I am TWO

One

TWO

Love gives pain but love gives a lesson to make it right the second time around.

I read Shakie’s post that had passed through my news feed. Is she right? I don’t know. Even if I’ll say yes or no, I know there’ll be the question ‘why’ next. The hardest question to answer is still ‘why.’ We’re all afraid that our answer might go wrong or we’re afraid that it’s the truth.

I sighed, scrolled down through my newsfeed until I reached the loading. I turned on the lights of my lampshade and took a chocolate bar on the nightstand of the drawer. I’ve been lying on top of my bed with my laptop in front of my face for almost an hour already. I wasted my time scrolling on f*******: or watching an online movie. There were times that I didn’t notice that I fell asleep while using my laptop. I am not a writer, I just really like spending my time with my laptop. If I spend my time writing within that three years instead of using f*******: and watching movies online, I might’ve written three novels already.

Yet, the problem is, I don’t have any idea about that stuff.

No, let’s make it simple, I don’t know how to write a story. Period.

I opened the wrapper of the chocolate. I was about to take a bite on it but I stopped being surprised when light bombarded my surroundings. Goodness sake! I am not mad at the light, I am just pissed at the one who opened the window of my room. Speaking of her, my evil bratty sister.

“There you go! Now you know that it’s already morning. How come you withstand living with that too much darkness, Sis? You’re really strange! Hey, don’t just look around. Go and take a bath! It’s about time to go to school. Today is not weekend!”

Why didn’t she just turn into a machine gun? It’s still early yet she’s making me piss already. I sat properly from laying down. I glared at her. She’s too noisy. She looked back at me with her hands on both sides of her waist. She acts as if she was the boss here. This is my room and this is my property in this condominium.

“Oh? Is this the only thing we’ll do? Staring at each other? Hey, Two! You’re not a kid anymore, you’re turning seventeen next week. Get up if you don’t want me to tell Mom what you are doing,” she warned on her last words.

“I know, Nacelyn. I’m turning 17 next week so don’t remind me every day. I want you to get out of my room before I do to you what you’re always telling me.” She gave me a you’re-crazy-look before she closed my door loudly.

Nacelyn Abragan, the one whom I see as my sister since the day her Mom adopted me three years ago. According to Mommy Rachel, my parents died due to a car accident in which I was also involved and I am the only one who survived yet I can’t remember anything except for my parents’ faces. Nacelyn was 1 year older than me, has had no other siblings and no biological father since the day she got out of her mother’s womb. I’m two inches taller than her and she’s more beautifully confident than anyone I know. She got her mother’s long wavy black hair, white skin, two sparkling dark eyes, smiley thin red lips, and a petite body.

I’m more different from her by looks and how I dress.

I head towards the bathroom out of the mood and lazily grabbed a toothbrush and put toothpaste on it. I sleepily looked at my face in the mirror. My dark blue hair was all messy and I still got drool on my cheeks near my lips. I took off the eyeglasses I am wearing and put them on the side of the bathroom sink. I hate taking bath! I swear.

I looked like a withered plant as I went downstairs to my condominium where Nacelyn and I lived. Nacelyn rode an elevator to come down while I took the stairs every single day. I got out of the building with three books in my hands.

“Hurry up, Two. If you’re always like that, when are we going to have a ride to school? After a year? My gosh! You looked your mind’s always floating even if you just eat.” She sounded like she’s about to get crazy. I just rolled my eyes which made her even more pissed.

“Oh my gosh, you’re stressing me out!” I know she’s wanting to pinch me hardly or punch me in the face yet she can’t. Why? Because she’s scared that I might be the one to punch her on her face or kick her ass off.

“I know and thank you for the compliment,” I barely mumbled as I opened the door of the backseat and hopped it. I placed the books I was holding on the seat beside me.

Nacelyn then hopped inside and sat on the driver’s seat. She gave me a death glare before she turned on the engine and drove the car out of the place.

Using my phone, I played an app to remove my boredom. It will only take ten minutes before I got to school if there’s no traffic. But if there’s one, there’ll be an additional ten minutes. I glanced outside the car’s window. There’s no traffic today. I bet it’s because of the strike on some jeepneys that I’ve watched over the news last night. I turned back on playing games.

“Two? Why are you like that to me? Am I a bad sister to you, huh? Why are you doing this to me? Why?” Here she goes again, the drama queen.

“Spell drama, Nacé?” I called her Nacé for I like it better that way.

“That’s easy, you know I’m smart. D-R-A-M-A,” she exclaimed, wearing a wide smile. She did what I said. Didn’t she know why I said that? I just shook my head and returned my attention to what I’m doing.

“And why did you shake your head? Don’t tell me I spelt it wrong?” she blurted with a raised eyebrow.

“You just didn’t get what I mean,” I mumbled.

“The what? Hello? You told me to spell out drama that’s why I did,” she retorted. Yeah, I know, I know, you’re so philosophical.

“Can I request?” I placed my phone on my lap.

“What is it? Just not a hard request because you know I won’t do that.” She gave me a warning looked.

Yeah, I know. I know.

“Can you please focus your attention on driving? I’m afraid we’ll come to an end just because you become careless.” I half smiled at her.

I heard her teeth clenched. “You’re really getting into my nerves, Two. Swear! I bet you’ll be the reason when my soulmate gets widowed soon.”

“Nice jesting, Nacé,” I said and gave her a thumbs up.

If ears and nose can literally flare, I bet I’ll feel scared of her right now. If her glare throws a dagger, for sure I’m already dead.

“I won’t drive you to your school any more next time, Two! I swear it!” she angrily stated.

I hope you will. I gave her my sweetest smile while zipping my mouth. I love her so much even I acted not. She’s my sister even if we’re not related in blood.

When I arrived at school, she didn’t even bother to give me money. Nacé is already in her twelfth grade and I’m a tenth grader. I’m already an eleventh grader now if I didn’t stop studying for a year. This year, Mommy transferred me to another school when she learned that I got bullied in my old school. She never wants me to get hurt for she’ll feel the same way for me.

My school days went fine. I tried not to bump any one of my schoolmates even my classmates knowing that most of the students here were delinquent or gangsters.

It’s fun you can see the beauty in my new school. Most of the students here are rich yet were unfortunately pompous. I’m not afraid of the delinquent nor one of the gangster students.

There’s only one person I’m scared of, and that’s myself. Why myself? There was something in me that was different from the others. Something I don’t want to discuss with myself.

I head towards the ground floor where the flag ceremony just started. I felt relieved when I fell in line with my classmates. Grade ten has three sections; Emerald, Sapphire, and Amethyst. I’m at the section Emerald since my grades are high. I can say that I’m smart even if I don’t use half of my brain. I’m not boasting, I’m humbled.

And what’s the thing I hate the most here? It’s to be left behind the class. And if that will happen to me, I’ll start to prepare myself for cleaning the back of the school found in the mini forest alone. When you got a major offence, you have to clean the second floor of the building. Once is enough, they say. A minor offence is already enough for me and there’ll be no major offence that will come after. I swear.

“Two, Two my friend!” a girl holding five books in her hands loudly shouted. Her long black and wavy hair traversed. A wide smile was plastered on her angelic face.

I am walking to the second floor, heading towards my class. I halted and faced that girl. I didn’t show the surprise on my face to her. Why can’t we contain it whenever we’re being surprised? Does Science have an explanation for this matter or it’s the chemical reaction thingy again? How I’m so displeased of it.

“Shakie?” I tried to make my voice sound casual.

“Why do you looked like you’re not glad to see me? You should be happy because you can be with your BFF.” She lightly shrugged my arms, as if she’s shuddering or she’s just too happy for what happened.

Why should I be pleased? I know right from the start that she will transfer here but I did not expect it will be today. She told me it’ll be after my birthday. And why do we need to celebrate my birthday? Whenever the day where you were born comes, you were like being born again because it’s your birthday. It should be a birthdate, right?

“Yeah, I know. I know.” I gave her a half-smile.

“Here she goes again. Let’s go. I’m so excited to come in my new classroom, new teachers with new classmates.” When did she even speak without having her gums seen?

She clung her arms to my left arm and pulled me upstairs. Is she blind that’s why she can’t see that we’re both struggling with what she’s doing? The books we’re holding might fall now. She’s crazy!

I am the one who removed her grip on my arm when our books fell when we reached the second floor. She’s being frolicsome and this is what happened. I’m starting to get pissed.

“I’m so pleased with what happened, Sha,” I said sarcastically. I picked up my books on the floor.

“Pleased your face. I’m even annoyed by what happened.” She’s picking up her five books that had fallen. A minute before we picked up all our books, she’ll bend down, shake off the dirt on her book before directly picking them up. Wow! Can I give her grand applause?

“Why is your smile like that? A smile that’s not even pleased. What’s up?” she asked while fixing her handle on her books.

“Nothing, maybe? Does the time even slow down? See?” I showed her my watch that has digital numbers on it.

She attentively looked at it. “Hey! I didn’t know dark blue suits you. Wait, what’s the brand of your watch? I like it.”

I sought because of a feeling of despair. I’m pointing the time, not my precious watch.

“It’s already 7:25, Sha.” I sounded disappointed in her. I moved my watch away from her.

“Oh? What’s with 7:25?” Is what I said that confusing?