Vampire's Pathos

Blood 16

"I'm Jillian Zanthrea Cress. Masaya akong makilala kayo."

Halos lahat ng tao sa buong room nagulat sa mukha ng bagong transfer student.

She had a long and flowy chestnut hair, and a porcelain face na mukhang gustong gusto ng mga lalaki kong kaklase.

Habang sila nagkakatuwaan dahil sa bago naming magiging kaklase, tahimik kong inaalala yung unang gabi ko doon sa mansyon na 'yon.

It was.. abnormally quiet.

Tanging yung nakabukas na aircon lang yung naririnig ko, and I never turned it off kahit nilalamig ako kasi sobrang nakakabingi yung katahimikan ng buong mansyon na 'yon. Kahit si Blank hindi nag iingay.

Parang nasa loob lang ako ng isang napakalaking mansyon, at ako lang yung nakatira sa loob.

In the end, I didn't get to sleep much either.

The room's coldness was beyond comfortable, at pati na rin yung sobrang laking kama kung saan nagpaikot-ikot lang ako buong magdamag hanggang sa nakatulog ako madaling araw na yata.

I could feel my eyelids getting heavier and heavier each time I was opening my eyes, like it was pulling me to sleep.

I took my glasses off, and I gently rubbed the bridge of my nose para man lang magising ako.

I couldn't even wear my contacts kasi alam kong baka makatulog ako sa klase, ayaw na ayaw ko pa namang nagsusuot ng salamin. After putting my glasses back on, dahan dahan akong napahikab at napaunat sa sarili kong upuan.

Pinagbawalan nang pumunta ang mga studyante sa library, so that's one sleeping place off the list.

Tahimik lang akong nag iisip ng iba pang lugar kung saan makakatulog ako ng tahimik, para kahit hindi ako makatulog sa mansyon na 'yon, may nakukuha pa rin akong tulog throughout the day.

Kaso naalala ko na hindi ko rin namang pwedeng iwan nang mag isa si Blank buong magdamag..

So, I guess babalik at babalik talaga ako sa mansyon na 'yon?

I sighed silently, at natigil naman kaagad ako sa panlulumo nung may nakapukaw sa atensyon ko.

The new girl made her way towards me, which was weird since hindi ko naman siya kilala, and I don't think I plan to either. In the end, I brushed the strange idea off of my head because maybe she's just passing through while looking at me, right?

Yep, she was just passing through.

Kasi matapos niyang mapatingin sa akin, tinungo niya yung atensyon ni kay Real, who was on the other side of the room.

And then it shifts to Aerovan, na nakita kong ang sama ng tingin sa bagong babae na 'yon.

Okay, let's leave it at that.

Kung ano mang g**o ang balak niyang pakuluin, wala na akong balak alamin dahil wala rin akong balak makisalo sa g**o.

Agad namang nagsimula yung klase nung nakaupo na yung babae, and when it was finally lunch break, lumapit kaagad sa akin si Rion.

"Miss Eara, I--" 

Hindi natapos ni Rion yung sasabihin niya nung may isa pang lalaking lumapit din sa harap ko at inutusan nalang ako bigla. 

"Let's go." Napatingin ako kay Aerovan na katabi nalang ni Rion, at napabuntong hininga nalang ako. 

"Sorry, Rion." Ang huli kong sinabi, and I saw him frown at my decision to come with Aerovan without even a second of thinking about it.. 

But only if he knew.. my reasons.. 

"Mamaya nalang?" Pahabol na nagsalita si Rion bago ako tuluyang nakaalis at napatango nalang ako, and he smiled.

After that, tahimik nalang akong nakasunod kay Aerovan na hindi ko man lang alam kung saan kami dapat pupunta. 

"Saan mo naman ako dadalhin?" 

Tanong ko sa kanya habang naglalakad kami sa hallway, and he answers. 

"Kean." 

It was such a short answer, kaya ako nalang ang umintindi kung bakit ko kailangang pumunta sa principal's office nang kasama siya. 

Bumaba kami nang hagdan, at hindi rin nagtagal..

Natagpuan ko na yung sarili ko sa loob ng office, at pareho lang kaming nakatitig ni Aerovan sa kuya niya.

We were still standing in front of the office doors, at nagtaka ako kung bakit hindi na lumalapit si Aerovan sa kuya niya.

Binabalak ko pa namang umupo doon sa inupuan ko noon, pero mukhang hindi na muna ngayon.

There must be a reason why this guy's standing here, right?

"Where is she?" She?

Nakunot ko yung noo ko sa biglaang tinanong ni Kean, at napatingin ako kay Aerovan na sumagot nalang bigla.

"Kei and Franchesca's handling her." Hindi ko nasundan yung sinasabi nila.. but there were two things that I watched out for..

Who was her..?

And who was Franchesca?

Kean simply nodded, at saka siya napatingin sa akin. And his expression turns into a smile, and I've got the feeling that that smile isn't something I should be happy about.

"You have to pretend for a few days.." Hindi ko natago yung gulat ko sa narinig ko.

Pretend?

Kakaisip ko lang na ayaw ko madamay sa g**o, but it seems like it follows me everywhere I go.

"May kinalaman ba 'to sa bagong lipat na babae?" Walang alinlangan na akong nagtanong, and they weren't surprised that I got it right.

Parang inisip na kaagad nila na maiintindihan ko kahit wala silang sinabi..

Paano nalang kung tanga ako di ba?

Well, kung tanga nga ako, then I wouldn't be in this kind of situation at all.

"She's from another clan of vampires.. at hindi maganda ang relasyon namin sa angkan nila." Tinigil na niya yung pagpapaliwanag, which meant that that was the only thing he plans to tell me.

"The plan is for you to act like a maid."

"What?"

Parang mas lalo akong naguguluhan sa gusto niyang mangyari, at tanging gulat nalang siguro ulit yung nakapinta sa mukha ko dahil na naman sa sinabi niya.

"We need to hide who you really are, and she's probably going to live inside the mansion with us even if Kian doesn't want her to." Hide what I really was?

Yung katauhan ko ba yung tinutukoy nila?

Or the part that I was a rare kind?

"As of now, your things are being transferred to a maid's quarters, and you are hired as Kian's personal maid, because your parents gave you to us to pay their remaining debt to our family. Or that's how the story goes."

He thoroughly explained the plan in which I was suddenly dragged into.

Napahawak nalang ako sa ulo, at tanging ngiti lang yung nakikita ko sa mukha ni Kean.

"You have nice glasses. You should wear that more often." He remarked out of context, at napailing iling nalang ako sa mga ginagawa niya.

Staying inside that mansion was already uncomfortable enough.

Pero para bigla nalang akong maging maid na nakasunod kay Aerovan, and worse of all, ilipat ako sa maid's quarters!?

Sana naman mabawi ko na yung tulog ko di ba?

Something tells me that that wasn't the end of it.

"Also, you need to play your part inside the school. Hindi ka naman siguro pahihirapan ni Kian." He grinned after that statement like he was enjoying this, at dahan dahang napunta yung tingin ko kay Aerovan na nasa tabi ko.

He always had that expressionless and stoic face on, kaya hindi ko talaga malaman kung anong tumatakbo sa utak niya.

And even if he does show any expression, the only other expression I saw was either..

Contempt, anger, or hatred.

It wasn't long after I looked at him, that he noticed my stare, at napadpad din yung tingin niya sa akin. Kaya agad kong iniwas yung mga mata ko sa kanya.

"Something will be done sooner or later, kaya rest assured na hindi 'to magtatagal."

Ayan ang mga huling kataga ni Kean bago kami umalis ng office niya.

I do hope that's true though..

Because that experience with Kate is still fresh in my mind.. and as much as possible..

Ayoko nang maranasan 'yon ulit. 

"Why is she sticking to Kian?"

"Ano relasyon meron sila ni Aerovan?"

"Did she do something to him?"

Napahawak nalang ako sa ulo ko habang naririnig yung mga pinagsasabi ng mga babae sa paligid namin ni Aerovan.

We're just walking in the hallway, at ganito na ang nangyayari..

Lahat ba nang babae sa school na 'to ay kaya ni Real?

Just what will happen to me after all of this?

Naiyuko ko nalang yung ulo ko para naman hindi ko makita yung mga nakakataas balahibo nilang mga tingin sa akin, at naitaas ko nalang 'yon nung mag tumawag sa pangalan ko.

"Miss Eara!"

There was only one person who would call me that.

Nakita ko si Rion na papalapit sa amin at napatigil si Aerovan, and I did the same.

Nakita kong nagtama yung tingin nilang dalawa, at pareho nilang sinamaan ng tingin yung isa't isa, bago sila tuluyang napatingin sa akin.

Bakit pareho silang tumingin sa akin?

"Akala ko magtatagal ka pa.. We still have time, would you join me for lunch?" He asked we with a smile in his face, at nagulat ako sa inasal niya..

Day by day.. he's getting more and more straightforward.

At most, he would always hesitate for a moment bago niya ako tanungin. O kaya naman ipapahalata niya sa akin na may gusto siyang sabihin, and I would be the one to ask him if he wants something..

What was causing the change?

Kinilabutan nalang ako sa tingin ng dalawang lalaki na nasa harapan ko, at parang hinihintay na nila akong magdesisyon para sa sarili ko.

Ano bang dapat kong gawin dito?

I have to play like a maid, but then I can't possibly push Rion over the edge like this.

Habang naghahanap ng matinong sagot, nagulat nalang ako nung may biglang nagsalita sa likod ko. As if it was heaven's will to save me from that situation..

Or that's what I thought.

"How about we all have lunch together?"

Natigilan nalang ako and I mentally slapped my face when I saw her face..

It was that new transfer..

Jillian.. Cress.