Hidden Chords; my dream's againts the string

‎Chapter one: The beginning ‎ ‎Yvonna Yvei Reyes from Baguio ‎City, i'm a determined student and my only goal is to finish my studies and find my true mother, Marianna Curtis, ‎in Davao Occidental. I lives with my father's new wife, Anabelle Acosta Reyes, a strict stepmom who insists on being called "Madam". ‎ ‎One day, Anabelle threw a cup on the floor, shouting, "Don't call me tita! Call me Madam, that's all!" ‎ ‎I rolled my eyes, replying, "Okay, Madzam." ‎____________________________________________ ‎As an active student at St. College, I am excels in grades and performance activities. Music is my passion, and I often practices guitar in the music room. —One day, while playing, Mr. Athon Velasco, the university president and a campus crush, knocked on the door. ‎ ‎"Ms. Reyes!" he called. I looked up, put down my guitar, and invited him in. ‎ ‎"Yes, Mr. Athon? Anything I can help you with?" I asked seriously, maintaining eye contact. ‎ ‎Athon looked fluneled and said,"Ahm, Ms. Reyes, you look so serious. Do I have dirt on my face... or are you just admiring me?" ‎ ‎I smirked, glancing at the paper in my hand, and looked back at him. "Likely, Athon. I asked a question; are you just going to ignore it? Don't you want to answer?" My tone had a hint of annoyance. ‎ ‎Athon smiled awkwardly and calmed me down, asking if he could help. "Ms. Reyes, you're summoned to the principal's office," he said. ‎ ‎"For what?" I asked, and he replied that he didn't know, just that he was told to send me. ‎ ‎I agreed, stood up, looked at him, and nodded, then left the room. Before disappearing, I looked back at Athon. "Btw, can you please stop calling me Ms. Reyes?" I ask, "That is my dad's family name and I hate being called 'Ms. Reyes' infront of me or to someone, cuz I hate my dad" I said, with a serious tone and look.... ‎ ‎And then Athon was shock and he apologize to me " okay, sorry then...so what should I might be call you? instead of "Reyes"" Athon ask, ‎ ‎"Yve or Yvonna, sound sweat and cute for me" I admit and then I turn around and went to the principal office.., ‎ ‎[Past forward] ‎ ‎In the principal's office, I found Thyrus Acosta waiting, looking handsome as ever. He was seated, spinning a pen and looking at his laptop. "Mr. Thyrus?" I called, knocking on the door. "Ah, Yvonna. Come in," he said, standing up. "I have a proposal for you. We've received a message from a university in Davao, challenging us to a musical instruments competition. We want you to represent our school." ‎ ‎I was taken aback. "Me? Why me?" I ask... ‎ ‎Thyrus said, "You're one of our best musicians, Yvonna. We believe you can win. Plus, it's a great opportunity for you to explore Davao and maybe... find what you're looking for," with a knowing look. ‎ ‎I thought for a moment. This could be the chance to find my mother. ‎ ‎"Okay, I'm in," I said with determination. ‎ ‎Thyrus handed me a folder with a smile. "Here's the details for the orientation. It's in Davao, at the state campus. They're expecting you." ‎ ‎I took the folder, scanning the contents. My eyes widened slightly. "The orientation is next month," I said, looking up at Thyrus. ‎ ‎He nodded. "Yes, you'll need to prepare. You'll be representing our school, so make sure you're ready." ‎ ‎I nodded, taking in the information. I walked out of the principal's office, the folder clheld tightly in my hand. The thought of the orientation and the competition was exciting, but the possibility of finding my mother in Davao had my heart racing. ‎ ‎I headed back to my class, lost in thought. My friends, Mia and Jake, noticed something was up and cornered on me. "Yve, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," Mia said, concern etched on her face. ‎ ‎I was hesitated, then showed them the folder. "I got selected to represent the school in a music competition in Davao," trying to keep my voice casual. ‎ ‎Jake's eyes widened. "Whoa, that's awesome! You're gonna crush it!" ‎ ‎Mia's expression turned thoughtful. "Davao, huh? Isn't that where you think your mom might be?" ‎ ‎I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. "Yeah. This might be my chance to find her." ‎ ‎Mia squeezed my hand. "We'll be rooting for you, Yve. Go find your mom." ‎ ‎The bell rang, signaling the start of class. I pushed my thoughts aside, focusing on the lessons. But, my mind kept wandering back to Davao competition and the possibility of finding my mother. ‎ ‎After class, I headed to the music room, guitar in hand. I needed to practice, to prepare for the competition. As I strummed the strings, the music filled the room, and I let myself get lost in the melody. ‎ ‎Suddenly, the door opened, and Athon walked in. "Hey, Yve. Mind if I join you?" I shook my head, and he sat down beside me. ‎ ‎"Just practicing, Mr. Athon," I said. ‎ ‎He nodded. "I heard about the competition. You'll do great. Just be yourself, and play from the heart." ‎ ‎I smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "Thanks, Mr. Athon." He smiled back. ‎ ‎"Anytime, Yve. Now, play something for me." I thought for a moment, then launched into a song, letting the music speak for itself. ‎ ‎The two of us were immersed in playing guitar and singing, losing track of time, until we noticed the surroundings had grown quiet. Athon glanced at his watch, "Oh no! We're past dismissal time." ‎ ‎"Really? You can go ahead, I'll stay and work on the final verse for my competition piece," I replied, intent on my music. Athon looked puzzled, "Do you really need to stay? You can work on it at home." ‎ ‎I stopped strumming and gave him a cold stare, "You think so?" My expression turned icy, then I looked away. "I'm sure I'll focus better here than at my home, especially with my stepmom being one of my biggest critics. That's why I pour my heart out here whenever I practice... you get it?" ‎ ‎Athon fell silent, then spoke up, "Ah, okay. Are you staying long? We can leave together if you're not going yet." ‎ ‎"Up to you," I replied curtly, not looking up, focused on my song and guitar. Athon didn't press on, not wanting to disrupt my flow, but he couldn't help stealing glances at me with a soft, melodic gaze. ‎ ‎[past forward] ‎ ‎It was 5:00 pm when they exited the music-laboratory room (M.L.R), walking down the stairs, chatting, and sharing faint smiles. I lost my footing, but Athon caught me just in time. "Yve!! You almost... are you okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face. Our eyes met. ‎ ‎I snapped back to reality, hastily pulling away from Athon's grasp, "A-ahm... y-yeah! T-thanks, Athon!" I urged him to continue down, falling silent as we descended, Athon following closely, secretly thrilled. ‎ ‎"Huh? What a captivating boy.." Thyrus whispered, watching from us above the stair, unseen by the pair. "Yvonna is only mine," he added with a smirk, pushing his eyeglasses up. ‎____________________________________________ ‎The rain poured down outside, drumming against the roof of the waiting area. I huddled under the shelter, clutching my bag and guitar case, waiting for a taxi to take me home. But the downpour showed no signs of letting up, and the queue for taxis seemed endless. ‎ ‎As I waited, I noticed Thyrus walking towards me from the other side of the street. He spotted me, and a look of concern crossed his face. Just as he was about to dash across, Athon sprinted towards me, umbrella in hand. ‎ ‎"Yve, grab this!" he said, holding out the umbrella to shield me from the rain. I took it from him, surprised, as he smiled and nodded. "I'll get you a taxi, okay?" ‎ ‎Thyrus paused, seeing Athon with me, and hesitated for a moment before walking into the waiting area. He spotted me under the umbrella with Athon and raised an eyebrow. ‎ ‎"Ah, Yvonna. Need a ride?" he asked, as if noticing me for the first time. ‎ ‎I smiled, feeling a bit awkward. "Thanks, Mr. Thyrus, but Athon's getting me a taxi." ‎ ‎Athon reappeared, shaking his head. "No taxis available right now. Why don't I drive you home, Yve?" ‎ ‎Thyrus intervened. "Actually, I was about to offer Yvonna a ride. I'm heading that way." ‎ ‎I looked between them, unsure. The rain showed no signs of stopping, and I didn't want to be a bother. ‎ ‎"Um, thanks, Mr. Thyrus. but..." I look at athon and look back to thyrus says, "But I am comfortable to mr. athon right now, yah it's a little bit awkward if I choose u instead of him hehe, so I guess mr. athon will be the one who take me home Rn." then I look at athon again "So, I'll take you up on that offer," I said, deciding it was the best option. ‎ ‎Thyrus nodded, his expression tords cold. "It's seems like you really don't want to choose me to take u home, then I understand...." he says, a little smile on his face ‎ ‎I nodded, athon led me out into the rain, shielding me with his own umbrella. ‎ ‎We dashed to his car, and I slid into the passenger seat, relieved to be out of the downpour. As he started the engine, I glanced back at the waiting area. Thyrus was watching us, a jealousy looks on his face. " Will done Mr. athon, U made it... But, u can't get away Yvonna from me". he whispere and smirk "Remember, this is just a beginning" ‎ ‎[past forward] ‎ ‎"Thanks for the ride, Mr. athon," I said, buckling up. ‎ ‎He smiled. "No problem, Yvonna. So, excited for Davao?" ‎ ‎I nodded, feeling a flutter in my chest. "Yeah. It's... a big opportunity." ‎ ‎He nodded, focusing on the road. "You'll do great. Just be careful, okay? U don't know how I care about your safety" ‎ ‎I smiled feeling a blush in my face, wondering what he meant, but didn't press the issue. The car wound through the wet streets, and I leaned back, feeling the warmth of the heater. ‎ ‎As we drove, Athon asked me about my preparations for the competition, and we talked about music and the upcoming event. I found myself relaxing in his presence, feeling more at ease. ‎ ‎Before I knew it, we were pulling up to my house. I smiled, feeling grateful. "Thanks, Mr. Athon. Really appreciate it." ‎ ‎He smiled back. "No problem, Yvonna. Stay safe, and I'll see you soon." ‎ ‎I nodded, grabbing my bag and guitar, and dashed out into the rain, umbrella in hand. As I reached the door, I turned back to see Athon waiting until I was safely inside. ‎ ‎I'd gotten home safe, and smiled, feeling a mix of emotions. The rain was letting up, but my journey was just beginning. "finally...I found my chapter in life, so excited to my new journey" I whisper. ‎ ‎I walked into the house, shaking the rain off my umbrella. Tita Anabelle was sitting on the couch, her eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me raise an eyebrow. I didn't think much of it, assuming she was just in a bad mood again. The dim lighting in the room cast an eerie glow on her face, making her look even more menacing. ‎ ‎As I walked past her, she suddenly spoke up, her voice dripping with curiosity. "Who was that car? Your boyfriend's car? Friend? Or something else, stranger?" Her tone was l laced with sarcasm, and I could sense the underlying tension. ‎ ‎I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to look at her. "None of your business, Madam," I said, emphasizing the title she insisted on. I continued walking, trying to brush off the feeling of unease that was creeping up my spine. ‎ ‎She snorted, her expression sour. "Don't be smart with me, Yvonna. I asked you a question." Her voice grew louder, and I could hear the anger rising. ‎ ‎I ignored her, continuing to walk towards my room. "Not interested in answering, Madam," I said, my tone flat. I knew that engaging with her would only lead to more drama, and I wasn't in the mood for it. ‎ ‎Tita Anabelle's voice grew louder, more aggressive. "You're getting too big for your britches, Yvonna. You think you're too good for me now?" Her words were like a knife, aimed straight at my heart. ‎ ‎I stopped in my tracks, turning to face her. "I'm just not interested in entertaining your nonsense, Madam," I said, my eyes locked on hers. I could feel the tension in the air, thick and heavy. ‎ ‎She sneered, her face reddening. "You ungrateful little brat. I take you in, feed you, clothe you—" Her voice was like a broken record, always playing the same old tune. ‎ ‎I cut her off, my voice rising. "You take me in because Papa's paying you to. Don't pretend like you're doing me a favor." The words spilled out of my mouth, fueled by years of pent-up emotions. ‎ ‎The air was thick with tension as we stared each other down. Finally, Tita Anabelle looked away, her expression twisted in anger. "Just remember, Yvonna," she spat, "you're not above me. I'll always be watching." ‎ ‎I smiled, a cold, mirthless smile. "I'm shaking in my boots, Madam." My voice was steady, but inside, I was seething. ‎ ‎I turned and walked into my room, shutting the door behind me. I leaned against it, letting out a slow breath. Dealing with Tita Anabelle was always a headache, but I knew how to handle her. ‎ ‎I dropped my bag and guitar on the bed, and pulled out my phone to text Mia. "Hey, wanna come over and study?" I needed a distraction, something to take my mind off the drama. ‎ ‎As I waited for her reply, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Tita Anabelle was plotting something. But I pushed it aside, focusing on the upcoming competition in Davao. I had bigger things to worry about than my stepmom's petty games. ‎ ‎Mia texted back, agreeing to come over. I smiled, feeling a bit better. With friends like her, I could handle anything Tita Anabelle threw my way. ‎ ‎I walked over to my desk and pulled out my guitar, strumming a few chords. The music was like a balm to my soul, soothing the rough edges of my emotions. As I played, I felt my tension melt away, replaced by a sense of calm determination. I was going to make it through this, no matter what Tita Anabelle threw my way. ‎