Chapter 11 - Road Trip

COLLEEN

OF HER EYES, she was afraid. The gleaming of those violet gemstones slathered with ink. Of her lips, she was scornful. The cracks molten into residues of snowflakes falling onto blood. Of her body, she was mindful. The expanse of flesh with no folds or creases, almost as if a walking wired marionette in a dark hall.

A scrawny man loomed, its violet eyes prowling near her, eyes betraying the yearning that sought to hide, with a guttural moan. Then it leapt. into her.

She screamed, forehead clammy from the dream. Another dream of her best friend. But why?

The covers of her duvet were thrown off as she clambered down her bed, arms stretched as she yawned.

The gemstone. Those snowflakes. The marionette.

Eyes. Lips. Skin.

What did that dream even mean? Was she, perhaps, haunting her, because she was dead? The very thought of that made her heart sink.

She only hoped she's wrong.

But that man, that was different.

Other parts were hazy, and those were unimportant, she guessed. In a dream, those that couldn't be forgotten meant something.

"Do you think where Aliza has gone off to?" her dad asked her mom, the mentioning of Aliza's name rousing her from sleepiness.

"Maybe at the twin's house . . ."

*Shit!*

Walking straight to the living room, she had to act like she didn't hear them. There she saw his father with his business attire on as he flipped through the pager of a newspaper. Her mother was wearing hers, too. The sight of those made her eyes beam in delight.

"I've made breakfast before we go off," her mom said, smiling. "Don't try to do anything . . . shady while we're having a business . It'll probably take us two weeks before we're back. "

Two weeks? *Hell, yeah!*

"By the way, why did the three of you lie?" Her dad asked, brows raised.

"We just don't want you to know . . . She wanted privacy!" Colleen didn't know how they'd react. Her dad's stare prolonged, increasing the one-sided tension of the eye contact, and she sighed in relief once her father broke it.

"Hmm, Aliza is really secretive, isn't she?" he commented.

"I don't think that word is accurate; more like 'troubled.'" She drank her glass of

and went to the footwear racks by the door, getting her stilletos. "Gerard, do you think we'll have a goodenough presentation?"

"Well, it's a long shot." Her dad was facing the mirror, comb in hand.

"I hope so," her mom replied. "Colleen, just make sure you'll follow the three rules—"

"Always study hard to get good grades; don't get in too much trouble by dating, partying, etcetera; and don't hang out with Kate and company 'cause they're bad influences," she cut of her speech, smiling.

Her dad was now fixing his hair. "Very good. Now, we'll expect you to abide to just the three of them."

"Yeah, yeah." She leaned on a chair, handling the spoon and gleaning on a spoonful of rice.

"Come on, honey," she cooed.

"Off we go now."

One last thing they did was, of course, the pecking on the cheek, before going out. With her mouth full, she said, "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!"

It seemed as though an hour was wasted (no, spent) for getting ready: eating, going to shower, dressing, and a little bit of make up. This was honestly her best record yet . . . during weekends, of course. The first thing in her itinerary was the twin's place, which she was excited of for no particular reason.

With a soft click after locking the door, she yelped when someone appeared right in front of her, meeting the pinkish red tint of her lips displaying a smile she deemed fake. How, great.

All she had to do was to mimic her, smiling back as if like a reflection, with a little extra—wide eyes, as if being elated at her presence. "Hi, Kate! Good to see you!"

She hugged her, excess of perfume flooding her nose.

"You know, I was worried about you last night. I'm sorry for ditching you." She hugged back, her head on her shoulders, and Colleen though whether she was still smiling or not. Probably the latter.

"Don't worry; that freak didn't do anything horrible to me. Her whereabouts are the least of my worries." She stopped the "affectionate" embrace, both still smiling, blue eyes against blue eyes.

Colleen navigated her surroundings. Two cars were parked, the sun bathing her and the other one with small slathers of yellow, and that's about it.

"Where are the others?" She bit her lip, wishing that they weren't here and that she was just passing by. But the car parked near hers made her wish next to impossible.

"Are your parents still home?"

"They're not here, apparently. They just went home last night and—"

"Say no more, 'cause we're having a road trip!"

"Again." She groaned, just ruining her day, and the sight of Kate hoisting up her arm seemed it to make it much worse.

"What's wrong with that?" She was taken aback, her hand receding. Colleen was too late to realize her mistake, so she just dismissed it as nothing. "Okay . . . Well, what are we waiting for?"

Road trips weren't at fault here; it's Kate and her gang (except one of them, though). From her freshman years up to this day, this was probably her millionth road trip with them. No joke. Despite of that, her parents never noticed.

Okay, occasionally.

But on the lighter note, road trips were entertaining, and would always be. Especially with them.

But why now? She had many things to do! The very thought of having to throw ten hours or more into the window for just a mere road trip made her want to grip the hairs off her scalp. She had many things to do.

She still had to find Aliza . . .

Now she soon found herself within the discomforts of Kate's car, sitting at the back seat beside a guy she scarcely even knew. Good looks. Decent grades. Star basketball player. That was all.

Her head rested on the windows, gazing at the moving tableau filled with trees, flowers, trees, flowers, and then more trees. Those flowers she couldn't name, and those trees getting scarce each year. One was seen uprooted, some of them cut. She couldn't do anything with that, unfortunately.

"'Sup, Colleen?" Mike greeted slash asked, sneakingly snaking his arms around her, pulling her near her. His hazel brown eyes were gorgeous, she'd admit, with blond locks for a curly hair.

"Stop hugging me . . ."

"Oooh, busted again, mate!" Cole, Kate's insufferable boyfriend, exclaimed, while controlling the steering wheel.

"Just leave her alone; she's just not in the mood," Bret said.

"Probably too stressed from all the paperwork," Kate added, which made Cole laugh.

One guy didn't say a word, his phone on his hands. A world on his own. Bret was beside her, her head leaning against his shoulders, making Colleen wish she was her.

"Rick, who are you texting?"

She better stop listening to their conversation, and just look at the scenery outside.

"Andy."

Her head perked, surprise etched on her face. Was she hearing it right?

"Andy, as in Andy the nerd, the know-it-all?" Kate joined the conversation.

"Well, he's the only 'Andy' I know, so . . ."

"Why's he texting you?" Bret asked, getting obviously worried.

"Nothing important."

"Where'd he get your number?" Bret asked, getting compulsive.

"He has all our number," Mike said, hands crossed against his chest, a blue cap covering his hair.

She stared at him, her lips apart with no more words to say, before stopping her interrogation.

Colleen's hands reached for her pocket, picking up her phone, and just as she suspected, Andy messaged him. But that didn't stop her curiosity as to why he texted Rick. She furtively glanced at Mike, and then at the others, and seeing that they were not keeping up an eye on her, she slid through the messages.

*Where the heck are you? You seem to have forgotten our objective! You really don't have a scrap of concern for Aliza, do you?*

That was the content of Andy's message, stinging her chest. How dare he?! Typical: verbose, insulting, and all-out. Aside from blue language, he seemed to have no filter when speaking.

*I'm so sorry. It just so happens that Kate, again, is having a field trip. So I'm obviously invited. You know how she is when she doesn't get what she wants.*

Still no reply yet. The constant running of the car, the overflowing silence inside, and the boredom. Those lulled her to sleep, its mute lullaby weighing down her eyelids. The last thing she saw was the ever glowing ray of the sun.

It seemed as though time didn't move, and she was ridden in that bed of illusion. She was being pushed back and forth. She opened up her eyes, the ray of the sun gone. Mike had been waking her up, seeing that his hands were on her shoulders.

"What time is it?" she asked, squinting her eyes. The others were waiting for her outside.

"4:57."

Oh gosh, she missed lunch. Mischief lingered on Mike's eyes, earning a questioning look from Colleen. "What?"

"You're not used to missing lunch, are you?"

"Uh, no, is that even something to be proud of?" she spat. No remorse. At all.

"No . . ." he drawled.

"So just shut up!"

Mike didn't speak to her again, thankfully.

She clambered outside the car, and she saw the color pink painting the sky. It was almost twilight, and the fun was still starting? Now they trekked up a tall slope of land (and by long, she meant really tall to the extent her legs couldn't take another step) a thick overgrowth of greenery ahead, almost near. Looking back, the car looked small in the distance, as if just a toy. Reaching the top, and just seeing another wasteland of trees. Is this the place Kate wished to go to, or did she lose her mind in the middle of the road?

Below her were big, sinuous roots, covered with moss, partly sticking out from the ground. Seriously, what would they do—

A sight so familiar greeted her eyes. The soft burble of pristine water echoed against her ears, and beyond it lay a steep fall of water cascading down, bursting with a mighty roar so eternal.

"What's the name of this waterfall?"

"Sornium Waterfall," Rick answered.

She stared at it, wide-eyed.

"Seems like you already heard of this place," a baritone voice tickled her ears, which she enjoyed.

"Yeah, this place is magical, isn't it?" She closed her eyes, letting the breeze caress her skin.

Rick chuckled at that, making Colleen stare at her in mortification.

"What?"

"What's so special about this waterfall?" he asked, cringing.

Colleen had no reply to that. She couldn't take that as a bad thing, for it was true; she couldn't take that as a good thing, for her best friend dreamt of coming here.

The photographs Aliza would collect from a local library in town, some printed from Google, and other sources. The way she would tell her of all the local folklores circulating about, one the most known was that its cave behind it was once a sanctuary for its indigenous tribes, where golden treasure was once hidden inside the darkness. Pretty peachy for kids, she supposed. The reason why Aliza held interest for this place was a mystery.

Still, she wished she could just go and visit that place some day . . . with Colleen, with the twins.

"I'm sorry," Rick said.

She didn't reply. She closed her eyes again, feeling Rick's presence fading away. She listened to the water's murmurs, the chorus of the hummingbirds, the leaves gentle whispers.

And then the shout of Kate. "Guys, I want all of your attention!"

They stopped what they were doing.

"I know that this may sound too much of a stretch, but here's the thing." She held a pink blanket. Cole was beside her, his arm around his neck. "Remember last year when you all said you lost your tents? Well . . . I might have stolen it so I can make sure that it'll be in good use. I actually have them stuffed in that heavy bag I was carrying. And why I chose this waterfall? 'Cause it's the nearest out of town, that's why—Oh, and I also prepared some swimsuits for you to wear!"

Then her friends reacted with a sound of approval—some laced with shock, one saying "I knew it!"—except her. She didn't feel anything.

The stars already settled underneath the inky expanse of space, looking down at her. There was the splashing of the water, and some giggling, the moon's reflection distorted. She munched some barbecue, which Kate gave. Marshmallows were heated, crisped golden above the fire in the center, its warm glow radiating around her.

Kate was thoughtful at best, and now ambivalence seeped inside Colleen. She was that kind of friend where she would always prepare and make sure everyone was having fun. But still, the fact that she talk behind their backs?

She didn't know what to feel.

Then a memory she remembered . . . Picking up her phone, she mentally chided herself for having two messages ignored.

*Alright, just have fun there, okay? We're going to try deceiving his dad for his own sake.*

*Hey, about me texting Rick? I'll tell you all about that once you'll come back.*

Dried leaves crunched behind her. "Bret?" Colleen called, more of a question.

"I never thought we would come here." She sat beside her, shifting uncomfortably at the log they were sitting on.

"Same," she said, still biting the barbecue.

"Aliza would have loved this, wouldn't she?" Her eyes stared into space, tone devoid of sourness, just pure . . . longing. Colleen replied no more, staring at deep space, too . . .

A twig snapped, alerting her. A silhouette moved, dashing behind the trees, lurking beneath the shadows. Bret didn't seem to notice it as she just went to the water. She tried to check it on her own, the sound of laughter fading as fear drowned her.

Something glinted, hidden behind the rigid trunk of a tree. She neared it, and her heart seemed to stop beating. A guy she knew, skin as grey as the night, smile like a killer, and eyes flashing a bright violet.

His hands were cold, caressing her skin. He looked different, and she couldn't help but feel helpless as she was stuck in a trance. "Hello, Colleen," he whispered.

And her eyes shot open, her head jerking nervously. She was sitting on the log, and beside her was a confused Bret.

"A bad dream?" she asked.

She only nodded.

"Guys, I found something in the cave!" Cole shouted, a bright glint atop an object above his hands. She only rolled her eyes.

"Hey, it has four stars!"

"It looks weird. What is that?"

"Beats me."

Groaning internally, she looked at the object they were observing, and when she neared it, her heart almost sank for reasons she couldn't explain. "Give me that!"

A transparent orange ball, four red stars entombed. This seemed awfully familiar.

Wait, was this a Dragon Ball?