Déjà vu
Prince Darius POV
I tossed over from the bed panting. I immediately felt the continuous pouring of tears from my eyes, my heart was beating fast and I seemed to be restless. Immediately my eyes searched for someone. I was hoping to see her but I didn't. I was stunned for a moment when I saw the surroundings. W-What am I doing here? This is not the last place I remember being here and the woman I love. I was exhausted as I was leaving that room. It's like I can still feel the wound from being shot at. I looked to see if it was still there but it wasn't. But why can I feel the pain so much?
"You're already awake, son. Here, I've prepared breakfast for you and your brother Wayne. You have school today, don't you? Can you just go with your brother?" open greetings the woman I can't remember who.
"Who are you? Then what am I doing here? Which Wayne are you talking about? I don't remember living here," I said. She immediately approached me and was concerned about how she looked at me.
"Theo, son. Are you okay? Why are you saying things like that? Is something hurting you?" she said worriedly.
"Theo...no. That's not my name. I'm a prince. My name is Prince Darius. She looked at me confused.
"Son, what's going on with you? Mommy doesn't understand you." I seem to have stopped there. Is she my mother? The girl in front of me?
After a while a familiar man came out. He is taller than me. I remembered the last thing he said before he killed Princess Aizelle and me.
"We'll meet again in your next life. That's a promise."
I immediately approached Prince William and gave him a death glare.
"Good morning, bro. Wait. Why are you looking at me like that?" he said. I suddenly felt angry. I don't want to believe that the person who killed Princess Aizelle and I will be my brother in my next life. My fist clenched in anger. I still remember what he said and how he killed us.
I went back to my room and locked the door. It still hasn't sunk into my brain that this is not the last thing I remember before I lost my breath. Later, I remembered something that I kept in my pocket before I died. I was hoping to find it and I was not disappointed. A beautiful photo of none other than Princess Aizelle. Her smiles make me feel better. These are the times we are always together before everything unexpected happens. My chest tightened as I looked at the photo I was holding. I miss her already. I really want to see her and hug her tight. I cried again.
While brother Wayne and I were on our way to campus, I saw someone very familiar with me. I can't be wrong. I know it's her. My heart seemed to jump for joy. I immediately stopped the car and didn't hesitate to get out. I ran to where she was and when I got close, I immediately stopped. She just looked at me for a moment while I was hoping she would remember me but she just immediately looked away. My shoulders slumped as I watched him walk away. It was too painful to bear. She doesn't remember me. After we got to the campus, I saw her walking in the hallway. Is she also studying here?
Since that day, I have always watched her from afar. There isn't a minute or hour in the day that I want to see her. Sometimes, I try to approach her but I immediately feel scared. Even every time she comes home, I watch over her even from a distance to make sure she will arrive safe. I also want to know where she lives. Almost every day, I secretly visit outside her house. And before she turned sixteen, I started sending flowers, chocolates and big teddy bears in front of their house. The night I lent her my hoodie when I saw she was cold, I really meant it so that we could meet again and talk to her for a while. My guess came true when we met in a park near them. And that park was the once vast garden where it was witnessed our promise to each other even the moon above. Same scenario but not the same life.
I was really determined to kiss her that night. I was so eager to make her come back to me but I just didn't expect that she would fall in love with someone else and that someone is my best friend. But even though I know how many times I try to deny or forget this love for her like I promised in our past, it will never be broken. However, she was the one who broke it first and I was determined to fix it as long as possible. When I figured out about her birthday and every year on it, I wrote her a letter as I kept it in a leather box and locked it. I will just give this to her once she remembers me.
Avy's POV
Pagkatapos ng klase namin, akala ko uuwi na kami ni Terrence pero kaagad niya akong hinila at pinasakay sa kotse niya. Nilagyan niya ako ng seatbelt saka mabilis na sumakay na din.
"Teka. Saan ba tayo pupunta? Hindi pa ba tayo uuwi?" takang saad ko sa kanya. Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at hinalikan ako sa noo.
"You'll see when we get there, okay?" nakangiting aniya. Ngumiti na lang ako saka tumango bilang tugon. Nakahawak ang kanang kamay niya sa kamay ko habang ang kaliwa naman ay sa manibela. Saglit lang ang biyahe at tumigil kami sa isang pamilyar na restaurant. Bumalik sa alaala ko n'ong oras na hindi niya ako sinipot kaya bigla akong nainis at nalungkot. Pinagbuksan niya ako ng pintuan ng kotse pero tahimik lang akong lumabas na kaagad din niyang napansin.
"Hey. What's wrong? Is there a problem?" nag-aalalang aniya.
"Wala. May naalala lang ako," sagot ko saka mabilis na pinunasan ang luha ko. Why do I get emotional easily these days? I'm not even like this.
"It's fine. Just please don't cry. Let's go," he said as he held my hand and entered the restaurant. Huminga ako nang malalim para mawala sa isip ko 'yong nangyari. Naghanap kami ng pwesto at pinaghila niya ako ng upuan saka siya umupo sa harap ko. Maya-maya, may lumapit na waiter. Parehong waiter n'ong lumapit sa akin dati.
"Good evening, ma'am, sir. What's your order?" he asked. Namili kami ng makakain at umalis na siya pagkatapos.
"Are you alright? Kanina ka pa tahimik," sabi ni Terrence.
"Naiiyak lang ako tuwing naaalala ko n'ong pinaghintay mo ako ng 11 hours dito. But don't mind me. I just don't know why I felt emotional whenever I remembered that," naluluha ani ko sa kanya. Marahan niyang hinawakan ang kamay ko na nasa ibabaw ng lamesa.
"I brought you here to make it up to you. I just wanna have a dinner date with you. I'm sorry if I made you feel like that but like I told you, just let me prove to you that I can be your best boyfriend," he said with a reassuring smile.
Masaya kaming nagkwekwentuhan habang nakain. Naramdaman ko talaga na bumabawi siya sa ginawa niya noon. Pero bakit bigla akong nakakaramdam ng lungkot? Para bang may kulang o sadyang epekto lang iyon ng nangyari? Hinatid na niya ako sa bahay pagkatapos. Humalik muna siya sa noo ko at hinawakan ang kamay ko bago siya nagmaneho pauwi.
Pero bago pa man ako makapasok sa gate ng bahay namin, may narinig akong boses sa likod ko. Kahit medyo madilim, alam ko kung kanino nagmamay-ari ang boses na 'yon. Nilingon ko siya pero mukhang nagkamali yata ako ng paglingon dahil sobrang lapit na niya sa akin saka ako kinorner sa pader malapit sa gate. Hindi mapakali ang puso ko sa sobrang lakas ng tibok.
Tila ba natameme ako sa lapit ng mukha niya sa akin na konti na lang ay malapit na kaming magkahalikan. Naalala ko ang ganitong parehong senaryo n'ong nasa library kami. Halos pigil ang hininga ko at pilit na umiiwas sa kanya ng tingin. Gusto kong tumakbo pero para bang naistatwa ako sa kinatatayuan ko.
"Theo...w-what do you think you're doing?" kabadong tanong ko sa kanya. Ang mga mata niya'y nakatitig lang maigi sa mga mata ko.
"How's your date with him? You look so happy. I wonder if I made you happy like that before, don't you think, Princess Aizelle?" natigilan ako nang banggitin niya ang pangalan na 'yon. Pero bigla na lamang akong napahawak sa sintido ko at napasigaw ng kaunti dahil may pilit na lumalabas na senaryo sa isip ko. Pilit kong inaalala kung sino ang taong binanggit niya. Napaupo ako sa sahig dahil sobrang sakit ng sintido ko.
"I-I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Prince Darius. I love you but this, us, is forbidden. My father even Prince William didn't know about us. You know this love, our love is forbidden and once they find out, the consequences---" he cut my words off as he held my both hands as he looked into my eyes with determination.
"I know, I know. I'm aware of it but it doesn't mean we can't fight for us, right? If I have to fight against my friend, I will. I can risk everything just for both of us, Princess Aizelle. Please. Just trust me."
Ang mga salitang iyon ang paulit-ulit kong naririnig. Nag-aalala at hindi mapakali akong tinignan saka nalalayan ni Theo. Napapaiyak na ako sa sobrang sakit n'on sumabay pa ang paninikip ng dibdib ko habang inaalala ng isip ko 'yon.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt, Avy? Please, answer me," napipiyok na may pag-aalalang tanong niya sa akin. Napaiyak ako nang tuluyan ng tumigil na sa pananakit ang sintido ko. Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako nagkakaganito. Inalalayan niya akong tumayo saka niyakap ng mahigpit.
"Please don't cry. Everything will be fine," he told me while carefully caressing my hair even though I know it hurts him more that we can't be together. What he said made me cry even more, hoping that everything that is happening between us will be alright. He gently held both of my hands and looked deeply into my eyes. He looked at my hand for a moment and gently squeezed it.
May bumalik na naman sa alaala ko pero malabo na ang senaryo. Ang sunod na sinabi ng taong yakap-yakap ko doon ay hindi ko na narinig. Marahan na hinaplos ni Theo ang buhok ko para mabilis akong kumalma. Why do I feel more safe in his arms than being with Terrence? How did he make my heart calm down? Why do I feel like he's the guy in that scenario that my mind keeps going back to?