WET THE SERIES 2: CAR (SPG)

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO:

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YEARS AGO...

My name is Wisdom Willow. I'm in Grade 3 at Ayala National Central School SPED Center. I’m not your typical kid—I like codes, encryption, and hacking, though I’m still learning. While most kids are busy with games and playing outside, I spend my free time with my laptop, figuring out how things work behind the screen. People say I’m “cold,” but I just like being on my own. Friends? I never really thought I needed them.

One day, during break time, I was working on a code puzzle in the corner of the library when a boy about my age plopped down next to me. He had this wide, curious grin and bright eyes that looked straight at my laptop.

“Hey! You’re doing a code puzzle?” he asked, sounding excited.

I raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore him. “Yes, and it’s not exactly easy,” I replied flatly, hoping he’d get the hint and leave.

But he didn’t leave. Instead, he leaned closer. “I’m Caesar Decipher Morales. I’m 8, and I love puzzles and decoding stuff, too. Can I help?”

I stared at him, a bit thrown off by his confidence. Most kids didn’t even know what I was doing, much less want to help. But something about him felt different. Finally, I sighed and moved my laptop slightly toward him. “Fine. But don’t mess it up.”

He grinned even wider and immediately started pointing out patterns in the code that I hadn’t noticed. He was surprisingly good, and for the first time, I felt… impressed. It was strange to work with someone else, especially someone as cheerful and talkative as Caesar, but he had this way of making things seem exciting.

Over the next few days, Caesar kept showing up during break. At first, I thought he’d get bored and leave me alone, but every day, he’d plop down beside me with that same grin. We’d talk about puzzles, codes, and how to crack them, and he even taught me a few tricks I hadn’t learned yet. It felt weird but kind of nice, having someone to share this world with.

One afternoon, after solving a tricky puzzle together, Caesar looked at me and said, “You know, Wisdom, it’s actually fun to have someone to figure this stuff out with. You don’t have to be cold to everyone.”

I looked away, caught off guard by his words. No one had ever said something like that to me. But maybe he was right. I glanced at him and gave a small smile, the first one in a long time. “Maybe… it’s not so bad.”

And that was it. Suddenly, I wasn’t alone anymore. Caesar became my partner in puzzles, my friend in a world of codes. I guess, sometimes, even someone like me could use a friend.

After that moment, Caesar and I started meeting every day during break time. Hindi ko in-expect na magiging routine na namin ito, pero he’d always show up, laging may dala-dalang bagong puzzle or coding problem. Minsan siya pa ang nagtuturo sa’kin, kahit na mas matanda lang siya sa’kin ng dalawang taon. I couldn’t believe it—ako na laging cold, may nakasama na ngayon sa passion ko.

One day, habang naka-focus kami sa isang sobrang hirap na puzzle, tinanong niya ako bigla. “Wisdom, bakit ka mahilig sa hacking?”

Napahinto ako. No one had ever asked me that. “I like understanding how things work behind the scenes,” I answered quietly. “Para bang may secret world na hindi nakikita ng lahat.”

Ngumiti siya, parang naintindihan niya. “Same here. Parang may thrill, ‘di ba? Trying to solve things that people think are unsolvable.”

For the first time, I felt like someone really understood me. Napangiti na lang ako. “Exactly.”

From then on, hindi lang codes ang pinag-uusapan namin. Caesar and I started sharing little things about ourselves—mga kwento sa family, mga pangarap, kahit mga simpleng bagay na nagpapasaya sa’min. It was weird but comforting.

One afternoon, habang sinosolve namin ang isang code, biglang nagtanong siya, “Do you think we can make a code so hard, na tayo lang ang makaka-solve?”

Napaisip ako, and a small smirk formed on my lips. “Challenge accepted. Let’s create our own secret code. Tayo lang ang makakaalam ng solusyon.”

At 'yun na ang naging project namin. Every day, we worked on it, brainstorming and laughing, kahit minsan nag-aaway pa kami kapag hindi nagkakasundo sa approach. Pero at the end of the day, we’d always end up laughing.

I never thought that one day, someone like Caesar could break through my cold shell. Pero dahil sa kanya, natutunan kong minsan, mas okay din pala magtiwala at mag-share. He taught me that having a friend didn’t mean losing who I was. It just meant I didn’t have to face the puzzles alone.

And maybe… just maybe, being "cold" wasn’t who I really was after all.

One day, habang masaya kaming nagwo-work sa secret code namin, biglang nag-alarm ang bell, sign ng end ng break time. Napatingin si Caesar sa relo niya, tapos sa akin.

“Looks like we have to go back to class,” he said with a disappointed sigh.

Napangiti ako nang konti. Hindi ko rin gusto ang pagtigil, lalo na’t nasa exciting part kami. “We can continue after school,” I suggested, trying to hide my excitement.

Naglaho ang disappointment sa mukha niya at napalitan ng tuwa. “Really? Okay! Kita tayo sa library mamaya.”

So after school, pumunta kami sa library, sa usual spot namin sa pinakadulo, kung saan tahimik at walang masyadong pumupunta. Nagdala pa siya ng notebook niya, puno ng doodles at mga ideas para sa secret code namin.

While we worked, he kept throwing in random jokes, and I couldn’t help but laugh, kahit pa minsan sobrang corny ng mga sinasabi niya. Somehow, ang saya ng pakiramdam na may kasama sa ganitong bagay.

“Wisdom, what do you want to be when you grow up?” biglang tanong niya out of nowhere habang nagdo-doodle siya sa notebook niya.

Nagulat ako sa tanong, pero hindi ko naisip na hindi siya seryoso. “I want to be a programmer. Maybe a professional hacker,” I replied. “Gusto ko ‘yung feeling na may puzzle akong naso-solve.”

He nodded, looking thoughtful. “Ako naman, gusto kong maging cryptographer. Yung makakatulong sa pag-solve ng mga important cases gamit ang mga codes.”

Hindi ko in-expect na pareho pala kami ng pangarap—maging expert sa codes at puzzles, at tumulong sa mga tao. For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t just a weird kid with a strange hobby. I had a friend who saw the world the way I did.

As we packed up for the day, Caesar suddenly said, “You know, Wisdom, ikaw ang best friend ko.”

Napatingin ako sa kanya, feeling a strange warmth inside.

Best friend...

I never thought I’d have one, but hearing him say that made me feel... happy. “You’re my best friend too,” I admitted quietly, smiling a little.

That was the day I realized na hindi lang namin natutunan ang tungkol sa codes at puzzles, kundi pati na rin sa friendship.

SIMULA noong araw na iyon, mas lalo kaming naging close ni Caesar. Tuwing break time at pagkatapos ng klase, palagi kaming magkasama, nagtutulungan sa mga codes at puzzles.

Ang saya ng pakiramdam na may kasama ako sa ganitong hobby—yung hindi lang ako naiintindihan, kundi sinasamahan pa ako sa bawat challenge.

One afternoon, habang nagwo-work kami sa library, bigla siyang naglabas ng isang notebook na hindi ko pa nakikita. Pinakita niya sa’kin, at nakita kong may mga symbols at random letters.

“Wisdom, I made this for us,” sabi niya, may halong excitement sa boses. “It’s our own secret code notebook. Lahat ng symbols and codes na mabubuo natin, dito natin ilalagay. Tayo lang ang makakaintindi.”

Napangiti ako habang tinitingnan ang mga pages na sinulat niya. “This is amazing, Caesar,” I whispered, feeling grateful. “It’s like… our own language.”

Nagkasundo kami na walang ibang makakaalam ng tungkol sa notebook na iyon—tanging kami lang ang magtatago ng bawat page na puno ng symbols, codes, at mga secret messages.

As time went by, hindi lang kami natuto ng hacking at decoding, natutunan ko rin kung paano maging mas open. Caesar taught me how to laugh, to enjoy small moments, and to trust someone. I even started talking a bit more to my classmates, kahit hindi ko pa rin binibitawan ang pagiging cold ko. Caesar made me realize na kahit seryoso ako sa passion ko, pwede rin akong maging masaya kasama ang iba.

ISANG ARAW, habang tinitingnan ko siya habang nagdo-doodle ng bagong code sa notebook namin, napaisip ako. Caesar wasn’t just a friend, he was the first person who really saw me for who I was. I knew then na kahit gaano katagal ang lumipas, I’d always remember him as the person who changed me in ways I never expected.

And who knows? Maybe, someday, we’d grow up and make our dreams come true—together, solving the world’s hardest puzzles, just like how we started here in the library, with our secret notebook and a friendship built on codes.

TO BE CONTINUED .....