Page 24 of Chasing Mr. Prefect

“Did you put this in there?” I asked, my hands shaking as the raised the doll.

“Sorry,” Liana said. “I found that in the stock room and thought you’d want it back.”

“Seryoso ka?” I said, my voice going up a pitch, and I saw Liana recoil like I had hit her.

“I saw my doll and I thought you’d want yours, too,” she replied, voice small.

There was a pause. Liana bit her lip and looked like she was debating whether to say something or not. I raised an eyebrow and waited for her to do so.

“I remembered how good things were before. Part of me was wishing I could get my best friend back. Giving this back felt like a step in that direction.”

My eyes welled up. “Do you know what this doll reminds me of?” I said, voice calculated. “It only reminds me of how good things were when everything was normal.”

Liana gritted her teeth as tears fell on her cheeks.

“There was a reason I put it away for good. I didn’t want that doll anywhere near me because it was a reminder that no matter how much I wished to still have my proper family, I was never getting that back.

I wish I too could turn back time but here we are.”

“I’ll take her, then,” she said, trying to smile as she extended her hand towards Melba. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m grateful to you and Tita Cris for treating me so well,” I said. Something unfamiliar was pressing on me as I saw Liana’s expression and I later recognized it as guilt. I took one step towards her, feeling so empty.

It felt so weird without the default anger I always had with me.

“It’s no one’s fault that we’re here. But I really hope you understand that–”

“That’s okay,” she cut me off as she took the doll. “I’ll stay out of your way.”

She turned to go back towards the hallway and only then did we both realize that our parents were there and listening in the whole time.

“Good night,” Liana said, fleeing towards her room.

Our parents stared at me with expressions I could not figure out just yet. I waited for them to say something, but they just disappeared back into their room.

My phone beeped. Somewhere between opening the door and closing it, Cholo must have hung up.

Cholo Valiente

Are you okay?

Yes. Sorry.

I’ll go sleep now. See you tomorrow.

CHAPTER 12

No, I was not able to sleep at all.

I was distracted the whole day and the guilt from the way my family looked last night haunted me the entire time. I specifically dreaded the Finance seatwork that afternoon and when the professor handed out the material, I knew I was a goner.

This reminded me of that time in my first year of university when I sat a Math 17 quiz and ended up getting twelve over fifty. I swore, on that day I got my blue book back, that it would be the last time I would get a score that low in my entire college career but seeing the questions in front of me now told me that I would be breaking that record.

I was figuratively tearing my hair out as early as question number three.

I gave up on that midway through the allotted time and just submitted my blue book early, feeling a massive headache coming on. I decided to go to the club room. As it was in between classes, the room was empty and I was free to throw myself on the sofa.

I managed to get a quick nap but heard footsteps and voices coming in after about half an hour.