Invisible

Chapter 54

For as far as I know, I want to forget everything and leave them stuck in the back of my mind, so giving the necklace that he has given me in high school graduation meant that I was doing the exact thing that I have really been wanting to do.

The chain I have planted on his palm felt cold, considering the length of its stay in my purse. I looked up at Darren. "Thank you for everything you have done," I told him with a smile, "You have moulded me into being someone stronger."

The look on Darren's face was fairly hard to decipher. There was really something in the facial expression of his that is too difficult to read. "Do me a favour, though," I said and sighed for the nth time of the day, "Don't give this necklace to anyone. Just keep it."

"Nic..." my heart nearly dropped at the sound of the old nickname that only Darren uses for me. Although it was heart whelming that he called me that and it served like it was a reminder that he didn't change just like Lyn, it also broke my heart a thousand times worst. "Don't... please,"

I smiled weakly at him. "It's been years, Darren," I told him, "To let go is what we both should do. And by the looks of it, I guess I was the only one left behind."

"That's not true." He says and I was left puzzled. I don't know what he meant at that, but whatever it meant, it doesn't matter anymore. "I..."

"You have a girlfriend, and to be honest, after you, I didn't date." I admitted to him. "Maybe it's time for me to open up my heart for someone; someone who'll love me, someone who'll be proud to have me."

Right after the words left my mouth, his eyes flashed some sort of emotion that was enough for me to read; anger, regret. For some reason, I was proud that I did that, but to hurt someone, even if it's my ex boyfriend/best friend is something I never really do. Guilt slapped itself to me, but I ignored it.

"And please, Darren," I said for finale, "Call me Nicole."

"Why am I not allowed calling you Nic?"

"Because that nickname was for my best friend," I told him, "It was supposed to be for you, until you broke me to pieces when you denied having me. Now that name is no longer in use. It's buried."

-

The people in the house, well, weren't really in the house. JK said he would love to stay in the house, but he also wanted to go to his house to visit his uncle. Parry was with him, but I only gave my best friend to him when he promised that Parry would be staying in a different room. My mother felt like she was sleepy so she took her usual afternoon nap. My auntie and her boyfriend went out for a date. So with that, I was left alone in the house, since the Espanto's were back to their house as well.

The house was silent and I was left doing nothing in my old room. The room didn't change and it remained the way it was when I left the house for the first time because of my family issues. I checked my closet and smiled when I saw some old clothes inside. They didn't stink, so I guess they would do for sometime. I instantly regret that I didn't bring many clothes just because I wasn't decided over how long I was going to stay in the place.

My body fell into the soft cushion. I whispered my thanks to my aunt and mom when they considered letting the maids clean the room and the bed to be dusted, there won't be a lot for me to do. My bags were already emptied since I considered that I should move the contents to my closet and my toiletries to the bathroom. There's no better place than home right now. I don't know what was wrong with me when I left this place and decided to live in the Espanto's instead.

At the mention of the family's name, I started to fill a little nauseous. I wasn't thinking badly towards them as a complete family. There is this single member of that family that keeps poking his self in my brain and my brain seemed to despise the idea of keeping him in the back of my mind.

The look on Darren's face earlier seemed to be haunting me and I don't even know why I feel a little guilty. I mean, I just did the right thing, didn't I? I wanted to move on and keep moving forward and don't relapse. Darren seemed to be over that stage and I was the only one at the pair of us that's waiting for a miracle to happen to get us back together, so I guess giving the necklace up was enough for a first step.

When my head seemed to spin at the thought of Darren's poignant expression earlier, I decided to keep myself occupied. Just when I was about to get out for a walk, my phone's tone blared at the small space of the room I am in and it showed that there was someone calling. I thought it was either Parry or Karlos, but it was Hannah.

"Hey," I said as I leaned the phone against my shoulder and my cheek as I tied my converse's laces. "What made you call me?"

"I was just going to inform you about a little adjustment for our schedule." She says at the opposite line. "Well, the new adjustment we did before Parry's proposal,"

"Okay, so what's with the schedule?"

When I was satisfied over the tightness of my laces, I took hold of the device and headed for the door. "We're going to be in the orphanage a little earlier and just so happens that we're going there in three days," she says.

"What?" I asked, a little shocked. "Why? I mean, it's too early! It won't match with the original schedule! It would contrast too much! There would be a lot of altering if we get to the orphanage within three days."

"I know, I know," she says while I was already by the front door and went out of the house. "But I took care of it. So you see, we would be staying in the country for the same length still. We're just going to adjust until the earlier weeks of the following months before we get back to London."

"But..."

"Nicole, I know you hate it here," she says and I have the feeling that she's a little crossed. "I know that and it's too obvious. But there is nothing we can do anymore okay? The management chose to do that, since the band has been trending since you came here in the Philippines. The management thought it would be healthy for the band's public stability so we have to keep that going."

"Ugh." I groaned. "Remind me to write the word 'unfair' on my knuckles so I can punch it to the management so they would understand what it means." I said, groaning along the process.

Hannah seemed to find it a little amusing. I mean, I know she hates the way the management handles us too, coz she cares for the band and we all know that she treats us like daughters. "Okay, I would make a mental note for that."

I found myself chuckling with her, amused. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing more, I think that's all." She says then declines the call right after we exchanged some good bye's and stuff.

A headache starts to form in me and I just cursed at the wrong timing of the stinging pain on my head. I took the chance to get it soothed at the field where I used to go and spend most of my time, so I padded my way to the field. By the time I reached the field, I was breathless. I guess I ran instead of walked.

When I came to the same tree I stay at, there was a man there. My headache multiplies in a hundred times worse when I noticed that it was Darren. Great. What's with this day that everything I hate seems to happen again and again?

Before I can turn and walk back to my house, he turns around and sees me. So much for my attempt to escape the tragedy that is my life.

"Hey," he says and I smile in exchange. "Wanna sit with me?"

My heart was saying that I should go and stay in the house. But my head says I should stay with him, saying there is no big deal in the set up.

I sighed but smiled at the end. "Sure,"

Darren didn't seem to expect this so he had to take some few seconds to collect himself, blink a few times and close his hanging jaw.