Chapter 3

At three in the morning, Roy arrived. He apologized for letting me take up his time as the cashier.

"It's okay, your wife and child are more important, Roy. Congratulations, by the way," I said with a smile, tapping his shoulder.

I quickly grabbed my belongings, knowing there wouldn't be any transportation available. Aunt Sabel's house was nearby, so I could probably just walk there.

I patted Roy and Al on the shoulder as I bid them farewell before leaving completely.

My hunch was right. There was no transportation available.

I started walking home. It wasn't dark as the street lights were bright, appearing newly installed. I passed by some young people - couples and call center agents who are taking their break from working. There were quite a few people out on the streets. However, I still felt anxious and fearful in my chest. I am a minor and a young woman. I don't know what danger might be lurking.

The fear and anxiety of walking home in the early hours of the morning intensified. I had been walking for ten minutes now, and there's a car following me. I didn't know if I should start running. There were many stray dogs on the street, and they might chase and bite me.

"Oh God please help me. Please guide me until I reach home. I'm just five minutes away from Aunt Sabel's house. Please guide me," I whispered softly, walking with a straight back.

After five minutes, I finally arrived home. As soon as I reached the gate of our old house, the car drove away. Perhaps, the driver was disappointed because their bad intentions were thwarted.

-

"Dalha Mae! Get up and prepare breakfast! We'll be late for school!" A shout came from outside the small storage room next to the kitchen that I occupied as a room.

I yawned briefly before heading out of the room. I was still in my uniform. I realized I needed to do the laundry as I had no other clothes to wear.

I probably won't go to school today. I was extremely tired, and I didn't have any spare clothes. Although I could attend school without the uniform, I wouldn't feel comfortable. I would probably be the only one not wearing the uniform.

I quickly cooked some eggs and rice, feeling the remnants of sleepiness. I felt groggy because I had only managed to sleep at five after finishing my assignments, only to be woken up at five-thirty. It felt like I was floating.

After cooking, I hurried to take a shower. I knew it wasn't good to shower when sleep-deprived, but I had no choice. Lois had texted that Mr. Sarmiento would be giving a quiz, so I needed to go to school.

I carefully washed the dishes and just had some coffee since my cousins didn't bother leaving any of the eggs for me. I wanted to complain, but there was nothing I could do. They were the ones who took me in when my parents passed away.

I quickly got ready, opting for a simple white v-neck shirt and jeans, paired with faded rubber shoes. It would have to do since I couldn't wear my uniform.

While riding a cab on the way to school, I couldn't help but doze off. I was only awoken by the driver when we arrived in front of the school. I discreetly yawned before heading inside.

"Girl, you've been yawning nonstop," said Lois.

"Oh, here comes our professor. He might give you a bad mark if he finds out you were just sleeping through his class. He definitely won't accept you as his sister-in-law," Georgia said with a long spiel before bursting into laughter.

"Come on, you're getting ahead of yourself with your imagination," I admonished her. I couldn't say that Mr. Sarmiento warned me last night. He outright said he didn't want Elliott to court me. What do I care if Elliott doesn't court me? It won't affect me because I don't like his brother.

With a few minutes to spare before Mr

Sarmiento's arrival, I decided to rest my head against the wall and close my eyes. The breeze coming in from the window beside me added to my drowsiness. I didn't know how long I had dozed off. I was only awakened by Georgia shaking me. I slowly opened my eyes. The whole class was silent, and I furrowed my brow in confusion. I was about to ask Georgia what was happening when I noticed Mr. Sarmiento standing in front of me, looking straight at my eyes.

"Sir..."

"Are you tired?" He asked coldly, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, Sir, Dal had work—"

"I'm not asking you, Miss Caliente," Mr. Sarmiento's icy tone cut Georgia off. His gaze made me sit up straight, and I noticed an unfamiliar emotion in his eyes.

"Sir Cace..." I said nervously.

"Are you tired?" Mr. Sarmiento asked again.

I shook my head slightly. "I'm sorry, Sir, it won't happen again."

"Are you sure?" He asked with a furrowed brow.

"Y-Yes, Sir."

"Take your seat, Dalha," he said seriously. He glanced at me for a moment before walking back to the front of the class.

"Gosh, He's really scary, he even scolded me." Georgia winced, and I just shot her a look.

"I wish you woke me up when he was at the door." I whispered sternly.

"For your information, Dalha, he came straight to our spot. I didn't had the chance to wake you up immediately because I saw how exhausted you were."

"I had less than half an hour of sleep..." I confessed to Georgia.

"What?! You had less than thirty minutes of sleep?! What in the world—"

"Miss Caliente, is there a problem?" Mr. Sarmiento asked, his hand holding a marker hovering in the air. Obviously, we interrupted his lecture.

"No, Sir. I was just surprised. This girl, Dalha, had less than thirty minutes of sleep." Oh, how I dislike my friends. They can be annoying even though they mean well.

"Dalha?"

"Yes, Sir?"

Mr. Sarmiento let out a heavy sigh, setting down the marker and the book, scratching his forehead as he looked at me. "Follow me..."

"Well, Sir, it's okay, I can still listen—."

"Follow me," he insisted firmly, making me swallow nervously.

"Oh, good luck, girl. It seems like he will take you to the detention office. I'm really sorry; I should've just woken you up immediately," Georgia said, close to tears.

As I glanced at my other classmates, I saw the same understanding in their eyes. Oh, I'm flattered. They treat me better than my extended family. They know the story of my life. They know why I'm sometimes late, why I'm sometimes sleepy - it's because of my job and how my aunt Sabel treats me.

An apologetic expression was on their faces. I took a deep breath before smiling. After that, I left to follow Mr. Sarmiento.

This was the first time I was going to the detention office. I'm not a troublemaker. I am one of the students with high grades. Other teachers are kind to me. That's why when my other classmates need something from our teachers, they would ask me to help them. Perhaps they're kind to me because they know how to show gratitude. Meanwhile, my aunt and cousins seem to want to drive me out of the house.

"Are you sleepy?" Mr. Sarmiento asked as we walked down the hallway. It was quiet around us, as most students were in their respective classrooms.

"A little..." I replied softly, walking slowly. Sometimes, I would yawn due to sleepiness and hunger. I forgot that I hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

My brow furrowed briefly when I noticed we weren't heading towards the detention office. I didn't ask him about it.

I bit my lip as I followed Mr. Sarmiento into his office.

"You can lay on the couch. Take some sleep. There's food on my desk if you get hungry. I'll be back after my class." Mr. Sarmiento said seriously as he handed me a blanket. I didn't know why he had that, but it would be helpful as his office was cold.

"Well, Sir, I still have class—"

"I'll excuse you."

I couldn't calm down as Sir Cace finally left. I was left puzzled by his actions. Perhaps out of pity? Perhaps he saw how hard I worked last night and realized that I hardly slept.

I had no choice but to lie down on the soft couch. The moment I closed my eyes, I was immediately overtaken by sleep.