VODKA [GXG, INTERSEX] (BOOK 1)

Chapter 1

DAWN

I never thought I'd be at my father's grave. Seeing his name, Lucian Alastair Bituin, carved on the stone made my heart ache. He was buried next to my mom, Autumn Talia Bituin.

The rain fell, just like my tears. He wasn't a good dad, but he was still my father. He started drinking a lot after Mom died, when I was just four years old.

I wish I could have been closer to him, but his drinking made it hard. I miss them, and I wish things had been different.

"Dawn, our condolences," my circle of friends said, their voices laced with sympathy.  They helped me up, their arms wrapping around me in a warm embrace.

My eyes widened as I saw my twin sister, Dusk, standing under the tree in the distance. She was wearing a all-black, her dark hair framing her face, and sunglasses shielding her eyes. A little girl stood beside her, a tiny hand clutching Dusk's. It had been years since I'd seen her. She always hated our father, harboring resentment since we were children, because he neglected us. But I understood where he was coming from. He loved our mother deeply, and her passing had changed him forever.

I dusted off my black dress and excused myself from my friends, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and apprehension. As I walked towards them, Dusk stood there, unmoving, her gaze fixed on something beyond me.

I stared at the little girl, who smiled up at me with bright, curious eyes. She was blonde, just like Dusk. I think this is Dusk's daughter, I thought. She only inherited her mother's hair and eyes. I realized then that I had missed a lot of chapters of my twin sister's life.

"Hello there, sweetie," I said, smiling down at her.

"You look like my Mommy," she replied, beaming.

It was confirmed.  This little girl was Dusk's daughter.

I turned to my sister, "Dusk," I said, gently taking her hand. It was crossed tightly against her chest.

She didn't move, her gaze fixed on our father's grave. I saw a tear roll down her cheek, and I wrapped my arms around her.  She didn't hug me back right away, but slowly, her arms found their way around me, and she let out a choked sob.

I held her body firmly, afraid we might both fall. I glanced at her daughter, who was watching us with wide, curious eyes. When Dusk calmed down, I crouched down to the little girl's level.

"Ano pangalan mo, sweetie?" I asked softly.

"Vaughn," she replied, her voice small but clear.

I looked up at Dusk, who was still trying to compose herself. Then I turned back to Vaughn.  "Ilang taon ka na?" I asked.

"Four years old," she answered, holding up four tiny fingers. My heart melted.  She was so adorable.

I stood up and faced Dusk.  "May anak ka na pala. May I ask who is her father?"

She shook her head.  "Patay na," she said, looking away.

I nodded my head slowly and inaya ko ang dalawa na lumapit sa mga kaibigan ko. Nakatingin ang tatlo sa karga kong bata, at biglang naging awkward ang sitwasyon dahil sa presensya ni Dusk. Dating lima kami, kasama si Dusk, pero bigla na lang siyang umalis nang walang dahilan.

"This is Vaughn, anak ni Dusk," I said, trying to break the tension.

As I introduced her, I noticed the shift in my friends' expressions. They seemed surprised but curious, their eyes darting between Dusk and the little girl in my arms.

Little Vaughn waved at them, her tiny hand reaching out, and their smiles bloomed as they passed her around.

Since malapit nang umulan, I insisted that we should go eat dinner na since it's going to be dark soon.

We were waiting for our order, and thankfully, the awkward barrier between the three and my twin sister seemed to be fading. They were already chatting, laughing, and sharing stories. I looked over at Luna, who was holding Vaughn. She always loved kids.

"You're so pretty, munchkin," Luna cooed, squeezing Vaughn's cheek with a look of pure adoration.

"Dusk, sino ba ang ama ng anak mo? Bakit napakagandang bata naman nito. May lahi din ba?" Jacinto asked, his voice booming as always. He was the loudest of our group, a flamboyant gay man.

He and Apollo, who was also openly gay, were a couple. They were quite the pair, always flirting and being affectionate, even in front of us.  Sometimes they'd even get a little too PDA, right in our faces.

Ampopogi ng mga pangalan pero mga bakla, lalo na si Apollo na mukhang straight pero tatalunin ka sa chismisan.

Dusk and I had half American blood, since our mother was American.  Looking at Vaughn, it was clear her father had some mixed heritage too. She didn't look Filipina at all.

Dusk shook her head. "Just, dead," she said, her voice flat and emotionless.  The guys, sensing her coldness, didn't press the issue further.

***

It's been weeks since Dad passed away. My sister and I were on our way to school after dropping Vaughn off at daycare. Dusk enrolled in our school, deciding to continue her college studies here. It felt surreal, four years had passed since we last saw each other.  She only came back because of Dad.

Thankfully, she managed to catch up, enrolling just last week, right before classes started. She had a lot of paperwork to process, which is why she was late.

She decided to live in America with our grandparents, Mom's parents. I never really understood her reasons for leaving.  Meanwhile, I stayed with Tita Selene, Dad's sister. She's the rich aunt who always spoiled us, since she never married.  After Dad passed, Tita became our guardian.  She couldn't stop my twin sister from leaving when we were 17.

So yeah, we're both 21 now, graduating students. Dusk is studying Psychology, while I'm focusing on Linguistics, specifically the English Language. It's a good thing Dusk can finish her last year here at Morningstar University, owned by Tito Lunar, Dad's twin brother and Luna's father. Yes, we're cousins.

Once I parked the car, Dusk got out, and I followed suit after making sure the car was locked.

Heads turned as we walked. Double the beauty, double the attention. Well, of course, my twin was back.

We parted ways, her heading towards the Social Science Department, while I made my way to the Arts and Humanities Department.

"Good morning, president," Brandon Stefano greeted me, his voice smooth and charming.  He was handsome, athletic, and definitely popular, but he wasn't my type. His bad hygiene was a major turn-off, ew.

Ako ang class president, at sabihin na nating isa ako sa mga top students, hehe.

Hindi ko siya pinansin at umupo na sa harapan. Wala naman seat plan pero karamihan ng mga estudyante nakaupo sa likod.  Bakit kaya?  Takot ba silang matawag?

Pumasok na ang professor namin, si Sir Broque.  Tinuturo niya sa amin ang Morphology, at siya rin ang Dean ng aming College.  Sobrang talino niya, master ng subject niya.  Medyo terror siya, pero tiyak na matututo ka sa kanya.  Ang matandang ito, mataas talaga ang standard niya.

My eyes snagged on a tall woman standing behind him. She was a vision in dark hues, her long, raven hair cascading down her back, framing a face that was both beautiful and unsettling. Her eyes, a piercing hazel, seemed to hold a world of secrets. May lahi ito, I thought, a hint of Russian maybe? She was undeniably gorgeous, but there was an aura about her, a chilling intensity that made my skin prickle. Di ko alam kung matatakot ba ako o mamangha. Her intricate tattoos, peeking out from under the black tank top and cargo pants she wore, only added to her intimidating presence.

Ano ba, pupunta ba ito sa funeral? Puro black lang ang suot niya.

Studyante ba talaga ito? Para namang criminal na tumakas sa kulungan. Magandang criminal!