"Expelled?" ulit ko. "T-teka po. Bakit? Ilang beses na po ba akong na-late? Hindi po ba—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down, Ms. Lazaro. Maupo ka muna," sabi ni Ma'am Castro at marahan akong itinulak sa couch.
At sinabihan pa ako na calm down? Sinong estudyante ang 'di magpa-panic kapag sinabi ng principal na expelled na siya na wala man lang kahit anong warning? Kulang na lang ay umiyak ako rito dahil halu-halo na ang nararamdaman ko. Naisip ko agad si Mama at lagot talaga ako sa kanya. Expulsion? I don't have any idea how to explain that to her.
Bigla ko namang narinig ang pagbukas at pagsara ng pinto kaya napatingin ako sa room na pinasukan ni Sir Salas. He came out with documents on his hands. 'Yan ba ang proofs na lagi akong late? Records ko ba 'yan? Oh, god.
"Ms. Castro, give it to her," Sir Salas ordered. May inabot naman sa akin si Ma'am Castro at 'yon ang envelope na hawak niya noong pumunta siya kanina sa classroom.
"Ano po 'to?" I asked and my voice cracked because I was close to crying.
"Expulsion slip," she smirked. Hindi ko alam kung nang-aasar ba si Ma'am o ano pero wala rin naman akong nagawa kundi kunin ang envelope. I opened it, expecting an expulsion slip but something different came into view.
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Ano 'to? Surely, not an expulsion slip.
"Tantei High?" I blurted when I saw the text at the topmost part.
"That's correct. Ms. Lazaro," sabi naman ni Sir Salas. "You'll be transferred to that school starting tomorrow."
Ilang Segundo lang akong nakatingin sa kanya at hinihintay na bawiin ang sinabi niya pero ngumiti lang siya sa akin.
"Po? B-bakit po?" tanong ko. "'Di po ba pwedeng dito na lang ako? Promise po, aayusin ko na ang record ko—"
"Now, now Ms. Lazaro, don't say that," Ma'am Castro said, cutting me off. "You're lucky dahil naka-receive ka ng ganyan."
"Lucky? Saan banda?" I muttered while trying to hold back my tears. "A-and besides, parang wala naman po akong alam na school dito na ang pangalan ay Tantei High. Sa ibang lugar po ba 'to?"
Kahit ang sakit na ng lalamunan ko dahil sa pagpipigil ng luha at ang bigat na sa pakiramdam dahil sa expulsion at offer to transfer, pinilit kong maging kalmado. Sir Salas and Ma'am Castro looked at each other and it seemed like they were communicating through their eyes. Or maybe that was just me.
"Ms. Lazaro, may narinig ka na ba about Tantei High?" she asked.
"W-wala po."
"Actually, only a few know about that school," she added and I looked at her, confused. "It's a secret institution. The only ones who have the right to know its existence are people like you."
"Ako po?" I asked in disbelief as I pointed at myself. Ako? As in si Rainie Lazaro?
A secret institution? For people like me? Anong klaseng school ba 'to? Para ba 'to sa mga estudyanteng may messy records sa previous schools nila?
