Detoured Love

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"There you are!" I heard Glynn uttered upon sitting next to me.

"I called you several times. You got me worried back there. What's wrong, Miss P?"

"I'm fine Glynn, you need not worry about me."

"But you seemed so scared when you bolted away from the crowd. Were you hurt or something?"

"Or something... " I murmured.

"Care to enlighten me?"

"Sorry, I don't really want to talk about it right now."

"Oh well, if you said so... I was just wondering why that oh so yummy guy was about to run after you if he wasn't only called by a reporter."

I was deep in thought vaguely listening to what Glynn was blabbering and I only caught the last part of what she's saying.

"What did you say again?" I queried, all of a sudden interested to what she has to say.

"I said, the guy was about to run after you. Who was that guy Miss P? Why did he look at you so intensely?"

I kept quiet unable to answer her. It's a very touchy subject for me. I don't want to go there and relive the past. So instead of answering her, I stood up and told her that we should go.

Glynn remained silent until we went out of the gate. Good thing she didn't press me for answers. My indifference must have silenced her. Though Glynn has been a friend since last semester when I first came to school, I just don't feel like sharing it with her. Aside from the student-teacher relationship that we have, we are really good friends. But I am very privy to my private life and I want to keep it that way as much as possible.

I went home to my condo unit in Labangon. When I started working last June, I moved out of our ancestral home and live on my own. My father paid for the down payment and I'm paying the monthly amortization since I'm already working.

The moment I opened the door, my mobile phone rang. It's Katrina, my bestfriend for the longest time.

"Hello gurl! What's up?" She chirped lively.

"Not much gurl. Would you like to come over for dinner?" I queried. I need a distraction so I won't end up mulling over my encounter with him.

"Well if you're cooking, then I'm coming."

"Sure thing! Just bring the drinks."

"Would you like some flavored beers or a sparkling wine?"

"If you still have that sparkling wine you've stashed from your brother's party, it would be better."

"Ella, what's wrong?" She sounded worried. Typical Kat. Nothing goes unnoticed.

"Geez Kat, you're such a worry-freak... I'm fine! See you."

"And what's with the sparkling wine huh?!"

"Duh, it's just sparkling wine! And it doesn't mean a thing... What if I just wanted to celebrate?"

"Celebrate huh?! Whatever!! You better spill when I get there." And she hang up.

Kat could really read me even over the phone. We're childhood friends and even without saying a word, we understood each other's unspoken thoughts and feelings. There is no secret between us. Thus, I really need that wine to loosen my tongue.

My mind kept drifting to the depths of those brown eyes I haven't seen since I graduated in high school. That was five years ago. After graduation I never heard from him. We never kept in touch...

"Earth to Ella!" Kat's bubbly voice startled me. I didn't notice that she has arrived. I must have left the door unlocked which is a rare case. I'm so disoriented since I got home from school. The incident this afternoon kept on replaying in my mind. More vivid than when it actually happened.

"Hey gurl, you've spaced out again. I've been talking here and you haven't said a word. What's wrong with you?"

"Let's eat. I'm starving. Where is the wine?"

"Something is definitely wrong! Care to tell me?"

"Am I that transparent huh?"

"Yes, you are miss!! Now tell me!"

"Ugh, later promise after dinner." I said evading her. It pained me just thinking about it. But if I won't tell her, I might explode.

We ate in silence. Kat understood that I'm so lost in my own bubble of thoughts. She even volunteered to do the dishes. Afterwards, she poured us some of the sparkling wine. We sat on the sofa while sipping Marks and Spencer. I turned on the plasma TV. Kat grabbed the remote and turned it off.

"OK, fine. I saw him!" I finally blurted.

"You saw who?!" She asked bewildered.

I shut my mouth. Tears were pooling in my eyes. The mere thought of our proximity earlier made me so emotional. I shouldn't have left. But then again, I'm a coward. I've always been a coward for the longest time. Cowardice broke me. It mangled my heart and left me bitter and empty.

"OMG, don't tell me you saw Allen?! He's the only guy who has that effect on you. No wonder you've been spacing out gurl." She blurted once she realized who I was referring to.

I just nodded. Words are too hard to compose. Kat closed the gap between us and pulled me into a tight hug. And the tears I kept at bay came rushing. We stayed like that for I don't know how long. Kat in her hushed tones whispered soothing and reassuring words which I'm not really making sense. I could only hear my own sobs rhyming with the palpitation of my heart. I feel like drowning in tears.

I thought I have gotten over him. Five years is such a long time. I busied myself with studies and extra curricular activities. I joined civic organizations and spearheaded community outreach programs. I didn't have time to mull over my wounded heart because there were so much school work. And when I'm not in school, I was in the community. I went out of my shell. I have become a whole new person as my family and friends often say. I used to be a nobody in high school. Just barely making it in Pilot class, but never close to the top ten. I didn't get involve in activities outside class like girl scouts, dance troupe or the artist guild. I was plain and ordinary, just another face in the crowd... Not until he came and noticed me...

{Hello lovelies,
How did it go so far? Tell me more about what you think of the first 2 chapters. Send me your comments and I'll reply to them as much as I can.
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XOXO
PretTilay 👸