Chapter 8 (2/2)
She asked her co-workers if they have any batteries for her wrist.w.a.tch….They shushed her!
“She loved me at my worst, you had me at my best… but you just threw all of it away. “
But what about her wrist.w.a.tch! She wouldn't be able to tell the time without her wrist.w.a.tch!
“That's what you really think? I just made a choice.”
Oh, f.u.c.k it.
“And you chose to break my heart.”
Jhing was about to stand up, she can't handle her wrist.w.a.tch not ticking…. But at that moment, Facio said something that made her movements freeze.
“Are you crying?”
Almost all the people inside the meeting room looked in a certain direction.
From the darkness of the room, Miko’s eyes twinkled like stars.
“No bro, it's just dust,” Miko said.
“Dust? But we—”
“Just leave me alone, dammit.”
The members who also had tears in their eyes laughed at Miko. Even he himself laughed, but Jhing didn’t even smile. She just stared at Miko, her heart drummed inside her chest like it was calling her for something.
And the freezing heart inside was hurting.
Jhing felt her skin burned when Miko looked at her.
From the darkness, she was wis.h.i.+ng he couldn’t see the twinkling of her eyes too.
Jhing came home with a headache and ended up sick the next morning. It was a good thing because she didn't want to attend the Halloween Party. Jhing can now use her sickness as an ‘excuse’.
WHAT? YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE, RIGHT! Was July's text when she said she was too sick to leave her apartment. YOU'RE JUST HIDING YOURSELF FROM THE EMBARa.s.sMENT AH! Another text.
Sorry, promise, I'll attend next party.
Tsk tsk tsk. Fine. Get well soon.
Opo.
Jhing only watched some series the whole day. When the night came, her Mom texted her: by, when r u coming home?
She replied I'm not sure yet. Did you need something, Nay?
ah nothing. just asking if my oldest daughter is ok. visit us when ur not busy and take care of urself.
Opo, Nay. I'll come home soon. I just need more money.
ok sleep now and dont be too late and get sick
Opo. Good night.
Too late, Jhing got too sick. Her head throbbed as if it would crack while her whole body was burning like h.e.l.l. It's hurting so bad that she couldn't concentrate on the film anymore. In the end, Jhing ended up lying in her bed.
The whole world was f.u.c.king spinning.
She was too sick to think. Too sick to enjoy not joining the Halloween Party. Too sick to buy her medicine. And just like the other days she got too f.u.c.king sick, Jhing cried herself to sleep, wis.h.i.+ng she was being taken care of by someone who cared.
Another day of sickness pa.s.sed, Jhing was bored in the apartment. She even cleaned every corner of her room but ended up bored to sickness until death.
All soul's and saint’s day has pa.s.sed where Jhing's sickness turned into a rollercoaster because she was restless in bed and kept doing anything and everything.
Even though she still has a slight fever, Jhing went back to work.
“Jhing, you’re back!”
Jhing tried to smile at July’s greeting, but she only looked like a walking corpse. She was going to reply to July when Miss Vams called her to join the meeting for the Novella project. Jhing was thankful that even though she was in the same room with Miko, he was sitting far away from her seat.
“I was hoping we can finish this project by December,” Miss Vams started. “Jhing, how's your novella?”
Jhing wanted to walk away. “But the ending—”
“It's fine,” Miss Stels said. “Just leave it be. You’re still the writer, after all. You're the one who makes the final decision. But it's almost deadline, Miko really needs to read the story so he will know what to express on the ill.u.s.trations.”
Jhing wanted to talk but she was so dizzy and felt like her head is splitting. If not the fever, it's probably because of stress- f.u.c.k everything. She closed her eyes and start ma.s.saging her temples.
“Uh…” Miko raised his hand while Jhing stared at Miss Vams neck, not that it was interesting or something. “May I talk?”
“Yes. Go.”
“I don't want to read it anymore,” said Miko which made Jhing glanced at the guy whose eyegla.s.ses made him look professional. “It's a ha.s.sle to read countless of words,” he continued while laughing. “That's why I'm an ill.u.s.trator ah. I prefer pictures.”
That ended the meeting pretty quick.
Jhing went to the washroom and contemplated whether to thank Miko or what, but the idea that he will ill.u.s.trate the novel despite not reading it sucks.
She didn’t thank him.
When she came back to her cubicle, Jhing noticed her new screensaver on her computer. The background was just simply back with a message on the center.
TYLENOL?
Jhing's heart thumped when she saw the mug of water and the medicine on her table.
She heaved a sigh.
She decided to ignore the medicine. The end of her s.h.i.+ft came so she turned off her computer. While doing so, Jhing almost jumped in shock when something familiar dropped on her table.
A remote-controlled helicopter.
Her eyes automatically looked at Miko’s cubicle….. He wasn't there. Even the co-editors already went home while Miss Stels just came back from who-knows-where.
Jhing sets her eyes on the small paper strung on the helicopter’s tail.
Her heart skipped a bit when she read:
You look really sick. Drink your medicine, okay?
Get well soon.
Here, have some flowers.
✿ ✿ ✿
That's three.
It means 'I care for you.'
She wanted to laugh or even smile but she couldn't do so because Jhing also felt a knife cutting her deep inside which she tried to ignore. Medicine in her bag, she bid goodbye to the busy Miss Stels before returning the helicopter on top of the shelf.
While waiting for the elevator, Jhing heard a voice. She turned around and almost had a heart attack when she saw Miko talking to the security guard.
Good thing the elevator door opened where Jhing hurriedly entered with two other co-workers.
She felt relieved until….
A thump was heard on the floor.
It was followed by the thumping of Jhing's heart as if it will explode. Even the two co-workers were shocked about what suddenly appeared before the elevator door closed….
A remote-controlled helicopter flew inside and dropped right in front of Jhing.
With cold and trembling hands, Jhing picked up the toy.
There was a new message strung on the helicopter which made Jhing bit her lower lip.
Oh, s.h.i.+t.
That was four words!!
The message was not the only thing that made Jhing's heart burn because on the back of the paper………. A colored origami rose greeted her.
The last flower got caught up in traffic jam…
Jhing was hurting. Laughing. Crying.
f.u.c.k. She didn’t know anymore.
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