in love with a villain | choni

-2-

As Toni's daily routine; waking up at 4 am to do everything needed for her cousins Megan and Lester was her priority. From breakfast, waking them up, giving them snacks, and reserve money, just like a mother has been her life for four years.

Toni has officially stopped going to school in her second year of college to fully support her cousins. She doesn't know what she should feel about giving up her dreams for these kids but she feels happy watching them grow under her guidance. She's rooting for them to graduate and achieve their goals shortly regardless of how hard things would get her through. They are her family.

After taking a warm bath, she wore her uniform for work before heading downstairs to prepare breakfast. In the middle of cooking, she walked upstairs, to Lester's room.

"Lester, wake up! Time for school!" she called, yelling.

 The kids aren't easily convinced by just shaking their shoulders so that's how it's done. She walked in and saw Lester stretching his arms, yawning.

"Hi, Toni. Good morning!" he said lively, hugging her. He's the sweetest and to be honest, she's thankful that at his age, he hasn't thought about doing something inappropriate like what other teenagers do for the sake of experimentation. With that being said, he promised to be a good brother and model to Megan and she's so happy that he's doing so fine.

"Get up and wake your sister, okay?" Toni said, pulling away. "I'm cooking, so hurry up or else you guys will be late," she added and rubbed his curly and fluffy hair.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, hopping off the bed. 

Toni let him do what he needs to do; wake up his sister before doing his own thing. She walked back downstairs to check on the food and it took her over half an hour to get everything done. She removed her apron and hung it on the hook. She walked upstairs to check on the kids, but she stopped on her tracks, smiling when she found them approaching with wide smiles flashed on their faces.

"Come on, breakfast is ready." Toni mirrored their smile. "Made your favorites."

"I'll be on my shift until late at night, so Lester, you know what you need to do, okay? Fetch your sister," Toni reminded.

"Ugh, Toni. I'm not a kid anymore," Megan whined, slicing her pancake.

"I know, but that's how it should be. Remember those kidnappers out there? We should be scared." Toni sighed. "I'm just trying to protect you."

"I'll take care of it, Toni. I promise," Lester assured.

"I know you will."

After they had breakfast, Toni did Megan's hair; two braids parted equally like what the girl likes her hair styled. After giving them their lunch packs and sliced fruits for snacks, they all headed to her father's old but restored Toyota car.

"So Lester," she began. "Take care, okay? Here." She handed him their allowance.

"Of course, Toni," he replied, grinning. He then kept the money inside his wallet. "Thank you again. So much."

"Anything for you guys," she replied, smiling warmly at them both. "Let's go?"

He nodded.

They were enrolled in the Southside High before but because of drug dealing cases that happened within the school compound, she decided to transfer them where it's safer and they'd get to have a good quality of education. Thankfully, they are recipients of the Care Foundation's scholarship grants.

She drove them to Riverdale High safely and watched them walk in the school's front door. After, she drove herself to the Northside cemetery to visit someone before heading to work at the cafe. She picked two pieces of flower she found somewhere and placed them in his niche.