Freely Falling (preview)

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3
SOPHIA

"Are you sure I'm not a nuisance? I've been here for hours, Rhi." I sighed and leaned on the wall.
I was out from the university since one in the afternoon and it was already five o'clock.

"Nope, you're not. We're the only ones here and I don't really care if you're annoying which you are not," she rolled her eyes before tuning in back to what she was watching.

I should've been home now, but I chose not to go yet. I have turned off every single app they could reach me and I am not answering any calls.

Tatay is home and I don't like hearing him and mama argue every now and then. It was a good thing that both of my half-sisters were at school the whole day busy with their extracurricular activities. I wouldn't want them witnessing such draining scene.

One of them will text me, though, if any of them arrives home. This is one thing we all agree upon. We can tolerate our relatives, but not our parents' fighting.

"Do you know how you'd avoid going home?"

My attention perked and gave Rhian my attention because I don't have any possible solution to this problem.

She waggled her eyebrows and smiled wittingly. "Accept Kevin's invitation and help plan the reunion."

My smiled faded and I furiously shook my head.

She fully turned to me and sighed in defeat, "Can you think of anything else? You've exhausted all your options in the past week and a half."

She's right. She definitely is and I know that. I've thought of that offer because I don't have anything else. If only lola Lenny and her family were home, I would've asked and stayed with them until everything slows down.

The timing was not on my side. I know tatay

was supposed to be back on June, but since he was one of the 'more' experienced seafarer on their ship, he was given an additional month to stay home. It was nice, but more for him and not us.

"Tell me one more good reason to do this. Tell me, Rhi?"

She picked up her phone and started looking for something. She raised a finger motioning me not to interrupt whatever she's going to say.

"I'll be reading their say in this topic for help and, also, because you weren't opening any of your messaging apps. Everybody knows you'll never open them until the problem magically disappears."

I looked at her skeptically, fighting a small smile because I didn't even realize how much they know me. She glaringly frowned at me for even doubting them as friends, most especially her. I sprawled on the floor waiting for her to read whatever is in the group chat.

I felt something tug at my heart. This is the second time I've felt this awed with anybody's friendship. Not that I had a lot, that's why I try to be the best version of myself to repay them.
She glared at her phone then looked curiously at her door.

"Hoy, why?" I asked in frenzy because I already know they're outside her unit waiting to be let in.
Rhian didn't answer but confirmed my suspicion when she went up to open her door and let our friends in. Meanwhile, I tried hiding from them by putting myself behind her bedroom door and staying quiet, almost not breathing. But it was all in vain because they are already piling up inside the bedroom.

"We know you're here, 'day. Stop hiding," Vince peeked through the gaps then guffawed at me.
I didn't have a choice but to crawl out from hiding and sprawling once more on the floor. I waited for them like that.

They were wearing our uniform, indicating that they just got out from university, too. One by one, they started finding their spots and putting a movie on standby.

"Before anything else is said, I would like to let you know that I don't even like attending gatherings much less organizing it," I huffed rapidly at them convincing them that I do not need to do this.

"You and Kevin... you're okay, right?" Vince asked while scrolling through his phone. He turned his phone to us and showed a picture on that same day. "See? You hugged each other after graduation. We all saw it. Maybe that's why he wanted to do this with you."

Our whole conversation was about our past. Not that it was something I fully disclosed at them, but we were best friends way before we've met in high school. It was a kid thing, right? You see someone who tolerates you and plays with you and you see them as your greatest friend not knowing what its true definition is.

And yes, we did. We were okay, I guess. Leading to the end of our 4-year-peat of being the ultimate bickering students, he laid low. It was a relief because I was running low on patience to stop myself from confronting him without letting anyone how much we know each other.

Another thing I want to know is why he chose to study in a public school. As far as I can remember, his family was loaded and he can choose any of the private schools in the metro. I can't even ask him anything about that, though, because of our situation, so I kept it to myself.

"Whatever reason you're looking for, Pia," Hannah started while Eca was nodding her head, "You need to accept this to mend what was somehow a broken connection years ago and to get as far as possible and to go home as late as possible."

"Connection? What connection?"

"Sophia..." they all huffed at my feigned innocence. They have always teased that we were meant to be which was nuts. Knowing what they saw and how we have been – we disliked each other.

Maybe Kevin hated me more than I think he did. It just doesn't make sense that we were once friends. Maybe he just tolerated me back then because he had no other choice. I was the only kid his age and I was the only kid he sees every time he visits lola Lenny's home.

He had no other choice but to play with the help's only kid – that time.

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*Tatay: father
*'day: shortcut for inday which means princes [in bisaya dialect]