Foretold by the stars

FBTS 3

"What happened to you?"

Anika asked immediately.

I looked at her still thinking about the bookstore encounter. Should I tell her?

I guess, maybe, i'll tell her some other time.

"Let's just go home!" I said in a hurry.

She must have noticed my eagerness that's why she stop asking me questions.

She's already alone so I assumed Aivan has left. I don't know.

My mind is in a haze and I can't think of anything else right now other than what happened earlier in the bookstore.

Jace, Lucas and the girl.

She was the girl beside him in the picture I saw in one of their family gathering.

I can feel it. She's not a relative. She's got different surname with Jace and Luke who are cousins.

Thank God, Anika did not bugged me with more questions the whole ride home. Maybe she noticed that there's something on my mind. Besides she knows I'm going to tell it to them whenever I'm ready.

We went our seperate ways on our way home. She lives in the West side and so is my cousin, Jen. I, on the other hand lives in the South side of the Greener Pasteur, the name of our subdivision.

I don't know if I should activate all my socmeds again just to check any updates from him.

All I know is that he's back in the country and he's brought her with him.

I don't feel like doing anything now. I feel empty and I can't help but cry. Fortunately, my Mother is not home tonight. I'm free to bawl my heart out.

This is not the first time he's got a girlfriend while he's far way from me.

But this is the first time he brought a girl with him in this country.

It's just so unfair. Here in Manila, even though he can only be with me for a night, we both are so connected with each other. We clicked that's why we became so close. Like he feel like he knows me for a long time. He told me that. And I feel the same with him.

I can accept that he gets involved with other girls in the States. I'm trying to have no problem with that at all (as if I have the right to). I did not ask him questions because I feel like that is not the right thing to do and I'm also scared of his answer and reaction.

But in this country, he belongs to me like I am to him. It's something only we know. Something only for us. Just like before.

I have many questions in my head.

What happened to Tala's readings? Is she wrong all along?I held on to it for so long now.

Am I just going to accept the fact that he's not really my Jace anymore? (Not that he's mine from the beginning)

He's with someone else now and I guess it's different this time. He wouldn't bring her here if he's not serious with her, right?

I laid awake in my bed. Tears in my eyes. Thinking of how things end up like this.

We're so far from where we are before. We used to be so close. Now I feel like we're as close as strangers. And I'm afraid that this is all we'll ever be.

My thoughts went back on how i saw all the signs in him until I fell asleep.

Morning came and i instantly regretted why i cried so much last night.

Now how am I going to deal with this puffy and red eyes?

Looks like insects held a pity party in my eyes last night.

How can i go to work without looking like a mess?

And as if the weather is sympathising with me, raindrops fell lazily outside my windowpane. As if it can feel the gloominess I'm feeling.

I wasn't able to sleep properly last night and my head is feeling light.

Still, I have to get up and prepare for work.

My mother will be home any minute now and I can't let her see me looking like this.

I put on cold compress hoping for it to lessen the puffiness and swelling of my eyes.

That's the scene my mother came in to.

Hurriedly, she came to me. Taking the ice bag I'm holding.

"What happened to you? Did you cry last night?" She asked worriedly.

My mother has been very protective of me as i am with her. After all, its just the two of us now in the family.

My father and older sister died in a car crash when i was little. I was with them at the time. Fortunately, i was able to survive. I barely remember anything that happened that time but my Mama said that we were about to pick her up from work when the accident happened. She said that if she lost me too that time, she might've really lost her mind. That is why she's a bit over reacting when it comes to me. And I understand it completely.

"Nothing, Ma. I did a marathon of tragic movies last night that's why..."

I lied. I know it's bad but I don't want her to worry about me. Though we're very close with each other, I don't want her to know that Jace is back here now in the country and that I saw him yesterday with someone.

I don't know. I don't want her to change her perception of Jace.

She has an idea about me and Jace. But all she knows is that even though Jace and I doesn't talk to each other regularly, she just thought that we are both okay with this kind of setup. Just like my friends, she still hasn't meet him personally. Before all of this happened, my Mama also gets to talk to him through our scheduled video calls but she doesn't know about the girls being linked to Jace in the past years. I couldn't tell her.

I don't have the courage and I don't want her to think differently of Jace. I don't want to.

I don't know if she believes me or not but she just kept silent. That's better I guess. I don't want to lie again just to answer her questions.

It was 8 in the morning when I arrived at the office. The two is already seated in their cubicles. Im wearing my eye glasses now instead of my contact lense so I could hide a bit of the puffiness of my eyes. That doesn't really help though. The two with a sharp stare easily find out. That is why I spent my break time telling them about what really happened yesterday at the Market mall.

"I told you, Jen. Something's up with your cousin with the way she behaved yesterday."

I looked at Anika looking sharply at me.

"If only I was with you inside the NBS, I would've already fulfilled my wish. I really want that guy to have a taste of my fist." She added.

"But you're not and you're busy with Aivan so..." Jennifer butted in.

"If she had only told me right away then I could've approach Jace and punch him straight in the face."

My cousin laughed mockingly.

"Don't forget that you're the reason why Shielo here..."Jen patted my shoulder.

"...met Jace."

"Remember Bottled Feelings?" Jennifer asks referring to the app we used years ago where Jace and I first talk.

It was an app where you can write your feelings or any random things and put it inside a bottle then throw it away in the sea. Your letter will then get to places anywhere in the world and once the other person finds your bottle, it's up to him whether to keep or throw the bottle away so somebody else will keep your letter. Once someone keeps your bottle, you two will be able to contact each other and can send direct messages and do video calls. But of course, there's a downtime too just like any other online chatting apps.

Your keeper can also be a perv so you have to be very careful in giving your details. Just like what happened to Jen before. You can have many keeper depending on your patience in writing your feelings or any random stuff. And on videocall, you can swipe it up so that you can skip that keeper if you're not that interested in talking to them.

The good side also is you can report or ban a user so that they won't be able to contact and bother you anymore. That is why Anika got addicted to that app. That's also where she met her first boyfriend.

"I know, okay! I approved Jace before. Like duh, who would'nt? He was a whipped for our Shielo..." Anika patted my shoulder also.

"...before. I just don't know what happened to him."

"Well, things changed. And so is his feelings, i guess..." Jen said avoiding my gaze.

"Yeah..."i agreed. Nodding weakly.

"But Shie, are you certain she's really his girlfriend?"

"Anika..." Jen called stopping her.

"Why? I was just asking. What if we're all wrong? What if she's just another friend? Or a girlfriend of one of his friend? Hello?" She looked at Jen and then me.

"The stars remember? He has all the signs. He should be with our friend here! Tala can't be wrong!"

"Stop with that star-thingy and Tala whoever that is Niks." Jen argued.

Before they got into a debate, I decided to speak to stop them.

"She was with him during their family dinner."

"But what if she is Luke's girlfriend instead— oh but that's not possible." Anika said then sighed.

"Yeah i guess not." I answered again.

"Lucas is single. Though he said to me that he's not looking for anyone. I think that guy is gay."

Jennifer and I looked at her. This girl!

"Seriously, Anika?" Jen asked disapprovingly.

"Got any better deductions to say? And why does it look like you're still updated with Lucas? You already have Aivan. You're over him right?" Jen asked again.

"Of course! I'm not like Shielo here..."she said pointing at me using her fork.

"...who cannot get over with the Hale's Effect." She said churlishly.

Hale's Effect? Is there such a thing?

I sighed. I guess there is.

"Luke's with them. I saw him yesterday too. I bumped into him while trying to avoid Jace and the girl." I said remembering yesterday.

"Really?" Anika asked excitedly.

"You really should've told me yesterday. What a shame! That's my chance to see Lucas personally! Shielo!" She said gritting her teeth while shaking me.

"Why do you sound so excited? I really think you still like him." Jennifer argued.

"Fine whatever..." she paused for a while.

"I still like him. But you know...Aivan is here and Lucas...he lives in the state. That's overseas!" She said exaggerated.

"And Aivan's a good guy too. While Lucas...well, he's a snob. He's the only guy that I like who have the guts to ignore me so..." she said shrugging her shoulder. Talking as if it wasn't a big deal.

I realized then...should I really confirm it? But how? Should I directly ask Jace? He still hasn't replied to me yet.

Or I can ask Lucas instead. I hope he answers. It's been a while since we last talk. I hope he won't leave me on seen like his cousin.

I hope so.