The Last Autumn

Chapter 1 Awakening

"Y-you, freak! What the hell did you do!" Her whole face almost turned red. Halos magkasing kulay na ang mukha at blush on niya.

Geez! Napaka iskandaloso naman nito. Bagay naman sa kanya ang nangyari. Anong ikinagagalit mo riyan? Bulong ko sa sarili ko.

I remain silent, ignoring her presence and her dramas na mas lalong mas ikinainit ng dugo niya. Akma na siyang susugod ng biglang dumating na ang aming prof.

"What's going on here?" Kalmado niyang sambit, ngunit mababakas mo pa rin ang pagka awtoridad sa kanyang tinig.

Tikom ang bibig ng lahat at walang nais magsalita. Marahil ay ayaw na nilang madawit pa sa gulo.

Inilibot nito ang kanyang mata hanggang sa mahinto ito sa kinaroroonan namin. Bakas sa kanyang mata ang pagkagulat nang makita ang kalagayan ni Tasha. Bukod sa pulang-pula nitong mukha ay bumakat na rin ang kanyang kulay pulang bra, dahil sa basa niyang uniporme.

Prof. Tim walked towards us. Bahagya pa siyang napalunok nang mas makita niya nang malapitan ang sitwasyon ni Tasha. "What happened to you miss, Tasha?" he asked her, once again he swallowed secretly and his eyes were looking afar.

Prof. Tim was the youngest professor in our school. He studied and graduated here, that's why he easily got hired when he applied. He was also the salutatorian in his batch. I admit, he's hot, too, and his glasses make him more look attractive.

Tasha pointed her index finger to me. "S-she! That witch did this to me!" she shouted.

"Yeees, sir! That witch did that to Tasha," one of her alipores, I mean friend, had said.

Prof. Tim looked at me and ask "Is it true miss Néos?" with his soft but deep voice.

Come on! I know you're hot, but you're not kinda my type.

Before I could speak, one of Tasha's alipo... friends spoke. "That's true, siiir!" with her flirty voice. She's also playing with her hair and tiptoeing.

"Yes, I did th----"

"See?" Akma na sana siyang susugod muli, ngunit iniharang na niya ang sarili dahilan upang mapahinto muli si Tsaha.

"Enough, you both go to the principal's office now.” Madiin nitong saad, “Tatawagan ko na rin ang mga magulang niyo para ipaalam ito," mas naging ma-awtoridad ang boses nito. "At kayo naman, pumunta na kayo sa susunod ninyong klase," referring to the class. Hindi na niya kami hinintay makapag salita at nauna nang lumabas ng lab.

Sumunod na din si Tasha, ngunit bago niya pa ako malagpasan ay huminto ito, "You'll pay for this freak!" nanggigil niyang sambit.

I ignored her and go straight to the principal's office.

We waited for a couple of minutes before our parents arrived.

Tasha's mom were shocked, when she saw her daughter. While her dad remained calm and put his suit to her.

"Mooom!" with a teary eyes.

Tss. What an actress. Kanina lang ang para kang isang gutom na leon at handang manunggab ano mang oras. And now you're crying? Pathetic.

Her mom held her burned hair and gave me a sharp glare.

My mom saw her and look thoroughly into her eyes. "Excuse me, be careful with your eyes," she said calmly and asked what happened.

"Your freak daughter just burned my hair. Look at my hair now!" She grabbed her hair at pinakita niya ito sa kanila. "Palibhasa ay masyadong inggit sa akin ang babaeng yan dagdag pa nito.”

"Is it true, darling?" Mother asked.

I responded, "Of course not, mom."

"Liar! You are a liar! You just told earlier to prof Tim that you did it!" Halos mapigtal na ang mga litid niya sa lalamunan dahil sa tindi ng pagsigaw nya.

"Yes, I did it. That is what you want me to say, right? But it wasn't me," kung pinatapos niya lamang sana nila ako pagsalitain kanina, eh 'di sana ay hindi tayo aabot dito. At hindi ka magmumukhang tanga ngayon.

"No! It's you!" Matapang na pagpupumilit niya.

"You can actually review the cctv footage, if you still insist that it was me," Yes, sweetie, the lab has hidden cameras. Not just the lab but whole school. Also not just cameras but also underground with another lab and abandoned building. Shocking, right?

"C-c-cctv? What do you m-mean by cctv?" Halos mautal-utal niyang sambit. Kahit si Mr. Fuego na aming dean ay nagulat sa kanyang narinig.

Better hire some professional installer next time, so it won't see that easily.

"N-no mommy, dad ----- Dean, don't believe that witch," Halata parin ang pangangarag sa boses niya.

He cleared his throat before he spoke. "Actually prof Tim already emailed the footage," Itinapat niya ang laptop sa amin bago ipinanood ang video.

The area of the video was from the back-left corner of the room, where the air conditioner was placed. Kaya hindi talaga agad mahahalata na mayroong naka lagay na camera.

Magandang anggulo din ito, dahil kitang-kita ang buong lugar. You can see on the video that our Chemistry prof, it was prof. Tim who was teaching us when one of his co-teacher knocked. He told us that he was going to the office for a moment, and he will be back, as soon as possible. A couple of minutes was full of silence, because we're busy doing experiment. When Mia suddenly thrown a crumpled paper and shouted 'break time'. Some students thrown a crumpled paper, too. The lab became chaotic and noisy. Mish stood up and go straight at my back and Tasha's back. She pulled out a lighter, lit and put under my hair when suddenly Troy, our classmate run and accidentally hit her. Nawalan ito ng balanse at natukod ang kanyang kamay sa upuan ni Tasha, ngunit nanatiling bukas ang lighter at naka tapat na ito sa buhok ni Tasha.

Both of them panicked and Mish thrown the lighter into my desk. She grabbed the pail of water under our desk and poured it to Tasha.

By the way, Every desk in the science lab has a small pail full of water, in case of emergency.

And they started to make a scene and blame to it to me.

Actually our school was one of the expensive school in our area. Kaya hindi rin nakakapagtaka kung mayroon mang mga cctv cameras. But the school prepared to hide the cameras, so students can freely move and act normal. However, it has consent from the student's parents. They also have agreement to not tell this to their children. It just happened that I accidentally saw it. Yes, an accident and take note this is a religious school.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fuentes, I believe that I don't have to tell anything about this," kitang-kita sa mukha ng mga magulang ni Tasha ang pagkahiya dahil sa napanood. Ganoon din si Tasha na mas namula pa lalo ang mukha.

"The footage already told us who's telling the truth. Mr. and Mrs. Noblesse, I am very sorry about what happened that involved Ms. Néos to this, who's actually the real victim," he apologized.

"It's fine. At least now, we all know that my daughter was innocent. Please don't let it happen again," mahinahong sambit ng aking ama.

Her parents apologized for what happened and Mish, Mia and Tasha were suspended for two weeks, and punished to have school service after school hours for the whole school year.

Her parents kept apologizing hanggang sa makalabas sila ng office.

"Ms. Néos, may I talk to you for a while?" palabas na rin sana kami ng biglang magsalita si Mr. Fuego.

I looked at my mom and she nodded at me and say, "We'll go ahead, hihintayin ka nalang namin ng dad mo sa parking lot," Dad tap my head before they leave the office.

He also look at Mr. Fuego and had eye contact. Looks like they talking.

When they already left the office Mr Fuego turned to me.

"How did you know about the cameras?" He asked me, straightly. It gives me chilled when I saw his dark brown eyes.

"One time, I go earlier at school and saw them fixing it. I continued walking and pretend not to see them," I lied.

"You're lying," I was frozen for a moment.

"Of course, no----" he cut my words.

"It can't be seen by naked eyes. It was protected from any human race," what does he mean?

"So, when did you found out about the cameras and the underground? this time, para akong sinampal ng malamig na hangin.

I didn't even said it? Nor, tell it to others. How did he know that I knew it? I remained calm kahit sobrang lakas ng t***k ng puso ko.

"You don't have to tell it to others or say it to me. Don't worry. We waited this for a hundred years," was he serious?

Hundred years?

"Finally!" he chuckled softly, then smiled to me, that gave me chilled into my spine.

"I'm sorry, dean. But I don't understand you?" I'm really confused. He's scaring me. What is happening? I badly wanna leave him and run to my parents. But it feels like I could not move my body.

He fixed himself and bowed to me. "Kalós ílthate sto spíti, Néos."

What? What did he say? Is it a foreign language or an alien language!

(Welcome home, Néos.)

"The whole AREDENDLE was waiting for you for a long time."