Late Night Conversations

4 | History Never Lies

4 | History Never Lies

DASH WAS IN a coma, and he was in a life-threatening, critical condition. Alex, who had told Victoria about this, was in the verge of a waterfall.

     She said that being neighbors and family friends with Dash and his family, Alex grew up to become a sister that he never had.

     "We grew up closely," she says, suddenly fascinated by the paleness of the floor, "But when he started to grow up, his family and him...they started to become distant. If it wasn't for having the same club, I don't think we would even greet each other at the hallway.

     "I thought to myself: yeah, maybe it's just a part of his teenage years and mine, but I never knew he planned this, Tori. What if, what if—"

     Victoria shook her head. She put her hand on top of her friend's and squeezed it softly in assurance. The wind blows by their faces, leaves rustled, and in the midst of the murmurs and voices of the others around them, she says, "There are no room for what if's, Alex. All we can do is to just be grateful, and wait. We wait."

     There was no other way. To visit Dash with his family while he was lifelessly alive was not the scenario that both friends neither expected nor anticipated. It would send the wrong message, especially with media coverage around him.

     "Did you know much about him now?" Victoria asks Alex.

     "Unfortunately, I kept a distance from him as he kept that same amount of space from me. I didn't know him that well anymore, but God, Tori," she says frustratingly, "The comments made by our student body about him are absurd and cruel! The guy tried to commit suicide for crying out loud, and all we could do is to say that he wanted to 'be Andrew Caldwell'?"

     It was maddening, yes. Alexandra was fuming mad when Victoria told her what the previous two freshman had talked about.

     "Dash deserves it the least," and then suddenly, Alex put her arms up, breaking from Victoria's grasp, making a gesticulation of that of giving up, "But who am I to tell? I don't even know him anymore."

     "But you still care for him, do you?"

HE WAS LIKE a brother to her. 

     That was what Victoria had on her mind at all times. She couldn't trust herself to leave Alex behind, but her friend insisted that she needed more time alone to sort things out; to be calm amidst all the chaos that had happened around her.

     She needed space, and that was what Victoria gave.

     The day, ironically, was far from what had been when Andrew Caldwell had died. Today was someone's ideal and perfect day. It wasn't too hot, it wasn't too cold, but when you've seen the worst of the worst, you can't help but admit to cease to see what's best and what's good because you've been too caught up with what you've been through - the bad kind.

     Her thoughts were interrupted by the continuous vibration of her phone against her front leg inside her pocket. Upon realizing this, she took a glimpse of her phone to find out that it was her dad calling her.

     Victoria's parents did the best that they could to make her feel loved and not alone. Although she was grateful to have parents who tried their best to comprehend and understand what their daughter has been through, she still - 

     "Hello?" Victoria says on the phone.

     "Victoria," her father's voice says clearly, "Do you have any important files on your laptop?"