Chapter 10: The Necklace

After that night, it was like something got triggered in my brain and I started dreaming of what happened ten years ago. I vaguely remember bits and pieces of memories that I lost and was to afraid to try and remember. I kept living those memories through my dreams and I knew they were my own. The scenes that I was seeing was not just made up from hearing the story from Shin. I was seeing those memories from my own eyes.

It was a new week and I feel lost more than ever. I was in crutches; my ankles haven't been fully healed and all my thought were scattered all around. Vin insisted to be my designated driver, I wanted to refuse but eventually gave in at least until my ankle was healed. My parents agreed with the idea immediately, when he raised it while having dinner with us again just last night. So, here I am in the passenger seat of Vin's car again.

"You okay?" He asked me while his eyes are still on the road.

"Why do you ask?" I asked back at him. That he didn't appreciate, his face crunched up with annoyance that was too cute, that I laughed at him. His annoyed face is still handsome as always. Stop it Mitch! Here we go again. You're fantasizing about him again. You have bigger things to worry and think about, but here you are drooling over Vin Andrews Dela Cruz, again. I shook my head in annoyance with myself.

"What do you plan to do when you see Denise?" he asked again trying to ignore the annoying comment I made just a few seconds ago.

"I don't know." I simply said shrugging. I was just being honest. I really don't know what I'll do or how I'll react when I come face to face with Denise again. I am torn between suspecting her and giving her the benefit of the doubt. It might be just a coincident that we met again, but what's happening to me and Shin are not coincident, so I can't put my guard down.

We sat there in silence with only the radio as our background until he parked in the parking lot of the university. He opened the door for me and insisted to walk me to my first class. I was still having a hard time walking, so who am I to decline his offer. He carried my bag for me as we walked which was nice because he made it easier for me. The down side was, I had to endure the glares the girls in campus were throwing at me when we passed by.

We got to the building and used the elevator to get to the third floor, where my first class is in. The doors were about to close when someone ran towards it and stopped them from closing. It was Denise. She got in the elevator looking awkwardly at the two of us. The doors closed and left an awkward silence float over the people inside the elevator, me, Vin and Denise.

I could feel her staring at me closely, so I turned to look at her. Her expression changed from shock to worry when she noticed me looking at her. What is she worried about? Me being injured or that Vin and I would confront her. I reverted my gaze to Vin who was already looking at me, his eyes telling me that its okay, he's here with me.

"Are you okay Mitch?" I heard Denise ask after a few moments of silence. I turned to look at her quickly in shocked of what she said, and she just looked at me with the same worried expression.

"I told you to be careful." she continued. Curiosity got the best of me, so I reluctantly asked.

"What am I supposed to be careful of?" I asked her.

"Just be careful. Please." she said. Then the elevator opened on the second floor and she started getting out of the elevator and faced us again.

"You too Dela Cruz and tell Shinichi too. All of us better watch our backs." She said then walked out of the elevator.

I looked at Vin to find him already looking at me. And we both know that she knows something. About everything that was happening to us.

"Text me when you're done." he said, smiled at me then went his way to his own class.

I slowly went to my seat ignoring the stares and murmurs of my classmates. Denise was acting a bit weird, I'm positive that she knows something and she's keeping it a secret. From what I can remember, Miggy and Denise's relationship are deeper than just friendship. So, if she wasn't the one harassing me, using what happened to Miggy as a motive, then I don't have any idea who's doing all of this.

I couldn't focus on all my lessons that day. My head was clouded of all the possibilities and bits of memories that were popping in my head from time to time.

"Mitch, let's go!" I was pulled out of my thought because of Angel. She was sitting beside me at our last class before lunch.

"Are you okay? Are you hurting anywhere?" she asked me in a panicked tone. I shook my head and smiled at her.

"I'm fine Gel. Nothing to worry about." I said to her, then stood up. She helped me gather my things and supported me as we walked out of the classroom. We were both shocked when both are bags were snatched from us, we were about to scream when we noticed that it was Shin and Vin. They were already waiting for us outside the classroom.

"Let's go. I'm starving!" Shin said as he placed his arms around Angel's shoulder, pulling her away from me causing me to lose my balance. Luckily, Vin was there to catch me and helped me regained my balance.

"A**hole." I whispered, loud enough for the three of them to hear. The three of them just laughed at my annoyance and started walking, headed to the cafeteria.

The week went by in a flash with Vin walking me through each and every one of my classes the whole week. Shin, Vin and I decided not to tell Angel about the things that are happening, none of us wanted her to be worried for nothing. Especially when nothing happened throughout the week regarding that issue. I'm still having those kinds of dreams every now and then, but I decided to just keep it to myself.

I'm on my way right now to the hospital to get my bandages taken off and for the final check-up of my ankle. Mama Beth and Papa Andy is with me because my parents are at an out of the country business trip.

"Everything seems fine, Mitch. No need to worry about anything. Your ankle is still not completely healed, but you'll walk and move just fine. Just don't overexert yourself and if possible try not to put so much of your weight to that ankle." The doctor told me. I just smiled at the 50 years old doctor in front of me, relieved that I'll be able to walk by myself again.

"Are there any food that she shouldn't take Doc?" Mama Beth asked her.

"She can eat anything that she wants, just not poison." The doctor said in a comedic way that made the three of us smile and chuckle a little.

"Thank you, doc. I guess well be on our way then." I said, thanking her one more time before heading out of the door followed by Mama Beth and Papa Andy.

I hooked my arm through Mama Beth's and walked beside her and Papa Andy, when I recognized a familiar face walking towards us. She nodded to me then smiled and I nodded at her politely.

"She looks familiar. Who is she?" Mama Beth asked me after Denise passed us.

I just smiled at her, my eyes following Denise. I saw her go through the same room that I had just been. What in the world is she doing here, seeing the doctor that treated me? For the past week, I've been always seeing her. In hallways, cafeterias, coffee shops, restaurants and now, here, in the hospital. Still confused, I walked forward together with Mama Beth and Papa Andy.

I'm sitting inside the classroom facing a familiar face. I was showing her a gold necklace around my neck and we continued to chat and laugh but I couldn't hear anything thing. It was like a was watching one of those silent movies. Scenes keep changing like a slideshow of videos and photos of four happy kids. We look so close, I could feel the warm atmosphere surrounding our friendship. The scenes then changed from happy and lovely memories, to horrible fighting causing me to fall from the top of the stairs.

For the nth time, I woke up with cold sweats and a fast heartbeat. Those scenes became a constant in my dreams the past few days. My dreams became more vivid the more I'm experiencing these dreams and I confirmed one thing. Someone pushed me.

I still spend my free time with Shin, Angel and lately, Vin have been joining us whenever he can. I can't really tell if I like having him around or not because my heart beats irritably fast when I'm around him but all the same the way we are sitting now in the middle of the garden, having lunch together, chatting, laughing and just enjoying each other's company, reminds me of the feelings I felt in my dreams. It is exactly how warm and comfortable I felt remembering those memories of me, Shin, Denise and Miggy as friends ten years ago.

We were enjoying our lunch when suddenly a cold sticky drink fell on me and soaked my shirt. I stood up in shock and confusion then looked at the girl who spilled her drink on me.

"Sorry! Sorry." Said the girl with sarcasm dripping in her voice and a smirk on her lips, clearly screaming that she wasn't regretting what happened.

"Vodka, my gosh! What happened?" yelled someone who was running towards us. It was Denise.

"I tripped. I didn't mean to." She answered Denise changing her expression to look innocent. Denise turned to me and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. My friend is just really clumsy. Are you okay?" Denise asked me. I just nodded in response and looked down at my shirt stained with iced tea.

"I have a stain remover in my locker, if you want. I know how you hate stains." She said to me, catching my attention. I looked at her shocked, she remembers. I didn't even think about it and just said yes. I'll just be stressed the whole day if I don't remove this shirt so, I absent mindedly followed her to her locker.

"Here." she said to me then handed me a bottle of the non-wash stain remover that I always use, in my favorite scent, Cherry Blossoms.

"I got the habit from you. I don't know if you remember but you always have this since we were young. It's out of character for you not to have this with you." She said to me with a smile.

"I actually ran out of it. Although I already ordered." I explained to her then went my way to the nearest comfort room with her following behind. I entered on of the stalls and took off my shirt to get rid of its stains.

"Give me your shirt. Let's dry it here." She said on the other side of the door. I hesitated for a moment, but I ended up giving it to her to dry, I don't want to wear it still wet from the stain remover. After a minute, she flung the shirt across the top of the door and I changed again quickly.

"Thanks." I said to her the moment I saw her waiting for me by the sink, this time Angel was with her. I smiled at the two of them and washed my hands in the sink and we went out of the comfort room together.

"They already went to class." Angel said with a teasing smile on her face when she saw me looking around for someone.

"Wait! I forgot something in my locker. Wait for me." She said and left me again with Denise.

"Can I wait with you? Me and Angel are in the same class." Denise asked and I just nodded to her not knowing what to say.

"You're also taking Interior?" I asked awkwardly to her.

"Yep." She simply said with a smile. I just nodded taking in the new information then followed Angel back to her locker.

Magkalapit lang ang locker ni Angel at Denise since pareho sila ng course kaya dumaan na din si Denise sa locker niya. I have everything na kelangan ko and since the locker incident as much as possible wala na kong halos nilalagay na gamit sa locker. Just emergency stuffs like payong, extra napkins, extra notebooks, hindi na ko naglalagay ng masyadong mahalaga.

Nasa tabi ako ni Angel when she opened her locker. Bumungad samin ang isang expensive-looking na jewelry gift box and I saw Angel's face brighten.

"Best friend mo talaga." She said to me while giggling. Napangiti naman ako sa remark niya. But as she opened the box our giggles were replaced by her screams as the box fell from her hands. I looked at the content of the box and felt chills down my spine. Then I felt Denise run to us as fast as she could. She looked down to the box and a look of horror and shock was visible on her face. When our eyes met, we both knew that the two of us recognize what lies inside the box that has fallen to the ground.

It was the same GOLDEN NECKLACE in my dreams. The same exact necklace that I showed her ten years ago. But unlike the regal elegance and beauty of the necklace from my dreams the one in the box is straight out from a horror movie. The inside of the box and the necklace itself was covered with blood.