“I'm glad-” We both speak up at the same time. Our eyes lock across the table.“You first-” We say the same time again.He laughs. I laugh. I can’t help but feel crazy hearing his laugh for the first time. I just can’t help it, too. “You first,” I tell him, hiding my smile behind my hand against my lips. “No, ladies do it first. I’m a gentleman, you know. ” He tells me with a smirk on the corner of his mouth. “I don’t really know what to say but I am glad you and Chloe are getting along well,” I say to him. He says, “Well, I am glad you and Justin are getting along well, too.” “We don’t know each other that much, but I am trying to trust him at least. He’s not bad at all. And he’s my partner for the trip so I have to deal with him.” I tell him. I wish I could just talk to Adam this way. Calm and at ease. I wish we could have met in different times and circumstances. “Not like how you always see me.” There’s a pain clingin

N A Y A   Have you ever felt like nobody ever wants you? Everyone is leaving and forgetting that you ever exist? It feels like a leaf falling into the unknown when I got home finding my father’s letter on the kitchen table saying; “Dearest Naya,  This is going to be the first letter I will ever write to you. I remember you were growing up. You used to run around the house, picking up crayons and smudge them onto any wall your eyes would meet. You love putting colors to things and I figured you would want to be an artist someday. But as you grow up, you were no longer that child. I wish I didn’t have to write these things, but I figured out that all this time all I ever did was take away the color of your life when things got complicated between me and your mom. I blamed myself because if only I graduated from college, our life would have been different. Your mother wouldn’t have to work at

N A Y A I  walk back to the living room where Justin is eating the pizza alone and watching a football game on the TV. “I’ll be back. I just need to get something from the room.” Just when I turn around, Adam is coming out of the kitchen. The hallway to my bedroom is right next to it so it’s hard not to pass him on the way. I can see the devastation on his face. His eyes are fixed on the floor. When I reach my room, I lock the door and lean against it. As if all this time I was holding my breath when I finally let all the heaviness out of my chest. I place my palm against it and cry hard. I didn’t mean to say those words to him. I’m still in pain and confused about the things Justin revealed about him. Maybe I was lying because I am so done with Adam always showing up out of nowhere and acting as if everything is okay when he’s near. I just wanted to give back the pai

NAYA   Everyone gets busily slipping into their seats with their partners. Since the bus has a two seats in each column, assigned partners should seat next to each other and sleep in the same tent for the entire duration of the trip. As of this moment, Mrs. Lee is checking all the students’ attendance right before the bus door. The sun is out so she has to wear sunglasses, but one thing that has not changed about her is her teacher's uniform. It’s always been a black, knee-length skirt and a white button-up shirt. She looks hot to be a teacher, by the way. There is always be this one teacher that most population in school will admire because how admiring their physical appearance is which I think is Mrs. Lee in our campus. But I think every teacher is admirable in their own ways.  When it’s me and Justin’s turn, I smile at her while Justi

 N A Y ASometimes you want to know the truth without knowing how will your response to it. You just want it. And this is how I feel. I wanted to know so badly what Adam feels about and the words he said about me are the words of truth. And maybe he wants me to hear them without filter without trying to fake his hate. Because I hate him. I hate him for what he said could be true. And I’m close to believing it.When I was running away, I just wanted to go back home. To lock myself in. To keep myself away from the light. Away from the remorseful humiliation in front of everyone. But no, I need to face this all without escaping. But when followed me.Justin followed me, panting, until he sees me sitting on an enormous rock facing the shore. The sun is almost setting.k feel so dramatic sitting here, wiping up my face. I don’t like people seeing me cry. It’s not because I don’t want to be