Touché (Complete)

Wish # 1

It's still 3 am, six hours before the flight schedule, but Carl was already awake. He was walking so loud that even Flor was woken up.

She needed to sleep longer but she couldn't rest anymore, all thanks to Carl.

When they arrived at the airport, it was almost empty just as Flor expected. It was a weekday after all. Flor didn't really like being in large crowds and was even thankful that she got herself a freelance designing job where she was free to work anywhere.

It was Carl's first time riding an airplane and it was pretty obvious from the ways he acted. He pressed his face against the window as the plane took off. He looked so naïve, with his childlike, hooded eyes.

The province was windy when they landed. Flor took a deep breath as they waited for a cab. She did miss this kind of fresh air. Living in the province as a child, she regretted moving into the city. It wasn't her choice, anyway. But now, she was considering moving into a different place.

"Oh, this looks like a nice place."

"Of course? Hurry up, Carl. I think it's going to rain any time soon."

Just as she predicted, heavy drops of rain poured. Thankfully, they were able to reach the hotel in time. It wasn't the best, but Flor didn't want to spend so much on this trip.

It wasn't as if he could pay her back.

The rooms they booked were adjacent to each other, but it wasn't even minutes after they separated when Carl came knocking on her room.

"What again?"

"Nothing. I'm just being true to my word. As promised, give me your first wish."

"Already?"

"I told you I'll grant it each step of the way!"

Flor narrowed her eyes at him. The door wasn't fully opened yet and she was judging if she should even let him in. A few seconds passed before she spoke again.

"Fine, but I'll think about it. I'm too tired right now. Don't you want to eat first?"

Carl nodded with a smile from ear to ear. He looked like an idiot, Flor thought.

They found a small eatery near the hotel. Flor stretched her arms as she smelled the Bulalo coming to their table. All they've been eating for the past few days were microwaved meals from convenience stores.

Like her, Carl seemed to enjoy it too.

"There's someone I want to see," Flor said as they were about to finish.

"I had this childhood friend... and no, it's not you. It's not an imaginary one. It was a real person. I'm sure of it because he used to go to our house a lot and my mom even knew him. I remember his face, but I don't remember what his real name was. But he had a nickname. It was Jojo, but I know it's too far from his real one. They left when we were young so we kind of lost the connection."

"What does he look like?"

"Oh, he had a funny haircut back then. Like there was a gap in his bangs. He was a mestizo. Kind of chubby back then, but only because his cheeks were round so it made him look round."

Flor couldn't help but chuckle at the memories. She loved teasing that boy.

"Oh!"

Carl was able to recall him. How could he not? He didn't like him in the past because Flor wouldn't play with Yato whenever the boy was around.

Flor clapped her hands in front of Carl, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Anyway, that's my first wish. I just need his name. There's no other way for me to find him without it."

"But why? Why do you even want to see him again?"

"It's none of your business."

"Eh... You like him?"

"Shut up."

"You like him!"

"No," she said with a mildly threatening voice. "Oh God, please shut up."

"Hey! Don't use God's name in vain."

Carl finally gave up trying to know more about it as she was determined not to tell him anything.

As Flor left to the lobby, he headed to the empty parking lot outside the hotel, set to make Flor's wish come true no matter how strange it was. He suddenly wondered if it was even a good decision.

Carl thought of summoning good spirits around him. Those weren't angels nor demons. They were simply spirits of humans who still wander on Earth, those who haven't accepted their death. Ghosts, the living ones like to call them. 

But since Flor's wish was simple, he later decided to just use his memory. Even though he was still in his human body, he had an extraordinary memory.

He remembered glancing once at the boy's school ID.

"Marcus. His name is Marcus Benedicto."

Carl couldn't decide if he was happy he got it, but he went straight to Flor to inform her.

As soon as she got it, she rushed back to her room. Her heart pounded against her chest and her fingers couldn't even properly type the name on her phone.

"God, why does the wifi here suck!?"

Flor took a deep breath as she watched the loading sign on the screen.

Then, she found him. He was first on the search results list, and his eyes were unmistakably familiar.