Limitless

Chapter 15: Win and Lose

In life, we might better win or lose. It is always been a series of nonstop quest we need to be ready fully equipped and has the agility to move according to its speed.

Thylane wake up on her bed she look at the clock and it is still 8 o'clock in the morning, she smiled a little remembering the heart-to-heart talk they had with the book store owner, she felt relieved after hearing some motivational words. She went home yesterday and her dad drove away, she doesn't know where he will go but she didn't bother asking her mom who is busy on her laptop. Their usual day, their usual drama, them not having enough time for her.

She took a shower before walking downstairs she saw his parents look at her as she steps down but they didn't say a word.

"Thylane eat your breakfast," her mom commanded her in a soft tone which is something new to her, she look at her mom for a while but her mom look away, she just ignored it.

"I, Uhm, packed your lunch," she added while Thylane was on her way to get a glass of water she just nodded. They eat their breakfast quietly, with no noise, just the sound of the spoons, fork, and plate.

"I'll send you to your school," her mom told her making her look at her mom in shock, her mom look away and look for her keys on the couch.

"I am about to send you to school but since your mom insisted, you can come with her," her dad told her, everything seems so new to her, he doesn't know how to react because her parents are kind of extra careful now, she has something in her mind that she didn't want to think about thoroughly.

Her mom really sends her to school and her dad was following her, she is being puzzled again about what is happening, she remembered this happens when she was on her second week here in the Isaac's and now it is happening again. She is wondering if maybe her parents realize that she needed their attention and now they are finally giving it to her.

But that what was she thought, they really sent her to her school for something, her parents went to the dean's office, they are being business partners now, she thought she is important, but only to realize that they have a business meeting at their school. She sighed before leaving the office where she saw her parents laughing and smiling widely while giving the contract to the school's dean. She went to the library and borrowed another new book. Weekly the school has a new book so she really loves going to the library every Monday to get or borrow the new books. She saw that the news is all about the art of war so she got excited. She put the book in her backpack and went to their classroom. She saw there Katie having fun with their classmates this is something new again to her. Knowing that the past weeks Katie is struggling to talk to any of their classmates, she always needed her company now it seems like the other way, Katie is being friendly again, she is being herself.

The class gets heated again when the class teases Thylane for being lost to Zion, and Zion was just there smiling and smirking she just gave him a pale look and started to read her book again.

"Why does softie, a little threatened to me?" Zion asks from Thylane's back, she just rolled her eyes.

"Grumpy, don't be so grumpy softie, you will look old," he teases again and Thylane just sighed and get her bag.

She walks towards the music room and when she saw that no one is inside the room she smiled.

"Finally, a peaceful place!" she said in relief.

She has with her, her lunch box so she opened it, she smiled when she saw how her mom designed her food, she took her phone and take a photo of it, for remembrance. Because for a day she felt that she has parents who cares and love her for all that she got.

She eats her lunch while watching anime on her phone, she is alone so she has the freedom to laugh and smile. She finishes her food and after that, she reads her book again. Their afternoon class will start late so she stayed in the room for a longer.

"It is peaceful here," she whispered.

But the moment she said those words Zion enters the room seems like he is running for something. He hurriedly went to Thylane and grab her arms that made her shock.

"What?" she asks in a place tone even though she got shocked by his sudden movement.

"What a relief!" He sighed and hugged her, she didn't know how to react, he don't know what to do, so she did not move for a while.

"Why?" She asked Zion when she let go of her.

"Nothing, I thought..." he said and did not continue his words instead he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Stay away!" she said as she pushes his head away from him.

"I wanted to rest," he said with his closed eyes.

"Please let me rest here, I am not so heavy to carry. I just lost please," he said and did not do any movements again.

She sighed and let him rest on her shoulder, her plan to sleep was ruined by a big monster, so she decided to read the book she just borrowed from the library. While reading she hears a snore coming from Zion, she laughed a little but went back to her senses for her not to wake up the sleeping monster.

But the side of her head is still wondering what happened why did he react that way a while ago, she is being puzzled again. On her thoughts Why do all people love giving me puzzled thoughts! I am not enjoying it!

"Thylane!" Katie was so excited when she saw Thylane coming, she had just gone from the school's dean they talk about something about her leadership.

"Thylane, this weekend will be the fashion show you must come to!" she ordered her so she just nodded, she planned to go there anyway so she shouldn't worry about it.

"Of course," she said that made Katie jump into excitement.

On the day of the fashion show, Thylane did not dress well, she just wore a pair of jeans and tuck in her oversized shirt plus her sling bag and her camera, she wanted to take snapshots of the first modeling of her friend. The event was just a small event there were different fashion designers and professional photographers. Thylane got intimidated by the photographers luckily she is wearing face masks. There was actually a small audience enough to look for the designs mostly she saw those persons in her mom's office. She got shocked when she saw Zion, he is wearing a suit, seems like he is part of the show. Only to realize that he is the master of ceremony.

The show started and there are bands performing as their background music. She saw Katie walking so she positioned the camera on her eyes getting snapshots of her, she smiled when she got the right lighting and correct positions. she is on the right side of the stage so she managed to get multiple beautiful snapshots. She continued getting pictures for the other models she is loving what she is doing when her camera suddenly pointed to Zion, Zion winked at her and to her surprise, she click the shutter. It shocked her but when she saw the result it is good to keep. She takes a look at Zion but he is now talking with another girl so she just gets another snapshot from Katie.

Seeing Katie walks like she knows what she is doing, she knows to walk well, to sway to pose and all. She is so good it seems like she is not a beginner anymore. She really loves what she is doing.

After the show she saw how Katie's parents praised her for a job well done, even Zion's mom did the same on him. She felt jealousy for herself. She can't get the same energy from her parents.

"Thylane!" Katie called her while she is getting snapshots of the people walking around.

"Why?" She asked but she just gestured her to come near to them.

"Hi," Thylane greeted Katie's parents.

"Hello, Thylane, it is good that you love photography," Katie's mom praises her that made her feel like she won a show for a second.

"Thanks," she said and bowed to them.

"You should come with us, we will be eating lunch," Katie's mom told her and she just nodded, while walking Katie is telling her different stories like how they practiced and all.

"Katie you look good a while ago," Thylane praises her.

"Hmm, thank you, well can I take a look for the snapshots of yours a while ago?" Katie asks and she handed her the camera.

While browsing on her camera, Katie almost eat her hands when she saw her photos, she is overreacting but at some point, Thylane feels proud of herself.

"You are overreacting," Thylane told her and Katie just laughs at her.

"You know what, you are good at it! That's a great job!" Katie praises her.

They laughed at each other and went to the Italian restaurant to have their lunch, at the moment Thylane feels the feeling of being in the family she is happy deep inside.

They send her home and when she was there no one was around, so she went hurriedly to the bathroom to take a warm shower, she felt so tired but happy. After showering she went to her room to continue the book she was reading a while ago. She is enjoying the books when she heard her parents' car entering their home, she went out of her room and go to the kitchen to eat, she doesn't want to eat dinner with after finishing her dinner her dad is already on the couch resting his head and massaging it a little. Her mom entered the house angry, and before Thylane could what would happen next she heard her mom scolding her father again. Her parents are fighting in front of her again, she can't understand who's the point, what's the point, and what are the reasons for their quarrel she just sighed and entered her room she closed the door and wore her earphones she put the sound so loud and pretended she is not at their home.

The next day she went to the school to pass the action plan of the student council, she went again to the office of the school publication and help them with all they need. She was about to enter the dean's office when she saw her parents there. So she just forget about it and handed it to other officers.

***

Thylane is playing in the lobby of their company when a kid suddenly pushed her. The kid pushed her to the walk and hit her head with the fake g*n, she is getting hurt another kid came and help the kid to bully her. She don't know what to do, she was just a kid and the other kids bullying her is way older than her, she just gave them a pale look and walk away not doing any bad things back.

During her elementary days, she was hit by the ball on her head being the top 1 and she was sent to the office to be punished the teacher punished her for the things she did not do so just sighed she has her books so she doesn't care anyway. The other day was worse she got disgusting and disrespectful words from her own teachers. Her classmate told the teacher that she stole the pencil and crayons of their classmate but they do not have any proofs the teacher scolded her, she told her that...

"You were rich but a thief!"

"You don't deserve your honor!"

"You don't deserve your grade!"

And other disrespectful attacks on her parents, and herself. she did not react she did not tell her mom and dad the reasons why she is always sad because she is afraid of them, seeing them always quarrel at home, made her fear them so much.

Thylane getting hurt as a child emotionally and physically, she felt the anxiety the loss of love, and all, she doesn't know how to make friends, she only want to be always on top, to be the number one always in their class.

The park has always been her favorite place, the kids there were kind and simple, they were kids from the other subdivision she doesn't them personally but they give her the escape of reality, they are friendly and easy to get along with. they are always the good friend.

"Thylane, you are rich!" they praised her when she told her that they are the living in the subdivision near the park, she did not know that they know about how rich people who live there.

"My parents are working there as a planter, they told me that they were so beautiful, white people and has a lot of cars!" they told her exaggeratedly. She laughed at them and played with them, she lets them borrow her bicycle and other toys she even gave them some. She doesn't like toys at all so it is fine for her to give those things.

She knows how rich their neighbors are but she doesn't know that they know their quality of living there but still, she wants to make friends with them. She met a kid named Z at the park and they like playing the kid is curious about a lot of things so she loves it, she finally finds someone who is as curious as she is. That kid was Zion she knows it too well, her childhood escaped Zion.

She saw Zion crying out of nowhere so she went there, she hugged him and gave him her favorite candy. He smiled at her and hugged her too

"Thank you," Zion thanked her and they talk about the moon and other celestial objects.

"Just like the moon, we have our own timeline, Mr. Book told me," Thylane told Zion and Zion just laughed at him.

***

"Katie!" Marcus called her while he is walking, ready to enter their school.

"Why?" Katie asks him.

"I just want to talk, " he said

"We were talking, if you will say sorry again, I'll tell you Marcus was okay now, don't be so bothered about it," Katie told him and run towards him to jump on his shoulder.

Marcus laughed at him and he finally felt the relief of being on good terms with Katie.

"Were friends since then, so I wanted to reconnect," he said which made Katie laughs so hard.

"As if we became apart, are we?" She asked teasing Marcus and Marcus just shook his head

"By the way, I won!" Marcus told Katie excitedly, Katie jumps out of excitement.

"Oh m g, really? Did you win? Okay, okay, I will go to your house later, let's celebrate your victory!" Katie told him and he just nodded.

On Marcus' mind:

Maybe Zion thought I was the threat on him with Thylane, but I will never be a threat, his own threat is himself, I won't be connected to them b any chance unless it is about Katie. Katie has been my friend since day one and I always wanted to be by her side, I want to correct all my wrongdoings, and as I saw Zion connected to Thylane the friend of Katie I decided to battle with him, to either win or lose, I will always be willing in order to be with Katie's side again. It might be hard losing with Zion. It is hard being in the spotlight, it is not safe and it feels surreal but it is fine.

I saw Katie finally doing the things she wanted, I felt sorry for not knowing that she loves modeling when I have time, I want to re-live the past and correct all my actions, all the ignorant and all. I wanted to be with her, not with anyone else but her. She is always been, my friend.

I saw Thylane lose over Zion, but I also saw the perseverance to continue and move forward. Life has been always a battle of winning and losing it is always like this, no other dilemma but within ourselves.

I self-reflected and yeah I saw that I was out of touch with the reality I am away from it and I wanted to redo things. I am the real loser of this game but whatever the instances are I will always be limitless. I won't be limiting myself for the bare minimum I will always try to strive harder, grind slower but regain faster.

Marcus del Rosario will regain the lost stars.

I look at Katie who is now eating a cotton candy, she is always been a sweet tooth I smiled while hearing her stories on how she practiced her walk and the poses with Thylane, she might really found a partner or should I say a friend of her she can lean on at any moment and any day. who is always available for her and who will be her support system. I kind of get jealous of Thylane, seeing all the progress of Katie from her down and her she is winning.

From all her fears and doubts, the mistakes and crying, all of the things she suffered that she might be shared with Thylane.

Nevertheless, I win and lose again, but will try to rebuild myself, the relationship, the friendship that we lost along the way.

Marcus and Katie had another sorry encounter