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A moment passes. And then another. I open my mouth but words refuse to leave it. Shock and disbelief trap my voice inside my larynx, and silence ensues on the other end of the phone as well. When I can speak again, “W-what?” is all I can manage to say, my voice barely above a whisper, so low that I almost don’t hear myself say the word. The corners of my lips tilt downwards into a frown and my forehead scrunches itself into a million tiny furrows, all exhibiting the… Magbasa pa

My heart stutters. My lungs seize. My mouth goes impossibly dry, and I’m finding it particularly hard to swallow right now. My stupid fingers forget how to work and I accidentally drop the box of condoms in panic. Time seems to stop, and my scrambled brain can’t seem to function properly, much less decide what to do. The phone continues to vibrate, and each vibration sends another wave of panic straight into my already wrecked system. I fish through by bag frantically for the phone, almost dropping the damn thing… Magbasa pa

Fifteen minutes, even more snow shoveling, a serious arm workout, and a whole lot of cursing later I try the engine again. It still doesn’t start up. Less than a second after that, I completely lose it. “Fuck!!! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck!” I scream, banging on the steering wheel repeatedly in anger and irritation at yet another failed attempt. “You stupid, useless piece of shit!” I continue to yell, punctuating each word with another slam of my palm against the wheel, the dashboard, and any other parts of the… Magbasa pa

I head into the kitchen and grab the lone, half-empty bottle of water from the fridge and take a sip, letting my lips linger at the mouth for a moment. And, for the billionth time today, I wonder why he asked me to drink so much water before coming. It freaked me out when I first read the text. Hell, it’s still freaking me out now. As much as I hate to admit it to myself, though, underneath all the nervousness and anxiety, there’s also…something else. Curiosity, maybe? I dunno…. Magbasa pa

One Week Later…   Friday   My bare foot taps against the floor uncontrollably. My toes rise and fall against the anchor of my heel in rapid successions, as if they’re battery-operated. My arms have become so tense that I think they might snap right off my shoulders at the slightest motion, so I keep them crossed over my chest and stare at the old, washed-out duffel bag in silent resignation. “Ugh!” I’ve been at this practically all day and I still haven’t made any progress. Not even a little… Magbasa pa

Two and a Half Weeks Later…   The steam whistle goes off, the makeshift bell blasting its signature roar all over West Campus, signaling that my last final is finally over. “Alright, time’s up everyone,” Mr. Belikov, my mechanical composition professor, says. “Stop writing and hand in your exams, please.” It’s been a tough week, but I’m just relieved it’s over and done with. I put my pencil down and look to find that I’m one of only five people left in the auditorium—including Mr. Belikov and his TA, Priya…. Magbasa pa

I walk up to Bill as slowly as I can, feeling wary and apprehensive in every way imaginable about coming face to face with him after my last two encounters with his girlfriend. I tell myself to just act normal. “Hey, you,” I say, doing my best to forge a genuine smile as I go in for a hug. “I was wondering when you would show up. I’m like two seconds away from strangling myself and they’re already out of punch, apparently.” I seriously hope I sound a lot more… Magbasa pa

The mingled, inharmonious sounds of over-enthusiastic claps, whistles, and general cheers burst throughout the reserved hall, signaling the end of the latest “dance to it” song by the sketchy looking band on stage. I can’t stop myself from rolling my eyes for the fifth time since we walked through the doors. Cheap, festive décor drape the walls and stage, and brown and orange tapestry lace the long table behind me. The floor is covered with a mix of red, orange, and brown leaves, and there are some sort of triangular… Magbasa pa

For a split second—that, in a really strange, paralyzing way, also feels like a long stretch of eternity—I freeze in place, as if my entire system just shut down on me without so much as a warning. But then, just as quickly, a surge of energy shoots through me out of nowhere and my brain suddenly demands that copious amounts of adrenaline mix with every ounce of my blood, and without the slightest thought, my body lurches itself forward, moving on its own accord. Before I can stop myself or… Magbasa pa

The doorbell goes off again, ringing sharply through the apartment and jolting me out of my morbid reverie. My eyes impulsively dart down the short corridor to the doorway, and then to the red digits displayed on my alarm clock next to my bed. It’s 7:30 PM on the dot. Shit. It must be Drake. I’d forgotten just how punctual he is. For someone so laidback and easygoing, he’s so damn keen on always being on time. For everything. If I didn’t know him better, I’d say he was borderline… Magbasa pa