#HeartboundWP

POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE CONTENT. Proceed with caution.

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Day 7 | E

ELIAS REMAINS UNMOVING when he hears the bedroom door creak open. He does not know what time it is. He turned his mind off right after Miguel picked him up from the curb last night and stashed him in the back of the car. He did not feel the need to think anymore when Migs got in the driver's seat. And even if he were in the capacity to form coherent thoughts and speak, he wouldn't know what to say when Migs asked him where he should drive him to. Elias really, really didn't know where to go. He doesn't even know where he is right now, and he doesn't have it in him to bother knowing.

Migs enters his peripherals, hovering beside the bed. Elias keeps his eyes trained on the small spot on the ceiling that doesn't seem as flat and smooth as the rest of the surface. He noticed it last night when he couldn't bring himself to sleep, and he hasn't taken his eyes off it since. How many hours has it been? Did he even sleep? Did Migs leave him here last night and just came back this morning to check on him? Or did he stay the night? Elias doesn't know. He doesn't know anything except that there's a spot on the ceiling that needs sanding or something.

"Hey," Migs calls out softly, waving a hand over his eyes. Elias doesn't look at him. He doesn't even blink. "Breakfast?"

Migs lets out a sigh after waiting a few moments for his response and not receiving any. Migs sits on the edge of the bed. The movement of the mattress feels like a mini earthquake to the lightheaded Elias. His tired eyes thank him for finally giving them a rest and shutting them tight. How long has he been staring at the ceiling?

"Ky messaged Mom, nagtatanong where I was kagabi. Mom told her she doesn't know, but now she's looking for me so I have to go home. I did not tell her that I was here, and I was told na wala namang tumawag sa lobby, so no one knows you're here, okay?"

Migs stands up. A pained groan escapes Elias when the mattress moves again. His head is not hurting but the ground beneath him starts spinning when he opens his eyes again.

"You want to eat?" Migs asks, his head hovering above him again. "I can eat before I go."

Elias still doesn't say anything. His eyes get caught again on that odd spot on the ceiling. Migs steps away from the bed and vanishes from his line of vision. "I got you stuff. Toothbrush, bread, food you can eat without having to cook them. May drinks din. I don't know what you want so I got one of everything—may energy drink d'yan, there's fruit juice, milk . . ."

He hears the sound of keys jangling. "There's alcohol, too. In case you really need it." Migs appears again on the corner of his eyes. "But you don't finish that alone. You call me." Migs shows Elias his keys, rattling the holder in his hands. "And I am taking this. You are so not driving. You call me if you want to leave. Lobby would alert me if you go without me. So don't mess around." The short, sharp, metallic sound of the keys feels like little knives puncturing his head.

"You can use my clothes, whatever," Migs adds before vanishing again. Elias hears his footsteps against the carpeted floor, moving away from the bedroom.

"Telephone on the living room is active. Ako lang ang tatawag d'yan because no one knows you're here," Migs says from outside the room. He hovers above Elias again when he comes back inside the bedroom, hands on his hips, eyes sharp and serious, a rare occurrence for someone who doesn't take most things seriously. "And you will answer. If I call you on your cell phone, don't answer. Probably tatawagan lang kita do'n if Ky asks me to and she would be watching. That cousin of yours is too smart and—" Migs pauses, face contorting in confusion. "And I feel like she kinda hates me, so . . . I'll just message you sa IG if it's nothing urgent."

Migs tries to look him in the eye and succeeds. He's looking at him like he doesn't know what to do with him, and Elias understands. He doesn't know what to do with himself, either. "You don't want to be found, fine." Migs shrugs. "But you came running to me so you don't get to disappear on me, okay?"

Elias doesn't answer, but he turns to his side and faces the wall. Migs sighs, again, and claps him on the shoulder. "I'll drop by later if no one's suspecting anything. Feeling ko tumawag na si Ate Riri kay Mom. But daan ako dito bukas if not."

Migs repeats everything he had just said before leaving. Elias doesn't know how long he has been staring at the wall before he gets the strength to get up. He leaves the bedroom, searches the living room for the telephone Migs was talking earlier about, then checks the fridge. He gets himself a glass of water, fixating his gaze on the loaf of bread on the dining table while trying to finish it. He leaves the glass half-empty beside the sink.

He goes back to the bedroom, and ruffles through his duffle bag to find the set of clean clothes he did not use in their rotation yesterday. He steps in the shower, and lets the cold water wash over him until the tips of his fingers start to wrinkle. Brushing his teeth after felt like a chore, and he doesn't know why drying himself is making him so tired that it almost makes him feel like crying.

But he manages. He puts his clothes on, and falls back on the unmade bed.

An hour later, the phone rings. No one answers.

Lunch time comes. No one touches the loaf of bread on the table.

The sun sets. It's time for dinner. The glass of water by the sink remains half-empty, the condensation pooling around the glass' base. The phone rings again and no one answers.

Elias finally falls asleep.

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