Blood Menace

3- Rival

"Lorcan Gerhardt is not ancient though. He's just a hundred years old and some change," anang lalaki na sumandal sa silya nito. He stretched his legs under his desk and Kam noticed how long they were.

"I didn't say he is ancient. And he's not great either. He left his first family because he fell in love with a witch. And when a non-favorable situation arrived, he left his second family too to go back to the first family. That's not a great man to me. Walang prinsipyo si Lorcan Gerhardt," matapang niyang sabi.

Matapang nga ba s'ya?

Well, she was opinionated. Opinions were free.

Naningkit ang mga mata ng lalaki. Pumigting pa ang panga nito na para bang nagpipigil ito ng inis. "So, if the two ISOP presidents are not great, who do you think is the greatest vampire?" he challenged, eyebrows raised.

Muling humarap sa professor si Kam at umayos ng upo. "Kray Hayes. I think he's the greatest vampire of all time."

Ang lakas ng tawa ni Cole sa likuran kaya kunot ang noo na nilingon ito uli ng dalaga.

Aba! Ang laki ng bunganga nito sa kakatawa! Her classmates giggled as well. Pati si Nova na nag-peace sign sa kanya.

"Kray Hayes? That action star from Chilakest? That Kray Hayes?" tumatawa pa ring tanong ni Cole.

Taas-noong tumayo si Kam. "Yes! That Kray Hayes!"

"Ano naman ang nakaka-great sa kanya aber? He uses his vampire abilities to do stunts and then what? Ang ko-corny pa ng mga linyahan. What did he say in one of his movies?" tila nag-isip pa ito. "Oh, magandang binibini, tawagin mo lang ang maganda kong pangalan at darating ang gwapo kong mukha," umakto pa ito nang sobrang seryoso.

Napangiwi si Kam. "He never said that."

Tumawa ang lalaki. "Well, his corny face looks like he would say that."

Kumunot ang noo ng dalaga. What the hell did that even mean? Huminga na lang siya ng malalim saka muling hinarap ang professor na tahimik lang na nakikinig.

"Kray Hayes unified all creatures in Chilakest one thousand years ago. Purebloods, vampire-witch, vampire-human, Turned, Channeling witches, Convert witches, Vertex witches, mortals live together in harmony in Chilakest. Kray Hayes made that possible."

Natahimik ang klase. Yeah, he was great. Proud na proud siya kay Kray. She was so glad that she was part of his life.

Pero siempre, walang dapat makaalam d'on.

"A great man who lost his purpose that's why he now turned into a mediocre actor who can't act," biglang sabi ng lalaki sa likuran at halos iisang tao na sabay-sabay na nagtawanan ang kanyang mga kaklase.

"I hate him! Ang sarap n'yang balatan nang buhay! Argh!" umakto pa si Kam na may tinitiris na kuto sa pagitan ng kanyang mga kuko.

Nova chuckled. Sinamahan siya nito sa bathroom pagkatapos ng klase nila. Buti na lang talaga nakapagpigil siya ng inis kanina sa klase.

"Ang kapal ng mukha. Akala mo naman gwapo!"

Doon natawa si Nova. "Gwapo naman talaga ah. Ininis ka lang n'on. Sino ba naman kasi ang hindi maiinis sa'yo? You talked shit about his grandfather and great grandfather."

Natahimik si Kam. Apo ito nina Orpheus at Lorcan Gerhardt? Kaya naman pala nainis ito sa kanya.

"Well, I was just telling the truth. Butthurt lang talaga s'ya kasi totoo ang sinabi ko," aniyang nagkibit-balikat.

Natawa na lang si Nova. "Iba ka rin 'no? Halos sambahin ko na ang isang 'yun pero heto ka, talking shit about him."

"I don't know why. Unang kita ko pa lang sa kanya, nainis na ako."