A/N: Wow, I update exactly one week after. I am rather amazed at my speed… well, I’m once again too tired to say much about the stuff below, because it’s really late and I’d like a shut eye, so I guess I’ll keep it short XP. Basically, the adventurous duo, much like two convicts cuffed together, managed to escape dangerous pursuers with just the clothes on their backs. Although you might have missed it in the previous chapter, the team Basel was in charge of operated on the small scale and is not government-owned military. So they are more likely trying to cover up their tracks after the big incident rather than pursue en force, especially since Tobias and Bridget blew up the house and practically all of Basel’s forces were eliminated. As for just what/who are the second protocols? Well, you won’t find out in this chapter (laugh) but surely, the next one will… Anyway, a big thank you to everyone who’s read it so far (either voluntarily or due to Review Game policies) and have given me a lot of pointers. Love you all! Between this and next chapter, I’ll be doing some edits on the earlier chapters, so hopefully things will turn out well. Until then! Zzzzzz…

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Chapter 5: Veil of Darkness ~Yoru no Tobari~

If Tobias had expected a decent rest riding the monorail, he was dead wrong. Upon entering the monorail station in San Jose, which took less than an hour, he could only stare at his watch and choked back a sob. A twenty-minutes-long nap was worthless in his books.

“Wake up, we’re here.” He nudged his companion who was busy snuggling in two thick blankets and unresponsive.

She was still sleeping; whatever had happened when he was shot had caused her to be this way. Sporting natural rose-red hair with the brightest sheen that Tobias had seen, with a set of viridian, gem-like eyes revealing hints of strong will within them, his companion could have easily been the most attractive girl he had seen in his entire life. However, because of the way Tobias was structured in thinking, he could only cover up all unnecessary and distracting thoughts with concrete, rational decisions. So since they had arrived in San Jose without a hitch, he was bent on waking her up and fast.

“Wake up, Ju- no… Bridget?” When Tobias called out the second time, he was surprised that he had suddenly came up with a new name for her –while of course not realizing it was him who came up with it while dozing off. However, it had a nice ring to it, and he honestly felt that it was a fitting name for the nameless her.

The girl stirred, to his amazement. It was as if the simple name had given her renewed life. As Bridget opened her eyes in surprise, his inside swelled from the number of things he wished to say right there, but instead, he heard her shriek, and the next second he was pushed unceremoniously off his seat onto the hard ground.

“Ow oww… what’s that for!” Tobias complained, annoyed that the angelic complexion of her sleeping features dissipated as soon as she reacted that roughly.

“Ah, sorry… reflex.” Bridget looked flustered as she helped him up.

“Anyway, we’re here, so are you feeling any better?” Acting as normal as he could, Tobias asked while trying not to stare at the one of the greatest mysteries of the world. After all, she looked quite feminine despite wearing Tobias’s dress shirt and jeans.

“Huh? Oh, I’m fine. More importantly, where are we?” Perhaps she was changing subject for a reason, but for the moment Tobias chose to dismiss it. Thinking too much about everything would only get in the way of getting things done.

“We’re in San Jose. Come with me; the train door is about to close.” Noticing that they were easily staying past the time allowed to stay in the train compartment before it set off toward its next destination, Tobias hurriedly ushered his companion toward the door.

Once outside, the cold fresh air after a full day’s rain soaked through Tobias’s senses as if he had just come out of a cold shower. All of his senses sharpened as moisture clung to the night air. From the smell of damp earth to the receding sweat that still stuck to his body, Tobias relished in the refreshing aftermath. In fact, a small smile had taken over his face as if all his worries had been temporarily washed away.

Chancing a glance at the tall girl, who had settled on a nearby chair, Tobias could only wonder what to do from here. It was not as if he had decided to go to the Silicon Valley on a whim; the reason was very simple – he was on the run; he couldn’t abandon Bridget. He needed help. Sitting down next to the quiet girl, he took note of how cautious or wary she looked.

“Why are we still here? Don’t you have a destination in mind?” Bridget asked in a soft voice.

“Yeah, I do, don’t worry. Why are you so tense anyway?” Still in the process of figuring the girl out, Tobias was simply amazed at how faceted Bridget was. He just couldn’t figure her out.

“How can I not be? We must always be on guard because who knows when they will come after us again.” She replied sharply. Tobias felt she was perhaps a bit too edgy.

She was right, however. Those people that pursued her were far more dangerous than any kind of law enforcement he had seen or heard before. Even if Tobias wasn’t exactly knowledgeable of how police and Special Forces had evolved over the years, he was pretty certain they didn’t behave like the people that hunted them. However, what was the most peculiar was her hatred and fear of them, and in particular, the pure vehemence she emanated toward Agent Basel.

As Tobias stayed in deep thought, he noticed that beads of sweat were forming against Bridget’s smooth cheeks and forehead. His eyes also noticed how several eyes had already detected them, and some were taking small glances at Bridget. Was it because of her unkempt yet still brilliant hair? Was it because of her piercing emerald eyes that constantly scanned the crowds? All he could tell for certain was that she looked quite uncomfortable sitting only meters away from people standing on the train platform.

“Hey, Bridget, are you okay?” Completely used to the name he had christened her with, Tobias called out without thinking.

“Huh? What? Did you call me?” Astonishingly, she responded to that name, even though her face was masked in confusion.

“Um, yeah.” Tobias quickly realized that he should explain the circumstances, so he attempted to rearrange his thoughts and articulate it better.

“I’m… fine, I guess. I just don’t like sitting here, surrounded by so many people…” She fidgeted and wrapped the blankets around her tighter, forming a linen cocoon. At the same time, her green eyes peered through the night as if constantly searching for her pursuers.

Was it possible that the girl was afraid of crowds? It sounded incredulous, but as Tobias thought more of it, the more it became apparent. From her strange behaviors, interactions, and numerous times switching her personality to deal with various situations, Bridget wasn’t exactly a normal girl at all, so he could somewhat sympathize with her on that.

“By the way, why did you call me Bridget? My name-“ She turned to seek an answer from him, but he held up a hand and interrupted her.

“Bridget… it’s your new name, actually.” When he gave out her name, Tobias felt his face burn without knowing why. It was almost as if the name were intimate.

“I see… Bri… Bridget.” Brows furrowed, the girl had temporarily forgotten her discomfort and mulled over the new name in her mind. Meanwhile, Tobias waited with abated breath for her approval, as affected by the atmosphere as she was.

“I… I like it. Bridget; sounds better than Julie, that’s for sure- Wait! Tobias, how- er, how did you know that Julie is not my name?” Realizing that in her excitement, Bridget had given away the fact about her identity, the surprised face she made was rather amusing to Tobias. At the same time, he felt his heart leaping one millimeter in joy that she liked the name he gave her.

“Of course it’s not your name. I’ve known that for a while, since you were pretty bad at lying.” Recalling a few hours ago when she had stuttered as she tried to make up a name right there, Tobias couldn’t help but smile.

“But you can’t be sure about that. I mean, what if I actually have a name but I am hiding it? What if it’s Karen or Mary or something…” Her voice trailed off, as if two names were all she could think of.

Should he ask her? Tobias thought as he listened to her imperfect argument. That man wearing black had clearly called her subject 1011, and she had evidently responded to it. What did it mean though? Clearly, it didn’t sound like something they would call a wanted criminal. The only possible conclusion was that she evidently had no name to go by other than subject 1011. It couldn’t be… could she be a test subject for something? No. He couldn’t do that. Even though his curiosity was dying with desire to find out more about her, his conscience had told him that prying into other people’s businesses would just invite more trouble – he had enough to last his lifetime already.

“But the point is that you like the name, Bridget, right?” Putting emphasis, Tobias raised his voice to quell her refusal.

“Yes. I suppose.” Although her reply was not as enthusiastic as he had hoped, Tobias was satisfied.

“Then from now on, your name will be Bridget. Nice to meet you, Bridget.” Vying for a better response from her, the guy extended his hand to shake with her, only to realize that dirt and dried blood were still clinging on to his skin.

“What are you doing? We already introduced ourselves…” Puzzled, she extended her hand anyway and shook his lightly. The brief contact of warmth sent a jolt down Tobias’s system, but he remained calm.

“Y-yeah, well, just thinking it’s proper to greet you again with your real name.” He forced a grin.

“My… real… name… I see.” As if the reasons for Tobias’s actions finally dawned to her, a small smile formed upon Bridget’s pink lips.

“Yup, no more fake names, no more subject 1011; just Bridget.” Mesmerized by her real smile, Tobias gave barely a thought as he said the next things that came up on his mind. He realized that too late when Bridget turned to him with cold eyes.

“Subject 1011… How do you know that? Tell me!” Her voice became dangerously low, as if he had stumbled upon something taboo, restricted.

“Ah… um, well, that was what that man had called you, what’s his name, Basel, yeah, the guy that tried to kill us.” Shrinking back against her overwhelming pressure and change of mood, Tobias immediately gave as honest an answer as he could.

“Ah… that loudmouth bastard! I see… well, please don’t mention it again, okay? I’m happy that you gave me a name that I can finally live with, but it’s best if we stop discussing this issue.” She said softly, the intimidating air about her vaporized into nothingness in an instant. Instead, Tobias felt the solitude and loneliness in her last words.

“But I do have a right to know, Bridget. After all that we’ve been through, I think I am obligated to at least know why they are after you.” Unable to stand not knowing anything, Tobias saw it as the chance he was waiting for to finally find out more about her. He turned to look at the surprised girl, hoping that his expression was serious enough.

“But…” Caught unaware by his sudden counter, Bridget could only meet his russet eyes with her viridian ones.

“Look, when you asked me before if I was prepared to enter the hell that was your world, I had no other choice because we had to rely on each other. Even though I’m not exactly the most capable person you’ll find, we’re now stuck together whether we like it or not. So don’t you think that I should at least be able to share some of your burdens? You don’t have to tell me everything; just have more trust in me that’s all.” Tobias pleaded. Embarrassment forgotten, anger forgotten, all there was left in him was curiosity and obligation.

“Look, look, mommy, someone is proposing.” Suddenly, completely out of the blue, a young boy’s voice could be heard from the crowd that had gathered on the platform waiting for the next train.

“Don’t point, Bobby, it’s rude to point and stare at people in love, even if they are homeless.” In addition, what appeared to be the mother also happened to misread the scene. Not only that, but what she said also bore an even more humiliating weight on the two already embarrassed listeners.

“W-we are not doing anything like that!” Tobias defended in vain, all worked up. He could ignore being called homeless- wait, no he couldn’t. It was just too painful to be called that after all.

“W-we are not in love, not one bit!” Bridget also attempted to defend herself, completely flustered. Sadly, doing so also invoked a few stabs of pain in Tobias’s chest; source unknown.

Several onlookers smiled. A few even laughed. Completely saturated in embarrassment, the two of them stared at their feet while wishing that time had passed by faster. After a long awkward silence, Tobias tried to break the ice but ended up speaking whatever he had in mind.

“I’m surprised, that you know what love is, despite being a criminal and all.” He spoke with a hint of irony, only to freeze after realizing what he had just uttered.

“I don’t, actually. I just assumed that it was something perverted, and judging by your reaction, it probably was.” Her reply was completely unexpected; the anger in her voice and her narrowed eyes were also fairly unexpected.

“No, no, of course it’s not perverted! Love is… actually, never mind. I’m not the best person to ask about this. However, I can bet all the money I have that love is not what you think it is.” Completely worked up, thinking just how little this girl knew about anything, Tobias went as far as taking his wallet out and shaking it with severity.

“Pfft… haha… wow, I can’t believe you’re really worked up over something you don’t even understand yourself. Fine, let’s just let that matter slide then.” Managing to chuckle and laugh like bells, clearly Tobias’s actions amused and calmed her down. It also made Tobias feel like he had made a fool of himself, again.

“ Anyway… you’re right, Tobias. As time goes on, it’ll just be harder and harder for me to hide the facts. Besides, you are not as incapable as you thought.” Embracing her hands together, Bridget closed her eyes as if in deep cogitation. After a while, she finally opened her eyes and looked straight at Tobias.

“I… am a fugitive. The prison had experienced a power outage, so I took the chance to escape with several others.” When she confessed, the girl spoke quietly. Her emerald eyes were staring straight at Tobias, as if trying to convince him of the awful truth.

“Hah, so you’re a criminal after all…” Tobias sighed; it looked like he couldn’t escape being an accomplice, after al. “Then what about the others that escaped with you. What happened to them?” He took no chances, and sought after as many answers as he could.

“I’m not sure, to be honest. After the breakout, everything was in chaos, so we were all separated in the confusion. Next thing I knew, I was in the city you lived in, and they were already behind me. You know the rest, I guess.” For just a second, he could have sworn that there were tears in her eyes. However, when Tobias looked again, nothing was there save for the sad pair of eyes looking down.

“And what about this Agent Basel guy? You two seemed to know each other, and he even called you ‘subject 1011’.” Still not exactly satisfied, Tobias probed for her reaction with the question he desired her to answer the most.

“He… what do you want me to say exactly, Tobias? Didn’t I tell you before? He’s an evil person and can’t be trusted. He calls me subject 1011 because we all had a number; we were prisoners with no way out. He… I’ve seen him a few times, and I hate his guts.” She spat out in evident hatred,

“So he’s from the CIA, right? Well, it’s only natural. He works for the government, and you are an escaped criminal. So of course he’s out there to get you.” Seeing her reluctant nod, Tobias sighed exasperatedly. Just what kind of mess had he gotten himself into?

He was quick to notice the raw anger dissipating from Bridget’s body like steam, and even her eyes possessed sparkles of burning embers. Realizing that this was a touchy subject, Tobias decided to change the subject as smoothly as he could.

“One last question, then; is the reason you were imprisoned in the first place because you killed many innocent people?” Tobias asked in a low voice. Something in him had wanted to ask this for a long time. He owed her his life; he knew that she wasn’t exactly an evil person, despite her strange behaviors; despite knowing her as a criminal, he still wanted to believe that he could tolerate this person and understand her.

“… Why do you want to know?” Perhaps noticing something strange within Tobias, Bridget hesitated and moved an inch back, almost unconsciously.

“… I just want to know the reason for your sentence. Did you kill innocent people, or not, simple as that.” He lied; Tobias didn’t understand it himself, but the idea of being so close to a person who slaughtered innocents irked him, greatly. His reasoning was not as shallow as simple curiosity, but something deeper, embedded in the profoundest level.

“I can’t answer your question, because… I don’t know if they are innocent or not.” Her reply was soft – almost like a whisper in the wind. However, Tobias caught every word down to the last syllable; he also saw the haunted expression on her face. After a period of silence, he closed his eyes and sighed again.

“I see… well, thank you for being honest. That’s all I want to ask for now.” Taking a deep breath, Tobias sank back onto his seat, wondering why he felt so exhausted all of a sudden.

Don’t think too much of it; just concentrate on the task at hand. Tobias told himself. We don’t have the luxury to wonder about what’s in the past. Yes, despite Bridget’s revelation, they made absolutely no progress as to what to do next. If what she said was true, it was pure miracle how the two of them managed to escape the tenacious CIA. Although he did want to believe that the young girl was a criminal that had killed many people, he simply didn’t feel satisfied with her answer. There were too many inconsistencies and unanswered details, and he was pretty meticulous about the information he had acquired. However, for the sake of priorities, and because she didn’t look like she’d be answering any more questions anytime soon, Tobias decided to just accept it for the time being.

He didn’t know how long their freedom would last, but he would make the best of it. He must, even if it was to work with a self-proclaimed killer.

“So… Tobias, can we please go somewhere? Anywhere’s fine, I guess. They’ll have a harder time tracking us down as long as we keep moving.” Reverting to her more composed self, Bridget gazed at the crowd of people that waited on the platform. Either she really was keen on making sure they were safe, or she was just agitated from being in a large crowd of people.

“You’re right. Hold on a sec, okay? I need to make a phone call.” Replying in acknowledgement, Tobias reached for his Bluetooth phone and dialed a familiar number on his contact list. It would have been nice if she was a bit more patient, but it couldn’t be helped.

“Tobias, I was just about to call you back! It’s about time too. So, what’s the news? How’s the girl?” Andrew’s voice cheerfully rang across the earpiece as soon as he answered Tobias’s call.

“Yeah, about that… you’re still in San Jose, right?” Going straight to the point, Tobias interrupted his friend without delay.

“Um, yeah, for a few days. I’m heading back to SF soon, though.” Andrew replied with slight puzzlement.

“Good enough. Mind if I come over to your place and stay over for the night or something?” Tobias ruefully requested, hoping his friend would pull through for him.

“No. What the hell are you smoking, man, you know that there’s no room in my apartment. Besides, didn’t you have your own little ‘office’ to stay, and didn’t you tell me before oh how perfect it was?” Apparently, even eight years of friendship couldn’t pull Tobias through.

“About that… uh, I’ll explain when I get there. You just need to make some room, any. Don’t worry, I won’t ask for the bed. Sleeping on the floor in a futon is fine too.” Feeling the girl’s eyes on him, Tobias quickened the exchange while feeling a little embarrassed for imposing on one of his few good friends.

“How’d you know I had futons? Never mind. Listen, you can’t just randomly call me and expect my consent without a straight answer. I want an expla-“ From the way things were, it looked like Andrew was going to be a hard shell to crack, Tobias sighed.

“Let me guess, someone’s over at your place right now, and you’d feel awkward having your unsociable friend over for a night.” He spoke over the phone while emphasizing his knowledge of Andrew’s habits from over the years.

“Of course not… and yes to the last guess… bah, fine, come over if you really want, geez. But don’t expect me to go pick you up, understand?” Andrew sound annoyed, so he carefully released the last bit of information to ensure victory.

“The girl is with me, as well. That’s why I need a place to stay. Besides, there’s no one else that I can trust with this favor except you.” He set off the bait, and immediately received the inquisitive stare of Bridget next to him. Feigning an ignorant smile, Tobias awaited his friend’s response from the other side.

“I see… where are you right now?” Hook, line, and sinker, Tobias thought, as he heard the expected reply.

“San Jose Diridon Station, the monorail platform area.” He replied instantly while moving his eyes about, also scanning for possible trouble.

“K, I’ll be there in twenty. You better not be lying, you ass.” As he heard Andrew’s remark, Tobias could have sworn his friend also snickered softly. Well, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. He could already imagine the kind of inquisition Andrew would prepare to put him through.

After completing the call, Tobias felt a bit more relaxed; he could always worry later.

“So yeah, we’ll get our ride in about twenty minutes.” Trying to start a conversation, he once again approached the red-haired girl.

“That’s great. Who is the person you were talking to?” Bridget’s question was casual, but something told Tobias that she was still quite cautious despite the little trust they shared.

“A friend of mine; we’ll be going over to his place for the night. Then we can decide what to do from there. It’s nice though; now I don’t have to worry about taxi fare.” Tobias answered as he leaning back against the steel wired chair embedded to a large plaque with a fancy ad above.

“Ah, I see.” After the brief reply, Bridget returned to analyzing the crowd as another monorail zipped by pulling to a stop.

Fewer than a dozen people exited the silver bullet train, while greater than two dozen people entered the same train. Tobias only saw people wearing suits, ties, and dress, youngsters, college students, and the occasional seniors among the crowd. Nothing had changed even as he sat on the cold chair waiting with Bridget for their ride. Uneventful, time slowly crawled past. All Tobias could think about was how to approach the girl next to him and ask if he could borrow one of the blankets – then again, he owned both, so it felt even stranger asking to borrow. But damn, it was getting cold.

“Your friend… can he be trusted?” After some time past, Bridget asked Tobias, snapping him out of chilling stupor.

“Yeah, he can. As long as we don’t give too many things away, like you know, about who you are, and how we are on the run from the CIA. Just act normal and he won’t try to question too much.” Knowing that he had so many new secrets to be kept away from Andrew, Tobias felt farther and farther away from reality as if he were talking about a stranger.

“I see… but what if he starts asking about us… you know – why we are together and everything?” Somehow, Bridget appeared more worried about their relationship than the fact that they blew a building up and taking lives with them. Even the mere thought that he had become a murderer sent a hellish tremor down Tobias’s conscience.

“If he asks you that… then, well, I’ll think of something, don’t worry.” Although not confident, Tobias was pretty certain that just the fact he had brought a girl with him was enough to secure a safe passage to a good hideaway.

Bridget seemed more or less satisfied with this answer, so silence once again resumed between them. Meanwhile, the station slowly emptied out as another monorail came, stopped, and departed from the platform.

“Hey, Tobias?” After some stretch of time, Tobias once again heard the girl speaking.

“Yeah?” He replied, feeling a bit odd how talkative Bridget had quickly become.

“I’m sorry for hiding the truth from you.” She suddenly apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. At least you were willing to confess.” Not knowing how else to reply, he made the most noncommittal response he could think up.

“Just so you know, the reason I didn’t want to tell you… is because I thought you’d be disgusted with me.” Again, she said something so unlike her; when had Bridget sounded so guilty?

“I’m not disgusted with you. Besides, we’re under the contract, so as long as we can rely on each other, I don’t exactly have a right to complain. Besides, I’m a killer now, just like you.” Exhaling softly while staring at the visible vapors from his warm breath, Tobias said softly in a voice only she could hear.

“Sorry… I am really sorry.” Bridget apologized again, but this time, her voice was filled with self-derision.

“Huh? Stop apologizing already. What’s done is done; blaming on your self won’t do well for anyone.” The sudden change in Bridget’s tone was too much of a surprise, so Tobias ended up trying to comfort her instead.

“I… what gave you the idea that I am blaming myself? I’m just apologizing, okay? You don’t have to read so much into it.” She seemed flustered at his reaction, and Tobias thought he heard a tinge of anger.

“Oh, sorry; just saying. Anyway, it’s not just you, but I am working hard too; I don’t know how long we can keep this up, but I gotta try. It’s certainly something, trying to escape from the law and everything.” Readjusting his glasses distractedly, Tobias sighed and shivered again, his teeth chattering.

“Hey, do you want one? Here.” Perhaps noticing her companion’s vain struggle against the cold night, Bridget handed Tobias one of the blankets she had draped about her body.

“Ah, thank you.” Seeing her visibly softened expression, Tobias couldn’t help but hear the tremors in his chest. Taking the blanket, he could feel the lingering body heat on the cloth as he wrapped it around him. “It’s warm.” He noted.

“O-of course it is. I’m the complete opposite of cold, you know. I deserve no less than a thank you.” As Bridget exclaimed, Tobias had a hard time discerning whether she sounded happy or prideful. She was definitely a hard person to figure out.

Silence resumed as the conversation extinguished once again. Tobias wanted to talk to her more, if only to waste time away. However, it looked like Bridget was busy staring at the night sky and the moon above. So the next best thing to a conversation was to look into the same cold night, the veils of darkness which were untouched by city lights. With rain clouds dissipated from the night sky, the frozen moonbeams lit up the heavens and engraved the luminescence of the stars into that stilled frame. They winked, the stars playing hide and seek with their sole observer until his exhausted eyes were on the verge of shutting down. As Tobias continued to stare at the distant space, he would already imagine how blue the sky would be tomorrow.

Finally, after what felt much longer than twenty minutes, the phone in Tobias’s jeans pocket vibrated, indicating an incoming call. Relieved that he had endured the time limit, the guy picked up the phone and answered it.

“Hey, it’s me. I’m by the Amtrack bus stop.” Andrew’s voice was like a warm hut in the middle of a blizzard.

“Okay, we’ll be right there.” Hanging up, Tobias stood up and beckoned Bridget to follow. After descending the platform and avoiding a dozen of stares, they finally reached a vintage 2030 BMW in its dark glory.

Strangely, Bridget didn’t seem to want to enter the car. When Tobias asked her what was wrong, she whispered that she didn’t know how to enter it. Baffled but complaisant anyway, he opened the back door for her and entered the front door, sitting down beside his friend. Andrew was a good two inches taller than Tobias, with sandy blond hair parting evenly down to his earlobes. Unlike Tobias, he had a much angular face, a more proportionate nose, and fine features that could get him placed alongside several Hollywood celebrities. He also had a set of icy blue eyes that suggested with his looks a bad-boy character. Naturally, his body frame was also slightly bigger, which meant that his BMW was also average sized to fit at most six people despite being a sedan.

“Hey man, thanks for coming over to pick us up.” Acting as casual as he could, Tobias squeezed into the leather seats and belted himself.

“No problem, all to show just how dependable a friend I am, you know.” Cracking a white smile, he shifted the stick like a professional manual driver – quick and smooth. As the car reverberated with energy, a loud thud came unexpectedly from the back.

As the two guys looked over their shoulders in puzzlement, what greeted them was a teary Bridget holding her head, grimaced in pain. No way, Tobias immediately thought. However, there could be no possible alternate answer!

“Did she hit her head against the roof?” Andrew asked him in a soft whisper.

“Looks like it… hey Bridget, are you okay?” Tobias asked her out of concern, making sure to keep a leveled face.

“Oww… yeah, it’s just my head. Sorry about that.” She replied apologetically while massaging her throbbing head.

“Don’t be sorry; not many people would have thought that a sweet car like this would have nitro and a six-hundred horse power engine. Hey Tobias, why don’t you sit in the back and make sure she’s strapped tight? There’s plenty we can talk about once we reach my apartment.” Giving Tobias meaningful glances with an airy tone, Andrew stopped the car and nodded at the back seat.

Sighing, the black-haired guy got out of the car and sat down on the backseats. After spending a wordless minute helping Bridget with the seat belts, he shut the car door and gave Andrew the go. As the car rumbled once more, Tobias was slightly relieved that the girl in tow did not jump up in surprise again. Instead, she looked toward the scenery of nightlife in San Jose. Being a city much more industrialized and wealthy than say, Santa Cruz, the starlet of the Silicon Valley possessed a beautiful night view as it reached the latter half of the twenty-first century after sustaining numerous hurdles this nation had suffered.

Pulling out of the station swiftly like a stallion on wings, Andrew steered his moderated BMW onto the streets with expert handling of the wheels and brake. Shifting gears with the fluidity of a pilot who earned his wings, Tobias’s friend stepped down hard on the accelerator pedal once he was clear of obstructing traffic. Roar, the sound of wheels grinding the asphalt; roar, the tempestuous pistons pumping within the innards of the engine eating away boiling seawater; roar, the car thundered down the streets of San Jose in all its 600 stallions’ fury.

“So, Bridget, was it? Nice name. My name is Andrew, a good friend of this dude sitting next to you.” As soon as he grinded the car to a halt at the first stoplight, Andrew sparked a conversation.

“Ah, I see… nice to meet you, Andrew.” Bridget’s reply was short and polite; it was nothing like her first exchanges with Tobias. However, her eyes did meet Tobias’s hazel ones, as if trying to ask him for help.

“Just in case my introverted friend here has not told you where we are going, I’m driving us to my apartment downtown. It’s a small place, but I’m sure you guys can cuddle up on the couch.” Andrew suggested casually, but that was enough to set off something inside Tobias.

“What? No, we can’t do that! I told you, futons, damn it!” Breaking eye contact due to the unexpected development, he exclaimed loudly, and inevitably chanced a glance at Bridget. As their eyes met, he felt something inside him ignited but suppressed it almost immediately.

“What’s wrong with sleeping on a couch? Your friend is nice enough to offer us hospitality so we should follow his suggestion, right?” Unbelievably, she happened to agree with Andrew’s joke. Or maybe she simply didn’t know the meaning of what Andrew had just suggested.

“Hah, that’s right, Tobias. See, she knows when a good deal shows up. You should listen to Bridget more, if you want this relationship to work out.” Andrew said with a laugh.

“Bridget, you do know what a couch is, or what cuddle means, right?” Tobias asked in a strained voice while ignoring his friend’s side comment.

“Um, no; not really, but it can’t be any different from sleeping on a bed, right? Oh wait, sharing the same bed… no, I absolutely don’t want that!” When he heard her blunt yet honest reply, Tobias felt chaotic as if two opposing waves were simultaneously crashing against each other. He felt drained, but still glad that she realized the perversion of Andrew’s little joke.

“Haha, well I tried. But you know – there’s nothing wrong with Tobias. He might not look it, but he’s got about the same amount of bravery as a frightened mouse when it comes to girls.” Apparently he was not satisfied with that response, as Andrew just said something so amazing Tobias felt his jaw dropped.

“W-what are you saying, Andrew. Stop speaking nonsense, right now!” Not even knowing why he was so flustered, all Tobias could think of was to make his friend shut up.

“I don’t really understand what you meant, but I think you are wrong. Tobias was actually quite perverted.” Bridget’s sudden input impaled its blade deep into Tobias’s gut.

“Whoa, whoa, hold on just a minute. He was quite what?” Andrew was the one taken by surprise, unable to believe his ears.

“Perverted; even though we’ve just met, he tried to take advantage of me. Although it was probably a misunderstanding, I am still positive that he’s not the man you think he is.” Another sword had driven itself into Tobias, this time into his heart.

Why the hell was she being so talkative all of a sudden? Wasn’t she worried just minutes ago about how much she could trust the guy? Now it felt like some talk show where the girl kept bitching about her dislikes of the guy she was with, while the audience was like, yeah it was all that man’s goddamn fault; stone him, curse him, and lynch him while they were at it!

“Oh wow, I didn’t know he’d go that far. I mean, all I did was to make a few suggestions, but… it looked like he overdid it. Well, Bridget, as long as you are willing to forgive this poor fella and stay with him, I sincerely apologize on his behalf.” Although Tobias couldn’t see Andrew’s face since he was still at the driver’s seat, he was pretty sure that behind the apologetic voice was a face ready to explode in laughter.

“Apology accepted. Hey, Tobias, look at how nice a friend he is to you. Maybe you should learn a thing or two from Andrew on how to be a gentleman in the near future or something.” Even though Bridget sounded very serious, Tobias was not really listening. He was busy swearing on the inside of his head of the incredulity he just witnessed. Didn’t she know that Andrew was the one who suggested him to do those ‘perverted’ things? He was such a fool to take advices from this shallow friend of his.

”Aw, c’mon. You should give the man at least some break. See, I’ve known him for eight long years, and I gotta tell ya, he’s not so bad a guy at all. Why, in fact, I’m sure that your chance meeting must be a blessed miracle in itself, right?” Crafting flowery words that were full of more nonsense than a basket of fake fruit, Andrew carried on the conversation while Tobias was lost at where he was going with it.

“Not really, it was more like bad luck.” Bridget replied flatly. Tobias gawked. Andrew raised an eyebrow.

“It’s not my fault.” Tobias countered almost on impulse. Was she pretending?

“I’m not saying it’s your fault. Bad lucks simply can’t be helped.” She tried to sugarcoat the facts, but the damage was done. He didn’t care if she was speaking for the sake of fooling his friend; whatever dignity he had left was critically wounded.

“Fine, whatever, I give up. Just tell me when we are there, okay, Andrew?” Collapsing against his corner of the back seat, Tobias returned to silence, suppressing the urge to see Bridget’s reaction.

“Hmph, not a gentleman at all.” In the end, she was the one with the last say after all, as one last sword dropped from straight above shattering all the morale Tobias still had.

“Alright kids... we’re almost there, so just sit tight. Don’t worry though; I have enough futons for the both of you.” Trying to pacify the situation, Andrew returned to his casual tone and turned up the radio. Ancient rock bands from almost one century ago played wildly through the stereo, producing rough yet pleasing music known only as rock’n’roll of the old days.

No one spoke for the remainder of the drive. Bridget had resumed looking outside at the city life, while Tobias alternated between exasperated sighs and eyes wandering between the streets outside and the girl. After a few more minutes, they finally reached their destination as Andrew steered his sleek vehicle into a multi-floored parking lot.

The three of them exited the car, but not before Tobias helped Bridget unlocking her seatbelts. Muttering an almost inaudible thank you, the girl folded blankets across her arms and got out of the car while avoiding his eyes. As Andrew led the two toward his apartment, he fell back in pacing to walk alongside Tobias.

“Hey, listen. When she calms down a bit, go apologize to her.” He suggested to his shorter and skinnier friend.

“Why? She was the one that compared me with you. Do you know how uncomfortable I felt? The least she could do was at least pretending that I did something for her, instead of calling me bad luck and everything.” Tobias pouted indignantly, as what she had said really did strike invisible blows against him.

Oh c’mon. I’m sure she didn’t mean it. She probably just had a really bad day before meeting you, and besides, I’m partly to be blamed for her grudge against you.” Placing one hand against his chest, Andrew tried to persuade Tobias with a nudge against his shoulder.

“Of course you are to blame for it. If you hadn’t talked so much and giving out all that unnecessary information, then she wouldn’t have been caught in the excitement and start shouting it all out.” Carrying his share of the blanket and a damp backpack on his back, Tobias was in no condition to tolerate and accept easily.

“Okay okay, sorry dude, and I mean it. Anyway, it looks like you know her better than I do, so I won’t say anything more about it. Seriously though, rule one: whenever couples fight, it’s usually the guy’s fault.” Still persistent as always, Andrew left his message without giving Tobias a chance to object.

As Bridget followed him outside, she stared in awe at the massive apartment complex that stood right next to the five story parking lot. It shouldn’t even be called an apartment complex, but more like a condominium with fancy, black stainless glass on the exterior and who knew how fancy an interior design.

“Right, a crammed apartment eh, Andrew?” Tobias said with sarcasm pouring all over the words.

“Well, before you start complaining, I don’t live there. It’s just along the way, you know. My apartment is actually a block from here, but since they had free parking… Anyway just follow me.” Andrew smiled knowingly, dismissing Tobias’s scowl with a wave.

“So you don’t live in this nice place?” Bridget asked as she reluctantly pulled away from the rich condominium that towered above.

“No, of course not! I may have a sweet ride, but that’s about it. There’s a limit to how much a premed like me can afford for living with odd jobs here and there.” Although Andrew explained, Tobias could tell that Bridget was more or less confused since she only nodded but did nothing else. It raised even more questions but at the same time not as surprising to watch. He made a note to discover the truth beneath her mask, even though she told him to not pry into it.

However, after only a few minutes, he was already scratching his jet-black hair and wishing that they would arrive at Andrew’s apartment sooner. They happened to skim past the front entrance of the fancy condominium, and received numerous stares of people who probably pitied their state or complained as if they were royalties that had just seen something obscene. Rich people were always like that; they knew nothing about the importance of money, and how much it would have benefited so many people in the world if they could even spare say, ten percent of their hoarded cash.

“Keep walking; I know how you are with these people but now is not the time.” Before he even realized it, Andrew was already walking beside him and talking to him.

“I’m not doing anything wrong. By the way, I hate to ask, but are we there yet?” Still moody, Tobias turned to Andrew and asked.

“Yeah, almost. Just hang in there, big boy, haha.” Laughing loudly and patting Tobias’s shoulders, he was probably trying to mask their actual age group with juveniles hanging around at night. Apparently that was what the watchers thought, so all remaining eyes on them returned to their own businesses.

After a few more minutes, and crossing a busy intersection, the trio finally stumbled upon the apartment complex where Andrew lived. It was five stories and looked like a large hotel situated in the middle of urban districts – far from where they should be. The building even had worn twentieth century architecture that had yet to be renovated – the windows were located next to sets of staircases leading to the roof. Tobias wouldn’t be surprised if the air conditioning and ventilation box was located right behind the building. The paint was also old fashioned silver-gray, and although few in numbers, there were definitely large cracks on the weathered pant job.

“Hmm, I guess you’re right. There’s no way people like us can even afford to live in the condo back there.” After some scrutinizing, Tobias finally said as if approving his friend’s financial state.

“Really? What would you have said if I actually lived in that condo?” Andrew grinned as he challenged Tobias.

“I would have called you a rich bastard, knock you out when you are not looking, and probably rob you of all the valuables you have in the condo. Maybe I’ll even sell them off e-bay for extra money.” Tobias’s answer was severe but his grin was not.

“Okay good, thank god I didn’t lie then. Don’t want you running off with attempted murder and all my keepsakes from the ladies.” Replying with mocked relief, Andrew winked back at him.

“Trust me, you are not worth killing. Besides, what do you possibly have from ladies? Purses, gifts, jewelry, or contract; anything of value at least?” Tobias said bluntly.

“Whoa, Tobias, were you actually contemplating it seriously? Man, when it comes to money you are no fun at all. Now hurry up, you shouldn’t keep your lady friend waiting.” Sighing in mock exasperation, Andrew gave up on prying interesting answers off his slow companion.

“Oh, sorry about that.” Upon realizing that Bridget was waiting impatiently for them at the door, Tobias apologized and put strength into his legs, forcing a quick trot to the entrance.

Andrew’s apartment was small. He was definitely not lying about that, much to Tobias’s regret. It had one bedroom one bath, a small kitchen right next to the living room, and save for a couch and coffee table on top of a large piece of rug, there were little to take note of. The wooden floors were bearable, but probably not as clean as he had hoped it to be, so sleeping on the floor was out of the question. Unloading the blanket and his heavy backpack onto the carpeted floor, Tobias took the liberty to explore his friend’s place for the first time in years.

Andrew’s bedroom was cramped; save for the bed that could be large enough to barely fit two people side by side, he also had a desk and bookshelf, both filled with books. The desk managed to have enough room to fit Andrew’s Toshiba laptop, a coffee mug, and what looked like a heavy-laden medical book resting on top of the keyboard. Of course, even though this place looked like the room of a cram student, knowing Andrew’s habits Tobias easily detected the PS4 beneath his bed, and the stack of pristine, unwrapped games next to was about to seek out more incriminating stuff when his shoulder was tapped hard and sharply.

“Hey, dude, what do you think you are doing? Are you really here to stay or just to rob me?” Andrew’s voice came out from behind him, and he could even feel something poking into his back. It was steel, and cold, like his friend’s voice.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was just curious how you can be studying for entire days without any other ways to vent it off. I’m not trying to do anything else, so can you get whatever you have off me?” Cogitating whether his friend had just betrayed him, Tobias quickly raised his two hands in surrender. Next second, he was confronted with Andrew’s gun- or rather, a thin device with multiple buttons on it.

“Hah, looks like I got you good, didn’t I. Look, see, just a remote control, nothing else.” Revealing the truth with a laugh, Andrew showed Tobias the narrow remote control and with the click of a button, activated something from the wall. It looked like a plasma screen TV had just popped out from the wall above Andrew’s laptop. It wasn’t the newest kind, as it was smaller by thirty inches, but was affordable at forty inches, came with Blue-ray HD, and digitized framework.

“Nice eh? About my only source of entertainment not related to the internet. Anyway, remember what I said before. Go apologize to your girlfriend so you guys can make up. I can’t seem to reach her at the moment.” Andrew’s voice was light and casual, but there was something about his smile that didn’t seem right.

“Uh, that doesn’t make sense. How does making up to her have anything to do with reaching her?” Tobias was bewildered.

“Well, let’s just say that I tried to talk to her when you’re not around, but it looks like she’s ignoring me – meaning she’s only comfortable around you. Either that or my living room is so fancy to the poor girl that she is too distracted to notice my existence. As you can see, that’s a quite problematic. Fortunately, I think you are the perfect man for the job of bringing her back to Earth. So go, I say, go Tobias!” With an unceremonious shove, Andrew pushed Tobias back into the hallway and straight into Bridget who happened to just walk by.

Amidst a duet of shouts and shrieks, whether in surprise or reluctance, Tobias realized once again that he was on top of the red-haired girl. For a second, he was lost helplessly in those emerald eyes of hers, and could even feel her body heat beneath the soft and smooth flesh. It felt totally like de javu all over again, and just like de javu, he regained his senses rather quickly when he saw her flushed cheeks and the trembling fist right next to it.

“Tobias! You pervert!” He heard his name, saw a bright flash of white light, and suddenly felt as if he had been detached from the material world.

“Winner, by knock out, two-point-five seconds into first round, Bridget!” Amidst indistinguishable cheers and bright, blinding lights, Tobias could hear some random speaker announcing the new winner in some sort of bout. Next thing he knew, veils of darkness had devoured his remaining consciousness.

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A/N: If only you were there to see her awesome short-ranged 1-hit-ko-jab! (laugh). Now that’s a world record if I do say so myself. XP