Trisha
I ran towards Fernandez but he’s too far for me to catch up. I’m already panting and I can’t run anymore.
This situation felt familiar. Right, I also ran to catch up to him before, but this time it’s different because I now know why I’m running towards him.
I saw him walking towards the building but before he can enter I shouted his name.
“Arthur Fernandez!” I shouted.
He paused and looked back at me.
“Art Fernandez!” I shouted again and this time he’s walking swiftly towards me.
I stayed there panting and wiping my sweat.
Gosh, I really need to go and exercise. I’m such a potato couch.
He then arrived in front of me. He’s still putting up a cold expression but it’s not that cold compared to before. This time his expression is filled with curiosity and uncertainty.
“Art.” I whispered to him.
“It’s bothering me because I think –“ I paused to catch my breath.
“No, I know I want to be with you and not Chris.” I told him directly as I looked straight into his eyes.
He looked at me as if I’m speaking in another language. He opened his mouth then closed it. His expression softened and he reached out to cup my face. His face filled with longing.
Does he also feel the same way towards me?
I smiled at him. I know what I want now, I already know who I want to be with in real life.
But midway he stopped his hand from reaching out.
“No, you don’t.”
“What?”
“You don’t know that. You don’t want me, trust me.” He told me but his face is filled with anguish.
“What do you mean?” I asked him.
“How about Chris?”
“I will tell him about it.”
“It will hurt me if we pursue this.” He said softly.
He’s looking out for Chris.
I know I’m being selfish, I gave him hope thinking that I too can love him in real life, but I just can’t.
“I know.” I said as I looked away.
How could I ever hurt someone like Chris? But if this goes on, I’ll hurt him even more in the future. I loved him inside our dreams but not in real life.
The feelings inside our dreams, I guess they were superficial.
“But, it’s hurting me too. It’s hurting me seeing you with him.” He said and I immediately looked up at him.
“What do you mean?”
“I want to be selfish again Trish. I want to be with you, I can’t bear to see you with another man.” He said as he cupped my face with his hand.
I smiled at him as tears streamed down my face.
“I want to be selfish too Art.”
His face turned to shock, and again he’s being cautious as if something bad is going to happen.
He then sighed and looked straight into my eyes.
“I want you too.” Then he kissed me.
I kissed back as we stood there in each other’s arms.
“Trish?” I heard a familiar voice from behind me.
Art stopped kissing me and looked at the person behind me, his face filled with guilt.
I looked and saw Chris behind us.
“Art?” He called Art’s name too.
I came forwards and reached out to him but he stepped back.
“I’m sorry.” Those are the only words I managed to utter.
I was about to tell him later, but not like this.
He stepped back and ran away.
I started to run after him but Art put his hand on my shoulder.
“Stay here, I’ll run after him.” He then ran towards Chris.
What should I do? I hope that both of them will be okay. Did I do the wrong thing?
Chris
I started running away but I don’t know where I’m going. I was so shock with what I saw and heard, I don’t know how to react. All I know is that I’m in pain.
The weather started to change too. The sunset was so beautiful earlier but suddenly it started raining, as if the universe is also grieving for me.
I know that Trisha likes Art more than me. It’s obvious from the way she looks at him, but since she gave me a chance I told myself that maybe she’ll look at me the way she looked at Art, someday.
I know it’s also my fault, maybe she felt pressure that I was waiting for her that’s why she gave me a chance.
Art. He liked Trisha too, ever since before I’m aware of this but since he kept quiet I thought he’s not that serious. I should’ve talked to him about this before. Well, I asked for his opinion but he said to go for it.
I should’ve asked further, I shouldn’t have neglected my gut feelings. It’s pretty obvious just by looking at them that their feelings are mutual, it’s only a matter of who will say it first.
I kept on running and the rain is now pouring heavily. I’m so distracted, I can’t think straight.
“Chris!” I heard Art calling out to me but I did not stop running.
I want to be alone right now. I can’t face him right now, I don’t know if I’ll react appropriately. I doubt that I could control myself.
Although, I’m blaming myself for pushing myself towards Trish, I am also low-key blaming Art. I know he did nothing wrong but another part of me resents him.
I’m a wreck right now. I think I’m overreacting but I do believe my feelings are valid although I was the one who put myself in this situation.
I recalled when we were having a movie marathon during the first day of the semester, Trisha and Art kissing in the hallways. I should’ve asked them about that before falling deeper into Trisha.
I was too hopeful, especially when Art started to be cold to Trisha again. I even noticed how he increased his coldness towards her after they spent the night out. I thought that Trisha had rejected him then, because when Trisha and I met after that, she gave me a chance.
“Was I wrong?”
I am now drenched in rain, sweat and tears.
I want to run even more until I collapse.
“Chris look out!”
A truck suddenly came out of nowhere but it was too late for me to react.
I felt something hard hit against me and everything went black.
Art
It’s raining heavily and I’m trying to catch up to Chris. I kept on shouting at him but he would not listen.
Did I do the wrong thing?
I’m being selfish again and again somebody got hurt.
I shook my head. No, I don’t think I did something wrong. I was just being honest with myself. Is it wrong for me to start admitting to myself what I truly want?
I was about to catch up to Chris but then I saw a truck coming towards him, and he was too occupied to notice.
I sprinted as fast as I could and I pushed him towards the other side of the road then everything went black.
Trisha
I heard a crash from the direction Chris and Art were running. I was also running to catch up to them but they were too fast and the rain started to pour down heavily, making my pace slower than ever.
I ran towards the sound and stopped.
People are flocking around the area and there’s a huge truck in the middle of it.
“What happened?” I whispered to myself.
This scene felt familiar.
I closed my eyes and saw myself at the seashore.
“It’s that nightmare.”
I knelt down and held my forehead.
I forced myself to stand up and walked slowly towards the commotion.
I kept on switching back and forth between reality and this scene inside my head.
The ambulance came to the scene, or is this inside my head?
It’s also raining here.
“What’s happening?” I pushed myself through the crowd.
Then I stopped and knelt down again.
Chris is at the other side of the road, unconscious but he seemed fine.
Art on the other hand.
“No!” I shouted as I tried to run towards him as he was being carried inside the ambulance.
“Art!” I shouted again and I started crying.
“Let me through!”
Then pain shot through my head again.
I heard myself crying, but it’s me from years ago? I looked 10 or 11?
What’s happening? I stopped trying to get through the crowd and am now stooping down.
“Miss are you okay?”
I can feel people trying to assist me but I just can’t move.
Everything is spinning.
My younger self is also shouting Art’s name.
“Art.” I whispered to myself as everything started to go black.
The last thing I saw is that Art’s being brought inside the ambulance. His hand is already hanging from the side.
“Is he still alive?” I asked myself as I collapsed too.