CHAPTER 66
FIRST WEEK OF LOCKDOWN
LOU
“Gosh. What’s happening in our country now?” My sister reacted as she is watching the news on the television. I turned my sight on it and I witness the graph that contains the cases of the COVID 19.
It’s been a week now since the lockdown has been implemented. There are a lot of happenings including inflation. In the market, there is an inflation of sanitizers, alcohols, and other cleaning materials. Some people also save foods good for a month. The most irritating part is there are folks out there who buy a lot of alcohol and they will sell it double or triple from its retail price which is unfair for everyone. I don’t know what our government is doing. They don’t have concrete plans for this lockdown. They said that the duration of this lockdown is for a month. The government officials will see if the cases will
CHAPTER 67LOUMONTH OF MAY 2020It’s been weeks now since the lockdown has been implemented in our country. I thought it would last just for weeks but I am wrong. The government extended it until today, May 2020. I think, our country has the longest lockdown in the world with the strictest protocols. While the other countries had a lockdown but it last for just weeks or a month. Being stuck at home makes me more paranoid. Even though I am just staying at home, every time I am hearing the news and as we saw the cases continue to rise, it’s alarming for us too. We don’t know if this is already the end of the world. There are negative thoughts in my mind, and I can’t get rid of those. All I can do is pray and have faith in him.This year, 2020 became a ridiculous ride for everyone. There are a lot of happenings since the beginning of January. The Taal Volcano
CHAPTER 68AFTER A FEW WEEKSLOUI’ve been having a hard time lately. I still couldn’t believe that my uncle passed away this early. We have a lot of plans for him when he stayed here in the Philippines for good. I didn’t have a chance to say how I love him for the last moment. He became our mother and father in one. He gave everything and supported us. He also sacrificed himself in order for us to live. That’s the thing I am thankful about.It feels like I have a burden inside of me that making me hard to sleep and get up recently. I don’t know what to do. I lose interest in everything.My appetite has been dropped as well as my weight. My eyes are puffy too and my skin started to become pale. Everyone in our house can’t still get over it even though several weeks have been passed.The most annoying and painful part is no one knows that
CHAPTER 69LOUMONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2020“Good morning! Delivery here!” I turned my gaze on the guy who suddenly spoke.“Who is that for, Kuya?” I asked him politely.“For Lou Verdetto, Sir. This is already paid” When I heard the word ‘already paid’, I know what is the parcel is. I stand up from the couch on our terrace and opened the gate to get the parcel.“Please sign here” and he gave me a piece of paper and a pen that I need to sign. After signing, I gave it back to him and he gave me a box of the parcel.“Thank you so much, Kuya! Take care and have a nice day!” I said to him and he smiled at me widely.“Thank you so much, sir! Until next time!” He gets inside of their delivery service and they left. I get inside our house to sanitize and unbox the package. I get the s
CHAPTER 70LOUFew days after I signed the contract, I didn’t expect that my story will gain a lot of reads and views. I just started writing again and it’s difficult for someone like me who doesn’t have a wide audience to reach those numbers of views. I am grateful because after all the suffering I’ve faced the past months, there are still good news and blessings I am receiving today. I hope this will continue until the last day of the year.Also, most of my friends are shocked when they found out that I am writing novels. I think they don’t know the background of my writing career because I haven’t said it to them beforehand.I am writing today a new chapter for today’s update. I put all the events here that truly happened in reality. This story symbolizes my real life and I want it to be natural as long as possible.While I am writing the events, I suddenl
CHAPTER 71LOUEVENINGHours later and we didn’t notice the time. Time passes fast especially when you’re happy. My friends are about to go home because it’s now 7 in the evening. We just finished making a video greet for Cristine because we had snack time first. Caye, Eloisa, and Lester also came so we can make a video greet together. I really missed our bonding like this even we’re not complete.We are segregating our waste when Caye spoke. “Let’s take a photo first!”“Here we go again” I answered and rolled my eyes kiddingly.“I missed this so grant my request!” She insisted. I put the phone on my tripod and connect it with its remote control. After pairing it through Bluetooth, we formed a line and started taking photos.Caye is beside me while Eloisa is in the middle. Joshu
CHAPTER 72DAY BEFORE CRISTINE’S BIRTHDAYLOUIt’s been weeks that have been passed now and tomorrow is Cristine’s birthday. It’s her 18th birthday. There is a tradition here in our country whereas the females who are coming at the age of 18 will celebrate it largely. Debut is a traditional Filipino coming-of-age celebration that celebrates a young woman's 18th birthday, the age of maturity in the Philippines. In the modern time, some of the youth is now practical so they will put the money to anything they want as a substitute for spending it on big expenses. This is once in a lifetime experience for them and the decision will be still on them and their budget of their family as well.All my cousins didn’t have a debut party because they just invested the money on their wants instead of spending it on food and other expenses.Also, as time goes
CHAPTER 73LOUCRISTINE’S BIRTHDAYI woke up early today which is kind of strange for me. Our online classes will start next week and I am not excited about it. I thought there will be an academic freeze but the officials insisted on the online classes delivery. There are a lot of modalities amidst the pandemic. There is modular learning whereas the school or the institution will provide a module or a worksheet to answer for the students. The method I chose is Online or synchronous learning which is the most recommended in our school. With this kind of online learning, the students are required to attend an online meeting video conference through different sites preferred by the school. The task submission will also be passed through the internet by using google classroom.Some of my friends already started their online classes even other schools here in our city. I also saw differ
CHAPTER 74.1LOUThe Party has started.“Please welcome our debutant for today, Cristine Jane!” Everyone applauds as Cristine slowly comes out of backstage. We can see on her face how happy she is because everyone she loves is here. I suddenly feel thirsty so I drink the water that is near to me.“Oh,” I reacted when Gio and I touch the water goblet. He’s supposedly getting the water too.“Uhm, go ahead” Gio spoke and pointed to the water.“No. It’s okay” and I smiled at him awkwardly.“It’s okay. You seem thirsty”“You sure?”“Yeah.” He answered while nodding. I get the water goblet and drink it rapidly. I can see on my peripheral vision that Gio is looking at me.I finally turned back my sight on the stage and Cristine took a sit on the s
FINAL CHAPTER – THE HIDDEN TRUTHTHE CONFESSIONLOULiezel and I went home late. Since our meetup at Caye’s house is later at 3 pm, I went home at 1 pm. I still have a lot of time to prepare today.I went directly to the comfort room to take a bath. We will be also going to celebrate the release of the music video. I am a bit nervous today but I shouldn’t waste this chance anymore.I feel bad for myself for not informing Eloisa of what will happen today. Right after this confession, everything will go back to what it used to be.Right after I take a bath, I went to my closet and get the clothes I am going to wear today. I am going to wear a plain black shirt from Uniqlo and monogram pants from Louis Vuitton.I went to the sneaker section of my closet and get the D-Connect Sneaker from Dior. I wear it and looked at myself in the mirror.
CHAPTER 122GRADE 7 FRIENDSLOUTime passes fast. One week has been passed since Jane’s birthday. I edited the music video within one week and thankfully, I finished it on time days before the confession.I already uploaded it on YouTube and set it to be published on April 24th. Two years ago, the same day, this where Gio and I talked about Saint George Academy. We had a deal that he will take the STEM strand while I’ll go with the HUMSS strand.On April 30th, it’s the two-year celebration of the sign I wished that if I will be able to get into that school, I will confess my feelings to him after two years. Now, it is real
CHAPTER 121.2LOU“Let me placed my bag there,” I told them and put it on the vacant space. Gio looked at my bag and he gets it.“Woah, this is heavy. What is the stuff inside?” he questioned and opened it. His eyes widened when he opens the bag.“It’s just a phone and wallet? Why is this heavy?”“It’s because it’s a leather bag and expensive” Eloisa replied to him.“Why leather is this? Answer it if you know” Joshua teases Eloisa that makes her silent.Gio gets my phone and as usual, he’s going to have a photo again. “Let me have a picture here huh?”“As if I can do something since you’re already holding it” I replied to him casually and everyone laughs.I get some pasta, rice cake and a pizza from the table. When I saw there is a barbeque, I get two sticks as
CHAPTER 121.1JANE’S DEBUTLOUCaye: So, when will you confess your feelings, Lou?I think for a while before responding to her message. The next chance that we will be able to see each other again will be on Jane’s birthday but I am still doubting about it since Eloisa will be there that day.Lou: I will try it on Jane’s birthday. That might be our last meetup before I leave Laguna.Lester: Make sure that you’re going to do it that day or else, I’ll be the one who will tell Gio about it. This is a challenge for you.Lou: All right. I’ll be doing it once Eloisa isn’t there.Caye: Why don’t you say it to her as well? Maybe she would support you?Lou: This doesn’t mean that I don’t trust her. I am just un
CHAPTER 120THE MUSIC VIDEO SHOOTINGLOUAPRIL 2021“Help me Pia with the green screens,” I told Pia who is assisting me today here in the studio. We are going to shoot here some green screen footage. We are also set up another green screen on the veranda for later.She helped me with the green screens. While she’s doing it, I went to the lights and plugged it on the socket to see if there’s any shadow once a subject went in front of the green screen. Gladly, it’s not.After a while, it is now finally done. I went to my room to get the clothes I’ll let Gio wear in the shoot. He already used some of it on the pageant in our previous school. Since he doesn’t have any photos of it, I’ll let him wear it again.I am also planning to make him the cover of the story. I asked his permission and he agreed with it. He even
CHAPTER 119THE LAST SHOOT IS HAPPENINGLOUWeeks after, the song was released on digital music services. We didn’t make it before the release of the song the reason I haven’t uploaded anything on that day. In the meantime, we launched several teasers and posters for it while we are preparing for the shooting.Now is April and we will shoot tomorrow. I already informed Gio about everything he needs to bring. That would be the last shoot for this music video.The target date of the music video release was any day in May. I need to do have time while I am editing the shots.Since our place has been placed again of Enhanced Community Quarantine, we aren’t allowed to went to different places if not important and necessary. We also have a curfew for each barangay here in our province.We are running out of time so I came up with other methods. The only m
CHAPTER 118DOUBTLOUA couple of weeks after. It’s now in the third week of March but we haven’t continued our shooting yet.We are now running out of time. Our destination for our shoot is Batangas and Alabang. Since I am the producer of this music video as well, I will be the one who’s in charge of the expenses.“What date is now? The music video will be released on the 30th of March. We need to do something since the editing will take a lot of time.” I told myself while looking in the mirror. I get my phone from my table and messaged Eloisa.Lou
CHAPTER 117.2THE CONTINUATION“What is our story about?” Shyra asked.“It’s a unique story for me. You will be found out that too soon!” And he smiled again devilishly.We heard a bell. We turned around and saw an ice-cream vendor passing behind us.“I want ice-cream! Shall we?” Marielle invited.“Let’s go!” Shyra replied and they ran towards the direction of the ice-cream vendor.“Wait for me guys!” Joshua shouted and he runs in their direction.“Wait, I want it too!” I said and went in its direction. Gio followed me. I look in the cart of the dirty ice-cream vendor and I was amazed at the flavors.“Gosh! Cheese, chocolate, and strawberry!” I said in amazement. I get my wallet to bring out cash. When I opened it, I frowned my face afterward. Jeez.“Why, what’s wro
CHAPTER 117.1THE MEMORIES OF THE PASTLOU“You know what, I’ve been dreaming of Gio lately. I don’t know what does it mean” I told Lester and Caye while they are here on our house. They just suddenly pass by to our house because they went to our school during Junior High. They get the necessary and remaining documents they need to pass on their present school.“Maybe it is the sign to confess?” Caye questioned while she’s drinking a juice.“I don’t know either.”“Are you ready to confess any time soon?” I think about what Lester questioned me. Am I ready to confess my feelings to him? Or I am just pressured because of the things happening around me.“I am hesitant though. I am having doubts on my mind”“Why? Are there any problems?” Caye asked worriedly. I sighed d