Timeless Series #3: A Time For Us

Chapter 7: Deja Vu

Chapter 7: Déjà Vu

I saw her smile again—the kind of smile that looks so genuine, pure, and kind.

"Noelle," I called her name.

Pagkabalik ko, siya agad ang hinanap ko. I traveled back and forth between Santa Mariana and Metro Manila, moving through the present and the past, all because of the clock tower. It's the only way I can perform time traveling and revisit the time when we were still in high school.

Natigilan siya sa pakikipag-usap sa mga kasama niya. Mukhang nagbulung-bulungan pa ang mga ito nang makita nila akong tinatawag si Noelle.

"Julian..." she whispered, unti-unting lumapit sa kinatatayuan ko.

I smiled at her. Nakita kong bahagyang umawang ang labi niya bago siya bumaling sa mga kasama at nagpaalam.

"Susunod na lang ako sa council room, Prez," she told the man wearing glasses. Beside him were a boy and a girl, the ones Noelle had been talking to earlier.

"Student council? Are you..."

She nodded. "I'm the Treasurer."

My lips parted. Wow. She's also part of our high school's student council? "Hindi ka ba nahihirapan? You're also the manager of our soccer club."

Umiling siya. "Ayos lang. I guess I can manage..." She smiled at me.

I couldn't help but smile back as I watched her.

It felt like déjà vu.

Parang nangyari na ito dati. The first time I used our family's secret teleportation ability, it brought me back to this very moment. Noon ko unang nasilayan ang ngiti niya.

Naalala ko tuloy ang hinaharap. I shook my head. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to remember Noelle's wake in the present... Not when she's alive and smiling beautifully right in front of me now.

I smiled again.

"Hinanap mo ba ako?"

I nodded in response.

Bahagya siyang napanganga. "Uh..."

We both turned when the bell rang, signaling the start of classes. I sighed. Fine. I can just meet her later. Hindi pa naman ako babalik ng Santa Mariana, not until I've warned her about her future accident. I won't let her die. I'll save her no matter what.

"Let's meet later at lunch break?" I asked.

She slowly nodded. I smiled and said goodbye, heading back to my classroom.

Noelle and I weren't classmates, but we were in the same grade.

She's not only kind and pretty; she's intelligent and an achiever too. That made me proud of her, and I found myself smiling in class, even spacing out while the teacher was lecturing. Kaya nang bigla akong tawagin, mali pa ang sagot ko. I sighed, slouched in my chair, and stared out the window.

I'm not very good at academics. I could probably do better if I tried, but soccer is all I think about. It's what I'm good at, and I excel at it. Besides, I'll be a professional player someday, so I'll make a living that way.

I believe anything is achievable through hard work. You don't need to be a genius. People might call me a prodigy in soccer, but I know I wouldn't have achieved anything without effort.

When lunch break came, I waited outside Noelle's classroom. Na-dismiss nang mas maaga ang klase namin, kaya napagtitinginan ako ng mga estudyante na dumadaan sa hallway. Nang nagsilabasan na ang mga classmates niya, they gave me curious looks.

"J-Julian,"

I smiled when Noelle walked out. "Let's have lunch?"

She nodded slowly, and we walked to the cafeteria despite the stares from other students. They were probably curious about us, but I ignored them.

After getting our food, we sat down and started talking.

"So, how did you become the soccer club's manager?" I asked.

"You had a different manager, right?" she replied.

I nodded, though I barely remembered who it was.

"She quit," Noelle explained. "Your coach asked me to take over since we know each other—he was my mom's classmate back in the day."

I nodded again. That's how she became our manager.

I wanted to talk to her again. I wanted to say more, to hear more. I wanted to learn everything about her. I wanted to get to know her better. If only we had more time...

I thought back to the records left by my ancestors, the ones about our family's secret ability. The first time I used it, I didn't fully believe in its authenticity. I treated it like a joke, but now I knew better.

I've learned there's a limit to how long I can stay in the past. If I don't return to the present in time, I risk getting trapped here forever.

"I think I have to go back now, Noelle. Damn it, it's such a short time," I muttered under my breath. I looked at her. "But don't worry. I'll come back."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Is it... really time-traveling, Julian? And you have to go now?"

I nodded, forcing a small smile. I was glad she still remembered what we talked about the first time I came back here.

She nodded slowly, as if understanding.

I considered staying with her in the past. But how could I ensure her safety when the time of her accident comes?

I clenched my jaw.

I couldn't risk it. Isa pa, hindi ko pa lubos na naiintindihan ang lahat ng nasa records. I need to be careful. Besides, I can always use the clock tower again to return.

The reason I came back was to warn Noelle and plan ahead.

But I ran out of time. Before I could tell her about the accident, I was forced to return.

Pagbalik ko sa present, I stood before the clock tower, catching my breath. I checked my phone for the date and time. Everything was still the same.

Nothing had changed.

I hadn't saved Noelle.

I went back to Manila to confirm, and I was right. Her future hadn't shifted at all.

It was as if my efforts were pointless. I felt like a fool—a useless fool. I failed to protect her, and for the first time in my life, I felt truly helpless.