Thanks for all the replies. Thanks for waiting. Have fun this sembreak! [hr] [b]Chapter 15[/b] It wasn't long when I found out what was really happening. It was when Rhys stopped going to school for around a week already, and so did his brother. "Vince.. can we talk?" Vince stopped and looked at me. "Bakit?" Lumapit siya saken at pumasok kami sa Kuppa, isang coffee shop. "Anong nangyayari kay Rhys? I haven't heard something from him for almost a week already." I asked worriedly. "Hmm.. well.." Umiwas siya sa tingin ko at tumingin sa malayo sa labas. "Vince.." Huminga siya ng malalim before looking at me back again. "Sa totoo niyan.. I'm not really sure kung anong nangyayari sa kanya." He sipped from his drink. "Pero according sa Dad ko, there's something wrong with their business." He looked at me again. "And.. I guess, alam mo na kung bakit." He then stood up. "Una na ako." Naiwan akong nakaupo dun sa coffee shop while watching Vincent walking away from me. [i]"..alam mo na kung bakit."[/i] Could it be that Dad really had his word on us? On Rhys? I dialed his number pero off yata ang phone niya. It's been like this since last week. Then I dialed his number on his house, it was answered. "Yes, good afternoon?" "G-good afternoon. May I speak with Rhys?" I asked shaking. Silence. Isang pananahimik na nakakabingi. "Wala siya." She said firmly. "And please don't call here again." Then she hanged up. Hindi ko alam pero parang.. ang bigat-bigat ng pakiramdam ko. Hindi ko rin namalayang tumulo na ang mga luha ko sa mga mata. I guess these were the tears that I kept on holding back since.. last week. I missed him so much and I am so damn worried.. and I feel like giving up. "Miss.. hanky?" I saw a hand with a brown checkered handkerchief stretched out to me. I slowly looked up kasi the voice isn't familiar. "It's alright. It's clean." I was still looking at him.. puzzled. "Promise." He smiled in an assurance. I cried one last time, stood up and ran outside. I never looked back. Nang dumating ako sa bahay, nagmukmok lang ako sa kwarto with the phone on my hand. Dial ako ng dial sa number nila pero tuwing nagriring ito, ang Mommy niya ang nakakasagot. And everytime his Mom answers it, nanginginig ako.. natatakot.. na baka lumala lang ang sitwasyon. [i]Until..[/i] "Hello.." Silence. [b]RHYS.[/b] "Geez. Kung wala kang magawa sa buhay mo, can you stop calling our number? It's getting on our nerves here." Silence. Silence. Anong sasabihin ko? "Whatever." Silence. "R-rhys.." I said in a very low voice. Then for around 7 seconds, all I heard was silence.. and then, a long deafening beep on the phone. He hanged up. He hanged up on me. And I felt my tears at my cheeks again. And as the days go by.. I felt more desperate and alone. Rhys never calls me.. Rhys never sees me again. Rhys never talks to me again. Rhys.. was like a bubble who disappeared at nowhere. "Vincent.." I was crying. I was crying so hard. Vincent hurriedly came running down to me. "What happened? Ba't ka umiiyak?" "Nasan..[i] *hikbi* [/i]nasan na ... si Rhys?" I was asking him questions. I was asking him this and that. I was asking him about Rhys praying to God that Vincent may somehow give me the answers. "Yana.. Yana.. tumigil ka sa kakaiyak." He said leaning closer to me. "I can't.. I just can't. I wanna see him. I wanna know what's happening. I wanna know.. if we.. we should.. still keep on fighting.. or just.." "Give up." He continued the most heart-breaking words I've ever heard from a friend yet in my whole life. I looked at him.. my eyes widening. "Give up Yana. Please do. Hindi mo alam kung anong pinagdadaanan ni Rhys ngayon." "Pano ko malalaman if no ONE DARES to TELL ME?!" "You really wanna know?!" "Vincent.." "Their business suddenly went bankrupt! It was so sudden that even my Dad couldn't help them. That even my own Dad was paralyzed by your father! And since their business was bankrupt, he wasn't able to take exams last week and so did his brother Paolo. Kaya Yana.. mag-isip ka. This is not just about the two of you. This includes Paolo. This includes the lives of other people. Don't be selfish. Alam kong alam mo kung anong dapat mong gawin ngayon. Kaya Yana.." "No.. No.. He promised we won't give up! He promised we should do this together. He promised.." "Yana!" Vincent shouted. "Promises are meant to be broken.. especially kung may mga taong nadadamay niyan." I stopped.. and Vincent hugged me. [b]February 17, 2008.[/b] Rhys never called me nung Valentines. He didn't even send me some flowers or did anything special. Wala. So wala. I just cried all night sa kwarto ko. I even lulled myself to sleep through crying. Great. I'm still fighting. I'm still hoping and praying na may mangyayari pang maganda sa relasyon na ito. I still do. Pero sabi nga nila, it's hard to fight for something.. when the other one gave up already. It's either you give up too or keep on fighting.. with no reason na lang at all. And tomorrow.. dapat 5 months na kami. 5 months. Are we finished? Are we done with each other? Kasi ako, kaya ko pa. Kasi ako, lalaban pa ako. Kasi ako, mahal ko pa siya... [quote][i]1 message received[/i] RHYS :] Hey. Missed you. Can we see each other tomorrow? Same place. 530pm. I'll wait for you. Mua mua. TC.[/quote] Suddenly, my world stopped turning. I just stared at the message for the longest time. Rhys.. Si Rhys.. He texted me and he misses me! [quote]ME: Sure. I'll see you there. Missed you too. Mua.[/quote] I waited til God knows when.. but he didn't reply. But at least diba, he sent me a message. That was great enough. And I'm going to see him tomorrow! "Hello.. Vince.." "Yeah?" "Are you busy tomorrow?" "Baket?" "Baka.. Vince.. for the last time.. please.. " "Yana-" "For the last time.. please." I begged. Silence over the line. "Okay. For the last time." He said and hanged up. February 18th. Happy 5th Monthsary. I'm so damn excited. Vincent fetched me at the house and pumayag naman si Dad. When we reached SM.. "Dito na lang Vince. Thank you so much." I smiled and hugged him. "Yana.. just be careful." He said. "I don't want you to get hurt." "Vincent.." I smiled. "Alam mo na.. this is a battle where victory is undecided. It's either you win.. or you lose - big time. So I hope you go to the batte prepared. Iyan.." He pointed my heart. "Dapat full-armored yan." He smiled. "And Yana.." "Yes?" [i][b]"If you need a tag.. I'm always here to fight for you." [/b][/i] He then smiled and walked away. [hr] CHAPTER 16 [quote]My eyes widened and I felt like I couldn't move. I wanted to scream but no voice came out from my throat. I just stared at him.. in silence. "I'm sorry." That was all he was able to say. I knew then what was going on. I knew then what's going to happen soon. And I didn't wait for an explanation. It was all explained very well. And the ending is that.. [b]I gave up[/b]. Why? [i]Because at that instant, it was finally revealed to me that I was the only one left standing up and there's no need to continue the fight..[/i][/quote]