BLOODFEUD 1: Giusteo

Prologue "Samahan niyo na kasi ako," pamimiliit sa 'min ni Kaiden. We looked at him irritatedly. "Make sure that it's not boring there," Trevan stood and glared at him. "Syempre," tumango siya Taka akong napatingin sa kaniya. "Saan ba?" tanong ko. "Racing track near the Sports Arena," Kaiden nodded. Napalingon kami kay Vlast na tumayo bigla at sumunod sa 'min. "Hindi mo agad sinabi. Let's go," Vlast said excitedly. "Why?" Kaiden asked perplexedly "There are girls in there right? Maybe there's a car show?" Vlast concluded. "Karera 'yon kaya malamang ay puro lalaki lang," sagot ko sa kaniya. Napailing si Kaiden bago siya tinanguan. We followed him through outside Terviel's house. "May mga ticket na 'ko," imporma ni Kaiden nang makasakay kami sa van. "You really should have. You are the one who invited us," Terviel shrugged. "Dapat ikaw na rin yung nag-drive dito e," reklamo ko sa kaniya. "Bilisan mo nalang, Theo," humalakhak siya. Halos lahat kami ay napilitan lang na sumama sa kaniya. Pampalipas oras na lang din dahil wala kaming magawa. Wala akong hilig at alam tungkol sa karera. Si Kaiden lang ang madalas na manood sa amin ng gano'n. Nang makarating kami sa racing track malapit sa Philippine at Sports Arena ay dali-daling lumabas sina Kaiden. "Thunder swapping places now, hitting its front!" "It's starting now!" Kaiden exclaimed. "Late tayo, bagal niyo kasi." "Just shut up and walk," Trevan drawled lazily. "Lead us the way." Kaiden raised his hand, surrendering. He motioned us to follow him. Dinig na dinig namin ang hiyawan ng mga tao sa loob. Mukhang kanina pa nagsimula ang karera. "May pwesto pa ba?" tanong ko sa kaniya. "VIP tayo," mayabang na sabi at kumindat pa. Tinulak siya ni Vlast papasok nang makarating kami sa b****a. Sumunod kami sa kaniya na naglalakad papunta sa mga unahang upuan. Napahinto ako at napatingin sa mula sa labas ng mga barikadang nakaharang sa tapat namin. Parang hangin lang na dumaan ang tatlong nauunang motor sa harap namin sa sobrang bilis. "Avior absolutely riding the wheels of Ducati!" Patuloy lang pagsasalita ng taong nasa speaker. The people around continued cheering their bet. We sat and watched carefully. Napatitig ako sa nauunang motor. The racer is wearing a blue and white suit. "Smooth backing from Storm!" I saw its move, Storm? A boy? Probably, it's not common for women joining this kind of sports. I can't help but to be amazed on his expeditious drive. Halos matulala ako habang nanonood ng karera. They are so good. I thought it's gonna be boring since I'm not into this, unlike Kaiden. Sumasabay ang tingin ko sa pagdaan ng motor sa amin kada ikot. Sobrang bilis, parang hangin lang. "Those three are advancing," Trevan blurt out, watching closely. "Maybe they are professional?" Vlast said. "They looked young." Hanggang sa huling ikot ng karera ay nanatili kaming nakatitig sa kanila. Hindi ko maiwasang humanga, angas. Halos mapatayo kami nang sunod-sunod na lumagpas sa finish line ang tatlong nauuna. Gayundin ang mga tao sa paligid, naghihiyawan. Dahil nasa VIP area kami, malapit lang sa tapat namin huminto ang mga motor nila. Black, red and the blue one. "What the f**k?" I cursed as they removed their helmets. Napatingin ako kila Trevan na ganoon din ang reaksyon. Hindi rin nila inasahan na mga babae 'yon lalo na't hindi halata sa racing suit na suot nila. "They are girls?!" Vlast said flabbergastingly. Kaiden laughed on us. This bastard. I stared at the girl in blue racing suit, the champion among them three. Hinangin ang kayumanggi niyang buhok nang tinanggal ang helmet. Medyo gumulo iyon pero bagay pa rin sa kaniya. Ang ganda niya. Wala sa sarili akong napatitig. She fixed her messy hair, looking at the two other racers. Hawak niya ang helmet habang ang isang kamay ay nakahawak pa rin sa buhok. I didn't know that I was smiling but when a familiar boy arrived... my smile faded. I felt my brows furrowed. "Who's that?" Terviel said, pointing them. "Aba, naunahan ako," humalakhak si Vladst. "Mga bobo," tumawa si Kaiden. "Pinsan niya yung dalawa r'yan!" Mabilis akong napalingon sa kaniya. Hindi man lang namin alam? "Sino sa kanila?" tanong ko agad. Napatingin ako sa gawi nila. May kasama pang babae si Mako nang nilapitan sila. Mukhang kaibigan nung tatlo. "Yung naka-red at black," sagot ni Kaiden. So she's not the his cousin? What are they though? "I like her, she-" "Who?" Trevan interrupted Terviel. Napatingin din ako kay Terviel na salubong ang kilay nang marinig iyon. Terviel laughed mockingly. "Chill, not the racers," he said, still laughing. "Akala ko boring?" Kaiden mocked us. Umiling lang ako sa kaniya at binalikan ng tingin ang tinitigan ko kanina. "What's her name?" I turned to Kaiden. "Azea Solasta, they are calling her Storm." Bumalik ang tingin ko sa kaniya. I heard it earlier... the Storm. Pero agad ding napatingin ulit kay Kaiden nang may maalala. I blinked twice. "Bakit alam mo?" I asked with brows furrowed. Tumawa siya at napailing. "Fan?" he said and chuckled. "Are you sure?" Trevan asked him perilously. He shrugged and laughed to mock us. After the race, I got the informations about her since Kaiden can have it. She's still a minor... a grade 11 student but joining racing contest like that? Amazing. Hindi pa agad na sundan iyon ulit, naging abala rin kami dahil may pasok pa. The weekend arrived, we decided to go in Trevan's place again like what we used to. "There's no race?" he asked Kaiden. "Oo nga?" segunda ko. "Hindi ko alam," nagkibit-balikat si Kaiden. "You're a useless fan. Outdated?" Vlast mocked him. He cursed and threw an empty bottle. "Wala kasi sila sa huling karera," aniya. "Hindi ko alam kung bakit." Lumabas kami at lumakad palapit sa gazebo. Nakasalubong namin si Laxner na pabalik na sa loob. "What's with the race?" Laxner asked perplexedly. He didn't know about it since he's busy that time. "You mean that racers?" Terviel laughed. Bumaba ang tingin ko sa mesa ng gazebo. Kumunot ang noo ko at dinampot ang dyaryo. Azea Solasta of the legend 'Tria' of drag racing world is injured. I gaped, reading the headline. "Kaiden!" I opened the newspaper directly to the page of whole article. I looked at the lead. Azea Solasta, Avior and Atasha Levesque, left and dragged down by the incident? "Naaksidente," ani Kaiden nang mapatingin doon. "Kaya siguro wala na sila..." "Mako told me that they stopped for a while," Vlast blurt out. Tuwing nanonood kami ng karera, inaabangan namin sila. Pero wala pa rin. Halos isang taon na rin. Kaiden can't dig deeper informations about them, about her. I don't know why. I can't even hack some systems, especially if it's connected to them. I almost thought I'm losing my skills. Even from the Gorostiza Racing Community. We don't have any idea where or why they are still not coming back. I walked outside of our house and go to the parking lot. I immediately get inside my blue sports car. I'm going to Vanliere's place again, for the brotherhood they started. I started driving fast in the midst of wide road. I still can't help to avoid thinking about her. She seems to be protected. So difficult to get. Mabilis akong pumreno nang marating ang intersection ng highway. Muntik pa mawala sa isip ko na pinatutunguhan. I was tapping on my steering wheel while waiting for the traffic light to be a go sign. Wala sa sarili akong lumingon sa labas. Halos matulala ako nang makita ang pamilyar na motor niya. Napaawang ang bibig ko, ang numero niya sa motor ay natatandaan ko pa. I can't f*****g lose this. Agad akong bumusina kaya lumingon siya sa 'kin. She's wearing a helmet so I can't see her reaction and beautiful face. Sunod-sunod ang naging busina ko kahit na nag-aabang lang kami pareho ng go sign. Nanatili ang ulo niyang nakalingon sa akin. I just wished her to agree. I need it. Alam kong makukuha niya ang ibig kong sabihin. Napangiti ako at napasuntok sa hangin nang tumango siya. Humarap ulit siya sa daan. Mahina akong napamura at kinalma ang sarili. I can do this. f**k it. The audacity of me to challenge a drag racer queen. Stupid. - LIV