Escape Route

CHAPTER 17

The day dragged on like a weight I couldn't lift. I couldn't focus on anything, my mind constantly wandering back to Eliezer and that conversation from earlier. He'd left me with more questions than answers, and I didn't know how to make sense of it all.

But I couldn't let myself think about it too much. There were things I needed to do—classwork, catching up on notes, pretending like my heart wasn't tangled up in knots. The more I tried to distract myself, the more I realized I couldn't keep running away.

I sat on the edge of my bed, mindlessly scrolling through my phone. I knew I needed to make things right, but I didn't know where to start. My thumb hovered over his name in my contacts, and before I could overthink it, I typed a quick message.

Adah:
Cal, rooftop after class?

I stared at the screen for a few moments, my heart racing. I wasn't sure if he'd even respond, if he'd be open to it. But I had to try. I had to make it clear I wasn't shutting him out, even though I felt like I was suffocating with everything unsaid between us.

I didn't expect an immediate reply, but it came soon enough.

Eliezer:
Alam mo kung saan mo ako hahanapin...

The words hit me like a punch to the chest.

Alam mo kung saan mo ako hahanapin. It was something he'd said to me once, a long time ago, on the same rooftop.

FLASHBACK

It was the end of our first semester of senior high school, and the world felt lighter then. Eliezer and I had just finished a stressful press conference, both of us on edge after a long week of preparing. We needed a break, something to take the weight off our shoulders.

I remember how the city looked from up there, the skyline stretching endlessly into the horizon. The sound of distant traffic faded as we stepped onto the rooftop, the cool breeze brushing against my face. The view was always calming, a quiet refuge from the chaos of school and life.

Eliezer was leaning against the ledge, looking out over the city, his hands shoved into his pockets. I stood beside him, not saying anything at first.

"You know, I never thought I'd enjoy being up here this much," I had said, watching the way the sky turned darker with the setting sun.

Eliezer had chuckled, his usual carefree laugh that always managed to make me smile. "You just need to appreciate the little things."

His words felt simple, but they carried weight. I didn't realize it at the time, but that moment on the rooftop marked a shift. It was one of the first times I felt like maybe there was more to him than the jokester everyone saw.

The silence stretched on, but it was a comfortable silence. Not awkward or forced, but peaceful. The air was cold with unspoken thoughts, but neither of us felt the need to say anything.

It was Eliezer who broke the silence first. "Adah, this place... it's kind of like a secret,"

"A secret?" I asked, puzzled.

"Yeah. Nasakin ang susi ng rooftop na 'to, ako lang nakakabukas. I'll get you a duplicate and we'd come here when we need to think, when we need to be alone. But it's still special, because it's ours," he explained, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

I had nodded slowly, the weight of his words settling in my chest. He was right. This place had become ours, a place where we could breathe without the pressure of everyone else.

He glanced at me then, a playful glint in his eyes. "You know, if you ever need me, Adah, you'll know where to find me."

I raised an eyebrow, teasing him a little. "Really? You'd come up here just for me? Ang sweet mo naman, Cal!"