Embracing the Scars | ✓

Prologue

PROLOGUE

"St. Francoise students," pagtawag ng babae sa reception. Sumunod ako sa kanila habang hila ko ang maleta. Wala sa sarili dahil sa unang pagkakataon ay mag-isa ako sa ganito.

Kai and Maurice have their own personal battles they need to win and this event will only consume the energy they were supposed to use in finding peace and courage to continue surviving.

Staring at the young woman who approached me, I found myself smiling. She looked so elegant and her aura screams beauty queen. She is tall and her features are of a Spanish origin.

"Are you Lavienne Herrera?" Tanong niya sa akin, tumango ako at ngumiti.

"Yes, Calei Martinez?" When she nodded, I knew why she approached me, we will be sharing the same room. She's from Pontifical High School, Zia's old school.

The event was fun and I have learned a lot from all the speakers but it will surely be a different feeling if Maurice or Kai was here with me. We have always been fond of biology and we all aspire to be in a medical field someday but life happens.

Fate did them dirty, snatching this opportunity and taking away something important in their lives.

I sighed, nilaro ko ang mga paa ko sa buhangin at hinayaang abutin ako ng tubig sa tuwing umaalon. Hindi ko niyakap ang sarili at dinama ang lamig ng simoy ng hangin. Isang bagay na palagi kong gustong maramdaman.

Habang abala ako sa panonood ay mayroong tumabi sa akin. Hindi ko sila pinansin but there was a side of me wanting to ask them, of all the places why do they have to sit here with me?

I really wanted to be alone but I am not a hypocrite to sulk over small things especially since I don't own the place.

"Do you know Kira?" My forehead creased but I didn't bother giving them a glimpse.

"I am talking to you, you're Lavienne, right?" I raised a brow and squinted my eyes, still staring at the setting sun.

"Yeah, now what?" Mahinang saad ko.

"Do you know her since childhood?" Noon lang ako tumingin sa kanila. Apat silang mga lalaki, lahat nakatingin sa akin. Iyong lalaking kulay tanso ang mata ay natatandaan kong kausap ni Zia last year sa library noong foundation day.

Tanda ko iyon dahil sinundan ko noon si Maurice pero nauna si Wes kaya sila na lang ang pinakinggan ko. Hindi ko alam kung ano'ng mayroon kay Kira at lahat sila eager na malaman ang background niya.

I mean, yes, maganda ang kaibigan ko, mabait, palakaibigan, masipag, matalino. . . mga bagay na ideal ng isang lalaki pero may something sa kanila.

Why do they need to dig deeper and search something in her that would connect her to a certain someone named Sierra?

Ano namang kinalaman ni Kira sa babaeng iyon, at ano ang kinalaman ni Zia sa lahat ng ito?

Hindi ako sumagot at muling tumitig sa dagat.

"Why don't you answer the question, are you hiding something?" My forehead creased and I automatically looked at them, there was a surging emotion in my chest but I didn't bother masking it.

I wore them as I looked at them one by one. Making my stare pierce into their soul.

"Excuse me but do I know you? What do you want from my friend? And why are you all acting like a bunch of creeps?"

I raised a brow fighting with their eyes, I am not going to hold back.

"Chill, we are just trying to confirm things," said the guy in a clean cut.

"Confirmation. Why don't you ask her instead?"

"Well,—"

"She will not answer because first of all, kilala niya ba kayo? Sino ba kayo sa buhay niya? And lastly, you are already invading her privacy. I can sue you for that." Matatag na saad ko bago tumayo.

Sa sobrang asar ko ay nagpunta ako sa mga vendor at um-order na lang ng buko para naman kumalma ako kahit papano.

"Hey, slowly." My head tilted sidewards and there I caught a pair of gray eyes staring at me. There was a different glint in his eyes as he looked at me. Nakita ko na noon pa ang emosyong iyon.

It's the same emotion I saw from Wes' eyes as he stared deep at Maurice, or my dad's eyes as he watched my mom scolding him. Wait, what—?

"Are you okay?" I blinked my eyes, I closed my eyes and tried to calm my heart but it wasn't cooperative as of the moment. I nodded with my eyes closed and when I opened it, I was welcomed by his warm smile.

"Aight. Next time don't talk to strangers." Napaawang ang labi ko, ano raw? Don't talk to strangers e kahit siya estranghero din sa akin.

"Kris let's go!' A woman in early thirties called him.

"Coming mom!" He offered me one last smile before turning his heel on me. What the fuck?

Since then, Kris never left my mind. He was a constant reminder to me not to talk to anyone else kaya hanggang sa magkolehiyo ako ay nahirapan akong makisama sa mga tao. Pakiramdam ko kasi lahat ng mag-a-approach sa akin may kailangan lang kaya lumalapit.

And of course, hindi mawawala roon ang isang taong pinagkatiwalaan ko ng lubos.

Nakatayo ako ngayon sa tapat ng hospital, matagal na rin simula nang makapagtapos ako, may masters degree na rin ako pero pinili kong dito sa Pilipinas magtrabaho.

Bukod kasi sa gusto kong tulungan ang mga kababayan ko ay hindi pa ako handang harapin si Mommy.

Ang isang taong nabigo ko.

"Good morning Nurse Grandecilla!"

"Good morning Nurse Vien!"

Isang simpleng tango at good morning din ang palagi kong tugon sa kanila. Nakangiti lang ako hanggang sa makarating ako sa elevator pero mabilis na napawi ang kurba sa labi ko nang makita ko ang tao sa loob no'n.

"Long time no see Lav, aren't you welcoming me?" Said by the doctor inside the lift.

"It isn't my responsibility to welcome you." Pain surge through me, ilang taon na ang nakalipas pero narito pa rin ang sakit.

"Are you still mad at me?" Ang lakas ng loob niyang magtanong, sino naman bang matutuwa sa kagahuhang ginawa niya.

Hindi ako umimik. "I came here to make up for that, I am sorry," nakuha pa niyang lumapit sa akin at akmang yayakap kaya hinanda ko na ang sarili ko para bigyan siya ng isang malakas na suntok, mabuti na lamang ay huminto na ang lift.

The Lord still doesn't want me to lose my class over this crap.

"I no longer give a damn about you Doctor Legazpi." I then went out of the elevator and headed to our lounge where everyone is busy preparing themselves to go home and do their rounds.

Where the fuck did he found the courage to talk to me like he didn't fooled me at all? Suddenly, I wanted to burst out in infuriation. Hatred starts to crawl over my veins.

"I'm afraid I might lose myself. I've been trying to mold everyone around me but then I got broken in the process. I can't take it when it comes to love. I don't want it. Besides, I really don't want to make commitments."

Suddenly, Kira's words played in my
mind. I smiled bitterly as I changed my clothes to my uniform.

Nathaniel Legazpi was my boyfriend in college. I can still clearly remember everything; how I fell for his kindness and later on, that decision turned me to be who I am today. A wounded soul.

And now that he is already a doctor, he returns and acts as if nothing happened? How pathetic.

Well, what do I expect from a desperate murderer?

AE | AERIS D.