I am TWO

Eleven

TWO

I sat quietly on Shakie's garden swing as I held my phone in my hand. How many times have I piled up to sigh? I still can’t believe what happened this morning and the revelation Lynn told me and I was confused as to what to think or do especially if I would believe what she told.

"You are here!"

I was surprised when Hajin spoke behind me. Why is he here?

"What do you need, Hajin? Milk?" I'm not in the mood right now.

"Milk? Why do I need that? I'm here because you know, I care for my pitiful cousin." I hate how he chuckled, and it seems he wanted a kick from me, I swear it.

"Yeah, I know, I know. Great to know that you really care." I go back to what I am doing.

I glanced at him who was on the other swing he was sitting on. I never saw his pissed-off look about what I said. There was no reaction in his face as he looked ahead of us. What is this man thinking?

"Is it a miracle?" I asked in a serious tone.

"Miracle?" He hesitated and glanced at me.

"Yes, miracle seeing you right here thinking deep. As far as I know, you don't know how to think." I smirked.

He blinked his eyes at me and stared. I knew him somehow when his reaction was serious.

I sighed and turned my gaze away.

"Hajin?"

"Yes?"

"Why is that? I feel like I've lost a part of me," I said sadly as I gently moved the cradle I was sitting on.

“It’s hard to lose two parents, Two,” he uttered.

He was right it was hard and painful but why is that, why do I remember nothing, why it seems my memory of mine was lost?

"I know, I know. It's your luck because Tito Carl and Tita Lauren are there for you. A complete family."

"Yeah but you are lucky too because of having a loving good Aunt Laila." He smiled at me with his white and even teeth.

I simply nodded as an answer. For a few minutes, there was silence between the two of us. I was the first to speak, "Do you love Shackie, Hajin?"

This is the first time I asked him about that matter. I just want to know what he will answer. They are going to tie the knot next year.

He immediately fell silent. What would his answer be? Yes or no? I can't say if he likes Shackie or is he just pretending because of his family and my friend's family's agreement.

"Why are you interested in it, Two? If I tell you the truth, can you do something of it?" He gave me a big smile that he thought I was just kidding him about.

"I just want to know. I'm not joking here," there was no smile at all I said.

His two eyebrows furrowed. His right hand touched his chin.

"Well ..."

"Well?" I raised my voice.

"I think you're fine, I'll gotta go now." He looked at his watch. "I'm still going to Cassidy. Let's meet tomorrow, say my goodbye to Alliana."

"Haj—” I hadn't finished what I was about to say when he suddenly left and a few seconds disappeared from my sight.

"Really! He left me." I shuddered to look into the distance again. Well ... I know his answer as he trails off words.

I got up from my seat and walked back to Shackie's house. Why did it take her so long, where could that woman be? She has been gone for almost half an hour.

I Pushed the back door and went inside. The wound on my arm was no longer so painful. Silence dawned on me inside the house. No one is here, not even Shackie's parents, we're on a business trip, his two older brothers Nathan and Jhiro on a trip somewhere. She said she will be back as soon as she buys Pizza?

I sat on the soft maroon leather couch, feeling the boredom in me, and picked up the phone on the glass-centered table to view the messages and the calls I had missed.

30 unread messages from my Mommy Laila

5 unread messages from Nacy

10 missed calls from my Mommy Laila

2 unread messages from Shackie

I read Shackie’s message and said she would be late because she even visited her cousin. I called Mommy Laila but it was not available because she was in the middle of the meeting. I have no choice but to call Nacy.

"Hello—"

"It's good that you thought of calling me back, Two. I thought you lost your mind that you still have a sister waiting here outside your school. Where are you? I've been waiting here for almost two hours. Where are you!" Nacy's angry voice is on the line.

I close my eyes when I remember that she will pick me up. Good Two, good!

"I'm at Shackie's house now, you can go without picking me up. You can go to the condo, I'll be home soon."

"Oh! Wow! She's serious, she's serious, you really—" I cut the call before she yelled at me.

When I got off the phone, the main door of the house suddenly opened. Shackie entered with the size of a smile on her face carrying five pizza boxes.

"Why did you buy so much? Will we run out of that?" I asked when she could get closer.

She laid it down on the central table and sat down on the couch in front of me.

"No, the three, we'll eat tomorrow." The happy smile on her face as she looked at me. I frowned.

"Why are you happy?" I asked, keeping my gaze on her.

Suddenly the look on her face was surprised as if I had said something to make it happen.

"Is it forbidden to be happy, Two?" She frowned when she looked at me.

I shook.

"Then why can you tell me that?" She said as if crying.

"I'm just asking, there's nothing wrong with what you said to make you like that?" I seriously uttered.

"No, there is!" She insisted, "you don't want me to be happy."

My eyebrows rose. Why is Shackie getting even weirder now?

"You even raised an eyebrow at me? What have I done to you, Two? Am I a bad BFF to you? Tell me?" She said sadly that the tone of her voice sounded hurt.

We stared for a few seconds. What is so happening to this woman? Maybe, she's in her period so why sensitive, emotional, and over-reacting? Am I not right?

"Sha, just eat that Pizza. Maybe it's just hunger," I ordered and picked up a box of pizza. I opened it and was exposed to the deliciousness of the chicken ham cheese pizza and the delicious smell that further intensified my craving to eat that.

Shackie just quietly ate pizza. Miraculously, only now is she quiet because she is usually talkative when we are together.

"I'm so sorry, Two," I stopped eating because of what she said. Sorry for what? I couldn’t help but frown at what I heard.

"Sorry for what?" I asked, unable to take my eyes off her.

"Because you almost got killed. I didn't help you at all. Didn't I? I promised you that I would always help you when you needed me? But I didn't this morning. I'm sorry," her voice growled.

My mouth opened a little at what I found out. That turned out to be why she was weird earlier.

I sighed and smiled. "Don't worry anymore, I'm fine. You're so dramatic."

"Are you okay? You're kidding! You're not so okay especially since Lynn told you your life was in danger. I'm so worried about your condition, Two."

"Maybe Lynn just made a mistake, Sha."

She took a deep breath. "I don't know, I don't know. But strange what happened to you in the locker room. You got shuriken, small knives and Lynn's sword in the locker is strange. Not ordinary. Even the person who wants to kill you, not human if not Garachsian, I don't know what kind of creature. Lynn told me that when she saw you. Two, I'm scared for you." Unable to paint on her face the intense anxiety for me.

"One of the questions I want to know is why he wanted to kill me. He told me, Princess, I can't figure out why, Sha."

"That's also what Lynn doesn't know and even so weird Lynn because of why she knows those," her eyebrows furrowed as she spoke. That’s also the reason I wonder why.

"We shouldn't think of that thing as of now. Maybe our pizza will get cold forever." I changed the discussion.

"Wait, I'll get some hot sauce for pizza and wine first. It's better to pair the two." Shackie immediately stood up from her seat.

Pizza and wine? I can't help shaking my head.

I SLOWLY entered Mommy Laila's house. Why does mommy send me home? It wouldn’t have been about what happened to me yesterday. I hope so not. Shackie took me to the subdivision where Mommy's house was when Nacy called me saying that Mommy wanted to talk to me about something. Nacy and I would have met here in case she was late because she had to fix the tire of her car.

Upon entering I closed the white door. I turned around and looked around the living room. Seeing her not here, where is she?

I walked into the kitchen because I heard the noise of a plate being laid on the table. I think mommy is preparing for dinner.

"Mommy? Ate Nacy said you want to talk to me? About what?" I asked as I approached the kitchen but I was shocked to see no one in the kitchen.

I frowned at what was happening. I can't go wrong with what I've heard before but why is that? Why is the kitchen clean and no one seems to enter it?

Where is Mommy?

"Mommy?" I called her but I heard no response.

"Mommy? Where are you?" I called again but she still didn't answer.

Suddenly my heart pounded because of the strange feeling around. There is something wrong. I headed up the stairs to the second floor of the house.

"Mommy?" I called again. I stopped walking down the hallway when I heard a footstep at the fourth door.

"Mommy? Is that you?" I was approaching the door and was about to open it when suddenly something fast passed behind me.

I turned around but saw nothing. What could that be? I can’t go wrong with someone passing behind me. One thing? No! The black figure thing is in a human's form.

For a few seconds, I remained standing where I stood with my eyes rolling around. I turned to myself when I heard the door open on the main door of the house and Nacy’s voice.

"Two! Two! Did you see Mommy? Are you here?" worried tone of Nacy's voice below.

I walked quickly down the stairs. We almost ran into each other as she climbed the stairs.

"Two!"

"Nacy! I didn't see Mommy but she might be in the fourth room upstairs. I would have opened it..." I didn't finish what I was saying, Nacy might not believe me if I told her what I had seen.

"What matters?" She looked at me confused.

"No, never mind. We'd better look at her upstairs," I said and turned back up the stairs.

She followed me until we reached the fourth door where my room is also located.

"Are you sure Mommy is in your room?" she asked as she opened the door.

"I heard footsteps here. Maybe Mommy is here." When we opened the door we saw no one inside except for the scattered belongings which surprised Nacy and me.

"Who made this?" Nacy and I asked each other.

But our gaze moved at the words written on mommy's whiteboard, the handwritten words in black color made my heart stop for a second.