Somewhere in the Avenue (Velez Cousins Series #1)

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I can see cameras being carried by men. The hired crews are lurking everywhere, too. Busy chitchats enveloped my ears. Blinding lights filled my eyes as I graced the long hallways of our mansion. Pictures of my Mom at her twenties up to her early forties are being framed on both sides of the wall. I wasn't in the mood right now that's why I didn't bother looking at it like I usually do.

The now crowded hallways, which are often empty and lonely, irks me. I stared at those busy crews walking to and fro when one person caught my attention, so I immediately marched in front of him.

"New season?" I asked the cameraman near me.

He nodded at me bago itinutok ang camera sa akin. The lady beside her gestured something to me, as if asking me to speak. I rolled my eyes out of annoyance and ignored them, gracing my way out of the long hallways and immediately went downstairs.

"Good morning, darling!" my Mom, the elegant and well-known Reality TV Star, Emanuelle Velez shouted from downstairs the moment I stepped on the carpeted grand staircase.

May mga camera pang nakatutok sa kaniya. A small microphone is attached to her blue designer jump suit. Her heals clanked on the marbled floor as she made her way towards the last step of the flight of stares, exactly where I am heading. Dahil ako na ngayon ang kinakausap niya ay may nakatutok na rin sa akin na mga camera.

If it isn't obvious enough, I am not a fan of any of this. I'm getting so annoyed right now kaya hindi ko siya pinansin. Tuloy lang ako sa paglalakad pababa. Instead of heading towards their direction, I detoured towards the main double doors of our house. I can feel their gazes due to my sudden action but I didn't care. I acted like they were invisible, like they never existed.

I am always like that.

Surely, sanay na dapat sila.

"Einra!" Mom called me, making me stop.

I sighed out of annoyance and rolled my eyes before I turned back.

"What?" I answered in a bored tone, crossing my arms.

Sandaling pumikit ang mata ko dahil may camera na namang nakatutok sa'kin. With flashes. Probably recording our conversation with Mom.

"Where are you heading? You didn't have your breakfast yet. Come on. Let's go." lumapit siya sa'kin bago ako iginiya papuntang Dining Hall.

I wanna scoff and rolled my eyes on her. How can she pretend that she actually cared in front of the cameras? My eyes turned into two slits as I stopped myself from making a scene again.

"Mom, I told you I don't want to get filmed!" I hissed.

Napasinghap siya at mabilis na nilingon ang mga crew na nakasunod sa amin. Her upturned eyes, like mine, widened and shock was immediately written on her face. Her high prominent cheekbones became evident as she stared at me with disbelief. Her red-tinted lips twitched as she eyed me sharply.

She gestured something, making the staffs to stop from filming. Binalingan niya ako at sinamaan ng tingin.

"Einra, we already talked about this. You'll be featured in the new season of the show. We'll be filming how you get ready during your first day in school. Just this day only darling. And it's not just you, your cousins are featured as well." she said in a stern voice.