Missing You

Marathon to Jine's Past

The class where Jine and Jarie belonged prepared for the day for their Physical Education class' big activity. The class was divided into two batches, one of which would have the activity first followed by the other, so grading of each student would be more easily done. Besides, it would be quite a task for the P.E. teacher to score a marathon practical test of 30 students.

Jine would be with the first batch, and Jarie would be running with the second batch. Being with her batch mates, Jarie noticed from a distance that her best friend had an unusual vibe that morning. Jarie was so curious, so she went to Jine before the activity began.

"What's with the sparkle on your eyes today that I haven't seen for quite some time?" Jarie sounded like a naughty friend asking her pal about her secret crush.

"Sabihin nalang nating, I just had the best breakfast ever!" Jine exclaimed.

"And what on earth can make a breakfast best for someone who has been getting worse everyday?" Jarie could actually be tactless at times.

Jine was about to answer Jarie when the teacher called for the first batch to be on the starting line.

"I had it with Calvin. Sige, I'll talk to you more about it later." She retreated with a big smile on her face.

"What?" Jarie would like those words of Jine repeated not that she did not hear them clearly but that she wished what she heard were not actually what Jine said, but they were. Jarie suddenly felt nervous, but she could not explain well why even just to herself, but she knew it was about Jine that she's feeling weird. She would like to stop Jine from joining the marathon, but for some reason, she decided not to, probably because she would be asked to explain why she did not want her best friend to run.

Jarie sat on a bench and waited for their batch's turn not because she wanted their turn began but because she wanted the first batch done and all safe especially Jine. Unfortunately, after more or less 20 minutes, two gentlemen were carrying Jine who fainted while on the run. She was sent to the school clinic to be attended by the doctor and nurse on duty. Jarie went to the clinic with the gentlemen who carried Jine with a stretcher. Jarie would like to stay in the clinic until Jine regained consciousness, but Jarie was advised to go finish her test. She did as she was advised but immediately returned to the clinic after the marathon. She did not know what to do until the doctor came and told her what was wrong with Jine.

"Wala namang dapat ipag-alala about Jine. Based on our assessment, she did not eat breakfast this morning, kaya she fainted. But the nurse already gave her something to eat when she woke up a while ago, so she's going to be okay," the doctor thoughtfully explained.

"Thank you po, Dok," Jarie replied with almost a whisper. She already knew what to do. She thought that whether Jine would like it or not, she would have her talk with Jarie's Aunt Friena.

Aunt Friena came to Jarie's school minutes after Jarie called her for help. Aunt Friena came not only because Jarie, her beloved niece, asked for her help but because she knew what Jine was actually going through. Because of this, Aunt Friena talked with Jarie in private before going to Jine.

"Jarie, I don't have much time, so I'll go straight to the point. You're friend has a psychological problem. She's having hallucinations," Aunt Friena revealed.