03 : Love is a Catastrophe

The sun shone brightly on the clear dazzling azure sky without a trace of a single dot of fluffy white clouds. It lit up the whole stretch of the sky, some morning dews were still on the plants' leaves, birds were happily chirping on tree branches and the cold morning wind hadn't still dissipated. Such a wonderful weather to start your day but it was the opposite for a certain girl who was standing on one of the building rooftops in her school.

On the bright sunny morning at West High also known as Westernville Highschool. A school that was one of the best high-end private schools in their place. 

Zren stood on the rooftop in dazed. She unblinking stared at the wide-open field that was covered with healthy green bermudagrass. Some students were playing, chasing each other, and live chatting in a group. 

Zren was immersed in her thoughts when suddenly someone approached her. 

"You are daydreaming again," a helpless voice resounded in Zren's ears. 

Zren glanced at the person who just talked, it was her bestfriend Axis. 

Axis Pendleton, her crazy rich spendthrift best friend. A person who loves to talk, fool around, mess things up and last but not least always attracted different kinds of trouble. 

Axis was from a renowned family of doctors, they also own one of the biggest hospitals in the country, the Pendleton Medical Center. A young master of a rich family. 

Axis was wearing West High uniform, it was a plain white long sleeve shirt, and on top of it was a navy blue vest embroidered with the school's logo, paired with black slacks and high-cut expensive white shoes. 

Axis's facial features were very outstanding, charming amber eyes, well-shaped eyebrows, a pointed nose, red lips with a killer smile, and flawless skin. All in one, so handsome. 

Seeing that Zren was staring at him, Axis lightly flicked his bestfriend's temple to get her attention. 

"Hey! Your spacing out again!" 

Zren let out a deep sigh and leaned on the rooftop railings, she used her elbows to support her body. 

"Man, do you believe in a parallel universe?" 

Axis's lips unconsciously twitched as he stared at Zren. "Again? Yah Zee," he called Zren with her another nickname that he created. 

"Will you stop asking weird things out of the blue? It's giving me goosebumps," Axis gave Zren a weird look. 

"Just answer me okay."  

Just as Axis was about to answer Zren's question, when suddenly a cellphone rang, it seemed that someone was calling.  

Zren took out her phone from her PE uniform jogging pants. Her eyebrows knitted together when she saw that the caller was an unregistered number. 

Zren tapped the answer button and soon the call was connected to the other line. 

"Hello," A woman's voice came from the other side. 

"Who's this?" Zren asked in confusion, she couldn't recognize the person's voice. 

"Your sister is in the Pendleton Medical Center, she already gave birth," After the caller said those words, she added the room number where her sister was admitted. 

After the call ended, Zren was still in a state of shock, she couldn't digest what had just the caller said and didn't even know how to react. 

Celestine already gave birth? Why she didn't know anything about it? Isn't her sister perfectly fine in the morning, so how come she suddenly gave birth now?

So many questions were in Zren's mind, it made her head hurt. 

Seeing Zren spacing out, Axis anxiously asked, "Zee, what happened?" 

"Celestine is in the hospital, she already gave birth." 

Hearing this Axis was also shocked. 

After they recovered, the two rushed outside West High and hired a taxi to go to the hospital. 

———— 

When they reach the hospital, Zren and Axis rushed to the room number that the caller stated earlier. 

They entered the elevator and pressed the number five button. 

The two soon arrived infront of the room, Zren took a deep breath before opening the door. 

Her heart was beating so fast and was about to jump out of her ribcage, she was freaking nervous!

However, Zren froze on the spot when Celestine who was supposed laying on the bed was nowhere to be found. The whole room was empty and silent. It looked like there was no one stayed in the room.  

"Maybe we got the wrong room?" Axis said. 

Zren didn't answer, she immediately walked out of the room and rushed toward the front desk. 

"May I know your concern, Ma'am?" The nurse at the front desk asked. 

"Can I ask where Celestine Zaliarde's room is?" Axis was the one who asked. 

"Celestine Zaliarde Sir?" 

Axis nodded. "Yes." 

The nurse's eyebrows furrowed out of confusion when she couldn't find the patient's name. After a few tries, she finally gave up. 

"I'm sorry Sir, but I can't find the patient's name on our list," the nurse politely apologized. 

Axis faced Zren who was standing beside him, "Zee, maybe it was a prank call?" 

"No, it's not," Zren replied in a serious tone. 

Earlier when they were in the taxi Zren received a text message from her landlord in the apartment. 

It was saying that an ambulance arrived at the Blue Moon Residence and a person asked him if there was a person named Zryshiene Mindale and where was her apartment. 

The landlord was asking if something was wrong and Zren just replied that everything was okay. 

After a few minutes, Zren finally realized something. However she was not sure about it, yet she still tried it. 

Zren went to talk to the nurse, "Zryshiene." 

"Pardon?" The nurse asked. 

"Zryshiene Mindale, look for it," Zren commanded. 

The nurse smiled, and immediately work on it. 

After a few moments, the nurse spoke, "Zryshiene Mindale, admitted in room 282 on the fifth floor, Ma'am." 

Hearing this Axis was confused at the same time shocked, "Wait? Did you just say that someone was admitted to room 282 named Zryshiene Mindale?" 

The nurse nodded. 

"What the heck?!" Axis mumbled under his breath. 

Zren didn't say something and walked away, so Axis could only follow him. 

"Zee, does it mean that—" 

"Yes, it is," Zren continued before Axis could finish what he was saying. 

Celestine pretended as Zren and used her identity without her knowledge. 

"So it means that in the hospital's record you are the one who gave birth and not Celestine?!" Axis utter in disbelief, "The heck is that even possible?" 

I also don't know, Zren replied in her mind. She still couldn't believe that her sister betrayed her. 

Zren let Celestine know where she placed all of her important documents and passwords. She trust her sister the most, however, she didn't expect the person she was closest to was also the one who would betray her. 

Zren's mind was in chaos, she didn't know what to do at the moment. Mixed emotions piled up inside her making her unable to think carefully. She wanted to go berserk, shout to the world how hard her life is, and vent everything to get out all of the unspoken misery buried deep inside her, but she couldn't. 

She decided to stay silent because that's the best solution for now. 

Be strong and endure everything alone. 

Celestine betrayed her, she was nowhere to be found and worst of all she even abandoned her children.  

The deadly silence enveloping the atmosphere between the two was broken by Axis. "Zee, if your name is the one that is listed in the hospital's record, does that mean, in the birth certificate of the twins you will be their mother?" 

Because of Axis's words, Zren suddenly remembered the twins. 

"Let's go." 

"Where?" Axis asked. 

"Nursery." 

———— 

When they arrived at the nursery, behind the clear transparent mirror separating them from the babies. 

Among the several babies inside the nursery, Zren's attention was caught by the two plump babies that were in one of the cribs, the crib was double in size compared to the others, they were sharing in one. 

The crib was labeled with the name, “Mindale Twins.” 

Axis looked at the twins who were sleeping soundly, they were very tiny and fat. 

Axis shifted his gaze to Zren, he decided to break the silence that was enveloping them since earlier. He asked in a low voice, “Zee, what will you gonna do now?” 

Zren stared back at Axis, eyes were still cold as a moonless winter night, it could make one freeze to death in a mere second. Her lips were curled up in a bittersweet smile as she looked at the twins who were sleeping soundly in the crib.  

"I only have one goal for now." 

"What is it?" 

"To survive. Axis, I need to survive for myself and for the future." 

———— 

Axis and Zren were now sitting on one of the benches in the hospital. 

"I still can't believe that Celestine has the heart to do all of it. I just don't understand why," Axis commented. His voice was low and had a hint of bitterness at the same time frustration. 

"You want to know why?" 

Axis nodded, "Yes." 

"Love, Axis. Celestine can do those things because of love." 

"Huh, how?" 

"She fell in love with someone, who later broke and ruined her. She left the twin because she doesn't want to remember the person who hurt her. It's not like she hates her children, it's just they remind her of the things she doesn't want to remember." 

Axis was confused, "How did you know?" 

"I know it from the very beginning, Celestine is silently suffering, she never complained about anything. However, I noticed all of her actions. She regrets them, the things she had done." 

Maybe if only Zren didn't disregard her sister's misery then Celestine wouldn't run away. Things wouldn't turn this way. 

"Love? Is it that dangerous?" Axis asked, he never liked anyone so he was confused. 

"Of course is it. It brings tragedy to people's life. Maybe not for everyone but I'm sure for someone it is and Celestine is one of them." 

"I don't know what to say," Axis mumbled. 

"It's okay to believe in love, but don't be too much, because if you do, in the end, it will destroy you." 

Sometimes it was the most pleasant thing that could happen to someone but most of the time, it brought tragedy to their lives. 

"Axis do you know why people say that Love Hurts?" 

"Why?" 

"Because..." 

"Love is a Catastrophe."