Sinclaire Academy: Untold Stories

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"So you're leaving?"

I heard Erised's voice by the doorway, she's now leaning on the frame with her arms crossed over her chest. She must've said that nang makita niya ang makalat kong gamit at naka bukas na suitecase.

I expected her to follow me in my room without questions asked because she's been technically following me for months. Her stalker-ish personality kinda grew on me now.

Pinasadahan ko ng tingin ang makalat kong kwarto. It will take me at least two days max to sort my stuff. Napa buntong hininga nalang ako bago siya sagutin. "Yeah, I am."

She exhaled rather loudly kaya napa tingin ako sa kanya pero naka iwas na siya agad ng tingin sa akin.

It's like she's looking everywhere but me.

"Well goodluck with that then."

I raised my eyebrow. "I wasn't expecting that kind of reaction."

Her answer was too calm that it brought an unsettling feeling to me.

Usually, I would answer something witty to lighten the mood but through the course of my stay here, I told myself to say whatever is on top of my head. Kahit na hindi pa makakatulong sa sitwasyon. I guess... it was my way to show empathy.

And it kind of felt good to lie to myself less.

I found freedom in expressing myself this way.

Erised finally looks at me with hard eyes. "What were you expecting, Woodsen?"

I pursed my lip and did the "I'm thinking" pose before I let out a relieved sigh and said "Finally!" with the best Eris voice na kaya kong gawin. But it sounded like a choking monkey.

Mukhang nainis lang si Eris sa impersonation ko. "I do not sound like that!"

"Or maybe like this," I cleared my throat para i-impersonate ulit siya. "Aalis ka na talaga? Buti naman kasi I'm so tired of your crap, Woodsen!"

Umiwas ulit si Erised ng tingin. I can feel her tense and she's growing more guarded as seconds pass.

I did not even need my ability to read her. It was easy to read her with my pure eyesight alone.

"Are you tired?" I asked.

The question got her attention.

"Are you tired of my crap, Blackwell?"

She lowers her hands to her side. That signifies her letting her guard down as well.

We haven't been together long but most of the time, at nights and even on some bad days, we let each other see how vulnerable we are. Erised is trying hard not to show too much emotion right now because she doesn't want to look weak.

She frowns before answering, "I'm not."

The whole time I'm here siya ang kasama ko. It's like we're stuck in our own little world. Sa una palang alam kong hindi naman ako magtatagal dito. Eventually, I need to go back to Hangrove and face everything I left behind. Though I did not imagine it to be this soon.

Erised slowly hugs herself. "I realized that you're not that hard to deal with, Woodsen. My days are better when you're here."

I've been facing realities. I've been reflecting on my past choices and the new ones I'm about to make. I came here for myself. I intend to leave with a healed heart but I only opened old wounds and created new ones.

I realized that I won't heal this way. I've drowned myself even further. Parang pinahirapan ko lang din ang sarili ko, but hey at least I realized some stuff diba?

And I finally decided to let go... let go of her bit by bit.

The bring myself back piece by piece.

I did not intend to involve anyone with my plans but the world somehow conspired against me and brought me Eris.

Looking back at out time together, I'm glad I had her. Some of my nights would've turned out worse kung wala siya.

A slow smirk took over my lips. "Ditto, Blackwell."

Eris mustered a smile that was a little off. The mood is lighter now but I still feel na she's closing herself from me. "I need to go na."

"Aren't we suppose to go shopping?" Iyon talaga ang agenda namin ngayon kaya breakfast palang andito na siya.

I never mentioned na aalis na ako because I think it was completely unncessary. She just put two on two together nang makita niyang naka labas na ang mga gamit ko.

Pumasok ako dito to get my phone at siya itong sumunod sa akin. She did not expect to see this kaya siya ganito ngayon.

"I'll ask Gavin nalang. It's been a while since I bothered him, or maybe I'll do it alone." Erised grins. "Mukhang may gagawin ka pa so I'll leave you to it."

Ni hindi na niya ako hinintay pang sumagot. Narinig ko ang mabilis niyang yapak na palayo nang palayo until I heard the front door slam shut.

Erised wasn't a great liar. Alam niyang alam ko iyon. Umalis siya agad because she did not make a believable excuse. I mean, she lives with Gavin and one of her purpose in life is to bother him every single day sa kahit gaano kaliit na paraan.

And she forgets that I know when something is bothering her. She's rather do stuff alone.

She's expecting me to follow her even though she left in a hurry.

I'm not going to.

Humiga ako sa kama and dialled Carly's number. Despite of our time difference, she always answers on the first ring.

"Hi! I miss you!" Ang palaging bungad niya sa akin simula nang umalis ako.

She's simply doing it to guilt trip me for leaving.

"Why did you call?" Ano kaya ang ginagawa nito ngayon at ang saya saya ng boses?

Now I feel like an ass for making a call that's going to dampen her mood.

Napa pikit ako, my grip on my slowly loosening.

"Why do you need me home?" I asked in an almost audible voice.

She called my two nights ago, practically begging me to come home. Hindi naman iyon ang unang beses na ginawa niya iyon. I usually just crack some jokes to lighten the mood but never promise when I'll come back.

That night I felt what she felt. She let me feel the rawness of her sadness. Her agony from what I put her through. She was mad at me for not letting her in, for insisting that I deal with this myself. She felt my low moments on some nights. She had an idea of what I was going through but I never fully let her in. Hindi niya naman kasi kailangan iyon.

That call made me book a ticket to Hangrove immediately but seeing Erised leave... my strength faltered. My doubts came back.

Am I making the right decision?

Carly immediately sensed the shift in our mood kaya bumaba din ako boses. "Because I miss you, isn't that enough?"

"Why Carls?"

"I miss you, you big idiot!" She screamed so loud I had to open my eyes. "Adri misses you! Rianne's constantly asking about you! Senri doesn't show it but I know he does too..."

"You have Mason -"

"Yes I have him but he's not you." I felt a surge of emotion in me. Not because I made my twin cry out of anger and sadness, or she showed me that I was the worst brother in the whole world... my chest tightened at the thought that I was so focused on myself that I failed to realize other people are hurting because of me.

"We all miss you, Cain. Please come home. SA isn't the same without you."

Life isn't the same without you, Carls.

"Please come home na."

A lone tear escaped my eye as I smiled. After months of dodging her questions I finally gave her an answer. "I'll be home soon."