SUNSET

Chapter 2

Even for the entire summer, I wasn't allowed to go to Manila. That was my punishment for what I said to Mama.

If we didn't meet as a group to visit each other's houses, I would visit the Montemayors. Only Tita Domitia makes me comfortable. I couldn't bear it with Tita Jin. I don't know why.

I sat quietly on the Montemayor mansion's hammock. Tita Domitia is my mother's distant cousin from the Montemayors' side. Since Mama was orphaned at an early age, my grandfather, who is Tita Domitia and Tito Antonio's father, took her in. Mama forbids me from getting too close to Tita Domitia, but she can't do anything about it. She's often absent, and when Akira, Solana, and Mateo aren't around, I feel bored at home.

"Hija..." Tita said as she saw me playing with the flowers of the bougainvillea while sitting on the hammock.

I put down the flower and tiredly smiled at Tita Domitia.

"You're always here for three consecutive days. It's good that your mother isn't scolding you?"

"I just walked along the shoreline. So, the bodyguards don't know that I left the house."

She sighed, probably worried that I escaped.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so bored. I wanted to go back to Manila even for just a week. Mama doesn't want me to."

"I'm sorry to hear that, hija. If only I knew you were getting bored, I would have arranged a party!"

I wearily smiled again.

"Tomorrow, I'm going back to Manila. And that's until the end of the month. I'll return next month. I wish you told me you were getting bored earlier."

"It's okay. I'll get used to it. I'll endure the repetitive visits to the Salvador mansion. Or inviting my friends over to our place." I rolled my eyes.

She smiled and looked at me with concern.

"Hmm. How about..." her eyes narrowed.

I sighed and reluctantly accepted my fate. We used to have amazing family vacations, but I haven't had one for two summer vacations now.

"You come with me to Manila just for a day?"

"Y-Yes?" I was surprised by Senyora's invitation.

"We'll take the flight early in the morning. The chopper will take you back by the end of the day. Would you like that?"

My eyes widened, suddenly excited.

"Of course, you'll be the only one going home because Senyor needs me in Manila. Do you want that?"

I nodded eagerly.

She is a godsend to me in that boring place. She spoils me always. Sometimes, I feel her love more as a mother than from my own Mama.

"Thank you, Tita!" I bid her farewell after a day of wandering around Manila.

I hugged her tightly, wholeheartedly.

"You're welcome. This should be our secret, or my strained relationship with Indra will get more wounded?" she chuckled.

I nodded and faced Tita. "I won't tell anyone. But please promise me that this isn't the last time!"

She laughed. "Sure, hija. This isn't the last time."

I hugged Tita Domitia again, this time tighter. She patted my back.

"I always wanted a daughter. So, I treat you like one, hija. If I had a daughter like you, I'd spoil you big time."

I laughed, but truth be told, I was very overwhelmed. I couldn't help but compare her to Mama. My mother is always busy. It's not like Senyora Domitia isn't. She also takes care of her husband and their businesses, but she's not as clingy as my mother. My mom loves my father so much that she has to be where he is when she's not busy with important matters.

Sometimes, it felt like her kids were just an afterthought for her. It was always my father who came first.

The new school year started the same way. I gained more friends, but the four of us were still often together. I honestly began to have fun with them despite my loathing for the province. Or maybe, I accepted that I have no hope of going back to study in Manila.

It also helped a lot that I had an ally—Tita Domitia. Sometimes, I went with her over the weekend. Sometimes, we flew to Manila, and I'd take the chopper back by the end of the day. Other times, it's a chopper round trip. I used that time to shop and meet up with my past friends. We just didn't take pictures to avoid Mama finding out. That made it all bearable.

"Are you sure you want to court Myrah?" Akira asked as he approached our exclusive table in the cafeteria with a scruffy batchmate.

It has been several months since he put a love letter in my locker every day. At first, I read them. Later on, I just threw them away. He's not handsome, he's untidy, and he's not wealthy either. It's not like there are wealthy guys here. Even Mateo barely met the standards I want.

The guy approached hesitantly. He adjusted his glasses as he came closer to give the love letter.

Oh dear.

Mateo snatched the love letter from the boy's hand. Akira and Solana burst into laughter. I also laughed at the awkward attempt to retrieve the love letter.

"Dear Myrah," Markus read while running to avoid being caught by the poor guy.

I smirked as I watched Mateo read it.

"I can't sleep thinking about you every night. Your eyes are like stars, so whenever I look at the sky, I remember you. You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

I rolled my eyes. In the almost two years I've been in this school, I've been courted several times by guys here. Of course, none of them interests me.

"How corny," Solana said, looking at me.

"Mateo, stop it. Just throw that in the trash!" I chuckled.

Solana laughed. Mateo would have continued reading, but Solana took it and ripped it before dramatically throwing it into the trash.

I took a sip of my juice as the bell rang. I stood up, and so did Akira. Mateo walked towards us, still chuckling.

"Love letters meant for you are always a joy to read. The suitors tend to be poetic," Akira suggested.

"What if you try saying yes to one?" he added.

I noticed the guy rummaging through the trash to retrieve his love letter. We ignored him and headed straight to the classroom.

"I don't want to. That will tarnish my name," I said.

"You're just leading them on. Look at me, the handsome guy from the soccer team, my ex. Poor, but scarred for life. They can't recover from me. It's funny to watch them use other girls to get over you," Akira remarked.

"You're harsh, Akira..." commented Mateo.

I ignored the chitchat and went straight to our classroom. Our adviser was already there with a guy standing in front of her desk. I saw the excitement on my classmates' faces. The whispers were extreme, even worse than the whispers I got on the first day of school last year.

I sat down, still beside Mateo. I craned my neck to check what was happening. My classmates were intrigued by the person standing in front, talking to our teacher.

"Is he transferring?" Mateo said.

I looked at Mateo beside me. I didn't know what he was referring to.

"That's an Admit to Class slip, right?" he asked.

I looked at the tall guy handing a paper to our adviser. He was correct.

"Transferee?" I asked.

He shook his head. "He's been studying here."

"It's the second semester," I pointed out.

"He often stops. He's older than us by a few years. He stops because his mother is sick. He takes care of her, and he's also the breadwinner."

I looked at the guy again. He was tall and had a sun-kissed complexion. Despite his color, he reminded me of some foreign tanned male models. His hooded eyes resembled those of a famous classic Hollywood superstar, and his bone structure was well-defined and aristocratic. He might be the tallest person I've seen in the whole class, or maybe it's because he's a bit older, as Mateo mentioned.

"Aries Montecielo," Mateo murmured.

"Montecielo?" I turned to Mateo.

He smirked. "Yup."

"But you said he's the breadwinner and stops studying-"

"They are biologically related to the Montecielos here but... not acknowledged."

"So, he's poor?"

Mateo nodded, still looking at the guy in front.

"Class, before we start," our adviser said. "You have a new classmate for today."

"Aries!" some girls called out.

He smiled at the girls but immediately turned serious when he surveyed the class.

"Aries will be finishing his second semester of this school year with you. I hope you welcome your new classmate. I'm sure some of you know him well."