Chapter 3

He ran.

Jace Miko Salguero quickly turned around and ran.

Supposedly, Nariza and Mielle (in the novel) were going to the bookstore and check out a new book that the actual author had published. (Yes, the author put a self-promotion inside her novel.)

But I changed that.

Instead, I told Nariza that we should check out the new boutique on the right, where Jace was pretending to shop. Of course, Nariza agreed and we headed to that boutique and well, the hunter became the prey... all because he got scared and ran away.

"It's really pretty here, kiddo! Good thing your eyes caught this!"

"I know right?" I smiled and kept myself busy as knowing Nariza, she will really look at the products here. It gives me time to think what Jace's next steps are.

Think Aice, since he ended up wagging down his tail and pretty much went to hide at first, he will later realize how dumb that action he did 'coz Nariza doesn't know what he looks like, so there was really no point of him doing that. And of course, he would just end up blaming Mielle's detector for almost seeing him.

"Kiddo! What do you think? Are these earrings okay?"

"Yup! You looked like one of those chickens with that feather designs." Nariza laughed and continued browsing. To my surprise, I suddenly felt weird. I feel uneasy but not to the point of discomfort.

Is this the Mielle's Detector that the novel was talking about?

I turned my head and looked around, and woah, the detector of this girl is legit! Standing right at the entrance, where the other items of the boutique are, is Jace Miko Salguero. My eyes quickly went somewhere to pretend that I didn't see him, as if he was just some random person. I went to another shelf and smiled to myself.

Guess he really did realize his stupid action and came back.

"Mil? Are you okay there? Did you like anything?" Nariza questioned me as she stood beside me.

"Oh yeah, but of course, I can only look, hehe." Unlike Nariza that is in the middle-class, Mielle is close to being poor. She lost her parents due to a tragic accident and ended up being in the care of her grandma Kimmy. They lived right next to the tricycle terminal and although it is small, it was comfortable enough for the two of them.

I admit, it took me days to be comfortable in that tiny house as my previous life was glamorous than this.

Now, they only get money from the grandma's pension and the money that Mielle's parents left, blessed her parents, is enough to support her entire education up until high school, leaving her to go to college out of her own pocket.

But Mielle didn't even get a chance to look which college she wants to attend as she got killed protecting Nariza.

"If you like something, let me know. I got you." Nariza put her hand around my shoulder.

I shook my head. "I'm okay mami, promise. Let's go? Let's continue wandering." We held hands as we headed to the exit, but I thought of something. "Mami, let's take a look at something over there." I pointed something on the left.

"Sure, sure. Do you like something here?"

"Mm, nothing, I just thought it was cute. C'mon!" She nodded and went ahead of me.

"Excuse me, mister."

"S-S-Sorry."

I almost blurted out laughing. His face was hilarious as he moved out of the way! He didn't expect that at all 'coz when he wasn't looking, I purposely told Nariza to check out something on that side where he is at just for this purpose.

"Tsk, what a waste of space. You're just on your phone standing on our way." Nariza muttered under her breath but I'm pretty sure Jace heard it as we passed by in front of him. She rolled her eyes in irritation without knowing that it was her 'husband' that was in her way.

"Sorry, miss."

Oh my God! He talked back again!

"K."

My eyes went wide with Nariza's respond 'coz I honestly thought it would just end up with the 'sorry' but it definitely did not.

I bit my lip again to contain my excitement. God, I feel like I'm watching a drama -- live.





@~@





The next stop, according to the novel, was the grocery store. I remember, Nariza wanted to eat her favorite snack after reading books (which turned into looking at those accessories) before heading to get a coffee, so they went to the store and bought one, among the other foodies they wanted to munch on.

Jace, of course, was still following them and the three of them would end up sitting outside the inner part of the mall, where there's a mini park.

The girls would be eating their junk foods while drinking coffee, and Jace would be on another table, drinking coffee while reading a newspaper.

And that was how this chapter would end.

But of course, I, Aice Figuera, will tweak a few things.

"Mami, I feel like dadi is around," I told Nariza what Mielle was supposed to say. It was supposed to be a whisper but I voiced it out a little bit loud for Jace to hear, since he's right behind us scanning whatever chips he's looking at.

She shrugged. "Oh, then, wow. Good for him."

Of course, she will pretend she doesn't care. "Do you want to see him?" I asked loudly and Jace coughed, as if he choked on his saliva.

"Haha! Oh yeah! Can you point out who is your dadi in this sea of people?" Nariza dared me.

I pretended to think as I scanned around.

Hehe, let's see what Jace will say to this.

"You know, mami, maybe the reason why dadi won't show his face to you because that's him." I pointed at an old man with a big stomach and scratching his butt and even -- yuck! -- sniffing the hand he used!

"EEW! YUCK!"

"THE FU -- GROSS!"

Both of them said at the same time, making us girls turned to Jace, but he already hid himself after almost cussing.

Haha! Got ya!

"You're so gross!"

The old guy turned to us. "Do you want something here, misses?" He smiled, showing us his yellow teeth.

"Yikes! No thank you!" I immediately pulled Nariza's wrist to leave that aisle.

"Oh, my God. Oh, my God. I'm so grossed out! What you said is really nasty! You're innocent yet.. eew!"

"Ha? What's being an innocent has to do with this? Besides, why? We really don't know what he looks like, right? You don't know that maybe the reason why he doesn't want to show himself is because he's a big, nasty pedo --" We headed to the counter and the lady started to scan our items right away.

"Ugh! Just! No.. he's not like that, okay?"

I shrugged. "Sure, but still possible." She glared at me and I just stuck my tongue out.

"Wait, salad? Who's this? Um miss, that salad isn't ours --"

"Oh that's mine, mami."

Nariza looked at me as if I suddenly grew two heads. "And when did you learn how to eat salad?"

"Um, a few days ago hehe." I don't really want to eat those chips. . . even though they're really good as I tried them one time.

"Ah, excuse me girls, are you going to get the salad or not?"

"We'll take it," I answered her and I gave the money for it.

"Wow," Nariza is shaking her head. "Mielle and salad. This is new."





@~@





We headed right away to get some coffee and went to that inner mini park of the mall. The whole time, of course, Jace is behind us.

"Hey kiddo, what do you think your dadi is doing right now?"

I stabbed the lettuce before answering. "What else? Of course stalk you."

She choked on her snack that made her tap her chest. "S-S-Stalk?"

"Yep. Stalk, you know, follow-follow you. Stalk." I ate a forkful of the salad before talking loud enough for Jace to hear on another table. "You never know, maybe he is just around. Until now, I can still feel his presence."

Nariza laughed as she drinks her coffee. "Is that so? If only he can show himself.. hayss.."

"He already did, you even talked to him. You just didn't know it was him."

Jace coughed as he chokes on his coffee. Good thing he was covering his face with the newspaper when we girls turned to his direction.

Bleh!

"You know, I just noticed, a lot of people had been coughing today. I wonder why?"

"Sickness, mami. They're all sick or have virus. So don't go near those people who are coughing, okay?"

She nodded. "You too. But anyway, let's go back to your dadi.."

I scooted over to Nariza and whispered, "Why don't you text him?"

She gazed at me and thought about it for a second. "Okay, hehe, let's bother him."

"Aye, aye!"




Rizzza Vander: Hooon~




Te-ning!


Both of us looked at where the sound came from -- Jace's (of course). He folded his newspaper to check his phone, and his eyes went wide the moment he saw his notification.

Got ya beetch!

Chapter end