A/N: Four days nang may update! Sinabi na ba ni Lorelei kay Loki ang laman ng notebook?
LORELEI
I HAVE never seen Loki so upset like this.
Hindi ko alam kung natulog na ba siya. Kanina pa siya nakatayo sa harap ng dart board at paulit-ulit na hinahagisan ng dart ang isang photo na naka-pin dito. Pagkagising ko nitong Sabado ng umaga hanggang pagkaligo ko, hindi pa siya tumitigil sa paglalaro.
Well, he's not really playing. He's venting out his frustrations. May gigil ang bawat pagbato niya. He's throwing darts with so much emphasis. Things didn't go exactly as he planned. Maging ako, sobrang disappointed sa nangyari.
Pakiramdam ko, nautakan kami ni Augustus. Sobra.
"I have conflicting opinions about the existence of Hell, but I want this man to drown in the sea of eternal flames," Loki said before throwing another dart at the board. "There's a special room in Hell for him. I'd volunteer to the Satan to clean that room and guard it 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
Kapag ganito kainit ang aura niya, mas pinipili ko munang lumayo sa kanya. He might throw a dart at me out of frustration. He's like a scorching ball of fire, and it would be unwise to get close to him at this moment. Hahayaan ko lang siyang magpalamig muna. Baka kasi mapaso ako sa kanya.
Sinuklayan ko na lang ang buhok ko habang nakatingin sa salamin. I checked if I looked good in my dress. I then carried my bag. Bagay naman sa suot ko. Maingat ko itong binuksan ang tiningnan ang laman. That thing is still here.
"Are you going on a date or something?"
Humarap ako kay Loki na saktong magbabato na sana ng darts. He stared at me from head to toe, still holding a dart in his right hand. Medyo napailag ako kahit wala siyang ginagawa. Napa-paranoid na tuloy ako.
"Yes, I am." I nodded. "Given what happened last night, gusto kong mag-destress muna. Going out on a Saturday seems to be a good decision."
His eyes narrowed into slits. "Really? You're going on a date?"
"Hindi talaga gano'n, pero parang gano'n na rin," sagot ko. Kahit ako, hindi ko naintindihan kung ano ang meaning no'n. Ang alam ko lang ay lalabas ako at susubukang mag-chill.
"You, someone who prefers isolation like me, is going on a date?" Natawa si Loki na parang joke ang sinabi ko. I felt somehow insulted.
Well, it's nice to see him smile and hear him laugh. He's been in between depression and anger since last night. He needed to smile once in a while. It might help his mood.
"Hey, huwag mo akong i-compare sa sarili mo," pagtatama ko sa kanya. "Unlike you, I'm not socially isolated. I have friends, and I hang out with them."
"You have acquaintances, not friends," Loki said, finally throwing the dart at the board. "In a way, you are like me. We put premium on our definition of 'friends' Not everyone we meet deserves the honor of that title."
That, I can absolutely agree with him. Now that he's mentioned it, iilan lang talaga ang mako-consider kong kaibigan. Alistair is on top of the list. Jamie, despite being a consistent liar, is being considered on the same list. I really want to give that girl a chance. How about Loki?
Well, Loki is also a friend of mine. Being with him for months, I've come to understand him. Kahit gaano pa siya ka-cold at ka-harsh minsan, sinusubukan ko siyang intindihan. Why? Because despite the hard shell that shields him from the world that he despises, I know that he's soft in the inside. Nahihirapan lang siyang ilabas minsan. Ilang beses na rin kasing nagka-crack ang shell na 'yon, at nasilip ko kung anong nasa loob nito. He may roar like a tiger, but he's really a cute kitty.
I don't know if he feels the same for me. He hinted in several occasions that he also considers me as a friend. Even Alistair and Jamie.
"Let's say that I believe you, that you have a date," Loki said, still unconvinced. "Do you want me to come with you? I can tell you my insights about your date, if he's a good man or a potential psychopath. It might be a good distraction for me after that anticlimactic outcome of the notebook heist."
"Kuya ba kita para kilatisin mo 'yong ka-date ko?" I scoffed. I turned my back to him and walked toward the door. "Aalis na ako. Magpakabait ka riyan habang wala ako."
"Don't forget to buy me milk tea!" pahabol niya nang pababa na ako sa hagdan. "I need some sugar!"
Eleven o'clock na ako nakarating sa isang coffee and tea shop sa mall. This is a good place to relax after the stressful days of investigating the Clarion. The ambiance. The soothing instrumental music. The minimized noise. After our all-out offensive last night, kahit gaano pa ka-unsuccessful, we deserve a break.
Nag-order na ako ng frappuccino habang nag-i-scroll sa aking social media accounts. When I told Loki that I'm going on a date, that was somehow correct. Hindi talaga siya date. May imi-meet lang akong tao rito sa coffee shop.
Pagka-check ko ng aking Messenger app, bigla akong nakaramdam ng lamig. I thought na tinodo na ng staff ang kanilang aircon. Pero may isa pa palang explanation kung bakit bigla akong gininaw at tumayo ang mga balahibo ko.
"Did I make you wait?"
Iniangat ko ang aking tingin at nakitang nakatayo sa harapan ko si Luthor. He was wearing a navy blue polo shirt. This is the second time na nakita ko siyang hindi naka-school uniform. The first one was during our outing where he revealed to me that he's connected to M. He still carried that dignified yet intimidating aura.
That's right. My so-called date for today is none other than Loki's brother.
"It's okay," sagot ko sabay baba ng aking phone. "Napaaga lang ako ng alis mula sa apartment."
Umupo na siya sa seat na katapat ko. He sat like a king settling in his throne. "I asked my father's bodyguards to secure the perimeter of this cafe. You know that we can't be seen together, especially by our mutual acquaintances."
Napaangat ang tingin ko at nagawi sa may counter. I saw a familiar face. Was that Hugh or Munroe? Hindi ko na matandaan kung sino siya sa magkapatid. Naalala ko tuloy 'yong time na "kinidnap" nila kaming dalawa ni Jamie at noong iwan nila kami sa isang island.
"How is my brother?" Luthor asked.
"He's still disappointed and frustrated," I answered after sipping from my frappe. "Pinaghandaan niya talaga ang plano para mautakan si Augustus kahapon, but it didn't really pay off."
"Is he still unaware of my connection with Moriarty?" Luthor asked. Hindi niya ako nilulubayan ng tingin.
I slowly nodded.
"What did you tell him exactly?" he asked next.
Napasipsip muna ulit ako habang iniisip kung saan sisimulan ang kwento. Pagkababa ko sa aking baso, I took a deep breath and told him what happened last night.
"Lorelei? Alistair? Are you still there? What's in the notebook? Is it too shocking that you two have lost your voices?"
"This is strange. Augustus is smiling at me. Anyway, are you two still there? What's in the notebook?"
Alistair and I were still in the Clarion office that night. Paulit-ulit ang tanong ni Loki. Kung pwede niya lang siguro kaming puntahan, pinuntahan na niya kami. But he couldn't. He needed to keep the entire Clarion staff in the grand hall. He had no choice but to trust us.
"Lorelei—"
I hung up the call and exchanged stares with Alistair. Tanging ang paghinga namin ang narinig ko sa tahimik na kwartong 'yon. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like minutes.
I already knew that Luthor is connected to Moriarty. He already revealed that damning secret to me noong nag-beach kami. But Alistair doesn't know. I thought of telling him when he asked me the other day, but I decided not to. I chose to keep my word to Luthor, that I should tell no one about his secret.
"Lori," Alistair whispered. "I don't wanna trust what's written in this notebook, but there are photos and screenshots of footages that support the idea that Luthor is one of them. Kapag nalaman ni Loki ang tungkol dito—"
"What do you think we should do?" tanong ko. "Dapat ba nating sabihin kay Loki ang tungkol sa nakasulat sa notebook?"
My initial thought was to not tell Loki anything. Kaya nga hindi ko siya sinagot kahit paulit-ulit siyang nagtanong. I also don't want the idea of not telling Loki to come from me. Gusto ko munang marinig ang opinyon ni Alistair. Baka pareho kami ng iniisip.
"The information here is still unverified," sagot ni Alistair na napatingin sa notebook. "This might be part of Augustus' trick to divert our attention or to destroy our trust on Luthor. Alam nating dalawa kung gaano ka-sensitive ang relasyon ni Loki sa kuya niya. His perspective of him is biased. So once he finds out that Luthor might be one of them, imagine what can happen."
I nodded. "Mas gugulo ang relasyon nilang dalawa. Augustus might be trying to plant doubt in Loki's mind kaya niya iniwan dito ang notebook na 'to."
"Then does that mean na—"
"Augustus might have already suspected that we might try to infiltrate their office and check his desk," I finished. "That's the only explanation kung bakit ang notebook na 'to na tungkol lang kay Luthor ang nandito."
I was really expecting something more about Moriarty, not one of his generals.
"I suggest that we don't tell Loki anything muna," sagot ni Alistair. "Augustus is expecting us to find out about Luthor's alleged connection to Moriarty once we read this notebook. If we tell Loki now, we are playing right into his hands. Hindi dapat tayo sumayaw sa tugtog niya."
I felt somehow relieved. Alistair had the advantage of not knowing the truth kaya nakapag-isip siya ng mas rational na decision. From his point of view, Augustus was trying to derail our investigation and damage the already damaged relationship of Loki and Luthor.
"If that's the case, we should keep this information to ourselves muna," sabi ko sa kanya. "Loki or anyone shouldn't know about it."
"So what should we tell him?"
Lumabas na kaming dalawa ni Alistair. I hid the notebook under my clothes. I don't know if this is Augustus' only copy of his so-called evidence, pero mas mabuti nang mawala ang hawak niyang baraha laban kay Luthor.
We sneaked out of the school building and went somewhere near the grand hall. Dinial ko ang number ni Loki. Habang nagri-ring ang phone, Alistair and I exchanged glances. Tumango siya sa akin nang sagutin na ni Loki ang tawag.
"Hey, what happened to you too? Why weren't you answering my calls? Did you get caught or something?"
Huminga ako nang malalim. "Sorry, medyo mahina kasi ang signal sa loob ng Clarion office. Choppy ang line kaya hindi ko naiintindihan ang mga sinasabi mo."
"So did you find anything interesting? What's written in the notebook?"
"None," sagot ko sabay tingin kay Alistair. Tumango siya sa akin. We agreed that this is the best answer to Loki.
"None? Are you sure that you got the right notebook?"
"It's the only notebook in the drawer," sagot ko. "We checked every page pero walang nakasulat doon."
"Maybe Augustus used an invisible ink to hide what written's there? Did you get the notebook? Can you bring it to me so I can check?"
"We also thought the same thing, na baka may ginamit siyang kakaibang panulat," Alistair answered, taking my phone from me. "I thought that he might have used a mixture of lemon and water, but the pages had no scent. Sinubukan din naming gamitan ng ultraviolet light, pero walang nag-appear na kahit anong text."
Napabuntong-hininga ako. Pasalamat ako dahil kasama ko si Alistair. Nagawa niyang lusutan ang tanong ni Loki.
"Maybe you haven't checked it thoroughly! Bring the notebook to me!"
"We didn't take the notebook with us." Muli kong kinuha ang aking phone kay Alistair. "It would look suspicious if something went missing in his drawer. It's better to keep it there."
"Darn it! So our plan yielded nothing?"
"That seems to be the case," I answered. "We came prepared for Augustus, but he was better prepared for us. Pinaghandaan na siguro niya ito bago pa natin mapagplanuhan 'yong mission. Anyway, let's wrap things up. It's been a long day."
Then I hung up.
Ilang minuto rin kaming natahimik ni Alistair. Kinapa ko ang notebook na itinago ko sa damit ko. Loki should never see what's written in here, or else all hell would break loose.
"Now this is a burden that we both must bear," I muttered, my eyes still looking down. "Alam mo ba kung ano ang naiisip ko ngayon? Paano kapag nalaman ni Loki na nagsinungaling tayo sa kanya?"
"We lied with the best intention in mind," Alistair sighed. "You know what, I feel guilty for not telling him the truth, but we can't expose him to something that isn't verified yet. Maybe we can ask Luthor first kung may katotohanan ba ang nasa notebook. Once the vice president confirms that it's all lies, or in Augustus' lingo, 'fake news,' we can tell Loki."
"And what if the contents of this notebook are genuine?" tumingin ako sa kanya. "Sasabihin pa rin ba natin kay Loki? Na ang kuya niya ay involved kay M?"
Muling napabuntong-hininga si Alistair at napayuko. Matapos ang ilang sandali ng katahimikan, iniangat niya ang kanyang ulo at tumingin sa akin. "Sa totoo niyan, hindi ko alam kung ano'ng dapat gawin kung totoo nga. But I sincerely hope that the notebook contains nothing but lies. I wanna believe that Luthor is a good man, despite how Loki tries to paint him."
I also believe that he is a good man. But he did something that we didn't expect for the sake of his younger brother. I wish I could tell Alistair about the truth. But it's best kung hanggang dito lang ang malalaman niya.
And that's what happened last night. Alistair and I lied to Loki. Luthor's secret is still safe.
Sandaling nagkaroon ng katahimikan sa table namin. Napasipsip na lang ako ng frappe matapos kong ikwento kay Luthor ang lahat. One of his dad's bodyguards approached our table and placed a hot cup of tea in front of him. Nagmistulang waiter tuloy si Hugh... o si Munroe.
Luthor gentle held the teacup and blew the stew. He stared at the brim of the cup. "Only you and Alistair know what's in the notebook. And Alistair believes that the contents may be lies weaved by Augustus to distract you."
I nodded. Compared sa school, mas mahina na ang chilling aura ni Luthor. Nag-subside na ang goosebumps ko. I could look at him and talk to him like he's a normal person.
He took a sip from the cup before putting it back on the saucer. "I admire your commitment to keeping our secret. You could have told Alistair the truth, right then and there, but you didn't."
"I'd rather carry this burden alone," sagot ko. Napakuyom ang aking mga kamao na nakapatong sa aking mga tuhod. "Mas mabuting hindi niya alam para hindi siya gaanong madamay kapag nagkabistuhan na."
"And the notebook?" Luthor asked. "Where is it?"
Kinuha ko mula sa aking bag ang itim na notebook at ipinatong sa mesa. "Pinakatago ko 'yan sa kwarto ko para hindi mahanap ni Loki."
I hid it sa damit pantulog na suot ko kagabi. Loki could pick the lock of my room and search everywhere, but I doubt he'd try to search the body of a sleeping girl. Alam kong naniwala siyang hindi nga namin kinuha ang notebook, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
"I don't know kung may copy pa si Augustus niyan," dagdag ko habang nakatitig sa itim na cover nito. "Pero kung meron man..."
Sinilip ko ang laman ng notebook bago ako natulog kagabi. Nakasulat doon ang mga situation kung saan possible ngang ma-connect si Luthor kay Moriarty.
"Augustus began suspecting you when the most popular presidential candidate in last year's student council elections withdrew," kwento ko habang tinitingnan niya ang laman ng notebook. "He happened to interview that candidate at sinabi sa kanya off-the-record na may nagbanta sa kanya. Kung hindi siya magwi-withdraw, may masamang mangyayari sa kanya."
I felt Luthor lifting his gaze at me from the notes. He then took a sip. "M's organization had to make sure that I would win the elections with Emeraude. They eliminated the most popular candidate through blackmail. Once he's out of the race, Em and I became the crowd's choice. We beat the other pair on election day."
Kumuyom ang mga kamao ko. So totoo nga ang isa sa mga isinulat ni Augustus. Sorry, Alistair, but it seemed that not everything in the notebook was a lie.
"I don't know if you remember the John Bautista case," I spoke again nang tumahimik na naman. "But Augustus cited the police report that before John died, nasabi niya na ang nag-utos sa kanya through phone call ay 'may boses na malamig, talagang mangingilabot ka kapag narinig mo.' Is that true as well?"
"There were times that Stein asked me to speak M on his behalf," Luthor answered, flipping the page of the notebook. "I believe that's one of those instances."
Napabuntong-hininga ako. That's another check on Augustus' evidence list. The most recent incident in the notebook was when Luthor left the campus to go to the abandoned warehouse. Remember that time when Cedric and his two CAT goons took us somewhere? Apparently Augustus had screenshots from footage of Luthor leaving the school building and the premises.
"I thought that this whole scenario is a battle between your team and Augustus," Luthor said, putting down the notebook. "I haven't realized it until today that it's also a battle between me and him."
Iniangat ko ang aking tingin sa kanya.
"I want him to be taken down by you," Luthor went on, sighing. "The fact that he left this notebook means his intention is to take me down. The feeling is mutual all along. It's a race against time. Who will fall first? Augustus or me?"
"Hindi n'yo ba naiisip na may ibang taong nadadamay rito sa laro n'yo?" tanong ko. "Noong una, ako. Tapos kagabi, si Alistair. Alam n'yo ba kung gaano kabigat ang burden na pasan namin ngayon?"
"That is exactly why we need to cautiously make a move," Luthor replied, holding his teacup again. "Don't you realize that Augustus has already gone for a checkmate? We are extremely fortunate that it wasn't my brother who found the notebook. However, the situation puts you in a dilemma. Even if you don't tell Loki about what you truly saw, Augustus can tell him any moment he wants."
"And once Augustus tells him what he really left in the drawer, Loki would suspect us of lying to him," I muttered. That's something that I do not what to happen, but it can happen. "And everything will crumble. Your relationship with him. My friendship with him. Even his relationship with Alistair would be affected."
Kagabi ko pa iniisip ang ganyang scenario. We dodged the bullet for now, but that doesn't mean Augustus wouldn't try shooting at us again. The lie that we told Loki was only a band-aid solution. If we don't do anything soon enough, the worst possible scenario would become a reality.
I felt helpless. I felt like I was driven to a corner. Loki said he trusts me, and yet...
"Tell me, what should I do?" nanginginig ang boses ko. "What should we do?"
"Act accordingly to your original plan and what you told my brother," Luthor replied, finishing his cup of tea. After placing his teacup back on the saucer, he stood and grabbed the notebook on the table. "While I might need to get my hands dirty. Augustus is a problem that needs to be solved. Sooner rather than later. See you on Monday."
I only stared at him as he bade farewell and walked away. I don't know what he meant by "getting his hands dirty."
I hope it's not what I think it is.
Bago ako umalis sa coffee and tea shop, bumili muna ako ng milk tea. I needed to cheer up Loki through sugary drinks and I also made a promise na bibilhan ko siya nito.
Pagdating ko sa apartment, nadatnan ko siya na nagdidikit ng mga papel sa pader. I thought he'd already lost his mind after being beaten by Augustus. Nang lapitan ko ang pader, I noticed that the pieces of paper showed the layout of a student publication.
"Herschel finally gave me his fake layout," Loki explained kahit wala akong tinatanong. "We may have lost the match last night, but that doesn't mean the game is over. We can still play this card against the clever editor-in-chief."
Compared kaninang iniwan ko siya rito, mukhang mas maganda na ang mood niya ngayon. Well, he took his frustration out at Augustus' photo on the dartboard. Sobrang dami ng butas, halos 'di ko na makilala ang itsura niya.
"So tell me, Lorelei, what did you and my dear brother talk about this morning?"
Nalaglag ko ang dala kong milk tea.
q.e.d.
Ano kaya ang pwedeng ipalusot ni Lorelei?
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