Chapter 3: When she cried, he was there.

ACADIA'S POV

"SIS, wake up." I heard Acey whisper to me so I woke up. "We're going to eat, Sis. Get up." She added and messed up my hair.

 

"W-What the! Stop messing my hair! I'll have a hard time combing that!" I annoyed disobediently and she laughed.

 

"Cut your hair then, so that you will not have difficulty combing. Look, your hair is so long." She said foolishly and stood up.

 

"Good morning, Asia." I greeted my sister and she looked away from me. I smiled, "Let's eat." I added and we started eating. 

 

We just ate quietly until we were done. They take a bath before me. Even before we started eating, they had already taken a bath. They actually wake up before me to cook a dish, and while they wait for it to be cooked, they take a bath.

 

After I got dressed and combed my hair, before leaving the house I prepared the money I would pay to Aling Glo. My total debt to her is over three hundred pesos. Electricity is only about two hundred pesos. Apart from the lighting, we only use an electric fan at home, so I only pay less for electricity. And for the house, it costs only three-hundred pesos.

When I saw Aling Glo again outside while opening her sari-sari store, I approached her. "Good morning, Aling Glo. Here's my payment for my debt to the store, and for the electricity and house as well." I said with a smile and she smiled back.

 

"Oh! Thank you, Hija!" Aling Glo and happily accepted the money.

 

"We'll go first. Be careful, Aling Glo." Me and she nodded while smiling.

 

"You three too, Hija. Go ahead and enter the University. Thanks again for this, Acadia." Aling Glo and I smiled before leaving the place with my two sisters. 

"I will leave first." I turned in Acasia's direction when I heard that from her.

 

"S-Sis? Why? We're going straight to the University. Are you going somewhere else?" Acey immediately asked. 

 

"I'll pass my friends, Acey." She answered and accelerated her walk. 

 

I chased after her and grabbed her right arm and pulled her in front of me. "Asia!" I call her name. 

 

He was annoyed and removed his arm from my grasp. "What?! I'm hurt!" She shouted too. 

 

"Sister, oh please, not here." Acey whispered and tried to mediate between the two of us.

 

"What? You're just leaving like that without even letting me know?" I ask her and she was even more irritated.

"You heard what I said before, didn't you? I'll go first because I'm going to pass my friends!" she answered and quickly turned her back on us. 

I chased her again and went in front of her. 

 

"S-Sis!" Acey and chased me. "Sis, please? Just let her go. Don't fight here." She whispered to me but I did not agree to what she wanted. 

 

"We're going to the University together and you won't go through your friends. Do you understand, Asia? I'm still your sister. Listen to me." I whispered to her and she looked at me badly. 

 

"I can handle myself, Acadia. You can't dictate to me anymore because I know what I'm doing." She answered and Acey stopped me from chasing her again.

 

"Sis, just let her go, please." Acey whispered sadly to me and I gasped.

 

--

 

"Oh?! What happened and why is your face like that?" Kerky asked me after I entered Staff Quarters. "Is there a problem?" suddenly its tone worried.

 

"It's nothing." I answered and put my bag in the locker and after I put it in, I went straight to the bathroom.

"Ops! Our bathroom is clogged, lods! Just go to the Cafeteria bathroom first." Kerky after blocking me into the bathroom.

 

"I'm not going to poop." I answered and he frowned.

 

"I didn't say anything like that either. It's just forbidden to use it first and the person who will fix it will come later. It's embarrassing, isn't it? Think about it, you'll be the one to fix this bathroom and then you'll know—"

 

"That's part of their job. All right, I'm leaving." I cut to what he was going to say and left Staff Quarters to go to the Cafeteria bathroom.

 

I feel so heavy now, and I know that's because of the conversation Asia and I had earlier.

I accelerated my walk as my vision began to blur due to tears forming in my eyes.

 

In a hurry I bumped into someone. "S-Sorry." I apologized and walked away again. I never looked at his face. I don’t want this person to see me about to cry.

 

When I got to the bathroom, I quickly closed it and there I just shed all the tears that I had been holding back.

If anyone comes in to pee here, I don't care. It looks like I'm the only one here because I can't hear any noise other than my sobbing.

 

I don’t know what’s wrong with my job right now. This is not how Asia used to treat me before. Not only did she know but the huge impact on me of what she was doing. Everything I'm tired of being a janitress is for her — for them.

 

My tears kept flowing. I don't know how to stop or if I will stop crying. 

 

As I cried, I was startled after someone came in front of me and handed me a handkerchief.

 

I looked up to see who it was. The new professor.

"P-Professor." I while the earlier sadness that enveloped my entire system was replaced by panic. I didn't know anyone was here. He must have heard me sob.