Code Red : The Series

Chapter 2

"It's okay...this will be quick, babe" What the—

"Who the heck are you?!?" I screamed, my voice trembling with fear. The man in front of me was naked, his skin shining in the dim light. He was a terrifying sight in that otherwise normal room.

"Babe, come on. This will be quick... I promise." he repeated, his grip on my wrists tightening. His touch sent waves of disgust and terror through me.

"No!!! Get away from me!!" I struggled, desperate to escape, but my efforts were useless against his surprising strength.

"Fck you!!!" I yelled, using every ounce of air in my lungs.

"Fck you too!! Oh ano?!" Huh?

"Anyare sayo?!! " Stel? How—

"What the hell are you doing here? How did you get into my room?!" What the heck? Has she been here the whole time?

"Keys, your dad gave them to me." She replied.

"Arghh! Next time, just call me at night if you want to come over..."

"Hey!!...Wala akong plans magstay over, I was waiting for you to wake up so we could go to school together, and you just...accused me!! Where did that F word even come from..." she complained, sitting like a spoiled princess.

I sighed. "What time is it anyway? Are we late?" I asked, putting a hand to my chest, feeling a surge of fear.

Damn... I'm terrified.

She mumbled around a mouthful of chocolate, "Hindi pa naman. Yowrs fiwrst class is at nine, riwght? Mine's at 9:30. It's only 7:32. Just..mowve fawster..." I could barely understand her through all the chocolate.

"Awnd uhuhmm...Sino ba'yong kalaban mo? You're taking your man-hating a little too far, ya know..." she said, a teasing lilt in her voice.

"Tsss," I responded, rolling my eyes. I wasn't going to dignify that with a response. Honestly, it was a ridiculous accusation.

I got up, feeling slightly unsettled, and headed to the bathroom. The lingering unease from the dream clung to me. The dream itself was so bizarre, so vivid, that it felt almost real. In fact, parts of it were still playing in my mind like a disturbing movie reel.

The intense feeling of dread and the shadowy figure... who was he? And more importantly, what did it all mean? I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to wash away the lingering weirdness. However, the unsettling feeling remained. It was clear I needed more than just cold water to shake off this strange experience.

—

Finally, I felt refreshed. Opening the door, the same scene greeted me.She was still happily munching on the chocolates she'd clearly raided from our refrigerator!

"Oh please, just get ready already!!" I yelled at her.

"Hoy!! Magdadamit kapa no!! Unahin mo yun!..." she retorted. I just rolled my eyes and walked to my closet.

After searching through my clothes, I found the perfect outfit for the day. It was a gorgeous, form-fitting white satin dress. It had long sleeves, a collared shirt-style top, and a cinched waist that highlighted my figure. The hemline was asymmetrical, adding a touch of unique style. Perfect.

Meanwhile, the girl beside me was wearing a chic outfit: a black long-sleeved top with a stylish cut-out at the waist, paired with crisp white wide-leg pants. She also had a black blazer draped casually over her arm.

Anyways, time for makeup!!

—

"Now what? Look at you, you're so slow!!!" I grumbled. She'd been goofing off with those chocolates earlier, and now she's making me wait!

"Ito naaa! Geez, you were the one keeping me waiting earlier!!" she retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

All I could do was watch Stel, waiting impatiently.

"Okay, I'm ready." she added, spritzing on some mouth spray and fussing with her tiny handbag.

"Tara na nga!" She grabbed my arms excitedly, practically pulling me along. We stepped outside and waited for my car to arrive.

—

“So... what's the plan?"

"Like, what do you want to do?"

I'd been staring out the car window, completely lost in thought, and hadn't realized she'd been talking to me.

"What do you mean? The plan? Or who? The guy from my dream, or—"

"Academics, I'm talking about academics, ok?and kanina pa ako nagtatanong, you weren't even listening, Eve!" Stel complained, her attention still glued to her chocolate.

"I'll make up for it. I'll never be in the top two again." I promised, the determination firm in my voice. "I swear, I'll never be number two again."

"Blehh. Fine, It's your life, but promise me you won't do anything stupid to that student." she said.

Hell no... I'm not that crazy.

"I'm not that bad," I mumbled, looking away.

"You better not be, babyyy~" she cooed, seemingly talking to her tiny dinosaur-shaped handbag as if it were a living creature. Crazy, crazy girl!

"Hmmm..."

Looking out the car window, I saw students strolling along, seemingly unconcerned about the distance to school. I briefly wondered what their reasons were, but shrugged it off; it wasn't my problem.

Then, I closed my eyes, letting the quiet calm my racing thoughts. It was my escape. Honestly, I didn't care what others think of me, not being at the top anymore. The pressure of always being the best—that's where the real stress came from.

And now? My position was ruined by someone I didn't even know. I didn't know if she or he was a freshman, a senior in their third or fourth year, or maybe... what if their just a senior high school student? The uncertainty gnawed at me.

Our university has this crazy ranking system – three different kinds! First, there are rankings for each subject, like, who's the ultimate ace in math or history. Then there are rankings for each grade level. And get this, there's an overall ranking that mixes everyone up, from senior high all the way to college.

Every midterm, we have this huge exam that decides the overall ranking. It's ridiculously hard; sometimes, out of a hundred students, only a few even pass. It was a breeze for me, which is why I always topped the charts.

I know, meeting that person would be a problem. Not for me, but for them. They stand no chance against me. So let's hope we don't meet...

Or maybe we should. Hmph.

—

“Nandito na po tayo, Ma’ams.” Mang Isto announced.

“Thank you, Mang Isto!!!" Stel said, bidding him farewell. We both got out of the car.

“Good morning.”

“They probably slept for eight hours”

“And still looks gorgeous”

“Morning, Miss Stella”

“Morning, angel!!” Stella replied.

“Have you eaten yet? ” I interrupted her.

“Morning!! Mor—well, hindi pa and...I'm hungry!” she said. Well, you’re always hungry.

“Tssk...Stop greeting everyone na nga, let’s go!” I said, pulling her toward the canteen.

—

“McXain, Arkhava from Business Ad. 2nd year class A, please come to the chairman's office. I repeat— Samlion, Arkhava from Business Ad. 2nd year class A, please come to the chairman's office...”

“Hey!! What did you do this time?” Stel whispered.

What? I was just eating peacefully!

But with no choice, I grabbed my food and stood up. I’m still hungry, after all. I hadn't done anything wrong—maybe this is just about my dad and the chairman. My dad and our university chairman are working together; he’s my uncle, after all.

—

“Yes?” Stepping into my uncle's office, I quickly settled onto the sofa. Nonchalantly, I placed my food on the coffee table, making myself feel right at home.

My uncle is in his seventies; he should have retired when he was sixty, but he didn’t have a successor.

“Arkhava, I’m glad you came. I just want to ask you one thing.” He said, his back to me. His words startled me mid-bite.

“Uh… What is it?” I asked.

"You're at an age where marriage is expected," he began, his voice low and measured. His eyes finally met mine. "I have a deal. Marry someone I want YOU to marry, and the chairmanship of this university is yours."

Oh please.

"Sorry, Uncle, but I refuse," I said, my voice firm. “I know this university is beyond the best—I know. but I'm not ready for marriage, and...," I glared "I'm not marrying someone I don't even like."

I beat him to the punch. I knew he'd try to convince Dad, so I had to get ahead of it. It was the right thing to do. And honestly? If he's going to pick my husband, why doesn't he just get married?

Honestly, the nerve! Why didn't he just say he wanted me to marry someone he liked? All for the sake of his precious university? Serves him right that karma's finally caught up. He never had a wife. Probably because he was such a playboy – women are probably terrified of him now.

—

Things happened so fast. I'm almost at my spot now. Yeah, I have this little private place on the rooftop, just for Stel and me. Sometimes, even she can't get in.

My uncle got it for me 'cuz libraries aren't really my thing.

Okay, almost there... I reached for my key, but the door opened before I could use it.

"Fck."

I burst into my room, all bravado and barely contained panic. Something bad had to happen, or maybe...that dream would come true. First, though, I grabbed my cutter from my bag, holding it tight.

I searched everywhere but was relieved to find no one. Then I collapsed onto my little bed.

Stel would find me eventually, I was sure of it—

"Who the fck are you?!’ I yelled,

The scream ripped from my lungs. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the suffocating silence. Something—someone—was under the covers of my small bed.

Despite my warnings, there was no response. With a surge of adrenaline, I flung back the blanket.

It's just a girl.