Mom and dad are silent and looking at me with teary eyes, then my mom spoke. "Ijo, Wake up, please? Forget Riece, she died 3 years ago.. please move on." I burst into tears, but I'm more comfuse. "Mom... D-don't joke around.. Ma!! Bawiin mo 'yong sinabi mo, ma.. please!!" But my mom said 'no' with the gesture of her head.. "3 years ka na ding natutulog anak.. ngayon kalang nagising... Please anak, we're begging.. please don't sleep again, don't leave us yet." My dad cried and begged, my head spins around.. my thoughts screams. "No... No.. bawiin nyo 'yan, dad no!!" The doctors entered my room and checked up on me but I'm still crying realizing that Riece is just inside my head... But.. but where's Jah, Kai, and Jake?
When the doctor and nurses left my room, my parents entered, I eventually asked. "Where's my friends? If Riece is not here and she died, what happened?" I asked and my mom held my hand. "Anak, are your friends Jah, Jake and Kai?" I nodded in response at what my mom asked, my dad then spoke patting my head. "They're all not here.. they died 3 years ago." Im confuse, why am I still here if they're not here?
"Riece.. your mind created her 5 years ago, after 2 years you got into accident where you fell from 2nd floor of your campus... You woke up normal, not remembering them... That's why we thought they all died, Riece and including your three(3) other friends. You were always happy talking about them, you love to hangout with them, and creating so many memories with them. But in reality... You're alone, you're all alone and sleeping. We're glad you're not talking to yourself when you're awake—you're just seeing and talking to them when you're asleep.." my mom explained, tears falling down her cheeks but still managed to tell me everything. "If sleeping is the way of speaking and seeing them, let me sleep... Mom.. dad.." my dad hugged me tight "no, anak, no...please! Don't leave me and your mom" my dad once again begged, but I refused. I hold onto my dextrose and attempted on detaching it from my pulse.
"Mylove, wait for me.. if sleeping forever is the only way of seeing and spend time with you, I'll do it" then, I removed the dextrose from my pulse, I had hard time breathing, and my surroundings got blurred, I saw Riece's figure, I blink twice and saw her clearly, smiling at me... "I've missed you, are you okay?" Riece asked and I feel normal again, mom and dad are not around anymore.. Riece with Jah, Kai, and Jake... Stella, Eunice, and Luna. "I've missed you too, and I'm okay.. thanks" I smiled at them, my heart felt happy again.. I looked around and I'm in a hospital. "Why am I here?" Riece smiled and brushed her fingers on my hair "you passed out when we were in EK, doctors said you have a low iron.. tale care of yourself next time, mhm? We were worried.." they sigh and smile at me. "Don't wprry bro, we're here to help you take care of yourself" Jake said and others smiled and clapped.
By a blink of an eye, they all disappeared and I'm with my parents again, doctor and nurses surrounding my bed.. they saved me from death?? But why?? I wanna be with Riece, and my other friends. "Mom! Please! Let me go..." They hugged me tight while crying "don't leave us like that Sevi!" I stayed silent.. I love them both, I don't wanna leave them but... "Give us more years to spend with you, don't leave us yet.." I hesitated.. but agreed, besides, I think I can still see them through sleeping.. right? "A year.. deal?" They both nodded with a heavy heart.
An month after
Mom and dad let their employees handle our businesses, and they're here in our home spending time with me, cooking with me, playing video games with me, watching movies with me and many activities we love to do together. My dad then planned to go to the boracay and we'll swim... I missed Riece so much, it's our dream to go there so I agreed. "Let's go!" My dad cheered when we arrived at the airport going to boracay.
One month without my friends and Riece is 50/50, im enjoying my life with mom and dad, but I missed my friends.. or imaginary, but I don't care. I thiught when I sleep I'll have time to talk with them, turns out.. No.
We're at the plane already, my parents seat are behind mine so I'm sitting with random person, She have brown hair, it's long.. and she's sleeping, her side profile is very familiar. I shrugged and looked away. She might think I'm obsessed. I chuckled at myself and close my eyes to sleep, then I felt a head rested on my shoulder... Oh, this girl... I'm glad Riece is not here, or else she'll be jealous and I have to suyo-suyo her nanaman, thought she's so cute.. I miss you so much, Riece..
I let the stranger girl sleep on my shoulder and I fell asleep as well, I woke up when someone poke my cheek, it was the girl.. she have this beautiful hazel brown eyes, and cute dimple while smiling. "Sorry pogi, nakatulog ako sa'yo" she laugh and I just nodded with a straight face even though I want to smile, I'm pakipot. "Ako nga pala si Lizz" She offered her hand to me with a smile. "I'm Sevi, Sevi Miko" I gladly accepted her hand and shakes it gently. "May lahi ka?? Pero naiintindihan mo tagalog?" I chuckled at her questions, she's total opposite of Riece.. my Riece is shy, mahinhin, and have soft voice. "Kaya kong mag tagalog, 'wag kang mag-alala" I smiled at Lizz, she have not so soft voice, and boyish style. "You're still resting your head on my..." She chuckled and pulled away. "Sorry 'bout that" I nodded and smile "it's okay, you can still do that if you want to." She looked at me and I saw her whole face. My soul left my body.. "Riece?" She rolled her eyes at me and hit my shoulder. "Im Lizz, Mary Lizzie Agustin, who's Riece?" I sigh in relief.. and shrugged "I'm sorry, I thought you were her.."
"Jake? Jah, Kai??" I asked the 3 guys sitting opposite to us. They looked at me and smiled "you got the persons dude, habe a nice day." Jah said.. but he's not him... After awhile, Lizz is sleeping and we arrived at our destination. My parents looked at me worried. "So that's how they looked?" My mom asked referring to Lizz and the 3 guys that looked exactly like Riece, Jah, Jake and Kai. I nodded in response and they hugged me "it's okay Ijo, it's okay." My dad comforted me 'cuz I'm about to cry over those strangers.
We enjoyed boracay for a week and I had so much fun with my parents.
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A year after
I hesitated if I'll let my self die to see Riece again, I'm in a museum right now and I saw a familiar girl in a painting, there's a name written on it. "Riece Azariah "Cryzhel" Ajero" I read.. I looked and scanned the painting.
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