My Sweet Escape

Chapter 4: No need to know

Nagising si Grace sa ilaw mula sa labas. Pagbukas niya ng kanyang mata ay pansin nito na hindi iyon ang kanyang dorm. Mula sa puting comforter at kayumangging silid, nakumpirma niya na hindi ito ang dorm nila. Pagbangon nito at biglang sumakit ang ulo niya.

Paglingon ni Grace sa kanyang harapan ay nagulat siya nang may natutulog na lalaki ang nakaupo sa isang armchair. Agad na nakilala nito ang lalaki.

“Zeniel!? Aahhh!” napatakip ng tenga ang lalaki dahil sa lakas ng kanyang pagsigaw.

“Stop screaming, Grace. I'm begging you.” she was shocked and went to pick up her phone.

“If you try to get any closer, hindi talaga ako magdadalawang-isip na ibato sa 'yo ang phone ko! Why am I here?! Nasaan ako!?” galit nitong sigaw habang takip ang kanyang katawan kahit buo pa ang kanyang suot mula kagabi.

Binuksan ni Zeniel ang isa sa kanyang mata at pumikit ulit. “Nandito ka sa kwarto ko.”

“At bakit ako nandito?! May binabalak ka ano?” sigaw niya habang hindi pa binababa ang phone sa kamay.

“You became a zombie last night and I tried to revive you using magic,” he plainly said a joke while still being unmoved.

She slammed her hand on the desk beside the table. “I'm not joking with you right now, Zeniel! Sagutin mo ako nang maayos!”

He sighed and opened his eyes. “Grace, hindi mo ba talaga naaalala kung ano ang ginagawa mo tuwing lasing ka? Or are you saving yourself from shame that's why you pretend to have some short-term memory loss? Mag-isip ka muna bago mo ako kausapin. Wala pa akong tulog simula nang nandito ka,” he bickered and stood up from his seat. He went outside and left her.

She was internalizing what happened last night and she finally understood why he tried to joke about her being a zombie. Grace knew that she was drunk but couldn't remember what she did while under the influence of alcohol.

Before anything else, she tried to contact her friends first. After a ring, Serena picked up the call.

(Babae ka! Hindi ka nakabalik kagabi!? Saan ka ba? Kanina ka pa namin hinahanap baka kung ano nang nangyari sa 'yo, jusko!)

“Mermaid, I was drunk last night. Pasensya na talaga. I am at–” looking around the room, she can't just simply tell her that she's sleeping inside Zeniel's room. “I'm in a hotel right now.”

(Saan? Pupuntahan ka namin. May klase pa tayo mamayang 10 o'clock.)

“Huwag na, paalis na din ako ngayon. Dalhan na lang ninyo ako ng shirt.”

Pagkatapos ng tawag ay nilingon niya ang pinto kung saan ay sa likod nito ay makikita niya si Zeniel. Nahihiya man ay nag-ayos siya at lumabas ng kwarto. Ngayon lang siya nakakita ng bahay ng isang lalaki. Puro maiitim ang mga kulay ng loob, mula dingding hanggang sa gamit nito.

Nang napunta siya sa sala ng bahay ay wala roon ang lalaki, ngunit nalanghap nito ang amoy ng nilulutong karne mula sa kusina.

Zeniel was cooking breakfast and he just finished frying the tocino he had in the fridge. From the reflection of the ladle hanging in front, a girl's figure can be seen.

“You remember everything now?” he spoke and turned around with a plate of hot tocino.

Grace gulped and looked away. “There's no need to know. Aalis na ako.”

“Kumain ka muna. You seemed hungry,” Zeniel offered as he placed two plates on the table. It was against Grace's dignity to eat in this house.

“I just want to say thank you. I remember that it was already curfew but I drank last night. Nagpapasalamat lang ako kasi hindi masamang tao ang nakakita sa akin,” she said.