Chasing The Crown

Chapter #2: ❝A Thorn In The Booth❞

The afternoon sun bathed the campus in a warm glow, casting long shadows across the open grounds of the University of Santo Tomas. As Joshua and Yvonne made their way to the booth where the Student Government (SSG) was busy preparing for an upcoming event, he could feel a headache forming at the back of his head.

He wasn't sure if it was the stress of balancing his studies or the fact that Rhiannon—his youngest sister and newly elected SSG President—was doing something that was bound to aggravate him. From a distance, he could already spot her, precariously perched atop a ladder.

"Rhiannon!" Joshua called out, his voice edged with disapproval as he quickened his pace.

Rhiannon turned her head, her ponytail swinging as she gave him a grin. "Relax, kuya, I got this!"

"Ikaw na nga ang president, bakit kailangan ikaw pa 'yung nasa taas?" Joshua sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're wearing a skirt, for crying out loud."

Her skirt fluttered slightly in the breeze, a fact not lost on him—or on the group of juniors standing nearby, who watched the situation unfold with a mix of awe and concern. Isabel and Andrea were among them, both looking up at Rhiannon with evident worry.

"Hindi ko naman mabibitawan ang SSG duties just because I'm president now," Rhiannon replied, slowly climbing down the ladder with ease. "Besides, wala namang makaka-disrespect sa 'kin dito." She smiled cheekily, giving him a playful nudge as her feet finally touched the ground.

Joshua couldn't help but shake his head in exasperation. He loved his sisters, but sometimes they both made his job as an older brother more complicated than it needed to be.

Before he could reprimand her further, he noticed Yvonne standing just a few steps away. Rhiannon's expression immediately shifted—her playful demeanor replaced by a flicker of distaste.

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"Kumusta?" Yvonne asked, completely unaware or maybe just pretending not to notice the tension between her and Joshua's sisters. She stood beside Joshua with a bright smile, still holding her bag with one hand, looking like she had every right to be there.

Rhiannon didn't bother to hide her irritation, though she didn't voice it either. "Good to see you, Yvonne," she said, her tone polite but clipped.

Yvonne didn't seem to catch—or maybe chose to ignore—the icy reception. "Mukhang busy kayo dito, ha? Do you need help with anything?" she offered, her eyes briefly flickering to Andrea and Isabel, who were standing by the booth.

"Actually, okay na kami," Rhiannon responded, glancing at her friends for support. Andrea, standing beside the booth with her arms crossed, nodded in agreement. Isabel, on the other hand, simply gave a weak smile, always the peacekeeper.

Joshua, feeling the growing tension between his sister and Yvonne, rubbed the back of his neck. He was used to this by now, the unspoken conflict that seemed to hover whenever Yvonne interacted with his sisters. Rhiannon, while diplomatic, clearly didn't like Yvonne. As for Kaitlyn—well, she made her distaste much more obvious.

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Right on cue, Kaitlyn appeared, heading toward the booth. The moment her eyes landed on Yvonne, her expression hardened.

"Ano ginagawa mo dito?" Kaitlyn asked bluntly, not even bothering with a greeting.

Joshua groaned inwardly. Of all the times for Kaitlyn to show up. "Kaitlyn, huwag naman masyadong rude," he said softly, though he knew it would likely fall on deaf ears.

"Rude?" Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow, her sharp gaze still fixed on Yvonne. "I'm just asking a question."

Yvonne, for her part, managed a tight smile. "Tumutulong lang ako kay Joshua. I thought I'd drop by and see if you guys needed anything."

Kaitlyn didn't bother to hide the sarcasm in her voice. "Thanks, but we're more than capable. We don't need help from outsiders."

"Outsiders?" Yvonne repeated, her voice laced with frustration. "I used to be part of this group, Kaitlyn."

"And that's used to be," Kaitlyn shot back, crossing her arms. "You're not part of the SSG anymore."

Rhiannon, sensing the situation was getting out of hand, quickly stepped in. "Ate, tama na," she said, giving her older sister a warning glance. "We have enough to deal with right now, so let's not make this worse."

Kaitlyn huffed but didn't say anything more, her arms still crossed as she stood next to Rhiannon, her body language clearly closed off to Yvonne.

Joshua, feeling the awkwardness settle in, cleared his throat. "Look, let's not make this a big deal. We're all just here to help out, right?"

Andrea, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange, finally spoke up. "Tama si Joshua. We should focus on getting things ready for the festival. May mga kailangang tapusin pa."

Her voice was calm, but there was a firmness to it that caught everyone's attention. Even Kaitlyn seemed to soften slightly at her words.

"Salamat, Andrea," Joshua said, flashing her a grateful smile. He appreciated her no-nonsense attitude, and it seemed to diffuse the tension, if only a little.

"Okay," Rhiannon sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We need to finish setting up the booth decorations. Andrea, Isabel, can you guys handle that?"

"Sure," Andrea nodded, her eyes meeting Joshua's for a brief moment before she turned her attention back to the task at hand.

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As the others began to busy themselves with preparations, Joshua turned to Yvonne. "Baka it's best if you head back," he suggested gently. "I'll see you later sa class."

Yvonne frowned slightly but nodded. "Okay, sige. Text me na lang if you need anything."

Joshua gave her a reassuring smile before she turned and walked away, her retreating figure blending into the crowd of students. He exhaled, feeling the tension ease slightly now that the confrontation had passed.

"Finally," Kaitlyn muttered under her breath. "Akala ko hindi na siya aalis."

"She's not that bad, Kaitlyn," Joshua replied, his tone half-hearted. He didn't want to get into another argument, especially not with his sister.

Kaitlyn shot him a look. "She acts like she's still part of everything. Newsflash: she's not."

Joshua rubbed his temples. "Just... don't start. We have enough going on with the festival."

Rhiannon, still climbing back up on the ladder despite Joshua's earlier protests, called out, "Okay, back to work! No more drama."

Joshua shook his head but couldn't help smiling slightly. Even when his sisters drove him crazy, they were still his family. And despite everything, he wouldn't have it any other way.

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