Laticia Madrigal

Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Hate and The Love

They were young, ignorant, and happy. When did their relationship fell out? 

Laticia thought silently as she observe the features of the man laying on the bed beside her. The pair decided to take a quick nap when they felt the tension inside the Casa is still as high as after the disaster called dinner.

Laticia slowly sat on her bed and softly smiled at the male. Her fingers lightly rub the boy's cheeks, silently appreciating his sun kissed skin. Her hands traveled up to his soft curly messy hair caused laying down on the bed and silently envied to long curled eye lashes covering the male's chocolate mesmerizing cold eyes.

Signing softly Laticia fell into the depth of her memories.

Leo was devastated. It was the death of her mother and no one in the village visited her, in their words they were afraid that the cause of his parents' death was a curse, or contagious. 

It was not their fault that she got a disease that wasn't known by everyone, or can't be healed by Julietta Madrigal. It was heritage, his mother was bound to have it. And unfortunately technology isn't advance yet to gain understanding in her illness. 

Leo watch as the Madrigals minus the girl she frequently is with visited and sympathize with him.

Where is she? Where was she when he needed her the most? Did she also think that whatever his mother has is contagious? No, Impossible. Laticia isn't like that.

Leo bit his lower lip and silently trying to keep holding on the tiny hope that he only has.

Leo look up when she felt someone sitting beside him. He turn to look and saw Camilo, Laticia's cousin that has the same age as them.

Camilo leans over him and whispered causing the boy to widen his eyes and nodded.

Laticia was devastated. For three days she wasn't aloud to leave her room. She was grounded.

What did she do wrong? Was it when she pulled a prank towards the town's priest? That was the only naughty thing she ever does.

Laticia wishes for her abuela to notice her but not when she was doing bad thing. Though the prank was harmless and only left the priest into a messy situation, a situation called pink dyed wig, it wasn't something that can make her Abuela punish her but she still did.

She can't even show a frown towards the people after getting scolded. Laticia wanted to cry badly after that but she couldn't, she forced herself to smile, she force herself to show a naughty cheerful kid, she force herself to make a happy expression despite getting scolded., Laticia force herself to show an expression akin to a mature woman that learned her lesson.

When Laticia heard The death of her best friend's mother, the girl wanted to go but she wasn't allowed too. After all she was grounded or that's what she thought and believed.

The family left without her knowledge, and she only know about it when she heard Camilo and Dolores informing her outside her room.

It was unfair. What did she do?

Laticia snap her head towards the door when she heard someone knocking. Confused and curious, the girl made her way towards the door and lightly opened it, only to be greeted by a face she wishes.

"Leo!" Laticia greeted cheerfully. 

Laticia force her smile not to falter when she wasn't greeted by a grin she was used to receive.

"Laticia," Leo greeted back but without enthusiasm.

Laticia was worried and quickly opened the door widely and the boy entered her room after receiving the silent permission for him to enter.

The pair sat on the bed without words between them. The other was smiling, the other was smiling. The supposed comfortable atmosphere wasn't present, only melancholy can be detected.

That day was the last day they ever talked. A few years later, the pair met once again but with different expression on their faces.

One who was always grinning, friendly, fully of bright emotions, a sunshine become as cold as ice, emotionless and matured. the other who was full of emotions, Lively, and hopeful in life become an epitome of one expression, Smiling.

The pair stared at each other and give each other a small smiled, they weren't as bright and as genuine as before but it was there.

"Leo~" Laticia greeted and clings on his arm. Leo who was startled, almost pushed the girl away. No, he indeed push her.

Laticia who was pushed away was surprised, and hurt but those expressions didn't appear on her face. She remained smiling like a doll that was carved to always smile.

Leo was about to apologized but no words left his throat because he didn't regret it. He didn't regret pushing her and it was unexpected, horrifying when he found about it. but he refused to show it, he refused to show any emotions.

The 11 years old kid stared at Laticia who was smiling at her and frowned, because on that single face hundreds of others overlapped showing one expression. 

They were all smiling but their eyes were empty, unsympathetic, disgusted and displease. Those emotions are the only thing Leo could see after his mother's death. He tried to ignore them but he could still seem them, he could remember that disgust they held.

Although they weren't pointed at him, it was still there. And Leo hated it, How the kid who was supposed to be ignorant with such vile stared could see it and wasn't please with them.

Laticia watch as the boy in front of her frowned at her. She could feel the emotions within him. The displease, and hatred. but why does she felt that despite looking at her, they weren't for her?

But her ability to feel emotions directed to her is reliable. With that though, Laticia was convince, those emotions were for her.

 but how could the girl focus on those emotions when seeing the frown on the boy's face is like seeing her abuela's expression when staring at her.

'You are an independent and matured for your age. Thus, you must always smile to please others, and never argue with them especially to your family because they know you could understand them, you wouldn't like it when they start to dislike you now, would you?'

Laticia's smile widen and Leo's frowned deepen.

A year later, the pair met again but this time not as friends.

"We should celebrate for our family's successfully partnership. Laticia and Leo will marry each other as soon as they reach adulthood." Abuela Alma happily announce and was responded with cheers from both families.

They got engaged. The pair was happy with the thought of being together forever but their feelings aren't bound to be the same. 

The girl was happy to be with her first love and former best friend but hated the fake and the force of their relationship. 

The other was happy to be able to be with the person he likes forever but hated the thought of being with a person who wasn't different from the others, a faker.

The pair felt it The Hate and The Love.