E/LENA

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

“What do you mean? Are you saying he is still alive?” Ms. Estrella asked.

Elena shrug her shoulders, “probably.”

“But, I can’t be sure, Raffy might still there, and I can’t take a risk.” Elena said.

“Even, grandpa told me we can’t be at ease yet not until we found Raffy, dead or alive.” Elena stated.

Ms. Estrella understandingly nod at what Elena had told her. She understand what Elena is pointing at, and just like how she know Elena, she is now acting tough even she know she is having a hard time, so she don’t want to be burden to Elena.

She also understand that Elena just want to keep them safe, so she will not oppose it, though Elena separating from her is hard for her, for she had been with Elena for a long time for she is like her child to her.

 “By the way Aunt Elle, I baked you a cake,” Elena said, taking the cake that Ian is holding.

“You baked?” Ms. Estrella asked, for she knew Elena doesn’t know how to bake.

Elena informed her Aunt Elle that she learned to bake by the help of Ian, who knew how to bake, just to make her a birthday cake that made her heart melt.

“Elena, you really know how to make my heart melt.” She informed that made Elena chuckled.

Elena also told her, that she is watching her everyday by the help of the men who Mr. Vaughn had sent to protect her. And how she misses her.

Elena also apologized by leaving without a word, because the guilt is eaten her so much back then at the hospital, even  though they told Elena already that what happened was not her fault, though she still is, but she can’t bare to skip her birthday.

They spent hours catching up with each other, telling stories what happened specially about Elena. Elena also informed her that she had been pursued by her current teacher to join academic competition.

“Do it Elena, I know you had always wanted to join, so don’t forbid yourself to join anymore.” She said trying to encourage Elena.

She reach Elena’s hand and hold it tight and stared directly to Elena’s eyes. “You must do want you wanted to do. Don’t let your fears hinders you, for I know that you can do it.”

“You might not be aware of it, but you are the most strong person I know, and just like how you are fighting now with your past.” She said, “you must fight as well with your other fears, and that includes you, holding yourself back too much.”

Elena smiled, at Ms. Estrella’s encouraging words and nod. They spoke a little more before Elena bid her goodbye. Ms. Estrella invited Elena to sleep to her house, but Elena politely declined, telling she had school to attend early tomorrow as a part of her special home/school education program.

Ms. Estrella bid her goodbye also and asked Rigor, the man that Mr. Vaughn asked to guard her to escort Elena and Ian until they left, for Elena insisted her not to go outside and just let Rigor to escort them.

Morning came, Elena readied herself for school, like what her schedule to attend school is. Wearing, long sleeve, with navy blue and maroon stripes on her neck tie, and navy blue skirt with two white stripes at the lower part around the skirt, she also wore her ash grey coat with the palm round shaped logo of her new school on the left chest  of the coat, she is all set.

Taking her bag she hurriedly went out of the penthouse and went to parking, where Ian is waiting for her.

“Here!” Ian said, handing her a sandwich and coffee as soon as she hailed the car.

“Thanks!” She said delightful.

She welcomed her morning with such an ease feeling, after meeting Aunt Elle last night.

After giving thoughts about what her Aunt Elle told her about joining academic competitions, she had decided to give it a shot. She is still scared and nervous even by thinking about what could possibly happen if she will join, but just like what her Aunt Elle told her, she must face it.

Many people might not like her, nor criticize her from being old street child and entering school at her late age, but she also had people who is there supporting her and trusting her.

As they arrived at the school, students stared at her like she came from somewhere that is out of the world, she can also see some students gossip and then turn to stare at her.

Ian took her attention and signed her to just go on and don’t pay attention to students who is ogling at her.

“I’ll go alone now. You don’t need to escort me to my room from now on.” She informed to Ian.

Who was about to escort her, but she stopped him from going with her.

“Will you be okay?” Ian asked.

Elena nod and smile slightly as a sign of assurance, “I will be fine, just wait for me here, or you can even leave for a while so you won’t be bored waiting for my class to end.”

“No, I’m okay here Miss, just call me if anything happens. Enjoy your day!” Ian replied.

Elena nod again and made her way towards the school building. She had already talk to Ian last night about her, not needing Ian to stay close much to her anymore whenever she will attend school, for she doesn’t want to catch more attention from the students.

She just allowed Ian to escort her at first, because Mr. Vaughn insisted, but now she also had talked to Mr. Vaughn, her grandpa if she can have Ian escorted her only outside the school building, that her grandpa opposed at first, but at the end of their conversation she was able to convince her grandpa.

“Class dismissed!” Mrs. Valle announced as the bell rang indicating that the class ended for today.

Elena waited her classmates to go one by one until she was left alone with Mrs. Valle who was currently fixing the papers from their exam.

She reluctantly approach Mrs. Valle who seemed didn’t notice her yet, and cleared her throat to catch the teacher’s attention, that she immediately get.

“Your still here!” Mrs. Valle said smiling. “Do you need something?”

Elena nod, “yes ma’am.”

“I-I decided to try entering academic competition, c-can I still do that?” she asked.

Mrs. Valle smiled brightly after what she heard from Elena while nod continuously. “Of course!”

“We are currently selecting students from our school that can compete in science quiz bee, I can I select you in?” Mrs. Valle asked excitedly.

“This will be a great help to your grades!” Mrs. Valle said again to encourage Elena more.

“Okay.” Elena answered with nod that made Mrs. Valle smile grew wider.

“Great choice, don’t worry I will help you out to win.” Mrs. Valle said and reach Elena’s left shoulder and tapped it.

Elena nod, and helped Mrs. Valle on what is she doing and left with her leaving the classroom before they separated as they reached the faculty office, Elena bid her goodbye.

As Elena reach the parking lot, she saw Ian already there, and when he saw her, he immediately went to Elena to meet her.

“How’s your day, Miss?” He asked with a smile.

“It was good, thank you.” She replied.

Ian has always been asking, how’s her day became already usual with her. Having Ian by her side seems like she had a big brother protecting her. As the months past that Ian guarding her, they became more like sibling friends.

“By the way Mr. Vaughn called, he is at the penthouse already waiting for you.” Ian informed.

Elena nod and hail on the car, as Ian opened the door for her, and give her thanks after. Ian didn’t waste anytime and drove off the parking as soon as they hailed on.

--

The night is getting late. The light on the post flicks multiple times, that made Dana startled as she making her way towards the room she is renting.

As she past by on the one dark corner, she suddenly heard a footsteps, and it was following her that made her tremble in fear, and hurriedly walked away from the footsteps she was hearing.

After what happened months ago she became anxious as she felt like she is always being watched.

Her Mom died, while on their way of escaping from his father’s men, but unfortunately they got caught by Trevor.

The man that they with was shot dead while trying to help them to get away, but at that chase, Trevor was able to get the oldies and shot her mom twice at the back that killed her Mom in an instant.

She felt her world collapse back then, and not minding the oldies being captive, she took her Mom with all of her might to escape at the scene hoping that she could still save her Mom by taking her to the hospital.

The adrenaline she felt helped her to leave the woods with her Mom’s body, and take her to the nearest hospital, but the doctor declared that her Mom was already passed away even before they arrived.

As the days gone by, she heard Elena and Ms. Estrella was taken to the same hospital that she went to take her mother, that made her eaten by her guilt.

She was the one who told her father about where they were hiding, after being threatened that he will kill her Mom, that one of her weakness.

Then she started to feel being watched, that made her uneasy, and anxious.

Dana arrived at her apartment, and hurriedly went inside without opening the lights and closed the door behind her, and carefully peek outside to see if there’s malicious person outside, but she found none.

A relieve breath come out from her and was about to open the lights on when she heard a footsteps behind her back that made her froze.

“Welcome home.” The familiar voice said.

Her eyes balled out as she heard that voice. The voice that she don’t want to hear anymore, the voice that she extremely resented, yet scares her. Raffy, her father’s voice.

“I had been waiting for you all day, don’t you know that?” her father said behind her back.

She felt her body still in froze because of her father’s sudden appearance and that made her unable to turn around, nor even spoke a word.

 “Aren’t you even gonna greet your Dad for visiting you, useless brat. ” Raffy said mockingly.

Slowly, Dana face her Raffy with all resentment, as she woke up that the man she resented and the reason why her Mom dies was just behind her, mocking her.

“There, that’s better.” Raffy said grinning as soon as Dana faced him.

And saw the burning anger on her daughter’s eyes as he that if it can be burn, he was already burned by now that made him smirked. How he love to see that anger burning eyes, he thought.