SCIAS OF THE UNDERWORLD

TWENTY-ONE

“If you’re going to kill me, just get it over with,” Juno said habang naglalakad sila sa kahabaan ng pasilyo. She stopped walking at tiningnan ang pinsan.

“Did you tell them?”

Juno shook his head vigorously. “I didn’t tell them. I swear!”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Bakit niya alam na nandito ako?”

“Well, he’s the god of the underworld. He’s powerful enough to at least get the information he needed.”

She rolled her eyes. “Powerful and he can’t even light a candle.”

“He did save you from a couple of murder attempts though.”

Natahimik siya. May point nga naman si Juno doon. But she just can’t accept the fact na makikita na niya ang lalake halos araw-araw dahil sa magkakaklase sila nito.

“You have a point. I mean, so what if he’s here, right? And besides, he wouldn’t kill me. Not when I am the key to solve his dilemma.” She looked at Juno who just shrugged.

“I’d say we should hope for the worst but we could go with positivity,” he said and she rolled her eyes at mas binilisan ang paglalakad. Akamang liliko na siya nang may tumawag sa pangalan niya.

It was Cedrick.

Napalingon silang dalawa and saw Cedrick running towards them. Napatingin si Juno sa kanya. Halatang nagtataka sa kung sino si Cedrick. But she was too fixed on him that she didn’t bother telling Juno who he is.

Nang makarating ang lalake sa harapan nila, ngumiti ito sa kanya saka ito lumingon kay Juno. Cedrick looked at her questioningly and for some reason, she doesn’t want him thinking something about her and Juno kaya naman agad niya itong pinakilala.

“This is Juno. My cousin,” saad niya at nginitian ang lalake.

Cedrick’s face lit up and extended his hand. “I’m Cedrick. Ally’s…friend,” pakilala naman ni Cedrick. Juno glanced at her briefly before he took Cedrick’s hand reluctantly.

“Shall we?” saad ni Cedrick dahilan para mapangiti siya. Hindi niya mapigilan. It was like Cedrick was never gone at all. It’s like he never left. Like he didn’t break her heart a year ago. And it was like a glass of cold water was throw to her face.

“Saan kayo pupunta?” Juno asked while giving Cedrick suspicious looks.

“We’re just going to have lunch, Juno,” paliwanag niya sa pinsan ngunit hindi man lang ito tumingin sa kanya at nanatili itong nakatingin kay Cedrick.

“I’m coming with you two,” declared Juno which made her jaw drop.

“Juno—“

“I’m sure Cedrick is fine with that,” saad nito and she muttered a silent curse. Hindi siya makapaniwalang nag suggest itong sumama! Can’t he read the atmosphere? Hindi niya mapigilang itanong sa sarili.

Ngunit ngumiti lang si Cedrick at tumango. “Sure. I have no problem with it.”

At wala na siyang nagawa nang magsimula nang maglakad si Juno. She gave Cedrick an apologetic look and he just smiled at her as if saying it’s alright. She knows it isn’t alright. Cedrick invited her for lunch for something. Sigurado siyang may sasabihin ito sa kanya. At may sasabihin din siya rito. How on earth are they going to tell each other what they’re going to say kung kasama nila si Juno? The more she thinks about it, mas nadadagdagan ang rason niyang sapakin ang pinsan niya.

Sumunod na lamang siya hanggang sa makaabot sila sa cafeteria. Walang masyadong tao doon marahil ay nasa klase pa ang iba. But she knows this place will be packed later on. They just have to finish lunch before that happens.

Cedrick volunteered to get them food. She took that chance to talk to Juno.

“Ano bang ginagawa mo?” she hissed but her cousin doesn’t seem to be fazed by it.

“I am going to have lunch?” painosente naman nitong sagot. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath bago niya ito pinandilatan ng mata.

“May pag-uusapan kami, Juno—“

“You two can’t talk if I’m here?”

“It’s kind of private.”

She heard Juno sigh before he looked at her.

“I kind of get the idea who he is. And something in my gut tells me this guy didn’t treat you well before. Whatever you’re going to say to him, think it through,” saad ng pinsan bago ito tumayo at nagpunta sa counter para kumuha ng sarili nitong pagkain.

Napabuntong-hininga nalang siya. Iyon nga ang plano niyang gawin.

She was so lost in her thoughts na hindi niya namalayan si Cedrick na nakaupo na sa harapan niya. She looked around at nakita niya rin si Juno na nakaupo sa isang mesa hindi kalayuan sa kanila.

“Why is he over there?” tanong ni Cedrick sa kanya.

She shrugged. “He said he’s eating with someone,” sagot naman niya. She focused her gaze on the food in front of her. It was then that Cedrick started to talk.

“How have you been?” tanong ng lalake.

She wanted to laugh at that. She wanted to tell him that his disappearance didn’t even count half the things that happened to her the past month.

But she smiled and said, “I’m doing well, actually.” Except that I was almost murdered countless times.

She looked at him. “How are you?”

Cedrick gave him a sad smile. “Miserable. I went abroad to fulfill my parents’ wishes. I endured staying there for a year but I couldn’t take it anymore.” He reached to hold her hand.

“There was never a day that I didn’t miss you. I missed so much I could die. And now,” he swallowed, “and now that I am holding you, I am seeing you, I am talking to you—it’s too much. I…I feel like I’m dreaming.”

She couldn’t say anything. She looked at his hands on his and she slowly took her hand back. “Cedrick, when you left me a year ago, I was miserable too. There wasn’t a day that I would stare into space and wish you were here with me. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t think about you. But we ended. You left. You didn’t even give me a chance to fight for our relationship. You were just gone.” She laughed bitterly. “You didn’t even say goodbye.”

“Ally—“

“We had a happy relationship. I was happy to meet you, I really am. I didn’t regret meeting you. It was probably one of the most blissful moments of my life. But a year has already passed. I missed you. But I don’t think I still want what you want. I have moved on.” She bit her lip as she remembers Scias’ face and the trouble that comes with him. “Everything’s complicated now.”

She was about to pick her tray when Cedrick held her wrist. “Ally, please give me a chance.”

“Cedrick—“

“I swear I will be better. I will not leave you. Not again. I will be good to you. Just please,” his voice cracked, “please come back.”

Tinanggal niya ang kamay ng lalake sa pulsohan niya. He left but there’s still something in her that longed for it. For him. Hindi niya lubos akalain na makakapag move on pa siya sa lalake. But she did. And she forgave him already. But there’s something in her that wants to have him back. To try again.

“Just…just please let me think,” she said. “You can’t expect me to accept you immediately after what you did. You left, Cedrick. Hindi ka man lang nagpaalam. Naglaho ka nalang na parang bula. We never have broken up officially in my mind, we already did. I am not someone you throw and pick back up when you suddenly realize my worth. If you want to be with me again, prove me your worth,” matigas niyang sabi sa lalake.

He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I understand,” he said. He stood and looked at me. “I will prove myself to you every day from now on. Because Ally, with all those months I was away from you, I was miserable. There was not a day that I didn’t think about you and what you were doing. Ally, the past year has been hell,” he said.

And she was about to say something when somebody spoke behind her. “Can people stop comparing their miserable little life to hell? You haven’t even been to hell. Your little heartbreak wouldn’t even qualify.”

Napalingon siya and there’s Scias standing behind her and Azul a step behind. 

"Scias," she muttered as she stared at him. And for some reason she could already smell trouble coming in their direction. She couldn't help but shut her eyes firmly. 

Can't they just give me a break for even just a minute?

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