Welcome, dear alumnis!
Alone in her car, waiting for some familiar faces to arrive, Dale sat for half and hour not too far from the auditorium where the reunion will be held. She saw some of her professors, some were acquaintances from her organizations in college. She sighed as signs of her clique back then were nowhere to be seen. Still no texts from Edward after their confrontation incident, Dale was both relieved and sad about it, but dropped the topic off. If she see him tonight, it's going to be real awkward. Her reverie was cut short when she saw a familiar foreigner face in the crowd, and chuckled when she saw that he never changed, not one bit.
"Marco?"
She approached, tapping him on his broad shoulders. The man turned around, and stared at her for a good second, unsure whether he knows the woman. She nods, chuckling in between, confusing Marco more than he is. Dale sighed as Marco was nowhere near knowing its her. She pulled off her infamous faces, a few Marco knew.
And as realization dawned on him, Marco pulled Dale in his arms, startling the latter.
"Dale." He whispered.
Both stood at the entrance, and Dale just patted Marco on the back, chuckling. She didn't expect Marco would react like that, but she needed a hug from an old friend. Dale needed that sense of home, and he was one of those people Dale can consider her safe place. She felt guilt in her heart as Marco released her from his arms.
"I'm sorry, Marco. For leaving without saying goodbye." She said as Marco led her inside the venue, and both settled in their respective tables. Marco shook his head and patted her on the shoulder.
"Let's not talk about it tonight, okay? I'm just happy I got to see you again."
Dale nodded, relief flooding in her face. She thanked Marco in silent, and listened to his endless stories about his struggles in his job and his father's companies. He was also excited to tell their common friends the news, but leaving the reason out of it for them to get surprised. And as soon as their friends recieved the message, all were buzzing with confusion and excitement to his 'surprise'. But Dale was nervous about meeting them again, afraid of how will all of them react. She wished all of them will have the same understanding as Marco.
"Fenech, Yong, and Vivoree are near. And, ah. Uhm, Edward, too." He said, handing Dale a glass of fruit punch and some chips.
Dale could feel Marco wanting to ask her something, and she's sure as hell it's going to be about Edward. Dale forgot Marco is Edward's next- best friend after her, and the one who was with him when she just disappeared. She sipped her punch, and waited for Marco to ask her his question.
"Dale.. do you mind if..."
Dale sighed as Marco didn't get to finish his question when both heard a shrilled voice from the auditorium doors. Marco shook his head as he familiarized with the tone.
"Dale?!"
The woman exclaimed, making the people around her look at her in confusion. Dale just hid her face in both of her hands and pretended to not hear the booming voice coming. Marco flashed her an apologetic smile before turning around to meet the woman, Dale just shook her head.
"You never change, Viv." She said with amusement etched on her voice. Vivoree gave her a grin and pulled Dale out of her chair for a crushing hug. Dale winced as she felt herself suffocating in her friend's hug, but as soon as Marco notices Dale's pained face, he pulled Vivoree to her seat. Dale threw Marco a grateful look as he stood up to get more drinks and chips.
"I've missed you, Dale." Vivoree blurted out while looking at her, as if she cannot believe she was back. Dale chuckled, she kind of missed Vivoree's presence around her. Both were kind of twins in regards to their personalities and quirks back then.
Dale was somehow relieved to see Vivoree in the flesh. She was also thankful for her endless stories that she hasn't been able to speak. She let Vivoree ramble on and on about her personal life. Dale knew if she hadn't change much, she would've been like Vivoree at the moment. Full of life.
Driven.
Dale lost her sense of drive a lot back then, when she first heard. It felt like a complete funeral, her dreams; her goals; her plans. All, gone with a single blink. Gone was her life-long dreams and aspirations, like her soul. Dale admits looking at Vivoree now made her heart ache. She was jealous.
Dale was jealous.
"Remember when Aizan fell on a man-hole? We were walking home from an exam back then, and he didn't even see it? Man, he was covered in all sorts of... things. It was hilarious." Marco called out, and earned tons of laughter within their table. Yong, Fenech, Vivoree, Aizan, and Kristine were there, and Edward was nowhere to be seen. Dale distracted her mind to Marco's reminiscing, but it made her miss Edward too much. She tried so hard to not ask her friends where he is, even text him, at least. That moment of Aizan's was far too memorable to Dale's liking. It was embarassing, sure, but for Dale, it was something she treasured.
It was the last exam for their final semester, all were relieved to have finished their four year course, and even some were graduating with honors. Dale decided that it's time for Edward to know, she have thought long and hard on how to explain everything, and she knew this was her last resort into telling him about her condition. Dale sighed.
"You okay, twin?" Edward's face was filled with worry, but Dale just shrugged it off.
"I'm good, just tired. Aren't you? The exams were pretty difficult." She said, but kept her eyes on the road they were all walking on. Dale took a glance at her friends who were celebrating their victorious end, even wanting to chill at Vivoree's house. Dale's mind were clouded with her thoughts, this'll be the last time she'll have this kind of chance to tell him what's going to happen. Edward's eyes searched for something in hers, a reason, maybe. But he knew there is something going on in her, just can't seem to pin-point what, then decided not to press.
Both were immersed in their own thoughts as they stared at their friends walking, but was interrupted as they saw Aizan fell in one of the road's man-holes.
"Ack!" He helplessly yelped, but no one dared to help him. Marco took a moment to laugh, then followed by Fenech, Vivoree, Yong and Kristine's. Dale couldn't keep her face still, and so does Edward, and both erupted in laughter as passerbys did as well.
She was giggling as Aizan re-surfaced from the hole, a lot of mud covering his trousers.
Both didn't realize at first but their hands were intertwined. Maybe it was just sheer coincidence that both held on to each other's hands, or maybe they both secretly wanted to. Dale and Edward didn't mind, though.
As their friends helped Aizan up, Dale and Edward followed in silence behind them. Their cheeks flushed as no one dared to break their hands apart.
"Dale? Are you listening?"
She snapped to the present, looking at all of her friends, embarrassed that she spaced out all of a sudden, and on to Edward and hers moment. Dale blushed, but ignored her friends' meaningful stares. All were about to point it out when someone cut their conversation, making Dale's heart beat a little too fast, much to her liking.
"Twin?"
