Chapter 00

A/N: This story is currently under full revision. I would like to apologize to those persons who have read the past chapters. I'll revise it to avoid confusion and to make the story better than before. The flow of the story might change but I'll stick to its original plot. Characters being mentioned before might be gone after revision to solely focused on the protagonists.

"How are you?" Her former classmates and friends asked her kindly.

Suddenly, she became a celebrity.

"I'm okay, I think?" She answered not sure though because she did not know how is she.

"You know, almost all of us were surprised when you suddenly didn't come to school anymore, and then we just found out that you dropped out and left the country"

"Yeah, what happened to you, then?"

She earnestly prayed that someone would come to save her from the questions she would rather not answer.

"Many issues have come out about you that maybe you have something to hide or you wanna hide with your family, that's why you suddenly disappeared"

"Or maybe you're pregnant but we didn't believe it"

She suddenly felt cold and she was gradually overwhelmed by nervousness most especially her former classmates seemed to be waiting for an answer.

She heaved a defeated sigh and when she was about to open her mouth to speak up, a loud shrieking voice reverberated inside.

"Alexxis!!"

She turned to the source of the voice and spontaneously a smile crept on her lips when she saw her lone friend.

She waited for her with her arms wide open and she quickly locked it in her arms that made her friend giggle.

"You witch, I've missed you" she whispered in a slightly trembling voice.

She silently thanked her for coming and saved her from questions.

"Hi, Holly" a few men greeted her friend.

She refrained from grinning at the sight of her friend rolling her eyes at them.

"Come on, let's go there," she said and suddenly pulled her in the direction where she pointed.

She repeatedly thanked her that she had missed her classmates' questions but when she saw the persons sitting at the table it was as if she just wanted to stay with her talkative and noisy classmates.

She simply tried to slip out of Holly's grip but her grip tightened, even more, every time she felt her struggling.

"Why are you struggling?" She asked, pissed.

"Let's just go there" she pointed to the group of their classmates.

"Nope, when have you been close to them?"

And that rendered her speechless, yes, when did she even become close to them?

"Let's just go there" she whispered and pulled her again.

'Stay cool'

'Stay cool'

She repeatedly dictated the mantra to herself as they get closer to them.

"Hey guys" the latter shouted that caught the attention of the people sitting at the table and she was no longer surprised to notice their slight stiffness and the widening of their eyes.

'Guess what, I'm back' she whispered sarcastically to herself.

She just kept quiet and it wasn't that hard to see that they are forcing their smiles. Hopefully, Holly won't notice that.

Holly pulled a chair for her right beside Lorraine and she secretly scowled.

"So, now I just saw you again completely because Alexxis is always away but now she is here again" Holly muttered.

"Stop stating the obvious, Holly" she secretly pinched herself as those words came out of her mouth.

She winced when she saw Holly looking at her with amazement, "Wow, you know now how to talk back" she whispered which was just enough to hear for those persons whose with them at the table.

'Oh, I've learned a long time ago' She answered in her mind before she looked at the people who had once been a part of her life and personality.

"How are you?" She asked them sarcastically.

"W-we-we're fine"

"Are you sure? Why do you look so nervous Lorraine" she whispered while emphasizing the girl's name.

"No, it's just that, it's cold in here"

She smiled at her first before she slumped on her chair and crossed her thighs revealing half of her thigh due to the slit of her gown.

She turned her attention to the stage where the emcee slash their batch school president at but at the corner of her eye she's watching her cousin's movements.

She stopped herself from raising her eyebrows when she noticed that they are slightly pushing each other and that they are simply pointing at her.

She grinned devilishly before glancing at them which eventually stopped their stupid pushing and pointing.

"Do you want to talk to me?" She asked and they answered by shaking their heads.

"You'll have a good time later, let's listen first" Holly whispered which she listened to.

"As if they can talk to me after that" she whispered which seemed to be heard by the latter due to her turning around with a frown.

"What?" She just grinned at her and then shook her head.

She could be bad at everyone but not at her friend who stays by her side despite her sudden decision to move away and leave the country without further notice.

Indeed, Holly Adams is the truest friend she could ever have.

The waiters are already serving their food when they heard screams and squeals from a few women at the tables near them.

"They are more handsome now"

"Are they okay now?"

"It's good that they've settled down"

"I hope they fix their misunderstanding with Alexxis"

She couldn't help but look at the women at the other table as they mentioned her name.

She followed their line of sight and her chest throbbed when she saw the two people entering with their heads held high.

Maturity had hit them hard, she thought.

She tried many times to calm herself down most especially when she's starting to get annoyed with people who shamelessly turned and stared at her.

The rumors and issues about them three are still lingering, huh.

"Alexxis" she raised an eyebrow as she turned to her brother, Clarenz.

"Why?"

"We can go if you want to leave here" he whispered hesitantly which she replied with an annoying smile.

"I can do it myself. I don't need you or anyone's help" she bitterly muttered.

"Alexxis" she turned to Holly who looked at her in astonishment.

She flashed a genuine smile on her best friend that would calm her down before she looked again at her brother way back but not now.

"Mommy misses you, let's go home" he whispered, which triggered her anger.

She furiously stood up and forcefully hit the table. She no longer cared for the attention she gathered through the people around her including the attention of the two newcomers.

"Do you think I still care if you miss me?" She started and immediately the corners of his eyes warmed up because of the tears that had accumulated there.

"No, not anymore. I've learned to not care for any foolishness you've done and said and you'll be doing and say a long time ago. Maybe, if you said that to me before, I will not hesitate to go home and hug you one by one. But I am no longer the fool and the woman who was easy to be fooled. So stop saying something because-"

She stopped speaking when she felt a strong slap hit that hit her cheek. She could hear the gasps from their schoolmates but she no longer felt ashamed or anything.

"Happy? You're happy that you slapped me?" She whispered full of bitterness.

"Alexxis" she could see the remorse in his brother's eyes but as what she said, she had not cared about them for a long time.

"Enjoy your reunion, f*cking b*tches" she shouted echoing in everyone's ears.

She quickly grabbed her thing and shove the hands of whoever was holding her.

She needed to get out even before her tears flowed proving that she was still that weak girl.

She turned her back on her cousins and brother just like how they have turned their back on her.

She was looking down when she's walking out so she did not notice that someone was already standing in front of her.

She quickly looked up at the person whom she bumped into to apologize which she hopes she did not do.