Chapter 13
The Unexpected Group Chat Drama
(Arushi POV – Baek-Costa Penthouse, 8 PM)
It was a Thursday evening, and I was feeling unusually relaxed.
Nakaupo ako sa couch watching TV with Citrine and Mommy Auburn.
It’s always been like this when it’s just the three of us—quiet, simple, and honestly, peaceful.
Mama Primo was at the Costa Mansion, visiting my grandparents, so it was just us at home for the night.
Citrine was half-heartedly watching the show, not really paying attention, while Mommy Auburn was on her phone, checking emails from work, as usual.
I was just mindlessly flipping through channels when suddenly, my phone buzzed, breaking the silence. I glanced at the screen and saw that it was a message from the group chat named "T-gang."
I wasn’t surprised. It was mostly Raegan, Min-Jae, and Forest filling the chat with random memes, funny videos, and sometimes, awkward moments from our day-to-day lives. Pero this time, I saw Raegan’s name pop up, and I could already sense the chaos coming.
I clicked on the message, and the first thing that popped up was a link to a video. I wasn’t even going to click it at first, but curiosity got the better of me. Kailangan ko malaman kung anong kalokohan na naman ang pinapadala nila.
The video played, and as expected, it was another porn video—classic Raegan move. I rolled my eyes.
I quickly typed a message back:
"Hindi ako tigang, hindi ako katulad nyo nanunuod ng porn."
Raegan replied first, as expected.
"Pft, sure, Troney. Kung di ka nga tigang, bakit ganyan ang reaction mo?" She was probably laughing on the other side of the phone, and I could already hear the sarcasm in her tone.
Then Min-Jae chimed in:
"Ay, Raegan, hindi pa pala tigang si Troney. Baka naman hindi lang siya into that stuff?"
Citrine, who was sitting beside me, saw me typing and leaned over. "Anong nangyari, Troney?" she whispered, glancing at my phone screen. "Lagi na lang silang nagpapadala ng mga ganung kalokohan sa'yo."
I rolled my eyes at her and whispered back, "Huwag na, don't encourage them." Pero it was too late. She was already giggling.
A few seconds later, Forest added his own comment:
"Hala, Troney, baka naman may secret ka dyan. Hindi kita nakikitaan ng reaction, ha. Dapat may excitement naman."
I shook my head in disbelief and typed back:
"Stop being weird, guys. Hindi ako ganun, okay? Hindi ako katulad ng mga perverts na nasa chat na ito."
Siyempre, Raegan couldn’t let it slide.
"Sure, sure, Troney. Pa-cool ka pa, pero deep inside, alam ko, you're just holding back."
After that, Citrine suddenly burst into laughter. "Troney, wag ka magpaka-santo. Alam ko na ang totoo."
I glared at her. "What do you mean by that?"
She only smiled mischievously. "You know, deep down, we all have our guilty pleasures, Troney."
I rolled my eyes. "Pfft, not with me."
Mommy Auburn, who had been quietly observing us the whole time, looked up from her phone and raised an eyebrow. "Ano bang kalokohan na naman yan?"
I sighed and held up my phone, showing her the group chat. "Mom, just some stupid stuff. These guys don’t know when to stop."
Mommy Auburn laughed lightly, shaking her head. "You’re all such a mess. Maybe that’s why you need more friends who are more... mature."
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. "Hala, so I need to be like you, Mom?"
She gave me a sarcastic smile. "Yes, mature, unlike you and your wild friends."
Citrine snorted, trying to suppress her laughter. "Yeah, Mom, we know you're the model of maturity."
Mommy Auburn rolled her eyes but didn’t respond. She just continued browsing through her emails. Meanwhile, I went back to my phone, continuing to read the group chat.
Raegan, the ever-persistent one, sent another message:
"Puh-lease, Troney, stop pretending. I know you watch some of this stuff when you’re alone. Everyone does."
I felt a mix of irritation and embarrassment. Pero I wasn’t going to let her get the better of me. I typed back:
"Don’t you have anything better to do than to harass me all day? Go find a new hobby, Raegan."
Citrine burst out laughing. "Ayy, Troney, hindi mo pa ba gets? They all love teasing you."
Mommy Auburn, who had been half-listening, looked up again. "Well, Troney," she said, her voice surprisingly soft, "You should know better than to let them get under your skin."
I shrugged, trying to act like it didn’t bother me. "It’s just that... they’re always making fun of me for things that aren’t true."
Citrine smirked. "But let’s face it, Troney, you’re way too serious sometimes. You could use a little fun in your life."
I shot her a look. "I have fun. I’m just not as... reckless as you guys."
She shrugged. "Sure, Troney, but I think you need a little chaos. Liven up."
Mommy Auburn chuckled at our banter, and then looked at me with a serious face. "Arushi, you need to relax a little. Life’s not all about studying and being perfect. Enjoy yourself sometimes."
I sighed. "Yeah, I guess so."
I didn’t really know what to make of it.
I was a bit of a control freak when it came to my life.
Too cautious, I guess. Maybe it was because I felt like I had to be the responsible one.
But as I looked around at my family, I couldn’t help but realize they were right. Maybe I could loosen up a little.
I put my phone down and leaned back on the couch, letting out a deep breath. "Maybe I should have a little more fun."
Citrine grinned at me. "That’s the spirit, Troney. Let’s make some memories."
I glanced at her and smiled. Maybe I needed to let go a little bit. Enjoy my life more instead of always being so uptight.
Mommy Auburn smiled at the two of us. "It’s good to see you two getting along. Just don’t go getting too wild, okay?"
Citrine and I exchanged glances and both started laughing. "Promise, Mom."
As I settled back into the couch, I realized maybe this was the change I needed. More fun, more laughter, and a little less focus on everything being perfect all the time.
Maybe, just maybe, I could enjoy life a little more.
__
Arushi’s Room, 11 PM
The night was calm. The only sound in my room was the faint hum of the air conditioner. I was comfortably curled up in my bed, my blanket pulled up to my chin. Everything was peaceful—until it wasn’t.
Suddenly, I was dreaming again.
Like before, I was in a dark, endless space. A void. Walang kahit anong tunog, walang kahit anong liwanag, just me standing in the middle of nothingness.
Then, she appeared.
The faceless girl.
Her silhouette was the same as always—tall, slender, and eerily familiar. She stood a few steps away from me, her presence commanding yet unrecognizable.
I tried to speak, pero parang may bumabara sa lalamunan ko. My voice wouldn’t come out. My body felt frozen.
She started moving closer.
Step by step.
A slow, deliberate pace.
The air around me grew colder, making my skin prickle. I wanted to step back, to run, pero hindi ko magawa. I was rooted to the ground.
Then, she lifted her hand.
Slowly.
Shaking fingers reaching towards me.
And that’s when I heard it.
A whisper.
A voice—soft but distorted, like multiple voices speaking at once.
"Arushi…"
I flinched.
The way she said my name felt... wrong. Parang may halong lungkot, galit, at desperasyon.
I forced myself to speak. "Who are you?"
She didn’t answer.
Instead, her head tilted slightly, as if she was trying to get a better look at me—kahit wala naman siyang mukha.
"Arushi… you need to remember…"
Her voice sent shivers down my spine. Remember what?
I wanted to ask, but before I could say anything, the void around us started to shift.
Biglang may mga imahe na sumulpot sa paligid namin. Blurred pictures, distorted figures, and echoes of laughter and crying all at once.
Parang may isang malaking puzzle na pinapakita sa akin, pero hindi ko maintindihan.
Then, biglang lumapit nang husto yung faceless girl.
Napasinghap ako.
She was too close now—so close na pakiramdam ko mararamdaman ko yung hininga niya kung meron man siya.
Then, I felt it.
A cold, invisible hand touched my face.
Parang may gumapang na yelo sa balat ko. My breath hitched. My chest felt tight, and my heart started pounding so hard na parang lalabas na sa dibdib ko.
"Find me, Arushi."
Then—
I woke up.
---
I shot up from my bed, my breath ragged.
Shit.
I was drenched in sweat, my hands gripping my blanket so tightly na halos mapasok ko na ito sa kama. My heart was still racing, and my chest felt heavy.
It was just a dream.
It was just a damn dream.
Pero bakit parang sobrang totoo?
I looked around my room. Everything was the same. My study desk was filled with sketches, my bookshelf still in perfect order, my phone charging on the bedside table.
But the feeling wouldn’t go away.
That cold touch still lingered on my skin.
I exhaled sharply, trying to calm myself down.
Kailangan ko lang uminom ng tubig.
I reached for my phone, and when I checked the time—11:13 PM.
Just great.
Gusto ko na lang bumalik sa pagtulog, pero I knew I wouldn’t be able to. That dream... no, that nightmare, felt too real.
I sat at the edge of my bed, rubbing my temples. "Ano ba ‘to…?"
I kept having this dream, pero wala akong maalala.
Remember what?
Ano bang dapat kong maalala?
Frustrated, I ran a hand through my hair. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit paulit-ulit na lumalabas ang faceless girl sa panaginip ko. And every time she appeared, mas lumalakas yung pakiramdam na parang may bagay akong dapat tandaan.
But no matter how hard I tried… it was just out of reach.
I sighed, standing up from my bed. If I wasn’t going to sleep, at least I could get something to drink.
Maybe a cold glass of water would help clear my head.
I grabbed my phone and stepped out of my room, heading for the kitchen.
---
Baek-Costa Penthouse, Kitchen
The penthouse was silent, except for the faint ticking of the clock.
I expected Citrine to still be awake, pero mukhang nakatulog na siya.
Good. At least I didn’t have to explain why I looked like I just saw a ghost.
I opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. The coldness against my fingers felt good—somehow, it grounded me.
I took a deep breath and drank straight from the bottle.
With every sip, I felt myself calming down little by little.
Then—
"Arushi…"
I froze.
The bottle nearly slipped from my grip.
Did I just... hear that?
Slowly, I turned my head, my breath hitching.
Pero wala namang tao.
The kitchen was empty.
My eyes darted around, searching—for what, I didn’t know.
I swallowed hard. Maybe… maybe I was just imagining things.
Yeah. That had to be it.
It was just the dream messing with my head.
I shook my head and closed the fridge, walking back to my room with quick steps.
I needed to sleep.
I needed to forget about this.
But as I climbed back into bed and stared at the ceiling…
I knew deep down—
This wasn’t just a dream.
And the faceless girl…
She wasn’t going away anytime soon.