Making Past Perfect

It is just another ordinary day for almost everyone, but it is different for Alice Meyers.Today, December 21, 2023, is her eighteenth birthday. She can finally move out of her parent's house and live on her own. Having saved enough money through part-time jobs as a commercial model and an extra in various movies, Alice feels a sense of independence. However, she doesn’t have many real friends—just acquaintances or people who want to be close to her, but she keeps them at arm's length.Johnson Taylor and Odette Sanchez are the childhood friends she cherishes. The three of them have known each other since they were five years old and attended the same school. Alice isn’t the friendly type; she often feels different from them and worries that they would think she’s weird if they ever learned about her true self. To her, she is a freak with extrasensory perception. In addition, she can make things happen when her emotions are particularly intense.Her only two friends remain unaware of th

Johnson was already waiting for Odette and Alice when they arrived at the house where the three of them would live. He had said goodbye to his parents earlier that morning, making him the first to move into the house.Odette stepped out of her car first and grabbed her suitcase from the trunk. “It’s good to have a very rich friend! Now we don’t have to pay rent!” she said loudly to Alice.“Hey, who said you’re not going to chip in?” Johnson interjected. “Since I’m providing the house rent-free, you two should handle the food, utilities, and other bills. Haha!”“No problem, we’ll take care of everything else,” Alice replied. She didn’t have a credit card yet but had plenty of money in her savings account linked to a debit card. She had no plans to get a credit card since she could always use her debit card.Among the three friends, none of them lacked money. Although Odette’s family was large, her parents were financially well-off, running a successful real estate business with projects

“Why are you so nervous?” Johnson asked, eyeing Alice with a teasing grin.“If it was someone else, I wouldn’t feel this shy. But you’re like a brother to me—of course, it feels awkward at first,” Alice said defensively.“What? You’d rather kiss a stranger?” Johnson asked incredulously.“That’s not what I meant!” she exclaimed. “It’s just that those actors are co-workers, and I guess they’re used to scenes like this. But you… you’re different!” She avoided his gaze.“Oh, so I’m special?” Johnson teased.“Of course! You and Odette are special to me—we’ve known each other all our lives,” she blurted out, thinking, I know your secrets, but you don’t know mine yet.“I see,” Johnson replied, although her answer didn’t completely satisfy him. Still, he was excited to help Alice practice, especially the romantic scenes. As they practiced, during the last kiss, Johnson got carried away and kissed Alice for several minutes. She, too, got swept up in the moment, letting him lay her down on the b

Alice woke to the sound of a rooster crowing outside, signaling the break of dawn. She sat up, feeling a slight headache. To her surprise, she was on a bamboo bunk bed, with Odette still fast asleep beside her. Across the room, Johnson lay on a single bamboo bed, also asleep."What the…!" Alice exclaimed as she looked down at herself. She was dressed in an old-fashioned printed skirt that reached her mid-calf, paired with a cotton blouse with a simple round neck. Odette wore a similar outfit, and Johnson was clad in what appeared to be a collarless polo shirt and old trousers.Looking around, Alice realized they were no longer in their familiar surroundings. The room was entirely made of wood, and voices outside caught her attention."I’m afraid the Japanese will take over the whole country, and the Americans won’t be able to stop them," said a man."Do you think the American we saved is a soldier?" a woman replied.Alice instinctively tried to use her powers to figure out what was hap

“Supper is ready!” Rosa shouted from the kitchen.“Is it going to be rice again?” Odette asked the young men.“Of course, there will be rice at every meal,” Pedro answered.“It’s the main food here in the Philippines—rice or corn, and sometimes potatoes or sweet potatoes,” Isagani informed them.“It’s all carbs. I don’t want to get fat!” Odette looked horrified as she imagined herself eating all these carbohydrate-heavy foods.“Carbs? What’s that?” Pedro asked.“Uhm... I mean, isn’t all that food going to make you fat?” she said, embarrassed.“We balance our food with fruits and vegetables, and with everything going on right now, it’s impossible for us to get fat! Hahaha!” Pedro laughed at her reddened face.“Besides, you’re not fat. Anyone who says you are must be blind!” he added, stealing a glance at Odette’s body from head to toe.Odette’s face grew even redder upon hearing those flattering words from the young man. “I know, right?” she laughed, pretending to be self-confident, tho