"Hello, engineers!"
Noah beamed when his friends looked in his direction upon hearing his voice. It has been two years since that day â the reason why they all met up in a coffee shop near St. Louie University.
"Oh, here comes the sad boy," Hailey whispered as her eyes followed him until he reached the table that they are occupying.
"I said hello," Noah repeated, still smiling. "No one's going to greet me back?"
"Hi."
A familiar voice from his back made Noah freeze. He slowly turned and saw a lady holding a tray with their drinks. He had to catch his breath when his eyes met, for the first time in two years, the most unique pair of orbs they have ever seen.
"And here comes my girl," Arkin smirked. That made Hailey, who was sitting next to him, look at him in disbelief. And before he could say another word, he received a hit on his arm, causing his wheelchair to roll backward. "That hurt! I was just kidding!"
"Make that joke again and we're done!" Hailey whispered in gritted teeth, giving him a warning look.
Arkin smirked again, this time in a sarcastic manner. "You're not breaking up with me."
Hailey could only roll her eyes. She then looked again at the two who are still standing in front of them.
"H-Hi, Allysa," Noah said, sounding awkward.
Nothing could have made him feel any other way as seeing the woman in front of him took him back to that day, two years ago, when they first met. Images of St. Louie University, their batchmates, and blood flashed inside his mind. He suddenly felt the same chills, the same horror, together with the same amusement at the person who took their life and death situation as a mere challenge. He felt everything only that day has ever made him feel.
He had to take a deep breath to put his smile back. "How are you?"
Ally smiled as well. "Doing fine, I guess."
"You know, you two can catch up while sitting, right?" Hailey sarcastically reminded them.
Noah looked like he was snapped back to reality. Right, he thought, that was two years ago. "Ah, y-yeah." He swiftly took the tray from Ally and placed it on the table.
"Strawberry's mine." Hailey beamed upon seeing her pink drink.
"You haven't even greeted me yet."
Just like that, Hailey's annoyed expression returned. "You're late again, Noah Reyes."
"We still have half an hour before the program starts, Engineer Concepcion," Noah answered in the same flat tone.
"You should've just hitched a ride with your cousin here."
"Engineer Rodriguez was in a hurry this morning to fetch his girlfriend," Noah answered again, giving Arkin a glance.
Hailey looked at Arkin as well upon hearing what Noah said. She was about to say something but held back and just rolled her eyes at him again.
"What the fuck?" Arkin sarcastically chuckled. "I'm literally a guy in a wheelchair but I hurried to fetch my girlfriend, and I don't get a kiss?!"
Hailey's eyes widened. "Arkin, you stupid jerk, people might hear you!"
Instead of keeping quiet, Arkin just took another deep breath, preparing to speak louder. He raised his right hand and pointed at Hailey while looking around at the other customers inside the coffee shop. "She's my girlfriend, we kiss every time. That's a normal thing!"
Hailey was so embarrassed that she had to cover her face with her hands. She whispered numerous curses to Arkin and stopped only when she heard Noah's soft giggles. She looked up at him and gave him a glare. "And why the hell are you laughing?!"
"Why â Can't I be happy?" Noah innocently defended himself.
It was Arkin's turn to laugh when he heard what his cousin just said. "You don't have to fool us, dude." He then turned to the lady sitting next to Noah. "Right, Allysa?"
Ally's eyebrows furrowed in genuine confusion. She gave Arkin and Hailey a questioning look before turning to the man beside him. "W-Why? Are you alright?"
Noah forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm okayâ"
"They have broken up, him and Phoebe," Arkin cut his cousin's words. Ally and Noah both looked at him, one in slight shock and the other in embarrassment. He smirked. "They've been on and off after that day, right, Noah?"
"O-Oh..." Ally just awkwardly nodded, having no idea what to say and how she should react.
"Phoebe actually talked to me," Hailey shared. She took a sip from her strawberry drink first before continuing. "She was trying to work things out and she knows that you were also doing your best to keep the relationship going, but she said it was too obvious that something has changed after that day."
"The heart can't lie," Arkin casually muttered, avoiding eye contact with his cousin who seemed to be begging with his eyes for him to shut his mouth.
"Well..."
Noah, Arkin, and Hailey turned at the same time when Ally spoke. They are all waiting for what she will say next.
"A lot has changed, since that day, for real." Ally gave them a sad smile. "Right?"
Hailey's eyebrows slowly went down as she took a deep breath. She pushed her back on her seat and looked up at the ceiling. "What really happened that day?"
"We were caught in the middle of someone else's family problem?" Arkin said, almost shaking his head. He put an elbow on top of his wheelchair's armrest and rested his chin on his palm.
The table of the four suddenly fell silent. They were equally speechless as everything that happened on that terrible day returned to their minds.
"You were very brave that day."
Ally turned to her right and was slightly surprised when she saw Noah looking directly into her eyes. With the smile he was giving her, she felt the familiar rush of confidence and comfort again. She found herself smiling too.
"I was just not scared to die that day."
Noah's smile faded.
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