SURELY, being drowned in the water was not the best experience we could ever have. The last thing I remembered was that two arms pulled me up before I lost consciousness.
I woke up with water coming out of my mouth, as if something blocking my airway had been removed. The next thing I knew, I saw myself crying. I never expected this to happen to me. Alice and Kyla were comforting me.
"It's your fault, you're so deep underwater! Thankfully, Logan saved you," Kyla said to me.
"I didn't know I would drown there."
I gave Logan a dirty look. He avoided eye contact. It's his fault! He could have chosen to save me earlier. But no, he chose to watch me slowly drown. I will never forget that. If he wants me dead, he hates me too deeply.
I didn't want to ruin our mini-swimming trip, so I let it go. We chose to have fun. I didn't want to be a killjoy. I decided to swim in the shallow area.
"Are you okay now? If Aunt finds out about this, she'll strangle me!" Alice said to me.
"Then she should not let her know this happened. I might get grounded too," I said to her.
We were arranging our food. Alice was grilling fish and meat on charcoal while I was setting up the mat we would use, as well as the food and other things.
"But in fairness, Master Logan was like Romeo saving you earlier! He looked amazing when he did CPR on you," she said with excitement.
I widened my eyes and covered my mouth.
"No way! You're just lying, right?"
I couldn't believe what she was saying. It felt like lightning struck me. That perverted old guy! Where’s Logan? It'll hurt him so bad!
"Oh, you don't know? I thought you knew," she said with her mouth covered.
"That guy is such a pervert! Does this waterfall have a curse? Why am I always in danger because of that guy?" I said, irritated.
"Come on, think of it as a blessing in disguise."
How?
"You know what, just call them so we can start eating," I told her.
"Alright, alright. Boys! Let's eat," Alice shouted.
The boys approached, and we started eating. I think they call it "Boodle Fight"? We didn't have utensils, and we shared our food on a big banana leaf.
It would have been fine if I wasn't sitting next to Logan. Why does he harbor so much animosity towards me? Well, I loathed him equally.
"Don't you know how to eat with your hands?" Andrew noticed my messy eating.
I shook my head and then I replied, "First time, sorry."
He taught me how. Andrew was naturally friendly, and I didn't take his actions with any malice at all. I'll definitely tell Alice to calm down with her stares. I have no intention of competing with a crazy girl like her.
While I could also feel the intense gaze of the guy on my left. I don't know why Logan glares at me with such pure hatred. Even if I don't directly see it, I know very well how evil his gaze is.
After that picnic, it was already afternoon. It was okay now because we were all happy and had forgotten about the incident. When I got home, I was a bit tired, but I had to take a bath. I was about to go to bed when Alice entered my room, almost in tears.
"What happened to you?" I asked her.
"It's because of you," she said, sobbing.
What did I do to her?
"Huh? Why me?" I asked, confused.
"Do you know how jealous I felt when I saw you with Andrew? I wish I didn't know how to eat with my hands," she continued.
I couldn't believe what she was saying.
"Do you think there's something between us? If Andrew likes you, it's not the same for me. Look, I have no plans to stay attached here. I will find a way to leave this place. My dad and brother will help me. So you better stop thinking about that possibility because I will never, never want to have something between me and a Lopez."
She seemed relieved by my words.
"That's good. I thought my fantasy was over,” she said.
I shook my head before kicking her out of my room. I get the point that sometimes, a girl can be a little brave and foolish when it comes to having a crush on a guy, but I don't think I'll ever reach that point, right? Like, I should be the one being chased by guys, not the other way around.
The days passed quickly. I often went out of the house, going out with Alice and the others whenever they had time. It's actually fun here, even though there aren't many stores, establishments, malls, and tourist spots like in the city. I can say that nature is fun here.
There are beautiful farm areas and high hills. It's fun to be here, but I only love being here for a while, not for a very long time. It's the start of the school year now, and it's the first time I woke up this early. I have to prepare my uniform, do my morning routine, go downstairs, and eat my breakfast. As usual, Alice is already here.
"Good morning!" she greeted energetically.
"Morning," I replied as I sat down next to her.
I took a piece of bread, spread cheese on it, and added a little bacon. I poured orange juice from the carton into my glass.
We resumed eating our breakfast. It was still early, so it was fine to savor our meal. After that, Mom gave me my allowance, which wasn't as much as before. I understand our situation.
"Take this lunch box, have a great day, Krystal," Mom said.
"You too."
I left the house, and Christian and Lance's motorcycle was already in front. Kyla was also there; she said she would be the banker when it comes to gas expenses.
"Let's go, girls! We might be late for the flag ceremony! You don't want to get scolded by Miss Davenport!"
We entered the vehicle and started the journey. I was sitting next to Kyla, whose lipstick was getting messed up because of the bumpy ride.
"Goodness, I couldn't fix my makeup," she said, annoyed. Then, she looked at me. "Where can I buy a face like yours? Being beautiful is so effortless for you,” she added and then she sighed.
"I thought you were a girl, Kyla. Why are you teasing me?" I joked back.
We arrived at school peacefully. The flag ceremony should be starting now, and thankfully, we were on time. After this, there will be a general assembly, separate for each grade and strand.
I chose the ABM or Accountancy, Business, and Management strand because I wanted to pursue being an accountant and a businesswoman someday. It's just something I've wanted for a long time. Besides, my mom also finished Accountancy.
Christian, Alice, and Lance were in the Humanities and Social Sciences strand, while Kyla was in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics strand.
Since I'm new and don't have any classmates in my strand or section, I was separated from them. They showed me where we would meet during our recess and lunch break. I'm not naturally anxious, but it's reasonable to feel a bit nervous, especially in a new environment with a new way of living. New people surround me, and I think that's okay. I remember those toxic people I left behind.
A fresh start isn't bad after all. I lined up for our flag ceremony. Surely, it would be a boring and lengthy speech, but at least I wasn't the one in the spotlight. After that long introduction, a familiar guy approached me.
"Are you alone?" Andrew asked me.
"They're in line with their own strands. We're not in the same strand," I replied while trying to find the building and room I was assigned to.
"What strand are you in?" he asked out of nowhere.
"I'm in ABM, but I haven't found my building and room yet."
"Can I see your schedule?" he asked politely. I handed him my sheet, and he smiled.
"We're block section classmates! I'm in ABM too, let's go together."
I shrugged and joined him. Surely, many girls were giving me dirty looks. I didn't owe them anything for them to look at me like that.
Maybe it's because they admire and envy the person I'm with. But that doesn't justify their hate. Some girls can be Annoying just because of such a small thing.
I arrived in our classroom, and it seemed like we had around 30 students. Everyone was looking at me. After all, I was a new face.