Chapter 1:
739 Words
I heard the loud ringing of my alarm clock beside my ear. My arm automatically moved to turn it off. I lay in bed for a few minutes, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Ugh... school's back." I let out a deep sigh. I didn't feel fully energized yet, but I had no choice. I had to get up.
I quickly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Before I could even step inside, I heard Mommy and Daddy yelling from downstairs. "You have another girl, Eduardo! When will you change?" "What's wrong with you, Emilie? It's still early, you might wake up the kids!" I just rolled my eyes. This was their usual routine. I'm used to their drama-filled scenes, like a teleserye.
I quickly took a shower, got dressed in my school uniform, and headed downstairs to the dining table. That's where I saw Athen—my seven-year-old sibling—eating breakfast alone, silently drawing syrup on his pancake with a fork. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. Our helper, Manang, approached me with a smile. "Akesha, dear, sit down and eat." "No thanks, Nanay. I'm fine." I forced a smile before approaching Athen. I kissed him on the cheek. "Good morning, baby!" He scowled. "Ate, don't call me baby! Call me by my name—Athen Gray. I'm big now!" he said with a pout. I chuckled. "What's big? You're still Ate's baby!" I ruffled his hair. "Heyyy! Don't touch my hair! Nanay already fixed it!" he said, adjusting his hair. I let out a deep sigh. Athen... an innocent child. He's still too young to understand what's really going on in our family.
How do I explain to him that Mommy and Daddy's relationship is slowly falling apart? I know he came into our lives when Daddy was about to leave Mommy. But why? Why is Athen the reason Daddy stayed? Why wasn't I enough for him not to leave us back then? Sometimes, I couldn't help but feel jealous. Why did Daddy choose another woman over us and Mommy? Why do they always fight at night but pretend everything's okay in the morning? I was still too young to understand back then, but now I'm starting to get it.
I remembered one night—one fight that was about me. I heard Daddy yell. "I wish he were a boy! I wish I had a son, like my siblings!" It hurt. Until now, I still carry the pain of those words. The loving and protective father I admired... how could he say that? I was brought back to reality when the jeepney driver honked the horn. "Hey, we're here." I got off the jeep and handed the driver twenty-five pesos. I looked up at the school building I was about to enter. It was huge. I'm not ignorant, but I grew up in the province of Cagayan. Life was simple there. Even though we were well-off, I wasn't raised in luxury.
New year, new place, new environment I took a deep breath and stepped into the campus. There were so many students. Some were gathered in every corner—laughing, busy with their phones, or rushing to find their classrooms. I hadn't even walked for a minute when I was suddenly bumped into. "Agh!" I fell to the ground. "Heyyy, miss! Sorry!" I looked up, startled. A boy was standing in front of me, holding out his hand. We looked like we were the same age, but he was too energetic for a normal student. He seemed more like Athen. I bit my lip and smiled. "It's okay." His eyes sparkled. "Ahh, you're new here?" I nodded shyly. "I'm Alfred Cashfer Martinez. And you are?" I noticed his formal tone despite his playful demeanor, similar to Athen. "I'm Akesha Yurie Estrelli Buenaventura." I shook his hand. He smiled. "Tara, let's go together?" I nodded. "Okay." As we walked, he asked, "What grade are you in?" "Grade 11, HUMSS. You?" "Grade 11, HUMSS too! What section are you in?" "A—Hardworking. You?" He suddenly jumped for joy. "Whoa! Classmate tayo!" I chuckled at his hyperactivity. We were already on the second floor, but I felt stressed even before the first semester started. "Cas, is our room still far?" I asked, out of breath. "It's near! Just one more floor!" he replied, laughing. Finally, we reached the third floor. I stopped, making Cas notice.
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