Tale of the Abyss

Chapter 4

JUSTIN woke up to a soft knock on the door. He rubbed his bleary eyes and sat up as the sun's light seeped through the window of his room, signaling the start of a new day.

"Justin?" Justin looked at the door and removed his blanket.

"I'm awake, grandma. I'll be out in a few minutes," he said, standing up to check his phone. There were messages from his mother informing him of another business trip they would attend and nothing about the case or the news about what happened. Justin sighed, knowing that contacting his parents while they were out of the country would be challenging. After stretching, he headed to the bathroom to wash his face. A few minutes later, he emerged from the room and found his grandmother, along with a maid, preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, hijo," Annabelle greeted his grandson with a smile on her face. Justin walked towards her and gave her a peck on her cheek.

"Good morning, Grandma," Justin said and smiled back.

"Come, sit down, let's eat," Annabelle invited. Justin pulled out a chair for his grandmother and took a seat beside her.

"Do you have plans for the day?" Annabelle inquired.

"Perhaps I'll stay at home, grandma. I don't really know anyone around here," Justin replied, giving his grandmother a half-smile as he continued eating. He was young when he stayed here and barely even remembers the place and the people.

"If that's your concern, I've got it covered," Annabelle said. "Remember the boy who picked you up at the airport yesterday? I called him here," she added.

"Jacques?" he asked.

"Yes, Jacques," Annabelle confirmed. "He's also a fourth-year engineering student, just like you," she added. A few minutes later, they heard the doorbell ring loudly.

"That must be him," Annabelle said, wiping her mouth with a table napkin.

Jacques entered, dressed in simple brown cargo shorts, a striped shirt, and Velcro-strapped slippers.

"Good morning, Nana," he greeted Annabelle with enthusiasm.

"Good morning to you too, Jacques. Have you already eaten?" she asked. Justin just stared at them while they conversed with each other.

"Yes, Nana, but if you want me to join you, I will not decline," Jacques said, making the older woman laugh.

"Silly boy," she said. "Go and take a seat next to Justin," she added. Jacques silently greeted Justin with a smile and nod of his head, and Justin did the same.

"Justin… child, would it be alright for you to go with Jacques? I know you might get bored staying in this house all day," Annabelle asked. Justin paused and looked at his grandmother.

"Grandma, I'm okay with it, but is it okay with Jacques? He might have other things to do besides accompanying me," he replied.

"Jacques?" Annabelle inquired.

"I'm good, Nana!" Jacques said. "I actually wanted to invite Justin to play with us. The Chairman opened the basketball tournament for youth, and we planned to join, but we're short on teams if Justin wants to," he added.

"Oh, the Chairman did?" Annabelle asked.

"Nana, you forgot? It's almost time for the Island's festival," Jacques reminded.

"Ah, yes! The festival! I forgot," Annabelle admitted, shaking her head in disbelief. "Justin, what do you say?"

"Sure, I'll join," Justin said.

"Take my card, hijo. I know what your dad did to your account. Treat your friends and buy anything for the game," Annabelle said as she reached for the fruit in front of her.

"I'll be out with my amigas, and I know you don't like mingling with oldies," Annabelle added, and laughter erupted in the dining room.

They finished their breakfast, and Annabelle handed the card to Justin, who took it and expressed his gratitude.

"Let Jacques drive the car. You don't know the island yet," Annabelle suggested, placing her hands on her grandson's shoulders.

"Have fun, okay? We'll go together next time," Annabelle added.

"Thanks, grandma. I will," he replied. Justin kissed his grandmother's cheeks and left the house. Upon stepping outside, he saw Jacques waiting for him and tossed him the keys, which Jacques immediately caught.

"Let's go," Justin said.

"Can we invite my friends to join us?" Jacques asked as they entered the car. Justin shrugged and fastened his seatbelt.

"Sure, it's not a problem for me," Justin said. Jacques grinned and started the car.

"So, you like basketball?" Jacques asked, initiating a conversation with Justin.

"Yeah, I was on the varsity team back in Uni," Justin revealed. He had been part of the university basketball team, but due to involvement in fights despite not starting them, he was eventually kicked out of the team.

"Woah, that's great! We'll definitely win the game with you on our side," Jacques said, grinning as he maneuvered the car. They stopped at a small house, and Jacques honked.

"Yo, guys! Come out," he yelled, opening the window. The door opened, and four boys emerged.

"Jacques! Yow, who's car is this?"

"Nana Annabelle," Jacques said. "I'm with her grandson, so hop in! We're heading to the mall," Jacques added. The four boys exchanged glances and hopped into the back.

"Justin, meet Lou, James, Carl, and Anton," Jacques introduced, pointing from left to right.

"Guys, this is Justin," Jacques said, and Justin awkwardly smiled at them.

"Nice to meet you, man!" Anton said and grabbed his hand for a shake. Justin gave him a small smile.

"Hey Jacques, did you tell him about the tournament?" Lou asked, his gaze fixated on his friend.

"Yeah, I did, and Justin agreed to play with us," Jacques said. "What's more is that he was a part of the varsity team of his Uni, so we got the advantage," he added, bragging.

"That's good! We're totally going to win the grand prize!" James said.

"But I don't have playing gear with me, so we have to go to the mall," Justin said.

"The mall's an hour and a half ride from here. We need to leave so we have plenty of time to roam around," Carl said. Jacques nodded and started the car. Justin quickly vibed with Jacques' friends. They ensured he wasn't excluded from the conversation and shared their experiences living in Isla Dela Merced, making him feel at home on the island.

"We're here," Jacques informed. They stopped talking and looked outside. They were indeed in the mall's parking lot. Justin removed his seatbelt and strength.

"Staying on this island isn't actually that bad," he whispered as he watched Jacques and his friends waiting for him at the entrance.