Moving Forward ✔

Two

If there is one thing that I love about school is the fact that my friends are around to cheer me up. They may be the baddest girls in town but I love them dearly.

Aly scoffed when she saw me approaching our table. It was lunch time and I bought my favorite food combination: club sandwich and chuckie for a light snack. I don't feel like eating today.

"Ano 'yang itsurang yan, Aly?" I asked as I sat down across hers.
Her face screams tired and snobbish all at the same time. Yung tipong masagi mo lang, magwawala na kaagad.

"Can you believe how that nerd bumped into me? Akala ko katapusan ko na!" She exclaimed.

"Kumalma ka nga, Alyanna! It was an accident! Wag kang OA!" Deirdre, the nicest among us, shook her head and twirled her pasta with her fork before bringing it to her mouth.

"Eto, kumain ka na nga. Ang ingay mo, Sis!" Crystal said and pushed Aly's tray to our irritating friend.

"Seriously, is it that time of the month?" I asked and began eating.

Aly kept mum and played with her food. I sighed and held her hand.
"Stop that. It's grace. Don't play with it."

Even if I sounded like a mother, my values are still intact.

"Yes, Mom." Aly rolled her eyes at me and I smiled.

"So, have any of you passed the test in Math earlier?" Deirdre asked and all of us groaned.

"Stop stating the obvious when it's only you and Brit who aced the test." Crystal slapped her arm playfully.

"There's this thing called studying." Deirdre stuck out her tongue at her and I giggled.

That's what differentiates us from each other: while me and Deirdre are fans of books, she and Aly hated it.

They are smart too but both lack patience in understanding things. Maybe that is something inborn in them? Even if they didn't study, they still get a passing score.

Sana all, right?

I sighed and finished my food. As soon as the bell rang signaling the start of our afternoon class, we stood up and went to our classroom.

Day was finished and we found ourselves at the parking lot of SA.

"Bye, Amigas!" Aly waved as she entered the backseat of their car. Her driver has arrived five minutes later and she was frowning again.

"Behave, Aly." Deirdre warned her and waved back.

"Yes, Mom." She answered and they sped off.

"Come on, B. Sabay ka na." Crystal asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I smiled and when I was about to approach their car, a hand stopped me.

"No. I will be the one taking her home." It was my turn to frown when I saw who it was.

It was Robin Navarro. The suitor whom I rejected for more than five times already.

"Grow up, Robin. Binasted ka na, hindi ba?" That was Deirdre's voice stopping him from attempting to take me with him.

"Let me go, Rob." I said calmly. He didn't bulge and gripped my wrist tighter. "Hey! Bitawan mo ko!"

It was as if he was in trance and automatically dropped my hand upon my command.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to." Robin pleaded and held my hands.

"Just stop bugging me, okay?" I sighed. I had enough today.

"Sabay ka na kasi sa amin." Crystal pressed gesturing the back seat where Deirdre was sitting. "The offer still stands, Sis."

I planned to drop by today at my safe space but looks like I cannot be there today.

"Sure. Uwi na tayo?" I smiled and they cheered. I went inside the backseat and we decided to take a nap.

The academy is thirty minutes away from our house and my safe place is fifteen minutes away from it. But if we have this kind of traffic here, it will take us an hour or more.

It was Kuya Reden who woke Deirdre up as we reached her home. She thanked Kuya and Crystal and waved goodbye to us before she went inside her house.

I came home to an empty house at around six in the evening.

I heaved a sigh when I realized that I still have to cook for our dinner.

Mom and Dad intended not to have maids around to train us in household chores and also to make us responsible in what we do.

As soon as I went inside the house, I headed straight to our refrigerator and pulled out a whole chicken and let it soaked under the water. I decided to make adobo as it was easier to cook.

I changed into comfortable indoor clothes and rested for a while before cooking. It took me an hour to finish the chore.

Kuya Benson entered the house with a smug look on his face.

"Kaluluto ko lang, Kuya. Kain ka na kung gusto mo. Pagod pa ako. Mauna ka na." I yawned as I talked.
I went to the couch and laid comfortably on it.

I didn't realized that he was with someone until I heard a snort. My eyes flew up and saw a guy I have never met before.

He is the same age as Kuya Benson but looks more mature. He has this foreign features and his eyes are a deep shade of blue.

"Sis, meet Damon. My college buddy. He will be staying at the guest room for a week." Kuya Benson said. "Bro, meet my little sissy, Brittany."

"Nice meeting you, Britney Spears." Damon gave me a haughty smile and I raised an eyebrow at him.

I sat upstraight and glared at him.
"Nice meeting you, too... Not."

They walked past me and into the dining table.

I groaned realizing how bad I look. I haven't even thought about my appearance as I didn't expect that we will be having a guest.

Wait, does Mom even know about it?