Allera.

MONEY - 7

It is Allera's 17th birthday, she won't get out of bed. Teeth haven't been brushed, hair's tangled, clothes from 3 days ago, and a bunch of empty food trays Allera refused to be taken out by the maid. Nobody was allowed to enter her room for the past 3 days. She wallowed for over a year already but this day, this day was the worst for her. Nobody knows who did this to her. 

Her father knocks on Allera's dark room, her father is expecting an answer but no one answer. He push open the door just to peek and saw that Allera's laying on her bed with so many tissues.

"Allera... you have to get to school, you skipped 3 days worth of school."

 He puts on a sad look on his face and glances at his watch. He had to be in his office in 10, so he close back the door and left Allera sobbing even harder.

By the time hits 00:00 on 19th February, Allera's birthday had passed, her room was already clean and she had already showered. She decides that she is going out to party and grind some random guy while she's at it. She has put her mind to it, she swore to live her life never to fall in love again. She immediately broke, because she just met a guy named Jack she grinds while she was drunk. She thought an enough-looking guy for her to be seen together in public. 

===

It was a Wednesday morning and I had just gone out of the shower. I woke up at my usual time so I could be in school an hour early. I have no clue how people haven't started noticing and how the DailyMagz hasn't made a blog on my appearance on the IT girl. I could start worrying right now but I chose not to. 

I arrive at school, at the exact time I did a week ago, and now it just feels like a routine. I woke up early, pick out clothes, come out of my apartment, and sat on the bench I have started sitting on last week to wait for classes. And does nothing. I mean it is working since nobody noticed. 

My birthday was 5 days ago and I still think about my drunk self and Luca's interaction and I still can't recall any of it. But I don't put pressure on remembering it, just that look he gave me before I stop remembering things has been bothering me. But I shook my head to take the thought away. 

Anyway, I just got my first pay from the IT girl photoshoot I did, they paid me 500 dollars just to take pictures of me for 2 hours and they will pay me a dollar for every 10 view that watches my 'What is in my purse; FEBRUARY IT GIRL' video, which now has 19.000 viewers in 5 days. This means by this Friday my manager would send me almost 1900 dollars or more if the viewer adds up. So in total, I have 2400 dollars!

I could save up so I could pay back my father 5 grand he loaned. That I have finished the third day into maturity and independence. I quickly check my phone to see if an email from a local company had seen my CV, but not a single email came from them. I'm a bit offended, I am practically a professional model, how could they do this to me? I sent them an email days ago. I had a feeling this was just a fake job.

Then I hear the bell ringing. I rush up and walk to my first class of the day. 

Walking in the hallway, I see Luca coming my way. I rolled my eyes because I know he is going to say something out of context to me and even mock me. But when I thought he was going to stop and make conversation, he just passes me by. He doesn't even look my way like I was invincible. I was shocked, something was weird. I look back and saw he did not even look back. My head went back to my birthday night but I just don't know what am I supposed to remember. I shrug it off, even though it's crippling in my head. I look straight forward and just walk looking very shocked and confused. 

I walk into my class and saw Mr. Smith's eyes light up when he sees me. 

"Allera! I saw your pictures in IT girl mag and you look fabulous!", He said excited for me, and a hint of proudness in his tone. 

I nod and smile as 'you're welcome' and find my way to my seat.

Instantly after I sit down, I daze off, It's like I am not meant to be in school. So I decided to take out my notebook, not for English lit but for my money management data. I wrote things about what to spend my money on. The 500 dollars I got is for paying for my Dermatologist appointment yesterday, which costs me 300 dollars/per appointment. I have 150 dollars which are going to my skincare product. I am saving that 50 dollars for my gym membership.

 Sadly, I have school lunch food to live off mainly because all the school appliances are paid for by my father. I had to skip dinner altogether before getting that pay. I let out a sigh, and notice Mr. Smith's eyes went to me. I think he wants to know how I'm doing. If only he knew this year's birthday went blackout so I didn't get the chance to wallow. I put out my notebook and manage to sit up straight. Mr. Smith is teaching us about recount text, I try so hard to focus but I just physically can't. So I drop my head on the table and slept.

===

An aching feeling coming from my neck, I think It's because I slept for two hours in the same position. My hands had become red as I turn them into a pillow for my head. I stretches and saw that Mr. Smith is still in the class, sitting on his desk typing things on his laptop and everyone in the room had gone to the cafeteria or I assume they went there.

"What? Why didn't you wake me up?", I say in the sleepiest tone ever.

He stands and walk to the seat in front of me, and sat there facing me. I feel like I know what's coming, the usual question is 'Are you okay?'

"Are you okay?", Mr. Smith says with a sad tone. 

Then the next question is, 'Did you have fun honey?'

"Did you at least have fun?", He asks again. 

I refuse to answer because I know there are still questions coming. After this, he is going to apologize for not saying happy birthday first and force me to answer his question. 

"Did you see him that night?", Whoa he went different this year. 

I rolled my eyes, he gave me a condescending look so I was practically right. He forced me to answer his freaking question. I let out a harsh groan.

"Yes I'm okay and Yes I think I had fun, but I blacked out. I had so many presents, like when I said so much I mean hundreds, but there were some duplicates gift but It's fine I could just sell-",

"What do you mean you blacked out?!", Mr. Smith jumped out of the chair.

"Ugh... I'm 18, I had a little too much to drink. I woke up on the floor, and nothing happen", I try to relax him, but he seemed to calm down and sit back down. 

"And did you?," He asks, forcing me to answer his last question. 

"Yeah, I blacked out on him."

TO BE CONTINUED