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Prologue
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The Reunion Chapter 1
Summer, 2016Megan exhales dejectedly before quietly muttering, “It’s not always going to be like this, right?” Her entire face stoic, some would describe it better as lifeless. The scene surrounding her is completely different from the youthful and vibrant playground she used to enjoy. All she hears are the blaring horns of random cars and the occasional ambulance siren. Not even a whisper of air to comfort her during this trying time. What’s she to expect? She’s in the middle of Makati on a blazing hot time of day. Not that a couple of hours would make any difference anyway. The Philippines’ weather could literally be the center of a boiling volcano.Zoe follows and stands next to the familiar slouching figure, fanning herself with what looked like important folded documents for work. “Well, it shouldn’t be,” she replies to the younger one’s question, even if it was rhetorical.Another day at their crappy job meant another dilemma to top off their existing—albeit
The Reunion Chapter 2
“It could’ve been a high school reunion,” Zoe starts in a soft tone before suddenly taking it up a notch, “It could’ve been a COLLEGE reunion –”“Too early for that, hun,” Felicity quickly retorts, adjusting her thinly rimmed black glasses with much gusto.“It could’ve been ANY fucking reunion…” Zoe continues in a warning tone, now glaring at the youngest girl in the group, “And we would’ve been actually mentally and emotionally prepared. But no. It HAD to be this one.”Though she seemed calm about it last night, it only took a bit of time before Zoe had fully realized what the reunion meant. Reuniting with people from their past. All of them. Not handpicked ones according to their whim. There were awesome people from their childhood, but also condescending ones, who they had a bit of a fallout with. Sure, she isn’t one to back down from any confrontation. However, causing a scene at the reunion doesn’t sound very pleasant. She’d rather not go altogether than attend and pret
The Reunion Chapter 3
“Told you Megan wouldn’t be down with it,” Logan mumbles under his breath as he pointedly looks at Danica sitting right next to him.Being the very culprit of the reunion in Batangas, she isn’t in the least fazed by his actions. It’s not like she’s been planning it for years. But when Naia mentioned that her mom was planning a big RT reunion a few months ago, it got her thinking. She’s always wanted the people involved in the 2010 incident to reconcile in some sort of way. Granted that she sides more with Megan and the others, she still doesn’t want any bad blood within the group. The RT community is quite small, much less the Filipino RT community. There’s no way they weren’t going to at least bump into each other at some point in time. Prime example would be the Dela Vegas and Villaviejas. Both are close family friends, since Mr. Dela Vega is Megan’s godfather.“I never said it was going to be easy,” Danica claims, raising an eyebrow his way, “Besides, she has every right
The Reunion Chapter 4
Blindingly bright fluorescent lights, full-on blasted air conditioner, and complete silence.This always seems to be the case during her job interviews. If the HR didn’t want to see her right away, they would make her wait awhile before officially coming in and finally interview her. She had no idea whether this was some sort of mind game they played with potential employees, but nonetheless she went with it. But of course, it still doesn’t erase the fact that she’s completely terrified and wishes it would end soon. It doesn’t matter whether she’s gone to one or a hundred job interviews, they still continue to torment her. What, with some of the unexpected questions they ask according to the type of company they run.“Sorry, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting for too long.”Megan snaps out of her breakdown of a trance and looks up at the unfamiliar face before her. “It’s fine.” Different from the pleasant woman from HR minutes ago, a slim and somewhat attractive man stands
The Reunion Chapter 5
Fall, 2004The bursting sound of crashing waves instantly woke Megan up with a jolt. She lifted her head up, allowing her eyes to take in the surroundings once more. Indigo and starry sky paired with the glistening moon above the beautiful beach that always made her feel at home. She looked to her right and caught Jared staring into the dark and seemingly bleak horizon.Right. She’d been taking a nap on his shoulder again. This was becoming a normal occurrence, thanks to the number of times she had done it. Whenever he detected she was feeling sleepy, he’d offer his shoulder as some kind of sacrifice and she would gladly take it.“How long have I been out?” she asked.“A couple of days,” he deadpanned.She made a face at this and stayed silent.“A few minutes. I’m not sure,” he then answered seriously.She stretched and sighed in contentment, slowly starting to feel refreshed from the brief slumber.“You sure you got enough rest?”She yawned, “Yeah, I’m fine.”
The Reunion Chapter 6
Summer, 2016“So, we’ll see you soon,” Jared says, sharing a small smile.He, Jacob, and Megan are standing just outside the restaurant to say their goodbyes. The Ocampo parentals, on the other hand, are busy taking selfies by themselves a few feet away from them.Lunch didn’t go as bad as Megan thought it would. Although there were moments when she and Jared would awkwardly meet eyes and try to start up a conversation of their own. And once in a while, Mrs. Ocampo would swoop in, attempting to salvage the overwrought exchange. Megan had no idea if it was on purpose, but by judging how sharp a Filipino mother’s instincts are, it was definitely deliberate.Jacob could certainly sense the tension between the two. Which he understood, since it’s been forever since they last talked. He knew that they drifted apart before Megan left for the Philippines, but he never got to know why. The only person who was completely clueless was Mr. Ocampo. He would hum in agreement e
The Reunion Chapter 7
“HEEEEEEEYYY!!!” Jacob comes running to the girls standing near the entrance of Greenbelt.The day of the much awaited road trip slash reunion in Batangas finally arrives.Their big group of friends are divided into two teams: team north and team south. As the name of both teams lead, those who are in team north live in or near northern Luzon and vice versa with team south. Team north is usually composed of the Ocampo brothers, Danica, Zoe, and Naia. While team south has Megan, Felicity, Logan, and Odell. And since Batangas is in the south, the two groups decided it would be better for them to go to the resort on separate rides and just meet there.After Jacob, and Jared (from inside the car, since he’s the designated driver), exchange greetings with Danica and Naia, Danica immediately inquires, “Where’s Zoe?” She assumed the older girl would already be with the two brothers since they live really close to each other.“Couldn’t make it, unfortunately. Has some kind of model
The Reunion Chapter 8
Between spring and summer, 2006All she could see, or chose to see, was his incredibly dark pupil. But it’s been several minutes (she assumed), that she’s starting to wonder how the two of them got stuck in this situation. Though several thoughts ran through her mind, she remained still, not wanting to back down. If she was going to lose, she was going to do it gracefully.“Okay. How LONG are we going to be doing this?” Megan finally broke their silence, albeit refusing to break her stare.“Until you lose,” Jared answered in his usually cool tone. Deep down, he was actually close to giving up.Megan frowned at his seemingly solid resilience. “You wish.”Almost immediately, he blew towards her eyes.She instantly squinted and scoffed, “Cheater.”“I never said I planned to win fair and square.” He flashed her an innocent grin.“Har-har.” She made a face and rolled her eyes at his smug expression.“Okay. Can you two, for just one second, stop flirting?” Jacob prot
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The Reunion Footnotes
1 “What’s up?”, “What’s happening?”, “What gives?” in Filipino. Depends on the situation. In this case, it’s the first question.2 Child3 Favorite pronounced the “Filipino” way. Not really the direct translation of the mentioned word.4 One of the most well-loved dishes in the Philippines.5 A nickname for Saudi Arabia for some of the kids who grew up there6 Filipino for “big sister”. Used as a sign of respect for a woman older than you. Or when a girl is older than you, but not old enough to be your aunt hahaha. Depends on the situation and the way you were raised.7 Acronym for Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Our main airport in the Philippines and Manila.8 Well-known character from Hey Arnold! Only 90s kids can relate jk9 Short for airport10 A way of saying “Hey”, but in a more boisterous, and annoying/condescending way11 “Big brother”. Like Ate, it is used as a sign of respect and when a guy is way older than you, but not old enough to be your uncle.12 Get cau
The Reunion Epilogue
It takes a few weeks for Megan to transition into moving from her family home to Jacob’s apartment. Rather emotional too. She’s never been one to deal with moving well. Even though as a kid, she and her family moved thrice in Ras Tanura. In the same neighborhood, to be fair. The point is she never liked change. At least at first, she didn’t. Deep down, she knows it’s a way for her to grow as a person. After exchanging goodbyes and see you laters with her family in the main lobby, Megan heads up to the thirty-third floor of the condominium. She turns the lock on the all too familiar door she’s seen about ten times, maybe even more. Lo and behold, her newly furnished home welcomes her. She spots a couple of stuff that aren’t hers in the living room and kitchen.Now that she thinks about it, she hasn’t had the pleasure of meeting her new roommate during her tedious move. Either he would come and leave his things a couple of days after her or even a few hours. If she was paranoi
The Reunion Chapter 18
“Hey, old sport,” Jacob greets in a distinct Leo DiCaprio voice.Megan can only sigh in response.“Tired already??”“You know how exhausting all the greetings can be.” She lets out another long exhale from the mano session after mano session with all the other parents just a few seconds ago. “And that’s not even going to be the end of it just yet.” They’re both aware that lots of other titas and titos will come later. Filipino time, as they say. You have to be at least thirty minutes late after the designated time for the event (in this case, the big reunion) to start. A concept that is beyond any person that has a sane mind in this country.“Look on the bright side: you have me,” Jacob offers humorously.Megan rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out at him playfully. “I must say, you clean up really nicely, Mr. Ocampo.”“Why, thank you, Ms. Villavieja. I clean myself.”She furrows her eyebrows at him for a bit, feeling confused at his statement. And as their eyes me
The Reunion Chapter 17
Before her eyes have even gathered enough energy to open, Megan feels the entire right side of her body ache. Was she sleeping on this one side the entire time?? The amount of alcohol she consumed really must have taken a toll on her. She’s usually a chaotic sleeper, so staying on one side for that long is indeed unusual. She then slowly blinks her eyes open. And they’re immediately met by an all too adorable Kei, deep in slumber. Megan bites her bottom lip to keep herself from beaming. She takes the time to study his features. It isn’t at all surprising that his eyelashes are long and thin (most men have pretty eyelashes they don’t deserve). All it needs is some good and mascara, and those eyelashes will be an instant envy among plenty of women. Then, there’s his nose. Defined yet childlike. Defined in a way that there’s some pointedness to it. But childlike in a way that it’s subtle and hidden to the “naked” eye. And his lips? The unmistakable highlight of his face. It’s
The Reunion Chapter 16
Summer, 2016After aimlessly running and walking around the resort grounds, a distressed Megan suddenly returns to the villa, unaware and uncaring of her surroundings.“Heeeeyyy Mega—” Naia greets as Megan continues to walk past her, up the stairs, and straight to her room without a word.“Okay...” Naia sulks, but calls out, “Rude! But good night!” She ends up mumbling to herself, “What’s her problem?”Right then, the front door of the villa opens again and Jared enters. “Of course, I’m happy you’re here, Zo. It’s just that the timing couldn’t be worse,” he softly says.Zoe huffs and closes the door behind her. “I know. But it just looks like you aren’t happy to see me at ALL.”“I AM, okay?” He kisses her forehead tenderly and looks her straight in the eyes. “More than you know.”She is silent for a bit, stunned by the unexpected gesture of affection. “Okay,” she whispers with an understanding nod.“Well, that explains Megan’s entrance,” Naia deadpans, interrupt
The Reunion Chapter 15
Summer, 2012“Boo!”Zoe rolled her eyes, knowing exactly who it was. “Where’s Jake?”“Avoiding you,” Jared quipped snottily.“Ha-ha. Seriously.” She folded her arms across her chest and shot an unimpressed look at him.“Running errands with tita,” he replied with a casual shrug, “So, it’s just you and me today.”“Greaaat. This should be fun.” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.Ever since the Ocampos moved to Canada two years ago, the two brothers slowly lost touch with the rest of the gang, except Zoe. Jared and Jacob were the ones who did most of the visiting in the Philippines, while their parents hung on back in Canada. And since Zoe lived so close to their family home in Manila, they naturally spent more time with her. There were moments when it would be the three of them. But on others, like now, it would just be Zoe and Jared. Strangely, it had never been just Zoe and Jacob.“Should I text Meg?” Zoe teased.Maintaining a straight face, Jared responded w
The Reunion Chapter 14
Summer, 2016Megan flutters her eyes open, initially perplexed that she’s met by a snoozing Jared. She has to gather all the energy in her body in order not to guffaw at his face. Despite being cool and composed when awake, Jared is certainly the opposite when sleeping. It’s as if his mouth just lets go of all inhibitions. Gaping pretty wide, Jared’s vital entrance also happens to moonlight as a flowing river.Was this dude my ACTUAL first love?? Megan thinks to herself as she shakes her head. She then gets up to prevent herself from waking the deep sleeper up.Her feet decide to take her outside, all the way to the restaurant of the resort. And as she eats her breakfast, she can’t help but recall what happened last night. After the agitating confrontation with Naia, Megan went straight up to her room to try and sleep everything off. She tossed and turned for hours before realizing that it was no use. So, she headed downstairs and found Jared also awake. He was pla
The Reunion Chapter 13
Summer, 2010For some odd reason, Naia felt a sudden, eerie chill down her spine, which snapped her back from her vague daydream into reality. She hadn’t been able to think straight ever since Megan’s heated message in their group chat. The same went for Logan and Odell. Though in her case, she grew rather more resentful of Megan, while the two guys felt guiltier as time passed.But that didn’t exactly stop them from going on the promised trip to Palawan. “Well, this sucked worse than I thought,” Odell remarked at the absurdity of their vacation.The first few days were great as all three of them attempted to mask their guilt and sadness with nature and food. But now that it was drawing to a close, everything just crashed on them like a high-tide wave. This was definitely not how any of them envisioned their last night in one of their home country’s paradisiacal islands.While they weren’t legal to buy any alcoholic drinks themselves, Logan’s father made it his mi
The Reunion Chapter 12
Limbo.That is one word to describe the situation everyone is swept up in Batangas. A couple of days pass and the two divided parties don’t spare a word to each other, not even a glance. Megan always made an effort to not to be in the same room as Naia. Although she would give short answers to some of Logan and Odell’s trivial questions. Which meant that they were somewhat in the clear. Naia, on the other hand, remained seemingly unshaken about all this. Even if deep down, her pent-up anger was slowly starting to surface.As for Felicity, Jared, and Jacob, they’ve managed to keep themselves neutral despite the tension. They feel slightly uncomfortable that they’ve been caught up in the middle like bugs in a spider web, but they were hoping that the two girls would patch it up soon.And Danica, the most neutral of them all? She briefly went out on an adventure of her own. Friends she had met during her previous travels were suddenly in the area and she told the rest she wou
