Invisible

Chapter 26

"So, what would be your plans since now?" JK asked me as I slumped myself in the car seat beside him. "I mean, are you going to go somewhere? Would you stay with Darren?"

I shrugged. I was planning of running away from my house, but in all obviousness, I was not as planned as I thought. I have no place to be into while I try to give myself a little space from my mother and from my auntie, and also from their lies. I was in pain right now, so staying in the same roof as them would be a little difficult.

"I don't know, JK." I confessed. "I don't know where to go. I'm a first timer in this country and I don't know any place that I can stay into. And going into Darren would be a little unhealthy too. I don't want him to get involved in this."

"But he's your boyfriend." He tells me, "You should know that whatever mess you're into, he's always involved. I know that that type of situation only applies to married couples but by the looks of it, you two were best friends before you became together. Darren knows about your problems with your dad and now with your mom."

I looked at JK and saw that his look mirrored mine. He has a point. Darrenis always involved in my mess. But right now, pulling him with the trouble I am slowly drowning into is the last thing I need. I love him and I don't want to see Darren have troubles about the troubles that should be mine and mine only. JK was focused on the road and his looks made it seem like he was having the same problem as mine.

"Oh, I know," JK says after a long time of silence and his features brightened a little. "You can stay in my house for the mean time."

I smiled at his offer, though there was still a little agitation tingling within me. "Are you sure it would be okay?"

"Oh come on, Nicole," he said in a fake annoyed expression, "Don't play hard to get right now. We both know that you need a help because of your situation at this point. All you have to do is bite on, on this one. So, what do you say?"

I sighed. He was right. At this point, playing hard to get (although I am not playing that game ever) is really not ideal. So there was no other escape in this one. "Okay, I would stay in yours." I told him. "I promise it would just be temporary, JK. Sorry for the hassle,"

"Oh, it's fine!" he exclaimed. "You can stay as long as you need to. Besides, it would be fun to have some company in the house for the mean while. Being alone has its disadvantages too, you know."

I laughed at him and he laughed at the same volume. His car started to drive through the place. Being someone who was never a fan of air conditioners in cars, JK agreed to my request to shut it off and just open the windows for fresh air from the outsides.

This gave me the right time to think. If my father chased after us in Canada almost 14 years ago, how come he didn't succeed on finding us? And how come no one in the Philippines told my father anything about us? I'm quite sure my mother and my auntie have other friends in this country. There might be a few but it would still be enough to tell us everything. There's a voice at the back of my mind telling me that, maybe someone told your mother that your father chased after you. There might be a reason why you left a house after the other and moved almost around Canada.

"Here," JK's voice broke through the small space and woke me up from my trance. I turned to him and saw that he was offering me a handkerchief. "Because of what you're carrying right now, you seemed to turn a little numb. You didn't even notice that you were crying."

I gladly took the handkerchief. "Thanks,"

"No worries," he said. "But if you're going to put some snot on that one, I would be glad if you would take the obligation to laundry it first before returning it to me."