Chapter 10

hello everyone, author ayhillary here. I just want to inform you guys that there was a problem with the way the chapters got updated. however, I do hope you didn't get off track with the story. this is chapter 10, enjoy!

~ayhillary

Chapter 10: Secured hope into the fading light of our house.

March 21, 2016

I flash down the hallway zooming my way to my parent’s room at four in the afternoon when almost everyone is doing their own thing or sleeping. I am running and shouting, “Ma! Pa!” I slam their door open with no thought of what to expect behind it. A scenery unfolds in front of me. Pa who is half-naked only covering his lower extremities with a towel is casually walking out of their bathroom. Obviously, he just got out of the shower there are beads of water racing on his body. Ma on the other hand is on the bed wearing her maroon silk robe. She has the blanket tucked over her as she reads a book.

It’s not that of a big deal to see this scene right now but then Pa’s reaction raises the laughter meter inside the room. “Hillary! Out! Now!’ He points at me with one hand while the other is holding onto the towel.

However, the insistent me isn’t budging from their door. “But Pa! I this is important!”

He raises his voice again, “Hillary! One!” He starts to count and that makes me budge. I storm out of their room faster than The Flash because if I don’t and he keeps counting to three that would only lead to consequences. His consequences are scarier than any other consequences this house have laid on the table for us kids.

I shut their door and lean on it patiently impatiently since my leg is on its own world-rocking itself. I can’t hear anything from here but I can imagine Pa being flustered and is now rummaging inside their closet taking and picking out clothes. He will still take a bit of time to choose since my father actually likes fashion, he doesn’t let a day pass by without him wearing something more than eye-catching. Also, he doesn’t let himself repeat his clothing, it takes him a month before he wears the same piece of clothing into a different outfit.

After a while, a knock on the other side of the door makes its way. I slowly open the door only making a small space to peek through for now. My eyes pick up the scene and there goes my Pa wearing a white polo and beige trousers. He is sitting on one of the leather single couches in front of their bed.

We make eye contact and he raises his hand then directs it to the other leather single couch. I fully open the door ad make my way to sit on the couch. I get a glimpse of Ma before I sit. She is still on the same place and she still has the same book in her hands. Pa clears his throat and all attention is back to him, even Ma’s.

He then speaks, “What was the rush all about, Hillary?”

He didn’t call me Princess, now that is nerve-wracking. I gulp down my own saliva from the sudden solemnity with my Pa’s tone, “Well,” I bow down my head a bit. “Well, I just got an idea on which school I would want to try on to.”

He keeps the seriousness in his tone, “And where is that?”

“Alora High School.”

A sudden spark of excitement is now audible from his tone, “Alora High School?”

“Yes, Pa.”

He asks me, “What made you pick Alora?”

My head remains lowered, I put my hands together because of the embarrassment I am causing myself. “I wrote down each top tier high school on pieces of papers, rolled them, put them in a box,” I pause can't stop contemplating whether to tell them about what I did in order to decide, "drew one.”

From my peripheral vision, Pa raises his hand and touches his temples. Ma’s muffled laugh also dominates the room’s atmosphere. Due to the sudden embarrassment from my parents’ reactions I quickly take my words back. “I think I should just go back to my room and think about it more properly.”

I am about to stand up when Pa’s hand reaches the air in front of me. I look up at him and his eyes are already focus on mine. He is plastering a fatherly smile. “Princess,” he snickers before he continues. “It was just the most unexpected thing for you to do.”

Ma joins in the conversation. “That is true, dear. However, I do believe you’ve looked at the information about the school?”

I nod my head as a response to Ma’s question. She gets off the bed and makes her way to Pa’s side. She puts her hands on Pa’s shoulders as she also plasters a motherly smile. A smile of understanding and support. She caresses Pa’s shoulders, “Then, which test are you taking?”

I gulp, “Maybe try on both?”

Their smiles grow wider from my answer, Ma leans in and looks at Pa from his shoulders. “I guess it’s decided then.”

Pa takes a quick glance at Ma and he flashes her a smile. He turns his attention back to me, “Sounds like fate to me.”

After the talk with my parents, I rush back to my room. I move straight to my desk and open my laptop. Takes a pen and notebook out of my drawer and start to knock myself into studying as preparation for the exam I am about to take in less than three weeks. But before I can even focus more a knock on my door interrupts. With no thought of getting up and opening the door, I shout, “Its open!”

I keep my attention on the screen, still searching for the alumni tips. But then a familiar tone that is inspired by Isabella of Phineas and Ferb is now being used on me. “Hillary, what you doing?”

My older brother or Kuya, Miguel is the one who enters the room. I take a quick glimpse and he is walking towards my bed. He breathes out deeply and I can also hear the way his back meets my mattress. He repeats his words from when he came in but ow a bit more exaggerated and a bit longer, “Hillary, what you doing?”

I simply reply, “Homework.”

He gasps loudly and jumps up from my bed. I turn around to look at him and he has his hands covering his mouth. His eyes are bug out but then there’s that aura – his teasing aura. He speaks in shock and his tongue shorten, “Hillary is doing homework in the middle of summer?”

I shake my head and just turn back to face my screen then face my idiotic and playful brother. I receive a message and currently typing a reply. I try to sense my brother but he is nowhere to be sensed since he is quiet and seems to be doing nothing so I just focus on what’s in front of me. But that is where I’m wrong when my hands fly up from my keyboard and my screech fills in the room as hands are gripping tightly on my shoulders.

He flops back down on my bed kicking air out of his lungs as he laughs hysterically. I furrow my brows and shout at him, “Are you bored or what, Kuya?”

His laughing calms down. He slowly looks at me as he lie on my bed like a starfish, he lifts his head and nods. “Well, Mj is asleep and I only have one more sibling to annoy and that is you.”

I sigh in disbelief and turn my back at him. I shut my laptop and get up from my seat. He quickly asks, “Where are you going?”

“Where do you want to go?”

“What?”

I turn around to see him sitting Indian-style on my bed with a puzzled look. “Where do ‘you’ want to go? Since you’re bored, I might as well take it as a chance to enjoy myself before I drown in studying for the exams.”

He starts jumping on my bed shouting “Let’s go! Let’s go!”

After several jumps and shouts then running and walking, we are now back to our house. I am now sitting on my desk and working on what I’ve left on. I open the site for Alora High School and that’s when I remember what me and my brother have talked about when we went out.

My brother isn’t the most affectionate person, he teases me a lot, he is playful, he is stubborn but he is still my older brother. Today he secured a promise with me, he secured hope into the fading light of our house. As I recall the topic we had, a notification pops up on my laptop.

Xystal- hey! I got the goods!

I don’t know what she means by that.

: what?

Xystal- tips and tricks and pointers

: I literally just told you a while ago about the school I am trying to get into, now you’re saying you have the goods.

:How did you even found out about it?

Xystal- well, I have connections, hill.

: oh, right. you’re xystal ace.

Xystal- oh, also, have you heard about War?

: War? Why?

Xystal- he’s trying out at the same school, Alora high.

- Rust told me

- Also, Abe has been repeating it in our group chat, you should take a look

- That friend wants to get reactions from you

In a flash, I switch from my and Xystal’s chat to our so-called GamerZ group chat. As Xystal said, Abe has been rumbling about it since this afternoon when I went to the park with my brother.

Abe- Hillary

- Paging Hillary

- Hey!

- Hillary Blue!

- Are you human or what?

- Knock knock!

Rust- First of all, why are you being too loud?

Abe- I need Hillary!

- Not you!

Rust- you’re making my head crumble, Abe.

- Directly message her!

Abe- She muted me on her acc!

Xystal- I guess, even Hillary finds you too loud then.

Abe- Hillary Blue!

- This is about someone you adore!

- Now hurry up and read these!

- He's going to Alora High School!

- You can thank me later for the very crucial information!

Rust- Abe! Why do you need to tell her that?

Abe- Because she likes him, stupid!

Rust- Did you just?

-Abe just left the group-