Traversing with the Infinity (Sun Rays #1)

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Jayscen Denisse San Diego

Expectation.

Ever since I was a kid, the moment I first set foot in school, I carried a single expectation-I had to aim higher. Failure was not an option, not because anyone forced it on me, but because the idea of disappointing my parents felt like disappointing myself.

What I envision for myself has always been larger than the pressure that comes with it. And yet, it's my own pride that keeps my steady and stubborn feet moving.

These dreams are mine.

I refuse to fail.

I refuse to let everything I've built crumble into nothing.

From the beginning, I have only ever known one direction: upward.

I wasn't naturally gifted at anything, but I was always willing to learn. I always study hard to satisfy myself. So whenever I stumbled, whenever I fell short, I did everything I could to make up for it.

I hate mess, too. Growing up in a house without maids, I learned early on that cleanliness was not just a choice, it was a habit. It was just the three of us: Mommy, Dadday, and me. Even though they could afford help, Mom never wanted it. She's as Filipino as it gets, and she made sure I understood the value of keeping a home in order.

Dad, on the other hand, was different. He spoiled me, doted on me, but he was also my biggest tormentor, the one who teased me relentlessly, pushed my buttons, got under my skin just for the fun of it. Maybe that's why I grew up irritable, quick-tempered, easily annoyed by the smallest things.

As I got older, that expectation I built for myself only grew heavier. Study hard. Get into my dream school here in the US. Move forward, no distractions. I never really let people in, not because I didn't want to, but because I had this invisible radar, it became a boundary that kept most at a distance.

But still. . . it always depended on the person. Some people had a way of slipping past the radar, whether I liked it or not.

"Daddy, please. I don't wanna go to the Philippines."

I stomped my feet in the air, frustration bubbling up with each movement as I stormed to the edge of my bed, out of reach from Dad's grasp. Argh! No, no way! Of all places, why did it have to be the Philippines for the whole vacation?!

"Jay-Den, listen. I promise you, son, you will like it there!" Dad tried to convince me more but I just shook my head with a grumpy look on my face.

"No way, Dad. No way," I argued more as I crossed my arms over my chest. "And don't call me Jay-Den, Dad. It doesn't sound good."

Dad just responded a loud laugh, like a deep, booming sound that seemed to enjoy my reaction. He's always like that. Whenever I'm upset, he never tries to calm me down. Instead, he just lets me be.

He never gets angry, I must say-he's always so laid-back. I could tell he was just teasing me right now, and it was effectively working.

"Alright, my boy, I get it. Now listen to me," he said with a wide grin on his lips as he sat down on my bed.

"We have to stay there for a whole vacation since it's your grandma's request. She wants to see you, and we're going to celebrate your seventh birthday there. Understand?" He changed his tone into a sincere one.

I scoffed, pouting my lips.

The reason why I do not want to go to the Philippines was because some of my friends at school told me that kids there are annoying and messy.