Chapter 3: IDENTITY: THREE
ALEX POV
The sound of the hair dryer filled the room. It was 5:33 on a Thursday morning. I was still sleepy but had to wake up because we had a class at seven. It was my daily struggle every morning. There were days that I skipped school if I was too lazy or too tired to go because missing a day was not a big deal.
It was just one day! What can happen in a single day?
I glanced at my phone, which I hadn't noticed playing my favorite song earlier, probably due to the loud noise from the dryer. I checked the time, and it was already six in the morning. It meant I still had an hour to prepare and walk to school.
After a few minutes of grooming, I finished. I was about to wear my uniform when I realized something. "Oh, right! I'm suspended!"
I couldn't help but laugh. I threw my uniform on the bed and lay down. I looked at the ceiling, remembering what I had done earlier, the struggle with the cold water and fixing myself up, all of them for nothing.
Did Maica do the same? Maybe she woke up early, too! She's so paranoid. Speaking of her, she appeared in my dream last night. What's that supposed to mean?
Knocks on my door stopped me from my thoughts and jolted me upright to a sitting position. I stared at the door and waited for the second set of knocks.
"Alex?" a familiar voice of an elderly woman called out to me. Her voice suggested she was probably in her sixties to eighties.
Lola Vemine?
I got out of my bed and headed to the door. I unlocked it, twisted the knob, and slowly opened the door revealing an old woman behind it. Lola Vemine then greeted me while flashing her widest smile. A gesture that I would never get tired of looking at.
She was the owner of this boarding house and also my guardian. She said she knew my parents, so she took me in. It was a little bit uneasy when I first arrived here, but her persistence to gain my trust eventually made me like her. She was like a real grandma to me. Even though we were not related by blood, I could feel a connection as if we were somehow related.
Or maybe we are related... somehow.
"Yes, La?" I asked her, raising my brows. I call her "La" when I talk to her. But when addressing her to other people, I call her Ms. Vemine.
"I just wanted to check on you. Are you okay here?"
Although it was not my first time hearing those words, they never failed to touch my soul as if it was my first time hearing them. No one else cared about me aside from Lola and Maica. In our class, I was what they called a loner because no one wanted me around. The rumors about me killing a student from our school made sure of that. But I never hated myself because of that. Strangely, I liked it. Only having these two with me was already enough. They treated me genuinely, and I could feel their sincerity to be with me, and I was beyond grateful for that.
"I'm okay, La. How about you?"
"I'm perfectly fine, dear," she replied. Her forehead suddenly creased as she gazed upon my outfit, probably wondering why I didn't have my uniform. "Why aren't you getting dressed? You're going to be late for school."
Sh*t! I totally forgot about Lola!
Beads of sweat started to form on my temple as anxiety crept on my body. I hadn't told her yet about my suspension because I didn't want to disappoint Lola.
"Uhh... well... you see, La..." Come on, Alex! Don't be too obvious and drop an excuse already! "We... don't... have classes today! Right! That's it! Be...cause... our teacher... got sick! Yes!"
That's way too obvious, idiot!
"Is that so?" Lola Vemine confirmed, and I nodded in affirmation. Lola bopped her head, which was a sign of her comprehension. "So, you're just going to mope around here all day?"
I shook my head. "I have plans with Maica."
Lola Vemine's face lit up. "That's good because our new tenant, who just moved in, asked for a favor."
"What's that?"
Could he be the one next door? Wait. Don't tell me-
"He wanted to explore the city to get to know the place but didn't have someone to accompany him. Is it okay if it's you?"
I knew it! This day was supposed to be an Alex-and-Maica-Hangout day!
As much as I wanted to decline the favor, I didn't want to disappoint Lola Vemine. This was a small favor from her compared to all the good deeds she did for me. My conscience would haunt me if I would reject this old woman.
"Sure! He can tag along with us. We'll leave at nine."
"Thank you, dear!" Lola Vemine celebrated, her smile wider than before. "I'll inform him."
"Okay, La."
Lola immediately left, happier than she ever was. As far as I could remember, that was the happiest Lola Vemine yet. She went to the door adjacent to my room and delivered three consecutive knocks. Muffed footsteps echoed within the closed chamber until the door shrieked open. Curious about who it was, I quickly stepped out of my room.
As I walked out, I first noticed his nose until his whole face was in the picture. And I swear to God, he was drop-dead gorgeous. I didn't regret wasting an effort to see him.
But the admiration was interrupted when a sudden pang of pain terrorized my head. It felt like something pierced through it. I held my head and shut my eyes in hopes of easing the pain, but the action proved ineffective. The pain was so sudden and intense that I lost balance. I could feel myself falling, but my fast reflexes saved me as I grabbed the wall. I let myself drop until my butt touched the floor.
"Alex!" Lola called out, panic in her voice. Several footsteps ricocheted the hallway until I felt someone's hand cupped my face. It was Lola Vemine. The sensation of her touch was long etched within my memories. "What happened, Alex?" Lola asked in pure concern, but I was speechless. The pain somehow affected my tongue, or maybe I was just too focused to subdue it.
"It might be a thunderclap headache; it's just normal for teens at this time," a male voice explained. Even with my eyes closed, I was sure it came from the guy next door.
"Sorry, Sky. Alex may not be able to do it toda-"
"No, La!" I interjected. I opened my eyes, looked at her, and smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. I'm okay now. I can handle it. Just like what Sky said, it's normal," I convinced her and averted my gaze to the man named Sky, wearing a leather jacket and a black and white shirt paired with black skinny jeans and white shoes. He looked like a typical college boy or a campus heartthrob.
"Are you sure?"
I tried to get up despite the lingering pain in my head. It wasn't as bad as earlier. To fully convince the old woman before me, I stood only to find myself almost knocked over after my head spun briefly. Luckily, Lola Vemine was fast enough to catch me.
"It doesn't seem like it. You should rest, and I'll get you some medicine," the old lady suggested.
"No need, La," I rebelled.
"Don't be stubborn, young man," Lola Vemine threatened, scaring the shit out of me.
"She's right, Alex," Sky agreed. "Taking a rest would be a better idea."
******
I was in my room, lying on my soft bed with my eyes closed. The pain stayed, but unlike earlier, it was bearable and manageable. I wanted to sleep but couldn't because the guy silently couched beside me. Lola left him to watch over me while she went to get the medicine.
What does he think I am, a child?
"I notice you can draw?" Sky suddenly asked in his deep voice, sending mild piercing pain back to my head. I could even feel the vibration of the air coming from his mouth.
I closed my eyes and replied, "Sometimes."
"And how often is that sometimes?" Why does it feel like I'm being interrogated? Why does he care? "Sorry. I'm just curious." Curious, he says.
The whole room suddenly fell silent, and all I could hear were the sounds of passing cars and nearby noises.
"She must be a nice friend."
Who? Is he referring to Maica?
"A great friend," I replied, opening my eyes again and reaching for my phone.
I was surprised to see five messages from Maica's mom, furrowing my brows. It was strange to receive a message from her. From what I remember, Ms. Cristavilla only texted when something was going on. Haunted by my sudden thought, I quickly opened the messages.
The first message was sent an hour earlier. That was the time when I was lying down; maybe it was because my phone was on silent.
***
From: Tita
09-21-19 | 6:45 am
Alex?
***
***
From: Tita
09-21-19 | 6:47 am
Is Maica with you? She kind of left her phone.
***
***
From: Tita
09-21-29 | 6:48 am
If you see her, please tell her that her phone is here.
***
Relief poured over me after learning it was not bad news after all. My thoughts were all over the place, thinking that something might have happened to Maica.
***
To: Tita
09-21-19 | 7:08 am
Sure, Tita.
***
"Alex?" Sky called out to me.
"Hmm?"
"I-"
Sky was interrupted when the door suddenly burst open. Startled, I stood up and looked toward it. I was surprised to see Maica holding onto the door, catching her breath, sweating, with a bruise on the right side of her lip.
"What the! For Pete's sake, Maica, what happened to you?" I asked with pure concern. I quickly left the bed and went to her. I cupped her cheeks, and then I saw the bruises more clearly, not just on her lips but also on her left cheek, as if someone had slapped her.
Sky stared at us in shock as if his brain hadn't processed what was happening. I looked back at Maica, who was now crying. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. But aside from that, my anger towards the person who did this overshadowed everything.
"What happened, Maica?"
She just stared at the floor, sobbing. I noticed both her hands were clenched into fists as if holding a grudge against someone. And I thought she did. I let her cry for a moment. All I could do now was comfort her.
After a few minutes, she finally stopped. Just then, Sky arrived, followed by Lola. Lola Vemine instantly showed a shocked face when she saw Maica and quickly went to her side.
"What happened, hija?" she asked and sat beside her. Her face showed both concern and irritation. Sky, on the other hand, just stared at us, trying not to get involved.
"I just tripped, La," she lied. I knew that excuse was useless because Lola could tell if someone was lying.
"Next time, be careful, okay?" Lola said, earning a nod from Maica. "Okay, Alex. You take care of Maica. I have things to attend to. There's another new tenant." With a nod, I said goodbye to her. Lola stood up and walked out of the room. I followed her gaze until she was gone.
I returned to Maica, who was still silent. I could feel her trembling from fear of whoever did this to her.
"Here's the kit and the water you requested, Alex," Sky interrupted me. He placed it on a chair and approached us. I was about to take the hot compress pad when Sky spoke, "You should do ice compress first before applying heat," he suggested, so I quickly took the ice bag and gave it to Maica. She promptly took the ice bag and placed it on her bruise.
I was about to ask her again when she spoke, "That b*tch."
B*tch? Which one? Trisha?
"Who are you referring to?"
"Who else? She really managed to get me beaten up."
"You mean Trisha?"
She didn't nod, but the anger in her eyes was enough to confirm my guess.
"She messed with the wrong girl. She's going to pay for this." Her fist tightened, and she was shaking with anger.
I got scared. I was afraid of what she might do or what might happen to her. I didn't want that dream to become a reality.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone