There was never anything as black as a lie. The blackness engulfs the light of anything it passes through. It penetrates the weak barriers overpowering them with its blackness.

In the classroom, it was only Julia who came. She was absent the previous day, unknowing of the majority of the class’ agreement to stage a boycott. She waited and the teacher came asking her where everybody is. She does not know was all that she answered.

The following day, the prominent group in the class came confronting her about yesterday. The leader of the group announced that there is a double-crosser in the class pointing at her. Boos and angry talks ensued. Julia panicked inside but decided to keep silent. Her friends seemed not to bother and did not even try to side with her or defend her. Everybody seemed mad at her.

It became worse the following days and weeks. The antagonizing looks are unbearable. The indifferent treatments are hurting.The lies about her spread throughout the campus. Girls and boys hissed at her back branding her as “spy”,”hypocrite”, “nerd”, “turncoat”, etc.

On the fortnight, Julia’s parents came to school, robbed of their very lives. Their dear Julia was found dead in her room.

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Looking from the big, dilapidated window of their family’s rented room, Isang saw her neighbor’s daughter munch the apple. This is a sign for her that Christmas is here. If only she could also have an apple to munch. His father’s earnings are not enough to include the apple for the noche buena.

Sadly, Isang moved from the window and looked at the dining table which was sustained by two pieces of 2″ x 2″ inch wood. This table is all purpose, that is, it also serves as table when they have visitors, as table when she does her assignments, or as table when she plays with her sister.

In the middle of the dining table she saw something that roused her interest - three pieces of red tomatoes. “This could do,” she said to herself. Then she went back to the window, met the annoying gaze of her kid neighbor, and munch the tomato which is red as an apple. “Hmmmm…” she said it with gusto and loud enough so that her neighbor will hear it. “Hey, this apple taste good!” Her neigbor challenged her look, and said, “My apple taste better than yours!” “Oh, no, it’s not,” Isang smiled watching her kid neighbor’s beaten facade.

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