TRINITY: The Secret of the Old

Chapter Five

I looked at myself in the mirror as I wiped the bimbo's face. I got home earlier but I didn't see my older brother and Shinjie at home. Because of what occurred this morning the class ended early. Our teacher in social science said earlier that there was a meeting so it was too early. Maybe their meeting was about what happened this morning. Still, it's said to be suicide but I don't believe it, it's probably unlikely that suicide happened. Impossible, if anyone commits that suicide why more blood? Why hold a black rose? So weird.

Kristina and I went out to school earlier, she rode a tricycle while I waited for the car to pick me up. Kristina is a kind talkative jolly type, it seems like April is the difference, April is more girly than Kristina who seems boyish to me. When I came out of the bathroom I went to the laptop right away, I couldn't find any work to get rid of my boredom.

What will I do? I'm so bored now. I looked at my books on the subjects next to my study table. I closed my eyes as I leaned back in my seat. I opened it again remembering what happened this morning. Suicide? Why? I was even more confused and even more so when I remembered the mysterious guy who said it was another victim. Victim? So probably it wasn't suicide but someone did it. I try to calm myself down from the extreme fear I feel right now. I can hear my heartbeats fast and laid my trembling hand on the study table tapping my middle and pointer finger on it and creating some unknown beats.

"Hi! Sis!" My heart almost stopped beating. Damn you Shinjie! "Why are you pale? Are you sick? Are you fine?" Concern replaced his voice as he approached me.

I rolled my eyes. "Duh! I almost had a heart attack."

He frowned at me. "I didn't surprise you, for your information, sis, I knocked but you didn't answer so I went in. Thinking deep of what?" He stared at my face as if looking for the answer there.

"You're right, it doesn't matter what I'm thinking. Why are you here?" I change the subject.

He placed his right hand on my study table and his head came close to my face. Checking if what I'm saying is true. He does not believe it. Is it hard to acknowledge what I'm saying? I lifted an eyebrow at him. He stepped away and leaned against the wall near my study table.

"Well, it looks like you're not hungry. I plan to eat outside today,” he muttered to me.

I lost my appetite because of the confusing and horrible thing that happened to me but speaking of it, it's been a long time since I've eaten out. I couldn’t do the thing I wanted to do before because of my bodyguard. Maybe I need to go out to get rid of the thing that’s worrying me. Right!

I tried to smile and be happy in front of my brother. I don't want him to dig me up anymore. "Where? In Mcdo?"

"If that's what you want," he grinned at me.

I took a bite of the picked french fries and rolled my eyes around me. Many people eating almost fill in the table in the place. I like Mcdo but my brother choose to eat the king-size burger and insisted that we eat at King burger. I don't like a burger but I'm hungry and these fries isn't enough for my growling tummy.

"You know how I love the burger here," I hope that's how delighted my face is while eating the burger. I smiled at him once he took the big burger and pinched a bite.

"Delicious, is not it?" mumbled Shinjie and drank his milk tea.

I slowly ate the bitten burger in my mouth. Somehow, delicious. I nodded. I took the lettuce between burgers and ate it. "So? How's school, Shin?"

"Awesome, we have a game next week Sis, you need to come and watch as I win the game,” he said with a boast in his tone. Give me justice why my half-brother is so damn cute with the pouty effect.

Shinjie is a varsity basketball player at his school Southern High. I have never seen him play basketball as far as I know he loved to play when he was here in the Philippines. With the two of us, I am often the storyteller in my life.

"Why not, at your school?" I took the tomato slice from the burger and placed it next to the plate.

"Don't you like tomato, it is so luscious, Sis." —He quickly took the tomato from my plate— "Yes, at my school. Just show your I.D. and your game ticket at the guard.  I'll give you the ticket tomorrow."

"Three tickets, Shin. I'll take April and Kris with me." And then I ate Shinjie's remaining fries.

"Your new friend?" he inquired. He was already down on the burger. I don't know if I could finish one of them.

"Who? —Ah, Kris. Yes," I answered and finished the tea from the glass.

I looked up at Shinjie. He put his arms around the table and stared at me remarkably. "Admit it, Sis." His two eyebrows drew close to each other.

"What?" I couldn’t help but glower. What nonsense did this man think?

"Is Kris your boyfriend?" At what he let out I seemed to choke what I ate in my throat. What the hell did he say!

Pff! I would laugh at what this half-brother of mine meant. Is he my brother? Why think such a thing? Oh my!

"Why are you laughing there, Sis. Am I right?" And I couldn’t stop cracking up.

"Ver, Kris is a woman, not Chris to Christian but kris to Kristina and she's my friend," I explained. His face flushed.

"I'm sorry, Sis. I thought he was a man," he confessed. "Are you going to consume it?" He pointed to my burger still not losing the redness on his cheeks.

"Nope, you might even think I'll give that to my boyfriend." I giggled.

"I know I'm wrong so please, sis, stop." His face turned sour, and he took and finished my burger.

I teasingly smile at him. "Fine."

He stared at me. He's really immature but he's cute in what he acted. "Let's go home, I'll  drive through you to Mcdo." He stood up from his seat and I still arranged what I had eaten on the table. I don’t feel like I’m going to leave a mess.

Shinjie and I were joking happily as we entered older brother Jerwin's house. Our rock-picking stopped when Kuya Jerwin cleared his throat. He was standing in the living room.

"Where have you been?" He shot a sharp look at the two of us.

"We eat outside the Brother," Shinjie and I said at the same time.

Our older brother took a deep breath and lost his intense face. It was replaced by a smile that was beyond the reach of the eye. He seems to have a problem and what is that? Is it about the business?

I would have asked in case but I was preceded by the fear that my older brother Jerwin would scold me if I interfered with him.

"Okay, I'm not used to not having anyone at the dinner table. Next time, tell me if you'll come out so I can come with you." He adjusted the placement of the necktie on his neck. "Go to sleep, it's not the weekend."

He left after he kissed me on the forehead and patted Shinjie on the shoulder. Then I ascended on the stairs. Shinjie didn't go to his room and excused himself that he still has work to do in the kitchen.

When my body touched the soft bed, my eyelid slowly fell off. I prayed that I don't dream of that horrible thing happening in school before darkness shut me.

I walk down the hallway hugging two notebooks. It felt strange. Although I had slept well last night until I woke up. I forget that what happened yesterday was just one of the incidents, common occurrences. Then I was stopped and almost got stumbled out of nowhere. It was so weird.  It was the second that my heart stopped beating and I turned to the janitors' room three steps away from me next to the third-floor stairs. It felt like someone was looking at me in that room, an intense stare coming from the Janitor's room. The door of the Janitor's room cracked a little and it was dark inside, I could see nothing but darkness.

Could someone inside be looking at me? While I am nearing the janitor's room. My hands trembling while I'm holding the doorknob. As I opened my eyes tightly when I felt a hand on my right shoulder.