Vladimir’s POV
I didn’t confront her. I was waiting for the right time so I just observed her. For the last days, naging close na siya sa kapatid kung si Via. I warned Via about being too close to her and she told me she would eventually change Cassy’s memories in due time. Na-e-enjoy lang talaga niya ang company nito dahil sobrang bait. She even told me that Cassy didn’t believe all the rumors we spread. Somehow, in the last hundred years may isang tao ulit siyang nakilala na gusto niyang maging kaibigan.
“Sobrang gaan ng pakiramdam ko sa kanya, like I’ve known her before.” I remembered Via said that na sinundan ng kapatid kung si Vanna ng kasabihan niya na, “Sometimes we meet the reincarnation of the people we’ve met before.”
Hindi na ako umangal pa. Usually, kapag si Vanna na ang nagsasalita we just listen to her and we always ask her what to do. Sometimes, she would tell us but most of the time she wouldn’t, she would just give hints and warned us. Minsan, hindi rin niya alam kung paano i-interpret ang lahat ng visions niya because mostly they are unclear. It’s just warning and signs.
Ipinagpatuloy ko ang lang pagbabantay sa kanya. Naiinis ako dahil isang linggo na ang nakalipas ay wala pa akong nakuhang impormasyon. She seems harmless. Napaka-masayahin niya, friendly at halos marami na siyang kilala bukod sa amin. Para bang nag-a-attract ung aura niya ng mga tao, that sometimes when you look at her all your negative energy will ease away. Or maybe I was just fascinated by the fact that after a long time, may isang tao uli na hindi natakot sa amin no matter what she hears around her. I heard people saying na lumayo siya sa amin but she kept on eating lunch with us. And I kept on staring at her when she’s not looking, realizing I can’t hold it anymore so after our class I asked her if we could talk outside.
Dinala ko siya sa garden kung saan ako madalas mag-tambay. Mas tahimik at walang matang nagbabantay sa amin. Hindi na ako nag paligoy-ligoy pa and asked her, “Who are you?”
She stared at me like it was the most stupid question I’ve ever said. She even said her name.
“No, what are you?” ulit ko.
Tumawa siya. “What do you mean?”
“How do you manage to disappear?” naiinip na tanong ko. Nakakainis! Ayaw niyang sagutin ng diretso. “How do you even do that?”
Tinitigan ko siya. She was wearing the uniform of our college with a black ankle boots. She always wore the same outfit, lagi ko siyang natitigan pero ngayon ko lang napansin ang kwintas niya. It was a mini glass hour, length of my index finger. I remember seeing it before I just don’t know where.
“Hindi ako nawawala,” simpleng tugon niya.
“Hindi?” I scowled. “Last time, I was sleeping in here. I know, even with my eyes closed you were there pero Via and Van said na hindi ka naman nila kasama. You were with them all along. It can’t be!” naiinis na sigaw ko. “What are you doing to me!? Frustrated na sabi ko.
Hindi pa rin nawala ang ngiti sa labi niya. “I’m not doing anything, Vladimir,” she said my name like it wasn’t my name, like it doesn’t belong to me. “I’m not, okay? Saka, how could I be here eh ngayon ko nga lang nalaman ang lugar na ito. Ano ka ba!” tumawa siya.
“You are lying.”
“I don’t lie,” sinabi niya yon ng may diin sa bawat salita. “At hindi rin ako nawawala, okay? Hindi ko alam ang sinasabi mo.” Tatalikod na sana siya ng pigilan ko. Napakislot ako sa dumaloy na kuryente ng hawakan ko siya kaya agad rin akong bumitaw.
“What?” buntong-hininga siya. “Fine, you want to know the truth?” seryosong sabi niya na agad ding napalitan ng ngiti. “In one condition, you’ll be my boyfriend for just a little time, not that long, just until I ask you to be.”
I frowned. “Why would I do that?”
“I know that you are a vampire. All of your family.”
“You don’t have proof.”
She laughed, yung tawa na nakaiirita, na para bang hindi ako mananalo sa kanya.
“I have, why would I ask if I don’t have, right? Saka, you will act as my boyfriend lang naman e. It’s easy though you are not allowed to fall in love, okay?”
“As if,” I rolled my eyes. Nakakainis talaga siya! Naiirita ako sa di malamang dahilan. “Show me proof first, people will never believe in lies.”
“They do. They actually believe that you are a drug-addict just by hearing it from others. So, I can start here at school.
People will believe me if I say that you are a vampire. First, you don’t reflect on mirrors. Second, you don’t have a shadow.
Third, they can’t take a photo of you. Fourth, you don’t have a heartbeat. Fifth, I can use my blood.” She gave me a satisfying smile. “How many vampires are here? If I bleed myself, will they come?”
Damn! Pilit kung tinago ang frustration ko. She can’t bleed, hindi lang kaming purebloods ang nakaka-amoy ng dugo niya. Half-bloods can too at nasa paligid lang sila. If they knew na dito nanggaling ang amoy, sigurado akong susugurin ng lowkies ang lugar na ito. It’s too dangerous. Dapat ko na ba siyang isumbong? Is she now a threat to us?
I sighed. ‘Why are you doing this?”
She looked straight at my eyes, and for the first time I saw sadness that reflects mine. When she dropped those words, “Isa, apat, tatlo,” my heart stole a beat.