Special Chapter: Part Two
Kiana’s Point Of View.
EZRA has been the only best friend I have for the longest year until today and it won’t ever change. She was the first one who dared to talk to me and befriend me despite the people gossiping behind her back.
Way back in grade school, I was an outcast. I was a loner and no one wanted to keep me company. I couldn’t get close to anyone because they were scared of me and hated me at the same time. They thought wrong about me. Though I don’t know why, I have the habit of maintaining a poker face and pursing lips, looking intimidating, so it’s more likely to be one of their million reasons.
“Excuse me.”
I stopped munching for a second and put down the burger I was eating. I looked up at the girl of the same age as mine who approached me unanticipatedly at the canteen. Her beauty is intoxicating and there, I knew she was the most popular student on our campus. She has almond-shaped eyes and her heart-shaped lips are red and glossy as if she used lipstick. She has long, curly eyelashes and a normal height for a teenager.
I was starstruck by her for a few moments. I even pointed a finger to myself, hesitating if she was asking me because I wasn’t used to communicating with anyone.
“Is the seat next to you available?” she added.
I slowly nodded. “Yes.”
“Can I sit in if you don’t mind?”
“Sure!” I smiled and motioned for her to sit down. “Don’t worry. No one fills the spot beside me because I always eat here alone.”
She placed the tray of her meal on the table and started eating while glancing at me.
She snorted. “Why?”
“I have no friends to eat with,” I replied in a casual way and continued chewing food.
“Let’s be friends,” she said and extended her hand, which surprised me and effaced the solitude I was savoring for the entire school year.
Even though I was puzzled, I didn’t think twice. I accepted her proposal of friendship and we shook hands.
Who am I to take her offer down?
Only once will such an opportunity come, that’s why I decided to grab the chance instead of being picky. Plus, she’s a Goddess. I can’t reject her to be friends with me.
Until then, we often hung out and we were always together. We were inseparable. I didn’t even once imagine we would become best friends, though I’m glad we did.
Because of her, I learnt to accept the brutal truth of life. She is kind and humble. She’s a down to Earth person. But it never means, she is meek and weak. She is strong and righteous. Believing in her own set of values and principles, she’s a fine woman. I saw her standing strong even when the storm was adamant to destroy everything in her life.
I remember the touching letter I wrote for her on her eighteenth birthday. It’s a present from me. I was aware she has everything so I didn’t give her any gift other than the letter. I put effort and feelings into it so she’d appreciate it more.
Dearest bestie,
Wishing you a happy birthday! You are the strongest support in my life, and I am blessed to have a true friend like you who has always stood by me through the most challenging times. On your birthday, I wish that all your dreams come true and you are showered with happiness and success in life.
Today is the day I think about all of our memories, all the milestones and obstacles we defeated together, and all the happy and sad moments we have gone through side by side.
I remember our late-night phone calls, all of our drunk parties, all of our serious talks, and all the fun we’ve had through the years. I remember the day I met you and the day my life changed for the better.
I know I can’t wave a magic wand and fix you, make all of your problems disappear like a rabbit in a hat, but I can be here for you, always, and I will be.
I’ll be here for you when you’re too stubborn to admit that you need help. I’ll be here for you when you’re scared of what might come after you receive it. I’ll be here for all of it.
I can’t call to the heavens and arrange for them to wash your worries away. I unfortunately don’t have the universe’s contact, or whoever’s up there pulling strings. I can’t control what happens to you and your life, but I can be here when shit hits the fan, and I will be.
I’ll be here for you when you don’t want to hear about the nice things going on in everyone else’s life because you want to feel sorry for yourself. I’ll be here for you when you don’t want others to brighten the dull dark space that’s pushing your thoughts into the corner. I’ll be here and I won’t try to lighten your darkness, or steep happiness into your sadness like it’s tea in boiling water. I’ll let you feel what you’re feeling, and I’ll be here to listen. I’ll be here waiting with acceptance, not judgment.
I can’t master some hypnotic power to make you realize that certain people aren’t good for you, that you and your life would feel so much better without them. I can’t make the bad people go away, but I can be here for you when they continue to come back. I can be here for you when they create destruction, and I’ll be here for you when you’re left alone to clean it up.
I’ll be here for you when bad people make you feel like you don’t deserve anything good in life. I’ll be here for you when those bad people try to take all the good things away. I’ll be here when you feel their words like bruises on your skin, when you play them on repeat inside your head. I’ll be here when those words leave scars that are far too deep for any band-aid to cover up, and I’ll be here to make sure you don’t pick at them, make them deeper than they were from the start. I’ll be here to take your mind away from anything to do with them and the scars they left you with, even if it’s just for the day, for an hour of back and forth texting, only to remind you, you are loved. I’ll be here to remind you how wonderful you are no matter how briefly of a time frame I have to do it.
I can’t fix you. I can’t fix the way you see yourself. I can’t fix your life, your problems, your relationships. I can’t fix any of these things. I want to, but I can’t. So instead, I’ll just be here. I’ll be here for you, because I love you, and that’s what you do for the ones you love.
I’ll be eternally grateful for having you and on this special day, I feel this gratitude the most because this is the day life sent me the best gift ever. The day we celebrate you and your existence.
You deserve the world, but I’ll wish you nothing less than loads of happiness, love, and health. And most of all – I wish for you to always remain the perfect person you are today.
Truly yours, Kiana.
She also shared with me the phrases she put together and piled up to create a heart-warming letter in return for me. I was moved by it.
To my best friend,
They say that everyone enters our lives for a reason. And since I met you, I’ve realized that this is nothing but the truth. Because fate had to have a reason to send you to me when I needed you the most.
From day one, you’ve acted like my big sister and I had no choice but to let you in. You took care of me and you pushed me forward. But at the same time, you were the only one who was always honest with me and the only one who made sure I faced the truth, no matter how harsh it was.
The only one who pointed out my mistakes to me and the one who never hesitated to give me positive criticism. Nevertheless, you never allowed anyone to talk trash me or to diminish me in any way.
From the very first day, I felt like you were this guardian angel God sent to me. And nothing has changed even now, more than a decade later.
The truth is that you are my soulmate, my partner in crime, and my other half. You are the only person in this world who gets me, the person whose opinion I value the most, and the one who can always brighten my day, no matter how crappy it is.
You are my special someone. Despite all the boyfriends who have been part of our lives, you were, are, and always will be my person.
Because you have been the only one who’s always stood by me through thick and thin, through good and bad days. The only one who’s been giving me her endless support from the outset and the only one who never abandoned me.
You’re never too busy to listen to my problems and you’ve never told me that my concerns are foolish or irrelevant, even when they are. You’re always there to wipe my tears away and put a smile back on my face.
I’ve had other friends in life, but you are the only one who stuck around, no matter what. The one who always had my back and who never disappointed me or betrayed me.
Calling you my best friend would be an understatement because, to me, you are so much more.
You may not have been born as my sister, but that doesn’t mean you are not my family.
When nothing goes right, I go to you. You’re my go-to person at every hour. Every step of the way, you were there for me. Through thick and thin, I’ll always be there for you. I am looking forward to many more years of friendship with you.
When Auntie declared Ezra’s engagement with Raiko without discussing it with her, we were dazed. She requested a favor from me and we planned for her escape the night before her wedding day.
I helped her run away and have her freedom. I covered her up to her Mommy and didn’t become noticeable. Even though I knew for a fact Auntie would be angry at me, I’m not threatened or feared.
Then, she introduced me to her new set of friends. I was in great disbelief when she revealed she’s living with seven men in the same house.
I mean, will she be fine there being with those strangers under one roof for the time being?
Although I’m a bit hesitant, when she told me how nice they were and the good deeds they have done for her, I also chose to trust those people.
One day, Ezra called me all of a sudden after I’d gone to a business meeting. She was crying and I was furious. I thought the seven men she was with were at fault for her departure, but it wasn’t. She left their house because she’s afraid of the possibilities and the damages to occur once her Mommy tracked her location down. She can’t involve them with her chaos, so she decided to leave without a trace of her shadow.
I went to her and we saw each other again. I checked her in a hidden hotel and let her stay there for the meantime. But then, she begged me to come to the mall to catch a glimpse of the seven men from afar. She promised it’d be the last time, so I agreed.
I saw the seven men she’s bragging to me and even from a distance, I can’t deny that all of them are good-looking, yet only one stole the fragile heart of mine. I fell in love at first sight with the man who’s wearing a black shirt and a cap back then. Ezra dropped his name and I was even more thrilled. I wanted to see his face clearer.
Xavier is a handsome name.
I stayed by Ezra’s side when she broke down several times. I feel bad for her. She doesn’t even deserve to live a life full of misery and mayhem. I advised her to move on, which she did at first, but I don’t know what happened and the tables turned, because she wanted to go to the birthday celebration of one of the seven.
I went to the party with her and there, I met everyone and I can say, they are fun to be with. We got along well. I was given a chance to have a conversation with Xavier and get his number as well.
After the night of Axle’s birthday, we bumped into each other at the convenience store. I don’t know why they were there of all places.
“Oh, Kiana!” Jeremy called me and waved his hand.
“Are you with Ezra? Can you take us with you?” Clarence pleaded.
“We wanted to see her again if possible,” Iñigo added.
My mouth hung open, speechless for how they value Ezra’s presence. In the end, I couldn’t do anything but grant their request. They saw Ezra again and they slept over at the hotel for a night.
The following day, the seven left early while I bid goodbye to Ezra because Mommy is looking for me in the company and I have a lot of plans to work on.
I was set to leave when I was oblivious to bring the spare phone I have. I forgot it on the couch, so I returned to the hotel to take it. But when I arrived there, the door of her room was open but she was gone. She’s nowhere around the hotel and I have a hunch she’s been abducted.
I contacted the seven and we gathered up. I informed them about Ezra’s disappearance and they immediately agreed to meet.
“I left the hotel earlier an hour after you, but when I was in my car at the parking lot, I remembered that I forgot my phone on the sofa. So, I returned inside. I went back there but I was shocked to see that Ezra was no longer there,” I explained to them.
Hyde washed his face in annoyance and clenched his jaw. I could see the frustration on his face. He worries too much, even I. We were all worried for Ezra. I was stunned when something suddenly entered my mind.
“Couldn’t one of her mother’s staff follow you?” Iñigo asked, which stopped me.
He may be right. It was also the only reason I had in mind. But how?
I thought about it carefully. “In the past few weeks, I also felt that someone was following me, so I tried to mislead him every time. I didn’t go to Ezra’s hotel first because I didn’t want anyone to follow me. I don’t want Auntie to find her,” I replied, which also stopped me.
Couldn’t Auntie have found her? Oh my God!
“Looks like I need to go home,” I said and hurried to get my phone and car keys on the table.
“Wait – We haven’t found Ezra yet!” Clarence halted me.
“I need to know something,” I stated, and they frowned in astonishment.
“What do you mean?” Xavier asked.
I would have smiled because my crush talked to me but then, I remembered we were looking for Ezra so I focused on the plan instead. I need to be serious at the moment.
“I’m going to their house. I’ll find out if Ezra is there. I may be right in my suspicion that she has been found by her mother’s agent,” I replied.
“I’ll come with you,” Hyde suggested.
I immediately shook my head. “You can’t.”
“We’re coming, too,” Joaquin insisted.
I shook again in disagreement. “It’s still not possible. You can’t be hasty in action. It’s dangerous out there and with only one wrong move, everything will get worse. It’d be better if you stay put for a while and please, don’t be stubborn. I’ll keep you informed.”
I didn’t wait for them to howl because I left immediately. I know if Ezra was here, she would definitely not let them either. I know she won’t let them get hurt and be involved. I also don’t want anything bad to happen to them. They were really kind and they got close to me, too. Now I can’t blame Ezra for being comfortable with them that fast.
I stopped walking when I was in the parking lot. At the same time, tears welled up in my eyes because of what I was thinking.
What if Auntie had really found Ezra? What to do now?
***
When I arrived at their house, I immediately entered inside and noticed her heading downstairs from Ezra’s room.
“Uh, Auntie…” I called her, which caught her attention and she turned to me.
“Follow me.”
I nodded and followed her to the veranda. I was shocked when she suddenly slapped me. I touched the part where it sting and blushed.
“How dare you, Kiana!”
“W-Why, Auntie?”
“I know you were Ezra’s accomplice in her escape. Why didn’t you tell me, huh?! Do you think I can’t find her? Well, if that’s so, you’re wrong. Because I will continue their wedding on her birthday.”
I was stunned. So, my conclusion was correct. Our speculation was precise. She had already found Ezra.
“Why don’t you just let Ezra go, Auntie? She’s going to be twenty-four! She knows how to think and decide for herself. Why are you still trying to keep her in your company and under your pants?!” I shouted back, losing patience and speaking up for freedom. “You can’t blame me if I destroyed your trust, Auntie. Ezra deserves to be happy. All her life, she always obeyed you. Will her future still follow you? Will she remain to be your slave for the rest of her life? Think about it, Auntie. It’s simple. She didn’t want the wedding to happen. Why don’t you understand it? When Ezra left, even though her life was simple, she was happy and content. No helpers, no drivers, no guards, she lived alone! She was independent. Let her live what life she wants!”
“Don’t lead me in making decisions for my daughter, Kiana. I’m her mother and you’re nothing but her best friend!”
“Yes, Auntie! I am her best friend! Her best friend who is always there for him. Her best friend who supported her through all these years. Her best friend whom she can lean on when she has a problem. Her best friend who takes care of her. Her best friend who cares and loves her. Her best friend who makes her feel the word family that you should, her parents are doing!”
I was so mad, so I walked out of there before I even exploded and disrespected her.
It’s not perfect timing. I decided not to visit Ezra today. But at least, I know now she’s really here.
I went straight to my car and quickly dialed Hyde’s number. He answered the call immediately. I guess they put it in loud speakers because I heard the voices of the six on the other end of the phone.
“Confirmed. They have found Ezra. We better need to make a plan…”