NIGHT [GXG] (BOOK 2)

Chapter 3

"Nyx!" I looked at my best friend, Zenith, yelling my name. I saw her walking towards me, her eyes narrowed at Trevor.

She pulled me away from him, her grip firm and reassuring. "Z!" I released a sigh of relief as I felt Trevor's hold on me loosen.

"Don't even think about it, Trevor," Zenith warned him, her voice low and dangerous.  "You're lucky she's in a good mood today. But I'm not."

Trevor smirked, "Chill, Zenith. Just trying to catch up with my girl."

"She's not your girl anymore, Trevor," Zenith reminded him, her eyes flashing with anger.  "And if you try anything like that again, I won't hesitate to... kill you. Or maybe, my sister can do me a favor." She smirked at him.

Trevor became silent, his smirk fading a little. "I'll leave you two alone." He said, I don't know pero parang natakot talaga siya. He gave me a last, lingering look before heading off in the opposite direction.

"Thanks, Z," I said, giving her a grateful smile.  "He can be so persistent."

"I know, I know," Zenith said, her voice softening. "Wala akong tiwala doon sa lalaking iyon, really. He's just clueless sometimes."

"Clueless?" I chuckled, shaking my head.  "More like delusional."

"Alright, alright, enough with the boy talk," Zenith said, changing the subject. "Let's go find our classes. I'm starving, and I want to hit the cafeteria before the line gets too long."

I nodded, my stomach growling in agreement. "Good idea. I'm ready for some food."

As we walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Zenith was always there for me, always ready to rescue me from any awkward situations. She was my best friend, my confidante, my rock. Noong senior high school pa kami. And I knew that I could always count on her, no matter what.

Actually may iba pa kaming mga friends, pero sa ibang Universities and Schools sila nag-college. I'm just glad that Zenith stayed here with me.

"Anyway, Z. I just want to say sorry dahil hindi ako nakapunta sa bahay niyo. Our family vacation extended sa Pennsylvania." I said while kumakain kami, feeling a little guilty for missing our farewell party with our other friends.

"No worries. Ay oo pala, how is your debut next week?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I'm stressed about what I'm going to wear, while my twin was just so chill." I rolled my eyes, thinking about Vlad's laid-back attitude towards the whole thing.

"I haven't met your twin yet," she said, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

Parang ghost din naman kasi yun dito sa school, I rarely saw her. She was usually busy with her own things, and I was usually busy with mine.

"Just think of a masculine version of me, she's a female tho and intersex. We do not fully look alike since fraternal twins." I explained, trying to give her a mental image.

"Wow, oh really? Sure ako pogi kakambal mo," she wondered, her eyes wide with surprise.

I gave her a 'can't-believe' reaction, "Ew!"  I couldn't help but cringe at the thought of her being attracted to my twin.

She laughed, "Hoy! Kakambal mo yun, maka-ew ka diyan."

I laughed along with her, shaking my head. I couldn't wait for her to see my debut gown.  I knew Vlad had something to say about it, good or bad.

I fixed my skirt as I sat in front, mag-isa ko ngayon. Ang course kasi ni Zenith is Political Science, huwaw talaga. There were unfamiliar faces too, maraming taga-ibang school, while others na namumukhaan were my former classmates noon.

Pumasok na yung professor namin, my eyes widened realizing that it's Tita Luna. She was my mom's best friend, and I've known her since I was a kid. I remember her as a fun and bubbly woman, always with a smile on her face.

She smiled at me when she saw me, a warm and familiar smile. But she quickly switched back to her serious mode nung hinarap na niya ang buong class.

"Good morning, students. I'm Luna Aster Bituin," she introduced while writing her name on the board. "I'll be your professor on Business Communication for this first semester." She said, her voice is firm and authoritative.

Mukhang strict pala si Tita Luna, she does look soft, but nung nagsalita siya tumahimik ang lahat. She had that aura of authority that commanded respect.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I knew Tita Luna was a good professor, but I couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. She was, after all, my mom's best friend and cousin. And she was also the one who had taught my mom the ins and outs of the publishing business.

Linguistics din ang course niya noon, with my parents. She's the head of the English department under the Arts and Humanities, she teaches English subjects, of course. And Business Communication is one of the General English subjects kaya siya din pala ang professor namin.

I hoped that she wouldn't be too hard on me. I wanted to do well in her class, not only to impress her, but also because I knew that her insights would be invaluable to my future career.

I was eager to learn from her, but I was also a little nervous. I knew that she was a tough professor, but I was determined to prove myself to her.

After all, I had a lot to learn. And I knew that Tita Luna was the perfect person to teach me.

After the class, I'm with Zenith again. She invited me to her house, mag-isa niya naman daw lagi sa mansion since her older sister rarely visits.

It's my second time going here, it's cozy and comfy naman. Our mansion kasi is very gothic, that's the signature theme of The Antonov. It's imposing and grand, it signifies our family's wealth and power.

Being an Antonov is thrilling since our family is a reputable Mafia, some send us death threats which I find riveting. Dada replaced Papshy Vanity as the new head of the Antonov. Nasa Novosibirsk Russia siya ngayon with Mamshy Ekaterina, they stayed there for good.

Dada doesn't involve us in our family's crime syndicate, she's very strict about our security and well-being. Sayang, gustong gusto ko talaga sumali. I'm curious about Dada's work. Well despite that I wanted to further my career in business, I'm also interested in our family Mafia.

I've always been fascinated by the world of organized crime. The secrecy, the power, the danger, it all captivated me. I've read countless books and watched countless movies about the Mafia, and I've always dreamed of being a part of it.

But Dada was adamant about keeping us out of the family business. She said that it was too dangerous, that it would put us at risk. But I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration.

I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. I wanted to feel the thrill of the chase, the adrenaline rush of a dangerous life. And I knew that, with Dada as the head of the Antonov. But for now, I had to content myself with my studies. Maybe someday, I would get the chance to prove myself to Dada and earn my place in the family business.

And I would wait for the day when I could finally step out of the shadows and into the light, as a true Antonov.