Behind This Name (UNEDITED)

43

CHAPTER 43 — NEVER UNDERESTIMATE

"WHEN did you arrive?"

I took a sip on the coffee that Gio prepared. We're here at his apartment, spending the rest of the afternoon. Matapos naming magkita roon sa may mga food stalls, kaagad akong nagpaalam sa mga kasamahan ko na umuna na sila. I think they understand my situation so they just let me.

"Yesterday," he answered. The corners of his eyes wrinkled because of his smile.

Gosh, I miss this smile.

"Kahapon ka pa nandito? And you didn't dare to tell me?" I kinda feel betrayed.

"Oh, if you just know." He sighed, before sitting on the chair across mine. "I went to your house yesterday. Pero sabi no'ng kapatid mo, wala ka raw. Every weekend ka lang daw pumupunta roon. I was disappointed, to be honest." He frowned.

"You should have texted me." I shrugged my shoulders, then took another sip of my drink.

"Why would I text you? E 'di hindi na surprise? Ang balak ko nga pupunta ako roon sa bahay niyo sa Sabado kasi tuwing weekend ka raw pumupunta roon e." Uminom siya sa sariling kape niya, hindi tinatanggal ang tingin sa akin. "Anyway, I want to know what happened to you here. Feeling ko ang daming nangyari sa loob ng ilang buwan na 'yon. Come on, my ears are listening." He leaned over the table and teasingly moved his brows up and down.

"Well," I looked up, thinking about the things that happened to me after he left. "You know I just realized today that a lot of things happened. I've found a sanctuary, built for people like us."

Kumunot ang noo niya. "Sanctuary?"

"Mmm!" I nodded. "Home for Gifted People 'yong tawag. It's literally just like a house where gifted people live. They take care of them, feed them, provide their basic necessities, and basically let them have fun. That's the reason why I'm currently not in our house back in Enderun Compound. Because I'm living in that sanctuary. But yeah, like what my sister told you, pumupunta ako roon sa bahay tuwing weekend. Minsan pag-trip kong mag-stay roon kasama sina Ate, I would stay there."

I continued telling him about my experience in my first stay in the sanctuary, and how I met the people there. I told him about Vienne, about Lexi who I barely interacted with and the fact that she's the one I picked in our exchange gift, about Cara who had been chased by a wolf and turned out the wolf is actually just a shapeshifter. Of course, I didn't forget telling him about my interactions with Kai and that included the ape and the blood, which made him laugh so bad. I expected that reaction, though. I also told him about Hana, the metahuman I secretly don't want to be in the same room with. And Arche, the guy that made me enter the sanctuary.

I told him a lot of things. Every rant and gossip, I did tell him. Excluding the website and Mr. Gallentes who turned out to be a spy on us. Of course, I wouldn't tell that to him.

Just how much I want to rant about those things, I can't. It's a secret after all.

"You obviously have fun while I'm not here," he teased. He earned a laugh from me.

That day ended and one thing is I'm sure at. . . I slept with a smile on my face.

****

FEW days have passed until this day came.

Today is the Christmas Party of the sanctuary. It will be held in a camping site here in El Salazar. By just knowing that it will be held in a camping site excites me. It'll be a great party, for sure.

It's two hours away from the sanctuary. They've rented vans for this trip. And instead of calling it 'party', I want to call it a 'trip'.

Because it literally feels like we're going in a trip. The campsite is in the middle of the forest. They called this place Valle Creek Camping Site. There's this gate that we went through first that lead us in a road, a private-looking road. Instead of seeing houses, we saw cottages and cabins.