The Rush

Chapter 9- Introducing Me

A/N: Got the title of this chap from one of my fave songs, Introducing me by Nick Jonas! I just love that song.
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After I had dinner, I went straight to the living room with Aki's help. They were all there and watching a movie. Good thing this bunker has a box full of DVDs so we can watch and lessen our boredom somehow.

"Ate, sit here!" Umusog si Aris para paupuin ako sa kaninang inuupuan niya katabi ni Dylan. Dylan and I looked at each other for a while before I smiled and sat down between him and Aris.

The living room has two long couches and two single sofas without armrests that are attached. The long couch in the middle is where Dylan, me, Aris, and Anne are sitting. On the left are the two single sofas where Dad was sitting while carrying the baby we rescued, and Aki. On the right long sofa were Kate, Christine, and Trisha. While the two children were sitting on the floor in front of the TV.

"Guys, how about we introduce ourselves to each other? I mean, we know each other's names, where we're from, how old we are, but not our stories." Trisha said, breaking the invisible awkwardness surrounding me and Dylan.

We all agreed with her except Dylan. But I was the only one who noticed that. I turned to look at him and smiled. He noticed me looking at him so he turned to me and raised an eyebrow.

Our faces were only a few inches away from each other but we just didn't seem to care. It was as if I felt even more comfortable because he was close to me. I don't know, maybe I'm going crazy. "Are you up for it?"

"What?"

"G ka ba kako sa gustong gawin ni Trisha?" I whispered.

We're whispering with each other. Nag-uusap-usap at nagbibiruan pa ang mga kasama namin kung kaya't hindi nila kami napapansin.

"I have no choice." He said lazily.

Napangiwi ako bago muling humarap sa mga kasamahan namin. "You always have a choice." Pahabol ko. Hindi na siya muling nagsalita pa kaya itinuon ko na ang atensyon ko sa iba.

"So, let me introduce myself first." Trisha started. They also paused the movie they were watching earlier. Even the two kids that I still don't know the names of, faced us. "I am Trisha Acosta, fifteen years old. Kapitbahay ako nila ate Aika sa city at dito rin sa province. Schoolmate ko naman si Anne sa school namin sa siyudad."

"Where's your family?" Tita Kate asked carefully.

Trisha's smile slightly faltered. "Mom and Dad both died that midnight. I was just lucky that kuya Dylan and his friend were there to save me from my parents who turned like those... creatures."

I immediately turned to Dylan because of what Trisha said. He averted his eyes from all of us.

He was with his friend at that time? But where is he now? Dylan and Trisha were the only ones who got out of the house that midnight.

Bumalik sa alaala ko ang madaling araw kung kailan namin sila nakita. I hadn't seen anyone else that night besides them and the... the man. The man who was chasing after them then... was that his friend? Suddenly, I felt like my heart dropped to my stomach.

It must be hard... witnessing your friend's death.

I immediately wiped the tear from my left eye before averting my eyes from him. Trisha's introduction resumed after more than a minute of us just staring at Dylan. Dylan, on the other hand, just stared blankly while ignoring the stares of our companions.

"So, I was a pre-school teacher." It was Christine who spoke this time. "Then... got banged by one of my student's older brother. That asshole..." She smiled bitterly.