To Follow You

CHAPTER 3: THE CONNECTION

The rest of the day passed in a blur. Every time I looked up in class at Westfield High School in Metro Manila, Philippines, I'd find Erick Liam Smith looking at me – not in a creepy way, but like he was trying to figure something out about me. During lunch break, Elara Rose Smith practically dragged me and Dave Martinez to their table in the cafeteria.

"Come on! We have so much to talk about!" she said enthusiastically, already pulling out a notebook filled with ideas for the drama club's next production.

"So May, tell us about yourself!" Elara said, taking a big bite of her sandwich. "What do you like to do? What's your favorite subject? Do you have any pets?"

I laughed at her rapid-fire questions. "Well... I like drawing and painting. My favorite subject is Art, though I'm actually pretty good at Science too. And yes, I have a cat named Luna – she's black with green eyes, just like yours actually. My mom helped me pick her out from a shelter here in Metro Manila last year."

Erick looked up from his food, his eyes widening slightly. "Really? We had a cat back in England – also black with green eyes. We named her Shadow."

"Wow, that's so weird!" Dave said, taking a sip of his soda. "May's been talking about getting another cat lately too – she says Luna needs a friend. Her mom even offered to help build a little cat house in their backyard."

As we talked, I noticed Erick knew things about me that he couldn't possibly know – like how I take my coffee (black with one sugar), that I hum when I'm concentrating, and that I always carry a sketchbook with me everywhere I go.

When I asked him how he knew all these things, he just smiled and said, "Some things are just meant to be remembered, I guess."

After lunch, we headed to Westfield High School's sports field where tryouts for various teams were happening. Elara immediately ran off to join the track team tryouts, while Erick headed toward the basketball courts.

"You coming?" Erick asked me as he was walking away. "I think you'd like watching – basketball's actually pretty fun once you understand the rules. Plus, Westfield High has one of the best teams in Metro Manila."

Dave nudged me with his elbow. "Go on! I'll just head to the computer lab and work on our project for IT class. We're designing a new app to help students from all over Metro Manila connect with each other."

I followed Erick to the basketball courts, where a crowd had already gathered to watch the tryouts. As soon as he stepped onto the court, it was like he transformed – his calm demeanor was replaced with focus and determination. He moved with such grace and skill that everyone was watching him.

During one play, he jumped to make a shot and collided with another player, falling hard to the ground. Without thinking, I rushed onto the court to help him up.

"Are you okay?!" I asked, panic in my voice.

He looked up at me and smiled, even though there was a small cut on his lip. "I'm fine – just a little scrape. But thank you for caring."

As I helped him wipe the blood from his lip with my handkerchief, our hands brushed against each other – and suddenly, I saw flashes of images in my mind like a movie playing too fast:

- Us walking hand in hand through a forest filled with glowing trees

- Dancing together under a sky full of two moons

- Standing on a cliffside, holding each other tightly as we looked out at an ocean that seemed to stretch on forever

- A moment of heartbreaking separation as he was pulled away from me by shadowy figures

I stumbled back, my head spinning. "What... what was that?"

Erick's expression became serious, and he grabbed my hand gently. "I was hoping we could talk about that – privately. After tryouts?"

I nodded numbly, still trying to process what I'd seen. The tryouts ended shortly after that, and Erick was easily accepted onto the team – along with three other students from Westfield High School.

He led me to a quiet bench behind Westfield High School's library, where we could talk without being interrupted.

"May... there's something I need to tell you," he started, looking more serious than I'd ever seen him. "What you saw just now – those weren't just your imagination. Those were real memories from... another life. Another time."

I stared at him, not sure whether to believe him or run away. "What are you talking about?"

He took a deep breath. "My sister and I – we're not from just any family in England. Our people have the ability to travel between dimensions, between different lifetimes. And in every lifetime we've lived so far... we've found each other."

"Found each other?" I whispered.

"Yes, May. You and I – we've been together in so many different lives. Warriors in ancient times, scientists in a future world, artists in a place where creativity was magic. Every single time, we fall in love. But every single time..." he trailed off, looking pained.

"Every single time what?"

"Every single time, something tears us apart. War, disaster, forces beyond our control. We've been searching for you across countless dimensions, countless lifetimes – trying to find a way to change our fate. When we found out there was a school called Westfield High here in Metro Manila, we knew we'd find you."

I sat there in silence for a long time, trying to wrap my mind around what he was saying. Everything he was telling me sounded impossible – like something out of a sci-fi movie. But at the same time, it felt... right. Like pieces of a puzzle I didn't even know I was putting together were finally falling into place.

"The dream I've been having," I said quietly. "The man calling me May... that was you, wasn't it? My mom says I talk in my sleep sometimes, calling out for someone named Erick."

Erick nodded, his eyes filled with sadness and hope. "Yes. That was us in our last life together. We promised each other we'd find a way back to one another – no matter what."

Just then, Elara ran up to us, breathless. "Erick! They want us at the principal's office – something about registering us for classes and getting our student IDs sorted out. Oh, hi May!"

She looked between us, noticing our serious expressions. "Everything okay?"

"We're fine," Erick said, standing up and helping me to my feet. "We were just talking about... basketball strategies. Westfield High has a big game coming up against another school here in Metro Manila."

Elara raised an eyebrow suspiciously but didn't push it. "Well come on then! Principal Martinez is waiting for us. And May – you should come too! She said she wants to meet all the students who are helping us settle in at Westfield High here in Metro Manila."

As we walked toward the main building together, I looked at Erick and wondered – could everything he was saying really be true? And if it was, was I ready to face whatever came next?