Less Than Friends

01.

Chapter 1

Around 2:30 AM, I was still awake, I was worried about the exam tomorrow, sa tuwing naiisip kong mag-kakamali ako sa lahat ng tanong ay nagiging praning ako, my eyes felt dry as I re-read throughout the books, there's no way I will risk anything in the exam, pabalik-balik ang pag-basa ko hanggang sa permanente itong tumatak sa utak ko, as I read my books, I can hear my sister making so much noice next door, we're both still awake this early in the morning but with different reasons, we both have exams tomorrow but unlike me, she doesn't mind having whatever grades she'll get. I don't understand how people don't get anxiety even if the examination is just around the corner, everything is not all about fun.

Maya-maya ay hinayaan ko nalang ang sarili kong makatulog sa lamesa ko, the alarm rang at exactly 6:30 AM, I scratched my eyes as I went out of my room only to find my mom sitting in the dining room, she normally doesn't stay at home, mom and dad are already living their own separated lives, mom will only visit us whenever she feels like it, but she seems too early today.

"What are you doing here?" I ask as I walk out of my room.

"That's not how daughters are usually with their mothers, are you that unhappy to see me here?" She said as she sips on her coffee.

Maya maya ay lumabas na rin Katie, her face lit up when she saw mom.

"Mom!" Agad niya itong niyakap.

Both of them looked like they got separated after a tsunami happened, I didn't mind them at agad nag-hanap ng kape sa reft, hindi na ako nagti-timpla ng kape sa umaga, bumibili nalang ako ng timplado na at nilalagay sa reft, I was having a hard time looking for something easier to make in the morning and coffee was the easiest to make, hence I just bought a lot of it and have my own stocks of coffee.

I washed my faced and sat on the table while reading my notes, my eyes feel swollen as I read the words on my notebook, kinuha ko ang bote ng kape and took advantage of it's coldness at linagay sa mata ko.

"It's your exam day?" Mom asked.

"Yeah mom, can we go shopping after?" Katie asked.

"Sure, Kyla you should go with us, enough with the books already."

Binaba ko ang bote and burried myself in my notebook.

"I can't..."

I can see Katie from my peripheral vision rolling her eyes at me.

"Mom, hayaan niyo na po siya, for sure hindi naman siya mahilig sa mga damit eh, panigurado libro lang din naman bibilhin niyan mabo-bored lang siya ron."

My mom looked at me, she was right though, aanhin ko ang mga damit, mom buys us a lot of clothes, hindi ko pa nga nasusuot ang iba roon, even dad buys us a lot of those at mga iba pang gamit na hindi ko naman ginagamit, paborito nilang dalawa 'yang si Katie, she's affectionate towards them, hindi ko na gustong bumuo pa ng koneksyon with them, gusto ko nalang grumaduate and get myself out of this place, apart from my relationship to my sister and my parents, gusto ko lang ay mapag-isa.

Pakatapos kong ubusin 'yung kape ay agad na ako naligo at pinatuyo ang buhok ko, sinuot ko na ang uniform ko at nag-ayos ng kaunti dahil sa tuwing umaga ay namumutla ako, mom buys us make-up and to make use of it, palagi ko nalang din ginagamit bago umalis.

"I got to go, mom, are you going to stay here?" I asked.

"Already? Bakit napaka-aga mo naman?"

"SSG duties." I lied, I want to study there instead of staying here.

"Oh, I see..."

Sometimes I think I regretted becoming an SSG president, I have to divide my task as a student and my duties as a president, pero maganda rin itong paraan para makipag-close sa mga teachers and to be updated first, kaso nakakapagod nga lang.