Scarlet Strings of Love

Chapter 40: 절반의 진실

"Whatever satisfies the soul is truth."

—Walt Whitman, poet

YSABELLE's POINT OF VIEW

"She cheated on me."

Nanlaki ang mata naming lahat. Luxus lowered his head and I heard him sigh. I didn't know what to say. I could feel Angelo's eyes on me, waiting for my reaction.

Anne did what?

(A Few Hours Ago)

Kakapasok ko lang sa kwarto ko nang biglang tumunog ang phone ko. It was a message and I was surprised to see whose and where it was from.

LUXUS: Hey everyone, if you're free tomorrow at 1pm can we meet at the garden?

Then he sent another message.

LUXUS: It's time I tell you guys what really happened. Sorry it took me a long time, but if you're free and you want to listen, please tell me you'll be there.

Hindi ako nakapag message agad. Simply because I didn't know what to say. Nahiga ako sa kama ko at nakatingin lang ako sa cellphone ko. Luxus just sent a message to our old group chat. The group chat we had when all of us were still friends and Anne was still alive.

Halos dalawang taon ko na rin 'to hindi nakita. Natabunan na kasi ito ng ibang group chats for our subjects and groupings. I scrolled up and read our last messages.

I almost teared up when I saw that my last message was to Anne and Luxus. It was on August 15, the night Anne got into an accident. I told them to be careful and to enjoy their date, I had no idea that'd be the last time we see Anne.

As I continued to look at our past conversations, I couldn't help but cry and let my tears fall. We were so close back then, we were so happy. I saw Angelo and I's bickering, Regina and Joaquin's as well. I saw how Czarina would mention Emman in the group chat because he was running away from doing his assignments again, and si Czarina noon ang kanyang self proclaimed tutor.

I saw how Luxus and Laurence tried to stop all our bickering, and how we'd all laugh in the end.

I hugged my pillow as I continued to read our conversations. I miss them. No matter how many times I say that I've moved on, masakit pa rin. I still haven't fully recovered from Anne's death. I still think about what I could've done to save our friendship.

I always thought what if I didn't run away? What if I didn't get mad? I left Luxus alone. All of us did. And now he's the one approaching us first as if siya ang may kasalanan.

I was immature. Luxus and I may be friends now, and sure, okay na kami ni Angelo, but there's still a part of me that wonders what if I didn't do what I did two years ago? What if instead of leaving, I stayed with Luxus? What if I confronted Angelo and told him that what he did truly hurt me?

But no matter how many questions I asked, hindi na mababago yung nakaraan. In the end, I got scared. In the end, I ran away.

I sighed and wiped the tears away as I saw that the others had sent messages to the group chat.

CZARINA: Free ako

EMMAN: Ako rin

REGINA: I'll be there, Luxus

ANGELO: We'll be there, Lux.

Seeing everyone say that they'll be there made me feel better. So I decided to send a message as well.

YSABELLE: I'll be there :)

If Luxus is ready to tell us the truth, I wouldn't let the opportunity pass. And maybe... Just maybe, after this, we'll all be friends again. I miss them. I miss them so much.