"Nanny!!"

I run to the kitchen the minute I received message from Loft Entertainment. Nanny, who is organizing boxes of lunches for me and Sammy to eat while she will be away to see her family this weekend perked up her face from behind the bar counter.

"Yes, young miss. I'm right here."

"I got it! I got it!" I exclaimed while jumping up and down like a little girl. 

Nanny laughed looking at me so happy knowing what is it I am saying to her. "I am happy for you, young miss."

"How about you? Sammy?"

"Congratulation princess. We're both just gonna stay here and watch you jump over the gate," Sammy said while walking into the living room with a laptop in his hands. 

"What?" I walked over to him who already making himself comfortable at the sofa. "T- then how am I going to go there? What about our plan?"

Sammy take a look at my face then he sigh. "Are you seriously think I'm gonna let you jump over like some kind of monkey, princess? Of course we'll sent you there. We just need a reason."

"Oh..." My body slumped over next to Sammy. As if on cue, he put his hand on top of my head and pat it carefully. 

At times we're like eternal enemies that swore to end each other lives and at times we're like a lonely drifter met in the middle of the ocean and bond over to become the best bud ever. 

"Have you finish the homework I gave you?"

"What homework?"

"Don't play dumb with me."

"Nanny, what's for dinner tonight?" Slowly I got up to go to kitchen then a firm hand capture my arm.

"Say that you did it," he whispered to my left ear and my eyes shook.

I scream my lungs out and slap Sammy's hand away. "Nanny help me!"

"You lazy child! That's your last homework before Christmas!"

"No, you didn't say a thing about homework! I don't know! I'm going to re-watch Wren's variety program tonight!" I put my hands over my ears while chanting the words. I'm so sick of his homework. He kept on giving me homework one after another. It's not like I'll be attending university or something. Even getting out of here is already a mess.

Nanny at the kitchen isle ignore the banter between an adult and a child that at this point her life already looked like a close siblings. 

"Do you want snack for tonight, young miss?"

"Yayy nanny! Yes! I love you!"

"You aren't suppose to enable this kind of behaviour nanny! I have to sent report to her father!"

"He doesn't even care!" I gave Sammy a raspberries.

Our banter continue on for quite a while before I surrender with a promise that Sammy had to come up with a plan tomorrow on how to get me out for Wren's fan signing.

* * * * *

I woke up feeling drowsy with a neck ache as I fall asleep on my study table finishing up my homework and watching Wren's SNS. 

It's 24th December and 8.30 in the morning.

Outside the window, snows falling and the lake froze. The landscape is so white that it's blinding and peaceful.

I drag my feet to my bed then I stop.

Usually at this hour, I could hear nanny cooking in the kitchen and the song that the washing machine made when it's finish it's cycle. Or that the sound of rice cooker singing joyfully. Or that nanny open the tv and watch some morning cartoon.

Has nanny gone to see her family already?

Without telling me?

I went out of my room and looked at the dark living room. Only the kitchen isle lamp is on. 

"Nanny?" I called. 

No answer.

Then I went to her room to check if my assumption was right. But her bag is still on her bed waiting it's owner.

Without thinking, I knocked on Sammy's door which is right beside nanny's room.

"Sammy. You up?"

I have to wait a few minutes before he opened his door looking disheveled. "What!" he said grumpily.

I rolled my eyes at his morning attitude. "You know where nanny is?"

Sammy make a 'duh' look. "I just got up princess. Probably in laundry room or something. Why?"

Something is not right. My heart suddenly beating faster. "It's too quiet."

Sammy look around with his ears perked. Then, as if realizing something amiss, he moved to see nanny's room. "You checked the laundry room yet?" his voice suddenly sound urgent.

"I'll go now," I ran.

"Wait, no Myra!" he followed suit. 

The villa is not that big. The laundry room that situated behind the kitchen took me a matter of few seconds to reach.

There, in a corner beside the washing machine, sat nanny with basket on her lap. The washing machine is silent.

"Myra!"

"She's sleeping."

Sammy tried to pull my body away from the treshold. "Then let her sleep-"

"No." I push Sammy's hand and step by step, I neared the sleeping old lady. She seems peaceful and even in her sleep she was smiling. 

It was so quite the place she choose to sleep. I think both me and Sammy even hold our breath. 

"Nanny... I told you not to sleep here so many times right. Wake up." My voice trembled. "Nanny..."

I am scared to hold her hands that tightly hugging the basket but once I touched her skin, I backed away. Her hands was cold. 

"Nanny wake up, it's cold here. Let's go." This time I braved myself to actually hold her cold hands.

"Myra..."

"Nanny!" I shook her body a little bit. Her body feels a bit stiff than usual.

Then, the basket fell and all my pile up clothes spilled. I looked at it with horror. I told her so many times that she don't need to wash my clothes. I told her that I can do it myself. Yet, this old woman take my basket and sleep here so peacefully like it was nothing.

I could almost hear her voice saying, "it's because your laundry has pile up so much, young miss."

Then you should let it pile up! I know how to wash my own clothes. This is not roman era where I have to walk to washing area in this middle of the cold to wash my clothes. We have a freaking smart washing machine!

My tears welled up and poured instantly.

"Wake up... I told you to wake up... Nanny..."

"Myra..."

"Don't touch me! I told her so many times..." I can't finish up my words. For someone who had lived so many dream cycles and witness so many fleeting lives come and go, I just can't get use  to it. 

"Oh Sammy," I sobbed and lean on Sammy's chest. He rub the back of body and I could hear him trying to hold his tears too.

For 10 years we have lived together; eat, sleep, watch tv, play in the lake, gardening, picnic, celebrating each others birthday, do our own little events for Wren... In this dream, they are my family. Nanny is my mother.

...

...

Nanny was my mother.

* * * * *

"What do you mean I can't go?"

I stood in front of my front door and in front of me is Sammy in his suit and tie and prim hair. "It's the order, young miss. You are required to be stationed here until further notice."

Bewildered, I look at Sammy up and down. Remembered the first time we met, his attitude to me was like this too. "It's nanny's funeral. I have to see her to say goodbye, Samuel."

Sammy flinched. He seems hurt when I say his full name.

"It's the order from the president."

I feel like a volcano might erupt any moment now. "Like he care whether or not I'm here. He won't know!"

It feels like a lot of times passed while the both of us are engaging in staring war. At the end, Sammy surrendered. He put up both of his hand. "I'll make a request to the president. He's on his way right now."

My body froze at his last words. "He's coming?"

He checked his watch. "The last time we talked, he says he'll be in 30. Probably another 20 minutes?"

"Why?" My voice barely out when I asked him that.

I saw pity flashed by Sammy's eyes. "Get ready."

Sammy left me inside the house and he went out wearing winter jacket. An ipad sticks to his hand. Suddenly, this image of Sammy looks so foreign to my eyes. 

What does he mean by 'get ready?'. Get ready for what?

Being left to my own in this open space, I trudged to the kitchen. More specifically, to the fridge where boxes of meals prepared by Nanny was stored. There were labeled with food names and ways to preheat it. My tears rolled looking at her writings accompanied by small heart emojis at every end of her sentences.

'Chicken salad with jellies. Heat only the chicken then mix them well with salad. Don't fight with Sammy

'Cinnamon rolls. Eat only one piece for lunch/dinner. You both need to look after your sugar level

I laughed.

'Marinara spaghetti with meatballs. There's extra sauce if you need more. Today weather must be nice right? Eat heartily

'Hawaii chicken pizza. Use the extra sauce if it's too dry. Cheese at usual place. Sammy make sure that young miss not to take to much cheese

'Bone soup. You both can cook rice right? I think I already miss you both

My knee gave out and I sobbed at the floor.

* * * * *

Sitting opposite of me is someone who is supposed to be my father. Both his eyes and hair colour resemble mine that it's hard to deny that he is. His face if it back in his 20s, he can be a heart breaker and now he is older, he makes his child heart break. There is nothing charming about him. Only tension and serious lines on his face. 

"I see you're doing well."

In what part do you think I'm doing well? Don't you see the tear mess face I'm having right now? 

He looked around the house that have traces of people living in it. The tv was different and there is also a sound system. Pictures lined along the walls where the colour started to wear off. The boathouse that is far off by the lake looked old now. "Samuel, give her the document," he said. 

Sammy who stood by the table, put a thin folder on top of the table. He didn't even glance over my face. He is in 100 percent in his secretary mode. Are you happy Sammy? Now you can go back working with my father.

"Read it. I've considered that is the best school for you taking into account your tutor opinion on your studies he sent so far."

I opened the folder hastily after he said 'best school'. Inside was brochure of a school overseas with  constructive programs and elevator system implementation after graduating high school. 

"It's the best boarding school and a lot of networks. Prepare your luggage. We'll move tonight."

I slammed my hands on the table. This old man does not even think to ask my opinion at all. He caged me here for 10 years and now he wants to ship me to boarding school? Network?

"Nanny's wake. Didn't sam-..." I swallowed my saliva. "Didn't Samuel tell you that I want to go say goodbye to her."

As if remembering what he was forgotten, his eyebrows jumped and his head nodded in agreement. "Of course, we need to go to her wake. She's all alone with no family member. Pancreatic cancer was it, Mr Evans?"

"Yes sir," Sammy answered curtly.

No family?

Pancreatic cancer?

I looked at both of them, bewildered. Didn't nanny has a son whose married and have his own children too? What is this cancer thing? She never look sick while she stayed here, suddenly cancer. 

"I guess even if you survive, it grows back huh? She lived longer than the doctor expected."

"What are you saying?" I stood up. My whole body shaking. "You knew?" My eyes accusingly pierced at Sammy's face.

"You knew and you kept it a secret from me?"

Sammy stood there in his position and his eyes looking straight at where his standing. His expression blank.

I remembered this morning, his reaction when he found out that nanny was not in her room or that she was still in her sleep.

"You traitor... I trust you." My eyes become glassy. The pain in my heart become unbearable at the truth laid upon me. "And this boarding school too... you knew..."

The pity flashed in his eyes. All the homework that suddenly increased and became harder and harder overtime. 

The sound of fast people talking outside and the sound of heels clashing with the marble floor interrupting my so called war of nerve with Sammy. 

"Sir."

Bodyguards. With shoes inside the house. I glared at him menacingly. 

Noticing where my eyes landed, they embarrassingly remove their shoes. 

"What is it?" my father asked.

"It's the young master. He's with Mr White right now."

He sighed heavily as if already half expecting this to happen. "Asked Micheal to come in."

"Already in!"

A bright blond head popped out behind the large bodyguard's body. A wide smile appeared on his tomboyish face. His blue eyes twinkle like a child full of naughtiness and cannot be tamed. 

Again today, after so many shocked I received, I don't think my world would be shaking anymore but looking at Micheal's face, I felt like I've been slapped by a fly swatter for so many times.

Micheal Romaldi or to be precise Mika Romaldi is someone that I know and familiar with. Looking at his face and the description that I once read many, many years ago and upon many, many cycle of dreams ago, there is no denying that this is the famous Mika Romaldi.

The dashing heir of Noble Corp.

The sweet eye candy prince.

Loyal.

Romantic.

Even the ocean of fire cannot stop him from his true love or so the author wrote. 

<When boy meets girl> was the title. Cheesy. I know.

I thought that my life was a be a supportive NPC fan of Wren Klauzen but obviously with what I have right now and how much of a lucky I've been, it's almost as if whoever that is trying to torture her alive is successful. Congratulations.

I am now a part of your cast now. Pull me. Make me miserable. 

I am now yours, truly.