Chapter 52
The guys are now drown with beers. They are laughing together without reason and I'm just watching them, confused. What kind of celebration is this? Zeus and France were the only good up to now.
"How about their motorcycle's? Who's gonna bring that home?." I asked Claudia.
She sighed. "Elijah's on his way here to rescue us. I didn't expect this evening to be like this."
Victor laughed so loudly that almost the customers from other table are looking so strange at us. I frowned. Victor slammed the table and laugh so hard. The others were giggling.
"I just can't forget Kaza's face whenever he's being sucked down by a portal." He said, laughing.
I creased my forehead. Huh? What portal?
Zeus picked up a nacho from the plate and threw it to Victor's forehead. Victor grunted before letting go of the topic and slump hard on the table. He snored.
"One elephant down." Frances murmured as he pour beer on his glass. He looked at me and raised his glass.
"You want?."
Zeus pulled his arm down and put the glass down. What's his problem? France just grinned and ignored him.
Suddenly my phone went ringing. I searched through my pockets.
"Oh, I think my girlfriend's calling me already.." Maximo murmured and grabbed his phone from the table.
Connor groggily pulled Maximo's hand away from his phone, murmuring unfamiliar words.
"You sucker, you don't have a girlfriend!." Connor exclaimed with his eyes half closed.
Maximo gasped exaggerated as he looked at his brother with his eyes half closed too. Seriously? They're beat.
"I-I don't have a girlfriend?." Maximo dramatically gasped.
I rolled my eyes and picked up my phone, found out it was dad. I excused myself and found Zeus' eyes watching me go outside to answer my phone.
The wind was still cold for the rain just stopped minutes ago. I answered my phone.
"Dad."
"Not yet done? Are we gonna wait for you?." Dad asked.
"We're almost done." I lied. "Go to sleep. I'll just lock the doors, dad."
"Alright, don't go home alone. Make them bring you here. Goodnight."
I smiled. "Yes, dad. Love you."
"Love you, sweetheart."
I dropped the call and sighed. I looked around and there were noisy group of friends passed by. I looked at the motorcycles behind the restaurant. How are they going to bring this home?
I inserted my phone in my pocket.
"It's cold here." I almost jumped from my place when Zeus spoke.
I turned to him, horrified.
"Don't do that again!." I exclaimed.
He leaned on a post.
"I've never seen you scared like that." He said.
I hugged myself. "We just met. Of course, it's your first time. And I'm easily get scared."
He nodded and twitches his lips to prevent a smile. He looks like he has something else to say but he's keeping it to himself. I rolled my eyes. Why am I so irritated?
"Are you sleepy? I can drive you home, you know." He offered.
I immediately shook my head. He's weird. "No. I'll go home when you all go home."
I started walking pass him to return inside because it's cold here when suddenly he grabbed my arm that made me stop in front of him. He looked at me so deep, so deep that it almost gave me goosebumps.
I avoided his stare and tries pulling my arm.
"Let go of me. This is harassment, Zeus!." I exclaimed trying to look around for some help.
He chuckled and let go of my arm.
"I shouldn't have let you go to become like this. You're completely different." He uttered.
I rubbed my arm and looked at him confused. What is he trying to say?
"Do we know each other before?."
He just stared at me. Like he was trying to calculate my emotions. Like he was reading me.
"I'm asking you, do we know each other?." I asked firmly.
His lips twitch trying to hold back a smile and I swear, that annoys me more.
"Try to remember." And then he return inside the restaurant.
When a van arrived and this certain Elijah picked the boys up, Claudia kept on scolding them about not keeping the promise of maintaining their casual self while in front of me.
Elijah's little mysterious. He has this set of deep brown eyes. He barely look at me, except from our awkward introduction a while ago. He spoke to Claudia for a minute before starting the engine of the van containing a group of drunk boys.
Zeus and I are sitting next to each other when Claudia hissed at him, unknowingly.
"What?." Zeus asked her innocently. I looked outside and acting like I didn't noticed them.
"Move. I'm gonna sit beside her." Claudia whispered.
"No. I want to sit here too." He argued like a child. I almost rolled my eyes out.
What's wrong with sitting beside me?
The ride was quiet. The boys are drunk as dead and I can't help but to take a picture of them. Zeus even grinned at me because of this bright idea. I smirked. They'll gonna love this.
We reached the house at midnight. I think it was 2am already. I don't know, I'm too tired to look at my phone.
"Wait." Zeus called out for me when I was walking to our front door.
He walked me to the door and I looked at him.
"I'll be fine here. Thank you. Tell Claudia I enjoyed this night." I smiled.
He nodded, mouth looks like he still wants to say something. I ignored it and opened the door slowly. I heard the boys whining so loud when Elijah tries to carry them one by one inside the house. With the help of Frances instructions.
"Why don't you just help me carry them?." Elijah hissed at Frances.
The guy just shrugged. "I don't want to smell like rum."
I walked inside and I smiled at him.
"I'll see you all tomorrow. Goodnight." I said.
He nodded again.
"Goodnight.." He whispered until I closed the door.
The whole night was usual. I thought I can sleep at peace because of tiredness and the occupied state of my mind but as much as I expected the night will go at ease, the more I became disappointed because of the usual dream.
I watched myself in confusion.
Lights were blinking, doors opens in relays, mirrors through mirrors and echoes through echoes. The usual dream I'm always having is that the static voices, the murmurs, the sound of a fight and some shoutings.
What's more usual is that I saw again myself crying on a tomb. Which is I'm not surprised anymore. Questions repeatedly asked within myself: who am I crying for?
"I love you." An unrecognized voice said.
I woke up with beads of sweat forming in my forehead. I was panting hard and my head hurts a lot. I grabbed my medicine and immediately took it even without my breakfast.
Slowly, I'm becoming scared. I'm becoming more terrified than before.
What was it? Who was I before? Who are those people? And why the hell did someone said those words at me?
I saw the calendar and noticed it's gonna be Christmas Eve later. I wonder what are they up for today.
A knock startled me.
"Sweetheart?."
I wiped the sweat on my forehead. "Dad.."
"The other's are here. Mind if you entertain them? Your mom and I are gonna buy some anchovies at the market for an hour. We'll invite them over the house later at Christmas Eve." He stated.
I sighed. What could possibly they want at this morning? Aren't they tired from the expedition last night? Any hangovers? Oh man.
"I'm coming." I announced as I hurried inside the bathroom to do my morning rituals.
I went to the living room really wasted. I mean, I haven't sleep that much last night and the journey last night was really tremendous.
They look happy as ever. They didn't even had some residues from last night's horrifying drunk experience.
"I'm gonna be honest today, it's not a good morning." I said.
"Definitely not." Maximo grinned sheepishly.
"I haven't remembered much last night. I hope I didn't did some hilarious thing." Connor said, smirking.
If only you knew, Connor. If only you knew.
"What's up?." I asked them.
Zeus threw a paper on the table. I glanced at him first before grabbing the paper.
The opening of FANTASY AMUSEMENT PARK today!!
December 24 2018
"And?."
"We want to try it." Claudia smiled nervously and nudged Zeus beside him.
"Well uhm, you can-."
"With you." Zeus looked at me.
I met his gaze and it was hoping. His fingers aren't easy while resting on his thighs like he was uneasy. If I rejected this tempting offer, I'll be left alone here since Mom and Dad aren't here. So..
"I'll just grab my bag." I said while walking back to the stairs and ran to my room.
I rummage through my things to find my bag and I stumbled upon my receipt and diagnosis when I got into an accident years ago. I remembered putting it inside my drawer. What is it doing here?
I sat on the edge of my bed and read the diagnosis.
Lorietta Nievves P. Augustine , 16
Head Trauma due to a car accident. Selective amnesia is possible after waking up from comatose.
Blood Examination ✅
Urine and stool Examination ✅
Blood Extraction ✅
And some medications and notes from the doctor.
I remembered being so lost that time. For a week, I didn't know my name, I'm scared of my parents and the nurses. I woke up crying, they said I was looking for someone, but I'm not telling it's name because I can't fully remember it.
That's when they knew that I had selective amnesia.
I sighed. Those were the days that is so hard to even get myself. My parents cried hard upon hearing my amnesia case but luckily, I get to collect the pieces of that lost memories slowly and slowly as the months passed.
My Grams passing away. My graduation and my arrival to the world of Racing.
I closed the paper and hid it inside my little drawer as I grabbed my bag. I put it on my shoulder and let it swing it's way down.
When we left the house, the feelings was uneasy.
Elijah's joining the escapade, by the way. He brought the van that fits us all and yeah, drive our way to the amusement park like a bunch of Preparatory kids having a trip.
"Please, pass me my camera." Frances asks politely to his brother.
"Here." Victor got his camera and gave it to him.
Frances places the camera on the dashboard and set the flash.
"Come on, guys! It's our first picture together!." He said.
We all made our way towards the angle. On the back row, they tried nudging each others face to get a nice shot and end up laughing and being silly on the shot. We all smiled genuinely and happily.
I looked at them as they are laughing at the picture.
Holding the camera, something touched my heart. The smiles inside this picture is giving me too much feels. Why do I feel so heavy? Why do I feel so emotional with this picture?
Claudia were smiling so pretty, Elijah's on the wheels but he is smiling too. Zeus' grinning, I was smiling so naturally. Connor with his tongue out, Lorcan's half smiling, Remus smiling so widely, Frances politely smiled, Kazalen and Hashima with their brotherly smiles that looks exactly the same. Victor who's arms are spread on the back row while trying to out throw Ulysses and Maximo.
I caressed the picture. Memories.
Slowly, I saw the surroundings warping and getting strange colors. The guys beside me are no longer there and, I'm in a white room, sitting on a blue chair, with a floating vase in front of me.
What the hell?