"Pearl. Pearl, wake up hunny. Male-late ka na.."
Pearl woke up with the soft voice of her Aunt Remavia 'Rema' as she slightly shook the sleeping her.
"Tita..." she groaned.
Her head aches and so is her whole body. Tila ba may isang mabigat na bagay na dahilan kung bakit pilit na hinihila ng gravity ang katawan niya.
"Ey, are you al'right? May masakit ba?" She asks.
"W-wala po Tita. Okay lang po ako..."
Rema assisted her as she tried hard to sit down on her bed.
"No. You're not feeling well. We'll go to the hospi---"
"Tita, no need. Normal lang po temperature ko. I'll just take some meds," Pearl said.
"Suke ka?"
"Yep. Sure," she reassured her aunt with a genuine smile.
"Okay then, hunny. Let's go downstairs. Kevin and you favorite pancake breakfast is waiting."
That's how kind her aunt is, and so is her uncle. Rema and Kevin are both in their 38 years of existence and they have been together since their 20s. Pretty young, right?
Kapatid ng Nanay ni Pearl si Rema. At nung mga panahong nangyari ang pagkawala ng kanyang mga magulang, ang kanyang tito at tita ay nasa France.
Nang nalaman nila ang nangyari, napagdesisyunan nilang kupkupin ang isang walong taong gulang lamang na Pearl Nympha.
Their love amd support to her is as real as her parents' and in fact, they gave more than possible.
They understood her and accepted that she couldn't bring back the love through the grades we expect a disciplined child can reap.
She is excellent. But not showy. They know it. And they let her be. Because they know that she doesn't like competing and being popular.
"Good morning, sunshine!" pagbati sa kanya ni Kevin sabay subo sa paborito nyang pancake.
"Morning!" She replied with a pale smile.
"You okay?" He noticed the dullness in her mood
"Yah. Just gonna take some meds after Tita's pancakes."
"Sure ka? So papasok ka ngayon?"
"Yah. Don't wanna miss quizes, especially in Science hahaha."
"Oh I see," he laughed. "Don't wanna miss quizes but don't give a shit at the same time? Weird mo ha." He added.
She just rolled and eyes as they all giggled.
***
10:35 AM
It's their morning break and Pearl's eyes are fixed at nowhere as she chew the burger she just got from the cafeteria.
Filling her head right now is Jethro, si Kuya, Felice, THE THING, and everything. Panaginip lang ba ang lahat ng yon?
Paulit-ulit ma bumabagabag sa isip niya ang mga ito.
"Of course it's a dream dummy," she said to herself.
Pero napatigil na lamang siya nang maalalang gising na gising siya nang nagpakita si Jethro sa kanya. At ang mas weird, hindi man lang nya nalaman ang kanyang pagbabalik sa totoong mundo.
"Ahhh fvck. Hindi ako bumalik sa totoong mundo dahil hindi ako pumunta sa kung ano mang ibang dimensyon. Maybe it's just my imagination," she added.
Imagination? Dream? But according to Science, there are no strange faces on dreams of people. Sabi ng kanyang nabasang libro, ang mga nakikitang mukha sa panaginip ay nakilala mo na kahit minsan sa yong buhay.
Jethro and Lord Aremson are total strangers to het. Even the people roaming around Felice. And even the maids.
In fact, she's so realistic that she cannot imagine such things and she cannot even do daydreaming about things that may happen in the future.
She is a "live the present" kind of person.
If it was a dream, why did she dreamt of it? How? And why did her body feel down when she woke up?
"ANO BA?! PANAGINIP NGA LANG YON E! NAGKAKANDALECHELECHE NA BUHAY KO E!" she exclaimed...looking at her burger.
"Miss, you don't have to shout at you burger in public. You look dumb."
She immediately looked at the guy who just talked. She knows that he is referring to her that's why she shot a glare at him.
Her eyes grew smaller, as if she's detecting who the guy is and who the hell is he to mind her business and everything.
"Mister, you don't have to talk to me. You're annoying."
Bahagyang napatawa ang lalaking kumausap sa kanya sabay tungo sa kanyang direksyon at umupo sa bench na nakaharap sa gawi ni Pearl.
"You're Nympha, right?" sambit niya nang may kasamang ngiting "friendly".
"Nah. I'm seventeen," pag-irap niya dito.
The guy just chuckled habang umiiling-iling payuko. Napatitig na lamang sa kanya si Pearl nang walang emosyon.
Napansin niya ang malalim na dimple sa kaliwang pisngi ng binata. Maputi ito, guwapo, oo, matangos ang ilong, makapal ang kilay. Dahil sa kanyang hitsura at pananalita, isa lang ang impression ni Pearl dito.
Fuckboy.
"Sebastian nga pala," he broke the silence.
"Ok," matipid niyang sagot habang inumpisahang ipagpatuloy ang pagkagat sa kanyang burger.
"You seeing strange happenings, too?" tanong nito sa dalaga.
And by that, Pearl stopped. Nanlamig siya sa tanong ng binata becaise it somehow means na hindi siya nag-iisa sa pag-experiemce mg mga ganitong bagay.
Bakit niya alam?
Nakakakita rin kaya siya?
Or maybe he's a wide reader and he somehow read about these things.
Or maybe he's a fan of fantasies and stuff.
"Pearl, nakakakita ka rin ba?" Pag-uulit niya sa kanyang tanong habang seryosong nakatingin sa dalaga.
"A-uhmm. Pinagsasasabi mo?" pa-deny niyang pagsagot sa pamamagitan ng isa pang tanong.
"Strange things, people, places," seryosomg pagsagot ng lalaki.
"D-duh hahahaha. You believe in such?" Pagtatas kilay ni Pearl.
"And you don't?" pagtataas kilay rin ni Sebastian.
"W-hy would I?"
"Ah. Kaya pala may bumabagabag sa isip mo na hindi mo maipaliwanag."
"That does not mean fantasy na kaagad yun."
"Doesn't it? So, sino nga ba si Jethro?"
Biglang napatigil sa pagnguya ang dalaga. Umiwas ito ng tingin at asar na asar na siya sa presensya nito.
"Stop stalking people, Mister." pag-irap niya dito sabay kuha sa kanyang mga gamit at umalis.
Weird.
Tila ba biglang nagshift ang impresyon nito sa binata. Second impression.
Weird.
Weird Fuckboy.
