"Cheers to our Nelson first girl!!" They yelled joyously over the non-alcoholic cocktails.
Glasses clinking.
Naomi's cheeks were almost burned by the surprise arranged by Nelson at the private yacht club lounge belonging to his family.
It is past 10:30 pm after our late night revision class, I definitely disapprove of doing study at this hour. But this is the only way I can avoid getting home earlier, mom wouldn't be allowing me to go to Samuel's house for the sake of studying, and definitely, a boy coming to my house to study with me is a no-no. And so here am I, sitting on Samuel's passenger side, trying to stay awake on the 25 minutes drive home. "You keep dozing off, Lana. Tired?" Asked Samuel while his gaze concentrates on the road. "Hmm..."I mumbled, lazily turned to him, "Yeah, Hansel have an episode again last night." "Just close your eyes then, I will wake you up later," Samuel suggested. "Sure," I replied in brief. Silly, my eyelids are heavy, I would be glad to be granted 10 minutes of eyes close. I just don't want to be rude, having Samuel drive me home while I was asleep. Giving up on trying to stay awake, I le
Drip, drip, drip... The white voice of rain awakens me. Gradually, I regained consciousness. Looking around to the familiar place, I realize I was back in my classroom, alone. I had fallen asleep. The classroom is empty, and the clock above the whiteboard shows that it is 5:50 pm. A realization hits me like thunder, could it be... I pulled away from my desk, heartbeat racing, wildly looking around me. Am I having another nightmare again? "Student?" A voice startled me, practically had me get a heart attack. I gasped in horror as the person I feared the most appeared at the front door. "Student, are you alright? Why are you staying alone in the classroom?" The perfectly fine Mr. Bong asked. No, there is something wrong with the setting. Am I returning to thi
It's late in the middle of the day, the sun is warm, a soft breeze gently ruffled her middle-length wavy hair. Naomi had just finished her Sunday part-time job, noticing the front gate isn't locked, she pondered whether her mother had forgotten to lock the door again. "Ma?" Her voice echoed into the empty house. Her mom isn't around, she sighed to no avail, her mother had gone out for the day, the dining table had been prepared with the meal, waiting to be re-heat. She looks over her surrounding, her sixth sense gesturing she isn't alone. A terror strikes as she found the door to her room was ajar. She never left her bedroom left unlocked! Her steps stuttered, unable to think for a moment. She purposely left the main door open wide, grabbing the handle of a broom which coincidentally was the most suitable weapon she found closer to her, she carefully entered her room. "
"Don't do anything stupid, Nora!" She hissed in anger. "I saw the opportunity why not, Naomi?" Nora replied with no remorse. She casually hoisted the stained uniform from the floor. The name embroidered on it had turned dirty dark brown. "I only need to take this with me." "NO!!!" Naomi seized it, clutching it tightly to her chest. "Oh Naomi, you don't expect me to be harsh to you, right? Give it to me while I'm being nice." She ordered in her rather restrained demeanor. "Get out!" Instead, Naomi decides to chase her sister out of the house. "Unless you hand to me that blazer." Nora forfeited, she trances to get it herself. "No!!" Naomi holds it more tightly to her, dropping herself into a defensive stance. A bitter frown creeping all over her face, the evidence is the main subject to her plan, she had to have it no ma
Arrays of shades with tints of red, yellow, and orange adorned the sky, and the sun began to disappear under the horizon. With the contrast streaks of colors between the skyline and the sea, it appears as if there are two worlds apart. The gentle waves washed ashore, and the crisp breeze induced an illusion of saltness sensation emergence from the borderless mighty ocean. Nelson inhaled the scentofthe sea he always loves, the girl he loves is farther ahead by the barbeque fire pit left by visiting campers. Naomi had insisted he stay where he parked his metallic greensuperbike, he very much doubted whether Naomi is hinting for a night under the sky full of stars. New norms of spending leisure time living in a tent, especially by the seaside is a popular activity these days. Someday, he told hims
At the end corner of the hilly side village, a house with the red chipped paint wall loomed. From far, it is the perfect illusion of an old building with grief history under the dim light at night. Indeed, it is... Naomi could replay the little girl version of her running around what had been her playground when she was little. Then years after, the place she called home embarking into her battleground, she was in despair. Since that day the law enforcement takes her father away from their house for murder charges, their life had been a misery with minimum financial support and the glare of the people around them as if they are criminals, life as a child had never been normal. One day, while expecting their father's homecoming, instead they only got to hold his urn of ash instead of himself. They said her father was killed in a fight in the cell. With his death, the case closed, a
That day was the longest night for Naomi, eyes were puffy, the nose was blocked and somehow sleeping was impossible. She lay curled on the floor, knees closer to her chest, do not bother to wipe away the tears from her cheeks, until the dripping salty water makes a visible dark spot on the hardwood floor. Her mother had dismissed herself to reside in her own room, and she too does not bother to further the conversation. Naomi loses count of staring blankly onto the wall, and when she realized it was yet another day as the sun shone through the curtains. She blinked a few times to cast away her groggy mind from the poor state of sleep. After all, sleeping on the floor is not a good idea, her aching body had her struggle to get up from the floor. "I need to get ready for school!" she mentally reminded herself. In her sluggish disoriented movement, she alerted that by this time her mother had prepared breakfast and she should be in her uniform already. Steadying
Nora's footsteps echoed on the floor that once had been a polished parquet. The abandoned house stood well over the years, beneath the flakes and dirt of years, the red brick walls and window frames still intact and still. A little spring cleaning is all they need to provide temporary shelter for them. The grand abandoned house is too luxurious for them, the spacious living area is more than enough for them to fit in a studio-type apartment. A single bed that held their hostage, a dining table at the center of the room, and by the doorway where they arranged the old fine upholstery leather couch and a coffee table. Halting to the man sitting on the couch who is packing the clear chunky crystals into a small plastic packet. With arms across her chest, she asked, "She mistakes me for Naomi, how much did you give her, Edward? It is almost ten hours ago and she is still asleep?" Edward looked up and stood up to face Nora, putting his business aside. His full stature draws attention to N