CHAPTER THREE

I thought that when you're at the top, no one else can pull you down. I thought that when you are at the peak of your success, no one else can bring you down.

That was all I thought.

"What?" I asked so that I could hear Kuya Lucho's laughter. "Who decided that? I don't want it, Mommy. I don't want it!" I continue to refuse.

Mommy didn't do anything on my laptop screen other than shake her head in disappointment when she saw my reaction. She can't blame me—they can't blame me!

They suddenly decide without even asking me if I agree with their decision. Anyone would be surprised by what they told me, wouldn't they?

Lucho said that we would only spend our vacation here. I agreed because of their wishes. I thought it would be okay. They didn't tell me that I would be studying here this year! Not because I agreed at first, it doesn't mean I will agree to their wishes now. The audacity of them to make a decision without asking me if I agree with that!

All my life, I have been a rebel against my parents. It's not that I use drugs. I never listen to all their advice, and I'm the only one like this in our family. My two older brothers are my parents' dogs. I never agreed to everything they wanted, which is why I'm sure they have a grudge against me.

Who will follow them if this is what they always order me to do?

"Alright, Faye. It's just for this year. Your brother really needs someone to be with him. If I didn't have a job, I might be the one to watch over him. The thing is, I have work to finish here. Your dad and I were working here, hija," she continued to explain.

I turned to look at my brother with a scowl on my face.  He was now smiling at me while leaning against the door of my room with his arms folded. Based on his face, he seems to be very happy with my parents' decision.

He's really happy when he sees me suffering, isn't he? Is that octopus really my brother?

"I promise you, just one year. When Lucho gets used to it, I'll bring you back here to Barcelona," my mom added, which made my lips twitch a bit before gently nodding to their decision. "Thank you, Faye. Don't worry. When we have time, we will visit you."

Instead of replying to her, I just decided to nod at her. She repeatedly apologized to me, which I eventually accepted.

What right do I have to say no? I'm already here, eh? We are already here.

"Why didn't you tell me right away?" I snorted at Lucho as I rushed down the stairs.

I saw my brother having coffee in the living room. As I'm used to seeing since we lived here in the Philippines, he has nothing else to do but read books and magazines. He needs all that for the case study he is doing now.

"I didn't notice time. I just saw it now," he said while sipping his coffee. He saw me fixing the boots that I was going to wear, so he quickly stood up from where he was sitting. "I'll drive you, Faye."

"No need, Kuya. I'll just take the bus."

He laughed because of what I replied to him; that's why I frowned while rolling my eyes at him.

"Are you sure you can do it?" he sneered.

I stood up from my seat and playfully grinned at him.

"Of course. What do you think of me? A kid?" I asked before approaching him and kissing his cheeks. "I'll go ahead."

"Call me when you get there!"

I hurriedly ran down the road when I got outside and immediately pulled over a small three-wheeled vehicle. It's called tricycake, if I'm not mistaken.

"Where will I drop you off?" the old man asked when I got inside.

"In the crossing."

"In the intersection?"

Even though I had no idea of ​​the place he was referring to, I just nodded at him. After about four minutes, I paid him and hurried to the bus stop.

Waze said that I had to take a bus that would drop me off in Southville.

"So? What bus do I need to take?" I asked myself before snorting and looking up at the approaching bus. "Maybe this is it."

When it stopped in front of the bus stop, I just waited for its door to open and immediately got on the first empty seat I saw.

"Where will we drop you off?" the conductor asked. 

"Southville High," I simply replied before paying him my fare so that he could completely stay away from me.

After a few moments, someone handed me a candy. I frowned and looked at the man, who was now busy chewing his gum.

"Wanna have some?"

"No, thank you," I answered before thanking him.

After a few moments, he spoke again.

"You're going down to Southville High, right?" he asked again, to which I softly nodded. "You study there?"

"I'm a transferee. I'm just going to enroll now."

He winced at what he heard. "They say Southville is a bit strict, especially if you're a transferee. I was going to study there, but unfortunately, I didn't pass the admissions test."

I frowned and turned to him, only to be laughed at.

"Good luck with the admissions test," he said before turning to the window and fixing the bag he was carrying.

There was an ISM badge on his uniform, which is why I couldn't help but sneer.

"I'm about to get off," he whispered softly to himself before turning to me and holding out his hand, which I accepted. "I'm Marcus Almasan, by the way."

I introduced myself to him as "Empress."

He smiled sweetly at me, which made his dimples appear. When the bus stopped, that was the signal for him to get off the bus and finally walk towards the wide gate where the university he attends is located.

After a few minutes, I was finally dropped off at the entrance of Southville. As the man I talked to earlier was saying, the clerk I talked to even gave me an admissions test. I even hesitated a little because I might not get in this year, but as soon as I saw the result of the test, I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Welcome to Southville High," the clerk said before smiling at me, which made me smile back.

"I told you, you could pass it!"

I didn't do anything but sighed and sat on the sofa and watched my brother, who was now happily staring at the result of the test I finished earlier. The joy on his face made me sneer.

"I really thought you were going to fail their admissions test," he said, causing me to turn to him with a frown. "You don't want to study here, do you? That's the only chance you have left to return to Barcelona, ​​you didn't even grab it."

"So? Are you saying that I'm not thinking?" I complained to him about it, about which he just laughed. "I'm not what you think, Lucho. Even if I sometimes rebel against our parents, it doesn't reach the point where I would do something that could displease them."

"Wow. That's new, Empress Faye, huh? Why did you seem to behave differently when you came home to the Philippines?" he laughed even more, which made me sneer once again.

That same night, I went to bed early. Tomorrow is my first day at school. Even though I have no choice, there is nothing I can do to change my parents' decision.

If only I had known that they were planning something like this in the first place, I would not have agreed to the fact that they wanted me to accompany Lucho to this place.

This asshole. Whether he admits it or not, I know Lucho is just trying to keep me away from my friend in Barcelona. I don't know why he does that even Pablo treats him okay.

"Faye!"

I frowned and opened my eyes when I heard successive knocks outside my bedroom door. I crawled across the gap between the bed and my bedside table, and I almost gasped when I saw on the alarm clock that it was already morning!

I didn't even notice the time!

"Empress Faye!" Kuya Lucho called again.

"What?"

"You're late again. Didn't I tell you that today is your class?" he complained, causing me to drop my body onto the bed and cover my head with a pillow. "Get up there if you don't want your teacher to get mad at you!"

"Fine!" I replied before getting up and fixing myself.

"No matter what you do, you will still study here," Kuya said with a laugh.

I did nothing but turn to look at the trees we passed on the trip. Kuya's eyes just stayed on the road while I did nothing but mumble in the front seat. My brother must have felt my annoyance; that's why I wasn't surprised when I heard him laughing again and again.

Just this morning we almost had a fight again because of my inattentiveness. Today is my first day, and I am still a transferee. I should just somehow improve my image in the department so that they don't torture me on my first day.

"Text me when you're finished," he added again.

I slammed his car door shut before walking inside the university. I saw some still wearing colored shirts.

Because my parents were so excited, even though a complete uniform is not even required for a transferee like me, they still bought me one.

I reluctantly made my way inside. Almost every student I meet in the corridor turns in my direction. Some of them seemed surprised because... maybe my face is not familiar to them.

"Excuse me." A man my age blocked my way. "You're blocking my way."

"Sorry," he answered with a laugh before turning to me and holding out his hand, which I didn't take. "You're a transferee, aren't you? I'm Lucas, by the way."

I didn't even accept his hand; that's why his face was red when he put it down. Her male friends laughed at him because of what I did. He only got more embarrassed the longer I looked at him.

He looks like a r****h with his hair, eyes, nose, and mouth. He has a pale white complexion and is a bit taller than me. His cheeks and lips were red, probably because I had humiliated him in front of his friends.

"Empress," I softly introduced myself, causing him to turn to me in surprise. "Now, can you get out of my way?"

He turned to the front and stopped to give me space to enter the room that was assigned to me.

This is my first day of class, but I was already bored. One of the things I hate doing on the first day of class is introducing myself in front of my classmates.

Even though it was against me, I decided to go along. Just an introduction. Turn back. Sit. I think we did that thing for almost the whole day.

I didn't expect Lucas to be my classmate that whole year. Every time I walk in the hallway, every time I eat in the cafeteria, and every time I use the bathroom, he always follows me. He doesn't pay much attention to his friends, which is why his presence only irritates me even more.

"I just want to be friends with you, Empress."

"Then, fine!" I answered, which made him stunned before I saw him slowly grinning in front of me. "Are you going to ignore me now if I accept you as my friend?"

"No. Of course not," he answered with a laugh that I just ignored.

Lucas is a bit naughty. He's been messing up my life for two weeks, and I think I'm slowly getting used to his presence as the day goes on. It wasn't until later that we got closer to each other.

In just a span of one month, I was completely used to Lucas' presence.

"Class, class," the teacher called from the front, causing us to sit in our respective seats. "I have something to tell you."

"About what, ma'am?"

The teacher in front smiled before speaking again.

"There was a sudden approval from the dean about this transferee. We will be having another student in this class."

"It's already late, ah?"

"Whoever he or she is, maybe he or she has a backer."

"Class, quiet," the teacher begged, keeping everyone quiet. "I know this news is shocking for you all because... it was a bit strict here. The faculty here is pretty strict, especially if you're a transferee. You're a witness, Tyler, right?"

My classmates looked at me, so I couldn't do anything but snort and nod.

"By the way. There was no problem with Mr. Bonifacio. He passed all the tests given to him by the faculty, which is why..."

"I'm sorry. I'm late."

We immediately turned to the man who entered our room. Like me when I first entered this university, he is now wearing his complete uniform. With a frown, he walked the way to the teacher who called him before facing us and nodding respectfully.

"I'm Chester Travis Bonifacio. Nice to meet you all," he introduced himself, causing everyone to applaud him.

"Just sit next to Empress, Travis," the teacher ordered, which he did.

As he came closer and closer in my direction, my grip on the ballpoint pen I was now holding tightened even more.

"You are Empress?" he asked, to which I slowly nodded.

He didn't speak, and instead of talking to me, he just decided to sit in the empty chair next to me.

I could feel my face turning bright red, especially when he caught me staring at him.

"Miss Bonifacio, are you listening?" the teacher asked in front of me, causing me to look away from my seatmate. "Let Travis cope with the lesson first, hija, before you flirt with him."

My classmate immediately burst into laughter, so I couldn't do anything but bury myself in my seat. I noticed Travis turning in my direction, which is why the embarrassment I felt only worsened.

Why do I feel this way?