Drugged

The moment I opened my eyes the next day, I was welcomed by a distinct scent of waterlily. Teka, nasa gubat ba ako?

Shaking my head, I stretched myself up in bed. Okay, so nasa kama ako. Pagtingin ko sa paligid, napansin ko ang puting pader sa buong kwarto. May isang wardrobe sa gilid at may dresser sa tapat ng kama. Kita ko ang pagkalito sa aking mukha habang nakatingin ako sa salamin sa aking harap.

I was definitely not in my room.

Agad akong tumayo at nagtungo sa labas ng kwarto. Sinundan ko ang amoy ng pancakes hanggang sa makarating ako sa kusina kung saan may nakita akong isang figure ng lalaki.

My jaw dropped the moment I realized his all-black outfit. Even with his back facing me, I could tell that it was him.

"You're awake? How was your sleep?"

Hindi na ako nakaalis pa nang magsalita ang lalaki. Tumalikod na rin siya kaya nagtama ang tingin namin habang may hawak siyang frying pan. May suot pala siyang puting apron kaya nagmukha siyang cute na chef.

I shook my head at that thought. Composing myself, I asked him, "Ano'ng pinainom mo sa akin? At bakit dinala mo ako dito sa bahay mo?"

"Koleen, anak..."

Napatigil ako sa narinig kong mahinang boses mula sa aking likuran. Turning around, I saw a familiar petite woman walking towards my direction. "Ma? Ano'ng ginagawa niyo dito?"

"Anak, kumain ka na muna bago tayo mag-usap," my mother's voice remained calm despite my tone.

"Ano ang sasabihin ninyo? Na kayong dalawa ng lalaking ito?" I glanced at the guy in apron, whose eyes were also directed at me.

"Konstant, just let your mom talk," Jalen reprimanded me.

I shook my head. Akala ba niya madidiktahan niya ako? "No! I'm not staying. I don't have to listen to any of your explanations. This is absurd!"

Without any hesitation, I walked away from them, closing the door hard behind me. Hindi pa man ako nakakalayo sa hallway, narinig ko ang mga yapak na humahabol sa aking likuran.

"Konstant, wait!"

Hindi ako tumigil sa paglakad. Tuloy-tuloy lang ako hanggang sa maramdaman ko ang paghawak niya sa aking kamay.

"I'm sorry," Jalen hushed, making me turn to face him. His eyes glistened as he stared at me.

I exhaled a breath, squinting at him. "Plinano mo ba ang lahat ng ito? Kaya mo ako pinainom ng drugs o kung ano man ang nilagay mo sa tubig mo?"

Staring at me with his gray eyes, he spoke again, "I added a sedative in my drink. It's for my insomnia. I can stay awake for days without sleeping if I don't take that medication."

I swallowed hard. Hindi ko naisip na may ganun pala siya. Mukha naman kasi siyang laging energetic sa tuwing nakikita ko siya. Parang hindi kulang sa tulog.

"Believe it or not, I didn't plan any of this. I was trying to call your friends, so I can drop you off at your apartment, but none of them were picking up. And then, your dad told me he was still on duty, so I had to drive you here to your mom's place, where I know you'll be the safest."

Tahimik lang ako habang pinoproseso ko ang mga sinabi niya.

"I'm really sorry. I wasn't thinking when I gave it to you."

Before I could even reply again, my phone beeped inside my jeans pocket. Kinuha ko ito at nakita ang ilang messages galing sa kaibigan ko.

Hailey David:

K, san ka na? Dito na kami sa booth.

Nakalimutan mo ba ang bake sale natin?

Reply asap

Without uttering another word, I left the guy standing in front of me.

#

"Where is everybody?" Tinaas ni Alexis ang phone niya habang naka-livestream siya sa IG. Her pink lips followed the shape of her brows as she scanned the area.

Nakatayo lang ako sa booth namin na malapit sa building ng Nursing department, arms folded over my chest as I counted the ants marching on our table. Walang sinabi ang bilis ng paglakad nila sa bilis ng pitik ng puso ko. I was actually winning if I was competing in it.

Patuloy lang si Alexis sa pag-livestream niya kahit na wala namang taong bumibili sa bake sale namin. Dapat siguro sa ibang building kami pumwesto.

"K, pwede bang tawagan mo yung mga boys para bumili dito?" Hailey ordered me.

Nilingon ko yung babaeng sumiko sa akin. Nakakunot na ang noo ni Hailey dahil na rin sa init ng panahon. Nilabas ko ang cellphone ko para tawagan ang lalaking pwedeng tumulong sa amin.

"K, what's up? Don't tell me yayayain mo ulit akong lumabas?"

At this point, sanay na ako sa mga hirit ng lalaking ito kaya pinalagpas ko nalang. "André, pwede ba kayong bumili dito sa bake sale namin? Para ito sa fundraiser."

The guy exclaimed. "What? Ngayon na?"

"Oo, ngayon na!" My voice came out a notch higher than usual. Bakit kasi uminom ako ng kape?

"Sino ang nag-bake? Ikaw ba? You don't even know how to bake."

Of course he would say that.

Sighing, I dropped my phone, about to leave him hanging, when suddenly I saw Audrey approaching with a huge placard on both hands.

The girl waved at me, and I smiled at her in acknowledgement. A surefire solution crossed my mind. "Tutulungan kita kay Audrey." Sorry, Audrey. Ginamit ko pa pangalan mo.

"You accept card, right?" Agad-agad na tanong ni André.

"Oo."

"We'll be there in 10 minutes."

A silent squeal of someone prompted me to hang up my phone as I saw Alexis wiggle her brows beside me, her attention completely off of her phone and directed somewhere afar. "May poging paparating!"

"How much are these cookies?" A guy in black long-sleeved shirt asked, catching my attention. Ano na naman ang ginagawa niya dito?

Jalen casually lifted his brows at me, a small curve forming on his lips. His face glistened with sweat, but despite that, he still looked good. Ano na naman itong iniisip ko? Galit pa rin dapat ako sa kanya.

"Fifty pesos each lang para sa isang box ng mini cookies." Tinuro ni Alexis isa-isa yung mga benta namin. Nagamit pa niya ang influencer skills niya.

The guy broke his gaze from me as he grabbed a box from the table. "Cool. It's for the fundraiser, right?"

Alexis nodded, shooting heart eyes at him.

"I'll have one box." Kinuha ni Jalen ang wallet niya galing sa backpack nito at inabot ang isang libo kay Alexis. "Keep the change."

"Sure ka? Ayaw mo ng sukli?" Tanong ni Alexis at tumango naman ang customer namin.

"Nandito ka ba para makita si Bri? Wala siya dito." Biglang sambit ni Hailey sa tabi ko.

"No. I came to see her." Jalen lifted his chin in my direction, confusing the other girls beside me.

Tinaasan ko ng kilay ang lalaki. Excusing myself from the girls, I pulled the guy to the side and glared at him. "Ano na naman ba ang kailangan mo?"

"How are you feeling?" Tanong nito habang nakatitig sa akin.

"Okay na nga ako, okay?" I muttered, controlling myself from shouting at him.

"I know it's my fault and I'm sorry. That's why I wanted to make sure you're-"

"Aahh..." Napahawak ako sa kaliwang parte ng aking dibdib nang makaramdam ako ng kirot. It was as if I was being stabbed with a scorching hot and sharp knife over and over.

"Konstant, you all right?" Tanong ni Jalen habang papalapit na sa akin.

In that moment, my legs wobbled as if I hadn't learned how to walk, my whole body collapsing and landing on the greenest and hardest bed I had ever laid on.

#

"K!"

My eyes slowly fluttered as I felt myself falling in an unfamiliar bed, alive but dead inside.

"Finally, gising ka na!" Si Hailey ang una kong nakita mula sa kinahihigaan ko. Siya rin ang nakahawak sa kamay ko.

Sinubukan kong igalaw ang kamay ko pero may nakadikit dito. Gusto ko ring umupo pero masyadong malakas ang hila ng gravity kaya nanatili ako sa posisyon ko habang nakatingala sa mga kaibigan kong pinapalibutan ako ngayon na parang nasa lamay sila.

"We were worried about you." Nakatayo si Brianna sa paanan ng kama ko. Na-block tuloy ng height niya yung natural light na galing sa bintana.

"Next time kasi huwag mong laklakin yung kape na parang tubig," paalala ulit ni Hailey.

I turned to my right and met Hailey's eyes speaking to me in silence.

"Excuse me girls, pwede ko na bang ma-solo si K?" André's voice stunned me as he came forward from somewhere in the room, hands tucked inside his hoodie when he showed himself to me.

"Dun lang kami sa labas." Hailey signalled the other girls kaya lumabas na rin sila.

When the door was finally shut, André removed his hands from his pockets, pulling his neck down. "What were you thinking, K?"

"Ano?" Pasigaw ko sanang sagot pero lumabas ito na parang bumubulong ako. I suddenly remembered na tulog ako ng ilang oras kaya hindi pa lumalabas ang totoo kong boses.

André exhaled a breath. "What if wala si Jale doon sa booth? Who would have rushed you here?"

"André, please..." I paused. Medyo groggy pa rin ang pakiramdam ko at itong pag-lilitanya ni André sa akin ay hindi nakakatulong.

André lets out a sigh. "Do you want me to tell Kell about it?"

I frowned at him kahit na parang manhid pa rin ang mukha ko. Bago pa ako makapag-argue ulit, nag-ring ang phone niya.

Pinanood ko si André habang sinagot niya yung tawag at nang marinig ko ang pangalan ng bestfriend ko, parang bumalik ulit yung sigla sa katawan ko.

"Oo kasama ko siya ngayon." André looked at me, phone still over his ear. "You want to talk to her, bro?"

Hindi ako ready na mapagalitan ulit, but maybe his voice was all I needed to fully recover from this misery.

André finally pressed something on his phone before showing the face of my bestfriend on his screen.

"K, ano'ng nangyari? I was so worried about you. Kumusta ka na?"

I forced my lips into a smile. "Okay na ako. Nahimatay lang."

A sigh came out of his mouth as he stared at me with his crescent eyes. "Sorry wala ako diyan ngayon."

I shook my head at him, not wanting him to feel guilty or anything, even though I would love for him to be here with me. "Kell, okay lang. Ano ka ba? Hindi pa naman ako mamamatay."

"K, I promise babawi ako sa'yo pagbalik ko. Take care of yourself... please."

I nodded, flashing another smile. "Okay po."

Matapos nun ay binaba na rin ni André ang tawag. Gusto ko pa sanang makausap si Kell pero alam ko ring busy siya.

A knock from the door caught our attention, revealing a familiar guy in white uniform as he marched towards my bed.

"Nandito na pala ang doctor mo," ani André sabay tapik sa balikat ni Jalen na papalapit na sa akin. "I'll leave for a bit. Ikaw muna bahala sa kanya, doc."

Jalen lifted his chin towards André at nagtungo na rin yung isa sa labas ng kwarto. Ngayong naka-uniform si Jalen, nagmukha siyang santo sa kaputian ng damit niya. Kapag sa labas naman ng ospital, lagi siyang naka-itim kaya nagmumukha siyang miyembro ng gang.

Jalen brought his hand up to touch my head kaya napatigil ako. "How are you feeling now?"

"Okay na ako, salamat," mariing kong sagot habang ramdam ko ang init ng kamay niya sa ulo ko.

"I think it was because of the sedative you drank. I promise, I won't bother you anymore, so this can never happen again," Jalen ended, his hand still not leaving the top of my head.

For some reason, I felt a pang of guilt and sadness rushing through me. Bakit parang sinasabi niyang hindi na kami magkikita ulit?

🍭

A/N: Hoy Doc Jale ano yan? Huwag mong ginugulo si Koleen. Masaya na siyang martyr kay Kell. 😝