A Song For You

𝑻𝑾𝑶.

Rory's chest tightens with the urgency as she speeds toward her former secondary school, perched atop a formidable hill in the heart of the city. The knowledge that time is slipping through her fingers like grains of sand drives her to push the accelerator harder, weaving through the labyrinth streets with determined focus.

In the midst of her frantic drive, the shrill ring of her phone shatters the silence inside the car. Her hand, still firmly gripping the steering wheel, fumbles for the phone.

"Hello?" Rory answers, her voice laces with eagerness.

"Rory? Where are you? I thought you were home, so I stopped by," Vivi's voice crackles through the receiver, tinged with concern.

Vivi—Vivienne Kumang—had been a close friend of both Rory and Collin since their secondary school years.

"I'm on my way to school," Rory replies, her gaze fixed on the winding road leading to their alma mater.

"Huh?" Vivi's voice wavers with disbelief. "What on earth are you doing there in the middle of the night?"

Rory slams on the brakes, her eyes drawn to the looming silhouette of SMK Tanjong Lobang, standing sentinel-like in the darkness. The very sight evokes a surge of memories, bittersweet and haunting.

"Uhm... Collin wanted me to retrieve something," Rory explains, her voice trailing off as her gaze wanders to the vast starry expanse above.

"C-Collin...?" Vivi's voice falters.

Rory replies with a soft 'Mhm'.

A heavy silence settled between them, pregnant with unspoken understanding, until Vivi broke it with an awkward cough, attempting to regain her composure.

"Do you want me to join you?" she offers; her voice brimming with genuine concern.

Gazing up at the darkened heavens, Rory feels a sudden chill in the air, a harbinger of imminent rainfall.

"I'll wait for you at the main gate," she replies, her resolve solidifying with each passing second.

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With an umbrella in hand, Vivi emerges from her car, offering a reassuring smile as Rory greets her with a mixture of relief and anticipation.

"Hey," Vivi said, her voice laced with comfort.

"Hey," Rory replies, feeling a surge of reassurance wash over her.

"Shall we proceed?" Vivi asks, her grin slightly askew, mirroring the palpable excitement coursing through her veins.

Rory nods, and together, they make their way to the opposite end of the compound, clambering over the walls to bypass the security guardhouse.

This hidden path had been their secret passage in their high school days, an open secret shared among the students. Rory couldn't help but wonder if the current students were even aware of this covert route. As they moved, Rory couldn't help but notice the towering weeds, a testament to the years of neglect the pathway had endured.

"Whoa, it's been ages since I've been here," Vivi remarks as they traverse the corridors, her phone flashlight darting around, illuminating their surroundings.

"Yup, me too," Rory agrees, sweeping her own phone light across the area.

It had been a whole decade since she last set foot in the school, and the changes are stark.

"Hey, we didn't have that back then!" Vivi whispers, pointing her light towards a machine tucked in the corner of the administration building's foyer. The machine, a bright vending machine, stood out in the dimness. Naturally drawn to it, Rory and Vivi insert money and punch the buttons, the machine responding with a mechanical whir.