THE LAST ONE ❥ rafe cameron

𓆉 ONE

𓆉𓂃 ོ𓂃

BRIELLE MACATANGAY WAS JUST ANOTHER KOOK FROM FIGURE EIGHT. Actually, scratch that, for her generation, she was the Kook Princess. Kildare's sweetheart, dating Kildare's resident asshole. What a match, right?

Brielle's parents were both born in the Philippines, their families moving to the States at different times during their teen years. Her mother, Danielle Cruz, went to culinary school in California, and was interning at a restaurant while her father, Kent Macatangay, was doing his medical residency. One trip to a coffee shop at the same time, and the rest was history.

Danielle had been from Kildare before going off to college, and when they got married, they moved back since her parents wanted to help with Brielle. Her father became an attending surgeon at The Outer Banks Hospital.

Her mother opened up a Filipino fusion restaurant on the island, Mac's Kusina, that was right next to a seafood restaurant, The Wreck. Brielle felt as if they were the only Filipinos on the island, yet their restaurant still does pretty well regardless of the demographic. They were most popular during breakfast and brunch for their classic Filipino breakfast options, but most of their food also took on an American twist to appeal to Kooks, Pogues, and any Tourons.

Danielle Cruz and her parents lived on The Cut when Danielle was growing up, but with the progression of Danielle's career and Kent Macatangay becoming a well known and respected pediatric surgeon, they moved into a house to Figure Eight when Brielle was starting kindergarten.

Years and years later, Brielle Macatangay was now nineteen years old, mildly disappointing her proud Filipino grandparents by not becoming a nurse or following in her father's footsteps and becoming a doctor. They claim it's okay, though, as long as she's happy. She knew they would be happier if she changed career paths, though. Her parents, however, thought it was just fine that their daughter was studying Creative Writing in hopes to one day be an author. She did follow in their footsteps for one thing: she went all the way to California for her education, just to experience the West Coast beaches and a Los Angeles lifestyle.

Man, she had never seen so many Asians, let alone Filipinos, in one area before. Talk about diversity.

𓆉𓂃 ོ𓂃

Hurricane Agatha came the day after Brielle arrived back in Kildare for the summer, leaving the west coast for what she liked to argue with her classmates was the best coast. Though, she lived just right off the coast, on an island paradise.

Storm sirens rang throughout Kildare and woke the slumbering girl up from her sorry attempt at sleeping in for once. Storm sirens meant everyone on the island had to get ready, board up anything they needed to, bring in whatever needed to be brought in, and for those who could, making sure their backup generators would be ready for when the storm wipes out the power.

She was walking downstairs when she saw her grandfather, Lolo, putting on his shoes by the front door.

"Need help at the restaurant, Lo?" she asked him, knowing he was likely heading to her mother's restaurant to help in whatever way that he could.

"Aye, no, no," he shakes his head, swatting her off as he makes his way to the door. He points to the kitchen with his lips. "You help Lola. She make fresh pandesal this morning to deliver to our neighbors."

While her parents had lost most of their accents since being in the States since they were young, her grandparents had kept theirs.