Limitless

Chapter 12: Zion Dominguez

Thylane's P.O.V.

It was a not so fun long day that leaves me exhausted. After Kattie seeing her boy best friend in that room, she started to get to clung on me most of the time. She never left my side, whenever she went to washroom, comfort room, even in the cafeteria she will always ask me to accompany her. I did not know if she is afraid of Marcus or she is just getting rid for those bullies. After that my teacher asks me to edit this, type that, send this, send that. I just felt glad when I realized that it is Friday. Friday means weekends ahead.

Today, Saturday, I dress up early, I packed my foods in my picnic basket and prepare to go. I am going to my peaceful place.

People's Park

Here, in this place called People's Park I usually spends my alone time especially when it is Saturday. This place gives me warmth and peace. I feel so free in this place. The sound is not so quiet and not so loud, people around here are mostly children who loves reading. This place has full of blooming flowers, the coconut tress gives a different kind of ease with the way they wave. The carpet grass is so soft that you can get asleep when you lay down.

I searched for my picnic blanket and put it in the grass, I even searched for stones to be put in the edges of my picnic blanket. Once I have done with it, I get my book and prepared to read. While I am busy reading my book, a cat came and get my food in my picnic basket. I stood up hurriedly and ran to catch the cat. That was my favorite sandwich! How dare that cat get my food!

"Hey you!" I shouted at the cat but I can't catch it. Until the cat gave my sandwich in a boy, probably his or her master. That cat!

I went nearby them. I was about to get my sandwich to that stranger but the stranger managed to tilt it up.

"What the fck!" I said for I am so frustrated I made that sandwich by myself and this freakin' cat will just give it to this stranger! This is unlawful! That’s my favorite sandwich! I wake up early just to make it!

"That's mine." I said I am emotionless, but I really want to bump this guy on his red cap. Did he just taught his cat to steal foods? Damn him!

"Well, my cat gave me this." He said as he smirked. I got frustrated so I kicked his knees. That lead him to bow down. I was about to get my sandwich but the cat immediately jumped onto me that made me out of my balance. I even pulled the strangers' shirt so he ended up being on my top.

"Ouch!" I growled when I felt his full body weight in top of me.

"Fck!" he growled and he immediately stand up. Upon his action his cap suddenly fell so that I saw who was the stranger.

"Zion Dominguez?" I asked him clueless. But that was the biggest mistake I’ve done!

"Thylane." he answered me as if he is really sure that it was me. Yeah, maybe he noticed my voice. But how did he know when I disguised is a soft little girl outfit. I did not even put my glasses on for my safety. How did he manage to know that it was me?

"Thylane Hernandez. Your features were so delicate to hide. Soft little girl." he teased me with his last sentence.

"Where's your picnic blanket? I want to sleep." he said and walk pass by me. this guy!

"You should bring your own blanket if you want to sleep here." I said and I walk faster than him. But his legs where big enough to immediately be at my side.

I sat down in my picnic blanket and he did the same too. I opened my book to read but he is staring at me, as if memorizing my disguise. For what? To pissed me off?

"Are you going to pissed me off?" I asked him for I thought it will be a peaceful day for me but I guess it is not.

"No, I'll just sleep here." he said as he stops staring at me and he immediately lay down in my picnic blanket. I was about to exclaimed him when I saw him sleeping peacefully. Like what? In just a snap he was already asleep

Sunday passed by and it's Monday again. Another morning to get up early to study and do school works. So exhausting!

I was in the gate while searching for Kattie but I saw her with Marcus. Maybe they have talked now, he is still Kattie's friend so I just let them. they need to fixed their mess and they need to reflect on their actions. I don’t want to bat in into their personal friendship problems.

While walking in the hallway, I saw Zion who is smirking at me. I remained silent and emotionless

I know what he will do next. He will tease me again!

“Hey, softie. I like your thick glasses, but it would be better when they were off.” He said obviously teasing me, I just looked at him emotionless but he was not even bothered. I guess he is used to it.

“Hmm, Emotionless huh, I know deep inside you.” He came closer at me “You’re deeply mad at me.” he whispers and even blew my cheeks that looks like a kiss from a far.

I Heard some students, whispering and they are making accusations. This is bad! Damn you Zion! You were making my day extra hard.

“Bye softie!” he shouted and even winked at me.

“What did just Zion called her Softie?”

“Yeah, I Heard what’s their thing?”

“Is she flirting with our Zion? Gosh! This girl is a silent s**t!”

“Yeah, pretending to be the best student so that she can flirt.”

“How awful!”

They were like pitying me by their accusations but those were not true! I should remain calm! I am not going to bow down on them to argue with them! I am higher than they are, I know myself and I know what is right.

I entered our classroom only to see Kattie who is about to cry, she was surrounded by my classmates. Maybe they saw Marcus a while ago with Kattie this is why, they were here confronting my friend!

“What’s the matter?” I asked them

“That girl is stealing Marcus from us!” the girl shouted at me, I gritted my teeth

“I did not steal Marcus from you.” Kattie answered while stuttering. I hate it when she is like this, she seems like weak when she is not.

“Marcus just accompanied me a while ago. I am not flirting with him nor stealing him from you guys!” Kattie answered as she cried. She is really afraid or maybe shy or maybe afraid that this issue will come to her parents

“You heard her, right? Now go out of our sight! You all!” I ordered them and they immediately went out of our classroom.

Kattie is crying when the students went out I just tapped her shoulders. I am calming her with that action.

After that day, I never leave Kattie’s side again, I always accompany her whenever and whatever she do. I was always there for her.

“Softie!” Zion called me while I am walking towards the library, Kattie is absent today for some medical issues, so I am all alone now walking through the hall way.

“Softie, help me study!” Zion begged. Like what? Zion is brilliant enough, why did he need my help. And he is a bully, after all.

“Don’t worry I will pay!” he said and he accompanied me to the library we went to the table at the back. This place is not that popular to those who love to stay in the library. It seems like it was made only for me. I always stay at this spot when I don’t want to interact with other people. And now I am sharing it with this asshole.

“So you chose a hidden place huh, why do you have some plans against me?” he asked.

“Study by yourself, this place is quiet and good for self-studying.” I said and I opened my book.

“But Softie, I don’t understand this!” he said and he showed me the Trigonometry book.

“That’s your favorite subject right?” I asked him, this subject is the only subject he will get a high grade and now he is asking help from me, unbelievable.

“Yeah, but I can’t understand it now. If feels like the letters were flying whenever I try to study it alone. I know you are good at it too, so can you teach me?”

“Okay.” I said and get his book, I annotate first his book before explaining it to him. He was barely saying yes and he is just staring at me so I make a sample test question to test if he have learned. To my surprise he got it perfectly.

Maybe I am not even a distraction to him. Maybe he is memorizing my features again so that he can teased me again.

“You already know! I will study now.” I told him and lend him his book.

“I like how you annotate my book, can you do it again?” he asked, I just rolled my eyes and get his book.

While I am busy annotating his book I saw him in my peripheral vision that he is staring at me again, I got conscious for I know he will use it again against me. he is just memorizing my features.

“Done.” I said and gave him his book. After that I stood up.

“Softie you’re cute.” He said and he just passed by me.

***

“Marcus, son pack your things now, we’ll be going.”

Mom told me, we’re about to have a vacation now since this is summer vacation. I’ve been so excited because finally I would be enjoying my life, no school, no studies for a week just fun. But at some point I don’t want to go somewhere else knowing that my neighbor little Kattie will be left, she would be sad because there’s no other kids to play with her.

“Mom.” I am trying to get mom’s attention while she is talking to someone at her phone.

“Yes?”

“Kattie.” I just said the name and she immediately turned off her phone and looked at me.

“Why? What’s the matter with her?”

“She will be left behind and no one’s gonna play with her.”

“Son, actually Kattie and her family went to Disneyland.”

“Huh?” I was shocked by the news, Kattie never told me that.

“She never told me that.”

“Because when she went here, and was about to tell you about their summer plan you were out, and I forgot to tell you yesterday.”

“Okay, so I will enjoy our vacation at the beach mom.”

After knowing that Kattie isn’t here I immediately packed my things and went down stairs, while we were in the car I’ve been enjoying the outside view. The calm weather, the green town, the cars when it is traffic. I didn’t even took a nap while were on our way to the beach.

Upon our arrival at the hotel mom carried me and went to our rooms, after that she dressed me swimming suit. We went to the beach side and enjoyed the view.

There are lots of kids and families enjoying their vacation. But a lonely kid caught my attention, a girl who is just staring at the beach not even dressed accordingly she’s on her pajama and long sleeves, seems like her clothes is inappropriate to where she is.

I had a random thoughts that maybe she teleported from somewhere else. So I talked to her.

“Hey, why are you on your long sleeves and pajamas?” she just stared at me and didn’t say a thing.

“It seems like your clothes are inappropriate.” I said and laughed at her, but she is just staring at me blankly.

“Why it seems like you were so sad? Don’t you have a friend?”

“Why are you so noisy? Can’t you mind your own business?” she told me and walked away. She sounded like an old auntie the way she uttered those words. She’s so creepy.

“Kattie” Thylane called me while she is studying.

“Why? Are you alright? I have just finished my photoshoot and it was so hectic by the way, my boss keep on saying that it was not a good shoot, it was lame, and all dramas that he have.”

“Seems like your boss is perfectionist.”

“Super, he is like a big asshole.”

“By the way Thylane, how was your school?”

“I’ve been stressing out about this school by the way. I can’t focus. You know what I failed some of my class and I don’t know how to pass it now.”

“College is super dramatic, and my mom has set a high expectation on me now.”

“What? how was that? Isn’t it you are living on your own now?”

“Yes, I’ve been living on my own now, I am not asking money from them, I am just doing lot of parttime jobs to fund my studies.”

“Aww, I can lend you money if you want to. I am more than willing.”

“You have your own life, Kattie, you should be worrying about yourself.”

“Seems like you’re the one who needed this most now I am just telling you if you really need help I am just right here.

“Well, thanks, by the way I am going to sleep now. Bye.” Thylane ended the call.

I don’t know but I didn’t believe her that she is alright and living fine by now, she seems like super exhausted and dead inside. I can see it in her eyes. When we meet and when she is not talking and just staring blankly on a wall.

She is still the sad kid, that she keep on hiding a long time ago. She is still that kid who always needed a shoulder to lean on. I am so sad that these things are happening to her. I hope I could help her in anyway I could.

After Thylane ended the call she went to the shower room and was about to take a bath. When she saw her reflection. She can see black eyebags around her eyes. Stress is visible on her face and she seems like super tired.

And then she realizes that it has been her life since then, she never been become genuinely happy like Kattie and some other kids out there. She will be always asked to ace her class and who is not allowed to fail. She is always the kid who needs to impress her parents. The kid who was envied but who was sad at all.

And as she was staring at the mirror as she sees her reflection she feels like she is seeing her younger self who has lots of dreams. A kid who is not so innocent about life. The kid who was trained to be always strong, a kid who is always been misunderstood. The kid who always wanted attention but super tired to try getting one. The kid who was a consistent honor student and a kid who had a bright dream about her future.

“I’m sorry.” Thylane whispered while imagining she is talking about her younger self.

She feels sorry because she thought she is getting lost, she is not the driven Thylane anymore because she got lost in track. But even that things happened to her she will always want to be on track and she doesn’t want to get lost again. That’s how she deals with her life problems.

The most perfect student is now dealing with real life challenges and in this subject she is not good and she suffers a lot. She will be always thrown away to somewhere and she is not so good at fighting back, she will always ended up dying inside while keeping her feet stand firm even though all she wanted to do is scream and sleep. She just want to rest and never get up.

She would always have anxiety.

The next day, Thylane composed herself and managed to stand firm as she face the people with a big smile. She walks firm like as if she didn’t cry last night, she faced the crowd looking read but deep inside she was not. She wanted to just stay at her place and won’t go outside but she needs to do it. She needs to study and she need to water her brain.

They had an oral quiz, recitation and defense. She ace it all. She will still be the kid who can ace her class because she studied very well last night in the midst of breakdowns. Her profs commended her for doing a great job and even her boss at the place she was working commended her for looking so fresh and pleasant in the afternoon. Without knowing that it was just because of the make up Kattie has given her but behind those are the loneliest but the bravest Thylane they’ve ever met.