Chapter 33.5 – How We Got Together (Part 16)

Present Day – Alex (Narration)

Natalie...
She’s the only one who truly sees me.
Not just the scars. Not the anger. Not the mask I wear around others.
Even Sylvia—who sees through my silence—she doesn’t see what Natalie sees.
Because Natalie was always there… before the walls, before the darkness.
That’s why I’ve never feared anyone chasing after her.
Because our bond—
…was forged in a way no one could touch.
Unbreakable.
Undeniable.

Present Day – Natalie (Narration)

Even after all these years… even with Mariam as my eyes in Sabah… even with Hana by my side like an extension of myself—
The fear never goes away.
The fear of losing him.
Of being left behind.
What’s worse… I have to smile through it. I have to be diplomatic about it.
Especially with Sylvia.
Because I understand her pain too.
But Alex?
He’s not just someone I fell in love with.
He’s… my other half.
Without him… I’m already half dead.
And that’s why… I just can’t afford to let him go again…

Natalie’s side

Location: Alex’s house, weekend break

It’s been four months since I started living here.
Four months of late-night laughs, morning breakfasts with spicy noodles I can’t handle, and…

Four months of Alex slowly becoming my whole world.

He leans into the living room from the hallway, still munching on leftover curry bread.

“Hey Nat, weren’t you gonna draw something for me? You said you had an idea.”

I blink, startled.

“Huh? Oh… right. I forgot…”
I set my pencil down, barely realizing I haven’t drawn anything all afternoon.

My thoughts have been clouded—by worry.

Luna.

It’s been three weeks since she disappeared.

Not a word. Not a call. Nothing.

Me and Alex even went to her place two Sundays ago.
But it was… abandoned.
Dust on the floor. Mail stuffed in the slot. No sign of her mom.

“I’m worried,” I say quietly, sitting on the couch with my knees pulled to my chest.

Alex scratches his head.

“Yeah... same. But it’s not like we’ve got any clue where she went.”

He pauses…
Then opens his mouth to continue, but I cut in.

“I have this.”

I pull out the folded letter I’ve read a dozen times already.

Hey, Nat—
Sorry about the sudden disappearance. I’m on a family trip right now. Mom’s bad with phones and letters, so I had to sneak this one in.
Just tell the teacher I’ll be back eventually, okay? Should take a few months at most.
Love, Luna 💋
*P.S. Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, eh? ;-) *

Alex takes it and reads it carefully.
His eyes narrow, thoughtful.

“This doesn’t sound like Luna.”

“That’s what I thought too…”

“Still… it’s her handwriting. But it’s too neat. Too... deliberate.”

We both sigh at the same time, slouching in sync like two helpless kids who can’t do anything but wait.

Then—suddenly—

Alex smirks.

That classic crooked grin that always means trouble.

“Well… good thing I’ve got connections.”

He turns and walks into his room.

“Wait, what do you mean—Alex?”

He comes back with a small folded notebook—one of those spiral notepads the park boys use to trade info like Pokémon rumors.

“The guys from the skate crew said they saw Luna.”

“W-Wait, WHAT?! Where?!” I bolt upright.

“Downtown. Near the old movie theater.”

“When did this happen?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”

I launch myself at him and throw my arms around his shoulders.

“Then when do we go?! We have to find her!!”

But Alex doesn’t hug me back.

Instead, his expression grows serious.

He slowly peels me off.

“…Nat.”

“…What?”

“…One of the boys said she wasn’t alone.”
“And?”

“She was… being followed.”
“What… do you mean?”

Alex looks at me with heavy eyes.

“…Gangsters. Real ones.”

My breath catches.

Everything inside me goes cold.

“No… No way. Luna would never—”

Alex kneels to meet my eye level.

His voice calm.

“That’s why I didn’t tell you right away. I needed to be sure.”

He holds my hand tightly.

“But now that I know something’s wrong—.”

We’ve made up our minds.

No turning back now.
Me and Alex—we’re going to look into Luna’s disappearance ourselves.

But as I sit here on the couch with a pencil in my hand and my heart racing…

There’s one tiny problem.

We’re just kids.
Not detectives.
Not gangsters.
Not even teenagers with clout.
We’re just two 10-year-olds with rollerblades, curiosity, and a whole lot of stubbornness.

Alex notices the hesitation in my eyes.

“Well,” he says casually, leaning against the doorframe with his usual messy hair and that older-than-his-age expression, “if you’re done overthinking, get to your drawing. You’ll miss your deadline, genius.”

“Fiiine…” I roll my eyes but stand up anyway.

I head downstairs to the living room.

The house is quiet.

Too quiet.

Hana is fast asleep on the couch, curled up with her plush whale and that baby snore that sounds like soft hiccups.

Alex’s mom is still in class at the university.

Phylis and Mrs. Claire?
Outstation.
Dad told me this morning they’re both gone for a few days on academic work.

Huh.
Everyone’s suddenly out.
And somehow…
Alex is in charge of everything.
😑
This smells suspicious.

I glance back at the stairway.

Alex is probably upstairs vacuuming or checking locks or something.

He’s been extra careful lately.

Not paranoid.
Just… responsible.
Like he’s training himself to be the last line of defense.

I don’t hate it.

In fact…

I smile quietly to myself.

Because even now…
Even with just me and him in this house…
He’s not thinking of anything weird.

No boys-will-be-boys nonsense.
No teasing.
Just him, doing what he’s always done:

Protecting me.

Alex’s POV – Earlier This Morning (Flashback)

Right after Fajr prayers, when the world’s still dim and the birds haven’t fully woken up…

Mom sat on the balcony, sipping hot kopi, looking more smug than usual.

Me?

Wrapped in a hoodie, half-asleep, sitting cross-legged.

She suddenly said, “So… I’m heading to campus now.”

“At 6 a.m.?” I mutter.

She gave me that look.

Then she glanced back toward my bedroom.

“Look after those two, okay?”

Inside my room, under the warm blanket—

Natalie was sleeping on my bed with Hana.

Both of them huddled like kittens.
Nat’s brow still a little scrunched from a lingering fever, Hana drooling on her shoulder.

Me?

I was sleeping on the couch.

“Yeah, yeah,” I replied. “I got it.”

But deep down…
I had that sinking feeling.

Like Mom and Mr. Hawk were planning something behind the scenes.

Not bad.
Just… strategic.
Subtle matchmaking.

And I’m stuck in the middle.

Present Time – Back in the Living Room

I come down to check on Nat.

She’s seated cross-legged near the coffee table, working on her sketchbook.

Her brows are focused, lips pursed, pencil moving smoothly.

“Still alive?” I tease.

“Barely,” she mutters.

“Hana good?”

“Sleeping. Like a log.”

I step into the kitchen, pretending to busy myself with a bottle of milk, but in truth…

I glance over my shoulder.

Watching her sketch.

There’s something calming about seeing Natalie like this.
Focused.
Quiet.
Safe.

And in that moment…
I remind myself—

Whatever this thing is with Luna…
We’ll face it together.

I head down the hill toward the court behind our neighborhood park.

Faiz and Marina are already there, lounging on the brick wall like they own the place.

Faiz sees me first.

“Yo, Alex!!” he waves, biting into a waffle snack.
“What’s the news, Detective Tsundere?”

Marina spins and throws me a wink.
“So where are we off to today, partner?”

I smirk, hands in my hoodie pocket.

They think this is just another street mystery game.
But this time—
It’s real.

I made a decision this morning.

Natalie isn’t coming.
Not for this.

I won’t let her get dragged into something dangerous again—not until I know exactly what we’re walking into.

So for now…

I’m the one leading this.

We move to the shaded edge of the basketball court, crouching behind the old benches.
Marina unrolls a crinkled piece of drawing paper.

It’s… surprisingly good.

A detailed hand-drawn street map.

Color-coded lines trace the routes we’ve picked up over the past two days—
Where Luna was spotted.
Where Dino’s car was seen.
Where things went quiet.

“So,” Marina says, tapping her marker against a red circle, “we have three confirmed sightings. Two were by the rollerbladers, one from Mr. Lin’s corner shop.”

Faiz leans in.
“And all of them follow this pathway—right through the alleys downtown.”

“They’re on the run,” I say it flat.
No question in my voice.

Marina nods.
“Not just hiding. Moving. Probably changing places every few days.”

That’s when Adinor shows up, skate bag slung over one shoulder, still chewing gum.

“Yo! Found you guys.”

He tosses his cap back and grins.

“Hey, so me and my dad were at Kwan’s auto workshop just now—”

“Let me guess,” I raise an eyebrow.

“Dino’s car was there.”

“Bingo.”

“And no one inside?”

“Nada. Even the back seats were cleared. Like they just left it and ran.”

The air shifts between us.

Silence for a second.

Then all four of us speak at once:

“They’re on the run.”

I narrow my eyes at the map again.

Something about this isn’t right.

Luna wouldn’t just disappear without a reason.
And Dino… for all his weirdness, he was loyal to her.

“This has to be about Luna’s family,” I murmur, half to myself.

Faiz puts his hand on my shoulder.

“So what now, Captain?”

“We move,” I say.
“But quietly. We don’t charge in like it’s a Saturday morning cartoon.”

I point to one of the alley junctions near an old laundromat.

“Let me check out this zone first. You guys hang back. Wait for my signal.”

“Huh? No way!” Marina grins and pokes my forehead.
“Since when did you become cool and reckless at the same time?”

“Since I stopped letting other people get hurt on my watch.”

My tone is sharper than I meant.

But they don’t question it.

Faiz claps his palms together.

“Okay. Recon duty for Alex. Me and Adinor stay close in case you need backup.”

“And me,” Marina chimes in, throwing on her hoodie, “I’ll stay here and keep contact. I brought a walkie.”

“Of course you did,” I sigh.

I glance toward the city skyline in the distance, where the setting sun is starting to bathe everything in gold.

Somewhere out there—

Luna is running from something.

And we’re going to find out why.

Downtown Phoenix, Late Afternoon

The air is dry and heavy with exhaust fumes and the fading glow of city neon.
Me and the Rollerblades Crew from the park are now rolling through the less-traveled alleys of downtown Phoenix.

Our little task force?

Not exactly professional, but hey—

We’re fast. We’re quiet.
And we’re on a mission.

Jamie, the self-appointed leader of the crew, glides up beside me with a grin.

He’s just a 6th grader, same age as me, but already talking like some kind of spy movie veteran.

“Yo bro—this is exactly like Mission Impossible, right?!”
“Only cheaper,” I mutter.

He laughs, spinning a full circle on his skates.
He’s got energy. I’ll give him that.

“Hey, Alex.”
That’s Kylie—the only girl in their crew.
Also 6th grade, but carries herself like a high schooler with main character energy.

She rolls up beside me, tightening the strap on her knee pad, one foot resting on a graffiti-covered wall.

“Which route do we hit first? The east alley or the laundromat strip?”

She’s sharp. Always thinking ahead.

Before I can answer, Tommy—the goofball of the group—skates up beside me.

His nose is bleeding.

“Ugh… I’m telling you, man…” he leans closer, whispering as if the world needs to hear his conspiracy,

“She’s lying about her age. There's no way a sixth grader’s supposed to look like—”

WHACK!!

A blur of motion—

Kylie spins around mid-glide and launches a perfect roundhouse skate-kick straight into Tommy’s shin.

“AACK—!!!” Tommy crashes into a recycling bin, clutching his leg like he’s just been hit by a truck.

Kylie smiles sweetly, hands on her hips.

“If you boys are done being weird, maybe we can actually find Luna?”

All of us—me, Jamie, even the bruised Tommy—nod furiously.

“Yes ma’am.”
“No distractions.”
“Mission first.”
“Please don’t kick me again.”

Kylie glides ahead, her ponytail swaying.

“Honestly… boys.”
She mutters just loud enough for us to hear.

Jamie leans in toward me and whispers:

“Okay yeah… she’s terrifying.”

I nod, wiping my face with a sleeve.

“I like terrifying girls.”

“What?!”

“Nothing.”

The mission continues.

Through cracked sidewalks and rusted fences, past flickering store signs and back alleys painted with old murals, we roll.

Somewhere out here—

Luna was seen.

And we’re going to find out what happened.

Even if we’re just kids with rollerblades…

Behind the Hotel Plaza

We crouch low behind a row of garbage bins, hearts pounding, wheels locked in place.

Beyond the narrow alley ahead—past the chain-link fence and the humming power box—

We see her.

Luna.

But she’s not the Luna we remember.

She’s standing at the far end of the alley, half-hidden beneath the dim light of an old hotel awning.
Wearing a glamorous red dress, glittering unnaturally against the dirt and grime of the street.

Her usual messy ponytail is styled—too clean.
Her face? Made up like a doll.

And beside her…

Dino.

Wearing a charcoal-black suit.
Talking in hushed tones to a man we can’t quite see, only the edge of his leather coat under the flickering lamplight.

Tommy’s jaw drops.

“Bro… Luna’s… kinda hot.”

Nosebleed. Instant.

“SHE’S GONE FULL DIVA!!”

Before I can shush him—

SNAP.

Kylie grabs his ear and twists it like a radio dial.

“We’re spying, not simping, you idiots.”

Tommy spasms like an electrified shrimp, lips wobbling.

“Y-Y-Yes ma’am—! Ow ow ow—!”

I cover my mouth, barely holding in a laugh.

Note to self: Never get on Kylie’s bad side.

We duck even lower as Dino suddenly gestures toward something in the man's briefcase.

Luna’s arms are folded, face unreadable.
But she’s nodding.

Kylie leans in close and whispers, deadly serious.

“Something’s wrong.
That’s not cosplay.
That’s not a party.”

Jamie creeps up next to me, pulling out his tiny notebook.

“This just went from Mission: Possible to Code Red: ”

We stay still.

Breath held.

Watching.

The man in the coat finally walks away.

Luna and Dino turn back toward the hotel doors.

But Luna…
She hesitates.

Just for a second—
Her eyes scan the alley.

Straight toward us.

Did she see us?

No—
She turns away.

But that brief second?

Her face looked—

Sad.

“Okay,” I whisper.
“This isn’t a game anymore. We need to move.”

Kylie nods, already on her comms mic (yes, she brought a comms mic—don’t ask).

Tommy’s still quietly whimpering, rubbing his ear, nose still dripping.

Jamie jots furiously in his spy notebook.

And me?
My heart’s beating faster than ever.

Because that wasn’t the Luna we knew.

And whatever this is—

We’re in it now.

Back Alley Near the Grand Coronado Hotel

Now the real problem begins.

We’re a bunch of snot-nosed kids from the park—with rollerblades, backpacks, and zero formal training.

On the other side?

A group of serious-looking men in black coats and stiff postures.
You don’t need adult eyes to know—

They’re not the good guys.

Luna’s there.
So is Dino, pacing outside the hotel’s side entrance, taking a drag from a cigarette like he’s in some noir film.

But then—

I freeze.

Luna’s not just standing beside him anymore.
She’s being held.

By one of the men.

Her wrist.
Not roughly… but not gently either.

And her face?

Emotionless.
Like she’s acting.
Like she’s suppressing something.

“Guys…” I whisper, narrowing my eyes.
“Something’s off.”

Tommy leans over, peeking between stacked crates.
Jamie scribbles nervously.
Kylie adjusts her elbow pads like she’s about to suplex someone.

But just as I’m about to lean closer—

“This place ain’t safe, kid.”

“WHA—?!”

I nearly jump out of my skin.

Behind me stands a man who smells like old newspapers and chili beans.
Ragged coat, dusty boots, faded cap pulled low.

A hobo?

No, wait…

He’s… standing too straight.
Too focused.

“Uh… sorry, who are you?”

He waves a hand lazily.
“Just a hobo.”
And then—
He vanishes.

Slips into the shadows like some kind of urban ninja.

“…What the heck just happened?”

Kylie stares at me.

“You really attract weirdos, Alex.”
Arms crossed. Expression deadpan.

“It’s not my fault!!”

Tommy, still nursing his bruised pride from earlier, nods.
“Bro… that hobo was shady. Like, government agent shady.”

Jamie adds, “I think he was scanning you for intel.”

“This isn’t a sci-fi flick!”

We fall silent again as the men finish speaking to Dino.

Luna glances over her shoulder—briefly—like she knows we’re here.

Then they start moving.

South.
Toward the warehouse district.

Kylie pulls on her gloves.

“We tail them. But we stay in formation. Got it?”

I nod.

And despite the fear twisting in my gut…

I’m ready.

Because whatever this is—

We’re already involved.

The heat from the concrete rises in gentle waves.
We’re perched like wannabe ninjas… on the edge of a roof that probably wasn’t designed to support a bunch of middle-schoolers.

And yet…

Me, Tommy, and Jamie are all crouched in the classic yankii squat, hands on our knees, staring at each other.

For the last ten minutes.

In silence.

Like idiots.

“So…” I mutter.
“Just one thing…”

Tommy looks up.
“Yeah?”

Jamie deadpans.

“How the hell are we doing this again?”

We all stare blankly.

A gust of wind blows a crushed soda can past us like some poetic punchline.

Kylie stands behind us, arms crossed, her leg tapping rhythmically on the gravel like a ticking time bomb.

“You three are seriously the dumbest spies I’ve ever seen.”

She sighs—full exasperation—then rubs her temple.

“We’ve been tracking them all afternoon. Seen the shady guys. Seen Luna. Seen Dino. And now you’re asking what we’re doing?”

Tommy raises a finger.
“To be fair, I didn’t expect us to make it this far.”

Jamie nods.
“Yeah, same. I thought we’d get caught two hours ago.”

Me?
I'm just trying to keep the team from falling apart.

Kylie finally says the one thing we’ve all been avoiding.

“Does Luna even want to be saved?”

Her words hit like a gut punch.

We all freeze.

That’s the one question we never asked.
What if Luna… isn’t trapped?
What if she chose this?

Kylie exhales sharply.

“I don’t know what she’s doing. Or why. But if she’s being forced, we can’t ignore it.”

She turns toward the warehouse rooftops, where Luna disappeared into a back door just minutes ago.

“We need answers. But not from hiding.”

She looks over her shoulder at us.

“I’ll talk to her.”

The three of us instantly salute like we’re in boot camp.

“Roger!”
“Ma’am, yes ma’am!”
“Please don’t kick me again.” (That was Tommy.)

Kylie flicks her ponytail dramatically and puts her hood up.

She’s glowing with the kind of quiet confidence only cool heroines get before something big happens.

“You boys hang back,” she says.
“If anything goes wrong—back me up.
If she runs—cut off the exits.
If I scream—just run.”

“Wait what?!”

“Kidding.” She winks.
(But are you, Kylie…? Are you really?)

As she disappears into the shadows of the rooftop access stairs, we remain crouched.

Hearts pounding.

Stomachs twisting.

This is no longer a game.

Jamie whispers, “She’s like a cooler version of Black Widow.”
Tommy nods. “But with worse anger issues.”
Me?

Later That Evening

I whisper under my breath, hands clasped together like I’m praying to the wind gods:

“Hopefully everything goes well…”

Somewhere below, Kylie is confronting Luna alone.
She said she could handle it.

So, obviously...

Me, Tommy, and Jamie are now...

Playing Uno.

On the rooftop.

In the middle of a stealth mission.

Like actual morons.

“Got any reds?” Jamie asks casually.
“Reverse.” I toss my card.
“Draw four—booyah!” Tommy slams his card like he's ending the world.

“Hey! That’s an illegal combo!”

“No rules in rooftop Uno!”

Suddenly—

CLACK.

The rooftop door swings open.

Kylie walks out.
Expression unreadable.
Hands in her hoodie pocket.

Silent.

We all freeze mid-game.

Jamie puts down his cards.
Tommy gulps and straightens his rollerblades.

I stand up.

“So… what happened?”

She tilts her head.

“…Let’s head back first.”

“Huh? That’s it?”

She walks past us without a word.
Not even a glare.

This is getting serious.

Ten Minutes Later – Skate Park Hilltop Bench

We’re all seated in a half-circle like some kind of failed task force regrouping after an operation gone sideways.

The golden hue of the late sunset bathes the park as Faiz and Marina arrive, holding juice boxes and a bag of snacks.

“So?” Faiz asks, raising an eyebrow.
“I heard you saw Luna. Mission accomplished?”

“Where is she?” Marina chimes in, tossing me a bag of chips.

Tommy looks around nervously.

“…Kylie?”

He doesn’t even finish the sentence before—

THWACK!

Kylie smacks him over the head with a rolled-up notebook like she’s been waiting the whole time.

“Ow—why me again?!”

“Because you’re always asking why!” Kylie shoots back, crossing her arms and glaring like a disappointed teacher.

I quietly whisper to Jamie, “I think Tommy secretly enjoys the pain.”

Jamie shrugs.
His hand gestures clearly say: "I'm out. Don’t drag me into this."

“So,” Faiz looks at me again.
“What happened?”

Kylie exhales through her nose, then pulls Tommy by the collar to sit him down.

“Luna said… she’s undercover.”

We all pause.

…

“She’s what now?”

Kylie nods, dead serious.

“Yeah. Like actual spy stuff. She said she can’t say much, but told me we shouldn’t get involved.”

All of us process that for a second.

Me – 😅
Faiz – 😑
Jamie – 😒
Marina – 😐
Tommy – 😶
Even Adinor shows up late – 😯

“…So basically…” I mutter.

Kylie crosses her arms and finishes the sentence for me:

“We’re the idiots.”

Group Sigh –

“Yup…” 😓😓😓

Tommy slumps backward dramatically onto the bench.

“Great. So this was all for nothing.”

“Hey, not for nothing,” I reply, trying to salvage some dignity.
“We confirmed she’s alive… and wearing a weird red dress.”

“Which totally gave me a nosebleed,” Tommy adds.

THWACK. Another notebook slap.

We all stare at the setting sun.

Our first undercover mission…

Ends with snacks, bruises, and an ego check.

And maybe…

A new mystery just getting started.

Back at the Park

So…
Yeah.
That’s the end of our little “mission,” right?

We’re finally about to call it a day, pack up our pride, and go home pretending none of this ever happened…

Until—

I feel it.

A strange, bone-chilling sensation creeps up my spine.

A terrifying aura.

Like a shadow looming behind me…
Like some final boss battle I forgot was in the script.

I turn slowly…

And there she is.

Natalie.

Smiling.

Her eyes closed.
Her cheeks puffed with the sweetest expression.

Yet somehow…
I feel like I’m being dragged into the ninth circle of hell.

Next to her, Hana is clapping her tiny hands like she’s enjoying the pre-show.

“Ara ara~ So…” Natalie tilts her head with a polite, poisonous smile.
“What exactly... did I miss?”

“Uhhh—w-we were just—”

I glance behind me.

Tommy, Faiz, Jamie, Adinor, Marina, Kylie—GONE.
Like dust in the wind.

“OI!!! YOU TRAITORS!!! YOU SAID YOU HAD MY BACK!!”

Even Tommy left his shoes behind.

“Hmm?” Natalie leans closer.

She sets Hana gently onto a nearby bench.
Hana giggles and claps again, like she knows what’s coming.

“Nat…?”

Her voice is soft.
Deadly soft.

“Well… Puan Mas did tell me something interesting this morning.”

“Wait, what?”

I freeze.

She’s holding…

A riding crop.

Not a stick.

Not a belt.

A literal horse whip.

“N-Nat?! Where did you even get that!?”

“Let’s call it… character development training.”

“HUH?!”

Her smile widens—cute but completely unhinged.

“EYA!!!”

WHACK!

“GAAAAAAAH!!!”

And just like that—

I’m running around the field like a madman while Natalie chases me, whip swinging, Hana laughing, and birds flying into the air in terror.

Narrator Alex – Present Day

Looking back…

That was the moment I knew…

I had no escape.

Not from Natalie.

Not from my fate.

And maybe…

Not from love, either.

To Be Continued…?