Feels Like Home (Wattpad Preview)

Chapter 2

"Hey, guys! I'm off to college in Manila. I'm supposed to be packing, but as you can see, it's—Panda, NO!"

I pan the camera around my room and find my black and white shih tzu munching on my dirty sneakers. I leap over the two empty suitcases on the floor and pry my furry pet away from my shoes. I put him on my bed, where he starts chewing on my teddy bear. My room is a disaster zone: Clothes are strewn all over the bed, various accessories and makeup bottles are scattered on my vanity, and a thick pile of papers teeters on the edge of my desk.

The door flies open and my mom enters the room, tiptoeing around my suitcases. "Jusme, Clara, what is happening here? You're leaving tomorrow and you haven't even started packing!" She sits on the bed and starts folding my clothes and throwing them onto the nearest suitcase.

"Mommy, you're messing up my system!" I remove my clothes from the suitcase and toss them back into the bed with one hand, while the other still holds my digital camera.

"Can you put that camera down for a second and focus on packing? Remember, you need to be picky about what you'll bring. You've seen the apartment. It's so small and it's already filled with Valerie's things."

"Don't worry. Ate Val said she would empty one side of the cabinet for me." I finally turn off the camera and place it on my desk, accidentally pushing the papers to the floor. My mom bends down to pick them up in one swift move.

"Clara, aren't these important? You'll need these when you register. They almost fell into the trash can!" Mommy shakes her head while trying to arrange the clutter on my desk. She sets the papers down and picks up my camera. "I'm confiscating this until you're done packing."

"But Mommy, I told you! I need to get as much practice as I can in front of a camera. I've got a scholarship to live up to."

"I know you do, but I don't see how making these videos will help with your schoolwork." For a second, she sounds amused, then she lets out a huge sigh. "Oh, Clara. I wish you were just going to college here in Pampanga. How will you ever survive life in Manila away from me and your dad? We'll be sick with worry."

"Really, Mommy? I think you'll just miss having someone to boss around at the resort," I say with a laugh.

"Of course not! You know I'll just be worried about my only child."

"I know. I was just teasing you, Mommy." I move toward her and give her a hug. "But you also know why I need to go, right?"

She puts my camera down and hugs me back tighter. "I know, I know. You and your dad have told me so many times that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"I'll learn so much in Manila. And if I want to be a news reporter, I shouldn't be afraid to put myself out there. I promise I'll be careful."

My mom rubs my back before releasing me. "Well, then, you better make sure you're ready. No dinner for you until those suitcases are packed!"

"Yes, Mommy." Once she leaves the room, I open one of my drawers and rummage through my underwear for a pack of chocolate. I keep a secret stash here because my mom is always doing this to me—preventing me from eating until I finish my homework or do my chores. Well, it worked when I was younger but now I'm smart enough to hoard snacks in my room.

I turn on my laptop and the screen opens to a video I've been editing about places to see near our family resort. This one was taken when I accompanied some tourists up Mt. Pinatubo. In this particular scene, I'm talking to the camera. My wavy hair whips across my face and my cheeks are red after walking in the hot sun for a few hours. I used a selfie stick to hold the camera up, but my grip was unsteady and the screen was shaky. The wind was so strong that day and I could barely hear myself speak. Nope, this is definitely not worthy of being uploaded. I'll just have to go and shoot again another time.