1st Chapter

Valeria - 

"Wear the 3-inch heels," Anna says, grinning as she walks with Jonas, her fiancé, to his Range Rover. I grimace at the thought of murdering my poor feet with those shoes, but then brighten up when I think of the reason why I'll be doing that. 

Because it's graduation, that's why. 

I've looked forward to that day ever since I stepped into college. The day I would leave the four walls of this damned institution, armed with a college degree and with a mega-watt smile on my face. 

"I'll try," I yell as Jonas opens the door for her. She beams at me before giving him a peck for being such a gentleman, and I feel a prick in my heart from seeing that. She's so lucky; they met in our second year and have continued in their relationship- about three years gone now. And they're engaged to marry next month.

I had a boyfriend for a month, and that was just before first year ended. 

However, because she's happy, I force a smile on my face at the gesture, and wave to her as he drives off. Just because my love life is non-existent doesn't mean I should be hating on hers, right? 

When the car moves off the avenue and onto the main road, I climb on my bike and start the engine, then sigh when the roaring echoes in my ears. My helmet on, I revv the engine up before racing down the road they just passed, all the way to my house. 

Mother's in the kitchen at the time, humming as she bakes some cookies and muffins. Father is nowhere to be found, but I have an inkling he's in his study as always, poring over some documents he never lets me have a peek at. So I go straight there, knock on the door, and sigh silently when I hear his grunt of permission to enter. 

"Good evening Father," I say. He looks up from a huge book, his glasses stuck up in his face and his hair completely ruffled, and raises a brow. "Valeria. Whatever are you doing home? Do you not have evening lectures?" 

Ah. He forgot. Again. 

"I'm done with school, Father," I grind out, hating the fact that I have to keep reminding my own father that I'm done with college. 

As soon as our exams ended and the announcement was made, others' parents were ecstatic and were sending congratulatory messages to their children. Mother did too, but seeing as she wasn't very good at literary writing since she'd never attended school when her family migrated, she only sent emojis showing joy and 'Kungrats!'

My father didn't. I had to send him a selfie with the caption 'Finally Done With College!' for him to realize it, and even when he did, all he sent was a thumbs-up. A thumbs-up! 

"Ah. It slipped my mind again." His face looks very tired, and he rubs his face with a palm. "When's the graduation party?"

"Tomorrow, Father." 

"I beg your pardon?" 

Being a Brit, the man sometimes forgets that he lives in America, and once in a while, British pronunciations and phrases slip out of his mouth. This is one of those situations. 

"We've been out of school for more than a week, Father, so we could prepare. I'm sure I told you that," I reply calmly, even though I'm boiling with rage inwardly. 

For a moment, there's silence. Then, he speaks up, ever so slowly.

"I…I can't make it, Valeria." 

Something shifts at the back of my mind. "*He said no?!*" a voice yells in my head. I bit my lip for a moment to avoid the pain that comes with the screeching, then push the voice to the back of my mind. I call that voice, "The Angry One." She only comes out when I'm extremely angry, and I'm thankful that I currently am not physically, else my father won't be sitting down in peace and tranquility. 

"Why is that?" I say instead, choosing to go for the humble and calm way of speaking instead of a rowdy one. 

"I…there's a business meeting I need to go for. If I don't go, I could be in trouble. Me, you, and your mother."

"In trouble? Because of a business meeting?" My tone is incredulous. "That makes no sense Father!"

"Listen to me young lady -" 

"Tomorrow is my graduation, *sir*! You and Mother are supposed to be there to cheer me on when I get on stage!" 

Funny how I'm not crying. There should be tears rolling down my cheeks right now to echo the pain I'm currently feeling. 

"Watch your tone when you speak with me, Valerie!"

"It's Valeria!" I yell, then sprint out of the room and into mine, crying out my eyeballs. He doesn't even remember my name.

Throughout that evening, I chat with Anna and the girls on our group chat, discussing amicable matters, like how we're all going to walk in together after coming fashionably late. I don't mention that my father isn't coming, meaning that there's a possibility Mother isn't coming too. They'd start pitying me, and I don't want to be pitied. 

I don't join them for dinner that night, choosing to wait until they're asleep before ordering pizza. Then I go to bed too. 

The next day I wake up super early and get all my clothes into a bag, before hauling the rest into a small box and placing the entire luggage on my bike. 

No, I don't wake my parents. They aren't coming. So what's the point?

"Well then," I huff as I put my helmet on. "Let's get this show on the road."

In about eighteen minutes I'm at Anna's house, and she helps me with my makeup, then assists me with getting into the outfif we got on an online shopping site yesterday. And finally…

"You brought the heels!" she squeals, holding the silver shoes up. I sigh. "You gave me no other choice." 

She giggles and gives them to me to put them on, which I do. When we're done twirling again and again to stare at our outfits, she messages the others to tell them that we're ready. They send a confirmatory message saying that they are too, and we all set off for the venue from our different locations.

It's actually happening. I'm leaving college.