Persuasion

"How come that you are the one and only heir when you're the middle child?" I asked. He smirked at me. 

"Like what I expected. You're sharp, huh," he said. Why does everybody keep on expecting something about me? "They're my half brothers. And I am the only child inside the marriage." I badly wanted to ask more questions, but I could see the bitterness in his eyes. He is shaking. 

"Does it mean you also handle the Arrow Publishing?" I tried changing the topic. He composed himself before he answered and got back to writing again. 

"I can help you reach your dream if you help me come back to my body.", he said in his somber tone that it sends chills all over my body. 

"I'm not trying to help you because I need something from you.", I said firmly. He looked at me intently. He never speaks. He's just looking at me. He doesn't believe me.

"I want to know the difference.", I explained. His brows narrowed. 

"Difference about what," he asked while crossing his arms. 

"I want to know if there would be a different outcome if someone helped me in the first place when I seek help.", I lied. He suddenly laughs. I know very well that no matter what I do today doesn't make a difference in the past.

"That's a kinda weird reason, huh," he answered. He stands up and then walks toward me. 

"Then I'll help you too. It's better late than never, right?". I no longer need that because someone has already helped me. He's not late but just right in time. I can't get mad at him. It's just that he didn't do anything wrong. Choosing yourself will never be wrong. I'm already grateful that I met you, Tycen. I don't know how to give the favor back because we no longer have any communication. But I hope you are doing well.

"Cut the crap. What are we going to do?" I asked him. 

"Go near them.", he said. I was about to ask him how when Paris suddenly barged inside my room. 

"Ate Syd am I going to enroll this year?" she asked. I nodded while she narrowed her brows. 

"How about you?" she asked. I walk toward her and push her outside my door. 

"Mind yourself. Just like what you always did.", I said and closed it right in front of her face. Paris just turned twelve, and she's in her first year in high school. I don't want to ruin her high school life. She's too young to be stressed out too. I can handle this on my own and ask her for help if I can't. 

"Why is she asking you about that?" he asked. I shrugged. As if I'm a mind reader and able to read what my sister's thinking. I was about to walk towards Hade, but suddenly my stomach grumbled.

"You just ate." he's looking at me as if I live to eat 24/7. I'm not that greedy. Excuse me. If I can hold him, I will tear that eyes of him into pieces. I walk straight to the kitchen and open the refrigerator. Damn, there's only water in here, no supplies. I came back to my room and looked at Hade, busy doing his plan.

"Excuse me, can you please get out. I'm going to change", I said

"Just go ahead. There's nothing to see on you.", he answered without looking at me. He's good at getting on someone's nerve. I badly wanted to use violence, but how? The punch scene a while ago suddenly crossed my mind. Bingo! I grabbed my slipper and threw it at him. 

"Aww!" he screeched while holding his head. I can't touch you, but things can. I smirked at him while all he could do is to glare and fade. A modern problem needs a modern solution. After changing, I grabbed my wallet and told mom and Paris that I would buy some supplies.

***

"About coming near them.", Hade stated while I got a pushcart and started pushing it to the toiletries section. "Where do you attend school?" he asked.

"University of Manila."

"You have to transfer school." I stopped pushing the cart and looked back. I looked him in the eye and shook my head. His forehead creased, "Why? T University will credit your subjects, I swear! Plus, they have a great facility for engineering students.". he added. He's rich. After all, of course, he wouldn't understand my point no matter how hard I tried to explain it to him.

"I know that's given, but think about the tuition fee, for Pete's sake Hade. I can't even afford a fucking 8,000 per semester. How am I get that 60,000 per sem, huh?" I growled. He put his right hand on his chin and looked down. He's thinking. He looked up with a big smile on his face, he was about to speak, but I talked ahead of him. "Plus, TU was too far from the house. I have to be near my mom and sister as long as possible."

I understand that he's desperate, but he still needs to think about my situation. 

"I can help you with the tuition fee. I have a friend who is in debt with me big time.", he boasted. I rolled my eyes and started pushing the cart. I picked up the shampoo, conditioner, soap, tissue, toothpaste, and anything I needed in the toiletries section and walked towards the pantry. Money will never be an issue for someone privileged, but I, who is broke almost every day and trying so hard to find money, will never understand him and vice versa.

"I mean it; I will handle any expense from your education! And if you're worried about your mom, I can help you with that too.", he begged. I'm starting to get irritated. I'm the one who entered this mess. I can't blame him because I'm the one who decides. And how will his friend help him when he can't even see him.

"Come on, Sydney, you can see the big progress in your mom's health. Don't you ever try to make her as an excuse," Hade demanded. 

"Shut up, Hade, you know nothing. This is not just because of mom.", I said calmly. It's not just because of mom or Paris. This has nothing to do with them. It's just that I'm hesitating about the decision I made.

"Then what?" he asked. I turned around to glare at him. He'll never know. If I failed to do his favor, I wouldn't ever be able to sleep in peace. I have to bear this for the rest of my life, and what's next? Jail? But Hade, he just needs to let go and go to hell.

"It's personal. Shut the fuck up!" I screeched. He's tensed up, and he's hesitating too. I can feel it. His glare is gradually turning into a gaze.

"Uh… sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." I looked at Hade's back. Damn it! Hade turned around too and suddenly looked at me. Confusion was drawn into his face as well as mine. He made his shoulders move up and down while moving his mouth downwards.

"Is he your boyfriend? Are you going to break soon?" he asked again. Can he see Hade too? Hade looked at me without a hint of a joke on his face, and maybe we were both thinking the same thing.

He slowly walked in front of this guy, started moving his right hand up, and turned to his left. He bends his knees and starts moving his upper body up and down. Is he dancing? If he is, he's a lousy dancer. When he's sure he can't see him, he gets back to his position and looks at me with a crazy smile.

"Can't you see he's trying to hit on you?" Hade suddenly giggles. I glared at him. Can't he hear the sarcasm in the guy's voice? I can't read this guy. Why do I even want to help him?

"Aren't you going to hang up the call? He might hear us.", he suggested. I looked at Hade, seeking an answer, but he just shrugged, confused as I am. I look at him as if he's crazy. But then I realized that I've been talking with Hade since we got here in the grocery. My eyes widened while looking at him.

He posed a slight smile, not a smirk, and the words sank into me right now. Maybe hes' thinking I'm insane. I composed myself and put my right hand at my right ear. Good thing both of my ears were covered by my hair.

"I'll hang up. Don't you ever try to open that fucking mouth of yours.", I warned and pretended to touch a wireless earphone that didn't even exist. I don't have that, well can't afford rather. I looked at the guy who was eavesdropping on me. 

He doesn't look like a creep; He's wearing round glasses and a black mask, a Maroon V-neck T-shirt that shows his biceps, and black shorts and slippers. Both of his elbows were resting on the handle of his pushcart. 

"What do you want?" I coldly asked. I can feel Hade's smiling, feeling proud as if he raised me to be a bitch. The guy in front of me suddenly laughed a little and put his mask off. 

"I'm Caleb," he flashed his white teeth that can almost blind anyone who looks at them and his eyes smiled too. Wow, I just met someone who is God's favorite in person. I wonder how it feels to be that handsome. He's just wearing a typical outfit, but how come he can pull that off and still be overqualified to be on a magazine's front page? I shake the thought. 

"See, he's hitting on you. What a cheap guy. He doesn't have a taste." Hade butt in. I badly wanted to beat this ghost's ass! Wait until we get home. I'll throw my bookshelf at you.

"I'm Nat," I answered with a smile too. His eyebrows narrowed, and his lips pursed, looking curious. 

"Nat?" he repeated with awe on his face. I make my eyes smile too. 

"Interested," I murmur, turn my back, and start pushing my pushcart again. I badly wanted to go home. Come on, Paris, grow faster. I hate going outside and talking with people!

"That was so good!" Hade keeps laughing while clapping. He looks genuinely happy; good for him but not for me.

"Could you please stop laughing? It's irritating already.", I jeered. 

"But no one's laughing, ma'am." I suddenly heard one of the employees looking at me. Damn you, Hade! I suddenly bowed out of nowhere, and the employee did the same. I need to move fast so that I can go home. This is so embarrassing! I rushed to the counter since I had already finished getting the supplies that I needed. After that, I walked to get home. 

"Hade, hold this for me," I said while giving the plastic bag to him. He narrowed his brows. 

"Do you want to make everyone get hysterical here? Floating plastic bags?" he sarcastically answered. 

"Who would get scared with that? Some plastics walk, and I even talk with some of them.", I answered with a smirk, and he did the same and just shook his head.

"What a psycho!" he whispered.

When I got home, I made Paris put these things that I bought in their respective places. I walked towards my room and slammed myself onto my bed. Just five minutes, let me rest after this, and I would get back on track. 

"Syd... Syd." I heard my mom's soothing voice. I slowly sat up and smiled at her. She's at my door peeking.

"Yes, ma?" she puts her index finger on her chin like she's thinking about what word she should use to communicate with me. This is our little game every day. I can't help but shake my bitterness with a smile. 

"Uh.. market? Market?" she said, and I nodded. 

"Yep, I already bought the market itself so that I no longer need to go there weekly.", I joked, and she laughed at it. "I'm just going to rest for five minutes, and then I'll cook after." 

"Ok.... ok", she answered and got back, walking around the house. I was about to lay in my bed when she suddenly spoke again. "Go school? Syd? School?" She constantly nods and smiles as if trying to convince me to go back to school. I just smiled at my mom. I don't know how to answer. I just nod and watch her walk away. I slammed my back on my bed. They keep asking me about going back to school because they saw my resume. I'm applying for a full-time job, but unfortunately, I didn't pass.

"See, your mom wants you to school. She'll be fine, Sydney. I can be a CCTV if you want.", Hade offered. He was leaning against the door while his arms were crossed. I arched my right eyebrows. "I mean, I can go through space and time, meaning I can transport. I can go here and there. If there is an emergency, I can tell you right away. And I can be your spy with your sister if she's doing some nasty thing." he added.

What am I supposed to do now? Can I do this? Would it be a great thing to continue school instead of getting a job? How will I tell everyone how I can afford TU if I transfer school? Can I handle too much stress and pressure? Just thinking about it, I already feel like I'm going insane. And here I am adding another source of stress.

"Don't overthink! What is important is that you are alive.", Hade says enthusiastically while posing a cheer up. What is so important about life? Why does everyone keep saying that? Why is it essential when every day is just another day of suffering? 

"Stop being a pessimist, you peasant.", he hissed. I looked at him. He's holding Virginia Woolf's book The Lighthouse. "Your face says everything, and you're like an open book. You're very easy to read. Yet you're so damn good at lying." He smirked. He put down the book and looked at me. As if he's not one of the reasons I am stressing myself out. I rolled my eyes.

"How do you do that? Why are you so good at manipulating yourself?" he asked. I look at him. I don't know what he means about that. It's just that I'm good at suppressing myself. Isn't it suppressing and manipulating not the same thing?

"Maybe because I believe in myself. These are just in my head, and they are not true. I just like the thought of being pitiful, but I'm not pitiful because I can do everything on my own.", I answered without thinking. Did I answer his question right? I don't think so because he didn't move an inch after hearing my answer. He just looked at me. His face was as blank as a paper. I don't know what is happening inside his head. Does my answer sound shit? 

"Take a rest and do what you tend to do. Life is short, don't make yourself suffer for something you never deserve." he walked towards my table and sat there. He just read the book he is holding. Life is quite unfair. Why do the children have to suffer from their parent's sins? Why do the children have to carry the burdens that the parent should be carrying? Why do they bring us into this fucked up world? 

"How do you do that?" I asked. He glances at me and turns his eyes to the book again. 

"Because I believe in him." he smiled. God. I believe in him too, but maybe my faith for him was not the same level of faith Hade has for him. "And someone taught me to be an optimist, and I'm so glad she did."

"By the way, you still have fifteen days to think about transferring school. I'll check Jarred first.", he added and suddenly vanished. I wonder how often Hade tried to communicate with the people he's close with. His determination can't compare to mine. He doesn't just think but also acts. In contrast, I keep thinking and thinking but forget the crucial thing - action.

He reminds me of Tycen. This was also the major reason why I fall for him, he never brags he just goes straight with the actions. He never failed to surprise me, and leave me in awe.