CHAPTER 16

"For real?" Robert asked his mother. It was 8 in the evening and the others have already left.

"Yes, Obet, can you believe it?" she said excitedly, "It's a dream come true! Just think, I get to stay in Paris for a week!"

"Wow, that's really something!" replied her son. "So I guess it won't just be designing rooms anymore eh?"

"Yeah, I guess my clothes are good for something too." she said with a smile.

"What are you talking about?" said her son, "I mean, I never liked the idea of being your model but the clothes you design are really great!"

"Thanks son," the other said beaming. "So, can I go?" she asked.

"By all means!" he said with a smile.

"You sure you'll be okay?" she asked, "I was worried that you might get lonely or something..."

"Don't be silly!" said Robert, "I'll be fine just by myself!"

"I'm glad to hear that!" said Mrs. Cordero hugging her son. "By the way, how's the pool?"

"Hehehe..." laughed Robert, "We finished cleaning the pool, but the water ran out when we were filling it up. The guys lost heart and decided to go home after having lunch." he said, "Danny said all we could do right now was to pray for rain."

"What about the room?" asked his mother.

"Ange still hasn't decided on a color scheme. She left with the others. Said she'll start the painting next week."

"What about you?" she asked, "Had fun?"

"Yeah, lots, let me tell you about Yang and the paint on the stairs..."

"What about my stairs?"

The two talked till later that night. Robert was forced to go to bed while his mother got her stuff ready for her flight for the next day. She was going to Paris! The fashion capital of the world! She hummed to herself, going through her things and thinking of the stuff she could bring back for her son.

The next day, Angela was waiting outside when Robert left the house. She looked at him and blushed.

"What took you so long?" she asked and went ahead of him.

"Had a talk with my mom last night." the other said, "She's leaving for Paris today."

"Really?" asked the other, turning around, "She's so lucky!"

"Yeah, she has always wanted to be a fashion designer you know." said Robert, "When I was younger she used to make me wear the clothes she made and took pictures of it, then she would send them to my aunt and ask for suggestions."

"So you're her model eh?" asked Angela, "Well, you do have the height."

"If you say so..." said Robert. He was grinning. He looked up at the cloudy sky. "Looks like rain."

"Yeah, guess Danny's prayers will be answered."

"It's just a drizzle, Danny." said Robert on the phone. He was back home and lay cozily in bed. It was already raining outside, but the pool wasn't even half full yet. "Besides," he told his friend, "why bother swim in the pool when it's already raining?"

"Well, we did work hard to clean that, didn't we?" the other replied. "And I want to soak my whole body in water, this drizzle is making it hotter than before!"

"Okay, I'll call you up when it reaches 3 feet. Okay, bye."

Robert hung the phone and stayed sprawled in his bed, too lazy to get up. His mother was already gone when he got home, leaving numerous notes on the fridge door. There was food enough to last the whole week, the water was replenished (with specific instructions not to put it in the pool) and money for his allowance. He turned to his side and saw Yang sleeping on his pillow. He took the white cat and rubbed it under his chin.

"Just you and me now." he said to the purring cat. He looked at the smiling portrait on his table. "And Belle."

The next day, the news said a storm was coming. There was still no typhoon signal, so classes were not yet suspended. The two met each other by the old mango tree as usual.

"You're late again." said Angela looking pissed. She was hacking at the mango tree with a small umbrella.

"Sorry," Robert replied, "was so cold this morning, I found it hard to get out of bed." he said with a smile.

"Next time I'm leaving without you." she snapped as she went on her way.

"My, you sure are touchy today." he said. "Something wrong?"

"Non of your business." grumbled the other.

They went the rest of the way in silence, Robert wondering why Angela was more irritable than usual when it started to rain. Angela opened her umbrella and stared at Robert.

"You didn't bring one did you?" she asked.

"Never do." the other answered. "Don't need one." he was walking casually as the rain got stronger.

"Jerk." said Angela. She went to Robert and shared the umbrella with him. "Here you hold it." she said. Robert took hold of the umbrella as they went the rest of the way to school.

The rain was getting stronger when they got there, the students were confined in the classrooms and the morning ceremony was about to start. There were only about 12 students in their class, including Tony and Mia. Bern seems to be absent.

"Man, it sure is pouring out there!" said Tony, "They should suspend the classes before it starts to flood."

"Yeah, I can't even see as far as the other building with all that rain." said Mia. She looked at Angela, she saw sulking in a corner, tapping her pen on her desk. "You okay, Angela?" she asked her friend.

"Not really...." the other answered.

"Why, what's the matter?" she asked again.

"My father just got back, saw Yin in my room." she replied with a sigh. "I had a fight with him this morning."

"No wonder..." Robert said to himself, eavesdropping.

"Isn't your father allergic to cat hair?" Mia asked.

"But it was raining outside!" Angela said, defending her side, "I couldn't just leave Yin out in the garage can I?"

"Okay, I understand you..." said Mia moving back, "You don't need to be angry at me you know."

"Sorry..." mumbled the other.

Just then, the speakers cracked and a voice was heard through the corridors.

"Attention all students," said the speaker, "Due to the coming storm and rising flood in certain areas around the school, classes will be suspended..."

The students didn't hear the rest of the announcement since they were busy screaming with joy. Later they were out of their rooms and scattered around the campus, planning trips of their own.

"You crazy? In this down pour, we'd be lucky to get home without getting soaked to the bone!" said Mia.

"It's just a short trip to the mall!" said one of their classmates.

"I'm going straight home." said Angela, opening her umbrella.

"Me too," said Robert. "Bye guys!" he waved goodbye to his classmates and ran after Angela in the rain.

"Hey, share your umbrella?" he asked grinning. Angela looked at him and shoved the umbrella in his hand.

Robert held the umbrella and tilted it towards Angela. She noticed that his left side was getting pretty wet. The rain was really pouring down hard and the thin jacket he wore didn't help much.

"Next time bring your own umbrella, okay?" she told him.

The wind suddenly blew, the rain wetting them even more. Robert placed an arm over her shoulder and held the umbrella against the wind. Angela froze.

"He-he, I never were used to bringing one." said he. "I just run home whenever it rains." He looked at her and grinned. "Okay, I promise I'll bring one next time."

They went on their way past the canal. The water was rising; it rushed under the small bridge carrying trash and broken twigs along with it. Angela looked at Robert as they walked home. He was already wet, the umbrella being little help against the wind and rain. His hood covered half his face, his damp hair falling on his eyes. He still had his arm around her. So warm. Angela's heart was beating fast again.

"Am I afraid of you?" she whispered. "But why?"

"Here we are." Robert suddenly said. Angela jumped and quickly looked away. They were in front of her house. "Get in quick and change those clothes, you're soaking wet!" he grinned as he gave her the umbrella.

"Take it," said Angela, "Just return it later."

"Don't worry, I'll just make a run for it." he said. Before Angela could react, he bolted through the rain and headed home.

"Stupid..." Angela called after him.

She went inside the house and saw her father dressing up.

"Leaving so soon?" she asked with a snort.

"Who was that you were talking with outside?" he asked, not bothering to look up.

"The guy next door." she replied. Her father looked at her, a little surprised. Angela turned away.

"I'm off to your uncle's house... may stay there a couple of days."

"In this storm?" said Angela with concern. She looked at her father who was busy shining his shoes.

"Don't worry, it's not so far from here." he said, "It's a big case too..."

Angela left her father and went to her room, slamming her door shut. She jumped in bed and cursed him. She looked around for her cat and remembered that her father sent Yin out in the garage.

"At least I can keep Yin in my room again." she thought to herself.

Angela slipped out of bed and changed her wet clothes before heading downstairs. She heard the faint roar of the car engine over the pouring rain as her father drove off. Her father has always been a workaholic. He was hardly ever home, and just when she thought she could spend some time with him during the storm, this suddenly comes up. Angela went to the cupboard and took out some cat food. She didn't really mind making the cat stay outside as much as having her father leave in another business meeting. She poured the can's contents in a bowl and went to the garage.

"Yin! Here yin! I brought you some food." she called to the cat. She waited for the black cat to come but she never did.

Angela frowned, Yin always comes out when she called her. She looked around the garage in vain; the cat still wasn't there.

"Yin!" she called again, "Here Kitty!" still no cat.

Angela looked outside the pouring rain, fearing the worst.

The water was already boiling. Robert took it in his room and poured it in the bathtub.

"Ah... who needs a pool when I have a nice warm bathtub right here?" he told himself. He took off his wet clothes and went into the bath, sneezing as he did. "Ahh... this is the life." He placed a nice hot towel over his face and was about to doze off when he heard a sharp knock on the door.

"Must me the wind." he said sleepily. There was the knock again. "go away..."

"Robert?" called Angela from outside. Robert snapped out of his sleep and sat bolt in the tub.

"Ange? Is that you?" he called, uncertain.

"Robert! I'm in the balcony! Please open the door!" replied Angela.

Robert went out the tub and wrapped the towel around his waist. He was still soaked when he opened the door. Angela stood there, shivering.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" cried Robert when he saw her. He pulled her inside the room. She was crying.

"Yin... " she said between sobs, "I can't find Yin."

"You ran out in the pouring rain to look for a cat?" said Robert exasperatedly. Angela was still shivering. He took her to the bathroom and dumped her in the hot tub. Angela gave a gasp.

"Stay there." he said and went back to the room. He returned later with dry clothes. "I don't have undies... but these will have to do for now." he placed the clothes on the sink and looked at Angela still sobbing. "Dry yourself and put them on."

"W-what about Yin?" she asked still in tears.

"I'll go look for him myself." said Robert. "You stay here and dry yourself." He pulled the door shut and sneezed. "Stupid crazy kid." he said sniffing. "What will she think of next?"

He opened his closet and took out some clothes and a jacket. He was buttoning his jeans when he saw Yang watching him.

"Your sister's missing." he told the cat, "I think she's just as crazy as her master there." he took Yang and lay him down on the bed. "She's taking a bath now, came over all wet and..." Robert froze. "Wait a minute..." he said to himself, "She's taking a bath in my tub..."

Robert suddenly flushed as red as a ripe tomato. He looked at the bathroom door. "She won't be wearing any undies either..." he said. "Ahh! What am I thinking?!" he took the pillow and stuffed his face into it. "I wonder if this pillow is as soft as her bo-" he gulped. "Ahhhh!!! Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!"

Just then, the bathroom door opened and out stepped Angela. Her wet hair veiled her face, the over-sized navy shirt fell off her shoulder. There was a faint smell of soap in the air and the moist from the hot bath was rising. Robert felt his heart racing inside his chest.

"I-I'm coming with you..." she said between sobs. Robert was gaping at her. "I said I'm coming with you!" repeated Angela.

"Ah, no, you stay here." said Robert turning around. "You might catch a cold or something." he took his shirt and continued dressing up sneezing as he did.

"But Yin only comes when I call her!" said Angela. She went closer to Robert. Robert's heart pounded even harder. "And it would make our search easier if there are two of us right?"

"Okay! Okay!" said Robert giving up, "Here, take this jacket, I'll go look for another one." he turned to her, handing the jacket over. Angela stood right in front of him, her skin so white, her lips red, the shape of her body underneath the loose shirt... it was driving him crazy.

"Thanks..." said Angela rubbing her eyes. "By the way, can a borrow a belt?" she added, "The jeans you lent me keeps slipping off my waist..." Angela pulled her shirt up and showed Robert the loose jeans. She looked at him frowning.

Robert was a glimpse of her milky white skin. "She's not wearing any underwear..." he thought, "if it falls..." Robert turned around in a hurry. "I-I'll get you one..." he rummaged in his closet and handed her the belt, his eyes averted from her. "Here, hurry up and put the jacket on. I'll go look for an umbrella."

He rushed out of his room and went straight to his mother's, panting.

"That was close..." he thought, "If this goes on any further, I might do something I'd regret later..." he looked inside his mother's closet for a jacket.

His jacket was already wet from his trip to school that morning, and his only other jacket was now with Angela. It seems that his mother took her jacket with her though. He looked around the room and saw a brown sweater on his mother's bed and decided to wear it instead. He picked up two big umbrellas from the parlor and was about to call Angela from the other room when he turned around and saw her standing behind him. Her eyes were still puffed from crying, her face blushed. The jacket hid her figure much to Robert's relief, but his heart was still racing inside his chest.

"Can we go now?" she asked him with a frown.

"Yeah, of course." the other replied.

They went out into the rain. It was pouring outside and the wind was very strong. The two of them had to hold on to their umbrellas to keep it from blowing away.

"Where did you search for Yin anyway?" Robert shouted over the roaring rain.

"Just in our house, then I went around the block, when I still couldn't find him, I decided to ask for your help."

"So where do we go first?"

"I was thinking about the canal... It goes around the subdivision and behind our houses."

"You think he might be there?"

"Yeah, there's a slope behind our house that Yin might have climbed, it goes up the storage room and over the wall. Behind that wall is the canal."

"Okay, let's head to the canal then..."

The two made their way to the bridge. It was the only way around the houses. There was a small path on each side of the canal. The two went over the bridge and walked along it. The brown water below was almost level to the ground and the trash had already been washed away leaving only a few pieces of broken twigs here and there. Robert and Angela walked along with Angela leading the way, the water rushing in the opposite direction.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Robert asked her after a while.

"Of course I do!" the other replied, "I used to pass here all the time when I was younger."

"So which one's your house?"

"There's a tree behind our wall, an old aratilis tree growing out of the canal's side."

"You mean that tree?" said Robert, pointing out at the distance. The pouring rain made it difficult to see far ahead, but he could make out the figure of a tall tree.

"C'mon! Just a little closer!" Angela began to run and almost slipped into the rushing canal!

"Stupid!" shouted Robert, pulling her arm, "Don't act so rashly!"

They walked along the canal's edge and neared the tree, just as they reached it, Angela started to climb up.

"Wait here. I'll do it." said Robert. He handed his umbrella to his companion and climbed the aratilis tree. He was half way up when he saw something black on top of him.

"Yin!" called Angela from below. The black cat moved and started to yowl helplessly.

"Don't worry, I've got him." said Robert.

He reached out to the crying cat, but the terrified animal spat at him and slashed at his hand, inching farther away from his reach.

Robert swore under his breath, the slash left red marks on his hand. He climbed a little higher and reached out for the cat once more. Yin swiped at him again, but this time, Robert pulled his hand away just in time. With a push, he lifted himself and grabbed the cat on the scruff of its neck.

"Got her!" she called down to Angela. He was about to descend when there came a load snap. Before he knew it, he was falling fast into the canal.

"Robert!" he heard Angela call as he fell into the rushing water with a splash. The strong current pushed him along. Robert fought hard against it and broke into the surface with Yin in his arms.

"Here!" Robert yelled back to Angela. He tossed the wet cat to her, bobbing in the water as he did. Angela caught the cat in her arms and looked at Robert, terrified. He was nowhere to be seen.

"Robert! Where are you?!" she cried. A surge of panic rose inside her. The water was strong and the canal deep, she didn't know what to do. She ran along the small path, the cat in her arms, trying hard not to slip in the pouring rain.

Robert fought against the strong current.

"At least the cat's okay..." he thought as he swam against the current. His arms were beginning to ache and his legs were getting tired. He broke out of the water again and took a deep breath before the water closed over his head once more.

"My only chance right now is the bridge..." he thought as he swam up again, this time keeping afloat. He taught he saw a glimpse of Angela but then he went under water again. It wasn't long when he saw the bridge though. It was a good thing that the water was high, he was able to hold on to the railing, gasping for breath as he tried to pull himself up. Robert held on. His arms were tired from the effort and the water was pulling him under the bridge. He was about to loose his grip when Angela showed up on top of him. She looked at him, her eyes full of concern. She leaned over the railing and held on to him with both hands.

"Stupid! I might pull you in with me!" yelled Robert. Angela didn't reply. She still held on to him, her legs anchored around the railing. She was trying to pull him up.

"If this goes on..." thought Robert, "We will both end up in this current, and I don't think Ange would last long in this flood..."

Gathering his last strength, Robert took hold of the metal railing and pulled himself up. He felt his arms shaking with the effort. He struggled to find a foothold and found the small bridge's base. Slowly he was able to raise himself. He looked up and was face to face with Angela, her eyes brimming with tears. She pulled him up and helped him over the railing, holding on to him as she did. Finally, he was in solid ground, Angela broke out crying, she sat on the ground and covered her face with her hands. Robert stood there for a while, leaning on the railing. He wanted to go to her and comfort her, but as soon as he let go of his support, his legs buckled under him and he fell on the ground, heaving.

"A-are you... alright?" he asked her, out of breath.

Angela looked up at him, her face distorted from crying. She got up and ran to him, throwing her arms around Robert.

"I'm so sorry..." she gasped, "so sorry..."

Robert was dumb struck. He wanted to wrap his arms around her, but his sore arms wouldn't budge. He leaned forward and placed his head on the quivering shoulder instead. He was so tired, but the rain was still pouring and they were both in it.

"I'm okay..." he told her, "We've got to get out of the rain..." he tried to stand up, wobbling as he did. Angela was at his side and supported him. "So, where's Yin?" he asked

"Here Yin..." called Angela, her arm around Robert. The small black cat crawled cautiously out of a small bush and went to her. "Don't worry, she'll follow us back home."

"Good... I'm glad she's fine..."he said, trying to laugh.

"Yin is just a cat, you know..." Angela suddenly said. "You didn't have to act so reckless just to save a cat! You could have died there!"

"But..." Robert answered back, "you were really worried about her, right?"

Angela looked up at Robert. He looked back at her, smiling. He was stupid enough to risk his life just to get back her cat because he didn't want her to worry? He didn't even think about himself and saved the cat first even when he was drowning in the canal. She looked away, blushing. Her arm was around his waist, the other on his chest to support him. Robert had his arm around her too, and his body was so close to hers.

"He's so warm..." she found herself thinking. "So comfortable..."

She was a little disappointed when they got home. She opened the door to Robert's house and helped him in, when Danny suddenly showed up in front of them.

"Hey, where have you been? The pool's full! We can swim now!" he said. He was wearing a pair of boxers and nothing else. Angela noticed the wet clothes hanging on a chair.

"Danny?" said Robert, pulling his arm away from Angela.

"Whoa, what happened to you two?" he asked, looking at the soaked pair in front of him.

"We went looking for a cat." said Robert with a grin. "I fell in the canal."

"You what?" asked Danny, alarmed.

"Sorry, it was all my fault..." Angela tried to explain, "It was my cat after all, but...

"That was so cool, Obet!" Danny suddenly said, "I've always wanted to know how it feels like to swim in a roaring river!"

"It was tiring..." said the other. He went to the nearest chair and sat there slumped.

"Well, next time call me when you do something like that again, ya hear me?" said his friend.

Angela looked at the two. She couldn't believe this! Here's Robert, who almost lost his life in the flood, and he thinks it's so cool? She threw her arms up and took off her coat instead, hanging it to dry. She wasn't that wet under the thick jacket. She picked Yin up and went to the bathroom to dry the cat.

"By the way," said Danny, "Why is Ange wearing your clothes?"

Angela froze. She felt her face burning.

"Ah, it's just that she came here all wet from the rain and..." explained Robert suddenly standing up in front of his friend.

"She came here all alone?" asked Danny, "Then what did you do?" he was grinning mischievously.

"It's not what you think!" said Angela, turning around, her face was all red. "We were just..."

Before Angela could finish, Robert suddenly collapsed. Danny watched wide-eyed as his friend fell on him.

"Robert!" he called catching his friend. "He's burning up!" he said. He looked at Angela seriously, "Get some towels, quick!"