Chapter 1: Eliana

New York

Sigh

"I really need to give myself credit for working this hard," Eliana muttered, shaking her head, with her right hand she massaged the bridge of her nose. "Alright, let's get this done and over with." She stretched her arms and typed rapidly on her keyboard.

4 AM on the dawn of Monday. Eliana was still awake finishing up her essay. It was the final requirement she lacked to pass the semester. She was tired and on the verge of falling asleep. However, procrastination was a luxury of the time she couldn't afford.

"Right, this would do..." Her eyes scanned through the 5000 words document she managed to put out within 4 hours. "Done! God, this is such a pain in the butt."

Hoping she could grab some time to sleep, she glanced at her white coloured alarm clock located on her bedside. Despite the dim lighting, she managed to see through the time.

5:07 AM.

She let out a groan.

Seeing it was hopeless to get a slack nap, she decided to get ready. She cleaned up her study space, making sure to pull out the outlets.

She pushed the chair back under the table and proceeded to her wardrobe. She wasn't the type to spend time over matching outfits. So it didn't take time for her to choose. Grabbing some undergarments, a decent shirt, and skinny jeans, she dragged herself to the bathroom to take a quick bath.

After a while, she made herself look presentable. Staring at the mirror in her bathroom she muttered, "Well, at least I look decent somehow." She shrugged seeing the bags bulging below her eyes before exiting the bathroom.

As she made her way to the study desk to get her things, someone from downstairs called out.

"Eli! Breakfast is ready!"

At least there's food to look forward to, she thought. Before leaving, she collected the things she needed for the clearance signing, including the USB containing the essay.

Everything required to pass the semester was tucked inside her white backpack. She zipped it and swung it over her shoulder, leaving the room.

While walking down the hall, she raised her wrist to look at the time. Her eyes widened, it was already 6:00 AM. She bolted her way downstairs with heavy pounding steps on the wooden floor. The metal key chain dangling on her bag clanking loudly, making noises.

Eliana was never one to be aware of time. Her whole life, she never liked being rushed. She always took her precious time with everything. She believed she has her own pace and she will stick with when and whatever works best for her.

The sounds she made was an obvious hint for the people downstairs in the kitchen to understand what the noise was all about.

"She's late." Eliana's younger brother, Jacer, stated.

Caroline, their mother in her mid-forties, shook her head in disapproval. She bore 2 children. Sure it's a low number but they were enough to give Carol a permanent headache.

Finally, Eliana entered the kitchen, frantic. She knew better than skipping breakfast, recalling her first and last attempt resulted in her earning painful diarrhea. On the other hand, Carol wouldn't allow it to happen again. Not even in a million years, breakfast will always be important.

She sat one seat apart from her brother on the counter with her mother's back turned away from them on the other side of the counter flipping pancakes.

"Mom," She said, breathless.

Carol twisted her body sideways to looking over to meet her daughter's eyes. "Eliana." She raised one of her brows. "If you wish to skip breakfast, don't start my morning with your suicidal diets." With that, she focused back on finishing the almost cooked pancakes.

"What!" Eliana exclaimed. "No way mom, I just wanted to tell you I'll be eating cereal." She huffed. "And, if you're talking about the last time, that wasn't a diet mom. I was running late. As a matter of fact."

Her mom managed a hum as a reply. Eliana stood up to pick up a bowl and a spoon on one of the top cabinets. She made cereal back to her seat, the ingredients placed conveniently on the counter.

"You're gonna die early without mom, you're always late. Eating very little meals." Jacer spoke, busy indulging himself with his pancakes. He wasn't wrong, to say the least.

With the cereal done, Eliana sat comfortably ready to eat. She whipped her head to the side to face her brother. "Unlike the pig you are, how many pancakes did you eat already, huh?"

Jacer frowned, he almost lost his appetite, but he knew better than to leave his food alone. After all, he didn't want it to be put to waste. Instead, he barked back. "I'm a growing boy, I need a lot of sustenance."

Eliana rolled her eyes. Despite in a hurry to finish her breakfast, she wasn't about to let herself leave without a say. "Sustenance, yeah right. Says the kid who hid 15 pieces of junk food in his room. You're 13, I wouldn't be surprised you'd grow and blow up."

It was a weak response, but Eliana only ever cared to reveal his secret.

Caroline, her mother, turned to Jacer with an angry look. Jacer was caught off guard, his sister exposing him with the treasures he kept in his room would surely earn him a good scolding from Caroline.

Eliana felt like she took too much time for breakfast, with the last reply she finished everything and tossed her bowl in the sink.

"Mom, I'm going." She ignored Jacer whose stares were throwing daggers in her direction.

She went outside, paving towards the bus stop. Today was definitely not a good day. Eliana felt like something was bound to happen. Usually, her gut feeling would turn out right but today she hoped it was wrong. She badly needed to pass her essay before she ends up not graduating and living homeless for the rest of her life.

Yes, she overthinks like that.

"Oh god, anything but that." She muttered to herself.

The thought of failing was never an option to her, a straight-A student. Which was entirely ironic to her clumsy personality. Passing an essay on the day of the deadline would surely affect her grades, but she prayed it wouldn't so. Despite constantly attempting to organize her life, it always resulted into no avail.

From a distance, she could see the bus pulling up to the bus stop area. The faint engine noise coming to a halt made her pick up a faster pace. The bus stop was far from where she ran off, so she tried her best to run faster in hopes to catch up. She panted from the energy she used from running.

And just as she was close enough, the bus doors closed shut.

As said, her gut feeling was always usually correct.