4: Her 18th Birthday

Asher's Point of View.

"You guys haven't eaten yet, right? Why don't we grab something to eat before going there?" Dara said when she caught me looking for foods. 

"What? You haven't eaten before you drove to our house?" I asked them with my eyes wide open. 

"Inez was so excited. She called me so early just to say that she's already in the studio so I had no choice but to go there early." Dara was the first one to answer. 

"Same, bro. I got a call earlier. It was just 5 am by then when I got a call from her. I was also shocked and hurried to go to the studio. I had no time to eat." Cassian answered after Dara. After I heard Cassian, I turned my gaze to Inez who's smiling awkwardly at all of us now. 

"I also didn't eat breakfast. Hehe. I'm sorry." She said that made all of us shrug our shoulders. 

"I got too excited, yes! Who won't? This is the first time that all of you agreed to do this. I also ran away from my Aunt's." She added that made all of us look at her. 

"Why did you do that, Inez?" I asked her. It's so unusual to hear this from her. She never opened up any issue about her family to us. She's just that girl that lifts us up every time so I don't see any reason for her to do what she did. 

"I also have something to say. I ran away from our home but don't worry. We have enough funds for the competition. I already secured that." Dara suddenly interrupted that made me smile. 

"After all those years that you forced yourself to be in that hell, Dara. You deserve it. Let me just pat your back because you're so brave for doing that." I said and did pat her back. 

"I don't know if this is destiny but I also ran away from our home. My mom won't allow me to hang out with you anymore saying I just don't change when I am with you guys. So..." Cassian said when I am in the middle of patting Dara's back. 

"Wow. Do we share the same braincell now? I mean, this is so unusual. Really." I said and lied back to my seat while crossing my arms. 

"We just have each other now, I guess?" Dara asked us that made me nod. 

"We have each other always. I know that but what if this messes up? I mean, it's okay if I mess up but what if we all mess up? We don't know where this would lead all of us." I added and let out a deep sigh. 

"We just try our hardest, then. If we mess up, then we'll come back as losers. We don't want that to happen, right? So, today, it's now or never." Dara said which I don't know but made me felt better. 

"No matter what happens, as long as at the end of the day we know we tried. That's more than enough already." She added and when I looked around, I found them smiling. 

"Scratch that. Why would we think negatively? We'll win that competition! We'll come back and prove everyone wrong, okay? We'll do our very best and if it's not enough? Who cares?" She added one more time that made me open my arms. 

"Group hug?" I asked them and they nodded. I embraced all of them tightly. This might sound weird because after this, I know we'll just be in two options. Whether we come back successful or we come back as losers. For me? It's fine if we fail. As long as I fail with them. I want to fail with them and I also want to success with them. 

Hailey's Point of View. 

"Let me ask you one more time, Hailey. Why were you there? Answer me and don't be silly." I heard Mommy said, trying to calm herself down. 

"Mommy, I want to paint. I've been saying that to you for hours now. I want to paint again. I want to feel that unknown feeling again. I want to be in that center again." I answered her for the nth time. 

"Hailey Leigh Alvarez. Just how many times do I have to tell you that you can't paint again. You can't finish something by your own again. How many times do I have to tell you that to make you understand that?" I heard her saying those words again. 

It hurts. So much. This words coming from my own Mom. I can't take it. 

"Mommy..." I said and I just noticed my tears are already falling from my eyes. 

"Don't you remember the last time that you painted? You almost drag me into your mess, Hailey. Don't you remember that? Me and your father is already living our lives fine. We never failed to provide for you. What we just want for you is to live. By staying here, taking your meds and doing your routine. That's all that we want for you." She said and stood up from sitting in front of me. 

"Mommy, I promise I won't mess up this time. I know I can do it this time. I just need you to believe in me. I won't let anyone to know that I am your daughter. I won't. I promise. I just need to grab this chance. I just want to try to paint one last time." I answered her but all I did receive was a slap. A hard one that made me bit my lip. My lip felt like it's about to spit blood because of my teeth on it. 

"Argh! Why can't you understand me?! I don't want you to get out of here. I don't want you to embarrass me. Look, I am just trying to protect you. I am just trying to let you live longer." I heard her say but it seems like I can't hear things after she slapped me. 

"You're doing this to protect yourself. To protect your image. Am I really that embarrassing to you, Mommy? I just want to come back to the one thing that accepted me when everything messed up. You're not letting me live longer. You're killing me by doing these things to me now. I am not alive when I am not chasing what truly makes me happy. I am not the one who can't understand things, Mommy. It's you. It's you and Daddy who can't understand me." I started off with that while caressing my cheek that felt like burning because of the slap she did on me. 

"I am letting go of the chains that's stopping me from chasing what my heart wants, Mommy. I am trying to live and not just simply exist but you're bringing back all of those chains again. I don't want to stay here in my prison cell again. I want to live my life. If that makes you so angry now, I don't know. You've been missing out on me since the day you didn't thought of me. I know I am still your daughter but can you just look at me like a human just one time? Stop seeing me as an object to maintain in it's box. I am not a toy. I am a human being, Mommy." I added and tried to wipe off the tears that were falling from my eyes. 

"Hailey Leigh Alvarez. Locking you up is not a bad decision. You're growing your thorns. I am not liking it. Because of that, you won't be able to go outside again. You can't go outside no matter what again." I heard her yelled and pointed at me. I don't know what to feel anymore. I just know that I tried my best to prove my point which is the very first time I did. 

She walked out of the house and that was the time I had the chance to breathe. I just found myself lying down on the sofa and closing my eyes. I couldn't count the sighs that I let out of. 

"Do you want ice creams?" I heard Yaya said which made me open my eyes. I saw her waving the cups which I believe where the ice creams are. I smiled by what she said and wiped my tears. 

Asher's Point of View. 

"Name, please?" I heard the girl in the desk asked us when we got in the line. 

"Asher Blake Cañoza, Dandara De Verra, Maria Inez Gomez and Cassian Blue Guevarra." I answered as I point at them one by one. 

"Oh. Are you guys going to be a team? Fill this form up and make sure the contact details are updated. We will contact you tomorrow for announcements." I heard her reply but I couldn't write on the form because there was a girl filling up the same form on the table. 

I was about to talk to her but then she stood up and gave the paper to the girl. I stared at her for minutes. 

"She looks so familiar." I said to myself as I stare at her. I know she can feel it because I can feel the awkwardness she's showing now by looking around. 

"We have a special guest for today! It's Ms. Olivia Z. Bautista, everyone!" I heard someone announced loudly that made me look at the front. I saw the woman they are talking about and just shrugged my shoulders. I returned my attention to where the girl was and I was shocked when I couldn't find her. 

I looked around and it seemed like she just disappeared which was really weird. 

"Hailey Leigh Alvarez? Where's Ms. Hailey Leigh Alvarez?" I heard the girl in the desk waving a piece of paper on her hand. I was about to ask her about the girl she is looking for but then another girl from the desk asked us. 

"A group of five people? Do you have another person with you? If you want to join as a group, you will have to look for another person. At least one person. If you fail to do so, we will be the one to group you into six which isn't sure if you'll be group mates if we will be the one to group you." The girl entertaining us said and it seemed like a light bulb lit in my mind. 

"I know someone!" I exclaimed and smiled. It's my time to find out if she's really that girl now. 

Hailey's Point of View.  

"Don't tell me you're listening to what your Mom said?" Yaya asked me when were in the middle of dipping our feet on the pool while we eat the ice creams she prepared. 

"Hailey, you're so brave to tell those words in front of your Mom. I couldn't do that if I was in your position so please, don't give up now. You said you just need someone to believe in you, right? I believe in you." She added and that made me smile. 

"I am not giving up, Ya. I won't but it seems like I lost my chance to that competition. They just held a one day registration and I didn't finished the form they gave me earlier. I messed that thing up. I don't know if I can be in that competition." I answered her before I took a spoonful of ice cream. 

"Oh. But you still have things in the storage room. I'm sure they'll do a competition again next year. I'm sure you can do it by then. I'll help you." She answered me. I took another spoonful and looked up to the sky. It's all full of stars now. 

"I want to make a progress in painting, Ya. I want to feel that burning feeling I've been seeking for a long time again. I want to touch my paint brush and paint my heart out again but I just couldn't. My body won't participate. I feel so weak now. I feel so... worthless." I whispered to myself. 

"You're making a progress, Hailey. You may not see it but I can. You're making little steps and it is so good to look at you being able to have a dream again. I've seen you during your tough times so trust me. You're making little steps and you'll soon make big steps. You just have to trust yourself." I heard Yaya answered. I didn't respond to her and just closed my eyes as I look up in the sky. 

I expected darkness to cover me up again but no. I saw a vision. I saw... myself. I saw myself being surrounded by stars and is painting. I can see a thing now! It's not darkness anymore! I can see a thing now. I can imagine things! 

I opened my eyes and was ready to scream that I can see things to paint now but what I saw when I opened my eyes stopped me from doing it. 

"Happy 18th birthday, Hailey." I heard Yaya said while holding a cake. I was ready to cry but then my phone alarmed. I thought it was just for my birthday reminder so I grabbed it and was ready to swipe it away but then I didn't expect what I just red. 

From: Unknown Number.
Hey.
I saw you in the registration desk earlier. I uh... I just wanted to ask if you're still up for it? I hope you don't get mad but I signed you up as part of our group. So, are you still interested about it? 

I was just processing in my mind what the first text said but then another text popped up. 

From: Unknown Number. 
Please, be up for it!
We need you to complete our group! 

Okay? So, now what?