|Chapter 18: Friends|
~×~×~×~
|KADENA CHAIN|
Before I can even start the engine of my car, I saw Zaraze looking like he was in a hurry.
The next thing I knew, he was already knocking on the window of my car next to me. It was not a gentle knock but of hurry as if he was being chased by someone.
I roll down the window as I look at him, confused.
"Hey!" I greet him, not minding that I was once again, embarrassed myself in front of him.
That of, he doesn't have any idea about it. But for sure, he's already starting to ask what's wrong with me.
"Hi. Sorry to delay you but can we have a ride? It's an emergency,"
My brows furrow with what he says. That's when my gaze goes right behind him. Shariza is already out with a conflict expression on her face as she stands with that Mat guy beside her. His face also contorts with concern.
I wonder what happened.
"Where to? You can hop in already," I tell him while I start the engine of my car.
No one knows that I can drive at a speed exceeding the normal speed a driver should mind aside from my friend, Bish. I watch as Raze calls the two over the side of the restaurant. They talk a bit about something, probably telling them what I said.
My brows are still as high as the Eiffel tower because as far as I can remember they have cars when they got here earlier.
Raze then goes inside the passenger's seat as my eyes go to his friends who remain in their place.
"They won't come?" I ask and watch him fix his seatbelt.
"They still have something to do and said they'll try to keep up in the hospital," he breaths out and sighs heavily as if he's running out of breath.
Maybe he's really in a panic that he can't help but feel suffocating.
I shrug my shoulders as I simply say 'okay'. Without a word, I honk twice to let his friends know that we'll go already.
Speeding up, I maneuver my car. As I always say, I love driving. Nightdrive, road trip, or anything. It's kind of one of the comfort habits that I have. To also clear my mind whenever I feel trouble.
"Can I ask what happened?" I ask and glance at him a second before glancing back to the road.
I stop because it's already in a green light, letting people pass the road on both sides.
"Sath's in the hospital. She was ambushed," his voice is unrecognizable.
I don't know if he's scared, worried, or so because I can't comprehend or name it. The shock made me speed up the car after seeing that it was already at a red light. He doesn't seem to mind though. He seems to be in his deep thoughts, not minding if I'm already crossing at the right speed I should do.
After a while, I park my car outside the hospital which is one of the properties or businesses of the Antonovs. And to think that Sath got ambushed, it dawns on me that their lives are at stake, and dangerous. They are one of the exclusive and powerful families and I don't think it's not normal anymore that they got this kind of life.
Being an Antonov says it all. Well, they all are. The Cordovas, Jordans, Villadezas, and also the Locrans. The big five Clans in the Business World.
"Thank you, Kad!"
Before I can even say anything, he gets out of my car and runs towards the entrance of the hospital. I bit my lower lip as I watch him as I am torn about whether to follow Raze to the hospital or go home.
With a conflicted expression, I heave a sigh and call Bish.
"Hey! You're done?" She asks when she picks up my call.
I let out a sigh and look at the hospital in front of me. My left hand's resting on the steering wheel to find support.
"Yea. Is it okay if you're going to fetch Foren in her school and get them in the Condo?" I ask because I already decided to follow Raze inside the hospital.
"It's okay, bitch! Call me when you need to, okay? Don't worry about little Chazer, Kad. Take care!"
I close my eyes and put my phone in my pants pocket on my back. I park my car neatly in the lot as I get out of it.
"Hi! Sath Antonov, please?" I ask the nurse in the reception area or I don't know what they call it here.
"Patient's relation, Ms?" She asks as she goes over to the computer in front of her. Browsing about something I don't know.
"I'm her friend and I got here with Mr. Villadeza. I just parked my car outside," I smile at her when she looks at me.
Doubt expresses in her eyes but I remain an innocent yet sweet smile on my lips.
"Nurse?" I ask when she continues to look at me. After a while, she lets out a smile on her thin pair of lips.
"Room 403, Ms. 6th floor," I nod at her and simply says my 'thank you' before running towards the elevator just beside the stairs.
I didn't waste time and press the floor I was supposed to go to.
Carrying a paper bag, I stride my way to Sath's room. I pass by a cafeteria and I thought I can buy something before I'll visit her room.
When I turn left, a single room that has a 403 cardboard on top of the door greets my eyes. I know that it's a private room but seeing that it occupies the space of three patient rooms, I can't help but grimace at the thought of it.
They're super-rich. I can't seem to see myself mingle with them. Their wealth overwhelms me that I'm afraid, it'll cause me suffocation.
I didn't see anyone outside the room so I'm really hesitant about whether to knock on it and have my presence known or stay outside and wait for someone to go out.
My brows crease with a conflicted expression. I don't seem quite to understand how I always choose the latter of my choices because what's the sense that I asked if I already did choose one? I shake my head and heave a sigh.
I decided to have a seat in the waiting area just leaning on the wall in front of Sath's room.
"Hm?" I mumble to myself.
If I remember it right, Raze said Sath got ambushed. He didn't tell me if she was in a critical condition or not. So, I stop from thinking too much.
It will do me no good. I'll only stress myself out and that's the last thing I wanted to have right now.
"Kad?"
I was out in my reverie when a voice cuts it off above my head with a sound of shattering glass.
"Hey!" I automatically stand up from my seat when I see who it is.
He knows me? How?
"Hey," I'm not sure how to react when Matrew Revenza lends his hand out for a handshake from me.
I hesitantly reach for it and when his hand gets in touch with mine, the electricity coming from within shocks me. But I didn't let him see that. I just take my hand secretly grimacing at the fact that I hold his hand when in the first place, I'm yet to see how he is related to me.
"It's Mat. I don't know if you remember me but we met at the mall. Cor D Mall," I blink my eyes and expertly divert my eyes from him to the door on my side.
"You know me?" I ask. I couldn't top my curiosity anymore and I think this is bad.
"Hm, the fact that we've met once, Raze also quite mentioned your name when he has a chance," he shrugs his shoulders as if we're really been friends for years.
The boundary that I secretly built around us is very visible inside my head but I knew he doesn't that's why he can approach me that well.
"Ah, we're schoolmates! We'd see in school for quite some time though, not always. You're friends with Sath?"
The underlying awkwardness within me actually did me a favor not to act recklessly and ask him questions out of the room. It helps me to just stay calm as possible even if my heart is already pounding in its cage in my chest loudly.
"We're all childhood friends- uh, can I also call you Kad?" I blink my eyes and look at him for a second before glancing back at the door.
We both are looking at it for no reason. We can have a seat if we want to but maybe that's how is it. We have this invisible thread of knowing the atmosphere and that's looking at the door for no particular reason. Absurd, maybe but that's it.
"Feel free, Mat. We can also be friends! Though, if you want to," I bit my lower lip.
It's out of my control to say that. That's my curiosity speaking. I bet I can't move freely around him if we're not somehow close for a friend. It'll only make him suspicious of me and I don't want that.
Maybe it's a good proportion to have as my plan, or if that's called a plan.
I look at him and reach out a hand in front of him. By doing this, I can now freely move around him without him suspecting my hidden motive of having him as my friend.
Albeit, good luck to me.
"Alright. Friends,"
~×~×~×~
A/N: Thank you for reaching this far! Enjoy reading!