Wasted Nights

Gianna gazed down at her wrist, looking at the small tattoo she got in her teenage years. It was a dandelion, some of the seeds scattered as if blown by the wind, forming a small musical note. Nothing about the drawing was unique, as surely, a lot of women already had the same tattoo as hers now. She had been thinking about erasing it many times over but decided not to. The black ink looked good in her milky skin, but she would rather it stayed hidden.She was not someone who dwelled too much on regrets and easily went with the flow of life. She had enough share of dramas and troubles in her life, and now that she was about to turn twenty-nine, she suddenly felt like she wasted a lot of her time.Twenty-nine, jeez! Time went by too fast, she thought.Good thing was she got her mother’s genes, and even at her age now, she still looked a youthful twenty-five. She had long hair with big waves, falling just beneath her lower back. She had small frame, her face on a steady pensive mode and

“Yanna?” Caden mumbled but clear enough for her to hear.Gianna blinked as the customer’s voice registered in her head instantly.She looked at him. A black hoodie over a white shirt and straight jeans, with stylish holes on the knees, familiarity clicked at once and she knew who he was.His name almost rolled off her mouth when she realized that Marson was still there, watching the awkward interaction.“You know him?” Marson asked, gesturing his hand toward Caden.She casted a look on Caden and what appeared to be his bodyguard. Gianna just nodded and softly nudged Marson toward the door.“He’s a friend. He’s fine. I’m sorry but can you tell Eunica I couldn’t make it tonight? I’m sure she’ll understand.”“What do you mean? You’re not going?” Marson looked like he wanted to protest.“Yes, I’m not,” she replied, still walking him out to the exit door.Marson looked utterly confused, his eyes kept on shifting to the customer, wondering why he looked mysterious and reserved. “Are you sur

It was a sunny day, her sixteenth birthday, when Gianna had a meltdown. Her life was in shambles and she was desperate trying to get away from, practically, everything bad that was happening in her life.Everything that has left in her was not right and she knew she was just running in circles, stuck in a nightmare loop. At sixteen, she wanted to disappear. Not the kind that she would be gone forever, though.Gianna just wanted to leave, to escape the town. To run away from her nightmares. Easier said than done. What a teenager like her could have done with an unstable mother and no support from her father? Part of her would always say to just suck it up and endure until graduation.And as if she was sucked into a soap opera, she heard a melody, forcefully grabbing her attention. She thought she was alone in the music practice room, after all, it was already after school hours.She bit back her sob and tried to catch her breath, legs pulled up to her chest. Goosebumps dotted her shoul

Marson arrived at Eunica’s house as well, just in time when Cassandra was having her tantrums. The kid was wailing, her voice came out like a roar, all because her favorite ceramic cup got broken.Eunica tried to calm her daughter as Gianna took care of the broken pieces scattered on the floor.“Hey, baby, it’s okay we’re gonna buy a new one,” Eunica tried to console her but to no avail. Cassandra started tapping on the keyboard and stomped her feet, tears falling down her chubby cheeks.Just then, Caden went to his feet and settled on the small mono block, his hands hovering the piano tiles. Gianna watched him, wondering what he was trying to do.Caden inhaled a lungful of air before his hands touched the keys, delicately and softly, like a peaceful shower rain. Melody started to echo, calming sound radiates at every tap of keys. The music sounded light-hearted, like a lullaby.Cassandra stopped crying in an instant, her eyes focused on Caden. She then walked toward him sobbing, paus