Outrun The World

Chapter 14

Rica was quiet along the way. It's her own way of being a considerate friend, not opening her mouth, because once she does, he knew that she would only laugh at him. Not that it would offend him in any way possible. This girl has been a classmate and a friend and he also understands her more than anyone else. Rica was incapable of showing her emotional side and prefers to turn heavy situations into a joke than to deal with her own complicated emotions.

But she deeply cared about people, and maybe even the whole planet. She also panicked when he arrived at her front door, asking for help. Although she was also quick to take the role of the rational one between the two of them.

She yawned for the thirtieth time.

"Gotta catch some sleep first," she said when her house was on sight. "You too. I doubt Mo Guan Shan would leave you all alone for a whole day. He'll be back before you know it."

"I hope so. What if Auntie Dang won't let him back home today?"

"Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw laging maraming dahilan," Rica said with a knowing smile. She even wriggled her brows at him. "I wrote that."

He Tian snickered. He understood the saying and of course, Rica didn't come up with that one. It's rather old and overused, but still relevant.

If there's a will, there's away, simply put.

He Tian went straight to the bathroom for a hot shower. He's shivering with the cold and his eyes are starting to burn because of the lack of sleep. Even his hands were shaking uncontrollably. It happens whenever he sculpts for too long and then washes his hands afterwards without letting them rest for a bit. After a quick scrub, he went out naked and collapsed on his unmade bed, inhaling the faint scent of Mo Guan Shan as he burrowed under the sheets until he fell asleep in a fetal position.

The day his mother died, it was on a stormy night like this too. Although she didn't leave by herself, she drove the car to the city to buy another toy because she got her gift wrong and he refused to stop crying until he got the right one that he wanted. He was such a spoiled brat and everybody wanted to please him, so he hasn't learned to wait.

He could still remember shouting, "I will die if I don't get that set! Mom, don't cry if I die okay? It's gonna be your fault!" And then he sprawled on the carpet, dragged himself across the wide living room and rolled all over like a fucking roomba.

His mother only chuckled, hugged him and called him an overly dramatic little prince. And then they left to buy the right one. Why was she the one driving again? Ah, it was on Christmas vacation and their maids and drivers were on a break. His dad and his brother were in China and the two of them were left in their family house with his grandfather.

On the way back, it had gotten so dark and the rain was too strong they could barely see what's ahead. But He Tian was beaming because aside from his toys, he also received different gifts from the mall they visited. The manager even greeted him and gave him sweets.

It was the best day ever, until their car died in the middle of a highway. And so his mother went out to flag any passing car, just to get help or maybe hitch a ride to a nearest hotel. He Tian pouted as he waited inside the car. He's so excited to get home and open his presents!

He watched his mom, walking back and forth underneath the annoying rain, trying to get help until a raging truck hit the back side of their car. He Tian's little body slammed on the window but he was wearing his seatbelt. The truck hit the open driver's seat door and it flew away like a piece of flattened can and then the airbags exploded, but he still saw how the truck swept along his shocked mother. He can still remember her face, looking in his direction to see if he was hurt, trying to run up to the car until she disappeared just like a menagerie.