Withering Reality

Chapter 3

Tori opens her eyes, expecting a gentle smile from a certain general or the familiar woven ceiling of a nipa hut but instead saw the face of Art, her best friend.

"Tori!" She cries, helping her sit up. "Ano ba nangyayari sa'yo? Kanina pa kita ginigising!"

Tori shakes her head, her head groggy but memories concrete. She can still feel the weight of Del Pilar's head on her shoulder. "Hindi ko alam." She replies, more troubled than before. "Hindi ko talaga alam."

"Break na daw kayo ni Matt." Art says, worriedly. "Nagaalala yung tao. Pagkatapos niyo daw magusap, hindi mo na daw sinasagot mga tawag niya. Kaya pinapunta niya ako dito. Kakatext ko lang na hindi ka pa gumigising--"

"Art, hindi ko talaga gustong pagusapan si Matt ngayon. Masyadong maraming nangyayari.." Tori's voice trails off, her words hanging in the air in suspense. "..Kailangan ko ng oras para magisip, siguro."

Art nods. "Kung 'yan gusto mo. Iiwanan muna kita. Tawagan mo nalang ako pag may kailangan ka."

She stands up to leave and Tori admits her gratitude. Her best friend nods, and exits the room, leaving her tangy scent as a souvenir of her stay. Tori guessed she stayed with her for two days straight.

Her mouth feels terrible, as if it momentarily forgot how to be a mouth, and her whole spine is sore from lying too long on the bed.

However, she can't figure out everything. How she was able to get back in time and why would Gregorio Del Pilar, of all generals, would dare to kiss her.

Tampered by thinking too much, Tori stands up from her bed to start her trip back to memory lane by recording it in her journal.

◄►

She watched reruns of How I Met Your Mother and ordered pizza just for herself. Tori wanted to take up midyear classes, however that would mean she has to see Matt and it wasn't she wanted to regularly look forward to. Instead, she decided to be a cat lady and tire herself from watching show reruns and eating junk foods all the way.

She never knew she'd be more than excited to sleep again, and it wasn't because she's stressing too much in college but because she's excited to see the soldiers of Bulacan--particularly, their general. Tori had already made a coot for herself in the living room, and after closing the television, closes her eyes to drift into a dream.

She opens her eyes hastily and sits up, looking around. But instead of the native nipa hut and fresh breeze, Tori catches the familiar geometric wallpaper and faint smell of pizza crust. And instead of a deep, soothing and commanding voice, she hears a slow melody sung by a British woman.

Tori, dejected, answers her phone immediately. "Hello?" She asks, against the receiver, standing up from the couch.

"Ri!" She hears the flamboyant voice of her best friend from the other side, and she could guess the girl is standing in her doorway, waiting for her to come out in her casual mall clothes. "Hihintayin kita dito sa labas. Punta tayong Enchanted Kingdom!"

"Ngayon na?" Tori looks at the time. Her friend had woken her up at nine. "Sige, sandali lang."

Of course, she didn't want her friend to expect she never wanted to come because she's trying to sleep to meet Del Pilar again, if ever Art knows what she was up to these past few days. Tori took a quick shower and dressed nicely, wearing the most appealing clothes she can combine. After grabbing her things, which is practically shoving all what's on her desk into her bag, she went out the house to see Art sitting on the marble staircase with two guys.