Chapter 5

"Dad," she called her father.

Gerard sat up straight and leaned his back on the swivel chair he was sitting on. He stared

seriously at Itzy, who in turn could not get rid of the nervousness in her chest. He twirled the

ballpoint pen he was holding in his fingers and said, "Take your seat."

Palihim na kinurot ni Itzy ang kaniyang sarili para pakalmahin ang kaniyang dibdib. She once

again gulped in nervousness and asked her father. "Anong pag-uusapan natin, Dad?"

"You don't know or you were just acting like you don't have an idea?" Gerard asked, the anger

evident in his voice.

Itzy averted her gaze. "I'm sorry, I acted like a brat there."

"Bakit ka sa'kin humihingi ng paumanhin? Hindi ba dapat doon sa apat mo 'yon sabihin?"

Gerard sighed with disappointment. "What's happening to you, Itzy? Hindi ka naman ganiyan

dati kapag may kasama tayong kumain sa hapag-kainan. Do you hate them? Did they do

something you didn't like?"

She bit her lower lip, feeling guilty about what she had done. Alam niyang hindi na niya

mababago pa ang nagawa niyang pagkakamali kaya sobra siyang nahihiya sa inasta niya

kanina.

"They... did nothing wrong, Dad. I'm sorry for acting like that in front of you and mom. I'm

just... tired of school," she said. Her head was bent down and she was playing with her fingers.

She couldn't look at her father's eyes because of the guilt building inside her chest.

She knew Jace and the others were innocent, but she couldn't help wanting to kick them out.

And school had been nothing but a source of disappointment lately, leaving her drained and

hopeless. Her school life had been ruined since the day Loxley and her friends made her their

target.

Gerard let out a deep sigh, his initial frustration melting away as his heart softened towards his

daughter. He rose from his chair and made his way over to her, his footsteps echoing softly

against the floor. Nang umupo siya sa tabi ng kanyang anak, niyakap niya ito nang mahigpit at

naramdaman ang bahagyang panginginig ng kanyang munting katawan sa kanyang yakap.

For a few moments, they sat there in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Gerard could feel his

daughter's heartbeat against his chest, and he marveled at how fragile and precious she

seemed in that moment. He couldn't bring himself to be angry with her, no matter what she had

done.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low and gentle. "I know you didn't mean to hurt anyone, sweetheart.

But you have to understand that your words could hurt anyone. I want you to grow up with a

good heart and make you realize what you did was wrong; that's why I asked you to come

here."

His daughter nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered. "I will

just talk to them. Hihingi ako ng paumanhin sa nagawa ko."

Gerard smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "That's right, you should

apologize when you know that you're at fault."

With that, Itzy strode out of her father's study and headed downstairs. She approached one of

their maids and instructed her to summon her four bodyguards to her bedroom. Nang tumalikod

na ang kasambahay, tinahak niya ang hagdan papunta sa kaniyang kwarto. Bigla niya kasing

naisip na baka magulo ang kwarto niya, nakakahiya naman kung madaratnan ng apat na

marumi iyon at baka isipin pa nilang hindi siya babae.

To her relief, Itzy found her bedroom neat and tidy. She perched on the edge of her bed and

gazed up at the ceiling, mulling over what she should say to her guards. Should she apologize

for her earlier behavior, or simply request that they keep everything that happened at the school

from her father?

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone knocked on her door. Malamang ay ang apat na

iyon, sila lang naman ang pinatawag niya.

Tumayo na siya at lumapit sa pintuan upang buksan iyon. Pagbukas niya, apat na lalaki na

nag-g-gwapuhan ang lumantad sa kaniya. Napansin din ni Itzy ang pangangatawan ng apat na

lalaki. Hindi niya maiwasan ang pagkabighani sa mga nakikita niyang malakas na braso, at

matipunong katawan. Hindi niya matanggal ang tingin sa malusog na biceps ni Ryker,

nakasando kasi siya kaya kitang-kita iyon. Kung hindi pa tumikhim si Laszlo ay hindi na

matatanggal pa ni Itzy ang mga mata niya ro'n.

She faked a cough out of embarrassment. "Come in," she said, and then opened the door

widely so they could enter her room. However, to her surprise, the men remained standing

outside her room, not entering.

Pinagtaasan ni Itzy ang apat. "Hindi ba kayo papasok?"

"Paumanhin, ma'am Itzy, ngunit hindi kami pwede pumasok sa'yong silid," magalang na sabi ni

Linus.

Napakunot ng noo si Itzy dahil sa pormal na pakikipag-usap sa kaniya ni Linus. Gusto niya itong

pagalitan ngunit naalala niya na kaya niya pinapunta ang apat sa kaniyang kwarto ay para

humingi ng paumanhin sa kanila.

Pumikit siya at huminga ng malalim para pakalmahin ang sarili. "Sino naman ang nagsabi na

hindi kayo pwede pumasok dito?" Tanong niya nang mahimasmasan.

Nagtinginan ang apat, parang nagtatanong sa isa't-isa kung sino ang magsasalita. Tumango si

Ryker para sabihin na siya na ang magsasalita.

"Hindi ba't given na iyon? Babae ka at lalaki kami, hindi pwede magsama ang lalaki at babae sa

iisang silid kung wala silang deep relationship," katwiran ni Ryker.

Agad na bumalik sa pagkasalubong ang dalawang kilay ni Itzy dahil sa dahilan na binigay sa

kaniya ni Ryker. Na sa modern world na sila pero bakit gano'n pa rin ang kanilang pag-iisip?

Magsasalita na sana si Itzy nang bigla namang magsalita si Laszlo, dahilan para hindi na siya

makapagsalita pa. "Saka apat kami, ma'am at isa ka lang. Baka pag-isipan kami ng masama na

sir Gerard at tanggalin pa kami sa trabaho."

Ngayon naman ay napataas ng kilay si Itzy, mukhang alam na niya ang gagawin para patalsikin

ang mga ito sa kanilang pamamahay. Ngunit sa ngayon ay hihingi muna siya ng paumanhin,

kailangan pa niya kumuha ng lakas ng loob upang gawin ang susunod na plano niya.

She shrugged. "Then, I'll just say it here," she said, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry about what

happened in the dining room. Pagod lang ako sa school at binuntong sa inyo ang pagod ko.

Pasensya na."

Ngumiti ang mga lalaki maliban kay Jace na nakatingin lamang kay Itzy, tila sinusuri kung bukal

ba sa kaniyang puso ang paghingi ng paumanhin sa kanila.

"No problem, ma'am. We understand, napagod din kami sa unang araw dahil pinagkaguluhan

kami ng mga babae," sabi ni Linus, napailing pa ito habang nagbuntong-hininga. "Grabe, hindi

ko akalain na gano'n na pala kami kagwapo para pagkaguluhan."

Agad na nakatanggap si Linus ng palo sa ulo mula kay Ryker. "Pag-pasensyahan niyo na po

itong si Linus, mukhang na-carried away."

Bahagya namang napangisi si Itzy, ngunit nang ma-realize niya na nakangiti siya ay agad

siyang sumimangot at iniwas ang tingin sa kanila.

Tumikhim si Laszlo at nakuha no'n ang atensyon ni Itzy. "Mauna na po kami kung wala na

kayong sasabihin pa and apology accepted, ma'am."

"Uhm... Can you not call me ma'am? We're the same age, right? It's uncomfortable. Just call me

by my name. Itzy," she said, smiling.

Pero hindi naman talaga dahil sa magkasing-edad sila kaya ayaw niya magpatawag ng ma'am

sa kanila. Ang totoong dahilan ay baka masanay ang apat at matawag siyang ma'am sa

eskwelahan.

"But your father told us to call you ma'am," Jace finally spoke.

"Just don't call me that in school, got it? Ayoko may makaalam na may mga bodyguards ako

kaya i-sikreto natin ang tungkol dito, okay?"

Tumango ang apat at nang wala na silang pag-uusapan pa ay nagpasya ng bumalik sa

kani-kanilang silid ang apat. Ngunit bago pa sila makalayo ay muli silang tinawag ni Itzy na

agad naman nilang nilingon.

"Uh..." Nagkamot siya ng ulo, mukhang nag-aalangan magtanong ngunit sa huli ay nagawa niya

rin magtanong. "Ano nga ulit ang nga pangalan niyo?"

"Linus," pagpapakilala ni Laszlo sa katabi niya sa kaliwa. "Ryker," turo niya sa katabi niya sa

kanan. "Jace and Laszlo," tinuro niya ang katabi ni Ryker bago ituro ang sarili.

Tumango si Itzy. "Pupunta na ba kayo sa study ni Dad?"

Tumango ang apat. Kinagat ni Itzy ang pang-ibaba niyang labi. "You may go but Jace will stay

with me for a moment."

Nagtinginan ang tatlo kay Jace, nagtatanong kung may ginawa ba siyang mali, bakit siya

pinapaiwan ni Itzy. Nagkibit-balikat lamang si Jace dahil hindi rin niya alam ang dahilan, tanging

si Itzy lang naman ay may alam.

Maya-maya pa ay iniwan na nga ng tatlo si Jace. Sinundan lamang nila ng tingin ang tatlo, at

nang tuluyan na silang makababa ay doon lamang nagsalita si Itzy.

"I'll get straight to the point," she said. "Don't report to my father about what you saw earlier at

school."

Jace tilted his head. "I don't get what you mean, ma'am."

Itzy took a deep breath. "When you saw me walking out the restroom holding my lunch box."

"Oh," Jace nodded, mukhang naalala na niya ang ibig iparating ni Itzy. "But your father had

instructed us to report any happenings at school—not just about ourselves but especially about

you."

"I'll give you a tip so please..." She bowed her head. She doesn't know what would happen if

this guy wouldn't agree with her.

"Are you hiding something?" He asked. His question made her lift her head.

"W-What? No. Wala akong tinatago," sagot niya, nauutal.

Jace's eyes narrowed as he approached Itzy slowly. He could tell that she was lying because

her eyes were trembling and she stammered while denying that she was hiding something.

Ilang inch na lamang ang space ng mga mukha nila nang magsalita si Jace. "Liar," he mumbled.

Naamoy ni Itzy ang mabangong hininga ni Jace ngunit hindi iyon ang dahilan kung bakit

namumula ngayon ng mukha ni Itzy.

Pumikit siya ng mariin at ubod na lakas na tinulak si Jace. "What the heck do you think you

were doing? Why are you putting your face close to me?"

"Sorry," Jace mumbled, bowing his head. After a few moments of awkward silence, he

straightened up and locked eyes with her. "But your wishes won't be granted," he declared, then

turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Itzy with her jaw dropped and her face still flushed.