Chapter 6

     I came to a halt at my tracks, drained of breath. When I cast my gaze around, all I see are throngs of people buying knickknacks, conversing, saying hello to their peers, and eating… but I have no idea where I am. I’d like to ask them, but my social anxiety is getting the best of me. I grumbled my feelings of frustration.

I’m lost. That is impossible to deny.

I kneaded my head and took a deep breath, upset. I panicked as I took my phone out of my pocket. I can’t seem to find it! Because I was in a bit of a rush, it must have fallen when I raced away. I’m freaking out right now because I feel so utterly helpless. What should I do now that I’m lost and on top of that, can’t contact Chase? My mind is telling me that I’ll be abducted, that my organs would be sold on the black market, that my friends will be unable to identify my corpse, and that my death will be a horrible event.

I sneered. Yes, I am overreacting at this point, but blowing things out of proportion is my middle name. It is a part of who I am. Unfortunately.

I began walking in circles with my back hunched. I’m not sure where I should go right now. I could get in a car, but I have no idea where I’ll be going. My mind is utterly oblivious to my whereabouts, which causes me to panic inside.

My steps were heavy, and I bit my bottom lip as I looked about, hoping to see someone I knew, but to no avail. What was I thinking, of course? Chase informed me that they would be passing the time at the plaza with Nate. And what about my other friends? Would they be in Palawan? I doubt it. They were last I heard working their butts off in Manila and getting stoned.

Now that I think about it, I should probably call them when I get home… assuming I get home safely. Which I currently question, and I’m coming to realise my eventual demise—

“Excuse me?”

I raised my gaze, my eyes glistening as though I had seen my guardian angel. When I said, “Yes?” with a big smile, I suppose I got a little too excited.

The man cocked his head and blinked. His features aren’t very enticing, but he’s not unattractive either. His aura, in fact, screams draw attention. He appears to be a native, but his eyes are blue, so I’m not sure he is. By the way, I think it’s gorgeous. It’s truly captivating. He stretched his hand out… giving me something?

I took a closer look and saw that it was a handkerchief. I took it with wariness. “This isn’t mine?” I muttered, unsure.

“Oh. Of course, I was not insinuating that it was.” With a soft chuckle, he replied. Oh. That’s humiliating. Why is it that I enjoy jumping to conclusions? “Because you’re so sweaty, I figured I’d be nice and give it to you. I know it’s hot outside, so wipe yourself down.”

Before wiping away my sweat, I could only say a faint, “Oh, thanks.” Beneath my breath. Now that he’s brought it up, I’m feeling sweaty and flushed. Given because we’re in the daylight, it is unsurprising that it feels so hot.

I took a step back to try to hide in the shadow, but it was a futile endeavor, so I asked, “By the way, what is it? Is there anything you need?”

With a shake of his head, he expressed his disapproval. “No, no, no. I saw you previously walking around so aimlessly that I assumed you were lost, and I’m only here to offer my hand if that’s not too much sort of a problem for you.”

I blinked several times as I looked at him, perplexed, as I questioned his ‘friendliness.’ My trust issues suggest that he has ulterior motives. But what if he simply wants to assist me though? As I already stated, I specialize in not trusting people. I could just go about meeting new individuals and immediately question their motives. Well, that’s how my brain works, and that’s how I’ve been living for the past two decades.

Damn. I’m 20 and I’m starting to feel my age because my back and nape are hurting right now. I just made a mental note to remember to take some medications later.

“What could go wrong?” I shrugged as I squeezed my lips together.

He nudged me enthusiastically with a broad grin on his face. “Great! By the way, my name is Reeves. What’s your name?”

“Valentin. You can call me Val if you want.”

He just responded with a hum and hoisted me to my feet. I wasn’t even aware that I was slouching. I’m exhausted, and it’s only the beginning of the day.

“Val, ooh. It’s a nice name.” He muttered something. I’m not sure I was meant to hear that, but whatever, I did. I chose to disregard his statement and clutched to his arm. I don’t think he’d mind; clinging to people is one of my favorite pastimes.

When I clutched to him, he was unfazed. He was on his phone as we walked straight. What does he mean when he says “help”? Is he supposed to take me on a tour? I’m not convinced, but it’s better than nothing, and based on his appearance, I don’t genuinely think he’d be a perp.

I looked up when I heard him clear his throat. “Hm?”

“Would you like to go to the beach or to the river?”

“Beach!” I said, gasping with delight.

I overheard him giggling, enthralled by my joy. I couldn’t say that I blamed him. It was just a few minutes ago that I was acting like a forlorn kid in need of his mother, but now I’m giddy with anticipation of strolling around with a stranger. He’s still a stranger to me because I don’t know anything about him other than his name. I have no idea how old he is, but does it really matter? In this case, no. All I want to do is go to the beach and rest.

When we arrived at the shore, it wasn’t a long journey. The ocean is a stunning shade of blue, and the sky appears to be serene. It’s hot outside, so a swim would be ideal. However, when I noticed how many day trippers there were, my countenance fell into a scowl.

He then drove me over to the zipline area. My pupils dilated as I took in the scene. When it was eventually my time, I squinted to make out his face on the other side, which was a blur. It’s a very long zipline. When they pushed me, I sat and yelled in delight without hesitation.

This is fantastic! I took a breath of fresh air with my mouth gaping open. Nature elicits such strong emotions in me. The way the leaves dance, the calmness of the sea underneath me, the way the trees shine the sunlight – it’s all surreal.

When the ride was over, I turned my attention to him and saw him chuckling as he waited for me. As the crew removed the safety equipment from me, I couldn’t help but laugh with him. When it was finally finished, I humorously ran into him.

“It was such a lovely view!” I exclaimed, overjoyed.

He cocked his head and wiggled his brows, “Isn’t that true? That was a fantastic ride.”

With that, we began to come down. He then took me to a waterfall, where we went hiking. When we were on the zipline, we had just as much fun. We made jokes and were playful with each other. We lay on the sand after trekking, taking a big breath and watching the sun set. It was exhausting, but it was well worth it.

“Did you have a good time?”

Now that the day-trippers have left, I can enjoy the peace and quiet of the beach. It’s a lot more relaxing than it was before. There are no people running around, no children playing and attempting to build a castle here and there, and no parents yelling at their children to apply sunscreen or to take a break. Everything is so tranquil now, which is exactly how I like it.

I nodded with a sincere smile. “Yes,”

“Are you exhausted now?” says the narrator.

“I think I can go on one more adventure,” I hinted. “That’s nice, because I have one more place for you to savor,” he says, laughing and springing up to bop my nose.

He hoisted me back up and wiped my clothing clean, and I did the same to him. When our garments are finally tidy, we walked as we started talking to each other.

“How old are you?” He was the one who spoke first. Right, all I know about him is his name. But I had so much fun with him that it felt like we’d known one other for years.

“20. You?” I replied, puffing my cheeks.

“I’m a year older.”

“Is that a good thing?”

He chuckles at the silliness of my question, “I suppose. Or better yet, I hope it is.”

“Silly.”

When he abruptly stopped walking, I almost collided with his back. There was a boat at the front when I glanced. Then I locked my attention on him. Is it possible that we’re heading to another island?

“We’re not going on an island hopping trip. But, over there, do you see the forest?” My gaze followed where he pointed. “We’re going on a boat tour.”

I took my time digesting what he said, and when it finally hit me, I gasped. “Really?! You mean I’ll be able to see the forest, and possibly fairies, up close and personal?!”

He nodded, his eyes gleaming with delight. He then jumped into the boat and extended his arm to assist me in getting up, which I gratefully accepted. “Do you actually believe in fairies?”

In answer, I merely grinned. Is it true that I believe in fairies? I have a compelling motive to do so. But it makes no difference. People that believe in otherworldly creatures are regarded as strange by some, but that is their opinion.

We drove into the mangrove forest once everything was in place. Everything is extremely picturesque. I’m sure the media would be interested in filming at this location. It’s a shame I misplaced my phone since I could have captured the beauty of the scene. The entire ride was silent, but not uncomfortable. As if the silence had brought us closer together. It’s quite relaxing.

After the ride, Reeves said he’d walk me back to my house. It turns out that the rest stop is only a short distance away. Knowing that made me feel even more humiliated. He also informed me that it was already 9 p.m. Chase had to be ill with worry for me.

We arrived at the rest stop smiling. With his jaw agape, Reeves gazed at the home “This is incredible. You live here?”

Humming, I gave a nod. “Temporarily.”

“This is awesome. Is this a dream?” He said it with a chuckle of skepticism. I gave him a puzzled look. I understand that this rest house is enormous, but isn’t he overreacting—wait, that’s a bit rich coming from me.

“No, you’re not. But why is that? What exactly is the big deal?”

He stared me as if I were a specter. “Isn’t this where Aiden and Nate lives? They’re huuuuge celebrities. Everyone aspires to be a friend of theirs.”

“Aiden…?”

He didn’t even give me a glance, as if to say, ‘you’re weird.’ “Aiden, you’re right! The one with the blue hair. He has a boyfriend named Nate.”

“Oh, you mean, Chase?”

“That’s his second name, yes. We mostly call him Aiden here.”

I merely responded with a nod and a smile as I bid him farewell. “Well, because it’s late, you should probably go home now.”

“You’re right,” he gasped, looking at his watch and uttering a mild expletive. “Could you just say hi to them on my behalf?” He giggled and smiled brightly. He’s so sure of himself that it’s bordering on arrogance, but I’m not complaining. He’s a lot of joy to be around.

“All well, I’ll go then.” Acting as if I’m swatting him away, I said. He merely chuckled, and before walking away, he fished something from his pocket. It’s my phone, I realized, and my eyes went big in recognition.

“Here,” he said as he handed it to me. “My phone number was saved in my phone. Call me when you have some free time.”