CHAPTER 18: Hi?

GABRIEL’s P.O.V.

“Hi!” She waved her little hands in front of my face, flashing a wide smile upon her face.

I felt stiffened, couldn’t believed the fact that she’s just right in front of me now. Moments ago, I’m just asking for this miraculous thing to happen but now that it’s here, I couldn’t even say a word, nor even move a single muscle. I was starstruck by her beauty.

She hasn’t change that much but... She looks really pretty, even before, I guess. The pinkish freckles on her face is still there, as her deep hazel brown eyes was shining through the reflection of the sunlight. Her whole look just complimented her red colored hair.

“Hello!” she shouted. “Gabriel to Earth! Earth to Gabriel!” she added, as she waved her hands right in front of my face.

I grabbed it, before slapping it to myself. It doesn’t hurt that much, but she looked so amused by my recent actions. Only now that I realized that I wasn’t dreaming or anything. She’s real. This is indeed real.

“Why are you slapping yourself using my hand?” she asked curiously, looking at me like I was some kind of a weirdo.

“Erevell...” I trailed off.

I pulled her hand as I stood up, giving her a very tight hug as I heard her gasped in surprised.

“I missed you.” Those three words are the first ones I told her as we met after a long time ago... The time when we became apart from each other.

She chuckled, before returning my embrace. It felt nice, having her in my arms once again. If only that I don’t need to leave her before, then I shouldn’t have. Thankfully, she’s here now, and I finally saw her again. I finally met my bestfriend after a long time of waiting.

“Someone became weirder than I am,” she stated.

“Weird? Nope. I just missed you a lot,” I stated as I pulled away, looking at her intently in the eye.

“Psssh. You asshole! You left me without even saying goodbye,” she complained, looking like she wanted to hit me or something.

“Sorry, I’m sorry. I just... Didn’t your Mom told you about it?” I asked curiously.

“She did. She told me that your Dad has been on an accident. It’s just that... It’s sad that you didn’t even let me wake up before you leave. I knew it, that night was the last night I’m going to see you...”

I pulled her again for another hug, and she didn’t even move nor avoided me from doing that thing to her.

“But I’m here now... So you don’t have to worry anymore,” I stated, before I caressed her hair.

“You won’t leave me again?” she asked, slightly pulling away from me to look up to my face.

“Nope. Mom and I are staying here...”

A wide smile slowly crept into her face. She then tiptoed to hug me again, tighter this time. And then she stopped, before clinging her hands on my arms.

“I suffer two hours of long trip just to get in here. What kind of a friend are you? You didn’t even ask me if I’m hungry or what. You should treat and grab me something for lunch, Gab,” she muttered under her breath while pouting her lips.

I chuckled, before I put my arms around her shoulders. I pulled her closer to my body, as I inhaled her sweet scent. Nothing change. She’s still my bestfriend. My fragile bestfriend.

“Sure, sure. I will buy you lunch... But wait, you just told me that you spent two hours of trip just to came here... Are you alone?” I asked worried.

I remembered how she always passed out from time to time during our high school days. In that case, she should not be left alone. Anything could happen to her when she doesn’t have someone with during this whole time.

“Yeah... I escaped from my Mom.”

“You what?! What if you pass out, silly?! Two hours is a long way from home...”

“I know. But I wanted to see you. I heard that you already came back here so I decided to escape from home just to see you again. So you should be thankful, you know.”

“That was so risky! You’re crazy!” I cried, thinking what will her mother do to her.

“Please don’t worry about my Mom,” she stated, as if reading my mind. “I can handle myself now. Besides, I’m not the same fragile Erevell before. I can now do some things alone... Even without you.”

That hurts. It gives me a weird feeling in my chest. Is this her way of guilt tripping me? Because if it is, then she just succeeded.

“Are you alright? You looked bothered,” she noticed.

“Sorry. I’m just thinking about something. And...”

“And what?” she asked curiously.

“Sorry for leaving you behind. I always wish that things would be... You know, somehow different from what really happened to us before.”

“Yeah, me too. Though I’ve learn to live a life without you for a year... But yeah, you know. It’s sad being alone... Things are better with you.”

“Do you miss me too?” I asked her, that question coming from out of nowhere.

“I’ll tell you the answer to that question after you feed me.”

I laughed, before pulling her to the nearest food stall in our location. We grabbed something for lunch, before we sat down on a bench, starting eating for Erevell looked like she’s really hungry after two hours of trip.

“I miss this food. And yeah, I miss you too.”

I stopped for a moment, before looking up to her. She smiled, and my heart almost melted because of that.

“Really? Well I’m glad to know about that. I thought you won’t need me anymore because you already learned how to be alone...” I trailed off.

“Gosh, Gab. Is that even possible? You’re still my bestfriend. And I’d always wished every single day of my life without you that we could do everything together again... You know, like what we did in high school.”

She looked up, as if reminiscing something. She then smiled, giving me an idea for us to do... Not now, but maybe sooner or later.

“You know what, we could always do a reenactment, Erevell.”

“Really?” She looked at my direction, surprised. “But, how?”

“We can do anything that you wanted to do now. I will never leave again. We got all the time in the world to reenact everything and anything.”

She chuckled, before looking at me straight in the eyes.

“I like that idea... But, speaking of time...” She looked down on her wrist watch. “Gosh. I need to go now, Gab. Mom was probably worried sick waiting for me.”

I instantly finished my food, before getting up. She looked at me confusedly, before asking another question.

“Uhm... What are you doing?”

“I’m going to bring you home.”

“What? What are you saying? You can’t do that...”

“And why not, huh?” I asked, as if challenging her. “You said it was only two hours. I got four hours as a round trip. It’s only one in the afternoon. I can make it home without Mom even noticing it. Besides, it is the safest way to go. You need to be with someone.”

She looked pale, before scratching her head, looking dumbfounded.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I lied to you, Gab. It’s four hours. You can’t take me home. Your Mom will be mad.”

“What?! Four hours? Why did you come here? What if something bad happens to you on your trip? Now I’m definitely gonna take you home.”

“No,” she stated firmly, before I felt her hands on mine. “You can’t, Gab. Besides, the fare is too pricey. You wouldn’t make it there on an empty pocket. A trip like that should be planned out. And please don’t worry about me, okay? Remember my operation? The doctors already fixed me. I won’t passed out on the road, I promise.”

Somehow, her words calm me down. She then smiled, and I just did the same.

“Fine. I’ll let you go. But please don’t you ever do this again, okay? If you really want to come here, text me. We need to exchange numbers.”

“Sure.”

We exchanged cellphone numbers as planned, before I walked her to the nearest train station home. Before getting in, she stopped, looking at my direction before saying anything.

“I wanted to see you tomorrow, Gab. Please fetch me from home,” she stated, almost begging.

There is something in her eyes that was pulling me in to make me say yes, so I did. I nodded, before getting her address. A wide smile suddenly formed on her lips before finally waving her goodbye to me, entering the train.

As I leave the train station, I cannot suppress the smile forming on my lips anymore. Although she seems weird, I don’t worry at all for she always been like that ever since we met. Weird and fragile at the same time.

When I arrived home, I told Mom everything about it, and she couldn’t believe it as well as me. She even gave me enough money just to fetch Erevell tomorrow, for she wanted to see her too.

After having a dinner together, I lay down on my bed, thinking about what happened earlier. I can’t believe it. I saw her. I saw my bestfriend. And tomorrow, we will meet each other again. I can’t wait for that thing to happen. I can’t wait to reenact everything that we’ve done before. Maybe it’s true that the reason behind why you can’t sleep at night is because your reality is becoming better and better than your dreams.