Our Author (Completed)

Chapter 21

Esther's POV

“Ngayon mo na lang ako ulit tinawag, ah. Pakiramdam ko tuloy ayaw mo na sa ‘kin,” Sinimangutan ako ni Alessandra. “I feel so neglected.”

Napakamot naman ako sa ulo ko. “Pasensya ka na talaga, Alessandra. Busy lang ako nitong mga nakaraan.”

Umirap s'ya at umupo sa tabi ko. “Tell me now what you need. We only have thirty minutes to talk.

“Kumusta kayo ni Jordan? I mean may iba ka bang nararamdaman?”

Ngumuso s'ya. “I like Jordan, but not the romantic type of like. I like him because we fall into the same of faction. In the story we're both searching for truth, venturing the unknown, and seeking for something that you haven't said in the story. Just that type of like.”

Napatango naman ako. “Baka naman may iba kang nagugustuhan sa story, ha?”

Natawa naman s'ya. “Paano naman magiging posible 'yon? Si Jordan lang ang nag-iisang character na linagay mo sa story bilang love interest ko or something. Kapag nga sinabi mo sa story na in love na ko sa kaniya, magiging in love talaga ko sa kaniya sa story pero mukhang hindi na gano'n kapag tinawag mo na ako. Parang si Perry din, 'di ba?”

“What about Perry?” taka kong tanong.

“I mean tuwing tinatawag mo kami ni Jordan tapos kasama s'ya, nakikita kong may sakit sa mga mata n'ya kahit masaya naman s'ya sa latest chapter na gawa mo,” Tiningnan n'ya ako. “She seems different in a way, you know.”

Before I can even agree with Alessandra, she already vanished. I just sighed due to confusion that I can't wrap around my head. Maybe I should know Jordan's side now. Sila lang talaga ni Perry ang parang may problema. Is that even possible? A fictional character falling in love with another fictional character even if they're not inside the story?

I immediately wrote Jordan's name on my notebook. Saka ko lang napansin na sobrang daming beses ko na pala silang tinawag. Ilang pages din ng notebook ang napuno kaya hesitant akong magdagdag ng bago na namang character na p'wedeng makausap o makita. I'm still not sure about this notebook. It has some sort of powers as far as I know, but why me? I'm sure that this notebook was bought by my mother in the mall. It was brand new and still has plastic cover when I got it. It's not a heirloom and how did it possess that kind of powers?

I never really dig deeper about this. I should research more.

“Earth to Esther. Can you hear or see me?” Napatitig ako sa harapan ko at nandoon na pala si Jordan. “Goodness, I thought you can't see nor hear me.

“May iniisip lang ako,” nginitian ko s'ya. “Kumusta ka, Jordan?”

“I'm fine, I must say,” he sighed. “But I feel uncomfortable.”

My forehead creased. “Bakit naman? May nangyari bang kakaiba? May nararamdaman ka bang iba?”

Nagbuga s'ya ng malalim na buntong-hininga bago tumitig sa mga mata ko. “What do you call on that certain feeling when you feel a sting inside you every time you see someone special with someone special to that someone?”

Naguluhan naman ako sa sinasabi n'ya pero isang sagot lang din ang naisip ko. “Jealousy? You're probably jealous.”

Nagulat ako nang mapuno ng takot ang mga mata n'ya. “You never told me to feel that way in the story, but I can feel it inside of me since the last time we talked. Even if I'm doing what I'm supposed to do in the story, I can feel it. Especially when I'm talking to you and I'm out of the story for the meantime.”

Napaisip ako lalo. Sila lang talaag ni Perry ang may ganitong kaso. I don't know what to do. Being able to talk with my own fictional characters is already the peak of my sanity and now we have this kind of problem. This is tedious and confusing.