Sinclaire Academy: Untold Stories

Little World

Cain Woodsen

The only thing I can hear other than my own breathing is the wind rustling the leaves of the bushes in front of Gavin's house. I don't know how long I've been standing here. 3 minutes probably? Maybe longer?

Gavin knows I'm here. Hinihintay niya lang na kumatok ako. Siguro ayaw din niya akong pag buksan para pagtripan ako. I can't blame him though. I've been making fun of him every chance I got simula nung pumunta ako dito. Nagsama pa kami ni Erised. He should be thankful that I got Erised off his hands for a short time.

Now she is his again.

Eversince that night hindi ko na nakita ulit si Erised. Ni text or call wala akong natanggap sa kanya. I know why she's avoiding me and I'm really stupid for letting her do that. It's just that... after this we have no connection anymore. I'm going back to my old life.

The little world we made together will remain here.

Naaalala ko noon sinabi niya sa akin kung bakit pinili niya mag stay dito instead of Hangrove. She said she had no place there. She never called it her home kahit na doon siya lumaki.

Hangrove has always been my home. No matter where I go, no matter how long I've been gone, my feet will always lead me back there.

Now it's time to go back, but I can't leave without saying goodbye to the girl who made the past months bareable for me. I owe her at least that.

I sighed, lifting my hand to finally knock. Pero bago pa lumapat ang kamay ko sa pinto bumukas na ito.

Ang naka simagot na mukha ni Gavin ang sumalubong sa akin. In spite of what I'm feeling right now, I smirked. It's a natural reaction when it comes to facing Gav.

"Wipe that stupid smirk off your face, Woodsen. Eris is not here." Ang sama ng tingin niya sa akin.

The stupid smirk was indeed wiped off. He's lying to me. I can feel her inside. She has her walls down kaya ramdam na ramdam ko siya. She knows I'm stopping by kaya inutusan niyang magsinungaling si Gavin para sa kanya because she can't face me herself.

Tumaas ang kilay ko. Alam ni Gav na hindi ako naniniwala sa kanya kaya napa buntong hininga siya. "Wala nga siya dito."

I'm giving him A+ for effort. His face contradicts his words. As if it pained him to lie to me.

Erised probably put him up to this, and he agreed because he'd do anything for her. It pained him to know that she is in her bed right now fighting back tears because the thought not seeing me again finally sunk in. He was hurting for her, too. That's how I easily read him.

"Tell her my flight is at 9 and I'll be at the airport at 7," my throat bobbed as I forced the words out. Erised is listening, she's now out of her room and intently listening. "If she wants to see me one last time, she knows where to find me there. Tell her I'll be waiting."

Gavid nods. Hindi na naman niya kailangan sabihin pa ang lahat kay Eris.

Alam ni Erised kung saan ako hahanapin doon. If she doesn't then...

I shook my head. I felt Erised head back to her room and burrow her face on her pillows again, the tears she was fighting back freely flowing out now.

This is not the first time I heard her cry. Dati nakikinig lang ako sa kanya. Ako yung taga punas ng luha. Ako yung naniniguro na makakatalulog siya ng maayos pagkatapos. Ngayon ako na yung dahilan.

I wanted to run to her room and tell her... no. I want to beg her not to cry for me. I want to tell her how sorry I am for not running after her that day. I know, she knows, what's between us. We just failed to acknowledge it until now - ngayong maghihiwalay na kami.

Our little world will end here and now.

She knows I can't stay and I know she can't follow me. We were broken and lost souls that found each other at the right place at the wrong time. We tried to heal each other but realized that we can only heal in our own way, in our own pace. I can't heal when other people are hurting for me.

She can't heal unless she accepts the reality she lives in right. A reality without Erine.

Now her reality alters again.

Wala na akong sinabi kay Gavin. Umalis na agad ako. The last thing I heard was the soft shut of the door and Gav's footsteps heading upstairs, to console his best friend.

As I step farther and farther away... I couldn't help but think...

That should've been me.

The one who should wipe away her tears is me.