Roadtrip Day 18
Location: Tacloban City

Alice Flonne's POV:

"Claire, clam down...calm down..."

In a public park in Tacloban, we surrounded our troubled friend, Claire...just to let her speak her intentions...

"That...sniff...that's my best friend way back in my childhood...sniff..." Claire explains. "She's my very first friend...sniff...that I always regard her as my big sister...sniff...I was the only kid of my family...and my parents never attended me because they're always head out to the sea for a living...and that's when she showed up...I'm proud that she's one of my friends...I mean she has a lots of friends across the country...for she's a travel geek...that's why I admire her...and done the same...so many friends...so many people that I could rely on...but in the end...I will still ended up with this her..."

"But...could you tell me why...why she hates you now?" Danica asks her.

"She...she's one of the victims of a very strong typhoon that hit this area...she lost her home...her family...her friends. Before the typhoon hits...she called me...asking for my help...I tried to reach her out...by giving her some strong shelter to brave the winds...but it was already too late...they're become isolated...until the raging storm surge devour them...."

I could see in her eyes that she really regret that missed opportunity...I never thought Claire has problems like these. I mean...when the first time I met her, I envy her as well...she solves all my problems with the help of her friends...friends that I didn't have a chance to meet them...not until she helped me to find my own...Danica...Lexi...Kyle...all the customers that have been a part of me...

"Claire...let me talk to her, okay?" I decided to make a move. "Just don't worry about it...I know what I am gonna do."

"Tha-thanks...sniff...thanks, Alice." Claire then hugged me very tightly.

In this mission, I will go on my own...using my crutches as support...I quickly find that girl...which Claire adorably calls her as Lily. She told me that Lily lives somewhere around downtown. I tried to ask the villagers...but nobody knows the current whereabouts of her...sigh...if only I have one sign of her so I could find her easi-umph!

"Ow!" I didn't see that oncoming lady in front of me that I bump and stumble to the ground...hitting my bottom hard.

"Oh! Geez! I'm so sorry!" The lady panics as she picks up my crutches and offers her hand to get up. "Please...let me help you."

"Hehehe! Don't worry." I accepted her hand and gets up. "I should be the one who should apologize...I'm just lost in thought."

"Say...are you one of the people who works on the food truck earlier?" Then her tone of voice became more serious. "I saw you with that...ugh...that...traitor!"

"Ooh..yeah. Bu-but it do-doesn't me-mean tha-that she se-sent me to reconcile you!" I stuttered my words as I try to explain myself. "I'm do-doing this on my own!!!"

The lady...presumably Lily...looks at me very suspiciously...that I can't move a muscle to calm my nerves...until...

"...sniff...sniff..." She begun to cry...

"He-hey! Ple-please don't cry." I come to her aid and hug her. "Come on...tell me what's bothering in your mind."

And that's when Lily cry so hard on my shoulders. If this is all the anger that she hide inside against Claire...I can see that Lily is taking this very deeply...

"HUHUHU!!! SHE LEFT ME! SHE'S MY MOST CHERISHED FRIEND BUT WHY SHE LEFT ME TO SUFFER?!?! HUHUHU!!!!"

I didn't speak a word to her...as I allow her to drain all of what inside of her heart...so she could finally calm down...and let me speak to her.

"Are you fine now, Lily?"

"Whoa! Ho-how did you know my name?!" Lily was startled with my greetings. "Hehehe! Just kidding...I'm fine...at least, thanks to you."

"Good to hear that." I smile at her to cheer her up. "How about you talk things over on my food truck. It might give you a chance to reconcile with your best friend, Claire."

"Huh?! With her?! With that...girl that left me out of the blue?!" Lily suddenly becomes angry. "I will not talk to her ever again...even she kneels before me and plea! Hmph!"

"Come on, Lily. I'm not siding with either of you but...how can you resolve this dispute if you just snub her?" I tap her shoulder and motivated her. "I know that she won't meant to do such a thing...of leaving you for no good reason at all...just give her another chance, would you?"

...sigh...it just came out from my mouth...Claire's my best friend...just like Lily...and I believe that Claire's a kind...jolly...carefree...and good girl...and she doesn't do anything that harmed me...but...if Lily doesn't believe me...so be it...

"Alright then, I'll try...I give my best shot..."

I hold her hands as we start to walk back to my food truck...but wait...I walked for meters just to find Lily...but I can't find the right way back "home"! Whaaa!!!!

"Hmm? What's the matter?" Lily smiles and curiously asked me.

"Umm...Lily...I'm lost."

"Hehehe!!! That's what I thought!" Lily giggles at me and begins to show the right directions. "Okay, let me guide you back to your truck. It doesn't leave the city market without you, right?"

I didn't noticed that I just walked...and limped only a few hundred meters from the city market just to find Claire's other best friend...hey...I'm not jealous or anything about Claire's other best friend! Besides, she told me back then that she accumulated so many friends around the country that she can afford a group that could guard my house...as well as Lexi's...back in Dasmariñas!

But regardless...everything is according to my plan. And it's Lexi's turn to flip the tables figuratively for Claire and Lily. I won't let this precious friendship be ruined!