacked me with his fist. Agad naman akong umilag at lumayo sa kaniya. The injury in my shoulder restricted my movements so I have no other choice but to avoid the attacks and escape.

“Kill her,” the guy with the intimidating aura uttered. Siya yata ang namumuno. What are they? A gang?

“We both know you can’t.”

Umilag lang ako sa mga atake nila. The guys with the side parted short hair and with the faux hawk haircut simultaneously attacked me. If I were an ordinary rebellious b***h from a family of politicians I would have been beaten to death by now. But no, I prepared for this.

“Who sent you?” their leader asked me as I continued dodging their attacks.

“I don’t know what you mean by that,” I answered and bent my knees to dodge a strike on the face.

“Are you an assassin?” a guy with the side fringe haircut asked me. He stood beside their leader. I laughed.

 “I’d love to be as useful as an assassin though. Aren’t we all trash dumped on a garbage site?”

Napahinto ang dalawang lalaki at napatingin sa akin. Tumawa silang dalawa at nakisali na rin ang isang lalaki sa gilid. Ang pinuno naman nila ay hindi natawa at ‘yong lalaking parang walang pakialam sa nangyayari.

“Indeed, we are,” the guy with the side parted hair answered and lowered his guard. “Why are we still fighting for this and not get the validation we need from that person?”

“Hayaan na lang natin ang babaeng ‘yan. Ginutom ako ‘dun ah,” sabi ng lalaking chinito. I furrowed my eyebrows. What’s with the sudden mood change?

“You just wanted to test me out, don’t you?” I answered with a grin.  Itinaas ko ang hoodie ko saka naglakad papalapit sa kanila. “There’s no need to keep an eye, I heard absolutely nothing. If my confidence irks you, I am not concerned with the way you feel about me.”

I saw how their reactions changed and their guard’s up again. I can tell they are no ordinary students. I mean, this is not a common institution but they are designed for this. The way their reflexes instantly move for both charges and defense, they are experienced manslayers.

“We would like to welcome you in the paradise of the lost,” sagot ng pinuno nila. Tinignan ko siya sa mata. Damn, how lovely his eye color is. Agate.

Matagal kaming nagtitigan. I wanna keep a low profile but I know I have piqued their interest. I just hope we don’t see each other that often.

Wow, it's surely a warm welcome for me. I bet I'd love my stay here.

(end of chapter)