Good To Me

Chapter 2

I let out a big yawn and stayed still for a while. Hindi ko pa rin iminumulat ang mata ko even if I've been sitting here for a couple of minutes now. I'm too lazy to get up but my mind's already pestering me that I should already do all my pending works. It's Sunday but not really a rest and lazy day. More of like 'Be productive. Deadline's coming' kind of day.

Only after a moment of fighting with myself, I slowly opened ny eyes. Wala namang bago sa paligid ko. It's just my all white and minimalist room that I see everday and everytime I open my eyes in the morning. But the thing that brought back my soul in to my body is when I remember the things that happened last night.

I wish I could undo that day.

"Maam ganda, breakfast na raw sabi ni Madam," tawag ni Ate Meryl na kasama namin sa bahay.

"Susunod ako Ate!" sigaw ko.

I forced mysel to stand up so I could wash my face. Mamaya na ako maliligo. That mamaya will turn into bukas and the bukas will turn into never. But of course, maliligo ako. Mamaya. Mom will be hysterical once she see me in a silk pajamas with a messy hair. Her being a prim and proper lady couldn't handle her balahurang anak sometimes.

I went out of my room to have my breakfast nang naka pajama. I brushed my hair though. I hope that would make her less hysterical. Nang makarating ako sa kusina namin, I saw my family waiting for me. Not just my parents. I am seeing Giovan Alejo beside my mother Odette, sipping his morning coffee. He's still wearing his clothes from last night.

Hindi ko alam na hindi sya uwmuwi kagabi dahil after ng sermon nya, umakyat na rin ako sa room ko.

Maybe I should've prayed for my ears first. Ugh. It's too much for a morning nag.

"Good morning members of the Alejo family!" I said to greet them.

Mom eyed me wearing pajamas in breakfast but she didn't say anything.

I gracefully pulled the chair beside my brother and then got myself a bread and butter. Pero syempre that's a lie. I am a Filipino and I stand by having rice on breakfast. Rice makes everything better.

Or matakaw lang talaga ako.

"We decided to tighten the security in the house," Kuya said. It doesn't sound like he's asking for my opinion so I just listened to him. "I contacted my friend's agency and he'll have his men install security cameras later."

"It's not really necessary, Kuya. I don't think he'll follow me 'till here."

"It's not just for you, Yve. It's also for the family and the house. Remember, we'll be going for a cruise except you and you'll be left alone here. What if he'll really go to that extent?"

Okay. If he says so. The house will be secured with creeps but I don't think I am safe once I step out of this house. Maybe I should buy myself pepper spray but I don't think I can take Travis down by just spraying pepper in his face. I should buy electric shock then.

"Oo na. I'll just be careful," sagot ko.

"And please no more crazy ex boyfrie-" I know that he's gonna start his sermon again, so I covered his mouth using my hands.

Sana hindi amoy garlic longanissa.

After that breakfast, my parent's off to manage their business. It's a manufacturing company that is passed by my grandfather to Dad. Kuya also went to office. Instead of working directly to my parents Kuya Gio chose to work for another company when he's the one who's going to manage the business once our parents retire. Sabi nya'y he's just gaining experience. Our parent's fine with that. They let him do whatever he wants before passing him the responsibility of running a business.

I, on the otherhand, doesn't have a slight interest about business. I want to be trapped in the four corners of an office that's why I chose Communication Arts ang college ko. Creating something raw and working on it to became a full-blown masterpiece is where my passion lies.

Because I still have so many things to do, I went upstairs to get my laptop and other things and headed to the patio. Dito ako because if I work on my room, the spirit of laziness might come through me and I'd just lay down on my bed the whole day.

"Maam dumating na po yung taga security company," pag putol ni Ate Meryl sa concentration ko sa pag gawa ng project. I'm in the middle of finalizing but I guess I have to stop for a while. My back's already aching.

"Okay, Ate. Paki dala sila rito," ani ko.

I stood up to stretch my back and my arms. In no time, baka kailanganin ko na rin ng mga oils and ng mga relief pathches when I'm only 22.

"Ms. Yvette Alejo? Good morning maam," bati nung taga security company wearing a uniform. In his back are three more people carrying cases. Those probaby are the cameras. "Alvin po from JSF Security."

"Good morning, sir." I extended my hands and shook with him.

"Ang aga nyo po ah," ani Kuya na biglang lumuwa galing loob ng bahay. He's now wearing a new coat at mukhang bagong ligo na.

Gulat ko syang nilingon. "What- why are you still here?"

"I just went back from condo to change clothes. You know I can't let you supervise this. You're dumb with these things," aniya.

I swallowed hard and glanced at the four men na naka nganga sa amin. Tumango ako saka I motion my hand to my Kuya na sila na ang mag usap and stepped back.

"Right. Go ahead." I smiled and then stepped back to my seat.

Kuya's right though. Actually, I was worried about what should I do. I'm not really familiar with these kinds of things. The only camera that I know using are DSLRs.

I sat saka bumalik sa pag gawa ng project ko. They installed cameras sa mga common areas around the house. They also installed a monitor for the cameras and it will record 24/7. It's also connected sa phone naming family that when there's something's suspiscious, we can alert each other and the guards using it.

Those cameras make me feel secured in my own home.

After that installation of cameras, Kuya really went to his work. I went kind of crazy and posed in front of the cameras like I'm posing for Dazed magazine.

Are you seeing this, my dear family?

I also went upstairs para ibalik ang laptop ko at mahiga sa kama ko. I'm done with my task and what's left to do is to email them to my groupmates.

Mamaya na, when I'm done with my rest.

I'm kind of poarched so I went downstairs para kumuha ng maiinom. Maybe I should buy a mini fridge to have it in my room so I wouldn't have to go up and down the stairs. Pago ako maka inom ay naka labas na ang dila ko sa uhaw.

Nasa hagdan pa lang ako but the doorbell kept on ringing. There are no signs of Ate Meryl around.

Wala naman kaming ine- expect na pupunta ngayon except the ones from security camers kanina.

Instead of going to the kitchen, I detoured and went to the door and pressed the front door's surveillance to see kung sino iyong nag do- door bell.

I pressed the button and saw someone tall na naka white cap na pinatungan ng orange na hoodie at may hawak na box. Naka yuko iyon kaya hindi ko makita ang mukha but the outfit's too familiar to me.

"Delivery po," aniya sa mataas na boses.

This is Travis. Kahit pa taasan nya ang boses nya, at mag suot sya ng kulay ng damit na hindi naman nya sinusuot, hinding hindi ako malilinlang ng tindig nya.

My heart heavily pounded at and the nervousness is crawling into my system.

"Ate, may nag do- doorbell," ani Minie na pamangkin ni Ate Meryl na mas bata lang sa akin ng isang taon na kasama rin namin sa bahay.

"Huwag mong pagbubuksan, Mi. Tell them na huwag pagbubuksan ng gate iyang taong yan," bilin ko.

"Bakit 'te? Ay!" aniya saka napa palak pak pa sya nang may ma realize. "Yan ba yung ex mo?" aniya't mukhang nag aalala.

Tumango ako sa kanya't iniwan sya para magpunta sa kusina para uminom ng tubig at i kalma ang sarili ko.

I can still hear the repeated ringing of the doorbell. My head aches to the sound.

"Hindi ba natin sasabihin kay Sir Gio, Ate? Baka kung anong gawin sa'yo nun!" ani Mimi na sumunod sa aki sa kusina.

"Tingnan muna natin kung anong gagawin nya, Mi."

I feel like my mind's gonna burst with all these things that are happenning. I forgot how Travis knows my address because he was sending me gifts here nung kami pa.

Hindi pa rin humuhupa ang pag tunog ng doorbell nang umakyat ako sa kwarto ko para kunin ang phone ko at i record ang nangyari. Right exactly when I entered the room, the sound stopped.

I peeked through my window to see if nasa baba pa sya but my whole body froze nang makita sya sa tapat ng bahay namin na naka tingin na sya sa akin just like yesterday.

I closed my curtains and sat at my bed while trying to calm myself from trembling.

I am so disgusted with Travis. Really? He went to this extent?

I sat there and wished that he’ll be gone but after almost an hour of zoning out. I worriedly rushed at my window and he’s still there.

That's it.

I grabbed my phone and pressed the security button to alert my family and everything went blurry after.

I don't know what happened basta I just snapped back to reality and saw my family and all the people in this household in front of me, looking worried.

Lalo na si Kuya. Si Kuya na kaunti na lang at sasabog na. Pinipigilan na sya nila Mom na tumawag ng police at ipa dampot si Travis but they don't want the issue to get big.

Right. They can't make Travis Solomon lock into jail that easy. I'm sure his father, Mayor Gerardo Solomon, won't let that happen.

"I'm taking Yve with me." Kuya declared.

He got my attention so I looked up to him and saw how intently looks at me.

"What do you mean, Gio?" tanong ni Dad.

"She's gonna live with me until that lunatic ex of her stops. Our tower's security is really tight. Hindi nya masusundan si Yvette doon, " ani Kuya.

If I'm living with him, that means I'm gonna be living with Kuya Dominic because these besties share the same unit kahit kaya naman nilang bumili ng tig isa.

What should I do?