"Sulli, I like you," Trevor breathed. "I don't know how many times I have to say it, but I won't get tired." They say it only took a day for your life to change. Mine's changing every day, and every time he said it, my breathing stopped. Just like this day, it seemed like a normal day, Lucia chose a restaurant to have lunch, but she wasn't present, neither was her boyfriend, only Trevor. So this must've been a great time to confess again, now that he and I were finally alone in a crowded restaurant that parts each customer with shrubs of greenery. A little flower I recognized as baby's breath in a purple thin vase was used as the centerpiece on our table, no waitress was coming to our side unlike the table near us, food's already served to them and they were starting to eat. "What do you like about me?" It's a common question. The girl used to say that when she doesn't know how to respond after she's been confessed, at least in movies."If you haven't noticed, I'm not proud of m
"Kid, your mom's just talking to someone. She'll come back as soon as she finishes." My mind's wandering as I was walking home when I heard the voice of a man, I noticed I'm reaching my way to the apartment and on the street light was a lanky man and a kid. I immediately recognized the kid as Levi, my body became alerted, and I was walking at a fast pace to reach them. "I know, you don't have to reassure me. You're not my dad," Levi scoffed."What? Why? You want me to be your dad then?" the man asked. That's not the voice I recognize anywhere. "No, never, you're too young, and you look like a stick. Moreover, I have my dad now, we don't need you. He's strong and gorgeous, unlike you." "Levi!" I called. They both looked at me, and my face softened as I reached for my son. "Thank you, Neptali, for accompanying my son." Neptali coyly smiles and reaches for his head. "No problem, Ms. Tomoya. This is the least I could do." He pointed at the direction of the coffee shop. "I mean, I
The morning before Richard's welcome party, Lucia and I went shopping. I don't know how this welcome party makes sense. He just left his hometown and continued his schooling in another city. Why would you need a party for that? My parents would've disowned me if I spent ten thousand for a party. "Sulli, what do you choose? Do you think Richard likes the silver or the gold strap?" Lucia showed me two same styles but different color signature watches. I gave her a sigh and hugged myself. The aircon in this jewelry shop was so high, it's freezing, I feel like I'm having a fever tonight. "What? You don't like the watch? How about perfume? Let's go to the perfume section." Lucia tugged me next to another shop until I felt nauseous and tired. She bought as many things as we could hold, and the next thing I knew, we were back in the studio with paper bags in both hands. "Sulli, let's both wear blush at the party." Lucia was extremely excited about the party. It was apparent and palpabl
"Trevor, he's not my real brother, Sulli."When did the wind change its direction? I felt like they were taking away something from me, and all I could do was stay still and watch my life fade away. It's good but bad at the same time. I feel like being torn apart like a chicken breast to be part of a salad. My life's not perfect, I admit, and being torn once in a while was part of a 'healthy lifestyle', but each time that season of tearing comes, I'm always caught off guard. I've been living for years now, and I should be immune, but god, each time, I wanted to end my life. What will happen to me in the future? When I look back at myself five years from now, would I be proud? Or would I laugh because the one that I liked liked his adopted sister more? I never imagined this could turn like this. The bus driver looked at me menacingly but couldn't say anything because I looked like a ghost soaking wet in a blush dress as I stepped down his transportation, I walked the short dist
"Last year, my adoptive parents arranged a dinner for me after I finished high school," Lucia started. Clasping her trembling hands together, I pursed my lips and acted tough. I wanted to know their story. "I never looked that much into it because they treat me as their own, brother– Trevor was in law school that time so I was expecting we're just three at the dinner table, but when I reached the fancy restaurant they booked, Trevor was waving happily at me, gave me a bouquet and congratulated me for graduating. At first, I was happy, but throughout the dinner, I became nervous, then perplexed, and then we got home." -"Thank you for this, brother," Lucia sheepishly said, sniffing the red roses. "No worries," Trevor replied, playing with his car key fob. Their parents went upstairs, and maids rushed over the huge entrance door to lock it. "Lucia," he called, turning to Lucia and shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Yes?" Lucia said, the innocent her that doesn't have a clue w
It's not as if I don't want to see him, I want to, it just felt awkward because I feel like I don't have the right to know the truth because what am I to him? Who am I? What's the role I have with him? "Sulli, you're staring into blank space. What are you thinking?" I blinked and realized I'm still at the library with these two, Trevor turned to me and flipped the page of the book he was reading, it feels like he was boring a hole into my soul but I don't know what he was thinking. Until Richard asked him a question, he never cut our eye contact, but he told him the answer. "You're really smart, Trevor. You even know this."Last time I checked, Richard's course was engeneering, though he needs to learn a bit of labor law and some sorts of obligation and contracts, I don't think it's necessary for him to delve deeper. "Alright, I think you're caught up Richard, let's go home." Trevor stood up and closed the book he had, Richard stretched his arms and collected his things on his ba
What was that? You said you won't get tired. My head was spinning on that thought the whole night. I couldn't sleep and was just pretending to so that Lucia wouldn't be disturbed. When the morning came, we were packing our bags because tomorrow would be our flight to the country that would host the World Cup this year. I'm helping Lucia in her room and was wondering why she packed a swimsuit in her luggage."Are we going swimming?" I wondered and raised the orange one-piece with Swarovski crystal on the waistline. "Oh no, that's for emergency purposes, you know, if we ever get a stop-over to a tropical country." My mouth went agape. "But Lucia, it's winter season now." Also, I thought it was just a one-way trip we were doing because, obviously, we were just getting a free ride, but maybe our definition of stop-over differs from one another. Lucia's stop-over meant intentionally riding a whole plane and getting to a tropical place for days. "What if Sulli, it's what if, don't y
I’m not gonna be a queen.That’s what I vowed years ago, but mistakes lead to another mistake, then another, and another one. I have a five-year-old now. Was it really better if I didn’t birthed him? Will everything won’t be like this if I followed what Trevor’s mom said? Will I have the treatment comparable to a queen? Staring at my son’s sleeping face makes me want to hit myself for thinking that, it’s a mistake, it’s been done, the only thing I could do now is become an adult and make the best out of it. Richard reached the goal I used to tease him with. He married Lucia, and they're even expecting now, but I didn’t. My light dimmed, and I had his child but not his heart. “Ma, aren’t you going to speak to my father?” Levi was playing in his train track in his playground disguised as a living room. I was wiping down the dinner table, we just had our lunch, and I’m really greatly that I met Tripp and happy that he achieved his dream of becoming the owner of his own school. I gla