Flickers

Chapter 105

It was already Christmas vacation but we were still coped up with practicing for the next month's theater performance. Besides that, I and the rest of my group mates have to go to Jamie's place, the dwelling of all group meetings. It's for taking pictures for our poster that will be made by Kaye.

"I said to sa-aay" Alex's voice break at this point, she couldn't even properly say a sentence without losing her voice.

"Hey, listen to Alex! Stop messing up intentionally!" I yelled at the boys who continuously made a mess.

"Okay, okay, we won't!" Said one of my classmates, Carl, a guy with a tall figure and who has his arm on me.

I threw his lanky branch-like arm out of my head and glared at him before continuing to recite my lines. Yes, I am part of the main cast of the theatre though my character is just a supporting role- the female best friend of the female lead.

"Ange, have you finished memorizing your lines?" Asked Berna, the female lead of our play and also the leader of our research subject. She was exhausted with all the roles she's been playing yet she still blooms in positivity.

"Yeah I have, half of it actually" I smiled sheepishly as she took out a worn-out bond paper filled with letters and murmured out her lines lest she forgets it.

"Ange! It's your turn!" I was called by Kaye, thrown with a sleeveless dress, and was told to pose.

I held the bag up with one hand as to what Kaye ordered me to and tried to ignore the flashes that continuously flash against the camera. We're currently in Jamie's grandparent's house which is now being renovated.

"Hey! Keep quiet you all!" The others can't inside and watched me posing which lead me to burn in embarrassment.

"Alex! Take your children away!"

Alex was quick on her feet and pulled all those trouble makers away from the room. Kaye made me do some other poses and I felt my smile stiffening up from smiling for too long. Eventually, I was released and went to Jamie's house only to be stopped by her dear brother.

"Yes, Joshua?"

"I don't think blue suits you, it suits me more" then he flicked his imaginary hair and left leaving me confused whether to cry or laugh.

"Jamie! Your brother is too much!" I held a slice at Jamie while she shoos away her troublesome brother. Joshua took Jamie's sharp tongue and can enrage you in a few seconds.

We practiced until 9, Jamie's mother brought us a take-out McDonald's earning applause and simultaneous words of gratitude.

Later that week we finished making our props, a wooden bed made by the boys, chairs that we're taken from every household, and a table for the party scene. We even have wine glasses, a stereo, old uniforms when we were in high school, and also a large number of clothes that could probably fit two duffel bags.

So in the entire expanse of Christmas vacation, all I did was practice and memorize lines and before we knew it, the last day of this year has already arrived.

"Happy new year!"

"Happy New year too, I wish that you'll get taller this year" I punched Eric once more on his arm, he was here to celebrate the new year with us since his mother is with her natal family.

"Come on Eric, let's drink!" One of my father's drinking buddies tried to get Eric drunk and I refused. "Oh you- you two aren't yet husbands and wife yet you are already like your mother! Tsk!"

Blushing in embarrassment I take Eric's hand with me and left the alleyway where they usually drunk themselves to sleep. I and Eric finally arrived at the opening of our street, watched the fireworks that annually blooms into the sky.

"Ah!"

I was alarmed at the sudden popping sound that came from the bottom of my feet and saw several children laughing and pointing at me.

"Hahaha, what a wimp!"  They were about to throw another PoPop when Eric came to scare them away with the Piccolo he is now waving in front of the students.

(AN: Piccolo and PoPop are some famous firecrackers used for the new year in the Philippines)

"Hey! That's dangerous!"

"Don't worry" due to the dim lights the kids didn't know that what he was holding was simply a used piccolo and just lighted it again.

I laughed at his ingenuity and praised him before going back to our house. We were greeted by my mother's nagging saying how we silly daily outside instead of celebrating the new year with food and family.

"Auntie you should go and try to do a karinderya business, your craftmanship would go to waste!" Eric says which made my mother laughed at him fondly.

"Well you eat more, you look too thin!" My mother scooped some more food for him while my brothers looked sour at Eric.

"Tch, if I didn't know I was your child I would have thought that I was adopted and Eric was the real child of yours" My fourth brother, Jhonrie says that made him earned a glare from my mother.

"Mom I also want that" My third brother, Jonnel pointed to the Shanghai on the other side.

"Don't you have hands huh?" He was instead criticized and soon our table was filled with laughter and teasing.

My heart grew more fonder when I look at Eric and somehow, our family is still half complete even without my father's side here.

***
Chapter 105 is up!

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