David Sanchez

I am David Andrew Sanchez. I am currently a second-year college student majoring in Mass Communication. My parents are both working in the entertainment industry as film directors. I have an older sister who is working as a lifestyle editor for a famous magazine immediately after she graduated from college. I have been writing since I was young and I want to create a good reputation when I graduate from college. My parents are very supportive of my dream so they let me join workshops and training camps as well as joining a few contests to hone my skills in preparation for the future.

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It's a Saturday and I am in my room resting on my bed while watching TV. The past weeks have a hell of a ride for me with school work and extra-curricular work. The workload is very heavy but I was able to finish all of it. I barely even had time to spend with my family and to even able to get enough sleep.

"I just want to sleep the whole day today". I told myself lying down on my bed.

At that moment, my Mom knocks at the door.

"Come in". I said

When Mom came in, I was still lying down in my bed.

"Your sister called me to tell you that she wants to go out with you. She is also planning to go on a bookstore shopping spree with you. What do you think"? Mom said

My Mom knows how close my sister and I are and we haven't bonded in awhile due to school and work. My sister lives in an apartment near our house so she stays here during the weekends and holidays.

"Sure! What time is she coming"? I asked excitedly

"That I don't know. You should contact her on that". Mom said

"Okay. Thanks, Mom". I said

My Mom knows how to get me out of my room when she knows I don't always feel like leaving my room.

So I took my phone from my side table then texted my sister.

Sis.

Mom told me that we're going out today. What time are you coming? - David

David

Mom told you. I was planning to tell you that myself. I'll be there in an hour. - Sis.

Sis

You know how Mom makes us get out of bed when we don't want to. I'm still in bed but when she told me that, I got up immediately. - David

David

Of course. Mom always does that until now. Even to me, she messages or calls me for me to get up. See you in an hour. - Sis

I didn't know that Mom still does it to my sister too. I really miss her being around somehow. It's been three years since she moved out and I haven't got to see her often.

So I jumped off my bed then went to the bathroom to get dressed for my weekend bonding time with my sister.

After taking a bath, I wore a white shirt, black jacket, jeans, and my favorite white sneakers. The first pair I got from my sister when I was still in high school.

I got my phone then went straight down to the living room where Mom is having coffee while watching TV.

"You look excited now. About 30 minutes ago, you were still on your bed feeling sleepy and now you're so energetic suddenly. The power of your sister really makes you get off bed". Mom said

"That's true. It's been weeks since I last went out with her. I also missed going to the bookstore since I got really busy with school these past weeks. When else will I get time like this to spend with her". I said

"That's true". Mom said

At that moment, the doorbell rings and I immediately stood up to open the door. It was my sister.

"Hi. Come in". I said excitedly

"Thank you, David. I'm so happy to see you again after a while". My sister said

"I am happy to see you too. Mom's in the living room waiting for you". I said

So I brought her to the living room where Mom was waiting for us.

"Claire, you're here. It's been two weeks since we last were together". Mom said

"That's true. It's been two weeks already. Work has been really hectic these past weeks. I really wanted to come but couldn't as I had things to finish". my sister said

"I understand. David was just as busy as you are. I am happy that you are inviting your brother to spend time with you. He didn't have much rest these past weeks". Mom said

"I did get some rest but not much. Having lots of workloads is something usual in college but I can handle it. I just keep on working hard and finish everything as early as I could. Don't worry too much about me, I can handle myself now". I said

"That's nice to hear. I am very proud of you, David. I am very happy to see how you are achieving the successes of your hard work". Mom said

"Thank you, Mom. I am very much able to do all of this because of the support everyone has been giving me". I said

"Anyways, we'll get going. I heard there's a sale this weekend so I'm sure it'll be really full in a few hours". My sister said

"Okay then. See you two by dinner tonight. By the way, are you staying over tonight and tomorrow, Claire"? Mom asked

"Yeah. We'll get my stuff on the way back later". My sister said

"Okay then. See you two later". Mom said

My sister and I bid Mom goodbye then went on our way outside the house. When we got into the car, we began our catch up conversation

"How have you been lately? I haven't heard much from you". My sister said

"I was really busy these past weeks. I had like 12 hours of sleep a week but I'm okay. I took rests in between working time like you always tell me". I said

"That's wow. I couldn't handle that when I was your age, honestly. I am really happy to see that you are handling everything well". My sister said

"It's you who taught me to always work hard no matter how hard things are. I couldn't forget that". I said

"I know I did. It came from my personal experiences actually. If I didn't go through hardships before, I wouldn't be able to get here now. You just need the dedication to do even better". My sister said

I am really happy and grateful to have a sister like her who is my best friend. She is the person who I can open up to, ask for advice from, chit-chat with, go out with, and my best friend. She knows me more than I know myself as she has seen me grow up and witness many things in my life. I'm really proud to have her as my sister.

"Like Dad always says". I said

"Anyways, have any plans this semester break"? My sister asked

"Well, I'm planning to travel to Japan or Europe. I've been into academics these past months and I surely need a break from my daily routine. But I'm still thinking about it since I don't usually like traveling alone. I've been used to traveling with someone". I said

"That's nice. I actually have been wanting to travel since it's been a long time since I last traveled. I really want to travel again soon with the family". My sister said

That's true. My sister does travel a lot for work purposes and I've been with her a few times. She doesn't like traveling alone a lot so she always tries to bring me with her so I could take a break. But, as a family, we haven't traveled a lot since we already all busy with our own things. I really hope that we could soon.

"Same. It's been a long time since we last traveled as a family. But, I also enjoy the travels we had, just the two of us". I said

"Of course, I enjoy those times too. But, doesn't it feel more memorable if Mom and Dad were with us also"? My sister said

"That's true. They have been so busy with work that we could enjoy doing things like traveling with them". I said

"Yeah. Even if we want to spend time with them, we can't because of their work and how they are needed to be everywhere at certain times. But, let's try planning one with them soon". My sister said

"We should". I said

After an hour and a half, we arrived at the mall and there are really a lot of people already.

"It has been a while since I last saw this many people in the mall". I said

"Same. Let's get this bonding time started (laughs)". My sister said

As we got into the mall, we went straight to the bookstore we always visited together.

"There are so many new arrivals. I wonder if there are any new arrivals on writing or journalism". I said

"You can go check. We can meet up here again in two hours". My sister said

"Okay then. See you in two hours". I said

I immediately ran to that section of the bookstore then went through the books that caught my interest.

I took out a few books then read a few pages before putting them in my basket.

After getting the books, I moved to the other sections in the bookstore and also found some interesting books.

I went from shelf to shelf reading different books that caught my eye.

After a while, I found all the books I wanted then went to the cashier to pay for the books.

"I can't believe I bought this many books. I can replace the books I've read on my bookshelf at home". I told myself

As I waited for a few more minutes, my sister came out with the books she bought also.

"You bought a lot". My sister said

"Yeah, I'm going to replace the books on my bookshelf in my room. I don't know when the next time I'll get to buy a lot". I said

"That's true". My sister said

"Let's bring these to the car"? I asked

"Sure. We're gonna do a lot of walking so we can't carry this around with us". My sister said

So we went back to the car to load our bookstore shopping then went back inside the mall.

"All that book shopping made me hungry". I said

"I feel the same too. Let's go grab lunch". My sister said

So we went to our favorite Japanese restaurant which is two floors up from the bookstore.

"I miss Japanese food already. It's been a while". I said

"Yeah. I've been wanting to have this with you". My sister said

My sister and I love bonding over Japanese food when we just want to go out and have a meal together. We can spend hours and hours just talking.

After eating, we left and went to our favorite clothing brand and bought a few clothes then moved on to another store.

Four hours later, my sister brings me to a coffee shop that she visits regularly after work.

So I sat down while my sister went to order for us.

While waiting, I took out my phone and researched about the coffee shop and there were really good reviews.

"No wonder there's so many people here. The reviews are really high". I told myself

I opened my camera and took photos of the cafe and posted it on my social media accounts.

After a few minutes, my sister came back with our drinks and snacks. Then she noticed how I was taking photos and posting them.

"Are you taking photos and posting it again"? My sister asked

"Yup. I haven't done it in a while". I said

Asides from my studies, I actually am a social media influencer which I usually do whenever I am not in school.

"How long has it been since you last posted"? My sister asked

"Well, it's been 3 months already, I think". I said

"It's been that long?! It's understandable. You were really busy with school so you weren't able to do it often". My sister said

"Yeah. I really need to look for time to update it every once in a while". I said

"Of course. Scheduling things to do is really hard, to be honest. For the past 1 and a half year, I was really unorganized with my schedules so things were here and there. But, it was last year when I came through videos on people who were using planners to fix their schedules and how they were able to become much better. So I have been using one since then and I actually found myself doing so much better with work. I guess you should too". My sister said

I've seen videos of people using one when I was in high school but I didn't really think of getting one since I didn't think I would use it often. But seeing how planning changed my sister's routine in work, I really do think that I should get one myself just for the sake of organizing my school life also.

"I should get one too sometime. I have heard about it back in high school but I didn't even think that I would use it often but now that I am in college, I thought that having one could help me schedule my things to do especially since I have so much things here and there. Thanks for your idea". I said

"Of course. I actually have a spare one at my house. We can get it when we go there later tonight". My sister said

Thank God I have my sister to get me things that I don't have. She is quite uncontrollable when there are sales in the malls or online. Luckily, I didn't get that habit from her.

"Thank you so much, sis. I thought I would have to go back to the bookstore and get it again". I said

"Anything for you. You know how I become uncontrollable when buying stuff I like. I tend to buy two of something 'cause you might suddenly need it and you wouldn't have to buy a new one anymore". My sister said

After a while, it got dark already and we had to get home for dinner as we promised Mom. But we drove first to my sister's apartment to get her things as well as the planner she told me about.

When we got to her apartment, she told me where the planner was then she went to her room to pack some stuff for the weekend.

After finding the planner, I sat down on the couch then opened my social media to see if my post has updated or whatnot.

It's been about four hours since I posted the photos and there are a lot of likes and comments already. I can't believe that I could again this many likes in a span of hours. I mean I've had posts that generated a lot of likes and comments in a span of two hours or so but it has never been this much.

So I posted a thank you message and then watched a few videos online since my sister takes a lot of time deciding what to bring.

I waited around an hour then she finished choosing clothes then left her apartment then drove home as fast as we could.

15 minutes later, we arrived home and we saw Mom at the kitchen preparing dinner. She saw us pass by and we went to see her before going to our rooms.

"Oh, you two are home. Just in time, I'm about to finish preparing dinner. Go get changed and come down immediately for dinner. Dad is arriving in a bit as well". Mom said

It's been a while since I last saw and spent time with Dad. He has been away for about a month now since he had to go somewhere for work and I can't wait to spend time with him again.

"We better get changed before Dad comes home. We'd wanna look good when he sees us again after a while". My sister said

"Of course, we have to". I said

So my sister and I immediately ran up to our rooms to get changed for dinner.

In my room, I ran through my clothes and looked for something neat and comfortable. It takes me so much time to get changed if I actually need to get dressed nicely.

20 minutes later... I finally decided on a white collared shirt and gray sweatpants. I know how Dad doesn't like us dressing up too much when he comes home.

After getting changed, I went down to the living room and saw Dad on the couch watching TV.

"Hi, Dad". I said happily as I approached him.

"Hi, David. You look nice today (laughs)". Dad said

"Of course. It's been a while since you came home and I wanted to look nice somehow. Claire is upstairs getting changed". I said

"Oh, your sister is here too? Good thing I came home today. It's been a long time since I last saw her. She's just like your Mom, they really take a long time to get changed". Dad said

"Of course. Anyways, it's been a while, Dad. how have you been"? I asked

"I am doing great as always. Busy with work but I am enjoying it like always. How about you, son"? Dad asked

"I am doing great too. Busy with studies these past weeks but I'm doing well. But, thanks to Claire, I was able to take a break from my studies and spend time doing things I want to do". I said

"You know, son. It's good to take breaks every once in a while and don't stress yourself too much. Even if my schedule is very hectic, I still take breaks in between just to take a short rest or re-energize. You should do the same sometimes". Dad said

"Thanks for the advice, Dad. I will keep that in mind always". I said

My Dad is my role model because he achieved everything through hard work and dedication to get things done. I really hope I can become like him in the future. Someone successful and admired by many for this personality and work ethic. I want him to be proud of me in everything that I am doing.

"Anytime. I will always be here for you no matter what. You know I support you in everything you want to do". Dad said

My parents have always been supportive of my dreams and I am very grateful for them.

A few minutes later, my sister comes down after getting changed. She immediately went to Dad and hugged him.

"Dad. I miss you so much. It's been a long time since we were last together". My sister said

"Claire! It's been a while. How have you been? How is work so far"? Dad asked

"I'm doing great, Dad. Work has been really stressful but fun like it always was". My sister said

"That's nice to hear". Dad said

A few minutes later, Mom calls us to the dining room for dinner.

"Wow, you two look nice tonight. I should have dressed up a bit". Mom said

"You don't need to, Mom. We just did this because it's been a while since we last saw Dad and spent time with him". I said

So we sat down at the dining table and had a fun conversation over dinner.

After dinner, we went back to the living room while Mom went to get desserts and drinks for us to have.

Tonight will surely be a long night, but I'm sure it will be fun.

"So, how have you been, Dad? How was the shoot"? Mom asked

"It was a new experience for me. The set was wonderful and the actors were amazing. We were able to finish filming faster than I expected. It was supposed to last more than two months but we finished it in a month and a half. By a week or two, we're going to work on the editing of the film then see when we could release it". Dad said

"That's awesome. I want to experience things like that too someday". I said

"You will, my son. Anything can happen in the future, we can't predict that but I know you will". Dad said

We spent hours catching up with each other until it was time to go to bed and Dad must be really tired from his trip.

So I went back to my room, opened my journal and wrote about how amazing and fun the day went from the morning until now.

After a few minutes, I laid down on my bed and stared at the ceiling thinking about the day I had and the time we were able to spend together as a family after a long time.

Then, I started to fall asleep and I turned off the lights then went to bed.

Today was surely a wonderful day. I wish for more in the future.

HOW WILL DAVID'S LIFE CHANGE IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS? FIND OUT IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.