True Friend

-DWAYNE-

Ever since I was a child, my parents, especially my mom, decided that it was best for me to be kept in our house and was never allowed to go outside. Unless, of course, if I had to do some photoshoots or filming during that day.

I never mentioned this to the whole class, but I was once a famous child star back then. Only Sasha knows about it.

At first, I was home-schooled by my mother since I was too busy at that time with the films where I was cast to. I was alone all the time in my room, and all I do is to go beside my window sill and looked at other kids who were free to play outside for as long as they want.

I was like that for too long, until I met a girl named Chelsea.

With an idea in mind that maybe she is a child by one of my parent’s closest friends, Chelsea always visited me in my room and brings toys for me to play with. Thanks to my parents who allowed her to accompany me, I never felt alone after that.

Whenever I’m done with my film projects or with homeschooling, Chelsea was always there patiently waiting for me in my room with her set of toys scattered on the floor. I was always excited to go home because of her.

“Mom, how long does this gonna take me? I have a friend waiting for me in my room.”

I remembered saying this to my mother one time during one of my homeschool sessions with her, who is a registered elementary teacher.

“Who’s that friend of yours, son?” my mom curiously asked as she prepares our lesson for today.

“You know her, don’t you? Her name’s Chelsea, one of your friends’ child perhaps?” I said casually.

I will never forget the baffled look in my mother’s face when she suddenly paused from what she was doing and looked at me. My seven-year-old self that time looked at her, puzzled by her sudden reaction.

“Mom? What’s wrong?” I asked back then in my most innocent voice.

“Dwayne...you don’t have any friend nor my friend’s child who visits you here,” she replied.

Of course, my seven-year-old self was clueless about what my mom said. I don’t believe her at that time. I was convincing myself that Chelsea is real. All of her is real, even I could touch her with ease.

After that conversation with my mom, I was shocked to know that my parents’ decision about me being home-schooled had changed all of a sudden after a year. They started enrolling me in this exclusive school when I reached 3rd grade.

I don’t have anything against it. In fact, I was really happy to know that I won’t be locked up in my room anymore and I could have kids to play with me instead of Chelsea alone.

***

“Hello. I’m Sasha.”

The moment I started going to school, that’s also the time I met the girl who captured my heart, who’s name is Sasha Vasquez. She was the only one who dared to go near me and to be friends with me since other kids that time were either too overwhelmed with me or doesn’t treat me nicely just because I’m a child star.

But Sasha was different. Despite her attitude being fierce ever since I came to know her, but she still manages to stick by my side no matter what happens. And that’s what I adored about her.

However, it didn’t take long before I saw Chelsea’s presence started to appear in school as well. Whenever I’m with Sasha, I could always see her from a distance, her eyes would always glare at my newly-found friend. She was just there… silently watching us from afar.

That’s what I thought…

There was this certain incident in school wherein at first I was having a happy conversation with Sasha about the movies that we had watched on that weekend. I was just happy listening to her as she informs me of the movies she watched, when suddenly… Chelsea appeared out of nowhere.

My eyes went round when I saw her holding a sharp knife, with its ponty edge ready to stab Sasha any time from now.

Of course, due to panic, I immediately pulled Sasha away from her and shouted at the top of my lungs, forgetting that we were at the school canteen at that time.

“Stay away from her!”

All students and canteen staff paused from what they were doing and looked towards me with a mix of confused and teasing looks on their faces.

“What is happening here, Dwayne?” Sasha asked, also confused like other kids.

“There’s Chelsea behind you, holding a knife,” I said frantically.

I saw Sasha’s confused look grew even more when she turned around and seeing no one behind her. Other students who witnessed me going frantic all of a sudden laughed at me endlessly.

Now, my eight-year-old self that time can’t take their insulting laughs so I stormed out of the canteen and went somewhere where I could be alone, specifically to the playground where kids were not here during classes.

There, I sat on the swing and let out my frustrations. When I turned to my right, I saw Chelsea was there, looking back at me, with the knife gone from her hands.

“Why you did that for?” I angrily said at her. “She’s my friend!”

“I’m your friend too, right?” she replied, with her round, blue eyes looking back at me.

When I didn’t immediately respond to her question, her face instantly changed into someone who was gone lunatic.

“Right?” she repeated, only more stern this time.

“You know what, go away! If you were my friend indeed, you wouldn’t hurt my friend!” I said. Chelsea’s eyes widened in disbelief.

I was about to walk out of that scene but Chelsea managed to grab my right hand. When I turned to tell her to let me go, her face had got insane.

“You’ll regret this day that you have turned your back on me!” Chelsea’s lips curved up into a maniac smile. “You’ll see.”

That was my last encounter with Chelsea since then. Strangely, she hadn’t shown up herself after that, but that feeling I felt when I saw her maniac face haunted me down in my sleep.

My parents were so worried about me that they decided to bring me to a psychiatrist one day.

“Your son has symptoms of schizophrenia.” The psychiatrist said, as gentle as she could.

“What is that?” I curiously asked.

‘Well, schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations and delusions.” she tried to explain in terms that an eight-year-old kid could understand.

“In other words.” the psychiatrist continued, seeing the confused look that was still plastered on my face. “You can see things that are not real and are not visible to others.”

Upon realizing what she meant, my eyes instantly widened. My eight-year-old-self interpreted it like I was gone mad or something like that.

The doctor advised me and my parents to have at least someone who I could seek emotional and moral support. My parents had known Sasha for quite some time now, so they would always have her invited to our house to play with me.

However, since that time that Chelsea threatened me, I also stopped hanging out with her or with anyone else to keep them out of trouble. Ever since I did that, Chelsea stopped approaching her as well, and that made me sighed in relief.

Even if it hard for me to keep my distance away from her, I tried my best to stay okay. Without her by my side, my life even gets darker by the minute.

But fate had something hidden in its sleeves. When we both reached high school, I was surprised to see her enrolled in Alpha Section as well.

Yesterday at the restroom, I could still remember the moment I finally confessed my feelings for her and was glad that she was also feeling the same way. That’s when I realized I couldn’t outrun destiny at all.

Somehow, that incident that haunts me back when I was a kid starts to slowly fade away in my memories.

***

On our first night in Eastwood High as a dating couple, we both decided to use the school’s swimming pool for a night dip. As an Alpha Student, one of our privileges as well is to use the infinity pool for as long as we want.

“Let’s go for the diving ramp, shall we?” I heard Sasha said all of a sudden when we were in the pool for almost five minutes from now.

“Alright then.”

Since Sasha and I are both swimmers, I agreed to her request. I took the risk first to dive off from the ramp. As soon as my body descended and hit the waters, it immediately created a splash sound and ripple effect in it.

I looked up to Sasha who was already positioning herself to jump.

“You can do it!” I cheered her up.

“Okay, here I come.”

I was smiling from ear to ear as I watched from here when something caught my attention all of a sudden.

I saw the familiar figure of my old friend Chelsea, who never aged at all, also dipping herself in the pool just below the ramp. Like me, she also waits for Sasha to go down in the pool as well. My mind went black when I saw he grimaced at her.

Way back on my first encounter with my psychiatrist, she told me, for countless times already, that Chelsea’s not real and that I should also convince myself that is just a figment of my imagination for her to leave me alone.

But why? Why do I still feel this same scared feeling I felt back there in the playground?

“Sasha, don’t jump!” I tried to warn Sasha, but I was too late to do so since she already left the ramp and jumped her way down to the pool.

I turned to look at Chelsea, who in turn suddenly disappeared from where I last saw her.

“You’ll regret turning your back on me…”

Chelsea’s final words back then echoed in my mind and haunting me once more. I felt adrenaline kicked in my system and swam my way towards where Sasha landed.

“Help….Dwayne!”

The moment I heard her screaming voice yearning for help, I even swam as fast as I could until I was able to reach where she was. I quickly held her arms to support her balance and made another kick until we were able to reach the edge of the pool.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt somewhere?” I asked with a hint of concern in my tone.

“I think I suddenly had muscle cramps,” she replied.

Moments later, I helped her get out of the pool. As soon as both me and her were just about to change back to our original clothes, I suddenly stood frozen when I once again saw Chelsea standing behind Sasha, with a sharp-pointed knife clutched on her right hand and is ready to stab her any minute from now.

Just like the old times…

“Please, don’t hurt her!” I pleaded with Chelsea while grabbing Sasha away from her. I even tried to use my property to her, but she didn’t budge one bit.

“Dwayne, what’s wrong?!” Sasha said with a puzzled look while tapping both of my cheeks. When I didn’t answer, she arched one eyebrow at me. “It’s your old friend, isn’t it? The one your parents told me about.”

I slowly nodded my head at her while my eyes were glued to the ground.

“Ssshh… don’t be afraid. She’s not real… I’m here, and I’m willing to help you.” she said to calm me down, encircling her arms around me.

I shut my eyes, took a deep breath, and gathered my willpower altogether to convince myself that she’s not real.

My parents were right.

My doctor was right.

Sasha is right.

Chelsea is not real!

And with that thought now forever glued in my memory, I slowly opened my eyes and all I could see right now id the beautiful face of my lovely girlfriend as she pulls away from our hug.

“Are you feeling fine now?” she asked with still a hint of concern.

A smile curved up on my lips as I looked at her. “Yes. Never been better.”

I know this disorder of mine is already a lifelong illness. But with the help of my ever-supportive girlfriend, my parents, and together with Alpha Section…

I know someday I can be cured of this illness. I’ve just got to believe in possibilities.