"Myron, meet my college buddies — Francis, Ervic, Xander, and Gabe." I grinned at the sight of my girlfriend's brother, who was obviously enthralled by the presence of the rest of Grey Light's members. Then I turned to my friends and said, "Guys, this is Myron. He's Mira's younger brother."
"Nice to meet you, Myron." Ervic gave him a friendly nod. "Kamukhang-kamukha mo ang ate mo, ah. May boy version pala si Mira."
"Hey there, buddy." Xander, on the other hand, fist-bumped with Myron. "Do you play any instrument?"
"Marunong po akong maggitara nang kaunti," Myron replied, looking abashed.
"'Wag ka nang mag-'po' sa amin. Pinapatanda mo naman kami, e." Francis snickered. "Tropa-tropa lang tayo rito."
He led Myron to a corner of the music studio we're in, and the rest of us followed. Then he handed him an electric guitar, already plugged into an amp.
"Come on. Show us how you really are with a guitar," Gabe told Myron with an encouraging smile.
I watched as Mira's brother did a few tentative strums on the guitar, getting the hang of it. Then, to our surprise, he played the first few chords of Maroon 5's Won't Go Home Without You. He was grinning when he looked up again.
"You can play!" I exclaimed with a delighted chuckle. "Why haven't you told me about this before?"
"'Yan ba ang marunong maggitara nang kaunti?" tatawa-tawang sabi ni Ervic. "Finish the song, My. Mag-jamming tayo."
Ervic took his place behind the keyboard, while Xander and Gabe grabbed guitars of their own. Francis, on the other hand, rushed to the drum set. Laughing, I took the mic from a nearby stand before starting to sing.
I asked her to stay, but she wouldn't listen
And she left before I had the chance to say
Words that would mend the things that were broken
And now it's far too late, she's gone away
Every night you cry yourself to sleep
Thinking, "Why does this happen to me?"
"Why does every moment have to be so hard?"
I do believe that
It's not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won't go home without you
"That's what I'm talking about!" I ruffled Myron's hair after we finished the song. "Way to go, li'l bro!"
"Grey Light could use another member, you know." Francis patted him on the shoulder. "Of course, we don't really play as often as we used to... pero gusto mo bang maging parte ng banda?"
"A-ako po, kasali na sa Grey Light?" Myron looked stunned. "Seryoso po ba 'yan?"
The rest of us laughed.
"Ayaw mo ba?" Ervic asked him. "Kasama ka na sa mga gimmick namin. 'Yon nga lang, hindi ka lang namin papayagang sumali sa inuman. Baka katayin kami ng ate mo."
"I was just about to say that." I sniggered. "Welcome to the band, My. Surely —"
I was cut off by a ringing sound, which turned out to be coming from my phone.
"Hang on. I have to get this," I told the group, frowning slightly at the name of the caller flashed on the screen. Then I made my way out of the room and shut the door behind me.
"Hey, Tita Ivana."
"Vren." Even just by the way Bella's mother said my name, I could already tell that she's in a state of panic. "Do you know where Bella is?"
"What do you mean, Tita? Isn't she at AMMC?" I asked, confused. "I haven't heard from her since our last visit."
"She's nowhere to be found! Last night, Arkin went home to pick a few things up, while I remained with her here in the hospital. But I dozed off, and when I woke up, she wasn't in the room anymore! Where could that silly girl be?" Tita Ivana sounded close to hysterics.
"Jesus." I took a deep breath to calm myself because I was starting to panic as well. "Have you tried giving her a call?"
"She didn't take her phone with her."
"What about Vince? The hospital staff? Surely one of them had noticed Bella leaving? And AMMC's teeming with cameras. Did anybody review last night's footage?"
"Vince already ordered a review of the hospital's CCTV footage as we speak, but I'm not really sure if it would be of much help. I mean, how on Earth could a weak, dying —" Tita Ivana suppressed a sob before continuing. "Oh, my Lord. Ano na kaya ang nangyari kay Isabella Lira?"
I cursed inwardly. Kahit ako, walang ideya kung paano nakaaalis si Bella sa ospital sa kalagayan niyang 'yon.
"Calm down, Tita. I'm sure Bella's fine. Let's look for her together, shall we?"
"Thank you, hijo, but Arkin's already searching for our daughter. Ayokong maabala ka pa."
"Don't be ridiculous, Tita. Mas madali po nating mahahanap si Bella kapag marami tayong kumikilos."
"Alright." Tita Ivana sighed. "I'll wait for you here at the hospital. I really appreciate the help, Vren."
"Don't mention it, Tita. I'll be there in a short while." With that, I ended the call and reentered the music studio.
"Guys, I'm sorry but I have to go. There's been an emergency," I told the gang. "France, can you do me a favor and drive Myron home later? He's staying in a dorm near Pierceson."
"Sure," Francis replied. "Go and do your thing, bro."
"Saan ka po pupunta, Kuya?" Myron asked. "Ano pong problema?"
I exhaled heavily. "I believe your sister had already told you about Isabella. Right?"
Tumango siya. "'Yong maysakit mo pong ex, tama ba?"
"Yup, that's her. Apparently, she ran away from the hospital. No one knows where she is right now," I explained. "I'll be heading to AMMC to help her mom look for her."
Nagkatinginan ang mga kaibigan ko.
"You've got to be kidding me." Gabe was the first to speak again. "Si Bella, nakuha pang umalis sa ospital? Isn't she really sick?"
"Exactly why we're at a loss as to how she managed to sneak out of the hospital without anyone noticing," I said before turning back to Myron. "My, I really hate having to cut our bonding time short. Babawi si Kuya sa'yo, okay?"
"'Wag kang mag-alala, Kuya. Naiintindihan ko po." He gave me a timid smile. "Tumulong ka na po sa paghahanap kay Isabella. Baka mapaano pa 'yon."
"Li'l bro's right," seconded Xander. "Get out of here, Vren. Kami na ang bahala rito kay Myron."
I didn't need to be told twice. As soon as I was sure my friends would be bringing Myron home safe and sound, I hurried out of the studio, determined to find Bella before anything ruinous happens to her.
****
"Any idea on where we should start looking for Bella?" I asked Tita Ivana as we sped away from the hospital. "How about the café?"
"That's where Arkin first went, but there's no sign of her," she replied heavily.
"A friend's place, perhaps?"
"I really doubt it that Bella would risk herself just to visit a friend."
"Yeah," I agreed. Even to me, the idea sounded beyond ridiculous. "But I don't have any clue on where she might be."
"Me neither," Tita Ivana answered. "Should we try looking for her at Andi's?"
"Better than driving without any destination." I nodded. I had no trouble remembering Andi, Bella's best friend. "Does she still live in the same village?"
"I think so." Tita Ivana's eyes darted from one side of the road to the other, clearly hoping to spot her daughter.
Halfway through our trip, the traffic started getting heavy.
"Stupid traffic," I muttered under my breath, blowing the car's horn relentlessly. Thankfully, after about ten excruciating minutes, I was back to driving smoothly.
Hoping and praying that her best friend had even a tiny clue as to Bella's whereabouts, I took the final turn that will lead us to Andi's residence.
****
"Vren! What brought you here?" To say that Andi was surprised to see me was an understatement. "And hey, is that Tita Ivana?"
Seeing Andi for the first time again after so many years had brought back memories of our time in Hollier. She and Bella used to be inseparable, which meant that I, as Bella's then-boyfriend, got to spend a good time hanging out with Andi, too.
The two of them were part of Hollier's orchestra — both violinists — and once they learned about Grey Light, we started bonding over music. Eventually, we formed a tight group — my bandmates and I, Bella and her best friend, plus a few other friends we made along the way.
Remembering that we're here to look for Bella, I deliberately pushed the memories aside.
"Andi." I gave her a tight smile. No time for mushy greetings, I'm afraid. "Do you have any idea on where Bella might be right now?"
"What?" Andi's expression became even more bewildered. "Hindi ba, nasa ospital siya? I just visited her yesterday."
"Bella is missing, hija," Tita Ivana explained. "We think she ran away."
"Ran away?" Poor Andi looked like she was hoping this was just a funny dream. "That's ridiculous! Bella could barely sit up from her bed without help."
"So, you have no idea where she is?" I pressed. "She didn't contact you or anything?"
Andi shook her head. "If I see so much as Bella's shadow, I'm telling you right away."
"Thanks, Andi." I sighed. "We're really worried about her."
"Bella's crazy. Where did she go running off to?" Andi clicked her tongue. "I really hope you find her soon, Vren." She patted me on the arm before hugging Tita Ivana. "Let me know once she's found. I'm worried, too."
****
We drove away from Andi's village in tense silence, with Tita Ivana still desperately scanning the road for any sign of her daughter. Just as I was about to ask if Tito Arkin had tried checking on Bella's own house — which I was pretty sure he already did, but just in case — Tita Ivana let out a yell that scared the wits out of me.
"Vren, stop the car!"
"We're in the middle of the road, Tita —"
"Just let me out! I saw Bella, I swear!"
"What?" I hit the brakes, and Tita Ivana rushed out of the car, ignoring my reminder to be careful.
After parking hastily at the side of the road, I rushed off to join Tita Ivana.
"Good gracious," I muttered after taking in the scene in front of me.
Indeed, there was Bella, about to board a taxi if not for her mom shouting, "Isabella Lira! Where have you been?" She was in a pale blue shirt and jeans, and a pair of sunglasses rested on top of her head — which probably explained how she was able to get out of the hospital without being identified as a patient. Very sly.
"Mom? I —" Whatever she was going to say was lost as Tita Ivana wrapped her in a tight hug. "Mom, I can't breathe." She chuckled. "Calm down, okay?"
"Calm down?" Tita Ivana shrieked. "We almost died of worry, Bella! Where on Earth have you been? What did you go running away from the hospital for?"
"Top secret." Bella had the nerve to give her mom a naughty smile. "Mom, really, I'm okay. Actually, pabalik na ako sa AMMC."
She turned towards the taxi and told the driver, "Manong, pasensya na po. I won't need you to drive me to the hospital anymore. Here," she handed him a bill through the taxi's halfway-opened window, "take this."
"Hindi na po, ma'am. Hindi naman po kayo sasakay," the driver refused.
"Please, just take this." Bella smiled, and as usual, it worked like a charm. Though reluctant, the driver finally accepted the money.
"Salamat po, ma'am."
"No worries. Ingat po kayo."
The taxi started to speed away from our spot.
"So," I began, unable to stop myself any longer, "do you have any idea how many people you freaked out, running away from the hospital and all?"
To my frustration, Bella just laughed. "Quit it, Andrei. Let's just go back to AMMC."
"You think that's funny?" My voice was starting to rise. "You worried us to death, Bella! You're impossible!"
Bella rolled her eyes. "You sound just like Dad." Tita Ivana, meanwhile, just stared at us with her lips pursed anxiously.
"You just wait until it's Tito Arkin's turn to tell you off," I warned her. "You wayward —"
"Geez. Just tell me you missed me." Bella laughed again before pulling me in for a hug. For someone as sick as her, it was surprising that she still had the strength to do so. "I promise to never go running away again, so spare me from your reprimands."
"Damn it," I whispered, returning her hug. "You really worried us. Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes. I'm more than okay." Funnily enough, she did look better — her smile was so wide, and her eyes were shining with happiness. This, more than anything, sparked my curiosity. Where exactly did Bella go?
"Will we ever learn what this top-secret reason you ran away is? Or where the top-secret place you went off to is?"
Bella shook her head. "I can't tell you, so you better drop the issue now. Please, let's just go back to the hospital."
"Alright. Keep your secrets to yourself," I said. "But you better keep your word that you'll never pull this stunt again."
"Yes, I promise," she replied, even raising her right hand as she did so.
I could tell Bella was convinced that she was off the hook, with the way relief was painted all over her face. Sadly, she was mistaken. If I could, then I would find out the truth behind her running away — I have a feeling it's something more significant than she let on.
After all, what could be worth risking her already-frail life for?