The Tour Guide (a fan fic)

Chapter 2. The Arrival.

I woke up the next day with three missed calls from an unregistered number, followed by a text message.

"Hi Jewel, this is Eddy. I wonder if you're free today to tour me and my best friend, Brett, around Manila. He's arriving today, so if you answer, I'd really appreciate it."

I texted back immediately, "How the hell did you get my number?"

He replied, "Apparently my contact JP knew you from the choir and I asked him if I could get your number... sorry about not informing you. Anyway, can I call you?"

"Okay." My phone rang as soon as I pressed send.

"Eddy, what's up?"

"I have absolutely no plan on spending my free day aside from hanging out with Brett, so I'll let you plan out the itinerary for today."

"Okay, how about the walled city—"

Eddy cut me off, "and oh, can you please prepare now? We're on our way to where I dropped you off last night. See you in 20 minutes!" And he hung up.

I, alone in my apartment, screamed in both amazement and disbelief — amazed, because he talked to me again. But through a friend and that quick of an invite? Unbelievable. So, I ran and took the quickest shower I could ever do and wore my best clothes but not to the point of me overdressing.

Once I got to the street across the city stadium, I received a message from Eddy.

"Hi Jewel, I'm going to arrive a little late. I was caught in traffic near the National Museum, so please have breakfast while you wait. -Eddy"

BE ON TIME FOR ONCE, EDDY! These words quickly rushed in my mind after I read his text. I didn't know that he would be like that in real life- wait. I reminded myself once more that I just saw him at the concert hall. I. Am. Not. A. Fan.

I bought myself some crackers to fill up some of my hunger. I backtracked everything in my mind to make sure I was indeed free today, until I realized, oh shoot. I was supposed to hang out with my best friend today.

I texted Cy and told her, "6, sorry. I can't go out right now. I have diarrhoea." What a great lie.

I was halfway through the last cracker when Eddy's Über honked in front of me. Eddy transferred to the backseat and called me, "Jewel!" I rushed to the car and sat beside him. Once I closed the door, Eddy asked me, "which terminal is Philippine Airlines?"

"Terminal 2. International flights, mostly."

"Sir, Terminal 2, please." And off we went.

The traffic on a Saturday afternoon felt much less jammed. It was not a workday, and it was past lunchtime.

The number of people waiting in the arrivals was shockingly high. The volume of people waiting at the gates was massive, so we had to go to the cafe by the north wing. I queued up to buy a cup of coffee.

"How about you, Eddy?"

"I ate lunch before I left."

"Suit yourself."

Just as I went back to the table we were staying at, Eddy and I saw a young girl looking at him, obviously starstruck. She was with her parents, who didn't know Eddy nor TwoSet Violin. She ran towards him and said hi.

"Can we take a picture?" The young girl asked.

"Sure!" Eddy took the selfie from a high angle, making the girl look tiny. The girl approached me while I was about to drink my first sip of coffee and asked me to take a picture of them. I did, which made the girl's eyes sparkle with joy.

She was called by her parents after that and waved Eddy goodbye.

I finally had the chance to enjoy my coffee. I asked him, "How did you know JP?"

"I met him when he went to Australia to watch our show. I didn't know you're a choir girl."

"Ah yes, I worked with him in an opera."

"Oh, okay. Ensemble, right?"

"I was in the ensemble, but he's one of the soloists." I took another sip. "Sorry for waking up late today, I couldn't sleep last night."

Eddy checked his phone and saw Brett's message. "Just got off the plane. See you in a bit."

"Hey Eddy, I have an idea." He put his phone back in his pocket, "What?"

"How about we eat Jollibee for dinner? You have to taste Filipino fast food."

"That would be nice. There's rice there, right?" Another ding was heard from his phone. It was Brett, coming out of the gates in a matter of time. Seeing how Eddy suddenly turned rushed and nervous, I took the last sip of my coffee like I was gulping it and told him, "Of course. Let's go near the gates and tell Brett to turn right once he exits."

Eddy pulled out his phone and texted Brett my instructions. He tried to record through his back camera, but it suddenly rang. Brett was calling him.

"Uhh, Jewel, I have a favour." He handed me over his DSLR, "can you record the moment that Brett arrives? He's calling me right now, and I think he's near the gates."

I tried to focus the camera so that it looked good, unlike most of their videos that nearly had me diagnosed with myopia. I looked through the viewfinder, and not even a minute in the recording I saw a guy with glasses, wearing a grey cardigan over a white shirt that screamed practice, carrying a violin case and a traveller's bag, approaching the camera. Eddy ran towards the guy, who turned out to be Brett Yang.