Consequences "Are you sure you're wearing that?" He raised an eyebrow at me while looking at my clothes with a scrutinizing gaze. My brows furrowed as I looked at my clothes. I'm wearing an above-the-knee floral dress that I layered with a cardigan. My strap sandals completed my look. It's weekend and now he's going to make me pay for the damage I made to his delivery truck. If he gets satisfied then he won't report it to the police. Although against my heart, I also agreed in the end. Even though he didn't even tell me what I had to do. It's better than going to jail though, I suppose. I almost had a heart attack when Manang woke me up early to say he was outside my house to pick me up. “You have a visitor!” She exclaimed while opening the curtains on my windows. I was blinded by the sunlight but that didn't make me open my eyes. I was about to drift off to sleep when she came to me again. "Wake up, hija! Your guest has been waiting for you for a while." I frowned and looked
Lost I stared at him for a long time when he handed me a long stick that looked like a saw and a net on its edge. For a moment I forgot why I am here. Right, I have to help harvest the mangoes. And I don't freaking know how to do it! "W-What am I gonna do with this?" I asked confused, totally clueless about how I'm gonna use this thing. Sighing, he came to me and held it. We haven’t even started yet he seems to be getting tired already. "This is what you will use as a lever," he said. "Make sure you get the right ones.” He showed me how to do it while giving instructions. It looked so easy to look at when he was doing it but when it was me, the pin almost didn't reach the fruit. I can't balance it well. I was out of breath already but I didn't even get a single fruit. "It's not working!” I complained, frustrated with what I'm doing. "Is there anything else I can do aside from this?" "Nothing.” My bitchy self is up again. I glared at him angrily and he just ignored me. Instead, h
Refuse No matter how many times I plead with them, they just won't listen to me. I don't know what's wrong with me, too. I just don't want to see and talk to Santi again. "I am not friends with him. You said it yourself, Xander is my friend. That doesn't mean Santi and I are friends too," I insisted. "They say Santi is often at Xander's plant now. So it will be easier for you to talk to him. Since you and Xander are friends. We will take care of the interview. All you have to do is get him to say yes to it," Lianne pleaded. I could do nothing but sigh. I nodded, now thinking of how I'm going to talk to Santi. That's all I'm going to do, right? I wasn’t in my right mind on the way to the next class. I feel lightheaded and nervous for some reason. Gosh, why am I like this? It shouldn't be a big deal to me. I was walking to my next class when I caught a glimpse of the cafeteria. I spotted Lance inside talking to Trina. He looked uninterested though while Trina is talking to him non-
Smile I felt relieved when they did the rest of the work. We went to Santi's house early to do the interview. He set the schedule, and we, as those who asked for the favor, had to adjust to his schedule. Grandma Gracia welcomed us warmly. My group mates were even shy about who would enter the house first. Fortunately, she greeted us happily. Santi was civil with them too, but a little hostile to me. I just ignored his stares and tried to concentrate on what to do. The ones asking are Elijah and Lienna. While Sam and I maneuvered the camera. The first questions are about technical things. How the plantation works and what companies they are supplying. "We have different varieties of mangoes, so it also depends on when the season of harvest is. But on average we produce two hundred tons annually.” The mouths of my group mates formed a big O. Even I was inwardly amazed to know how much they harvest in a year. "That's not surprising when you think about it. As of now, five thousand m
Suffocate I kept staring at Santi's face in the video we made for this major subject. Our professor decided to watch all our submissions during class. The last video we’re watching was ours. I remembered what happened yesterday. To this day, I still can't forget my reaction and feeling to what I saw. I have known him to be distant and mysterious. I don't think he can even deal normally with others. Well maybe they're close friends that's why. Why I reacted like that is still a puzzle to me. Just thinking about it is scary. Everyone fell silent when our video played. Until it was over, the silence was deafening. Our professor was the first to applaud when it was finally over. “Great job, everyone!” My classmates also joined in cheering. Our professor looked satisfied with our work. I breathed a sigh of relief at his reaction. It made all our efforts worth it. I even humbled myself just to get Santi to agree to this interview. Not to mention my finger still hurts now. “We haven'
Like I violently wipe my wet cheek. I also slightly moved away from him but he quickly grabbed me by the waist. I glared at him even though I couldn't clearly see his face because of the dark. Although relieved that someone finally found me, I also couldn't help but be annoyed because that person was Santi. I can still remember how he was so gentle with that girl earlier. Huh! I didn't know he has gentleness in him. Too bad he only shows me his bad side. Why I am so bothered by it is still unknown to me. I'm just too disgusted by the thought. "Did you get hurt anywhere?" I gently removed his hand from my back. I took a step away from him but not too far. Somehow I can see his face now. That's why it was so dark earlier because the moon was covered with thick clouds. Now that it's gone, the whole place is illuminated with its dim light. "No." I looked up at him thinking he was looking somewhere else. I looked away again when I saw his gaze fixed on me. "Why are you still here?"
Starlight I don't know why his words bothered me that night. Even though I'm secretly thankful that there's no reason for me to see him at school because he and Xander have both graduated, I can't deny that there's an emptiness inside me. I tried to ignore it for the past months and just focused on studying. I haven't heard from him since then, too. Not that it matters to me anyway. We noticed a commotion in the gym that day. The final exams of that week had just ended. I am hanging out with Maisie and Elize when we noticed the busy corridors and hallways. "What's up?" Maisie asked as we roamed our eyes around. We just shrugged. But knowing Maisie, she wasn't really satisfied with not knowing what was going on so she even managed to ask a student who also seemed to be in a hurry to get there. "Final requirement of Fashion Designing students, fashion show." We nodded. It's like a tradition for all fashion design students. They have to showcase their work through small runways and
Jealousy I blinked my thoughts back when I heard Ivory's voice. I felt like floating in the air as I continued walking towards the fitting room. In a split second, I noticed all the changes in him. He looked so corporate. Even with his long sleeves folded at the arm and black slacks. I even thought for a second that he was an executive of a big company. His body also grew a lot and became taller. His features are more defined now that he has aged a bit. How many years have passed since I last saw him? Three or four years? Surely he's changed a lot during those years. I wonder what he's been up to these years? Still in Malolos? Managing the plantation? I suppose so. That was his plan, wasn't it? To grow the plantation. I shook my head as I faced the mirror. I have changed too in the last four years. My rise to the top of modeling was fast compared to those who started at the same time. But I can proudly say all of these are by-products of effort and hard work and not because of my
Together"Are you coming later?"I looked up to see Xander's smiling face. It looks welcoming. Most of my classmates that year would either make fun of me or ignore me. I don't mind either of those. I'm used to it. That's why it's refreshing to have someone approach me to make friends."I have some things to do at the farm," I said while arranging my things."I'll let Grandma Gracia know. Mommy baked cookies for us. Cianna's coming, too." He smiled."Who is that?" I asked brows furrowed. We don't have any schoolmates with that name."Family friend. They just moved here."I couldn't do anything when Xander came to my house to get permission from my grandmother. She also agreed with joy. Even though I don't tell her, I know she hears from school that other kids make fun of me. That's why she was so ha
PregnantI calmed myself while waiting quietly in the visitors' area of the correctional. I don't know what has gotten into me for coming here. I didn't bother to find out about the progress of the police investigation because the only thing that matters to me is that my son is safe and that the perpetrator is punished. My son is too young to experience such things. And the hardship and pain I felt as a mother were doubled.It took me a ton of courage to come here and see Ivory. I don't know why I'm doing this but I felt like I had to do this to move on.I looked up when the door opened and two female police officers entered, holding the handcuffed Ivory in both arms. She looked wasted and her sunken eyes are out of focus. Her pale lips rose for a sarcastic smirk when she saw me. After a while, she laughed a little."Who do I owe the honor of having you here?
Wait"What the hell are you doing?"I got out of the car in the middle of the rain without second thoughts. Even I couldn't understand myself and rushed to attend to him. My heart skipped a beat when he turned to me with a grim expression. His head and face were wet."You weren't inside," he murmured to himself.Just in time, the gate opened and some of the bodyguards came out with umbrellas and towels. I turned to Santi again and he still has the same expression. His jaw clenched and he looked away in anger."Let's go inside," I murmured after getting the towels from the bodyguards.The cold wind blew and my body shivered slightly. I jolted when I felt his arms wrapped around me as we walked to the mansion door.Mom and Dad were waiting in the living room when we entered. They were both surprised t
SoakedI have always wondered how all of it went wrong. We were happy and I thought it was something that would last. It never occurred to me that I could lose everything in an instant. My son is my everything. I can lose other things besides him.The sound of the gunshot still lingered in my ears until now. I heard commotions as I closed my eyes. When I woke up again, I was even more shocked by what I saw. Hugging me and my son, and shielding us from the shot, was Lance."L-Lance," my voice trembled and my eyes heavy. I tried to look at him properly.He just smiled lightly and then coughed up blood. I wanted to scream but I couldn't open my mouth. My tears just kept flowing tirelessly. He fell on the ground then the commotion around became more evident. The last thing I saw was Ivory lying on the ground being restrained by some uniformed men.
GuiltI took a few deep breaths to calm myself down. I was still shaking while holding the steering wheel. This is not the time to panic, I scolded my mind. It's more important that I get my son safely away from Ivory.I kept looking at the location Ivory gave me until I got out of the city. For several hours I crossed the narrow road with almost no houses around. It's afternoon, so darkness is slowly eating the surroundings.A few more minutes and I reached a dead end. My car won't fit if I force myself to enter the forest. I dialed Ivory's number and she answered it after a few rings."I'm at a dead end," I said immediately. I gritted my teeth as the seething anger enveloped me."There is a narrow road on the side where you are. Go through it. In the end, you will see a small hut."I roamed my eyes to look for the way
SaveMy whole body trembled and my eyes lose focus. Santi caught up to me and held my shoulders."What's happening?" He asked worry is etched in his voice. I, on the other hand, couldn't stop looking everywhere to find my son."Callar... The teacher said our son is waiting at the gate…"My chest throbbed so badly while I looked for the guard. No one is inside the post and he couldn't be found anywhere. No more students are coming out from inside and the surroundings are quiet."Let's ask the teacher once again. Maybe they sent him back because we haven't arrived yet," he said and pulled me inside.We caught up with the teacher inside the classroom who arranging her things. I roamed my eyes around but no one else was there. My chest throbbed louder. It wasn't even five minutes since the teacher called to say my so
DreamI know we have to talk things out. And here I am being stubborn again because I'm clouded with so many doubts and insecurities. Maybe he has a plan to tell me and he's just looking for a good time. Or he's hoping the issue would die down on its own so he doesn't think he had to tell me anything about it.Well, that frustrates me even more. Even more so, Ivory points to me as the reason why Santi chose not to continue with that project.And damn, I know he wanted it so bad. He worked so hard for it. I know, more than anyone, how hard it is to give up on the things I love because of other things as well. And if the thing that stops him is us, how did he expect me to react? Of course, I'd be mad! As much as I want to keep him with us, I can't just do that. And what hurts, even more, is he doesn't even share with me his dreams, his goals, his plans. I know nothing at all.
Selfish"Leave him."If she hadn't been staring at me seriously while saying those words, I would have thought she was joking. I wanted so bad to laugh at her right now. She looked helpless and a hopeless desperate bitch."Stop spewing nonsense, Ivory," I said firmly."Do you think I'm just fooling around, Cianna? Or am I just saying all of these things because of how I feel for Santi? You're wrong. Can't you see you're pulling him down?"My eyes narrowed at what she said. What the hell? What did I do to pull Santi down?"Will you please snap out of it, Ivory? If you don't have anything sensible to say, don't talk to me. You're just wasting my time," I said and turned my back on her.Just when I was about to take a step, she spoke again."You don't know anything. Or is it becaus
WantI don't know how to feel about what Jacob said. My chest throbbed with a familiar pain."Maybe they're talking about work?" I faked a smile. I tried to hide the tremor in my voice.Right. I shouldn't jump to conclusions. But no matter how hard I try, I can't stop my brain. I almost didn't even hear the loud music."Maybe," he shrugged. "Anyway, let's just enjoy the night," he grinned and gently pulled me again to dance.Before I could even refuse, a pair of hands grabbed my arm from behind. I felt Santi's familiar hold that I automatically turned to him. His eyes were dark staring at Jacob's hand that was still holding mine."Santi," I called his name in protest.He turned to me, jaw clenched so hard."Sorry dude," Jacob apologized, raising both his hands.I was about to say something when I noticed someone chasing after Santi. She stopped walking when our eyes met.Ivory looked at Santi's back in a forlorn way. My anger grew even more when it was proven that what Jacob said was