What the Future Holds

Chapter 13: why am I acting this way?

"the other element holders will soon come. sooner than later, pero nasaan na ang may hawak ng kapangyarihang patigilin ang oras? our MRD haven't found nor invented a machine that could stop time."

that was what i remembered while i was asleep. ang huli kong naaalala bago ako nagkaroon ng pangitain ay ang pagkatalsik ko dahil sa isang lobo na aatake kay Alvin. speaking of Alvin, kamusta na kaya siya?

nakarinig ako ng katok sa pintuan kaya agad akong napaupo mula sa higaan ng clinic. the door opened and i saw my mom.

"kamusta ka, 'nak? may masakit pa ba sa'yo?" she asked, worry enveloped her voice.

"okay na po ako." i answered "is alvin alright?" hindi ko mapigilang magalala. kitang kita ko ang takot sa mga mata ni Alvin at ang pag-iwas niya mula sa lobong aatake dapat sa kanya.

"he's okay anak. he's in his dorm, resting" nakahinga ako nang maluwag nang marinig na ayos lang si alvin. i was partly to be blamed since ako ang training partner niya. baka this time magrequest na talaga si alvin na makipagpalit ng partners.

"by the way, good job anak. you've managed to unleash the powers of two of your friends"

ano daw? two? sino naman? did i? ang daming tanong ang pumapasok sa isipan ko.

"two? sino po?" i curiously asked

"Alvin and Mikael"

what? si Alvin maiintindihan ko pa pero si Kael? pano naman nadamay yon dito?

"mom, could you please tell me everything that happened?" i begged her

"Alvin's ability is to transform into any kind of animal. the moment that you've endangered yourself and threw yourself to the wolf to save Alvin, his anger came and forced his ability to show making him transform into a wolf to defeat the one who attacked you"

so Alvin's ability is to be in any form of an animal. pero si Kael?

"and Kael? how did he unleashed his ability?"

"yun din ang gusto kong itanong sayo cassey. is there something going on between the two of you?" she asked.

"mom, we're good friends" i answered. although crush ko siya pero hindi naman ganoon ang pagtingin sa akin ni Kael.

"well, i thought there's something going on between the two of you." she said and continued on narrating what happened after i passed out.

"the moment that the trainor heard the howl of a wolf, they knew something was going on. nag-announce all around the campus na ipatigil muna ang training because there's something suspicious in the lost forest. Quinley shared how Mikael's face turned from a tired one to a worried one and ran as fast as he could. In a second, Alvin saw Mikael in your location and carried you in his back as he ran towards the school's clinic."

Kael? carried me as fast as he can? so is he...

"yes, Mikael's ability is speed" my mom confirmed my hunch.

"thank you mom" iminustra niya na magpahinga na muna ako at iyon naman ang ginawa ko. i heard the door clicked, signaling that my mom already went out to let me rest for a bit.

hindi ko alam kung ilang oras ako nakatulog muli pero nagising ako nang may marinig akong tunog na tila ba may inilapag sa lamesa. nang buksan ko ang mga mata ko ay agad kong nakita si Kael.

"hi" bati niya na para bang hindi alam kung ano pa ang sasabihin niya.

umupo ako sa kama at inalalayan niya ako. ayos na naman ako, i think i already regained my energy.

"so..." muli kaming nagkatinginan nang sabay kaming magsalita. nang magtama ang mga mata namin ay agad kaming napatawa.

"Ladies first?" he said

"well, i guess i want to go out of this clinic first" natatawa pa rin ako habang inaalalayang makatayo ni Kael.

we went out of the clinic at hawak hawak ang kapeng dala ni Kael ay tinungo namin ang garden.

"so... i heard you picked me up and rushed me to the clinic" hindi ko alam kung pano ko siya kakausapin. i mean, we're civil pero hindi ko kasi alam kung bakit niya yon ginawa. kung bakit siya natrigger nang malamang may masamang nangyari sa amin ni Alvin sa gubat.

"yeah" sagot niya sabay kamot sa ulo. cute.

"thank you" i said as i looked in his eyes pero agad siyang nagiwas ng tingin kaya napatingin na lang din ako sa daang tinatahak namin--- patungo sa garden if eden.

it was quite an awkward silence. nang marating namin ang garden ay agad na nagliwanag ang mga mata ko dahil nakita ko si Toothpaste! agad akong tumakbo para yakapin ang aso.

"I miss you toothpaste!" wika ko habang yakap ang aso. nang mapagtanto kong maaaring kanina pa siyang nandito at magisa, agad kong sinamaan ng tingin si Kael. "you left toothpaste here alone?"

there he goes again, scratching the back of his head. "sort of? i asked Alvin to bring him here. i just thought he needs a walk and you would feel better if you see toothpaste here"

naupo kami sa damuhan. toothpaste started to play again with the fireflies. unti-unting lumalalim ang gabi and feels good watching the sun set.

"i have a question" i broke the silence

"fire it up" he said. i looked at him habang nakatuon pa din ang mga kamay sa lupa.

"why did you rushed to rescue us?"

i saw him sigh. ano to? why do i feel nervous kung ano man ang isasagot niya?

"i don't know too. alam kong nasa forest kayo ni Alvin. i guess importante kayong dalawa sa akin kaya ganon na lang naging reaction ko"

"important? si Alvin gets ko, pero ako? paano at bakit?"

"you're an important friend" he said as he looked at me and this time, ako ng umiwas ng tingin. Friend. medyo masakit kasi crush ko siya. but, well wala naman akong karapatang diktahan ang puso niya. omg Cassey why are you acting this way?