Pretend You're Mine

03 : Childhood Friend

Rhian flinch as she hear her alarm clock ring loudly by her side. She shut it off and sat up, rubbing her eyes in the process. She slide the curtains and open the windows, seeing that the sun is about to rise up. Sunrises always made Rhian feel happy and positive. Whenever she watches the sun rise, it would bring tranquility in her and would serve as a reminder to be thankful for having another day to live her life.

After doing her morning routines, she went downstairs to have breakfast. Upon arriving at the dining room, it was no surprise to see her parents already there with their work clothes on. The three exchange greetings as Rhian gave both her parents a kiss on their head. She was about to sat down when something, or rather, someone grab her ankle from under the table. She let out a small squeal but immediately stop when she heard an oh so familiar laughter.

She look down below and sighed in relief. "Oh Sam it was only you! God you scared me!"

A tall young man with fine looks emerge from the table, laughing at her sister's reaction. " You should have seen your face, sis! So epic!"

"Ha ha, really funny." Rhian glared when her brother still couldn't stop laughing. "Dad, can you make Sam stop? Its starting to piss me."

Mr. Ramos couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, sit down you two. The food is getting colder."

The siblings obeyed their father and dig in to the mouth-watering food in front of them.

"So Sam, I heard that you're having troubles in your studies. Can you elaborate me on that?" Mr. Ramos was the first to break the silence.

Sam visibly gulped, knowing very well his father's tone is serious. "Uhm, well there are some subjects I'm struggling at. Two of them, in fact. I guess I was just... busy."

His father nodded, rather slowly as if he was not convinced. "You're not busy partying all night, are you? Cause if you do, you and I are going to have a big discussion. So I suggest you spend less time on parties and more time on studies. Am I making myself clear?"

Sam nodded feeling ashamed. "Yes, dad."

By now, the tension in the room are rising, as silence filled them. The siblings know how strict their dad could be and how he expect high expectations from them. But the two understands why he's like that. Like every father, their dad just want the best for his kids.

To break the unnerving silence, Mrs. Ramos cleared her throat and spoke. "In that case, I'm sure everything will turn out just fine. Plus, Rhian is always there to watch out for Sam. I mean, that's how siblings are for, right? So I'm sure we can count on Rhian, right sweetie?"

"Of course, mom." Rhian smiled and continued munching on her meal. After some time, realizing they have their own meeting to catch, the couple gave both their kids a kiss on their head before they head out.

After eating, Rhian practically drag her brother to the grocery store since their maids are on a day off. The fridge was almost empty, so to save them from starvation, Rhian has to do something. Sam, on the other hand, was planning to hang out with his friends but was crushed when he has to spend his morning with his sister.

So for the next two and a half hours, the two took their time picking supplies of foods. Rhian and her brother were taught all there is to know about cooking in a very young age. Sometimes, they would watch their maid cook whenever they like it or would even teach them a thing or two how to cook properly.

After that, they ate their lunch and went to the movies. Rhian let her brother pick any movie he wants and surprisingly, Sam settled in comedy. It was a two-hour movie but it was worth it since the two had a good laugh. When the movie ended, the two decided to head home.