She Still Does (AD) [Paper Planes book II]

That Name

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"Alyssa Valdez, lead guitarist."

That name made her stop. There she saw Alyssa, she knew she couldn't be wrong. She knew it was her, how could she forget the face of someone who was the good thing that happened on a bad thing that happened to her a year ago? The good thing her mom was referring too. Then in a moment, that memory flashed to her mind. The memory she had the day her mom died, that moment in the chapel, how she was crying her heart out, how she questioned everything and even Him. How she made her forget about it for a moment but made her remember it again the moment she left. She forgot about her for like a year because she was mourning for her mother but when she remembered her, she searched for her on the social media but failed to find her because she only knew her name and nothing else. How she badly wanted to know her more but couldn't do anything to find her. That name. Alyssa.

That girl who handed her her handkerchief even though she was still using it, the girl who made her throw that paper plane along with the pain she was feeling, and that girl who became a part of her memories she wanted to treasure. There she was, just across Dennise, holding her guitar while introducing herself like she knew Dennise was there. Dennise was just staring at her with mixed emotions. Dennise didn't notice that she already had her smile painted on her face which later faded when she realized something.

Why isn't she smiling?

-

"Oh Den! What brought you here?" Synjin asked her bestfriend who just arrived at his resto bar. He noticed that her face was rather light.

"Huh? To chill? Where's Ells?" Dennise answered and asked. She approached Synjin who was sitting in a stool. She even looked around.

"Really? Pumunta ka rito para hanapin si Ells? Kayo ang schoolmates ah?" Synjin asked. He felt there was something unusual about Dennise which he was just about to know later. Maybe.

"I said I came here to chill." Dennise cleared. Synjin stood up with his drink on his hand. He took a sip before answering his best friend.

"Don't use that I'm-here-to-chill card on me, you don't come here unless we "force" you to do so. So what really brought you here?" Synjin asked again. But then Dennise heaved a sigh and gave him the look she gave her best friends whenever she didn't want to answer their question. "Magka-away kayo ni Ells?" still Dennise didn't answer. "Ni LA?"

"No!" Dennise finally answered. "Fine, I'm here to see the band who played last Saturday." She admitted.

"Ooh." Synjin said. "What's with that band? I thought 'di mo rin gusto?"

"Ells told me to watch it, but late nga 'ko last time 'di ba? So I came back." Dennise explained. Still not telling the truth. She was starting to get annoyed with the look Synjin was giving her the moment she set foot inside this resto bar today.

"Nag-effort ka pa talagang bumalik, unusual. Crush mo 'yung vocalist 'no?" Synjin teased her. Her brow creased.

"What the, magtigil ka nga. Fine aalis na 'ko!" She said then turned her back on Synjin.

"Tsaka wala sila ngayon, every Saturday lang."

"Don't care 'di na 'ko manonood!" Dennise shouted.

"I'm just kidding hoy!" Synjin called her while laughing but she already left.

Dennise just headed home and went straight to her room. She went to her study table and opened the lowest drawer where she had been keeping it.

She picked it up to look at it. It was the paper plane Alyssa made her throw in the chapel. She was treasuring it because it was the only thing that Alyssa had left her. She looked at it whenever she had troubles that bothered her like it was a hobby. Weird but she got used to doing it. It never failed to make her smile and forget her problems for a moment. Like now, she was smiling.