Hampas ng Alon (Puhon Series #2)

Chapter Three

#HNA3

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"Quinn!"

I groaned. "Yes, Ma!"

"Ma-la-late na tayo, Anak!" Mama knocked on my door again. "Your lolo will get mad at us, Quinn, kumilos ka na."

All I ever wanted was to stay in my bedroom—or a dance room perhaps—but both of them are impossible for today. Lolo will get mad at me... again. I'm getting used to it, though. Sometimes, I feel like I'm one of the guests at my own family's gathering. Everyone's making me feel unwelcome—except for mama and kuya. How funny, right?

I'm a part of their family—by blood and by papers—but it doesn't feel like it.

Persona non grata.

After taking a hot bath and making myself look presentable, I ran towards Kuya Drake's room for help. I hate family gatherings with extended relatives. If it is just with kuya, mama, and papa, then I'm good.

But with this situation right now?

I don't think I'll be okay.

Kuya Drake could help me, though. It is only him that could help me live peacefully at the lunch date later. He is Lolo's golden boy; I'm sure he won't get mad at him if he'll leave the lunch early.

"Kuya," I said in a sad tone while he was busy fixing his hair in front of his full body mirror. He looked at me from the mirror and raised his brow. I sighed and said, "Let's leave right after eating with them... please?"

He nodded his head without even thinking about what I said. "Okay," he said.

"Okay?" I furrowed my brows, confused. It is not like him to ditch a lunch date with our family, especially our cousins. Kuya Drake's so friendly that he is the person our cousins run to at all times. As for me? I guess my cousins and I are okay.

"Yes, okay. Why?" He asked while he was wearing the watch papa gave him as a present.

"Why do you always say yes to me in a snap?" I rested both of my hands on my waist. "You can say no to me, you know? It's a lunch date with our family and our cousins will be there," I said.

He laughed before walking towards me and touseling my hair. "My Quinn," he said.

I am actually a month older than him. It was supposed to be a year but I guess papa is that great—gosh. They didn't even wait a year or so before creating me! Anyway, even though I am months older than Drake, he still treats me like his own baby sister. I'm fine with it; not weird at all since he was like that from the start.

While we were in the car on the way to Lolo's house, a small family argument happened. I tried to remain hushed while Kuya Drake was defending me from papa. At first, when I was still a kid, seeing papa being so close to kuya hurt me—but I guess I'm slowly getting used to it.

"Pa, can you stop?" Kuya Drake was fuming mad but still has himself together. "Audrey didn't even do anything. You're being harsh on her again."

I sighed. "Kuya, that's enough," I whispered.

"Sinasabi ko lang naman na makisama at makihalubilo siya sa mga tao mamaya!" Papa defended himself from Kuya Drake while mama was sitting silently. Mama's always like that; it doesn't mean that she doesn't care, it's just that she knows when to talk and when not to do so.

"If she wants to go home immediately then let her," Kuya Drake said. "It's not like the whole lunch date will get ruined."

"That's enough," Mama warned them while caressing papa's arms.