Ana Louella
Last night was horrendous but I managed to hide my real emotions especially to my friends. I just let myself go with the flow despite the excruciating pain; I tried my best to set aside the painful memory I had last night and thankfully, I succeeded. Some men asked me to dance with them and I unwillingly danced with them. My friends and I talked about random stuff as we enjoyed the night. Thankfully, we didn't see the devils again; perhaps, they went somewhere, but I'm so glad that I didn't see them again because I honestly don't know how to react if I had met them, especially Ace again last night.
Although I was hurt by the way Ace talked to me last night, I still want to see him and thank him for saving me from embarrassment last night. If he hadn't saved me, then I would probably go home naked and it would be all because of Drake.
Drake.
Why did I even mention him when I don't want to remember him?
"Miss." Someone called out which pulled me out of trance.
"Oh! I'm so sorry. I was... just thinking of something." I replied as I looked at the cashier.
"The total is four hundred sixty seven pesos and fifty centavos." She said.
I took out a five hundred peso bill from my wallet and gave it to her. She took it from my hand and after punching something on the computer, she handed me the change which I placed on my wallet.
"Thank you." I said as I took the grocery bag where she placed the groceries that I bought.
I want to bake some cookies for Ace to thank him for what he had done. I always plan to give him cookies but I always forget to buy ingredients.
Today is Sunday and I usually buy groceries on Sundays; I'm glad that I remembered to buy some baking supplies.
I exited the supermarket and walked towards the bus stop shelter. A bus is already parked in the bus stop shelter which only has few passengers. It will take too long to fill this bus and I need to go home now.
"I'll just book a taxi." I mumbled.
As I was typing on my phone, I heard someone sobbing and I followed the sound of it. It led me to a sobbing little girl who is hugging her knees in the corner of the bus stop shelter.
I sat beside her and placed the grocery bag beside me. When she noticed my presence, she instantly looked up to see me and there, I saw her lovely almond-shaped honey-brown eyes that slant up. She has a flattened round face and a flattened nose bridge. Her ears are small, her neck is short and her tongue is slightly sticking out from her mouth, but she actually looks so cute and lovely despite her condition.
"Hey, why are you crying?" I asked.
"JD... home... didn't go." He sobbed.
"Who's JD?" I asked.
"Brother." She replied as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
"Are you looking for him?" I asked and she just nodded.
"Where are your parents? Why are you alone?" I asked.
"Work- nanny... she doesn't want to... to help find... JD." She sobbed.
"You shouldn't be here alone because it's too dangerous. You should have just stayed home and waited for your brother to come home." I stated and she shook her head.
"Sundays... JD doesn't go out. I want to... find him. We'll play together... he promised me." She said.
"Do you know where your house is?" I asked and she shook her head.
"No- I want to find JD first... before... go home." She said.
"But you have to inform your parents about this." I said.
"No. I... won't tell... you address... if I won't find JD." She sobbed.
"How about this... I'll help you find JD. Only if you'll stop crying." I said and she immediately wiped her tears.
I cleaned her face using a piece of tissue that I took out from the grocery bag.
"There... You look more beautiful." I said and she instantly smiled at me.
"Are you hungry?" I asked and she nodded.
I took out a pack of biscuits and gave it to her.
"One more... can I have?" She asked and I gave her another pack which she put inside her backpack.
"For JD." She said.
She is so sweet and lovely. She even saved a pack of biscuits for her younger brother. I assume that JD is her younger brother because of his name.
"We'll find JD right after you finished those biscuits." I said and she nodded.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"I'm Janice... Divine. Jandi... call me." She said slowly and paused for a while.
"What about you?" She asked as she took a bite from the biscuit.
"I'm Ana Louella. Call me Lou." I said and she shook her head.
"Ana... I want to call you." She said and I nodded as I smiled at her.
"How old are you?" I asked.
She placed the pack of biscuits on her lap and raised both of her hands.
"You're ten." I said and she instantly nodded.
"Ana, drink." She said.
I rummaged the grocery bag for a bottle of orange juice and when I found one, I opened it and gave it to her. Jandi thanked me before drinking from the bottle.
"Ana... am done. JD... can we find?" She asked as she handed me the empty bottle and wrapper.
"We'll go to a police station. We'll ask some help from the police so we can easily find your brother." I said, taking the empty bottle and wrapper from her hand and placing them back in the grocery bag.
Jandi nodded before standing. She held my hand and pulled me up.
"Go! Let's go!" She exclaimed as she giggled.
We boarded the bus and I led her to the nearest police station that I could possibly think of. That police station is located just across the DLSIU.
I was about to pull the police station's door open when Jandi tugged my arm.
"Look! JD's school." She exclaimed as she pointed to the university and I looked at her confusedly.
I thought she was older than JD, but it turned out that JD is a college student.
"How old is JD?" I asked.
"Twenty one." She replied.
"He can go home on his own. I'll take you to your house now and just wait for him there. How about that?" I asked and she shook her head.
"I want... go home... with him." She said as she crossed her arms on her chest, and I sighed before replying.
"How about this... Give me his phone number, and I'll tell him to pick you up here." I said and she nodded.
I took out my phone from my jeans' back pocket, and she dictated her brother's phone number. I tried calling him but he didn't answer any of my calls so I just texted him. Perhaps, his phone was switched off, or his phone's battery was drained.
I led Jandi to a coffee shop where I asked his brother to come over for him to pick up his little sister.
'What a careless brother she has. How could he just ignore this angel beside me?' I said internally.
...
Jackson Drake
I flopped down onto the couch as I massaged my temples. I glared at my sister's nursemaid, and she instantly bowed her head in shame.
"Lorna, if something bad happened to her..." I paused for a while to think of what I will do to this stupid woman.
"And if I won't find her within twenty four hours, I will sue you. Did you hear me?" I said, trying my best to calm down.
Lorna nodded as she sobbed, and I just ran my hand through my hair.
"Did you tell my parents about this?" I asked and she shook her head abruptly.
"Good. Did you report this to the police?" I asked and she nodded.
"What did they say?" I asked.
"They... they told me they can't respond to her case yet. We have to wait for twenty four hours before they start searching for her." She replied.
"They're useless. Tell them to resign. They don't deserve their licenses." I snorted.
"Tell me... what can I help you with?" Lorna asked as she fidgeted her hands.
"Just get the hell out of here. I don't want to see your face for now because it reminds me of your stupidity." I fumed, and she scrammed.
If only Dave were here... I bet my sister is here with me now. How could he take a leave in such a wrong time?
"I'll just ask my friends to help me." I mumbled as I took out my phone from my jeans' back pocket.
I switched it off, and there I saw tons of missed calls and text messages from my friends and my parents, but I ignored all of them when I saw a text message from an unregistered number.
"Your sister, Jandi is with me, and she wants you to pick her up at the coffee shop near DLSIU. She is safe with me, so don't worry. See you there." I muttered to myself.
As soon as I read the last word from the text message, I slid the phone inside my pocket, and walked towards my car that is just parked in front of our house. I got into the car and drove away towards the place where Jandi is staying.
After a few minutes, I finally arrived at the coffee shop, and there I saw my sister laughing with a girl who is probably just about my age through the glass window. I can't fully see the girl's face, and all I can say is that she has wavy waist-length pitch-black hair. Her hair and her figure... Why do I feel like I have seen this woman before? I wasted no time. I pushed the door open, and walked towards them.
"Brother... quite popular. You knew him?" I heard my sister say.
"No, I've never heard of someone called JD." The girl said, and Jandi waved her hand at her.
"Forget it." She said as she waved her hand at Louella.
"Birthday next week... Come, Ana. I want you... there." Jandi said.
"Sure. I'd love to." The girl said.
"I'll tell JD... to pick... pick you up." Jandi said as she looked at my direction.
A smile was instantly plastered on my sister's face, and she smiled at me.
"JD!" She called out as she ran towards me.
The girl turned her head to look at Jandi, and there I saw the wicked witch.
"You-" She started, but I cut her off.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as I furrowed my brows.
"She helped... me find you." Jandi answered for her.
"Let's go." I said.
I pulled her up and carried her as I dragged Louella along with us. I opened the car's rear door, and buckled Jandi up in the back seat; then, I closed the door. I turned to Louella, and pinned her against the car.
"Don't you dare tell this to anyone, or else, you'll be dead." I hissed.
"Why?" She asked confusedly.
"I don't- It's her condition-" She cut me off.
"What about her condition, Drake?" She questioned.
"Because she'll put you in embarrassment. Is that your reason?"
"No- I- I'm trying to protect her." I said.
"No, you're not. You're caging her... you're isolating her."
"Shut up, Louella! You don't know everything!" I growled.
Jandi rolled down the window as she looked at us worriedly.
"Everything okay?" She asked.
"Ye- yes." Louella stammered as she moved away from me.
"Do you... want to... come with us Ana?" Jandi asked.
"I'd love to but I need to go home now." Louella replied.
"It's okay. Birthday... on Sunday. Wear a princess' dress... okay?" Jandi said
Louella smiled at her as she nodded, and then Jandi closed the window.
"Shut your mouth dimwit. Don't make me shut it for you." I hissed.
I glared at her one more time before I got into the car, and I drove away.