(Song: State of grace by Taylor Swift)
Chapter Thirty-five: Too curious
- Asher Lars -
"Kuya Assshhhh!"
Asher rested both of his hands on his hips before facing Gianna who was already skipping towards him, holding a clipboard.
Inaayos na nila ang grand hall para sa even mamayang gabi. Ang idea ng ina mismo ng kambal ay salubungin ang kaarawan ng kambal kaya busy na sila ngayon, the day before the twins' birthday.
Dahil alam na naman ni Enzo ang tungkol sa party, inatasan ito ni Asher na i-distract si Ezra buong araw habang busy ang iba para sa party.
"Ano yon Gigi?"
"Kuya pa-check naman ulit ng guest list," Gianna hands him the clip board and pursed her lower lip. "May mali kasi eh"
Asher's brow raised. Ang guest list ang una niyang ginawa dahil kailangan ito para sa invitation at alam niya talaga kung sino ang gusto at ayaw na bisita ni Ezra. Enzo didn't care kung sino ang pumunta. Basta birthday ng kambal, ang lahat ng gagawin nila ay para lang kay Ezra dahil ito lang naman ang may maraming demands, si Enzo talaga ay walang pakialam. Gusto rin lang naman nito ay sumaya si Ezra sa kaarawan nila.
He rereads the whole list and even flips the paper pero wala naman siyang nahanap na mali. "Gigi wag mo kong lokohin ha, marami pa akong gagawin. Wala namang mali dito"
Gianna glares at him and points at the name listed at the very end. "Ayan oh! Audrina Hemlock? Seriously Kuya? Sino namang nag imbita sa kanya?!"
"Ako" Asher casually hands the clipbaord back to Gianna before turning his back ngunit hinigit nito ang braso niya.
"Are you going to ruin Ate Ezra's birthday? Are you crazy?"
"Yeah," he sighs and stares at the ceiling before mumbling, "I think I am"
Audrina Calista Hemlock is the last being on earth Ezra Heath wants to see on her special day.
"Kuya naman!" Inis na saad ni Gianna. "Gusto mo bang sunugin tayo ni Ate Ezra ng buhay?!"
"Ako lang susunugin niya, ligtas ka so don't worry. Ibigay mo 'yang guest list sa iba. Now shoo!"
"Pero Kuya---"
"Alis na, kami na dito sige na"
Gianna pouts bago tuluyang itong maglakad pero, shoving the list to Athena in the process.
"Ano namang ginawa mo don?" Athena asked at nilingon si Gianna.
"I invited Callie" Ash shrugged.
"Callie?" Athena was taken aback by his answer.
"Blame is on me if something happens so don't worry" He shrugs the matter off.
Gusto lang naman niyang imbitahan si Callie dahil invited rin sa party si Jake Sinclaire. Sana sumaya ito kahit papaano sa imbitasyon niya. He will take full responsibility if hell breaks lose if Ezra throws a fit. But he bet his lovely cousin will be on her best behavior dahil present ang kanilang magulang.
May iba rin inimbitahan ang ina ng kambal na hindi alam ni Asher. Carly Heath informed him in a short notice kaya hindi na siya maka alma pa at hindi na niya ma check kung sino ang iba pang imbitado.
Asher trails his eyes over the massive hall.
Matatapos na sila ngunit kailangan pa niyang i-double check ang lahat.
"It seems like you know what you're doing, Kuya" Athena said beside him. "Let's just hope Ate Ezra will be too overwhelmed to even notice Callie's presence" after that she hands the clipboard to him and left.
He was doing Callie a favor. He was telling the truth when he said crying girls are his weakness. It had a weird after effect on him. He'd do the craziest thing to make that person smile again.
-----
- Zeus Achilles -
Zeus pushed everything at the back of his mind and focused on the task Asher gave him. Pansamantala niyang kinalimutan na nasa iisang kwarto sila ni Flame.
Days had passed and they haven't talked since them. Wala namang bago doon but somehow he saw how it affected her. Most of the time, he'd see her spacing out in class. Asher had to throw a couple of paper balls at her to bring her back to her senses.
He was slightly worried at hindi niya tinatago iyon.
For days he kept questioning himself kung tama ba ang ginawa niya. Baka nadala lang siya ng emosyon kaya padalos dalos siyang mag desisyon...
He doesn't want to feel regret and guilt pero iyon ang nararamdaman niya. Feelings don't vanish in a snap. There were still bits of her in his system ngunit unti unti nang nawawala ito. He can't say ending things with her finally set him free dahil doon. A part of him is still trapped.
He remembered why he ended everything in the first place and then stared at the girl who was sitting on the podium, already looking at him.
Seige's advice was to keep his word. Stand by his decision. Kapag binali niya ito at bumalik kay Flame, para narin niyang sinayang ang lahat ng effort na ginawa niya at inimbita muli ang sakit na naramdaman niya noon. A part of him wants to pull Flame back para malaman kung meron nga bang magbabago if they try everything again. He doesn't know if it's mere curiosity or that's what he really wants.
Seige said all Zeus could do now is to be civil with her. Kahit sana iyong pagkakaibigan nila ni Flame ay iligtas niya na siyang target niya when he broke up with her.
Zeus adjusted the mic stand bago i-test ang mismong mic. "Mic test 1 2 3 Asher's stupid. I repeat, Asher's stupid"
He saw Asher flip him off at the other side of the room habang si Aria naman ay natatawa sa tabi nito, Aiane sends him a thumbs up, kahit si Seige ay bahagyang napangiti. Si Flame lang ang hindi lumingon dahil inaayos nito ang kurtina para walang maka kita sa labas ng preparations nila.
Kay Zeus ibinigay ni Asher ang task na ayusin ang mga instrument para sa open mic na gagawin mamaya, which he finds really stupid. Si Ezra ang pipili ng mga kakanta so they will be her slave for tonight.
Kinuha niya ang gitara para tonohin ito.
"Sample naman dyan!" Sigaw ng kapatid niya na rinig sa buong hall. Mabilis naman itong ginatungan ni Asher, na tinaas naman ang kamay ni Aria para makisali.
Zeus rolled his eyes. "Please kindly shut up everyone" He nods like a well mannered boy before tuning the guitar again.
"KJ mo Kuya! Sasabihin ko kay Ate Ezra pakantahin ka mamaya!" Angal agad ni Aiane.
"Why not let Seige sing?" Flame suddenly suggests, na dahilan kung bakit sila napatingin dito.
Her arms were crossed while giving them a close mouth smile. Zeus' brows furrowed at how her smile looked a bit off. Her expression appeared as if she was challenging Seige.
That moment, the memory of the first time heard Flame's singing voice flooded his mind. It was his personal lullaby. He loved it when she sings but she doesn't do it often. He shook his head to wipe it off his mind.
"That's a great idea!" Asher exclaimed. "Seige kanta ka! Naka takas ka last time pero ngayon hindi na!"
Zeus wanted to hear her voice so he had to agree. "Come on Seige," he offers his hand to help her stand up. "Just one song"
Seige doesn't nod or even say 'yes', she took the guitar from him instead at ito na ang tumapos sa pag totono. Zeus took her seat on the podium habang ito naman ang tumayo sa harap ng mic. He happily claps to cheer for her.
Seige smiled before strumming the guitar.
I'm walking fast through the traffic lights
Busy streets and busy lives
And all we know
Is touch and go
We are alone with our changing minds
We fall in love 'til it hurts or bleeds or fades in time
And I never (never) saw you coming
And I'll never (never) be the same
Hindi lang si Zeus ang nanlaki ang mata nang marinig ang boses ni Seige.
What he thought the first time he hear her speak was right.
Her voice was so soft and low. It really deserves to be heard.
You come around and the armor falls
Pierce the room like a cannonball
Now all we know is don't let go
We are alone, just you and me
Up in your room and our slates are clean
Just twin fire signs
Four blue eyes
So you were never a saint
And I've loved in shades of wrong
We learn to live with the pain
Mosaic broken hearts
But this love is brave and wild
And I never (never) saw you coming
And I'll never (never) be the same
Zeus watched as Seige closed her eyes, singing every word of the song perfectly.
This is a state of grace
This is the worthwhile fight
Love is a ruthless game
Unless you play it good and right
These are the hands of fate
You're my Achilles heel
This is the golden age of something good and right and real
He smiled upon hearing his name, remembering its history and why he was named after the greatest warrior of the Trojan War. But nakalimutan rin niya lahat iyon because of Seige's trance like voice. Napuputol na agad ang kung ano mang distraction sa isip niya dahil sa nakakalunod na boses ni Seige.
And I never (never) saw you coming
And I'll never (never) be the same
And I never (never) saw you coming
And I'll never (never) be the same
This is a state of grace
This is the worthwhile fight
Love is a ruthless game
Unless you play it good and right
Asher clapped as Seige finished her song. Aria and Aiane clapped too.
Flame however took a few seconds to stare at Seige before surrendering. She lifts her hands for a slow clap.
Seige had accepted her challenge and won.
------
- Athena Adrianne -
Athena sneaked in the main office's archives later that day. Tamang oras ito para mag imbestiga dahil walang student sa Academy bukod sa kanila. Binigyan kasi ang students ng ilang araw na pahinga to prepare for the next level.
She kept a close eye on Seige ngayong araw dahil palagi lang naman itong kasama ng Kuya niya. A part of her was worried for Zeus, hindi naman siya maka hadlang sa kung ano man ang meron sa dalawa dahil wala pa siyang physical evidence na makakapagpatunay kung ano si Seige. So she can't just break two apart.
Since she doesn't know kung saan pwede mag hanap ng info about sa Red Circle (The Association is crossed out of her options) at hindi rin niya kayang pumunta sa Council ng mag-isa or even snoop around that place to find info on Syre Van Syckle, kay Seige nalang siya magsisimula. With Seige's academic file.
Napa ngiwi siya nang makita kung gaano kataas ang filing cabinet, may ladder na de gulong pa nga sa gilid. Nakatingala niya at inisip kung gaano na ba karami ang naging students ng Sinclaire Academy.
Madali lang naman siguro hanapin ang file ni Seige dahil 'Va' ang surname nito but kailangan pa niyang gamitin iyong ladder dahil kita niya ang label files para sa school year nila ngayon. Maayos naman ang pagkaka label ng lahat kaya sigurado siyang hindi siya mahihirapan mag hanap.
Hindi kasi niya basta bastang magagamit ang computer dahil baka may maka trace sa kanya. The system is offline right now kaya may magtataka kung bakit may gumamit ng isang device sa main office ng ganitong oras. Kung old fashioned investigation ang mas safe then iyon ang gagawin niya.
She pushed the ladder and climbed. "The things I do to get some answers..." she mumbled with a sigh when she reached the exact drawer.
Dahan dahan niyang binuksan ito para hindi gaanong maingay.
Bumaba rin agad siya nang makuha ang file ni Seige ngunit bago pa niya mabuksan ito, naramdaman niyang may paparating.
She clutched the file on her chest and jumped out of the nearest window.
Athena bit her lower lip to prevent a cry from coming out dahil sa mali niyang bagsak.
She felt the pain on her left ankle, mas lalo pa itong sumakit nang tumayo siya ng maayos, nalagyan pa ito ng pressure. It'll heal in a few minutes. She had to endure the pain for a while. Kailangan niya munang makalayo dahil paniguradong sisilip sa bukas na bintana ang kung sino man ang pumasok. She won't stay long enough to know who it is.
She was limping hanggang makarating siya malapit sa clearing ng Dawn.
Athena is wincing in pain with each step she took. They haven't gone hunting for weeks nows kaya hindi ito nakatulong sa kanya. Her body is taking its precious time to heal her.
Feeling niya hindi lang sprain ang natamo niya sa bagsak na iyon. Hindi man niya narinig ang crack ngunit sigurado siyang merong nabali dahil mas lalo itong sumasakit habang tumatagal.
The file slipped from her hand and fell on the ground kasabay ng pagbagsak ng katawan niya.
She felt ashamed. Sino ba naman ang vampire ang nagkakaroon ng sprain? Siya lang.
She wanted to cry at her at her body's slow healing process. Kailangan niyang uminom ng dugo pagkatapos nito.
She tried to touch her left ankle at napangiwi lang sa sakit na dinulot nito.
Her eyes winded when feet clad in white sandals came into the line of vision.
Seige bent down to pick up the file folder. Sinundan ni Athena ang bawat galaw nito hanggang sa mag tama ang tingin nila.
Her violet eyes were expressionless.
But then Seige's eyes went down to her broken ankle.
What she did next left Athena speechless.
Seige knelt down para magka lebel silang dalawa, sunod nitong hinawakan ang ankle niya. Napa pikit pa siya bigla sa pressure na dulot nito.
Athena wanted to question what she was doing but no words came out of her mouth. Until she felt the pain subsiding hanggang sa tuluyan na itong nawala.
Seige stared at her before letting go of her ankle. "Don't be too curious little girl, this won't be the last time you're going to get hurt"
Umalis ito dala ang folder. Athena let out the breath she didn't know she was holding the whole time.
It took her a few seconds to sink in the fact that Seige van Syckle just healed her.