Kissing the fire

Kabanata 30

Race

"Era!" Kaway ni corynn nang makita niya akong papasok ng VCU.

Her brown hijab made her skin look whiter. She squinted her eyes as she went closer to me.

"Why didn't you come to my house kagabi? I was expecting you pa naman and Byron to reconcile," she said and wrapped her arms around my waist as we walked together.

"Dad got in the way," I said and shrugged, "So...did byron said something?"

I looked at her and she just bit her lips and shrugged.

"Nope, he was all chika about his flings and hmmm, sexcapades..." She made a disgusting face when she mentioned the last word, "If you were there, you two could've been a substitute to my speaker,"

He's really upset.

The last time byron and I went on a fight was 4 years ago, and that was highschool!

We weren't on speaking terms for an hour and It felt awful.

But now, it's been a day and he hasn't been talking to me.

"Bitch!!!" Corynn yelled when she saw byron at his chair, fidgeting with his phone.

Byron was all smiles when she looked at corynn and he didn't even glanced at me.

The audacity?!?

I sighed and remembered that it was my fault after all.

But does he have to act like an immature kid?

I twitched when corynn elbowed my side.

I eyed her and she did it back before sitting beside byron.

I rolled my eyes before going unto my chair.

I know corynn is furious right now. She must've thought that I would make peace with byron.

Soon but not now.

The class was about to start but my phone kept ringing.

I turned it off since I saw dad was the one calling me.

I've got enough of scoldings for the past few days and I'm not gonna take it through a phone call.

For sure, it's nothing important.

"Good morning, professor. I am sorry to interrupt but may I excuse Ms.Aldana?" A staff from the faculty peaked inside our room.

"Yes?" I stood up.

"You got a call from your father at the office. It's urgent,"

When I heard the news, I went straight to Janiuay to find my brother.

I don't know how he'll handle it knowing he loved tito Louie so much.

I should have answered dad's call if I knew it'll affect my siblings.

"Where's kuya?" I asked dad when I got home.

"He's missing, sierra liane! That's why I'm calling you earlier but you weren't answering!" Dad shouted.

I looked at mom for help but she just sobbed and walked closer to me.

"Find Reno, p-please. You're the only one he can talk to right now," mugtong-mugto ang mga mata niya habang humihinga ng malalim.

"I'm sorry, mom..." She nodded, caressed my shoulders and went upstairs.

I quickly went outside to find our car.

"Sierra, saan ka pupunta?!"

"To find kuya!" Sinamahan ako nina kuya Junnie at Kuya Zong papunta sa lugar kung saan alam kong naroon si kuya.

It's his safe haven and I'm sure he knows I'm going there right now.

I furrowed my eyebrows when I smelled the combination of the burn out lane and the smoking tires.

I'm never going into a drag race again since that day. It reminds me of how men can be so filthy at times. 

I shook my head when I remembered it again.

I need to find my brother.

I looked around and there he was sitting in a bench with his head down and both elbows on his knees.

I signaled my guards not to follow me and they understood.

I walked slowly to kuya's direction and sat quietly beside him. I didn't talk. I just sat here quietly to make him aware that I'm just here and he's not alone, weeping...

I love Tito Louie...

Everyone loves tito Louie. Even, I, don't understand why did it happen to him.

The sound of the cars drifting around the racing circuit made my brother look up.

"It's fascinating to control a car and manifest where you would want to go to,"

I glanced at my brother and saw his eyes fixed on a 2003 corvette.

If there's one thing I know he's passionate about, it's definitely driving race cars.

"You're bound to be a race car driver...why didn't you just go for it? Instead of doing a job you don't even like?" He turned to me and ruffled my hair.

"Who says I don't like my job? I like building devices, designing computer networks and developing new technologies," I didn't believe what he said. It's like he's just saying that to convince himself, "and it's more practical like this. If I really pursued racing, dad wouldn't be happy about this,"

So, he's thinking about dad's happiness rather than his.

"Kuya... life is short. What if you regret this at the end? I believe in you," I said and patted my brother's back, "I think you'll be happier in this career,"

He deeply sighed and glanced at the drifting cars.

We've been awhile here sitting in the bench but the race car drivers really can't stop drifting around the racetrack, making it look blacker than black.

"Sierra...you saw the 2003 Corvette earlier right?" I nodded.

But I didn't see it now.

"All that's left is that 1970 Chevelle. The 2003 corvette stopped because the driver knows continued drifting means overheating the car and the driver of the 1970 chevelle won't stop until it's burned out..."

Smokes were coming out at the 1970 Chevelle and If I were the driver, I would stop right now because I can't see anything through the thick smoke coming out from it.

"And I'm one of those two. You know sometimes, we have to stop because it can be draining sometimes. If you still continue despite of hurting, you'll lose yourself,"

Maybe Zone stopped because he was tired already. I know I am tiring and I didn't prepare myself of what's ahead after us.