Chapter 11: Filling in the Gaps

It was a good thing that there were not many people around at that time. We didn't have to explain to anyone about all the commotion that happened. She was still panicking and was asking lots of questions on our way to the parking lot. We decided not to go to our classes knowing that we wouldn't get anything from it anyway. All of us are too pre-occupied with what just happened to understand even a sentence of our lessons. Denise and I had a quiet understanding that we needed to talk about what happened with being interrupted by anyone.

I have no doubt in anything the Shin said, but there are still gaps in his story. Gaps that could only be filled by three people, me, Miggy and Denise. Since I still don't have completed recollection of what happened and we don't have any idea where Miggy is, Denise is the only one who can fill all the gaps in Shin's story, from her own point of view.

Denise offered her place, so we could talk, but I refused. Although, I'm pretty sure that she wasn't the one who placed that necklace in Angel's locker, I still don't have enough trust in her to go to her territory. I volunteered my own condo, luckily, Denise has her own car so we wouldn't bother Vin and Shin in their classes.

Angel is at the backseat, we just barely calmed her down. The only thing you could hear is the music playing on the radio, the GPS app giving directions and Angel's stifled sobs. We had that awkwardness surrounding us but somehow, it was a bit comforting. Not having to suspect her harassing us, that have been bothering me for quite a while now. It took us twenty minutes to get there. When we got to the entrance of the residence units, I began guiding her inside the parking lot to park on the designated parking space for my unit.

I opened the door and let them inside. I heard them gasp as they walk inside the unit. I decorated it myself, fitted for the needs of a girl who has a life for fashion. It was a two-storey penthouse with a beautiful view of Manila de Bay. Manila de Bay might be gross and dirty up close, but seeing it from this far up, it is breathtakingly beautiful especially on sunsets and sunrises. The first floor is for living necessities, bathroom, living room, bedroom, kitchen and dining while the whole second floor is my work station. It has everything a designer would need for every piece of clothing she would like to made.

"Make yourself at home." I told them with a smile then head to the kitchen to prepare something to eat, but all I have in the kitchens are snacks and beverages.

"You guys want to order food? I only have snacks here." I called out to them from the kitchen.

"Sure! What do you guys want? I'll order." asked Denise while tapping on her phone. We told her what we wanted then realized that I forgot to tell Shin that we already left the university. He's going to kill me if he'd find out after waiting for our class to finish. So, I took out my phone and sent him a text.

{Me, Angel and Denise are at my condo right now.}

But instead of a text message, I received a call from my worst nightmare. I giggled and caught the attention of the two girls in the living room.

"Shin" I mouthed to them then answered the call from my best friend but before I could talk Shin was already yelling at me from the phone.

"Why did you skip class?" I feel like my ears are going to fall off because of him.

"Just ask them where they are." I heard Vin's voice in the background.

"I already know where they are." Shin replied to him.

"They why are we still here?" Vin said clearly irritated with Shin.

"A**hole." He whispered loud enough for me to hear through the phone. "Wait for me!" He then yelled at Vin who I assume is already walking away from him, then the line was cut-off.

I stood there smiling while putting down my phone. I then took out a few snacks and beverages then I suddenly imagined Vin walking out on Shin and getting into his car with an annoyed look on his face. Eyebrows furrowed together, eyes slightly closing then biting his lower lip, looking like a young boy about to throw a tantrum.

"Mitch? Mitch! What are you doing?!" I heard a voice in front of me say. I didn't notice that the two of them are already in front of me. They were both leaning on the opposite side of the island counter cupping their chins with their own hands. They were looking at me with a teasing manner.

"What are you smiling about? You, honestly, look like an idiot smiling by yourself." Angel said to me without even batting an eye.

"It's Vin, right?" She added in a teasing manner.

"Vin Dela Cruz? I knew it! Something is going on between the two of you." Denise said all of a sudden also with teasing in her voice.

"Nothing is going on. He's just an overly friendly jerk." I told them while shaking my head at their childishness.

"He's just overly friendly to you." Denise rebutted in a matter-of-fact tone in her voice.

"For one year that I've been in the university with him, you are the only girl that caught his attention. Usually, he avoids every girl that are throwing themselves at him. And let me tell you that list of girls is almost half of the whole student body population of the school. That's why, when the article about your little date at the mall was such a big deal." She added.

"Looks like Mr. Dela Cruz has his eyes on you Michihiko." Angel teased me, while moving his eyebrows, up and down.

"You guys are crazy." I just replied to them while shaking my head as I wipe off the spilt drink at the counter.

"Are we? Or you are turning a blind eye?" Angel asked me with sureness in her voice.

"There is nothing going on between us. You guys are just overthinking everything." I said to them while shaking my head again as a response.

"How do you expect us, no, everybody to believe that nothing is going on between the two of you, when Vin carried you, bridal style, through the campus?" Denise asked me, not letting the topic go.

"Vin Andrews Dela Cruz, carried you?" Angel asked, wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"Yeah, remember, I fell down the stairs. On my defense, I didn't want to be carried, I sprained my ankle so, I really had no say in that." I tried defending myself, but that only earned me more malicious stares from the two girls in front of me.

"How does it feel, to be carried by The Vin Andrews Dela Cruz?" Angel said in a teasing voice again.

"Was he hard?" Denise asked, that caught both of our attention. We were shocked at how boldly she asked this to me.

"His muscles! Oh my gosh! What were you guys' thinking?" She exclaimed, then laughed our expressions.

"One reason why girls are throwing themselves at him because he's athletic, without even trying. So, its normal for him to have a toned and defined body." I felt heat crept up my face and I knew that I was turning red because of what Denise was saying.

"Oh my gosh Mitch! What are you thinking? You're turning like a tomato!" Angel exclaimed. I then covered my face with my hand while the two of them are ganging up on me. They laughed and teased me non-stop that made my face redder, if that's possible. Our laughter and chats were stopped by the ringing of the doorbell. Angel stood up and headed for the door while me and Denise stayed in the kitchen and finished preparing the snacks.

"Kidding aside, the two of you look good together." She said when I walked to her side.

"Den, please! He's not my type." I said to her as I leaned to the counter.

"Are you sure about that Mitch? Action speaks better than word." She said to me in between her giggles.

"You okay?" suddenly said by a deep voice behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know who this was, I was sure it was him. His warmth and his scent are enough for me to recognize him. His presence alone sends tingles down my spine. My face begun to heat up again then I heard the giggles of the two girls that I've been with all day. I looked at them and the sight I saw confirmed who was behind me. Denise was still sitting at the stool beside the counter and standing by her side is Angel with Shin's arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"What's so funny?" Shin asked the two of them, but instead of answering Denise stood up from the stool and pushed Angel and Shin towards the living room.

"I'm asking you if you're okay?" Vin asked again, this time replacing Denise beside me.

"Yep. I'm fine. We're fine." I said as I reached out for the tray, but he beat me to it. He carried the tray and followed the others to the living room. I was following him when the two girls caught my attention again. With just the expression on their faces alone, tells me that I must have looked like a dazed puppy following her owner with an idiotic smile on my face. I scowled at the two of them and they just respond to me with giggles which confused the two guys with us. We settled down on the sofa sitting side by side. When we heard the phone ring. I answered the phone immediately.

"The food is already at the lobby." I said, then stood up but someone grabbed my hand and stopped me.

"I'll go." Vin said to me then stood up. I just looked at him and he looked assuring that it was okay. I gave him the key to the unit and the card key for the elevator, and he went straight to the door after. As he got out of the unit, Shin's complaints and violent reactions spilled out of him mouth.

"He's been that way the whole way here. He almost cursed me when I told him I already knew where you were." He ranted to the three of us.

"Looks like someone is not just over friendly with someone but also overprotective." Angel commented then winked at me and made Denise laugh out loud that confused Shin.

"What are you guys laughing about?" he asked the three of us, but none of us answered him and we just exchanged meaningful glances.

"You too. The two of you spread your craziness to my girlfriend." He said to me and Denise pointing an accusing finger at the two of us which just made us laugh harder.

"Excuse me Kudo, if someone spread their craziness to Angel, that would be you." Denise said then stuck out her tongue on Shin that shocked Angel.

"You guys know each other?" She asked and it was our turn to exchange glances, before we answer her, the door opened, and Vin arrived at the perfect time. He walked inside and closed the door behind him then placed the food in the middle of the center table.

"We're childhood friends." Shin began as Vin sat down beside me. This shocked Angel even more. Denise started getting the food out from the brown bag and placed them on top of the table.

"But we haven't seen Denise for almost 10 years." Shin added and I nodded as an agreement to what he just said.

"I almost forgot, why did the three of you skipped class?" Vin then asked us. That one question was enough for the three of us to remember the reason why we were here in the condo. Horror began to dawn at Angel's face again and she glanced at me and Denise, tears beginning to form in her eyes again.

Denise brought out the box that we got in Angel's locker and gave it to Shin. The two guys looked at the box confused but Shin took it anyway. Still confused, he opened the box, then shock and worry emerged on both there faces, after a few moments the shock then turned to confusion again.

"Where did you get this? Who owns this?" asked Vin with a stern voice, attempting to cover his worry. Angel was already tearing up as she looked at me. I smiled at her reassuringly and turned to Denise. She was about to speak up when I beat her to it.

"It's mine." I simply said and then I felt four pair of eyes staring at me.

"But I haven't seen it for years. I don't even know when the last time I saw it." I added quickly before they bombard me with questions.

"You remember?" Denise asked shocked at what I just said.

"Yeah, I kept seeing that necklace in the dreams I keep having after…" I stopped mid-sentence and looked at Shin and Vin. They both then realized what I mean and looked at each other.

"What really is happening here? If that's yours then why was it in my locker?" Angel said in confusion and panic. Shin calmed her down and begun telling her the story that he told me and Vin a few weeks ago. Both Denise and Angel calmly listened to everything that Shin said, while me and Vin started cleaning up and put away our trash. When Shin finished, he and Vin then looked at me and Denise with curiosity.

"How did you know that it was Mitch's necklace?" Vin then asked Denise. That caught everyone's attention, Shin and Angel looked at Denise with increased interest in their eyes. I looked at her and she was already looking back at me. I nodded to her then she took a deep breath.

"She showed it to me, ten years ago." And that is how Denise started telling her side of the story from ten years ago.