You're Still The One

CHAPTER 3

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THIRD PERSON'S POV

"Ash." Asher just went out of their classroom after her talk with Gian. She was already crying by then when she felt someone grab her hand. She was startled but was immediately relieved when she saw who the person was.

It was Yeng.

"Yeng." She immediately hugged her friend. Yeng has been one of her closest friends back in elementary.

"I missed you so much!" Asher said as she cried uncontrollably while still hugging Yeng. She forgot about what had just happened earlier with her and Gian.

"Miss na miss din kita, Ash." Yeng said as she smiled. She too, was already stopping her tears from falling down her face. She was glad to see her friend again, her first ever friend.

...

"So bakit ka nga umalis?" Yeng asked as she took a sip of her drink. They were already in the school's pantry, eating their snacks while talking about what happened in their lives for the past years that they weren't able to connect with each other.

"Ha? Ah.. Pwede bang iba na lang yung pag-usapan natin? Ang awkward naman dito sa school eh." Asher said as she ate her sandwich.

"Nope! Hindi pwede! I need your explanation now. As in, Right. Now." Yeng firmly said, but Asher just looked at her with a pair of frightened eyes, it was evident that she didn't want to talk about the topic.

"Ash, you just don't know what happened here in school after you left us. I cried over you, you know! I cried more than a thousand tears every night back then, dealing with the pain you've caused me when you left. You were my only friend, tapos iniwan mo pa ko." Yeng sadly said. She reminisced how hard it felt for her to be left alone when Asher disappeared just like that years ago. Asher was indeed her only friend then, she was her first ever best friend.

"Yenggay, I'm sorry. Hindi ko kasi alam kung paano kita kakausapin noon tungkol sa pag-alis namin eh. Masakit din naman para sakin na iwan na lang kayo basta-basta dito." Asher painfully said, trying her best not to cry while eating her snacks.

"Alam mo, bukod sakin, may sobra ding naapektuhan sa pag-alis mo." Yeng replied without looking at Asher's eyes. She just focused her attention on the food in front of her.

"Huh? Sino?" Asher asked.

"Si Gian." Asher gasped when she heard Yeng say this. She then completely felt guilty upon realizing that she had hurt not just one person when she left the country years ago without telling them a word about it, but many other people too, including Yeng.. and Gian. .

"Yeng."

"He was so, so, so sad. He was so sad, Ash. He was disappointed, mad, but very much sad. And he changed because of you, because of what you did to him, to us." Yeng explained.

.."He would always ask me if I know where you went, if I know why you left. But he never got an answer from me, kasi nga hindi ko rin naman alam. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit ka umalis nang ganun, nang basta-basta lang." She continued. Asher felt a lump on her throat. She has never felt this guilty in her entire life, just now.

"Yeng, I'm really really sorry." Asher apologetically said.

"Kanina.. narinig ko kayo ni Gian na nag-uusap, sa room.." Yeng started again, making Asher's heart beat faster than the usual.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop and gossip around.. but I heard what you told him. And that was foul, Ash. Why did you tell him you forgot him? When all he did was remember you, and cry for you so hard, hoping and praying to God to let you two meet each other again? To hug you and be with you again?"