*Dark Images*
Riiiiiiiinggggggg!
“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!”
Oh your gosh! Oh your gosh! Oh your gosh! =____=
Natawag ng tinig na iyon ang atensyon ko. Hawak-hawak ko pa ang notebook na dapat sana eh ilalagay ko sa locker ko mamaya habang nakatingin sa kumpol ng groupies sa harapan. They were always entertaining to me. They just kind of makes my day.
“So what’s up? What’s up?” ba’t ba kailangang pinapaulit-ulit ang salita? Double send lang?
“Oo nga, beauty! Anong meron? Totoo ba talagang ikaw ang pinili niyang partner?”
‘Beauty’ whom I prefer to call ‘Beast’ flipped her hair and smiled. “Yes, he picked me. Oh my gosh, I’m so excited to do the shoot! Have you seen him in person? He’s going to make you drool, I swear to you! He’s so handsome, I can’t even take my eyes and my hands off of him for a second! He’s that irresistable!”
Eyes and hands? Mukhang mahihirapan ako sa photoshoot. Ano bang nakakapagpatanggal sa kamay na nakadikit sa katawan? Tsk-tsk-tsk.
“With that body? Of course we know! That’s why we’re excited too! But I think, Beauty, he’s got hots for you.”
“Really?” *____*
“Yes! Bakit ka naman niya pipiliin kung wala di ba? Eh hindi ka naman model material.”
That made me giggle na narinig nila kaya lumingon sila sa akin. I pursed my lips immediately to stop giggling sabay clear ng throat ko. Tumayo na ako mula sa kinauupuan ko at hinakot ang mga libro na nasa desk.
“Kanina ka pa nakikinig?”
I tilt my head to their side and grinned. “Oh you know it, dear beast. You’re my past time.” Saka ako tumawa at naglakad na papunta sa pintuan.
“Are you interested with Dark Lockhart?”
Natatawa akong lumingon sa kanila. I see the frown in their faces. Parang yung emoticon lang sa chat ng facebook. Yung diretso yung bibig tapos dalawang dot yung sa mata. :D
“Sorry, I don’t do models.”
“Who the fu—”
“Fudge.” I supplied, grinning. “You don’t want detention do you?”
“Fudge! Who the fudge are you fooling you fudgy little piece of air, you’re just a fugdgy little bit—beast! Argh! You’re a model, idiot! Sinong maniniwala sa’yo?”
Itinaas ko ang DSLR nikon camera na nakasabit sa leeg ko. “I’m a photographer today, Missy, and not a model. So I’m sorry, I really don’t screw models.”
“You won’t resist him.”
Tumawa lang ako. “Sa’yo na siya. I’m an aid today, kung magkaka-interes man ako sa partner mo for today’s shoot, I can easily shrug it off since isang araw lang naman. And trust me, I really can resist. This has been my sideline for how many years already. I’ve seen the greatest.”
Nag-smirk ako bago nagtuloy-tuloy palabas ng classroom.
“DREAM SCHNEIDER! You’re such a bitch, I hate you!” I heard her scream from the top of her lungs na halos lahat ng estudyante sa hallway na nadaanan ko eh tumatawa o kaya eh naka-smirk nang marinig iyon.
I don’t see any reasons para mainis siya kapag hindi ako naiinis sa ginagawa niya o sa sinasabi niya. She lives by pissing me off—or at least trying to. Dati ko siyang kaibigan na lumobo ang kokote nang ma-discover na model nung second year siya. Kaya hanggang senior year dala-dala niya ang hydrocephalus na ‘yan. Minsan nga gusto ko na lang putukin nang sumabog na ang hangin sa ulo. But then again boring ang buhay kapag wala ang mga katulad ng uri ni Beauty este ni beast.
Binuksan ko ang locker room ko to drop my things bago pumunta sa labas ng Pentagon. Doon kasi ang location ng photoshoot. Kaya ako ang aid photographer dahil mas gamay ko ang Saint Claire Academy and it’s also convenient dahil dito ako nag-aaral.
I head to the terrace kung saan kumpol na ang mga nanonood. Karamihan ay mga babae na halos tumulo na ang laway. Jeez, women. Care to have some dignity in your bones please? -___-
I checked my camera while walking to the set. Nakita ko na kanina pa ‘yang lights and fans na na-set nila. Naririnig ko na rin ang boses ni beast so mukhang ready na. “Alright, are we good to go?”
“Okay one last touch for Dark then we’re good, Miss Dream.”
Tumango ako ng hindi nakatingin given that I’m looking down with my camera. Strangely, I felt everyone’s heat of stares upon me kaya napaangat ako ng tingin. And I was damn right. Sa akin sila lahat nakatingin. Napakunot ako ng noo. Anong problema netong mga ‘to? “What? Did I said something inappropriate?”
“Psh. Such a bitch.”
Ah mali. Akala ko lahat. Si Beauty lang pala ang nakahanukipkip at nakatingin sa ibang direksyon pero maasim ang mukha. Nag-smirk ako. “Yeah yeah, a bitch. Bitch ako nung di ka pa nag-e-exist.”
Binigyan niya ako ng death glare to which I only grin. Napansin ko yung lalaking katabi niya, must be the guy. His shirt which is a black polo are all unbuttoned revealing his chiselled quite tanned muscular abs. Prob’ly why they drool. His black hair is muffled intently for a sexy sort of look. And his piercing gaze is directed to me.
Anong ginawa ko? Ba’t siya nakatingin sa’kin? Problema neto?
“Aight, let’s start. Give me your best shot.”
I took endless pictures as they constantly change poses. The theme was just simply to be sexy without taking clothes off. Kind ‘a easy pero pag si beast kasi ang tinitignan mo, kahit may damit siya mukha pa ring porno. -___-
One thing na napansin ko sa lalaki eh hindi nag-iiba ang intense ng tingin niya sa camera na parang gusto niyang lagyan ng butas iyon para diretso sa’kin ang titig niya. Creepy, I know. Pero anong magagawa ko? Trabaho eh.
“Okay, we take five!”
The crews shuffled. They handed the models a bottle of water. May nag-abot rin sa’kin na kinuha ko at itinungga bago mag-check ng pictures. Suddenly I felt my heart beat increase by its own accord. Kalmado ako kanina kaya paanong bigla na lang akong…
“Can I see the photos?”
Fvck!
My breath caught in my throat as I turned to look at him. How the hell did he got there? “Yeah.” Wow, I’m even fvcking surprised I didn’t sounded nervous.
Napailing ako to shrug off my thoughts. I handed him the camera saka kinuha ulit yung tubig ko. I drank while he scrolls images. I can even smell his perfume sa sobrang close ng proximity naming dalawa. Hindi ba siya pwedeng lumayo ng konti? I don’t like the damn perfume.
“Oh yeah? What scent do you like then?”
That instant naibuga ko ang iniinom ko. I coughed while I saw him grinned as he looks at the camera for pictures. “What… the… he—”
“Wrong.” ibinalik niya ang camera sa’kin without looking at me. “Don’t say the word, it’s bad.”
I looked at him ridiculously while he walks to position beside Beauty. When I blinked, it’s like the ‘ol normal days when I can see different colors of smoke hovering all over the bodies of these people. But the odd thing is that I can’t see any of those smoke with that guy. Fvck me, what is he?
I closed my eyes. Nakikita ko pa rin sila. Wala na ‘to dapat eh! Damn this!
~xxxx-x-x-x-x-xxxx~
11:56PM.
Isinarado ko ang locker ko matapos kong mailagay ang patch sa loob. I looked around the hallway.
Nakapatay na ang lahat ng ilaw. Napalunok ako. Iba ang dala ng hangin, hindi ko gusto ang pakiramdam na ‘yon.
Naglakad ako sa madilim na hallway. Every step felt like a hundred mile. Wala akong marinig. Sa sobrang tahimik ng paligid ko, maski ang ingay ng hangin hindi ko marinig.
*Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.*
Napahinto ako. Far as I know, the large clock in this damn building isn’t working. Then the lights switched on then went off then on again, it keeps flicking on and off. I clench my fist. I hate it when nights like this kicks in. Pumikit ako, still balling my hands in a fist. Tumigil ang pagkurap ng ilaw.
Nanatili akong nakapikit. Nanahimik ang paligid. “Stop please, stop stop… stop please…” I murmured to myself. Hindi ko sigurado kung anong makikita ko and quite frankly I don’t ever wanna see it.
Kinalma ko ang sarili ko. Isa pang lunok before I slowly opened my eyes. I stood frozen on my ground as I took in the sight in front of me. Her mouth keeps opening na parang sumisigaw siya. Blood keeps gushing out of her nose, eyes, and ears. Her hands and limbs are twisted in such an awkward and creepy places.
My hands flew over to my mouth para pigilan ang nakaambang sigaw na papakawalan ko sana. I stepped back and I screamed when my back hit someone.
“Easy, she’s gone.”
0______0
My eyes widened and I spun around. A tall cassual Dark Lockhart instantly came to view. “W-What… What in hell are you doing here in this kind of time? And why are you even here?”
“It’s funny that you’re more concerned about how am I doing in your school rather than what you just saw.” Funny raw eh wala siyang facial expression sa mukha. Gago rin ‘to eh. “That lady, she’s just a resident soul here, she’s been killed in here with that position so don’t freak out.”
Wait a minute… “Paano siya mamamatay ng gano’n?” 0______0
Nagkibit siya ng balikat. “That’s history. Ask your mother, I think she knows.”
Mother? No, wait, damn it! “What the hell are you?”
Tumingin siya sa akin. His dark eyes held no expression, it was blank as well as his face. Napalunok ako. Gusto kong matakot pero wala akong ibang maramdaman kung hindi inis at galit. Is it directed to him? Woah.
“I better go.” Paalam ko before storming out of that dark hallway.
Tumakbo ako para marating ang car park. I clutch my keys in my hand at nanginginig na binuksan ang pintuan ng kotse ko. I slammed it shut when I was inside and I tried to calm myself down. Why do I have this gut feel that I hate that man?
*Meeeeeooowwwwwwww!*
Napapitlag ako at napatili sa ingay na ‘yon. A white cat jumped in from the back seat at lumanding sa seat na katabi ko. Nasapo ko ang dibdib ko. Its furs are all on high na parang galit na galit siyang nakatingin sa may bintana sa gawi ko. Lumingon ako just to see Dark Lockhart eyeing me and mouthing something that reads: “Jumpy eh?”
Nahugot ko ang hininga ko before I step on the gas and manuevered my car out of the school. That guy… he freaks me out!