THE BIRD IN THE CAGE AND IT'S SECRET

BLADE

The sky was already pitch dark when she calmed down and stopped crying. We sat down on one of many benches that were lined on the sides of the pool. The cold breeze blew and dried my clothes but it made me colder. I rubbed my arms in attempt to keep myself warm. There was an eerie silence in the atmosphere. No one dare to speak. The crescent moon was gleaming along with a thousand stars that are scattered in the black canvas. I side glance. I saw her head turned downward and her empty eyes staring at her feet. I really wanted to get back in my dorm. And I think I already passed the curfew hours. Though getting inside my dorm wouldn't be a problem there is a backdoor thattheruffles dorm lady who has her eyebrows always furrowed like it was a permanent mark on her face doesn't know. But then I can't just leave Forever alone.

It's already dark and it's too dangerous to wander inside the school at this hour. And she might do something stupid again so I'm stuck to companying her until she decides to go home or whatever. But minutes passed the coldness is biting my skin and it's starting to take a toll on me. I bite the inside of my mouth keeping my teeth from chattering uncontrollable. I rubbed my hands up and down my arms keeping myself from shivering. The Philippines might be a tropical country all sunshine and heat but in times of June it gets a little cold during the night. Not to mention days with cloudy skies and rain.

This girl has brought me nothing but trouble. If this is the situation I'd be in, I shouldn't have fought with her the first day we met. I should have let it slide and just go straight to the shower. I sighed. But what can I do? I'm already in this mess. There is no time machine. No turning back. No matter how much you want to change things the way you want them to be, you just couldn't.

I was focused keeping myself warm but she wasn't even bothered by the shivering cold. She just stared at her feet engrossed with her thoughts that she forgot the world outside. I'm baffled though. Why she insist of not going to hospital?

Moments later she finally spoke. "You must be wondering why I don't want to go to the hospital, aren't you?"

"How did you know?" Is what I would say but I kept it to myself and just turned my head towards her.Forever put her feet up the bench and arms hugged her knees. Her distant gaze is towards the dark gleaming water of the pool.

"I'm scared." Forever paused for a moment, biting her lower lip to keep it from trembling and start crying again. She squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again. "I had an accident when I was 5 years old. We went to a beach and I got a little bit carried away with site seeing and picking up shells that caused me to slip my foot and hit my head hardly on a rock."

She tighten her arms on her knees. "I was bleeding so much that the water turned red. The pain was unbearable that I can't even utter a single word. I can't even cry. People were shouting and crying around me that time. Before I know it I lost consciousness and when I woke up I was in a hospital bed. My parents crying and had dark circles under their eyes, tired from the worry I brought them."

"My head was stitched from that head trauma and after that things had changed. Since I was the only child at that time my parents were scared something like that happen again so what they did is they protected me from the outside world. They kept me inside, sheltered. I wasn't allowed to go outside unless it was absolutely necessary. I was put to homeschool. I have friends but they can only hang out with me inside the premises of my house. We didn't get to hang out outside. Go to places and have fun. I was excluded to any family gatherings that was held outside my house."

"It was like I was a bird trapped in a cage. Sheltered and well provided but I wasn't free," Forever said her voice low and full of sorrow.

"Have you ever told your parents that you don't want this?" I asked.

She gave me a miniscule shake of the head. "I didn't complain, at first. Besides, they were doing this so they can keep me safe. That's what parents do, right? Provide you with all your needs and protect you from everyone and everything that only brings danger and pain to you. That was what I instill in my mind when I was still young but as I got older I understood the freedom I need. The freedom that I yearn so badly it makes me dream how it was to be outside my house. I wasted 12 years before I had the courage to finally tell them that I don't want to be stuck inside my house anymore."

Forever smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "Can you believe it? I wasted 12 years of my freedom before I finally got it."

She took out the notebook out of her bag and showed it to me. A smile on her face. She turned the pages with scribbles, doodles, and wordson it that was too dark to decipher. She closed her notebook her smile turning into a frown.

"That's why I'm desperate to finish what's written inside my bucket list before my time runs out and my parentschange their minds and put me back inside." She looked at me, pleading. "But if they find out that I almost drowned they might put me back inside the house againwithout a second thought. I won't be able to do the things I wanted in my list. And worst, this time I might not be able to come out of it anymore."

I gulped, taking all in the information she shared with me. I wasn't expecting that she would share anything to me nonetheless her pastor her big secret. It was unexpected that such a stubborn, optimistic, reckless and carefree girl was being held inside her home for 12 years. If I would be in her position by the time my parents decided it I would have throw a tantrum. But I guessI can't test that theory since my parents had long separated before I even turned 5 just like her.

Her cold and shivering hands held mine tightly like her whole life depends on me. Like her freedom depends on my hands. "Please, please I beg of you. Please don‟t tell a single soul about what happen here. Please."

I sighed and patted her head with my free hand. "Don't worry I don't meddle in other people's business and I'm not a chatterbox either. So your secret is safe with me."

I looked away from her and let my hand rest on her head feeling tingles from caressing her soft and silky hair. "And I'll give it a try. The deal, I mean," I said hesitanting then stood up and walked away.

This is embarrassing in my part. Here I am ignoring her with all my might, wanting nothing to do with her especially the deal she offered but after she told me her story. She made me feel guilty and made me change my mind. I exhaled loudly. I guess I'll be dealing with this troublemaker quite often now that I accepted it. I hope she doesn't decide to do crazy things too often.I was frozen when small arms wrap around my waist tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Blade! I promise by the time we finish my bucket list, you and Eunice will be back together."

I remove her arms around me and turned my back to face her. I held both her wrist in my hands. "You should because if you didn't you'll regret that you ever mess with me," I said my voice cold and my stare icy. "Got it, chihuahua?"

She beamed. "Got it." Then she pouted her lips. "But I want to ask, why do you call me chihuahua? I have a name you know. Forever Celestine Regan. Forever for short."

I smirked. "It's because your voice and height reminds me of a chihuahua." Her eyes narrowed to slits before she suddenly kicked me on the leg.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed.

I rubbed the part where she kicked me feeling the irritation building up in me."What was that for?" I yelled.

She crossed her arms. "That‟s for calling me Chihuahua and for making go through everything just so you accept my deal."

My eyebrows twitched, the veins on my forehead popping. "Hey! And whose stupid idea was tofall into the pool and made me a locker full of useless letters!"

"Hey! It took me forever to write those!"I rolled my eyes. "Who cares."

But instead to argue with me, she suddenly spit on her hand and held it out to me. It took me a little time to understand what she did and what she wants me to do. One word. Gross.

I give her a once over and raise my eyebrow. She gestured her mouth to accept her hand. Urgh! Like I would do that."What are you doing?"I asked, slightly disgusted.

She looked at me innocently. "What? You just spit on your hand and shake my hand to seal the deal."Is sticking your salivas together is another thing to seal a deal now?"

I frowned. "Your gross, you know that," I commented.

Her eyes squinted and she looked at her hand. "Eh? But this is what they do on movies."

"And what exactly is this movie?"

"It's a cartoon.Peter Pan. Haven‟t you seen it?"

I sighed and smacking my face with my palm. This would be one hell of a semesterwith her around to meddle with my life. I sighed loudly."Forget it. Let‟s just go home."

I turned on my heels and was about to walk when she held my wrist with both hands. Both hands. I instantly yanked my hand away from her grasp, shivering from the sticky feeling on my wrist. Urgh! I got her saliva in my hands.

I shake my hand. "Yuck! What the heck!"

"Oops. Sorry," she said,one hand on her mouth. She wasn't apologetic because she laugh sheepishly.

"What is it this time? You know we should be getting back soon. It's already dark and I'm hungry," I grumbled and wiped the saliva that cling to my arm with the hankerchief from my pocket. Eww.

"But we can‟t leave yet."

"And why not?"

She is slowly making me regret I accepted her deal."Because we have to complete the first thing on my list."

"Can that wait 'till tomorrow? I'm hungry as fvck."

I haven't notice earlier that I was hungry not with all the adrenaline, shock and worry she made me go through but now that it subsided,I can feel the monsters thatare growling inside my stomach and their slowly eating my stomach.

"Nonsense," she held me by her clean hand. Seriously, isn't she gonna wipe that other hand of hers or wash it for that matter. "But this can't wait 'till tomorrow."

She looked at her wristwatch. "And we don't have much time left. Come on!"

She dragged me along with her going for a sprint."Where the heck are we going?"

"You'll see."