A/N: This is longer than the other chapters. This is 5K+ including this author's note. I'll be writing longer chapters since matagal ang updates dahil malapit na ang second sem.
Vote and comment, loves.
-Yang
°°°
"Life is unfair, fate is a cheater, universe is a bitch, and timing has no sense of timing."
"THANK YOU."
The boy shrugged. He has this Spanish look on his face. He's around eighteen to twenty years old, I think. He's four inches taller than me and he allowed me to have some bread and water. He even offered me milk which I refused because I don't want to abuse his kindness.
"Thank you so much." I said again gently. So I wouldn't wake up other people in this house.
"We have something to spare. Just don't steal things." He eyed me cautiously, "Why were you stealing anyway?"
I bit my lip. I don't wanna lie with him but telling him about my bullet wound might make him throw me out of the window faster than I can blink. Damn.
"I wasn't really suppose to steal your bread. I climbed your balcony last night to seek refuge. I..." How should I say this?
"Refuge? What are you running away from?" His eyes darted to the traces of blood on my right shoulder, "Are you... Are you shot or in pain somewhere else?"
I sighed this boy is a keen observer, "I've been shot on the shoulder. I just finished plucking out the bullet when you found me. So I tried to distract you from the bullet on the floor."
"That's why you tried taking bread?" He leaned on his chair.
I nodded, "Better have you wonder why I am stealing than have you wonder why I am removing bullet in my shoulder."
Based on his expression I think he wants to ask me how I managed to remove the bullet by myself but he never got the chance because we heard a female voice calling out.
"Eliot? Eliot, who are you talking to? Nagpasok ka na naman ba ng babae sa bahay? Que barbaridad kang bata ka. Nasa'n ka ba? Eliot--" The woman (around forty-five to fifty years old) halted when she saw us.
"Goodness, Eliot! She looks like a twelve years old! Kailan ka pa naging pedophile?!" The lady placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at the boy which I think is Eliot.
"Mom--" He looked hesitantly at me, "Hindi ko po siya babae. Tsaka hindi ako pedo. Nakita ko lang po siya sa... sa..." he paused contemplating on what to say, "Sa balcony na nanghihina. So I took her here and feed her."
I placed on my most adorable tired face and looked at the woman who looks calmer now, "Ma'am... I'm sorry to barge in like this. I promise that I am not a thief or anything. There's just this people..." I looked down and picked the hem of my shirt, "... there's just this people chasing me last night and I have nowhere to go. I'm really sorry." I slowly lifted my gaze to her.
She sat down on the chair near me, "Where's your parents, kid?"
"They were... they were murdered." I allowed myself to have a few tears on my eyes.
There's a coping mechanism I've developed in times like this. I count seconds. I fill my thoughts with numbers to prevent tears and words spilling from my eyes and mouth.
One, two, three, four...
"Oh dear, " Eliot's mom hugged me and patted my hair and my back, "Wala ka na bang kamag-anak o kakilalang kahit sino?"
Five, six, seven, eight...
"None." I said sadly.
"You aren't fluent in Filipino, are you?" Amusement gathering in her face. She must've noticed my accent.
