Chasing Chances

Chapter 14

Laglag ang mga balikat ng 'guys' ng pumasok sila ng room, sa likod nila ay ang malungkot na sina Flynn at Pearl. Pinatawag silang lahat ni Coach Aguirre at hindi namin alam kung bakit.

"Uy! Uy! Anong mukha 'yan mga bebs?" Tanong sa kanila ni Katie at si Zyle ang sumagot sa kaniya.

"Hindi tuloy ang tournament." Sagot niya sa mababang boses, lahat sila ay parang lantang gulay na nakaupo sa kanilang mga upuan. Well, hindi namin sila masisi, lahat sila ay sobrang nag handa para sa event na 'yun, lahat sila umasa na maipapanalo nila lahat, pero hindi lang pala matutuloy.

"Bakit daw?" Lahat sila ay umiling sa tanong ni Cliff. Tumingin ako sa direksyon nina Flynn at Pearl, nakatingin sakin si Flynn at bakas ang lungkot sa mga mata niya pero nagawa niya pa rin ang ngumiti kahit pilit. Pearl was looking in front yet she was in deep thought.

"Hay, naku! Idaan na lang natin 'yan sa laro kaysa mag mukmok tayong lahat dito." Tumayo si Cliff at pumunta sa unahan habang pinapalakpak ang mga kamay. Cliff was our class president and he's gay but it was not a big deal to us.

"Anong paandar 'yan bangin?" Natawa kami ng pagtaasan ng kilay ni Cliff si Yael.

"Ah, basta! Lahat kayo sasali, walang hindi sasali kung hindi I'll mark you as absent in the class attendance, no excuses allowed." Halos umusok ang mga ilong ng ilang kaklase namin dahil sa sinabi ni Cliff, wala kami ngayong klase sa loob ng tatlong oras dahil wala si Miss Luna.

"Let's say that we're going to participate in your fucking idea, then what game are we going to play?" Kian asks.

"Is it a chess game?"

"A billiard?"

"Cards?"

"Toss a coin?"

"Hide and seek?"

"Or jack en poy?"

Lahat kaming nakikinig ay hindi napigilang matawa dahil sa mga sinasabi nila, like seriously? Ano kami mga elementary?

"None of the above, " Cliff said while caressing his temple.

"Ang taray! Ano 'yan exam?" Saad naman ni Smith, tinaasan lang siya ng gitnang daliri ni Cliff.

"Let's play truth or dare, " pagkasabi ni Cliff ng truth or dare ay nagsi tayuan ang mga kaklase namin na parang ayaw sa pakulo ni Cliff, palibhasa alam na ang mangyayari.

"And where the hell are you going? Do I need to get our class attendance and mark you as absent?" Agad naman silang nagsi balikan sa kanilang mga upuan na parang maaamong tupa.

"Good!" Cliff exclaimed, we all put our chairs on the side of our classroom and sit down on the floor. Nahirapan kaming umupo na mga babae dahil sa uniform namin, we are all wearing a skirt so it gives us a hard time. Napansin iyon ng mga kaklase naming lalaki, kaya halos lahat kami ay napangiti ng isa isa nilang hubarin ang mga suot nilang coat at jacket at pinahiram sa mga kaklase namin, ang suot na lamang nila ay ang panloob nilang t-shirt. Nanatili pa rin akong nakatayo dahil wala pa akong jacket na nahihiram, tumingin ako kay Flynn at napansing wala na ang suot niyang jacket na kay Pearl na.

"You can have mine, " I looked at him and the coat that he was holding. It took me a while before I smiled at him and slowly get his coat. I fixed his coat before I take a seat. Nakabilog kaming lahat, isang malaking bilog dahil sa dami ng bilang namin.

"Before we get started I just want to clear the rules of our game. Now, we're going to play the common game that was Truth or Dare but with a twist. Kung kanino tumapat ang unahan ng bote, 'yung may takip ay siya ang sasagot ng truth or gagawa ng dare. At kung kanino tumapat ang ilalim ng bote ay siya ang mag d-dare or magpapa sagot ng truth. And the twist is that the person who will not be able to do the dare or can answer the truth will go to the center and will pick up a piece of paper at the bowl, and answer the question. Remember that all the questions that you are going to get at the bowl were personal. You might get affected by this question so do your best not to end up in that fucking bowl." Mahabang lintanya ni Cliff, walang ni isang umangal samin kaya inumpisahan na namin ang laro, si Cliff ang unang nagpa ikot ng bote na tumapat kina Kisane at Matt.

"So, truth or dare?" Matt asked Kisane, agad namang sumagot ng truth si Kisane.

"When was the last time you lied?" Natahimik si Kisane at umaktong nag iisip, sumagot din siya pagkatapos.

"Kanina lang, " she answered, akala namin ay sobrang seryoso ng sagot niya pero hindi pala, kaya lahat kami ay nauwi sa tawanan. Pinaikot ni Kisane ang bote at tumapat naman ito kay Josh at Drea, hindi pa man natatanong ni Drea si Josh ay agad na itong sumagot ng Truth.

"Have you ever cheated in an exam?" Agad namang biniro si Josh ng mga kaklase namin matapos nitong tumango.

"Parang hindi ko kayo karamay, ah?" Saad nito habang isa isang tinuturo sina Dean at ang iba pa nitong mga kaibigan.

"Dare!" Brenna said almost shouting.

"Try to put your whole fist in your mouth." Brenna groaned because of Alex's dare.

"Lol, do you think I can do that?" Brenna complains but Alex just shrugs his shoulder. Brenna took seconds before she got decided and go to the center where the bowl is, and picked up one piece of paper. Brenna was stunned after she read the question Ir the dare. Her hands were shaking, she clears her throat before she started to speak.

"If you could have dinner with a person (living or dead), who would you choose?" all of us went silent after she speaks. Sadness was visible in her voice, Cliff was right you might feel affected by the question or dare on that bowl.

"My father— I'll choose my father to have dinner with. You know, it has been three years since my father passed away. And the last time we have dinner was not okay, I was mad at him that time for some reason. They expected to have a great dinner especially my father, but it turns out to be the worst nightmare of my life. I ruin our family dinner because of the madness I was feeling, and I don't even feel any regret. I leave our house without tasting the food that my father cooked. I did not come home for three days— straight. And when I get home I feel regret but it was already too late." She said while tears starting to form in her eyes. Her knees were trembling even her body was shaking, it's hard for her yet she continues. And it was a heartbreaking story she has. It's left us sweeping our tears and composing ourselves.