Midnights with Sin

Lone Star

TAHIMIK AKONG UMUPO sa likuran ng klase at hindi inalintana ang mga tingin ng iba sa akin habang ako ay pumarito. Hindi na bago sa akin ang pagtinginan. Hindi sa iniaangat ko ang aking sarili ngunit maganda ang aking Mommy. Gayunding hindi pahuhuli sa lahi ang tatay kong mabuti’t hindi ko namana ang ugali.

Sa ngayon. Because, who knows?

I tied my long, naturally-brown hair as I waited for the start of the lecture. I was actually not looking forward for the day. Pumasok lamang ako upang sa gayon ay maipasa ko ang aking class cards. Hindi rin naman kasi bagong palaging introduction ang nagaganap tuwing unang araw ng klase. Isa pa, ako ay puyat at pagod dahil sa nangyari kagabi.

“Good morning, class. I guess this is a mix of different courses for the general subject, right?”

A lot of interested students nodded and replied to the young male professor that is going to be the instructor for the morning subject of Arts Appreciation. For a BS Biology student like me, it was a state in the middle of interest and disinterest.

After all, I need some arts skill to help me survive the looming horrors of sketching anatomical figures in Anatomy and Physiology.

“Do you believe that we are all artists on our own? Whether it be a simple drawing up to a piece of music, we pour our best to produce what we yearn to accomplish through the art of art, itself. Are we not all servants of art, then? That being said, shall we know your names, my dear artists?”

I discreetly sighed. Here we go.

I was about to take the spotlight and reveal my name to the class when the door opened and two guys entered. Instantly, they diverted everyone’s attention as boys started studying their looks and girls began musing over them.

When I took a good look over the one who isn’t wearing sunglasses, he caught my eyes to and I immediately recognized him.

It was Evo.

He waved at me and walked directly toward the seat on my left after apologizing to the young professor.

Umupo na ako at hindi na inabala pa ang magpakilala nang hindi sila magkamayaw sa sumunod na nangyari. Naglakad ang kasama ni Evo at saka umupo sa aking kanang gawi. Hindi ko maiwasan ang mapatingin sa kanya dahil hindi ako maaaring magkamali.

When he took his sunglasses off, he glanced at me and raised a brow.

I froze.

“What?” he nonchalantly inquired.

I shook my head and diverted my attention to the front.

For some reasons, I was actually glad that he looked like he did not recognize me.

I am still blessed, then.

Evo stood up and introduced himself. I did not bother looking around when I suddenly felt being watched. I do not like the feeling especially when I am a runaway daughter of a demon who will make my life a living hell if he gets to find me once again.

Kung bakit ba kasi kailangan pa niya ako samantalang hindi naman niya ako inaalagaan.

“And let me introduce to you my friend, beside the beautiful Miss Berlin,” Evo then suddenly announced and I looked up to him just to catch him winking at me. “No other than Sinestreo Shun. I call him Sin but don’t call him that. He also hates talking much so pardon him for future misunderstandings. I hope we all get along.”

Evo was so cheerful. He sat back down and gave a toothy smile to everyone before throwing me a look. “Hey. You look sleepy. May klase ka bang susunod dito?”

I shook my head. “Mamaya pang 3 to 7. Makakapagpahinga ako.”

“Do you want to go rest at my place? It’s just a few walks from here.”

“Ah, no. No, thanks. I have something to do afterwards din,” saad ko naman. Hindi sa ayaw kong makihalubilo sa ibang tao.

Kailangan ko lamang talagang dumistasya sa marami kung gusto ko ng tahimik na buhay.

“Well, how about some snack then? Before you take some nap?”

He was looking at me with big, hopeful eyes and I couldn’t actually say no because he was very friendly and it hurts me to always turn him down. Once wouldn’t hurt, maybe, right?

“Okay.”

“Okay!” he was so jolly about it that he immediately poked his friend using his ruler and said, “Yo, Sin. Let’s grab some food later. I met Berlin last night. She’s so pretty, isn’t she?”

I could not help but to blush when hearing other people compliment me without any form of social obligation. Coming from Evo, it sounded so true and innocent.

I got frozen when Sin suddenly tilted his head from his seat and scanned me. It was as if he was telling me that he knows what I was thinking and I suddenly felt alarmed that he knows that I am calling him Sin than his real name at the back of my head.

Oh my God.

Does he recognize me?

He shouldn’t right?

Besides, he looks uninterested enough not to tell me apart.

But what if he knows?

What if he suddenly tells everyone how I took nine million dollars away from him? Now with this fact present in my head, how could a student-model be as rich as that?

Hindi nagtagal ang pagkabigla ko nang umandar ang talas ng dila niya na simula pa lamang kagabi ay gusto ko nang wakasan.

“You should cover your face.”

It was as if there was a giant iceberg that cracked inside my head. It was continuously cracking until there came rumbling sounds to what seemed like Titanic 2.0.

Evo got in the middle and said, “Hey, dude. Stop that. Do not be rude to my friend. Come on, the prof dismissed us already.”

“I have not heard of his name,” I said as I looked for the professor. “Did you happen to catch it?”

“Nope.”

Hindi pa rin naaalis ang tila ba hindi interisadong titig ni Sin ngunit kahit gaano ko man ito ialis sa aking isip, alam kong hindi siya basta-basta makikinig kay Evo. Nakikilala man niya ako bilang si White Flame o hindi, walang mababago sa trato niya sa akin dahil siya at ang lalaking tinangka akong paghubarin kagabi ay iisa.

Nasa cafeteria kami at alam ko namang talagang maaagaw naming tatlo ang atensyon ng mga kumakain dito. Kay Sin pa lamang ay nagkakandarapa na sila.

Evo gave me a small box of orange juice and a plate of a whole cheesecake.

“The cafeteria serves food like this?” I disbelievingly asked him and he was more bewildered with my reaction than with the food he just placed on the table.

“They don’t serve the same things daily here. Who knows they might just serve cheesecake again after two weeks? Try that strawberry one. It is bomb,” he urged and with a big smile, he dug into his high-calorie heavy meal.

Habang nag-uusap kami ni Evo ay hindi naman nagsasalitang tila ba hangin lamang sa tabi ng kanyang kaibigan si Sin.

I really need to figure out what to call him. Evo made it clear that he does not like random people to call him that. Calling him Sinestreo for his full name does not quite make me less comfortable. It is so intimidating. It nearly sounds like ‘sinister in trio’ and I was unsure about it.

Patakas ko siyang sinilip mula sa aking pagkain at halatang wala talaga itong interes sa pagsalo sa amin. Nagkakape lamang siya habang may inaasikaso sa kanyang cell phone.

We parted ways after the snack and I went straight to my apartment, contemplating whether I should start looking for a flatmate so I could earn more and pay him bit by bit. But now that I looked at the converted amount of nine million dollars in Philippine peso at my calculator, I threw myself to my bed and groaned.

“Patay na ako.”

It was at that time that my notifications blew my phone up.

Lahat ng ito ay galing sa MasterCall at hindi ko mawari ang aking mararamdaman.

Good day, White Flame. It looks like your client was not pleased with your service last night because he rated you 1 out of 5 stars. That leaves you banned from other clients for now until you have gained his satisfaction again. From now on, until he rates you any higher than 3, we, the MasterCall Team will be responsible to arrange Stygian Talon’s directions to you.

Don’t worry, you will still get paid as the agency’s policy permits but you have to gain your reputation by pleasing your designated client.

Regards,

The MasterCall Team

Ako ay napabuntong hininga sa aking nabasa. Nagwala at nagsusumigaw ako sa ilalim ng unan upang hindi makaabala sa iba. Nakakainis!

Am I reading this right?

I have to please him?

Saan ko ba maaaring i-report itong lalaking ito dahil muntik na niya akong pinaghubad kahapon kaya ko siya tinakasan?

Sinamaan ko ng tingin ang blue na evening gown sa tabi ng aking kama at muling huminga nang malalim.

“I guess I have to return you after all.”

Sana lamang ay hindi na niya ako gawan ng kung ano pa sa susunod na mag-call siya ng agent.

NAKALIMOT PA NG oras ang propesor ko dahil 7:30 PM na niya kami pinalabas. So much for introductions. The professor was after a full-blown class duty at the first day of school.

Kina Mommy Mel na ako kumain ngunit hindi ako nagtagal doon dahil hindi ko maiwala sa isip ko ang dalawang lalaking kanina pa nagbubulungan sa aking likurang tila ako ang pinag-uusapan. Palinga-linga akong naglalakad pauwi dahil iba talaga ang aking pakiramdam.

Hanggang sa ako ay makarating ng apartment ko, hindi pa rin ako makampante kaya naman inulit ko pang tingnan ang lock nito bago ako magbihis. Naghilamos na lamang din naman ako bago ako humiga.

Nagbasa ako ng mga topic na inaasahan ko nang pag-aaralan namin nang makatanggap ako ng isa pang mensahe mula sa MasterCall.

Your client is requesting you at Marionette Hotel, at the casino, 14th floor. Our Team is at your back to regain your reputation! Good luck!

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I do not know what is funny. It was either the fact that the site is so supportive or the fact that this is really happening to me. At some point, I regret registering. But at some point, I blame my unluckiness to meet an arrogant client. It could have gone smoothly if it was anyone than him.

To be fair, I was careless.

Sumakay na ako ng jeep dahil bitbit ko ang gown na isasauli ko sa kanya. Kaagad naman nila akong pinapasok nang sabihin kong may kasama ako sa loob.

As usual, I wore my face mask. I could not bear to let him realize that we are classmates in one subject. That would break hell into two.

I entered the gilded doorway and I was ushered to a smaller door away from the busy dealings of the people engrossed with chips and card. The ambiance in that hall was so eye-melting. It was as if I was taken to a cruise ship.

The door closed behind me and I found myself entrapped inside a small, cold, and dark room. It smelled of alcohol and literally money. From the other side of the room, I saw his figure, confidently leaning back as he sat and (I guess) studied me.

I waited for him to speak.

“Thanks for bringing that dress back. I think we had a misunderstanding last night, had we not?”

His voice was a bit deeper now maybe because of the enclosed space.

“Err… misunderstanding, Sir?”

Marahan siyang tumango. Madilim talaga ang silid at hindi ko siya maaninag nang mabuti. “You thought I was about to get you naked. I was just after the dress. That is from my mom’s boutique.”

Realization hit me and now I slightly bowed for apology. “Sorry, Sir.”

“Why are you standing frozen there?”

“Uh…”

“You can put that down.”

I slowly bent my knees, not taking my eyes off him because I still do not trust him and carefully placed the paper bag of dress and the masquerade ball mask on the floor.

How was he even sure that it was I whom he talked to last night? I am not even that recognizable through this dark room.

Naghari ang katahimikan hanggang sa siya ay mag-angat ng ulo.

"Take off your mask," he lowly commanded as he watched me from across the dark room.

There was a faint red light from behind him but I was not that stupid not to recognize his face. Dammit. It was him, really.

Sa dinami-rami ng pwede niyang i-request, ako pa?

"Sir, hindi po makararating si White Flame. Nandito po ako para halilihan siya," maingat kong sagot.

He stood on his feet and even before I knew it, I was being pushed against the wall and his hot breath fanned over my exposed neck.

"Three things. One, your contract says you need to call me Master."

He hovered his lips over to the base of my neck and his hands drove my wrists harder against the wall.

"Two, you do as you are told. And three," he paused as he pushed his body harder on me, his right hand expertly detangling the ribbons of my mask.

A second later, it dropped to the floor and he darkly gazed at my dumbfounded face.

"I know it was you."