CHAPTER 3

"Earth to, Sofia!" They shouted in unison near my ear, so I immediately stood away from them.

I even slapped the one near me because of the shock. I would not have done that if my friends had not surprised me.

"Oh my! My face is not a ball, Sofia!" Wendy complained that she was already holding her cheek that I had slapped recently.

The others laughed at what happened to Wendy. It is said that the woman has karma because of her naughtiness that she always does. Wendy gets frustrated because she is being bullied over and over again. She was reprimanded. In our group, she is the one who still annoys and trips with us, so they always tease her.

"It's your fault, not mine. Don't shock me!" As I defend myself from them.

They immediately shook their head because of what I say to them.

"Hello? We were talking to you a while ago, and then you keep on spacing out." They said in unison.

They glared at me, and Alya sat next to me and put her arm on my shoulder. I just scratched my eyebrow because of the shame that I am feeling right now.

Of course. It's my fault. If I hadn't just spaced out, my friends wouldn't have done that. I would not have slapped Wendy suddenly because of that. I just apologized to them for what I did. It only can't be avoided to remember the past. Especially when they are with me. Because the memories come back, I should not have thought about it anymore.

"You know. You just arrived here last week in the Philippines, but it seems like your soul was left behind in another country." Alya remarks because she saw my actions in front of them.

Others looked at me teasingly. It seems like there is something else on their minds—malicious creatures.

"No! Just thinking. Sorry." I bowed at the same time.

They just laughed because of what I said. I look guilty. What should I say? I might even be damned if I just chatted suddenly for them to stop.

"That's okay. You can still see whoever you left behind in New York." Ella teases again while eating a gallon of ice cream.

Wendy and Ella immediately teased me because I was blown away by what she said. Looks like they can still bully me.

"None." I quickly declined.

I really don't want to share what I think, especially since they are too dirty-minded to think. My friends still like to create some issues even though there is nothing to issue with something.

"Is it about, Tine?" Denise pointed out as she was already sitting on Alya's lap.

Den knows that I am just on their side. She doesn't want to be separated from her girlfriend for a long time. Coincidentally, there was no other seat next to Alya, so she just sat on her girlfriend's lap instead. I am getting bitter because of the two of them. They already have a good love life. I do not.

"Don't be so PDA in front of me! Please?" Pau, on the other hand, complained to Alya. The couple just smiled as teasing Pau.

The two became even sweeter in front of us, so Ella quickly acted that she would vomit because of what the two did. They are naughty, so I can't help but laugh.

This is something I missed when I left. This is a moment to enjoy, again and again.

"Hey! That's SPG!" Ella said to the couple, who still can't stop kissing each other.

The two of them just laughed and sat down, and they all surrounded me. So, I'm in the hot seat now?

I looked at them as they stared at me. My friends' eyes speak. It's like saying 'to finish everything you admit' look.

"I don't seem to exist in her life. Acted as we had just met." I blurted it without saying her name because I knew they already knew who I was referring to.

I expected them to scold me and everything, but I was surprised that they avoided their gaze at me one by one. The rest quickly killed maliciously, especially this WongPau duo that I expect to be the top bully. But, they did not.

"Stop that, Pau." Simultaneously, Wong slapped the person next to her, continually poking her side as if they did not want to pay attention to what I said.

"What am I? You just look at me. You have a hidden desire for me. Admit it!" At the same time, she poked the side of Wong, so she received a death glare from her.

"Thickness of your face! Your arrogant sister." Tere commented.

They just laughed because of the two.

"So, right? There was no reaction at all to what I said?" I just asked them.

They fell silent and immediately looked at me as if to say I was sure of what I was saying.

"What? I'm waiting."

I also felt annoyed because of what they did. They are the ones who forced me to say what was on my mind, then when I told them that was all they would do?

Den sighed and then smiled.

"You're just hungry." She pats me on my back. As she pulled Alya to go to the kitchen with her.

We are here now at my condo. The gang disturbed my rest.

"Hey! What? I'm serious. What I said is true, especially since she was at our family dinner last night." I said after I lay down on the sofa and covered my face with a pillow.

I just heard something as if something had broken and as if something had fallen, so I sat up. I saw the shock on my friend faces. I saw Ella no longer holding ice cream because it had already fallen to the floor. On the other hand, Alya let go of the glass she was holding, so it broke on the floor. As her girlfriend looked at me with shock on her face.

"Do you know anything?" I seriously asked them.

And I notice how strange they look. My friends seem to know something. They would not act like this in front of me if they did not.

"Okay, we'll say it, but I hope you don't get surprised or even angry at us for keeping it." Mae approached me at the same time.

"Mae, just slow down so she can digest it right away."

I then looked at Kiwi because of what she said. Is it that surprising what they say why they just acted like that in front of me.

"Because... Tine..."

I frowned when Mae could not continue what she was going to say about Kristine. What happened to that woman, and why are they like this today?

"What is it?" I asked impatiently.

"Just wait! It's so hard. Ella, you tell her what it is." Simultaneously, she pushed the person next to her, looking at the ice cream on the floor.

She seems to regret that her ice cream fell even though it was a little empty.

"It's just you! My ice cream fell off." She said tearfully while still focusing on the ice cream that was already on the floor.

The seniors then slapped their foreheads because of what she said, and the others laughed.

"You're hungry at any time." Others just said that the tension between us would break temporarily.

Ella then stared at them because of what they told her. She seems to want to kill people with the kind of look he gives them. When it comes to food, she reacts, mostly when it is wasted or wasted.

"Tell me why?" I insist again because it looks like they will forget or deliberately divert my attention to others until I forget what we need to talk about now.

"Just wait, okay? Don't pressure us." They said in unison.

They even wiped the sweat off their foreheads. They seemed so tense with what they were going to say to me. So nervousness rose in my heart because of that.

"Den, tell me what you said about Tine!" I complained while I was restless in my seat now.

I feel like a child demanding my mommy to buy what I want, and my snout is getting longer because of that. I was nervous about what they would say to me. I feel like that is not good news for me.

"Because, Tine ..." Mae said again.

Out of annoyance, I shouted.

"What is it?!" I insisted on asking them, so they were surprised by my sudden action.

"Tine had an accident 2 years ago, so she was treated in the States to expedite her treatment, and last year, she was able to return to the Philippines. She only remembers a few and sad to say she forgot about you." WongPau said to me without hesitation, which surprised me.

My brain wanted to digest everything I heard from the two of them, but my brain seemed to freeze because of that. I want to cry, but my tears don't seem to come out. All I could do was marvel at what I learned.

"I told you, you need to tell her slowly. You, stupid duo!" Den shouted and quickly approached the two to beat the spatula she was holding.

"Ouch! It's just like that. It's better to say everything than bush around. Sofia would be miserable if we did not tell her right away!" The two defended their selves.

They turned their attention to me when I asked.

"When?" I suddenly asked.

I just can't accept that she had an accident 2 years ago. I thought she was just pretending that she didn't know me because of what happened between us. But with all that could happen to her, why is that? She's the type I know who is careful when it comes to driving, but why did that happen to her?

"We don't know. We were just shocked to hear that Tine was in the hospital and have a coma." Mae replied.

"Huh? Why don't I know? Why didn't you call me?" I asked Mae.

She was immediately taken aback by my question.

"Hello? We won't be able to find you during those times, Sofia. You may forget that you left without saying goodbye to us." Alya said, so I just bit my lip so hard.

Of course. Naturally, I did not know because, by chance that happened, I was already in New York.

"But let it go. That's it. And at least you know what happened to Tine when you were gone. " Tere said.

"Why is it so easy for you? So, I'm the only one she doesn't remember?" I asked again.

"Yes." They hesitated to answer.

I smiled bitterly as they said that. No wonder. That was good too, and at least Kristine didn't remember the stupid thing I did then. But it only hurts to think that she forgot about me. It hurts to pretend that everything is okay with me, that it is okay with me that she forgets about me, only me. Why is it only me?

How do I get along with her? Even though everything we had before was full of pretension, I still appreciate it to this day. That is why it was useless for me to leave here in the Philippines because everything came back suddenly when I saw her again last night. All the pain I felt for her, the joy I wish all that was true. Even for a short time, I experienced being us even though everything was a pretense, I still value it. Even though it's been two years, I still feel like it happened only yesterday.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

I blinked a few times when I saw her in front of me while adjusting her clothes. It was evident that she was in a hurry because of the sweat grains on her forehead.

"Kristine," I whispered her name.

She then turned to me, and I could see the frown on her forehead.

"Why are you crying?" She just said suddenly, after a few seconds she stared at me.

I immediately touched my cheek, and she was right. I was already crying. I just smiled at her once, and Alya gave me a tissue.

"No. We are just playing who is better at crying." They immediately answered the newcomer's question.

She nodded immediately, even though she was not convinced by the answer of our friends.

"Can I sit beside you?" She asked.

I was stunned because of that. Sh*t! Why is it like this?

"What?" That just came out of my mouth.

"I said, can I sit beside you?" She asked again.

I would have answered when she suddenly sat down next to me. She was impatient at all, that did not change her. I kept smiling because of that.

"You look crazy. Tine might freak out from what you're doing." Pau whispered to me, who was sitting next to me.

I just glared at her because of what she said.

"Ayeeee!" They tease.

Kristine is clueless, so I smiled because of that. But the smile on my lips was immediately erased when I remembered something. If they hadn't told me what happened to her 2 years ago, would I have treated her like this? Why am I so fragile? Though I was the one who was hurt the most because of what happened to the two of us. But why am I still acting like this? I should be happy because she already has that karma because of what she did to me, right? But, I am the one who is hurt the most now because she can no longer remember me. It looks like she only knows me based on what our friends told her.

"You're Sofia, right?" She suddenly asked, so they kept quiet as if they wanted to listen to our conversation.

It seemed they are listening.

"Ahm, yeah. Why?" I answered hesitantly.

The awkward. I do not know how I will deal with Kristine, knowing that something has happened to us in the past that is not pleasant, and others do not know.

"Nothing. Anyways, you look familiar, but I don't know where I saw you." She said directly.

I would have answered again when her phone suddenly rang, an indication that someone was calling her.

"Hi, hon. Yes, I'm here. Take care. I love you too." She answered.

I suddenly felt cold because of what I heard. The joy was evident on her face, so I felt a familiar pain in my heart. I just kept myself from crying, so I laughed softly.

"Your girlfriend?" I just asked after she dropped the call.

I am a martyr because I asked her that even though I already know the answer.

"Yes, she's super sweet, and I know she will be the girl that I will spend the rest of my life with." She smiled and answered my question.

"Ahh! Ahm, excuse me. I'll just get something." I excused myself.

I got up immediately and went to the kitchen to shed my tears that wanted to disappear from my eyes again.

"S-Sofia." Greta, who is in the kitchen, called me.

The look of astonishment on her face was evident as she watched me cry.

"Dust just entered my eyes, so I cried." I immediately wiped my wet cheek and smiled broadly at her.

"It's okay. Just cry it out loud. I know you consider Tine more than a best friend. I also went through that, so I know, and I feel the pain you feel now. Just let go to lighten whatever you feel there in your heart." She quickly hugged me to alleviate the pain I was feeling.

"I'm not pregnant, Greta." I joked while holding back tears in front of her.

"You're still really joking in this situation, aren't you? I'll poke your eye. I'm here. We're for you." She immediately hugged me tightly, so I cried more because of what she said and hugged her back.

I am somehow thankful that she is here now.

"The pain is too much, Greta. I thought, when I came back, I could face everything but not yet. I thought for two years, I had forgotten how I felt, but I was wrong. My love for her? It goes deeper. While the pain I feel now doubles." I release the resentment I feel now.

"Shhhh! Time can heal. If you can accept what happened to the two of you, it will be easy for you to move on. I don't know what happened to you last two years, but I feel that others have a big reason you suddenly disappeared. Why did that happen to Tine? It is sad to think that when something happened to Tine, you also suddenly disappeared. Stop crying now. "

I should be happy, right? But it hurts. It hurts to hear that she has someone else or someone she loves. I will never be the one she loves. But it hurts more to see for myself who is the person who made Kristine's heartbeat. Why not just me?

"How can I do that if I am still hoping for us. I still hope even if I try not to."

"Then finish what you two started. Maybe that's the way to get rid of the pain you are feeling." I let go of Greta's hug because of what she said.

Finish what you started? So, am I going back to the game Tine calls Role Play? Can I do it?

Can I play again the game that caused broke my heart? Caused my defeat? Can I start also pretending to show that we are okay or pretend I am not hurting? Can I do it? But the question? Why did Greta say that? Does she know anything?

"Why did you say that, Greta?" I asked nervously.

"There are things that do not need to be said to know what to know, Sofia. Some things can be noticed by observing. So, whatever the dispute between the two of you, end it. It may help you in the end." Her meaningful answered to my question.

I just stared at her, but she? She just smiled at me and messed up my hair.

"Fix yourself, so they won't ask you what happened to you. Why do you look like that if you won't." She said before finally leaving me in the kitchen.

I quickly did what she said before returning to my friends who were already having fun in the living room.

***

I just arrived at the company, and I could not help but be misled by our employees' strange looks. Is there something wrong with what I am wearing? Do I have dirt on my face? Maybe I'm just really wearing something that doesn't suit their taste for them? I'm just wearing denim shorts and a blue t-shirt that is a little too loose for me and tucked in on the front, then blue vans. If this is the case, in their opinion, it is a problem. They have no sense of fashion. Psh!

"It's not good to look at a godly woman like you while wearing an irritated look."

I turned to my left and saw the blasphemer speaking to me—what a term.

"Who cares?" As I was irritated by what he said.

He just adds to my annoyance. Why is this one here? He even laughed after because of what I did before he talked to me again.

"I'm Edward, and you're Sofia, right?" He put his hand in front of me at the same time.

"I don't talk to strangers. Bye!" I walked into the elevator and closed it immediately because that firefly would also want to ride.

He even has plans to go with me. It looks like he really has planned, so I preceded him. I was even more irritated by the attitude of the man when I remembered our encounter earlier. The former is still cool, even though it doesn't suit him. His ugly sense of fashion is. He wears a long-sleeve paired with loose jeans. Seriously?