*p.s. all the pov's in the chapter are Alexa's, unless said otherwise.
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ALEXA'S POV
"come on Lex! Sama na kayo." I groaned for the nth time.
"I told you gel, we can't. Ayaw ni dad." I rolled my eyes at thought of daddys' unreasonable actions.
"then let him come too! Pati na rin sila kuya Chase at Jace." she looked me in the eye. "please Lex. Pretty please?"
"trust me gel, I've done all the tricks already and he still said no." kinuha ko ang cellphone ko para makapag twitter at humiga na sa kama ko.
"what's his reason then?"
I tweeted "Kainis."
Nakakainis kasi hindi nanaman ako makakasama this year. The last time I went there was with my cousins from dad's side. And I was like 8 years old.
I sighed. Angel is just too persuasive and stubborn and sometimes a tad annoying.
"I don't know gel but he's set his mind already. He doesn't want to leave the company even just a day how much more a week?" we own Luke Corporations. It's a big corporation focusing on building buildings around the world.
"then he should come then!"
"you don't get it? And one of his reasons is ma a-out of place lang siya dun. Iba kasi ang bond ng side ni mommy sa side ni dad."
"hmmm, perhaps we can change that?" ngumising aso siya at dun ko napagtanto na may pina-plano.
I know I can get dad to agree pero I'm too lazy to argue with him kahit na gustong-gusto kong sumama kela tito.
"but what if..." she whispered something in my ear.
"You're brillant gel!" humagikhik kaming dalawa sa nagawa naming plano.
"go go go!" tinulak niya ako papasok sa kwarto nina mom at dad.
Nakahiga lang silang dalawa at nakatutok sa sari-sariling iPad habang nakabukas ang TV. It's Sunday afternoon so nakamukmok lang sila mag hapon.
"Daddyyyyyy..." I used my very cute voice. Tinignan ko si mommy na tinapunan ako ng naguguluhang tingin.
"oh no..." he looked at me in terror. He knows what I mean when I use that kind of voice
"no. Hindi kayo sasama. Period." A grin started to form in my lips.
"what if... Ako na lang ang sasama?" a minute of deafening silence passed before he spoke.
"ikaw lang?" mahinahon na tanong niya sa akin. But to me, it sounds like he's really considering it.
"If you really want to. Okay lang sa akin, you have my permission. The question is do you have mom's permission?" I smiled and ran quickly towards her side.
"mommy sige na please. Pretty please." I batted my eyelashes.
"I don't know..." nag dadalawang isip pa siya.
"but mom, nag promise na ako kay tatay Joe na pupunta na ako this year."
Lie.
Pero ang alam ni tatay joe ay sama kami. Tatay Joe is the father of my Aunt Pau, my mother's sister-in-law.
"It's been 8 years since we last visited and I'm turning 17 this year and I guess I'm old enough and andun naman sila ate Kyla, ate Sky and ofcourse aunt Gabby, and aunt Pau. Please, mom?"
"well you have a point. Fine, you can go." lumaki ang mga mata ko sa gulat. Agad akong tumalon sa gitna nilang dalawa at hinalikan sila sa pisnge.
"thank you mom and dad! Mwaaaaah!" tumakbo ako palabas sa kwarto nila at patungo sa kwarto ko.
Huminga ako ng malalim bago pumasok sa kwarto at nadatnan ko si Angel na nakatunganga sa TV.
"well? How'd it go?" tanong niya nang makita niya ako.
"well, I tried..." umupo ako sa kama at nagmukhang tila malungkot at disappointed.
"we can make a plan b. Heck there are 24 more letters in the alphabet. We could still---" see how determined she is?
"we don't need that gel." tinignan ko siya sa mata.
"but Alex---"
"they said yes kaya wag kang malungkot diyan." putol ko sa kanya.
"WAAAAAH!!!" agad niya akong dinaganan at yinakap ako ng mahigpit
"I knew it would work! OMG!" natawa na lang ako sa pinsan ko.
"well?! Are you waiting for them to change their minds? Kumilos ka na't mag empake na!" pinalo niya pa ako.
"aray! Haha. Oo na, eto na."
Umalis si Angel para ipaalam sa mommy niyang si Tita Gabby, sister-in-law din mom, na sasama ako sa kanila sa Camiguin Island.
Nag simula na akong mag empake ngunit na tigil ito ng pumasok si kuya Chase,ang panganay namin. 6 years ang gap namin ni kuya. May pagka spoiled ako kay kuya Chase.
Habang si Jace naman ay kabaliktaran, siya ang archnemesis kong hindi ko ma patay-patay. 2 years ang gap namin
"aalis ka?" tanong niya nang makita ang mga gamit ko naka kalat at nakalabas ang travelling bag ko.
"uhmm, yep!" ngumiti ako sa kanya. I have money but still, that doesn't mean I can't ask from him right? Being the princess in the family has it's pros and cons.
"at saan ka nanaman pupunta? Don't tell me maglalayas ka? Next year mo pa makukuha ang condo na binili ko para sayo." see? He loves me that much. Well, binilhan niya rin si Jace but, isn't he the sweetest?
Si kuya ang bagong COO ng Luke Corporation. He deserves it, he worked his ass off and sacrificed his life for the company. Soon he'll become the CEO once dad has stepped down from his position.
"why are you smiling all of the sudden." naguguluhang tanong niya.
I grinned and walked towards him and wiggled my eyebrows.
"no. Hindi kita tutulangan sa paglalayas mo Renee. Hindi ito magandang biro." seryosong sabi niya kaya natawa ako.
"kuya ang OA mo! Sasama lang ako sa Camiguin."
"oh. Okay." inabot niya ang wallet sa bulsa niya sa likod. At binigyan ako ng pera. "oh. Gamitin mo yan ng maayos ha. Mag-iingat ka don. Wag kang pasaway sa ate Kyla at ate Sky mo at kela tita Gab at mommy Pau." he kissed my forehead.
Ate Kyla and ate Sky are mom's family friends. They're twins. Same age as kuya Chase. They're the sisters that I never had. Dito sila nakatira sa amin since their parents died when they were little. Finding them is a different story.
"kuya! I'm 17 for god's sake!" pagmamaktol ko. "why are you all treating me like a kid?"
"kasi utak bata ka." singit ni Jace na ikinagulat ko.
"Get out of my room you freak!"
"tama na yan. Jace, 19 ka na pero pumapatol ka pa rin sa babae."
binelatan ko si jace. Buti nga sa kanya.
"Alexa, nagrereklamo ka dahil tinuturi kang parang bata. Why don't ask yourself that? Act like your age." sermon niya. Nakayuko lang ako.
I don't want to speak my mind dahil binigyan niya ako ng pera, baka bawiin niya lang, mahirap na
Umalis siya habang kinakaladkad niya si Jace sa likod.
doesn't matter, at least I can enjoy my last days of summer away from the chaotic urban world I live in.
