CHAPTER 2

"Be as adventurous as you could be because you only live once."

-ScarsOfPast

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What?" Her sister couldn't believe what she just heard. "No. This has got to be a joke."

"No, it's not," Garvie said, with no hint of sarcasm nor joke. Her sister opens the envelope, revealing a letter of acceptance. His sister Immanuel Clarisse, looked at him seriously.

"Garvie—"

"I'm not attending college at Harvard for this coming school year and that's final. "

"But your previous grades are great! Do you think they even want to let go of you for college?"

"I don't care what they think!"

"You've transferred in two different schools when you're in grade school, another two academies when you entered high school and now that you're in your Sophomore year at Harvard, you want to transfer? Again?"

"What? There's nothing wrong with it."

"You're destroying your records! And records are NO JOKES, Garvie!"

He stood there silent, not knowing if this conversation with her sister any longer would help him convince Immanuel for her decision.

"I've done this transferring stuff a very long time ago and I'm not backing out now. And besides, you know I like transferring."

Immanuel sighs, placing down the letter from BBU. She stares at Garvie's eyes before talking. "Ever since we're kids, mom and dad would always want us to settle in just one school and that's what I did—"

"Yeah, you did because you're a very good child. And I am not."

"Garvie—"

"I'm going to BBU whether you like it or not. I'm the one who's gonna study and I get to choose where the school I want to attend."

"Are you sure about this? Isn't Harvard a good school for you? You know that a lot of students wanted to enter that school so bad and you're just.... you're wasting every opportunity the school has to offer."

"You know I hate plans."

"I know you do."

"And look at you now! You're wearing a classy tight dress which I don't like—"

"That is why I accepted your suggestion of wearing a knee-length coat when I go out. Thank you."

"Yeah don't mention it... But anyway, here you are in that dress and holding our parent's left businesses. I don't want any pressure. You know I don't want anyone expecting so high of me."

"I know that, little brother. But sometimes, the pressure is a good thing too."

Garvie sighs, thinking of words he will say just to convince her sister. She was four years older than him.

Saved by the bell, someone called to her. They talked over the phone for a minute before Immanuel hangs up. As soon as she's done, there's a silence between then. Garvie didn't stop tapping his heel and toe to the floor, waiting for any word from her brother. Until he heard her sigh.

"Do you really want to go there?"

"Yes." He said, lightened up.

"Then you'll study there, on one condition."

"Name it." He said as confident as ever.

"You'll have to bring at least one or two guards with you–" his eyes widen, surprised to what her sister said. He didn't let her finish her sentence.

"No!"

"Then I guess you're going to stay at Harvard."

"That's not fair!" He defended, as her sister started scanning some papers. He wanted to approach her sister's table and talk to her but he has the feeling of not wanting to anyways. He clenches his fist, not wanting the condition from her sister.

"Immanuel, I don't want any fucking guards! They'll stare at me like a rich kid and—"

"You are... So, choose wisely. Stay at Harvard and deal with no guard, or pursue BBU and deal with two guards?"

"It won't be college anymore if I have—"

"That's my terms, I'm still older than you—"

"And boring than me."

"What!?"

"One... guard." He had no choice but to reduce the condition. His sister looks at him intently. He hoped she'll agree to it.

"Deal."

You son of a bitch! He mumbles to himself, feeling like he had lost to her sister's mind games once again.

Her brother continues scanning through the papers as he still stood there, silent. Pretty disturbed, she looks at Garvie who is still standing. "You still have something to tell me?" She asks. He shook her head.

"I'll go now, then." He said as he's about to open the door behind when her sister stopped him.

"Tell me, Garvie, why do you like transferring to a lot of schools?"

He didn't move a muscle for a second before turning his face to her sister halfway, forming a cheeky grin.

"Because I want some fun. And staying in just one school is pretty boring. That is why as I said earlier,  you're boring than me." He said, making Immanuel a bit surprised.

"You—" she stood up and about to chase her brother when Garvie got out of the place in no time, leaving her there, standing in silence. She didn't bother running through her brother anymore because of the heels she's wearing. Instead, she just fixes her dress and sitting casually on her personalized swivel chair, staring blank on the sheets of information. She took a deep breath because of the different feeling her brother's words made him feel.

Because I want some fun. And staying in just one school is pretty boring.

She shook her head, remembering what her brother just told her. And just by remembering it, she had felt a pinch in her heart... a pinch of pain from her dearly past, that only she could have known.

"You son of a bitch, Garvie..." she said with a smile on his face, yet a sad smile. "I happy that you think that way."

°

On the other hand was Garvie who jumps into his bed, opening his phone, deciding to do FaceTime with Lacey, a girl he called as his best friend.

{Hey, best friend!!!}

[You seem to be so energetic tonight, best friend. Tell me, did you eat a lot of sugar today?]

{No, but I have news to you}

[Oh really? Surprise me then.]

{Oh I'm sure you'll be surprised. Maybe you won't even like it.}

[Try me]

{I'm transferring this coming school year!!!}

[Oh thank goodness I don't have to deal with your ugly face—]

{What!?}

[Gotcha!!]

{You bitch!}

[Hey, that's not fair!! But really, you're transferring?]

{Yeah..}

[You're  leaving me]

{No I'm not.}

[Where will you transfer?]

{BurnBright University LA!}

[WHAT!!]

{You're exaggerating}

[What 'exaggerating!? That's like the other side of the world!]

{I know. And guess what? I passed!}

[Thats great! Wait...Did your sister made you transfer?]

{No. I just wanted to you know, discover}

[So did your sister agreed?]

{At first? No. But I made her.}

[Do you really want to go there?]

{You know me and my history. I liked transferring to schools.}

[Oh right. But aren't you worried that your record will have a lot of school logos and shits? And also, this isn't supposed to be a hobby, right?]

{Not a hobby but I just want to discover the world—}

[By traveling from one school to another school?]

[Like falling in love again?]

{You saw how heartbroken I was, Lacey–}

[A year ago? Bro! I've had multiple boyfriends since that bitch broke your heart and don't you think falling in love again at this moment is good timing to totally see if you've moved on?]

{I moved on Lace. I know I do.}

[Then grab someone's heart then! I'm expecting a new girl this coming school year, yeah?]

{No you're not—}

[Yes I am! Now, I have to go]

{Where are you—} his sentence got cut off realizing just now that Lacey's already wearing a tight dress.

[Oh right! I was just then about to tell you earlier but you're too busy but now, I'm telling you that km going out on a date with Marcus.]

{Who is this Marcus!? Just another heart to break?}

[Maybe? But who knows?]

{You're really something.}

[I am! Now, I'm going. Ciao mi more!]

{Yeah, I love you too, son of a gun!}

[Hahahaha look for a girl for me okay? I'll be missing you. Bye!]

His BFF was the one who ended the call, making him sigh and lay down on his own bed, facing the plain ceiling he's been seeing for the past twenty years of his life. The room had changed from floor, walls, rearranged his kinds of stuff, bought new ones... but that ceiling is still empty.

He sighs, remembering everything from the past that has happened so fast.

"I'm moving out and I hope I'll be able to find what I'm actually missing."

And that girl that I can call mine once more.

G.B. ROSALES

It was already encrypted on the dark blue leather hardcover of the notebook. He smiled, remembering he did get this notebook.

"Alright. Let's see what we've got here." He said to himself as he opens the notebook. He stops every page to read thoroughly of what he has written in there, trying to remember the inspiration he got for writing them. And he didn't fail in every single one of them.

He was stopped at flipping pages after the 15th page.

It was empty.

"What?" He asks himself, couldn't believe what he is seeing. "I stopped at the 15th page?" He asks himself again. "Why?"

Instead of thinking too much, he grabs his pen with the same G.B ROSALES encryption because they were made together, at the same time.

He was about to write something when he stops again, thinking the question he never expected to ask himself.

How do I write again?

"Oh  fuck me." He hissed, giving up to the thought of being blank. The imagination he had a while ago is gone, the feeling of writing fades and now, the same page he left empty for almost five years, is still blank.

He took a deep breath as he places the pen and notebook down on the side drawer of the table where the lamp is placed. He took a long deep breath before shaking the thought of it.

"Let me just get some sleep now, okay? Enough thinking too much. My brain won't take it!" He exaggerates, chuckling at his own joke before getting into his bed and about to sleep when he realized something.

"Shit! I didn't even shower yet!"