Adrienne’s POV:

"Wake up, Adi. Wake up. We'll be late for school."

I've been dreaming the same dream for five days straight. There is someone who keeps on waking me up in my dreams and when I finally woke up and look at my alarm clock, it's still one hour early on my scheduled waking time.

Maybe I've been manifesting her again before I sleep.

Well, actually, I'm just thinking if she's doing fine or if I ever cross her mind all the time like she used to cross my mind every day.

It's Saturday morning today, and luckily, I have no work. I can waste my time scrolling through my phone and sleep whenever I feel sleepy. I think I'll have my lunch and dinner delivered by Grab. 

I don't know—I'm not feeling myself again today, though it happens every time.

I feel so lethargic.

Waking up early has been so hard for me since then. I think I have to agree with Clara Dela Peña when she once said that even when you hate mornings, true love will let you find someone worth waking up early for. I was so dependent on my last alarm clock—her loud noises every morning. I miss waking up because of her loud singing. I miss waking up because of her deafening shouts in my ear.

I miss her.

I miss her, I miss her, I miss her.

"Oh, God, Adrienne, are you going to start your day with your petty drama again?" I was in deep thoughts and I never heard Primo's footsteps going into my room. He always barges in without notice and I got used to it ever since that day.

Primo was the first person who saw me unconsciously lying on the floor with so much blood in my hands. He was the one who brought me to the nearest hospital and patiently waited until I regain consciousness. He said that the first thing I uttered as soon as I woke up was her name. I started screaming and asking the nurses where she is. He said that they needed to inject something into me to help me calm down.

I told him she finally had the courage to leave me. I did not see any disappointment in my cousin's eyes at that time. I thought maybe he was already expecting that since he was there when we started our relationship until when things started to go downhill. Primo knows us pretty well, so I guess that from his point of view, what happened is truly inevitable.

"Seriously, dude, are you going to ask me to clean your house again for your sake? I'll put charges from now on." The only thing that this man ever notices is my shabby household.

"You keep on saying that you'll charge me for having you clean my apartment on my behalf when you're almost the owner of this damn house. You're always here and you even made this house your dating place with your everyday changing partners. I really don't get you, Prim." Do not mess with people who are in deep with their thoughts.

"Hai hai." He finally went up to my bed and head to the kitchen.

After a couple of minutes of reflecting in my bathroom mirror, I went downstairs to see what he's doing. He got us our usual breakfast again in the near convenience store, but this time, he bought me another order of rice. He knows too well that I didn't eat last night. I guess it was too obvious since I woke up still wearing my work polo sleeves.

I really appreciate this very man's existence. I think if it weren't for him, I'm still sulking myself to that king-size bed and crying myself out until my body ran out of water.

"Now that you're awake and kicking, help me clean your house, you idiot."

This is the first time he's asking me to clean the house with him. How long has it been since I last touched the furniture? How long has it been since I last roamed around my not-so-huge apartment? 

I ought to myself that I'll never leave my bedroom the moment I came back from the hospital. I think I locked myself up for almost four months. I was fired by my boss. I wasted everything that I worked hard for because I lost my hope and strength. 

There was a time when I finally decided to at least go downstairs to get myself a cup of water that my mind started to reminisce about the shards of memories that she left; the fountain of my nightmares loom menacingly in every corner of this house. The glass of water slipped through my hand and I started having panic attacks. Just like before, I harmed myself, and Primo saw me going berserk again. He never tells me to go outside, even if it's for getting some fresh air after what happened. Maybe he was scared that I might end up hurting myself again. 

We cleaned the living room first－this is where we used to watch movies and play board games. I don't know what happened to the picture frames that have pictures of me and my beloved. I swear that we displayed at least five frames with our pictures on them. The only ones that are left are my family pictures and my pictures while traveling alone. After cleaning the living room, we went to the kitchen to see the things we're going to buy in the supermarket. I think Primo wants to stay by my side for real this time, he's investing in my groceries rather than saving up money to get himself his own damn apartment. 

And finally, we went to my bedroom and arrange everything. We changed the position of my cabinets and table. He hung white curtains beside the window to add life to my dull room. Primo went downstairs to get the broom. When he's finally sweeping under my bed, he bumped into something. I was folding my clothes peacefully when he started calling my name and tells me that he found something.

It was a box with my name on it. The box says, "To Adrienne." Primo and I looked at each other and hastily opened it. The unfamiliar box is full of pictures of my childhood and my high school life. In every picture, I was with someone. There's no mistaking it, that someone is her.

"Oh! I remember this event. It was our Cinderella role-playing in Mr. Gonzales' subject! I was the one who took that photo!" I went across a nerve-racking picture back in the good old days. There's a guy with us in that picture and his arm is wrapped around her shoulders. I wasn't smiling in that photo because I don't feel like smiling. Judging by my poker face, you already know what was going on at that time.

            ----------*the year 2001*----------

It was my third year in high school when my whole world stopped for a while. I saw a beautiful lass, wearing a red dress, walking towards my direction with a sweet smile on her face.

“Adrienne!” She ran enthusiastically while calling out my name. “Does this costume looks good on me? Am I beautiful? Am I be-a-u-ti-ful?”

“Yes,” I answered without hesitation, “you don’t have to ask me that since you don’t take no for an answer.” But for a moment, I think a mere yes is not enough to describe how stunning you are in that dress. “It was all thanks to us, the props men and designers, who made that.” I sarcastically added.

Her eyes narrowed while pouting. “Thank you!” She rolled her eyes as she turned her back.

The beautiful lady in red is Epifania Adkinson, Epi for short－my childhood best friend. We began being friends when we were four. Our worlds collided when our parents started a small dine-in restaurant business. We came to the same school in kindergarten and elementary. She was always the top student in our class and I stayed in her shadows as I always fell next to her rank. But I never once thought of her as my rival, even though she always takes first place in any contests I took part in. She was the one who always mumbled about our rivalry and always swore to everyone that she was going to surpass me.

In our early days, Epi had this superiority complex towards others and I was the one who constantly stops her from getting into fights with other people. Sometimes she gets home dirty and wounded and I have no choice but to tend to her wounds and bruises while untiringly scolding her.

It was like that since the beginning.

Since our parents are always busy with work, her mother entrusted me to look after her. I acted like a big brother and protected her from any danger, always saving her butt when things went downhill, and always taking care of her when she’s sick. She often gets sick due to overwork. I witnessed how she gives her all on everything that was assigned to her. She never submitted a halfhearted work that’s why she doesn’t take any low grades in return. Maybe competitiveness runs in her blood, but I never see that as something to be daunted by; I find it appealing instead.

The moment I saw her performing on stage, giving all that she got as the evil stepsister of the main character, I felt a powerful throbbing in my chest for the first time.

“Epi is surely a beauty, isn’t she?” a classmate asked me out of nowhere.

My eyes were glued to her. “Yeah.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.

I’m captivated.

She never failed to amaze me, but this time it’s different. Is this how puberty hits?

I have no idea. The only thing that’s running into my mind is that I’m captivated by her charm and performance.

I subconsciously went backstage to praise her for the success of our play. I even bought her favorite Yakult drink that will surely take away her exhaustion after acting splendidly. Even though I always have a cold-hearted demeanor towards her, I never faked the kindness that I show and do to her to make her feel comfortable.

I went backstage to only see Epi talking with someone I barely knew. The both of them seemed to be affectionate with each other. It was my first time seeing her eyes sparkle with someone apart from me.

Epi’s lips widened as soon as she caught a glimpse of my existence.

“Adrienne! Come here!” I unknowingly walked towards both of them and gave the other person a thin smile.

“Uhmm…Adi, this is Jacey. Jacey, this is Adrienne, he’s my childhood best friend I always talk about!”

The Jacey guy lent his hand in an attempt to shake hands with me.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Adrienne.” I felt a slight irk in his handshake that made me realize what’s about to happen.