2: Will They Really Meet?

Hailey's Point of View.

"I told you to stay in the car, Hailey. What if something happened to you there?" I heard Yaya said when we got in the car.

I bowed my head because of embarrassment and sorry when she started scolding me.

"I'm sorry, Ya. I just really wanted some new things for painting. I didn't mean to make you worried. I'm sorry." I said while still bowing my head in front of her. The car already started to move.

"It's okay, okay? I was just worried about you. You don't need to bow your head, Hailey. It's just that you already know the situation between your parents, right? I won't scold you if you want to buy new things but do it with me. Do it without letting someone see you." She said with her calmest voice.

"Also, you already know that you have a weak immune system, right? There's so many bacteria transferred by just interacting to a person with no alcohol. I value your health so bad, Hailey. That's all I am worried about. If you really want to buy materials, we can go there together." She added and then combed my hair with her fingers.

"C'mon, talk to Yaya. I didn't mean to scare you. I was just worried when I didn't saw you here in the car when I came back." She added that made me sigh.

Yaya has been always like this. She stood up as my mother when she came into my life. She was there when I was a little kid until now. I can't blame her if she's worried about me because she saw me when I got diagnosed because of my weak immune system. She was also there when I got depressed when I found out I have ADHD.

"It's okay, Yaya. I understand where you're coming from. It's also my fault." I said and hugged her.

Asher's Point of View.

Hailey? She did called the girl that I just bumped into Hailey Leigh, right? I wasn't mishearing things, right?

"Hey, Ash! You're here already!" I heard Dara's voice called me and it was then that I found myself in the studio already. I don't remember walking here. I was really busy spacing out.

"Ice cream!" Lili screamed when she saw me with the paper bags. I put the bags on the table and walked to the sofa where I saw Inez is sitting on.

"What happened to you? What's with the face, Ash?" She asked me when I sat beside her.

"You still remember Hailey Leigh, right?" I asked her that made her brows furrow.

"Hailey? Which one? Why would you ask about her? I don't know anyone named Hailey. Is it one of Cassian's girls?" She asked me while still confused.

"Hailey? Who's that Hailey that you were talking about? Is that the same Hailey that Ash keeps bragging about?" Cassian interrupted us and he's already holding two cups of ice cream. He gave the other one to Inez and then sat on the sofa which we are on right now.

"Yes. It's her." I answered Cassian and pointed him.

"Oh. What about her? Have you already woken up that she's not real? She's been in your imagination for years now, Ash." He asked and took a scoop out of his ice cream.

"No. I told she is real. I know this sounds strange but I saw her in the mall earlier. I'm pretty sure I heard it right. I bumped into her earlier." I answered him that made his brow raise to me. I also saw how Inez raised a brow at me.

"Are you sure?" I heard Dara's voice asked me when I was about to add up on what I said.

"I am not yet sure but I know it's her! I can recognize her even if time has already passed. Her eyes. I can still see what I saw that day." I whispered to myself.

- Flashback... 7 years ago

"I will be back, Zyra. Okay? I'll just find something that we can eat. I'm sure there's someone who would help us. I'll be quick, okay? You just have to wait here for about uh... ten minutes. Okay?" I said to the little girl I am facing now.

"Okay!" She responded and gave me a thumbs up. I smiled and patted her head before walking out from our house.

"Hailey. I'm sure she'll help me." I said to myself while I was walking towards the way to Hailey's house.

When I reached their house, I called for her by her window. I tried to throw papers to it but no one answered me.

"Hey, little boy are you looking for Hailey?" A woman called for me and asked that I responded with a nod.

"Yes, Ma'am. Where is she? I just have to see her." I answered.

"You can't see her now here. I believe she attended a painting contest but it was near here. You just have to walk towards that direction then turn right." She answered me that made me thank her.

I walked to the direction that she told me. I looked around when I got here. I immediately saw the contest that she is in.

"What is she doing? She must be starting to paint now." I said to myself when I saw here sitting there, not doing anything. I saw how she bit her lips, how her hand tremble causing her paint brush to be released from her grip.

"What is she doing there?"

"I also don't know."

"What the hell is she doing? Is she wasting all of our time?"

"Hey, Hailey! Hurry up! You don't own all of our time!"

I heard people here exclaimed while me, I just looked at her. Waiting for her to make a move. I don't know what I'm doing here and why am I here but all I know is I want to see her do something.

When I saw a person threw a piece of crumpled paper to her, my brows furrowed. Then it was followed by more people. They threw tomatoes, trash and papers to her. I couldn't take it.

"STOP!" I yelled at all of the people as I protect her from the things they were throwing to her.

"Can all of you just stop?! How can she finish if all of you does this to her?!" I added still with my loud voice.

"Hailey, take your time." I said and turned my back at her but I was shocked when I saw her lying down the floor.

"Hailey!" I shouted that made everyone look at her.

"Move aside, kid." Someone told me to move aside and I did. They carried her and called an ambulance.

Everything was a shock to me. I walked away from there and didn't know where I would go. I am walking to nowhere.

"Hey, you're that little kid that Hailey told me to give food if you happen to come by?" Someone asked that caught my attention. I turned my back at where the voice came from.

I didn't notice I am already in front of Hailey's house.

"You're that little boy, right?" She asked me one more time.

I nodded while still being flustered by what happened earlier.

"Wait here." She said and motioned me to wait for her which I did.

She came back quickly with bags of food.

"Here. Hailey told me to give this to you if you come over. I know you came here earlier but I wasn't around. I'm sorry." She said and gave me the bags of food.

My face brightened by that. That was the moment I remembered why I came here.

"Zyra!" I exclaimed when everything sink in my mind.

"Thank you for this! Also, please thank Hailey for me. I can't stay here more because I have something to do. Just please thank her for me." I said and didn't wait for her reply.

I ran as fast as I can.

"I'm not yet late. I can still make it." I said to myself.

I am just a street away from our house. I am smiling, holding the bags of food.

"I'm sure Zyra will like all of these. These are her favorites." I said to myself while I look at the bags before throwing a glance at the pedestrian lane in front of me.

I was about to cross the street but what caught my sight stopped me from doing so.

"Zyra!" I screamed when I saw her on the other side.

She looked at me and smiled. I smiled. I waved my hand out of joy but what happened next was unexpected.

A sound of a car made me close my eyes and when I opened my eyes, I found my little sister showering in blood.

"Zyra!" I screamed and ran to her not minding if someone will hit me.

"Hey, baby." I called her and carried her away from the lane.

"Hey, talk to me. Talk to your older brother. Baby.." I called out for her while my tears started to fall from my eyes. I wiped it off.

"Hey, baby I told you to wait for me. Why did you came out?" I asked her with my trembling voice.

"10 minutes was o-over... I t-thought you were in d-danger." She answered me that made my eyes produce more tears.

"I told you to wait for me..." I said once again.

All I could see was blood. Even I was covered by it, too, I didn't mind. I carried her and didn't know what would I do.

What would an 11 year old do with her 6 year old dying sister?

It's like everyone vanished and it was just me and Zyra in the whole world because I kept on calling out for someone but no one helped us. No one.

* * *

"Why are you here? You killed your own sister! What made you think that I'll let you attend her funeral?!" I heard my mom yelled at me when she saw me wearing my black shirt.

"Mom, I want to look at my sister one last time." I answered her and started to cry.

"What?! You killed her, Ash! You killed your own sister! You know what suits you? Being homeless. You deserve to be thrown to the streets because of what you did! You really prioritized your painting things?! That won't get you somewhere, Ash! I assure you! You'll end up being a loser! Now get out of my house!" I heard her yell at me which I just followed before she hurt me.

I just wanted to see my sister one last time. I just wanted to mourn like how they all do now. I just want to let all of my tears out but why are they so unfair? Mom was right. It was all my fault that we had to be here. It was all my fault why Zyra died.

I don't know where I am heading to. It seems like my feet has it's own. I just found myself being in a crowd. I looked at where they are looking and it made my jaw drop. It is a girl with her paint brush. She's facing a piece of paper. I tip toed to see clearly what she is doing. Is she for real? Am I seeing a right thing now or am I just imagining things? Is she really painting with her eyes closed? My gaze stayed at her until she opened her eyes and I can see how happy she is with the outcome of her painting.

Her eyes are so familiar. I can see the happiness in her eyes and it made me bit my lip. I also want to feel that happiness. I also want to feel alive like that. I want to be like her.

I want to do art. I want to feel what she's feeling now. I want to make people want to do art just like what she makes me feel now.

"Let go of me!" I heard the girl exclaimed that made me brought back to reality. She's being pulled by guards now. Why are they pulling her? I saw a woman that is ordering the guys to pull her out from where she is now.

I tried to run to her but it was too late because she already got in the car. People are shocked by what just happened and me on the other side wants to run to the car.

- End of Flashback

"Hey. You already seen her, right? So, what now?" I heard Dara's voice that brought me back to the present. I shook my head to her.

"I don't know what to do next. I'm sure she's still into painting. I saw her buying materials for painting earlier. I still haven't talked to her so I don't really know, Dara." I answered that made their brows furrow to me.

I'll find her. That's what I am sure of now. I'll paint with her. I'll let her know how she inspired me. I want her to see how I became as a painter. I'll find her and paint with her no matter what.

Hailey's Point of View.

"I'm tired, Ya. Let me rest." I said and then lied down to the sofa when we got in our house.

"I'll let you rest there. I'll also prepare for our dinner. You still need to take the medicines that your Doctor told you to take." I heard Yaya answered but I didn't answered it. I just closed my eyes and sighed.

I didn't do much but I feel like my body is giving up. The doctor said it is normal for me because of my disorder or more like a curse.

After minutes of closing my eyes, I opened it and reached for the remote of the television in front of me. Once I found it, I turned it on and I don't know what to feel when I saw a commercial for painting materials.

I want to paint again. I want to feel that happiness again. I can't remember when was the last time I felt that burning feeling inside me. I don't know when I stopped. All I can remember is I woke up and don't know how to finish anything. I woke up and it seems like I've been born again.

Painting. It seems like art is the only language I spoke and when I woke up not being able to do art, I became deaf.

I shook my head to remove those thoughts and changed the channel. It brought me to a news.

"Ms. Olivia Z. Bautista is reported being engaged now. The media still doesn't know about the man she is engaged but she said it in a interview the other day. So, are we going to have the most beautiful wedding of the year?" I heard the news anchor said and then they flashed pictures of Mommy.

I sighed and just changed the channel. I thought I'll watch calmly now but when I changed the channel, I was shocked to see a picture of Daddy with a girl.

"Mr. Levi Alvarez was seen in front of the university of her daughter, Andrea while the entrance exam is on going. You can clearly see how responsible he is as a father and our senator." The news anchor said that made me sigh again and turn off the television.

"Ya, is the food ready? I want to eat so I can sleep. I am tired." I said with my sleepy voice.

Enough for today. I just want to sleep. I want to rest. I want to paint.

I got up and ran to my room. I want to try. Maybe, just maybe. I can paint now.

Asher's Point of View.

"Are you sure you want us to take the kids home?" Dara asked me and I just nodded.

"Behave, okay? They'll take the two of you home. I just have to go somewhere. I also can't go home early. I'm sure Mom will be mad at me for sneaking the two of you out." I said to Aaron and Lili. I kissed their temple and watched them get in the van.

"Wherever you want to go, be careful, okay? Text me when you need help on something. You know I can do anything." Dara said and I just smiled at her as a response.

They got in the van and I just waved at them. Once I can't see them, I started to walk. It's true that I have to go somewhere. I just walked and walked towards the direction I walked years ago. The difference now is I don't feel lost anymore. I am not that little boy years ago anymore.

When I reached my destination, I stopped and stared at one of the paintings here.

'Painted by: Hailey Leigh Alvarez'

I stared at the unfinished piece pasted here. It was the art piece that Hailey didn't finished. It's almost done. I smiled at it. Even if it was years ago, I can still feel the same burning feeling inside me when I looked at her that day. I can still clearly remember.

I was just staring at it when I felt my phone vibrated. I took it out from my pocket.

"Painting Competition this summer. Are you thrilled to do art? Why don't you join us? Why don't you mute everyone and paint your heart out? We'll be waiting for you!" I read the poster that flashed when I turned on my phone.

I felt excitement in me when it synced in to my mind. Is this my chance? The way that I'll see her again? Is fate wanting us to be together again?

Hailey's Point of View.

"Ahh!" I screamed and threw my paint brush somewhere.

"Why can't I paint? Why?! Why is darkness all I can see now? Why?" I asked myself and I can feel the tears falling down from my eyes. I wiped it but it won't stop from falling. I found myself hugging myself in this dark room.

"What is happening to me? Why can't I paint? Why don't I have the vision and imagination now? Why?" I asked myself once again. I cried myself out in this room alone. I don't know what to feel now. I've been trying for a very long time. Why can't I have any inspiration?

My phone lit up that made me look for it. I turned it on and red the picture that flashed even if my sight is all blurry now.

"Painting Competition this summer. Are you thrilled to do art? Why don't you join us? Why don't you mute everyone and paint your heart out? We'll be waiting for you!"

I wiped my tears and then read it one more time. I felt my heart just skipped a beat and then came back to beating with it's fastest beats. I am getting these feelings again. I'll paint again.