"Selena, saan ka pupunta?"
Lumingon ako kay Nicholas na nakapamulsa. It was already dark out, and Ezra still hasn't updated me. Hindi ko alam kung ano nangyayari sa kanila ngayon.
"Where are they?" tanong ko kay Nicholas.
He inhaled sharply before avoiding eye contact with me. "I think it's better if you stay here."
Kumunot ang noo ko sa kaniyang sinabi. Halatang nag-aalala ang mga mata niya kaya naman mas nagtaka ako.
"What's going on?" tanong ko sa kaniya. "Nasaan sina Ezra?"
Napakamot si Nicholas sa ulo niya. "Bawal ko raw sabihin sa'yo, eh. Utos ni Gov."
Once I realized where they were, nawala kaagad ang pag-aalala sa mukha ko. Napalitan ito ng galit.
"Give me your keys, Nicholas."
Umiling siya. "No. Nope. No can do."
I immediately grabbed his keys off his jeans and ran towards the parking. Hinabol ako ni Nicholas, pero mabilis akong nakapasok ng sasakyan niya at ni-lock ko kaagad ang pintuan.
"Ena!" He tried opening the door, pero wala na siyang magagawa. I started the car already and I gave him an apologetic look.
"Sorry!"
"Papatayin ako ni Ezra!" He slammed the window, which made me give him an apologetic smile.
"I won't crash your car, I promise!" I screamed through the window so he could hear me.
Napahilamos si Nicholas sa mukha niya. I immediately started the car and started driving as fast as I could.
Hindi pamilyar sa akin ang daan, but once I got to the zigzag, I heard engines revving up the mountain. Nakita ko rin ang mga headlights na mabilis na gumagalaw. I bit my lip as I shifted the gear. It's been a while since I've driven a manual. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko nagagawa, pero mukhang muscle memory na nga talaga ang gamit ko.
"Come on, Ez." I whispered to myself. "Please don't do anything stupid."
Huminga ako nang malalim nang maka-abot ako sa huling sasakyan na nasa harap ko. They were all rushing to get to the top of the mountain. Hindi ako makapag-overtake dahil puro kurbada lang at maliit lang ang opening para makapag-overtake ako.
Once I saw my chance to overtake, I immediately went for it. My adrenaline was rushing through my veins as I drove up the mountain and through the zigzags. The fog didn't help, either. My headlights were practically useless since the fog was too thick.
Pagkarating ko sa taas, pinaligiran kaagad ako ng mga sasakyan. There were also cars at the other end. It almost looked like a war. Kita pa rin ang iilang mga ilaw ng Baguio kahit na makapal ang hamog na ulap.
I couldn't help but feel goosebumps as I observed my surroundings.
This is my first time back here ever since the accident.
Ride or die. 1:58 AM.
I immediately went out of the car as soon as the guys started getting out of their own cars. Napadpad kaagad ang mga mata ko sa sasakyan ni Ezra sa harap. A lot of the guys at our side were familiar. And then.. it hit me.
Alpha and Beta.
Against Chi.
"Anong ginagawa mo dito?" tanong bigla ng isang lalaki sa likod ko.
Lumingon ako at agad kong nakita ang mukha ni Chino. Kunot noo ko siyang tinignan. Why is he here? He has a life back in Manila. Is he really risking his life for.. for what happened in the past?
"I should be asking you the same question, Chino." Humalukipkip ako. "Isipin mo naman si Alon."
Nakita ko kaagad ang tensiyon sa panga niya nang sabihin ko 'yon. He looked away.
"Ena, hindi lang ako ang may buhay dito," Chino stated. "Each one of these people have their whole lives at stake, too. Apollo, Kai.. even Zach. Lahat kami handang lumaban para sa inyo ni Ezra."
I looked over at the multiple people around us. And then it hit me.
Oo nga. Hindi lang pala si Chino ang may iniwan na buhay sa Manila. Hindi lang si Ezra. Hindi lang sina Kai. Maski si Jaxon na hindi ko naman nakakausap noon, nandito.
They're all here despite the fact that they left all of this behind.
Hindi na ako nakasagot kay Chino. The whole place went silent, and all of them started walking towards the center.
Nangilabot ako nang makita ko ulit si Noah. The last time I saw him, he was threatening us with a gun. And then Zach got shot.
"No guns!" Noah laughed. "Pinakinggan naman namin si Noestro."
Nag-tago ako sa likod ng isang sasakyan habang tinignan silang lahat na papalapit nang papalapit sa isa't isa. As Ezra and Noah got closer to each other's positions, mas kinakabahan ako.
"Just give up already!" sigaw ni Noah. "Save yourself the trouble!"
I could see Ezra's shoulders rising up and down. My view was barely enough to see everything going on. Ni hindi ko marinig ang sinasabi nila sa isa't isa. And with the guys blocking my view, I decided to lean against the car and look the other way.
Huminga ako nang malalim at tumingin sa taas.
How will this end? Imposible namang.. imposibleng makalabas sila dito nang buhay. Kung gano'n man ang mangyari, they might go to jail.
This isn't worth it.
Ramdam ko ang luha ko habang nakatingin lang ako sa taas. I wiped off my tear and shook my head once it got noisy. May mga sumisigaw, rinig ko yung ibang alarm ng mga sasakyan dahil nasusubsob ang iba doon.
"Lord, Ikaw na bahala, please." Kinagat ko ang labi ko. "Please. I'm desperate."
Humikbi ako. Ramdam ko bigla ang ambon sa noo ko. It was as if the sky was crying with me, too.
Iba pala talaga pag napunta ka na sa sulok. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Walang ibang options. Walang ibang hihingian ng tulong kungdi ang Panginoon. Wala ka nang ibang pwedeng gawin kungdi isuko sa Panginoon.
Lumingon ako sa kanila. My eyes desperately searched for Ezra through everyone who was throwing punches at each other.
It was war.
Nang makita ko si Ezra ay nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Noah was on the ground, and Ezra was punching his face.
Ang sakit makita.. kasi hindi naman na siya ganito. Iniwan niya na ang ganitong buhay. He was going to Church again. He was praying again.
And now his past is haunting him back.
Huminga ako nang malalim at tumayo. I went straight for Ezra who was wearing a black shirt. Hindi na rin ako napansin ng ibang mga tao dahil masyado silang focused sa pag-aaway.
Duguan na ang mukha ni Noah. Another punch, and Noah just might end up in a morgue instead of a hospital. Ezra grabbed the collar of Noah's shirt and raised his hand to aim for another punch.
Tumakbo kaagad ako papalapit sa kaniya at hinawakan ang kamay niya.
"Ez.." Hindi ko napigilan ang iyak ko.
The shock in his face was evident once he saw my face. Umiling ako at hinawakan nang mas maigi ang kamay niyang duguan. I kneeled to be at his level.
"Stop, please. Please," I cried. "This isn't you, Raia."
His expression got softer as he looked at my small hands holding onto his.
"He.. he deserves it."
"I know." I nodded. "But it's not worth it, Ez. We need to let this go."
Tinignan niya si Noah na malapit nang mawalan ng malay.
"Look at me." I touched his cheek and wiped off his tears. "Hindi ikaw 'to. Naiwan mo na 'to. You've left this life behind, Ez. You're not the same person."
Tinignan niya ako, punong puno ng luha ang kaniyang mga mata.
Alam kong nasaktan siya ng nakaraan. Alam kong pinanghahawakan niya pa rin 'yon. I was hurt, too. I can't imagine the pain Ezra's going through.. but I know that this won't solve it.
"Panginoon na bahala sa kaniya, Ez," sambit ko. "Just let this go. Pakawalan mo na yung galit. Isuko na natin 'to."
Napadapa na rin si Ezra, tila ba nanghina. I immediately hugged his head, as if I was desperately trying to hold onto the piece of him that knows how to forgive. Kasi alam kong nand'yan pa.
He let out a heavy sigh and nodded. I bit my lip as I held back my own tears.
"Bahala na," I whispered. "Basta okay ka. Basta okay tayo."
"Si Noah na ba 'to?" rinig kong tanong ng isang lalaki.
Inangat ko ang tingin ko sa matangkad na lalaking naka-tayo sa harapan namin. He looked very familiar.. medyo may hawig pa ata siya kay Zach?
"Hi, I'm Duke. Duke Alverez." Nilahad niya ang kamay niya sa amin. "You must be Selena."
Tumikhim ako at tumango. I shook his hand as he grinned at me and Ezra.
A series of questions were running through my head as I looked around. Mukhang mas kalmado na ang mga Alpha at Beta dahil may mga kasama ata si Duke na dumating dito. They started pulling the guys of Noah away.
Sino siya? Sino sila? Bakit sila nandito?
"Damn, bro." Duke chuckled as he gently kicked the hand of Noah. "I have a feeling he deserved this."
Noah groaned and spit out some of the blood from his mouth. "Hindi niyo kilala binabangga niyo."
Humagalpak si Duke at lumupasay para tignan nang maigi ang mukha ni Noah. "Nah. Hindi mo kinilala binangga mo. I can't believe we're related."
Nanlaki ang mukha ko kay Duke. Alverez! He's.. Zach's cousin! Siya yung sikat na basketball player noon sa UAAP.
"Bakit ang dami niyo?" tanong ko kay Duke. "How.."
"That's for me to know and for you to find out," anang isang babae sa likod ni Duke. "Ano ba 'yan, Ezra. Hindi mo man lang kami naantay? You started the party without us!"
"Theo." Duke nodded at her and grinned. "I'm pretty sure your dad's men and my guys are getting along just fine."
"Ya think?" Humalukipkip si Theo at tumingin sa paligid. "What a mess."
Hinawakan ko nang maigi habang tinitignan ang paligid. Chino, Kai, Apollo, and the others were already resting by some cars. May ibang may dugo ang pisngi at labi, pero mukhang okay naman sila. The guys that Theo and Duke came with are the ones handling the guys of Noah.
"Alis na kayo. Kami na bahala dito." Duke smiled. "You better get that hand checked out, dude."
Tumango si Ezra at tumayo. He gave Theo a hug and patted her head. Tinapik niya rin ang balikat ni Duke bago dumiretso sa sasakyan niya.
I started to follow him, but I looked back one last time. Hawak hawak na ni Duke ang kwelyo ni Noah, and Theo stood beside him bored out of her life. Nang makita ako ni Theo ay napatigil siya sa pag-irap kay Noah at diniretso niya ang tayo niya.
I gave her a smile.
Mukhang gulat siya sa ginawa ko, but she slowly smiled back at me and nodded. I let out a sigh and followed Ezra to his car.
"Wait." I knocked on his window. "Wait for me."
Nang makita ko ang tango niya ay tumakbo ako patungo kina Chino. I gave him the keys to Nicholas' car and waved them goodbye. Bumalik agad ako sa sasakyan ni Ezra at tinignan siya.
Nakapikit lang siya at naka-sandal lang ang ulo niya sa headrest. I slowly reached for his hand, which made him open his eyes.
Nginitian ko siya, at hinawakan niya ang pisngi ko at tinignan ako nang maigi. Looking into his eyes, I felt like a kid again. A kid who came home from a long vacation that I was forced to go to. I felt safe.
"It's over," he said.
I nodded and smiled. I felt free, because finally, there were no barriers, no walls, and no hindrances for me.. for us.. to move forward.
"It's over."