Clutching on the steering wheel, Yvann stepped on the brakes so hard, he sent his car halting with a loud screech.
Panting, sweat trickled down his face.
Slowly, he unbuckled the seatbelt and stepped out into the frosty night.
He leaned against his car and stared up at the sky.
The moon was glowing, reminding him of what has become of him. It was as if teasing him.
"You think I'll let you win?" he muttered, still trying to catch his breath.
"You can never win. I won't let you."
Clenching his hands into fists, he gritted his teeth.
"I'm not going to let you win."
--
Standing in an open field was a fair maiden.
Her eyes shone like a stone sapphire.
The moon was full.
And she was not alone.
All the eyes of the beings that surrounded her shone too in different colors.
They were all admiring her.
All of them wanted her.
The night embraces her.
Screams---
Szeina jolted awake.
When she realized it was another one of her dreams of this certain woman, she let out a groan.
It was a daily routine. She should have been used to it by now.
But who would get used to an electrocution as an alarm clock?
Placing her hands over her face, she blew out a sigh.
It was always her.
The same dream every night and it would always end at the screams part.
That agonizing scream would send her wide awake, a thunderbolt sent right through her system.
Shrugging off the remnants of the shock, Szeina threw the covers off of her.
Today was her second day at Alwreck High.
She should be happy.
Yet, the mere thought of what awaited her after the eventful happenings that took place yesterday already killed her mood.
"Yay," she cheered sarcastically.
--
"Good morning, love!" Granola chirped, landing two pieces of freshly cooked bacon onto Szeina's plate.
The latter positioned herself on the island that zigzagged in the middle of Granola's heavenly kitchen.
The pan still sizzled as more bacon pieces were thrown into them.
"Can I skip school today?"
Granola chuckled, unknotting the apron from her waist. She turned the stove off, delivering the rest of the cooked bacon on the plate beside the toast.
"It's only the second day, Szeina. It wasn't that bad yesterday, was it? Well, aside from your detention."
Szeina let out a snort. She grabbed a toast and took a huge bite.
"Yeah. Just detention. Not to mention the mean girls."
Granola pulled a stool and sat beside Szeina.
"In every school, it would be lacking if there are no mean girls. It's part of the plot."
The two shared a laugh.
But Szeina kept the rest of what really happened in the cafeteria confidential.
She didn't want Granola to know about what she had done to the said mean girls.
Telling her would follow a reprimand.
It was best that she does not learn of Szeina using the mind game.
Granola was the mastermind for teaching her how to use the power of persuasion.
She warned Szeina to only use it when necessary. She wasn't supposed to use it unless it was an emergency.
For Szeina, though, the mean girls yesterday were her kind of emergency.
"Still, they are drop dead gorgeous," Neyandro took the vacant spot across Szeina and made sure to send a smirk on her way.
He was teasing, and she knew it.
"For you, it will always be the physical appearance that counts." Szeina shot back, taking another bite of the toast. She popped a small piece of bacon right after.
"Can you blame me?"
Szeina made a face.
"Whatever."
"Alright. Enough, you two. Szeina, Drew will take you to school today."
"What? Why?"
Neyandro scoffed.
"Told you, Gran. She wouldn't want to." Neyandro eyed Szeina. "She hates my company."
"Nonsense." Granola immediately shushed him. "I need to run some errands this morning. Drew is actually helping me out."
"Key word: actually."
Szeina stuck her tongue out towards Neyandro. The latter chucked a crumpled tissue paper he just used to wipe at his mouth towards her in return.
"Eww." Szeina mouthed.
"Well, either way, you don't have much of a choice here, love. I can't risk you going by yourself. You already know the drill."
'But…' Szeina had wanted to argue. Nonetheless, she stopped herself and gave Granola a quick hug instead.
"No worries, Gran," she promised, secretly crossing her fingers behind her back.
--
"Wow," Szeina exclaimed, comparing his car's condition yesterday.
The candy wrappers and soda cans that littered at the back of his car were gone.
Neyandro also managed to have a lemon air freshener going on.
"Shut up," Neyandro countered, sending Szeina into a fit of laughter as they shut the car door close simultaneously.
"This is so not you," Szeina snickered.
Neyandro shook his head, revving the engine to life.
"You better not pull a prank on me, Neyan. This better not be a prank."
Expertly easing the car out of the driveway and onto the highway, Neyandro spared Szeina a quick glance.
"Can I not do something nice for once?"
"Key word: once."
Neyandro chuckled.
"I'm a nice guy too, Szeina. Thank you very much."
"Sure, whatever."
Pulling out her earplugs, Szeina decided she didn't want to ruin her day any further by keeping Neyandro, her non-biological brother, entertained.
Although they always teased and threw sarcasm at each other for most of the time, their bond was like any other siblings.
But both Szeina and Neyandro were not blood related.
Neither was Granola nor her husband had anything to do with them, biologically.
Just like yesterday, the entire drive to her new school was plunged in silence.
When Alwreck High came into view, Szeina's stomach knitted and it tempted her to make that as an excuse to go home.
But then again, she knew Granola wouldn't approve of her hiding inside their house only after a day of trying Alwreck High.
Reluctantly removing the earplugs out, she unbuckled her seatbelt with no delay and had the car door open.
Before stepping out, she turned to Neyandro to express her gratitude.
"Drive safe, brother."
Neyandro shook his head. Just as Szeina hated him for calling her 'little sis', he shared the same sentiment with her calling him 'brother'.
"Wait," he called out, halting Szeina from shutting the door.
She waited and watched him get something out of his pants pocket.
When he finally got hold of what he was searching for, he tossed it towards Szeina.
She caught it mid flight.
"Happy birthday, Szeina."