"I love you baby, Mommy and daddy are so proud of you!" Laughter and cheers filled the whole room. Everybody was happy at the moment. Every parents being proud of their child's achievements. It was like this every end of the school year.
But for her, it was different. She would sit or stand in the corner of the room with all her certificates and medals in her hands. She's smart, yes. She's the top of the class. A lovely jewel and a very beautiful girl that lacks nothing. No, she lacks something. But, not something within her. She lacks something that she should have — her parents' love, affection, time, and attention.
After the ceremony at school, she went straight to their house hoping that maybe, just maybe, she would come home with her parents preparing something for her or even just a letter. But just like what she expected, there was no one and nothing, not even a congratulatory note.
"It's fine, I'm used to this", she thought.
No she wasn't fine. She's not fine. She was never fine. In fact, she was emotionally and physically exhausted.
She went to her bedroom, curled up in her bed, crying. She had flashbacks of what happened earlier, all the cheers and compliments every parents gave to their child.
"Why can't something like that happen to me? I'm smart and everything, how come I can't get the one thing I want?" She sobbed.
She might look like she's used to being neglected but, deep inside, it hurts her. Can't she do something? She can. Will she? No. Why? She has a messed up mind. She has this mindset where she thinks she owes her parents. She's manipulated. She thinks if she ever go against her parents, she would look ungrateful and everyone would hate her. Doesn't everyone think of that? Funny reality, huh?
She only has one friend. Her cousin, she's her best friend. They share almost everything since they grew up together. She was smart and everything while her cousin was the opposite—she's reckless, she's smart but, she's lazy. Her cousin is beautiful, yes.
She was an overachiever while her cousin didn't care much about school. Her cousin is not the girl who goes to parties, in fact, she was introverted. Always on her phone.
They have a very opposite attitude as described.
And because of that, they're often compared to each other. Both of them hate it but they can't do anything but keep silent. Although they often get compared, they still have this strong bond. A bond that can never be destroyed by an unwanted opinion and remark.
But as they got older, they grew distant to each other for some unknown reasons. They just didn't talk to each other one day then it kept going on just like that.
College was 3 months away from starting. She had nothing to do and wanted to do but to read all of the books she have purchased not so long ago.
Growing up, she really hasn't gotten that much love and attention from her parents. All they ever did together was teach her self defense and business related things. She tried confronting them and telling her how she feels but just like what any other parents would do, they invalidated her feelings telling her she's a narcissistic person who wants everything to herself.
Or maybe, that's just her parents. Her parents really weren't what you'd call good people and they're also nowhere to be found.
Her phone suddenly buzzes after receiving a message from one of her classmate. "Drey, all of us in our class are planning to have a dinner, are you free? Do you think you can come?" She reads. She thinks for a bit before replying "sure, I'll be there, please send me the location :)"
She wasn't totally an introverted person. She just has social anxiety. Whenever she talk in front of the class and all the attention is on her, her hands and voice would shake and she would sweat. She gets anxious whenever she says something. Socializing with her classmates would be a little bit easy since everyone already interacted with her. If only her classmates would give her enough attention and listen to her when she talks about something about herself, she'd get comfortable.
— 18:30 — at the restaurant —
"Drey, you made it!" One of her classmate screams. "Our valedictorian, everyone" another one says. "Of course I'd come. This is probably the last time we'll see each other since college is near and stuff..." she says. "So is this kind of our farewell party?" one of her classmates asks. "Maybe? Yeah..." someone answered. "C'mon guys, let's not think about the future, let's focus on the present events for now. We're not thinking about what will happen tomorrow, we will only have fun for tonight, how's that?" Someone suggested. "Yeah!" Everyone agreed.
After their dinner, Drey went home. No, not drunk. She's afraid to drink alcohol since her parents forbids her to drink because "she's a lady". Wow, very stereotypical of them, how touching.
A week before college, she went to a library. She enjoys reading, yes. Almost everyone does these days. As she was looking for a certain book, she saw a tall figure leaning in a bookshelf where she assumes the book she's looking for is located. She went near the tall figure, a man, and looked for the book. She grabbed the book and as she was walking away, the man called out her name. "Andrea"
She was frozen in her spot.
"Uhm, you dropped your id?" The man said. Boy, does he have a nice voice.
"Oh, thanks" she said as he went near the guy and grabbed her id from his hand.
"You go to this school, huh?" He asked.
"What?" She was so nervous and uncomfortable. She was in a dim lit area in the library, alone with a man.
"Nothing, goodbye" he said as if he sensed her uncomfortable state.
