Happiness

CHAPTER 1 Luan felt the impact of her father’s slap across her face. Her ears rang for a few seconds before she could hear the shouting of her parents.  “Carlisle! Please! She’s your daughter for pete's sake!” Helaine, Luna’s mother, tried to stop her husband from landing another slap on their daughter. She faced her daughter and looked at her left cheek.  “Oh goodness, Luan. This is going to bruise. You can’t have anything on your face, what will my friends think we are doing to you” Helaine, was in panic for that reason and Luan was already used to it “Why do you always have to go out to your dying friend?!” Carlisle’s angry voice filled the room “That girl is going to die anyway. You should focus on your studies!”  “Dad!” Luan glared at her father, she was keeping her tears from falling but what he said was too much “She’s not dying! Ayla is going to live!”  She stormed out of the living room and went to her room while sobbing. Everything is falling on her shoulder and it feels too heavy and unbearing. She has no idea where it all went wrong; it was like six months ago that everything was fine.  Her tears went dry after an hour of crying, that was when she decided to get up from her bed and to wash her face.  Luan is a graduating senior high school student, a freshman in the coming year. Her family is not that well off after coming back to the Philippines. Her father started a business in the States but they got scammed by a fake insurance company and went bankrupt. Her parents are still trying hard to pay that debt.  She’s been a top student in all her classes and excelled in extracurricular activities. She can play five instruments including the piano, she was forced to when she was young. For her parents to have something to brag about their great daughter, it was exhausting to stand and have a smile plastered on her face all day.  Back then it was fine for her because it was her way of making her parents proud but as they got greedy and made her do things she didn't want to, she grew tired.  In that process she found a friend. Her name is Ayla. A soft hearted and kind daughter of her parent’s old friends. Ayla became her reason to get through every problem she has, they were best besties back in the States. They would always go to school together and play around whenever her parents were not around.  Out of all the kids that approached her Ayla was the only one who genuinely wanted to be her friend. Luan found it weird that even kids at her age back then would think of befriending her for the sake of fame, but when they were going bankrupt it was Ayla who stayed.  Even when they went back to the Philippines and she was welcomed by an unfamiliar surrounding, it was Ayla who held her hand and helped her adjust.  Nothing could go wrong as long as she’s with me. Is what Luan thought, but three months ago Ayla was discovered passed out in her own room.  Until now Luan doesn’t know why Ayla is still in the hospital like she’s on her deathbed.  After washing her face she grabbed a towel and went to the mini fridge inside her room to get some ice. She wrapped the ice with the towel and lightly placed it to her left cheek.  “He couldn’t even go easy on her own daughter” Luan sighed  She picked up her phone on the bedside table and dialed a number.  When the person on the other line accepted her call she automatically prepared a cheerful voice.  “Hey, Ayla! Your beautiful bestie is home”  “Oh shut your trap, lulu. My kuya already told me that he heard shouting from your house again” Ayla replied that made her wince. Ayla’s family lives just across their house.  Luan sat down on her bed before saying “That was nothing. Just the usual.”  She heard Ayle sighed “You shouldn’t visit me next week, lulu. Your parents would be mad again, it’s best that you follow them” her best friend softly explained to her  “Then, are you getting better?” she knew she sounded desperate but it always pain her to see Ayla lying on that hospital bed  “Of course, I am. We saw each other a while ago” Ayla said, convincing her. But she knew that was a lie, Aylas was getting thinner by day and that broke her heart.  Luan was silent for a while. Thinking what if it was her who fell ill instead of her best friend who deserves the world.  “Alright. I’ll hang up, you should rest” She finally said after their silence  “You too, lulu. Naytiee”  “G’night, Ayla”  The call ended with her still worrying over her condition. Luan just flopped herself to bed and closed her eyes. Moments later she fell asleep.  Little did she know what the next day had for her.