"So, how many balloons do you think ate Ly will want? Mga 30?"
"Make it 35 para sure."
The loud chattering of some of the members of the lady could be heard from a mile away. Bea and Maddie were standing in the middle of the party store trying to decide how much balloons they were going to buy, since sabi ni Ella na Alyssa loved balloons.
"Okay lang ba na sobrang rami ang dadalhin niyo? Don't you think Ly will find it a bit masikip?"
Everyone's eyes turn to den, even ella's.
They had decided earlier in the day that they would be buying the things necessary for Alyssa's "party," and bea had suggested na isama si den para naman may makuha silang impormasyon out of her, timing rin na break time na yun ni den so she had no other excuse not to tag along.
"Hindi naman siguro, she's always loved it. Basta may party hinahanap talaga niya ang balloons, daig pa nga ang bata kung maka hanap eh. of course, you'd know that kung matagal na kayo magkakilala." Ella croses her hands against her chest and looks around like she had not said anything. All eyes dart to den who grew uneasy.
"sorry, i didn't know." Den says quietly.
The others look at each other unsurely before resuming with what they were doing. Therese nudges bea's side, concern written all over her face.
"nag-aaway nanaman sila bei, how the hell are we gonna fix this if they keep on fighting?"
"di ko rin alam eh."
"gusto kaya to ni ate Ly?" Jia grabs a bright blue balloon in her hands. It had reminded her of their ateneo days and she had hoped that maybe it would make Alyssa happy.
Ella frowns. Alam niyang Jia means well, but she also knew that Alyssa didn't want to be reminded of her collegiate volleyball days.
"Ibang design nalang kaya? maganda naman tong black oh-"
"cmon ate, black? seriously? parang pupunta tayo ng lamay, Let's just stick with Jia's suggestion." Inakbayan ni Bea si Jia, a smirk plastered on her face as she grabs a blue balloon.
"eh, kasi." Ella fidgets with the hem of her shirt nervously. Alyssa made her promise not to tell their teammates na she doesn't feel comfortable with anything related to volleyball anymore, or Ateneo for that for that matter. Bringing up the sport made her down, but she didn't want her teammates to be awkward about it, kaya she made ella swear to never tell them.
"it's settled then! 35 bright blue balloons coming up para mabigyan natin si ate ng one big fighting spirit wooo!!" Bea yells as she and the rest of the girls grab as many balloons as they can.
Wala nang magawa si ella except watch her excited friends. She could only hope that Ly wouldn't be too mad at her.
***
Lunch na, and after buying everything they needed for Alyssa's surprise party, they headed to shakey's for lunch.
The restaurant held memories for Den. Noon, she and the team would usually eat there after practice and talk about how their day went. Not a day goes by that Den wishes she could return to those moments. Pero, as she looks around the table, parang walang nagbago. Ella was being her usual self and chomping down the mojos at a hundred miles per hour, Mae was trying to stop ella from stealing her part of the mojos. Bea, Mitch and Jia were teasing Therese while Amy was serving as their referee. It was like nothing had changed, except, it did.
Alyssa wasn't here.
Dennise glances at the center part of the table. Usually that's where Ly would sit kasi they said na since captain siya, she would always get the center chair.
She frowns, suddenly her spaghetti didn't seem so appetizing anymore.
"Ate den aren't you going to eat that? paborito mo naman to noon eh!" Bea says, still smiling wildly.
"That was before bei, parang umiba na rin ang timpla ng spaghetti nila, it doesn't appeal to me like it used to." Den forces a smile.
"Ang raming nagbago sayo Ate den, what happened ba?" Bea tries to ask it as a joke but deep down seryoso ito, She had to get something out of den somehow. She pitied Alyssa and this was the only way she could help.
"Tumanda ako." Dennise chuckles, sensing the tension in the room.
"kwento naman jan ate oh! What happened after you graduated? " Therese adds, understanding what Bea was trying to do.
Den fidgets in her seat. They were asking too many questions, and they couldn't know. They couldn't.
"wala naman akong makwento kasi my life was pretty boring after graduation, I went to med school lang. Tapos I stayed with my lolo for a while kasi mas malapit sa school." Ang matipid niyang sagot.
"ahhhh" they all say in unison, not satisfied with her answer.
"ummm, ate, what's that peklat on your face? sa may cheek mo? parang ang haba kasi eh." Jia squints her eyes as she examines the semi-long scratch on den's face.
Dennise covers her cheek with her hand, she had hoped that no one would bring it up. It actually took her 10 minutes everyday to cover up her scar with powder, but the hot weather probably made it fade away. She couldn't tell her them how she got it, so she does the only thing she's been doing since she became an intern, she lies.
"ah ito? nahulog ako sa bike hehe i slammed my face on the pavement kasi."
"That's not the kind of scar you'd get from slamming your face on the ground, parang sharp ang edge niyan ah." Ella leans forward in order to get a better look. She was suspicious because she knew Den was lying. Why would she lie over a scar?
dennise sinks back into seat when she sees ella nearing her. "Bike lang to. parang mas alam mo pa kung anong nangyari kaysa sa akin ah." She says coldly, keeping her guard up.
Ella slowly sits back on her seat, still unconvinced. She locks eyes with Bea and the two immediately know that they were going in the right direction. Something had definitely happened, and they were determined to find out what.
****
Alyssa rolls around in her room as she impatiently waits for Ella and the rest of her friends to come back. Her hands had grown numb from using her wheelchair for 3 hours straight at feeling niya mababaliw na siya sa kwarto if she stayed any longer.
She takes a long look at the doorknob. Huminga siya ng malalim before opening it. She had never been outside without Ella before, mostly because she felt like all the attention was on her, and without ella to distract her, mas lalo siyang mahing aware of the people around her surroundings, but the silence in her room was killing her so she finds herself wheeling her wheelchair around the hospital halls.
"this isn't so bad" Alyssa says to herself since wala naman masyadong pumapansin sa kanya. Well, except for a 12 year old girl who raised her eyebrows at her, causing Alyssa to return a meaner stare.
Before long, nawala na siya, but she didn't care; anywhere was better than her room. She spots Doctor Martinez's name outside of a door and out of curiosity, she opens it.
wala ang doctor niya, instead all she could see where crumpled pieces of paper everywhere. Different sheets scrambled around his table. Alyssa crinkles her nose, she hated disorganized things.
"baka naglunch break." She was about to turn and leave when something catches her eye.
At the corner of Doctor Martinez's office was a smaller table, at doon nakita niya ang nameplate na may nakasulat na "Dennise Lazaro."
"this must be her temporary office. Iba na talaga basta intern, binibigyan na ng table."
She usually wasn't the type to snoop into other people's stuff but since nandito na siya, it would be a waste to not use the opportunity.
She wheels herself behind den's desk and opens the drawer. She immediately sees a picture of her and den as they were singing along to Ateneo's chant. She runs her thumb against the picture, they were so young here, so happy. She wonders why den had kept this pic, but flashbacks of her volleyball career flash in her mind so binalik niya agad ito. She continues to fumble a bit more but all she could see where notes and medical terms. She closes the drawer and examines her desk. It was nice and clean, so unlike doctor martinez's messy one.
Alyssa sees a framed picture on her desk. She takes it in her hands for a closer look. This had to be new since Justine and Mosh looked older. It was a family picture of the Lazaros. Her parents were in the back while Justine and Mosh were in front of them. Katabi ni den si Mosh, all of them were smiling except for dennise who had a stoic expression on her face. Upon further inspection, Alyssa realizes na hindi lang pala ang family ni den ang nunduon kundi rin pala ang lolo niya. His one hand was on Den's shoulder and he too was looking at the camera with a blank expression.
Alyssa knew Den and her lolo were never close. Noon she'd often mention how scared she'd be pag bumibisita ito sa kanila from the states, kailan kaya siya bumalik?
i shouldn't be thinking about this. Hindi ko naman to problema.
But something about the photo irked alyssa. And usually when her instincts told her something wasn't right, then something wasn't right.
WOHOO I'M SO HAPPY I FINALLY HAVE A SOLID PLOTLINE FOR THIS STORY SO I KNOW HOW IT WILL GO FROM HERE NA!!! You know ly's struggles but you don't know Den's and this is only the beginning and you're not ready for what's to the come, i'm not sure if im ready to write it pa nga haha.
Votes and comments are appreciated!! violent reactions? comment them below!
Do you have any guesses on what den could be hiding?
[not edited sorry im lazy nanaman ]