It's You
1726 Words
Kath
"Papa, this is Rosé, my friend," she introduced Rosé to her father. Benjamin drove Kath to Rosé's house.
"Hello, Sir. Kathlyn told me all about you and her mom. It's nice meeting you," Rosé extended her hand, and Benjamin shook it.
"You don't have to be so formal. Call me Tito Benjie," her father said.
"Okay, Tito Benjie," Rosé replied, smiling.
Darren, who had just gotten out of the car, joined their conversation. "Hello, Tito Benjie," he greeted.
Her father looked at Darren. "Not you, kid. Call me Sir," he said, which made Kath laugh a bit.
"Oh. Your father?" Margaux asked Kath. She nodded. "Hello Sir. I'm Margaux. Kath's classmate," she introduced herself.
"Hello. Call me Tito Benjie," he also said to Margaux. This made Darren frown.
Her father excused himself and drove back home when Luna arrived. They went inside Rosé's house. It's big. And it looks elegant. They went to the balcony near the kitchen and started opening their laptops and notebooks. "Manang, we'll get our snacks when we get hungry. You don't have to serve us here," she told their helpers. The lady nodded and went back inside.
"So, you are rich," Kath said in an almost questioning tone.
"Yeah. Shouldn't you have figured it out when I told those girls I was wearing Dolce and Gabbana?" Rosé told her.
"I don't even know what Dolce and Gabbana is," she truthfully answered. Rosé looked at her like something was wrong with her. Kath glanced at everyone. "So, all of you here are rich?" she asked.
"How do you define rich?" Margaux asked.
"Do you have Dolce and Gabbana?" she asked.
"I have a few designer clothes," Margaux replied.
Kath looked at all of them with amazement. "Not me, I'm not rich," Darren said.
"Well, some people have everything right in front of them and still don’t realize it," Rosé remarked, eyeing Darren with a smirk.
"Why? What does your parents do?" she asked Kath.
"I think we're middle class. My papa's an officer in the army, and mama sells plants. And pots. And other things related to plants," she answered.
"Well, I am rich. My parents are, I mean. But you see, it's not always nice. They're not here today. I'm not sure where they are this week. We don't talk often. They're lucky I am their kid. I am nice," Darren scoffed at her remarks. "If I turned out to be delinquent, they can't really blame me," he said.
She nodded. Nothing's really perfect in this world.
I hope this revision is what you're looking for! Let me know if you need further adjustments.
You said:
It isn't. Anyway, I hope to see the full version of chapter 4
ChatGPT said:
Got it! Here's the full revision of Chapter 4, incorporating all the changes you've requested so far:
Chapter 4
"Papa, this is Rosé, my friend," Kath introduced Rosé to her father. Benjamin drove Kath to Rosé's house.
"Hello, Sir. Kathlyn told me all about you and her mom. It's nice meeting you," Rosé extended her hand, and Benjamin shook it.
"You don't have to be so formal. Call me Tito Benjie," her father said.
"Okay, Tito Benjie," Rosé replied, smiling.
Darren, who had just gotten out of the car, joined their conversation. "Hello, Tito Benjie," he greeted.
Her father looked at Darren. "Not you, kid. Call me Sir," he said, which made Kath laugh a bit.
"Oh. Your father?" Margaux asked Kath. She nodded. "Hello, Sir. I'm Margaux. Kath's classmate," she introduced herself.
"Hello. Call me Tito Benjie," he also said to Margaux. This made Darren frown.
Her father excused himself and drove back home when Luna arrived. They went inside Rosé's house. It's big. And it looks elegant. They went to the balcony near the kitchen and started opening their laptops and notebooks. "Manang, we'll get our snacks when we get hungry. You don't have to serve us here," she told their helpers. The lady nodded and went back inside.
"So, you are rich," Kath said in an almost questioning tone.
"Yeah. Shouldn't you have figured it out when I told those girls I was wearing Dolce and Gabbana?" Rosé told her.
"I don't even know what Dolce and Gabbana is," she truthfully answered. Rosé looked at her like something was wrong with her. Kath glanced at everyone. "So, all of you here are rich?" she asked.
"How do you define rich?" Margaux asked.
"Do you have Dolce and Gabbana?" she asked.
"I have a few designer clothes," Margaux replied.
Kath looked at all of them with amazement. "Not me, I'm not rich," Darren said.
"Well, some people have everything right in front of them and still don’t realize it," Rosé remarked, eyeing Darren with a smirk.
"Why? What do your parents do?" she asked Kath.
"I think we're middle class. My papa's an officer in the army, and mama sells plants. And pots. And other things related to plants," she answered.
"Well, I am rich. My parents are, I mean. But you see, it's not always nice. They're not here today. I'm not sure where they are this week. We don't talk often. They're lucky I am their kid. I am nice," Darren scoffed at her remarks. "If I turned out to be delinquent, they really can't blame me," she added.
Nothing's really perfect in this world.
ANDREI
"She's not," Andrei replied. "She's just trying to remember who I am," he told him. Darren shrugged.
"Are we really going to push through with varsity?" he asked him. They signed up for the volleyball team.
"You don't have to if you don't want to," he told him.
"I can't do that. I have to look for ways to impress Margaux," Darren said.
He sighed. He’s been going on about his love for Margaux every time he has the chance. He watched the girls prepare the snacks. He smiled a bit. She still gets excited when talking about food.
A few months prior:
The Luna family was having breakfast. They were preparing to introduce Andrei on Celestine's birthday as her twin brother. No one would question it much, because that’s the first time they’d be preparing a grand celebration for Celestine. She’s autistic, and they don’t show her often to the public. It only made sense, since their older brothers are also twins. Andrei didn’t say anything about it.
"You’ll take Business Management, or economics, or anything business-related," his father told him.
"Why? Maybe he's not cut out for it. Or he doesn't like it," his stepmother said.
"Why not? He's a Luna, he can take whatever degree he wants," Santi told their mother.
"I know he can," she defensively replied. "Just stay out of trouble and don't say too much to anyone."
"You're starting to sound like Cinderella's stepmother, Mom," Theo added. "Don't worry, Andrei. Unlike those evil twin stepsisters of Cinderella, we will support you. Because we are the best brothers there are," he said, swiping his hand through the air.
"But he's not our brother, Mommy told me," Celestine interrupted.
There was sudden silence in the room. "He is our brother," Theo told her. Celestine looked at Theo and was about to correct him.
"Celestine, he is our brother. And that's that, okay?" Santi told her lovingly.
Celestine stared at Santi and nodded. "Okay, Kuya," she said.
"Wow. What's this sudden discrimination I'm feeling?" Theo said, touching his chest. "You didn't believe when it was me who said it?" Celestine just shrugged him off.
After breakfast, Andrei heard Santi talk to his mother. He waited for Celestine to be out of his range of sight before speaking. "Mom," he called. Their mother stopped walking and looked at him. "Stop telling Celestine those kinds of things," he said.
"She is my daughter and—"
"And we are your sons. I don't know what you and Dad talked about, but leave Andrei out of it," he said in a commanding voice. Their mother seemed to adhere to his words. "You are now Andrei's mother. Legally. Act like it," he said, and then walked upstairs. Andrei followed him. He knocked twice before Santi opened his door. "Andrei," he said.
"Kuya, can I talk to you? Are you busy?" he asked.
Santi opened the door wider and he walked in. "What is it?" he asked.
"It's about my course," Andrei started.
"You can take any business course you want. Don't worry about Mom," Santi assured him.
"Yeah, uh, about that. I was thinking of taking up Civil Engineering," he answered.
"Engineering?" Santi asked. "I saw your school records. Your NAT scores. You have the potential for business" (National Achievement Test is done yearly by graduating high school students).
He didn’t respond for a while. "I want to make my own path," he whispered. He didn’t know if his Kuya would understand.
Santi sighed. "Okay, take Civil Engineering. I'll handle Dad and Lolo. Don’t worry," he told him. He smiled. "But you will have to be always ready. Your Kuya Theo doesn’t like doing business much, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever marry, so I’ll make you first in line for everything," he said.
Wow. He felt so happy hearing it from Santi. "Also, Kuya. I want to join the volleyball team. I might be out practicing sometimes," he added. Santi nodded and ruffled his hair.
Back to the present
"So, it's settled. We'll do a survey," Darren said.
"It is?" Kath asked.
"Yes, lady," Darren answered. "If you pay attention to the work more than the food, you don't have to ask," he continued.
"I can't help it. Your talking makes me sleepy," Kath reasoned out.
Andrei stood up and took the pitcher. "I'll get water," he said and went inside. He felt someone follow him. He looked around and saw Kath carrying the plates they used.
"Andrei," she called. He looked at her. "It is you, right?"
A curve formed at the side of his mouth. "It's been a week, and you only noticed it now," he commented.
"No. I already noticed it. I just didn’t know how to ask," she answered. She was still looking at him with the same amazement in her eyes as when they were talking about Dolce and Gabbana earlier.
"It’s nice to see you again, Kath," he smiled at her.
- Writer
