CHAPTER 205: OBSESSED

Meanwhile...

"Like I was saying..." Silo trailed off as his steps slowed down, turning to Lola.

They had just arrived at their next location. Silo, Lola, Cedrick, and Haji were there in preparation for Cedrick’s upcoming reading with the actors. Haji had only tagged along out of curiosity. Yet, Lola was still drifting or mentally absent.

"Lola." He snapped a finger at Lola, who quickly snapped out of her daze. "Are you crazy?"

"Yeah, I also want to ask," Haji nodded, hands on his hips. "When are you getting admitted to the asylum? I want to know the date."

Lola blinked at them and frowned, but instead of biting back with words or sending Haji flying, what came out was a heavy sigh.

"You three, go first," she jerked her chin and casually turned on her heel.

"Where are you going?" Silo asked, making her stop.

Lola glanced back at them with a deadpan expression. With a flat voice, she said,

"Back to the car... to squeal."

"Huh??" Cedrick, Haji, and even Silo scrunched up their noses. All they could do was watch her walk across the parking lot and jump in the passenger seat. Their faces twisted in horror when they saw her screaming her head off.

Of course, they couldn’t hear her from here, which made it appear even more ridiculous. Lola was just screaming, hands on her ears, while shaking herself from side to side.

"What in the world?" Haji instinctively made the sign of the cross, the tip of his finger tapping his forehead first until he touched his shoulder. "It looks like I’m watching her slowly lose it... but I can’t look away."

Cedrick, always quiet, gulped as he started to worry for Lola’s well-being. Seeing her zoning out was already worrying, but now, watching her inside the car and knowing she was screaming was horrifying! Moreover, it did feel like watching a car crash, but he still couldn’t look away.

Silo, on the other hand, covered his mouth with conflict in his eyes. A part of him wanted to weep for his good friend, but the other part of him was just... utterly terrified.

"Should she take a day off?" Cedrick suddenly wondered, eyes glued to the screaming lady on mute. "Maybe a vacation?"

Haji shook his head. "She needs a baptism. A cleansing... or an exorcism. Though I doubt anything will work."

"It’s love," Silo huffed as he dropped his head to the side, looking at the other two. "She just got a boyfriend. So, I want to think that must be it."

"A—a boyfriend!?" Haji laughed and clapped. "Nice joke, Silo! You almost got me there!"

Cedrick furrowed his brow. "Was it..."

"No, not him." Silo shook his head at Cedrick, knowing the latter had met someone whom Silo didn’t know. But what Silo knew was that Lola had a boyfriend, and that someone was living with her now.

Slater Bennet.

Even I am shocked when I found out, he thought. But heck. Because of the identity of her boyfriend, I can’t even tell anyone about it—not even Amala. But then again, Amala doesn’t really gossip. Maybe, because of her age.

"Just let her be," he added and waved, turning his head toward the car.

The second Silo’s eyes landed on the windshield, they all caught their breath sharply as she suddenly stopped screaming. She fixed her already unfixable wig, then came out as if nothing had happened.

Just... why does she make it so hard for me to defend her? Silo mentally wept.

Cedrick pressed his mouth, keeping his thoughts to himself. I’m scared.

"Yep, she lost it." Haji wasn’t going to keep his comment to himself, although he kept his voice low. "Did she think the windows were that tinted?"

When Lola reached the three of them, she raised her chin and blinked. "’Sup?"

"..." The three were momentarily rendered speechless, just staring at the woman who, moments ago, was screaming her head off.

"What? Are you just going to stand there like fools?" she clicked her tongue before she shot Cedrick a look. "Let’s go, Ced. Don’t let those two affect you. Come on."

With that, she resumed her steps and walked past them. Cedrick snapped out of his daze, looking in her direction and then back at Haji and Silo.

"Co—coming!" he stuttered a bit, reluctant to leave the two but also scared of getting scolded by Lola.

As they left, Silo and Haji just watched them go in total silence.

"Wow," Haji shook his head, still speechless about this entire situation. "That’s... that’s crazy."

Silo pressed his lips and nodded, but quickly recomposed himself. "Let’s just go. If screaming will help her get herself together, then so be it."

While Silo was saying that, he had already resumed his steps and followed them. Haji didn’t follow quickly but instead stared at Silo’s figure.

"This is why she’s losing her mind. It’s his fault, too, for letting her just do whatever the hell she wanted," he trailed off as his brows shot up, cocking his head to the side. After a second, Haji jogged to follow until he reached Silo’s side.

"Hey," he called quietly, leaning in close to Silo.

Silo gave him a side eye. "What now?" he frowned. "Haji, I’m telling you... I’m not introducing you to anyone. I let you tag along because you manipulated Cedrick into making him ask me if you could. Otherwise, I wouldn’t."

"That guy is old—what do you mean by manipulation?" Haji glared at him, but quickly shook his head and waved his hands. "Forget it. But are you sure Lola is dating?"

"Did I say otherwise?"

"Are you really, really sure about that?" Haji stressed each word like his life depended on it.

This time, Silo stopped in his tracks and faced the man. "What are you trying to tell me, Haji?"

"I’m just making sure," Haji nodded at him with a knowing tone. "You know? Just making sure, just in case."

"Just in case of what?"

Haji walked a step closer and muttered. "Vito," he whispered. "You know him, right?"

"..." The moment Silo heard that, his breath hitched as his eyes slowly dilated. As for Haji, he nodded his head as if he had finally made his point.

Without a word, the two of them shifted their eyes to where Lola and Cedrick were at the moment.

"That psycho... is obsessed with her," Haji muttered. "I don’t think he’ll take it well once he hears she’s already dating."