"Sienna Melendez, where the hell are you? It's almost nine," napapikit ako nang mariin nang marinig ang kalmado ngunit mahihimigan ang pagkagalit na tinig ng aking ina. "I'm sorry mom, there was an accident near my condo so they had to close a part of the road, and I'm caught in traffic," agad na pagrarason ko, even though I know na wala rin namang magagawa iyon dahil panigurado ay galit na sila. "Don't worry, I'll try my best to be there on time," dagdag ko na lamang at paulit-ulit na bumusina, pretending that it would make the traffic move forward faster. "That's why I kept on telling you to just live at the mansion, malapit sa kompanya, you don't even have to drive!" mababakas ang inis sa boses niya. "And I told you mom, I just want to be independent," sagot ko, iyon naman ang lagi kong sagot sa kaniya. As if I would go back to that house, nakaalis na nga ako eh, babalik pa ba ako sa kulungang iyon?&

My head hurts.    That's the first thought that went in my head the moment I felt my consciousness coming back.     It felt like it was being hacked open with a mallet, subukan ko mang diinan ang pagkakahiga ko sa unan na nasa ilalim ng ulo ko ay hindi man lang nito nababawasan ang sakit. These are the moments that just makes me say that I won't ever drink again.     When I woke up the day after and my head just hurts so much, when my face is still caked with make up from the night before, and when I can't endure staying in bed longer in hopes of soothing the pain I feel kasi may balak akong patayin ng sarili kong hininga.    Pero kapag may nag-aya na ay hindi rin naman makatanggi.    &

"You look good," matamis ang ngiting nakapaskil sa mga labi ni Neo nang sabihin niya iyon. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at how fake he was, and instead, just returned his fake smile to further amuse our parents. "I know," I said and looked at him from head to toe, "you look good too, by the way." Inilahad niya ang kamay niya sa akin, tumaas ang kilay ko roon ngunit tinanggap ko rin naman, pagkatapos no'n ay nagpaalam ito sa mga magulang namin at iginiya ako papalayo sa table na iyon. "So, where's the sudden kindness coming from?" sarkastikong tanong ko habang naglalakad kami palabas. "They changed their mind," sagot niya. "Ha?" tanong ko ulit. What did he mean? Hindi na ba kami ikakasal? Eh para saan 'tong party? "They changed their minds, there's no engagement tonight, just the announcement I guess," he shrugged. Nakahinga ako nang maluwag, I didn't even notice that I had been holding my breath since the party started. Delaying t