Chapter 03

It was her last day of reviewing for the exam so she locked herself in her room all day and continued to study.

"Come in" she shouted as a knock resonated.

"Are you still taking a bath?" Only then did she look away from the book when she heard her brother's voice.

She rolled her eyes at him as she saw how he's holding back the laughter and pretended that she smelled awful.

She admitted that her hair was a little messy and her huge eyebags were screaming but she didn't forget to take a bath. She might forget to comb her hair or to put makeup on her face but never, she'll forget to take a bath.

Instead of focusing on her brother who kept on teasing her on how she looks, she chose to read and study again and ignore the presence of her older brother.

"You know how to ignore me."

Focus.

"Princess, would you lend me some of your attention?"

Focus.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw her brother walking.

"Princess?"

"Princess."

"Princess!!"

She tightly shut her eyes as she slowly gets annoyed. Damn. Her brother knows how to piss her off.

"What?"

She could feel her anger shoot up when she heard and saw her brother biting his lips to prevent his giggles.

"Clarenz," she said and stomped her feet.

"Sorry, I just missed you because you're too busy studying but no worries I'm not sulking or what. I just miss you, princess" her brother mumbled and kissed her forehead before giving back her peace.

Surely, she needs to make up for her sibling and parents.

Reviewing mostly takes almost of her time that she is no longer even able to greet Holly.

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She yawned widely as soon as she stepped out of the examination room.

She called her friend because she knew that she was waiting for her to finish the exam.

"Where are you?" Holly asked after answering the call.

"I won't go to school first"

"Why?"

"I'm sleepy. You know me, I'm not productive when I'm sleepy. I want to rest, sleep and feel my bed first"

She heard Holly cackled, "You deprived yourself of some good rest and sleep, don't you?" She said in a teasing voice.

"It's up to you, I just called you to inform you that I won't go to school today so don't wait for me"

She didn't wait for her answer because she knew that their conversation would not end. Holly knows how to open a conversation that will last for a day and the next few days.

"Hey" she turned around when she felt someone hold her arm.

She smiled courteously, "Hmm?"

He looks familiar, she told herself.

"You left it last time when I bump on you" he showed her a familiar notebook, "I would have handed it to you but you got away quickly and I also had training then" he explained while giving her the notebook.

"Uhh. Thank you" she whispered and took the notebook from him.

She mentally hit her head and mumbled profanities, how dare she leave her diary behind? What if that person read his writings? Did he read? Maybe not, right? But, what if?

Maybe he didn't care, she told herself. That's right, she shouldn't think badly of the person she saw twice and doesn't even know.

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When she got home, she quickly went upstairs to her room after kissing her mother on the cheek who was reading a paper that looks like some business proposal thingy.

She quickly searched for her diary and opened it to check if it had been touched or not.

"It's good you weren't touched," she said weakly as she closed the notebook and hid it inside her drawer.

She couldn't risk it that someone could have read what she was writing there.

Her diary contains everything she’ve been dreaming of that even her parents don’t know. She decided not to tell them anymore because they were just a dream that she thought of writing when she noticed that they had similarities.

When she's done changing her clothes she tucked herself on her bed and sigh dreamily.

"I can finally sleep" and she drifted off to a comfortable sleep.

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"Daddy, are you leaving?"

She heard her brother's confused question, but because of drowsiness, she fell asleep again.

It was early in the morning when she woke up and her brother's voice in her dreams entered her mind again.

She wanted to sleep again but her rumbling tummy won't allow her. She glanced at the time on her phone and when she saw that it was only three o'clock, she got up and quietly went down to the kitchen.

She shivered when she heard sounds that were unusual at the time. A clanking sound reverberated that she thought was coming from the kitchen.

Despite the creeping nervousness and fear that engulfed her system she slowly walked in and flicked the light switch.

When light flooded the kitchen she saw her brother and a bottle of liquor and a glass beside him. She looked intently at his brother who seemed to be intoxicated with alcohol and seemed to have fallen asleep there.

She heaved a deep sigh before approaching and cleaning the wine and the glass Clarenz used. She tried to tap, slap, and shake her brother who seemed to be sound asleep because he didn't even budge nor wake up. She shrugged and got herself cookies and milk.

She will take care of his brother later when her stomach, which had been complaining of hunger, became quiet.

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She blinked several times in surprise as someone patted her forehead.

"Why are you gathering wool?"

She just shook her head as an answer to Holly's question whose comfortably sitting on top of her desk.

"Once the school president saw you sitting there, I'm telling you, you'll be burned again" she threatened which quickly came true.

"Ms. Adams, as far as I know, tables are way too different from chairs, and you sitting on a table supposed to mean what? You're just dumb or stupid?" The school president asked in an annoying voice.

Holly grinned and glanced at Kevin, "None of the above, Sir. I'm just using the resources around me good," she said in a teasing voice and even managed to salute the latter that was about to eject fire.

She tried to suppress her laughter because of her thoughts.

"You better stop that attitude of yours, Ms. Adams. You are no longer a child who needs to be reprimanded and watched. Better act on your age"

She looked up at her friend who seemed to be stoned to his feet.

Hearing someone you love and adore told those things to you, you will be hurt and she couldn't blame Holly.

Holly and Kevin had a thing two years ago but that also immediately ended up allegedly saying that Kevin caught Holly with the man next to her in bed.

Holly tried to explain her side but Kevin kept on pushing her away until her friend got tired of chasing him to explain.

Behind Holly’s rough attitude towards their school president hides a woman who wants to be heard and clear her name.

Behind the pretense is hidden the woman who is ruined and unable to rise from the well of pain and suffering plunged by those who know nothing to do but to curse others.

"Holly" she calls her but Holly continued to walk out of their room saving a little of her pride.

She needs time for herself, she thought. She won’t be surprised if she encounters her with swollen and reddened eyes or maybe with thick makeup.

How she wish that Kevin would choose to listen to Holly's explanations. Hopefully, they can get back to what they used to be. Hopefully, she will see her eyes again laughing with great pleasure, and hopefully, life will come back to her eyes stolen by an accusation without proof.