by M.G. Marquez
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
MAGGIE
“Coach was really angry when you guys escaped,” Nikki told me when they went home from the press con. I chewed my inner cheek in utter guilt. “Especially when he learned that you submitted nothing,”
“It’s okay. I’ll lose anyway so why bother?” I’m not like that. Beyond the difficulties, I always find ways to fight. This isn’t me talking.
“He also said,” she swallowed first before breaking it to me. “You’re no longer part of the publication team. You broke his trust. Said, you wasted the university’s fund allotted for you. I’m sorry, Maj.”
Darn. I felt an invisible fist punching me in the gut and my heart’s dropping to the core. That hurts. I did everything to join the team, won my contests, gave them my best and for a single mistake Coach will kick me out just like that?
“Oh, it’s okay. It’s a good thing. For me. I’m not busy anymore and I can focus on my studies now. I’ve been trying to get out of the team, you know? Found the best way to do it,” I lied.
But I have no regrets. I am willing to sacrifice. Make mistakes. Be human.
“Janella,” my head lifted to look at the man standing at the doorway. His face was stern, his eyes full of discomfort. Guji’s Dad. “Can I talk to you?”
“Of course,” I excused myself from Nikki and went outside. Once there, Pres. Song Hyun handed over a black rose. That made me breathless. “Why are you giving me this?”
“How long have you been receiving that?”
“Excuse me?”
“Hana saw that rose outside the gate this morning. Delivered for you,” I took the card and checked if he’s right. He was. “When I look into your room, I saw bunches of roses, both dried and fresh. While I’m in your room, I felt like I’m in a graveyard. Tell me how could you sleep in there with all those black roses?”
I did not answer. I’m having a nightmare, that’s the truth.
He reached for my hand and held it together. I stared at him. I know he could feel my fear of the unknown. I know he could see that in my eyes. “Janella, tell me. Do you know who’s giving you these?”
I shook my head. He hugged me and whispered, “I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I never thought they could be this serious.”
My mind’s blank, and I seriously don’t know what to think.
I went to the rooftop when Guji fell asleep. I watched the city lights flickered, listened to the honks of the automobiles, and felt the coldness of the night. I am afraid. No matter how many times I bury the fear on my head, it just keeps on coming back. Taunting me.
Someone’s after me.
“Boss Janella,” I screamed, and almost fell from the railings. Stupid Fred. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“We need to talk,” my mouth gaped at him. I’ve never seen him this serious before. I jumped down from the railing and faced him. “What is it about?”
“About you and Boss Guji,”
“So what?”
“Are you a couple?”
Do I have to answer him? “Why does that bother you, huh? Got a crush on me?”
“I’m serious Boss so be the same.”
By that, my seriousness found me. I sighed and said, “We’re getting there. What’s the problem Fred?”
“Don’t. Don’t be,” I saw alarm on his eyes and I’m confused. “You’re okay being friends, right? So stay like that!”
“Fred, I don’t understand you. Why are you telling me this now? Where are you coming from?”
“Because you’ll get involved in their trouble! And I don’t want that to happen,”
Get involved? “What do you mean?”
He told me everything he knows about Guji’s trouble. He was skeptic at first. Even he don’t know why his Boss was being followed by accidents. So I quickly came into Pres. Song Hyun’s office and asked him myself.
“Since I’m already caught in this trouble, tell me why I did.” He sighed first before breaking the truth to me. My eyes widened at what I’ve heard, and it broke my heart.
Everything then makes sense.
It’s been a week since everything went back to normal. Guji got out of the hospital, everybody’s enjoying the soccer games, and I’m still horrified with the truth.
I think I’m going to die.
“Maj, you okay?” Nikki sat beside me, checking my head. She asked if I banged my head or something. I said I was okay. Then she said, “Maj, how many secrets do you have to hide from me before I ask them myself? I’m your friend. I’m not a stranger,”
I turned to face her. I gave her one serious look and a meaningful smile. “What if I die today, what will you do?”
She was taken aback by that but recovered at once. She laughed and hit my arm. “You’re funny. Don’t say that!”
“What if I die today, what will you do?” I repeated in a more serious tone.
“I don’t know,”
“Well, you’ll know soon.”
Our Happy Saturday came and decided to spend it at the park, riding bicycles. Guji, though still not as strong as he was before, tried his best to teach me how. He sucked at it.
“You’re not a good teacher. GO FIND ME ONE.” I complained, rubbing my scratched leg.
“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO’S NOT LISTENING TO ME! You’re always going your own way!”
“I am doing exactly what you’re telling me to! You have the problem, not me!”
“Then fine!” He turned his back on me and left. In a snap, he came back. “Let’s do this again.”
“Can’t resist me, can you?” I teased. He replied, “Looks like it,”
After two hours of constant dropping off of my bicycle and scratching my skin, I did it. All of them clapped at my achievement. Oh, such a great milestone.
Fred suggested we race. The thought made me frowned big time. I’ve just learned how to bike ten minutes ago and he wanted me to race with them?
“We’ll ride slowly so you’ll get to be the first,” I punched Klein in the gut to shut him up.
For the first minutes, they sure did ride slowly, mocking me, telling me that they’re average riders who can’t go beyond 5kph. Bastards. After cursing their deaths, they went on and left me behind.
But not Guji.
“Keep your eyes on the way, stupid.”
“WHAT DID YOU SAY? I’m stupid?!”
“Your mom gave birth to an unbearable, deaf person,” he chuckled. I just rolled my eyes at him.
Him.
I don’t know why I’m still with this guy. He’s the reason why I’m going to die but here I am, riding a bike with him by my side. I’ve been asking why someone would want me dead, but the answer was just in front of my face. He’s my death.
And he’s such a beautiful reason to die for.
“I want to explore the world with you. Will you let me?” He took my hand and interlaced his with mine. No one’s going first, no one’s going last. Moving forward together. At the same time.
I smiled. “You’re stupid.”
When we returned our bikes, Yvan came up to me and dragged me to a corner. Appalled by his sudden gesture, I pushed him. He gaped at me before saying, “Nikki told me something about you. Why are you saying that you’re going to die? What’s happening?”
“That’s nothing. I was only kidding around,” I tried to walk away, to escape from this but he held me back. “Maj, I know when you’re lying,”
I glared at him and freed my arm from his grasp. “I told you, I was just joking.”
When I was walking away from him, I still heard him saying something. He said, “I know that someone’s after Guji for years. I don’t want to think that he’s after you too.”
He knew?
I turned around and gave him a confused look. He continued saying, “The school bus on 3rd Grade. His car. The net outside the school. The hole on the field. It’s all for Guji. Did something bad happen to you too?”
A series of flashbacks came into my mind and I found myself wit
h hardened chest. The darts. The falling signage. The flowers. The chase with a psychopath. Pres. Song Hyun and Fred’s warning. I shook my head and smiled. “Nothing. Everything’s perfect.”
I don’t know what ‘perfect’ really means.