Avenger From The Past

Chapter Two: Warning

1:45 PM — Sunday

Payapang natutulog si Lara sa kama niya nang balutin ng ingay mula sa doorbell ang buong bahay niya.

"Ugh," she groaned, pressing a pillow tightly over her ear as she tried to sink back into sleep.

Nang tumigil ang ingay ng doorbell ay babalik na sana siya sa pagkakahimbing nang tumunog ulit ito. Sa ngayon ay mas maingay na dahil sa sunod-sunod na pagpindot ng kung sinong nasa labas.

Irritation finally won.

With a deep sigh, Lara forced herself to sit up. Her hair was a mess, her eyes half-closed as she dragged herself out of bed and shuffled toward the front door.

Mabigat ang bawat hakbang ni Lara at habang palapit siya ng palapit sa pinto ay mas lalo siya naiinis dahil sa taong nang-iistorbo sa pagtulog niya.

She pulled it open.

"Good morning, Lara-girl. And good morning to you too, Toki," Allison greeted cheerfully, her eyes briefly dropping to Lara's cat, who was lazily stretching beside the doorway.

Lara frowned the moment she saw who it was.

Allison stood there looking like she had stepped straight out of a fashion magazine—wearing a revealing outfit that hugged her figure perfectly and high heels that weren't extremely tall but were still wildly inappropriate for a lazy Sunday afternoon visit.

"OMG girl ha, natutulog ka pa rin?" Allison asked, tilting her head as if the answer weren't painfully obvious.

"I was," Lara replied flatly. "Until you decided to wake the entire neighborhood."

She turned away, already planning to march straight back to her bedroom and reclaim the rest of her afternoon nap.

But Allison was quicker.

"Nope. Not happening," she said, placing both hands firmly on Lara's shoulders to stop her. "Hindi ka babalik sa pagtulog dahil may plano tayo, remember?."

"Bukas pa 'yon 'di ba?," Lara countered, her voice laced with annoyance. "And it's Sunday, Ali."

"Exactly!" Allison exclaimed as if Lara had just proven her point. "The reunion is tomorrow, and since it's Sunday today, this is our only chance to buy everything we need for the trip. So go take a shower, because we're going shopping, baby!"

Without waiting for a response, Allison confidently walked into Lara's bedroom and casually plopped herself onto the bed like she owned the place.

"Argh!" Lara groaned.

Padaskol niya na kinuha ang tuwalya niya sa pagkakasabit saka padabog na tinahak ang daan papunta sa banyo at malakas na dinarayo ang pintuan.

-

3:00 PM

"Is that Allison Brequillo? The model?"

"Oh my God, it is! Napakaganda niya pala talaga sa personal—at sobrang sexy pa!"

Lara could clearly hear the whispers coming from the table not too far away from them. Two women were openly staring, their eyes glued to Allison, who was sitting with one leg crossed over the other, elegantly sipping her coffee as if she were used to this kind of attention.

Tinitigan ni Lara ang kaibigan habang hindi makapaniwalang nakakunot ang noo.

"That outfit?" she muttered. "Seriously?"

Allison raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

"We're just at a mall café."

"So?" Allison shrugged. "I'm an international model. I can't afford to dress simply. I can't look boring like—" She paused, glanced briefly at Lara from head to toe, then calmly returned her attention to her coffee. "Never mind."

"b***h," Lara muttered under her breath.

Allison only laughed.

They were currently seated in a coffee shop inside the mall, having decided to grab a drink before starting their long shopping agenda. True to Lara's expectations, Allison took her sweet time—posing for photos, checking her phone, and occasionally acknowledging the stares she was receiving.

Makalipas ang kalahating oras ay napagdesisyunan na nilang umalis sa café at simulan na ang pag-iikot sa loob ng mall.

Lara let out a quiet sigh. She already knew how this day was going to go. Shopping with Allison was never quick.

At least Lara had the foresight to wear something comfortable—jeans, sneakers, and a loose top—unlike her best friend, who somehow managed to shop for hours while dressed like she was headed to a runway show.

Hindi rin alam ni Lara kung paano nakakatagal ang kaibigan na magsuot ng gano'n klaseng damit nang hindi nagrereklamo sa ganitong sitwasyon.

Their first stop was a popular clothing store.

Allison needed swimsuits and new outfits for the upcoming reunion. Lara, on the other hand, didn't feel the need to buy anything new. In her opinion, the people attending that reunion didn't deserve that much effort.

Yes, she was going to the reunion—despite not wanting to.

Pumayag lang naman siya na sumama sa reunion dahil kinailangan niya ang tulong ng kaibigan. Para sa ikabubuti ng kompanya ng tatay niya. For that reason alone, she gave in.

It was only going to be three days with their former classmates. She could survive that.

"Ano'ng tingin mo sa isang 'to?" Allison asked, holding up a bikini in her right hand.

Lara blinked. "A bikini? Seriously?"

"What?" Allison said defensively. "We always have to be swimming-ready. Duh."

Lara shook her head, choosing not to argue.

After spending several exhausting hours inside the boutique, they finally decided to head to the supermarket to buy personal necessities they'd need for the trip.

Lara grabbed a small basket for her items, while Allison, unsurprisingly, took a shopping cart.

Hindi na nagkomento si Lara sa kaibigan. Matagal niya ng tinanggap na mahirap sabayan si Allison pagdating sa shopping kaya hindi na nakakagulat ang mga ganitong bagay.

They were in the aisle filled with beauty products when Lara spoke up.

"Pupunta lang ako saglit sa pet section," sabi niya. "Ubos na ang cat food ni Toki, kailangan ko ng bumili."

Allison nodded distractedly, too busy reading the ingredients on the back of a skincare product to respond properly.

Lara pushed her basket toward the pet aisle, focused on finding the specific brand of cat food she always bought. As she scanned the shelves, someone suddenly bumped into her—hard enough to make her stumble slightly.

"Hey—" Lara started to say, ready to confront the person.

Bago pa niya matapos ang sasabihin ay nagpaumanhin lang ito at saka mabilis na naglakad palayo.

Hindi niya nakita ang mukha nang nakabangga sa kaniya pero masasabi niya na babae ito dahil sa suot nitong blouse at pants. The impact had been strong enough that Lara instinctively touched her shoulder, wincing slightly.

Shaking it off, she turned back toward the shelves.

Then something on the floor caught her eye.

A small folded piece of paper.

Frowning, she picked it up and unfolded it.

Written on it were four simple words:

'Do not come to that reunion.'

Her brows knitted together in confusion.

Had the woman who bumped into her dropped this?

"Hey, girl! Tapos ka na ba? Feeling ko sapat na 'to," Allison suddenly appeared beside her, pushing a cart that was overflowing with items.

The note slipped from Lara's mind as she glanced at Allison's cart.

Napailing na lang siya sa kaibigan saka sinundan ang kaibigan papunta sa counter para magbayad.

-

Sa kabilang banda, ang babaeng nakabangga kay Lara at tahimik lang na nakamasid sa dalawa.

She stood far enough to avoid being noticed, yet close enough to clearly see Lara and Allison leaving the supermarket together.

"Don't come to that reunion, Castañeda," she murmured under her breath. "You have no idea what could happen in that place."

Sinundan niya nang tingin ang magkaibigan hanggang sa tuluyan na itong makalabas ng supermarket.

-

End of Chapter Two