Thorn Trevor's Point of View:
Our locker room was messed up, it was horrible, a big time. Some jersey uniforms and socks were strewn all over the floor. I shook my head watching some of my teammates singing without thinking about the tune of the song out of their happiness for the promise of our coach in winning tonight's game.
"Unwind?" One of our teammates suggested after the practice game. The tumultuous laughter of our teammates echoed in the locker room.
"Call." Kin respond. He was the point guard and the one who had never been absent from all the celebrations of our team.
"I'm in," Cody said while removing the lace of his shoe. He was one of the shooters on our team.
"I'll join." Tyron also responded. He was one of the rebounders of the team.
"How about you, Yzack?" Vaughn tapped Yzack's back.
"Maybe next time, man. I do have an event to attend." Yzack tried to reason out this time
"That excuse was used very often, man." He kept on insisting.
"I'm serious, bro. Next time, I'll come." He reasoned out. He wore his pure black shirt.
"That's recorded!" He nodded and took the high five.
"We don't need to ask Thorn. He's in, for sure." Vaughn said with a confident tone.
"I cannot this time." They looked at me as if I said something unusual, which was true. I was always present in all team celebrations.
"Is that a joke? No way, man. It's the first time in history that you refuse to come." I exhaled, half a laugh.
"I'm serious, bro. I will be killed by someone this time. Next time, I'll come." I wore a plain white v-neck.
"Okay, Man." I took the high five. I threw my hand on Yzack's shoulder.
"Do you have a date with that girl?" I said with my voice laced with a tease. He exhaled, half a laugh.
"Nah. We have a family gathering. How about you?" I was not sure if he was telling me the truth or just wanted to have an excuse for me to not open up about the girl he was currently dating. It was the first time he did not introduce her girl to me. Well, I won't mind.
"That monster will seriously kill me if I will not make it, man" He laughed and nudged my stomach.
"Hope this isn't the last time I can see you alive." He said, half a laugh. I shook my while and hissed.
"Stop nagging me, man." I laughed.
"I'll go ahead." He tapped my back. I nodded and I took a fist bump.
There were only a few students here since it was about 7 PM. I noticed someone walking in a narrow hallway to the vacant bleachers wearing an oversized white shirt paired up with jeans and her white sneakers. The lamp post was the source of light on the way. She was wearing a darker color of lipstick that accentuated her pale skin. Her long hair bounced as she was taking steps. She was someone talking with her phone. I often saw her with Alexey, but I never ask her about that matter. I was happy seeing my sister living her life doing what made her happy, even just for a while. I was aware that she was to keep on doing what her mom wanted her to do. I walked faster.
"Why are you already here?" She gave me an inquisitive look as he saw me already here. I yawned, acting up as if I was waiting for her for quite a long time.
"Why are you late? You didn't know that my time is precious? I canceled my meeting just for this, and now you're late?" I shook my head in disappointment. I liked watching her irritated expression. A smile automatically etched on my face and rubbed my lower lip.
"You've talked a lot." She said. A smile etched on my face as I realized that she had just stolen my line.
"I'm sorry-" I cut her off. I grinned to annoy her.
"Again?" She furrowed her eyebrows as she heard what I was just.
"I said, I'm sorry." She uttered exasperatedly. I shook my head with a scoff.
"Not sincere," I commented. I was just trying to play it cool as I noticed that her face was distorted with rage.
"I'm sorry." She tried to be polite. I exhaled, half a laugh.
"Happy?" She sarcastically asked me while raising her eyebrows. I hissed half a laugh.
"Here's yours." She gave me some of the papers she was holding. This activity was complex compared to our last activity.
"Check that. It is fair and square." She assured me that the division of labor was fair. I simply nodded my head in response.
"Thorn." I noticed her voice changed to a serious one. Her hair blew by the wind and like what she always did, she clumped her hair to the other side and tucked the hair on her face behind her ear.
"Uhm?" I shove my phone in my pocket. She looked so serious this time. She looked away and bit her lower lip. I could barely see her hesitant.
"About your sister," She said reluctantly and shifted her gaze to me.
"What about her?" I gave her an inquisitive look. She pursed her lips.
"I think you need to talk to her, 'cause earlier I accidentally saw her crying in the lady's room earlier. She told me that she is okay, but you know..." She did not continue, but I understood what she wanted to say. I simply nodded as a response.
"Thanks," I mumbled under my breath while rubbing my nape. Her fist slightly punched my chest as I barely heard her hiss.
"She told me not to tell you." I nodded as I understood that she wanted me to keep it secret.
"I understand," I responded. She nodded in acknowledgment. I saw her eyes fixed on me before she pursed her lips.
"I'll go ahead." She said. I look at my wristwatch.
"Is there someone who will fetch you?" She nodded in response.
"Yeah. Don't bully anyone on your way home." She reminded me. I hissed half a laugh.
"Don't eat anyone on your way home," I said to annoy her. She hits me.
"What's your problem? I'm just concerned about other people, you know." I shrugged.
"Liar." She rolled her eyes.
"Just go home. It's too late." She nodded as a response, then clumped her hair on the other side.
"Thanks for bullying me throughout the day." I hissed.
"Thanks for acting that you were bullied throughout the day," I muttered while watching her from the distance.
I was thinking about what Horizon's told me about Lex all along the way. The traffic lights turned red, I stepped on the break. My elbow was leaning on the window, I rubbed my lower lip and got my phone in my pocket, and stared at the conversation I had with Alexey. I realized that I never replied to any of her text messages. I hissed and threw my phone in the passenger seat.
-
Yzack and I went to the private gym, that was why there were so few people being around. The entire gym has a touch of a modern and fancy kind type of it. There were lots of various equipment available here. That was second to the last set.
"What is it?" Yzack asked from nowhere. I put down the dumbbell. I ran my finger through my hair that has been wet because of the sweat.
"About Lex." He stopped when he heard a serious tone from me this time.
"What about her?" He sat properly and was waiting for the next word that I was about to say. I let out a heavy sigh.
"I know that she's not okay yesterday. I was just thinking if her mom knew that she still has communication with me." He tapped my shoulder.
"Your setup is complicated, Man. I am always on your side, bro, but Alexey also proved that she is willing to disobey her mom's order just to have his brother, but you know, I cannot blame you." I seriously looked at him.
"I understand your decision because if I were you, I will do the same. 'Cause as of now, that's the only thing you can do to protect her." He continued. I let out a heavy sigh.
"Text her." He stopped for a while, then suggested.
"That will be surprising to her since, I never replied to any of her messages." I heard him chuckle.
"You want me to do it for you?" I immediately looked at him.
"No way, bro. I might kill you this time." He chuckled as he heard my over-protective brother warning against him.
"I will just ask, 'how was her?'" He raised his eyebrows.
"No way, bro. Focus on your dumbbells." I suggested while laughing. He got his dumbbell half a laugh. I knew he was also concerned with her. Even if he did not tell me directly, I already knew that he likes Alexey. When we were in third grade, he got his first fight in school when he saw Alexey crying. I knew that he joined me punching the faces of those bullies not because we were friends, but because he had a crush on her. I am not against it, it's just that, to be honest, I don't know.
"How about Horizon, you like her, don't you?" Yzack threw me a bottle of water, I caught it.
"No way, dude. She's a man living in the body of a lady. She's ridiculous!"
"Last set." Our gym instructor said. I nodded and got the dumbbell.
"I know you, man." I exhaled half a laugh and shook my head.
"She's not my type either." I defended myself.
"She's a tough girl to read, isn't she?" He took a glance at me.
"Exactly. I didn't know why, but I easily got irritated when the insults come from her." I shook my head.
"For once, there was a girl who wasn't throwing herself at you." I snorted as he chuckled.
"I told you, bro. She's not a girl." I laughed. He started his push-ups. I took off my shirt to start another repetition.
After our workout, we hurry up to attend our first class this morning. As usual, it was boring. I used our classroom as a nap room again.
"Here." I handed her the papers. She was wearing a crop top and jeans.
"You're already done?" She asked.
"Yeah. That's too easy." I showed a smug grin on her. I like it when I saw her irritated.
"So arrogant!" She mumbled under her breath then, clumped her hair to another side, as she always does.
"Why?" I laughed. She rolled her eyes.
"You were born to ruin my day." I barely heard her saying.
"You were born to accuse me of ridiculous things." I went to my seat.
"Our P.E. class will be on gymnasium, as for Miss Cine." Someone on the first row announced.
We were on our way to the gymnasium when I heard a lot of murmurs. A girl wearing a gray off-shoulder dress gripped my arm. I looked at her and took off her hand in my arm.
"Stop it, Xaine." I blocked her way to Horizon. She was so desperate.
"Why? There's nothing wrong in what we are doing and besides, everyone knows that we are dating." She looked around.
"Maybe not everyone. You want me to inform her?" She was headed in Horizon's direction. I stopped her.
"Can you just stop messing around with someone just because of me? Don't waste your time, Xaine. Just a friendly advice, focus on yourself." She was always claiming that we were dating even though it was not. When Alexey thought that we were dating, she was mad asking if it was true since she knew Xaine and for some reason she hated her.
"I don't get you, Thorn!" Her face was distorted with rage.
"Okay, class, listen up!" Our P.E. instructor came in as if she was not seven minutes late. Her hair was cut shorter than the last semester. She calmly held her class as usual.
"For this semester, we have to discuss different types of dance." I heard murmurs and opinions.
"Miss Cine, who will be going to choose our partners?" Someone asked.
"I'll give you a chance to choose your partner." They acted as if she announced that we were having an early dismissal.
"But girls, I'll call you one by one to give you a chance to choose your partner." She started to call names. Horizon was writing on the back of her red notebook. I got it from her.
"Is there any problem?" She tried to get it from my hand, but I lifted it.
"I'll kill you when I get that." I just smirked as I saw her so determined to get her notes.
"Sure. If you can." I flashed a smug grin on my face to annoy her.
"That's mine!" She was holding my left arm, tried to pull it down.
"Horizon." Our instructor called her name, but her focus was on the notes I was holding. She overheard that our instructor already called her name.
"Thorn!" She shouted exasperatedly. We got the attention of the whole class. Thick strands of her hair fell on her forehead. She tucked the thick strand of her bangs behind her ear, that was blocking her vision.
"Thorn is mine, I'll seriously kill you." I heard murmurs.
"Okay, Horizon and Thorn."
"Wait, that's not what I meant-" She tried to explain herself, but I think
"Miss Cine, he's mine." I heard someone say.
"That's okay, class. Move on, okay next one, Krie" She continued. She hit my chest.
"I already told you to give that to me, see what happened." She furrowed her eyebrows. I was about to give it back to her, Yzack got it from my hand.
"Yzack, give it back to me." She cannot even get it from him as well.
"You did not tell me that you wanted me to be your partner." I was half-laughing to annoy her.
"Shut up, Thorn. That was your fault!" I laughed a bit as I saw her irritated.
"Why are you blaming me? You are the one who mentioned my name." I shook my head in disappointment. She shot me with her signature indignant stare.
She put back her attention to her friend.
"Are we still allowed to change our partners?" I smiled as I barely heard her seriously asking her friend.
Yzack handed me Horizon's notes. I opened her notes where the bookmark was placed. There is something is written on it, 'I am tired.' I looked at her, trying to ask someone if she can change her partner. Maybe something is bothering her. I cannot just tell because she was kinda hard to read. I clip the pages of her notes, I hissed half a laugh when I saw 'I'll seriously kill you, cruel-annoying guy' written on her notes.
After our P.E. class, we went back to the classroom for our last class period.
"Where's Yzack?" She asked me. I looked under my desk.
"He's not here." She hits me.
"Annoying! It was all your fault." I saw how irritated she was, then she rolled her eyes.
"Why?" I exhaled, half a laugh. She hissed as a response. Yzack was on his way here. She came to confront him. I shook my head. Good luck, man. I leaned on my table.
"She's odd," I mumbled under my breath.
Hope you're doing good. God bless!
Thorn Trevor's Point of View: She got her red notebook from Yzack. "How are you, bro?" I laughed. "Stop it, man. That one was serious." He simply replied. I took a glance at her and saw how she shot us with her indignant stare. Thick strands of her hair fell on her forehead. She clumped her hair into another side as she always does and tucked some strand behind her ears. Her friend gave her a burger, she's still angry, but she managed to devour that burger. "That was tough," Yzack commented while rubbing his arm that has been hit by Horizon. "Like I was told you, bro. She's not a girl." I chuckled while checking my phone.
Thorn Trevor's Point of View: I went to school at five o'clock in the morning and wore a black hoodie jacket underneath my coat. I yawned, realizing how early it was. "Thorn!" I heard my name was shouted by someone to get my attention. She was wearing a maroon puff sleeve knitted dress with her sneakers. I made my way in her direction. "You're so noisy," I commented, and noticed her tired eyes, signifying that she woke up too early just for this. She immediately rolled her eyes. I smelled her scents that became more familiar day by day. Horizon clumped her hair to the other side. She rummaged on her light pink shoulder bag that was hanging on her shoulder. "Here."
Thorn Trevor's Point of View: I saw Horizon wearing a halter top and a pair of jeans with her white sneakers. She was with her friend walking in the hallway. "Horizon, earlier when Andy and I started our activity, we talked about Thorn." Her friend said. I stopped when I heard my name. "I think we had a misunderstanding. The guy she was fought with during the first day of class, was the guy trying to hit on his sister." Her friend noticed my presence as I showed up and tried to tell her through a simple gesture that I was at her back. Horizon shifted her gaze to me, we exchanged a glance. I saw how a thick strand of her hair fell on her forehead. The bell rang, indicatin
Horizon Cole's Point of View: I folded my hands together and tucked them under my chin. I felt that I was too insensitive, not realizing the situation, I stared at him. His dark brown hair was wet and the side was cut in a bit shorter than before that it was not easy to be noticed but kept the top longer that still allows it to fall over his forehead. He was glued to the screen of his laptop and immediately took a glance at me. "It's cool, not a big deal." Maybe he noticed that I was guilty. I took a glance as he nudged me. I exhaled, half a laugh. "Here, I am done."He showed me his screen. I got it from him. "You can encode it here. I'll send it to your email, for you to have a copy."I nodded. The rain was accompanied by a sudden burst of winds. I abruptly hold my dress and noticed that he looked away. I clumped my hair on the other side. He was playing the ball pen in his fingers. I
Horizon Cole's Point Of View: "Thorn! Horizon!"That was for the nth time. Miss Cine's voice echoed with a great deal of volume here in the gymnasium. I felt the eyes of the whole class in us as if they were not threatened in the presence of our strict P.E. instructor. We came closer to each other and tried to follow the step that I did not get. I heard murmurings around. I accidentally stepped in his foot. "Is that intentional?" He accused me. "What are you two doing?"She noticed us again. Thorn deeply closed his eyes. I knew that this was my fault. The song stopped, thank God. I finally let go of his hand. "You can change your partner if you wanted to" I suggested to him knowing that I was that slow in getting all the steps in just a short period. He took a glance at me. "What do you think?"I rolled my eyes at him and was about to go to our professor tha
Thorn Trevor's Point of View: I could see the black and white theme of this pizza house near our university. It can just easily be noticed the few tables with huge umbrellas here outside the shop. The brilliant lighting and the loud music that played all over the shop gave a different vibe to this cozy ambiance. I used to come here because this was my Mom's favorite shop. Before Horizon's attempted to push the transparent glass door, I pushed it from her back. I was standing behind her. As we came in, warm air hit us. There was a black and white theme of tables and chairs, I let her choose the table. I walked next to her. Her hair bounced as she stepped. We made our way to the vacant table near the counter. She placed her sling bag on the chair. "Wait for me here."She simply nodded as a response. I felt the eyes of some students from our university on us. I took a glance at her, she was watching me from th
Horizon Cole's Point of View I was looking at my notes with my lazy scrawled. I felt the cold breeze of the air conditioner inside of our classroom, which made me regret that I wore a brown-puff-sleeve dress and my white sneakers. My attention was caught by someone who nudged me. "Sis, are you okay?"I saw Jaim was worrying. I simply nodded as a response. "You looked so pale. I noticed that you didn't talk that much? Are you sure you are okay?" I bit my lower lip. "Yeah. I just have my period."I always felt this cramp every time that I have my monthly period. "I heard, we have a meeting after class, but if you want I can accompany you to the clinic." "No, it's fine."I smiled at her. I tucked my arms and leaned on it on the table. I felt my legs
Horizon Cole's Point of View: "Go back to your ex then." Mom said exasperated. "We have been married for almost 25 years. Can you please drop it already?" Dad said in the very calm tone I ever heard from him. Here they go again. My gaze was fixed on the vintage stairs that had been varnished by dark brown. I think that it was not a good idea to go home this early. To be honest, the reason why I did not eat much often was that, I did not want to eat alone it was somehow reminding me that I do have a family problem. They were always like that. I mean yeah, sometimes, they wanted me to believe them that they were cool, but I was not their 7 years old daughter that can be fooled easily. It helped me a lot in my intermittent diet, I guessed. I was got reminded that I was not eating when someone asked me if I already had one. I was aware that something was