It's already 5 AM, I don't have the energy to get up yet but I had to
I felt so empty, I don't know what's happening to me
I tried to force myself to go back and sleep, but I can't
I decided to just get up and take a shower and prepare a breakfast for Mom and Dad
I went downstairs and began to cook
After plenty of minutes, I finished cooking,
It's still too early for them to get up, I checked the time it's almost at 6 already, they usually woke up at 6:30 in the morning
While waiting for the time to pass, I decided to clean some parts of our house
*********
I didn't notice the time pass so fast, it's already 6:35, I can hear their footsteps coming down
I began to set the table for us to have our breakfast
"Um, good morning Mom, Dad, I uh... prepared something for you," I said nervously, I don't even know why I'm nervous
I looked at them, they just take a glance at my food before saying something
"Good morning Lia, thanks for the food you didn't have to cook, we're going to your cousin's homecoming party today maybe we won't be here until tomorrow so you have to guard the house," Dad said
"Homecoming?" I asked Dad
"Yeah, you're cousin's brother just got home from New York" Dad proudly said
Oh, how I wish that's his expression every time I tell him my school achievements
"Yeah, your cousin always make their parents proud, how I wish I have that too," Mom said as she looked at me
Was everything I'm doing for them not... enough?
Dad starts to walk back upstairs to prepare while Mom stayed she said she'll talk to me
I felt so much anxiety
"Lia" Mom started to talk
"I notice your performance at school, you're not slacking off are you?" Mom asked me, every time we talked about my performance at school, she will always make me feel stupid
"I'm not, Mom I am doing my best, we'll be having our Christmas Party tomorrow too and I uh still don't have a dress, can you buy me one?" I asked her nervously and nicely
She looked at me up and down before she laughed
I was being serious though
"Don't change the topic yet, Lia, you better be focusing on how to do your very best in school especially in your academic performance, don't be lame" she added
But...
I'm doing my very best every single time
I felt offended
It was a consistent honor since I'm in my kindergarten until now and I was offered a scholarship by the town Mayor and I am also given a chance to be a Valedictorian
Mom walked upstairs to prepare everything but before she goes, she told me something
"Oh, about the dress, you won't look good in those I mean, look at yourself, you're chubby, if you don't have a dress then simply don't go to the party," she said
I only nodded and just cleaned the dining table since they won't eat the food I made
I let out a deep sigh and just prepare everything before going to school
************
I'm now at school, I saw Aliya talking to the popular girls at our school, I decided to go to her
"Hey there Aliya" I greeted her
I also greeted the popular girls, they just looked at me and I saw one of her friends laughing at me
"Oh, hey" Aliya greeted me back
The popular girls left afterward, gosh I hate them
"So, Lia, do you already have a dress?" she asked me
I wanted to ask her if she has some spare money that I could borrow for the dress but I was too shy so I decided to just a lie
Just... one lie
"Uh.. yes," I said
"Well, that's great as I've said everybody should have their outfits by now or else they won't be allowed to enter the classroom tomorrow," she said in a boring tone
I looked at her, I can't believe she's saying those words, she's being inconsiderate at this very moment
"Do they need to meet the deadline of the attire? I mean what if they are still you know looking for it, finding money to buy it, you know" I told her
She just looked at me and rolled her eyes
"Duh, of course, they should, and money should not be a pro-" she was cut off by our classmate Tina
"Hey, Aliya, I uhh..." Tina hesitated to talk
"What? Spit it out, you're wasting my precious time" Aliya said in an impatient manner
"I still...don't have a dress because my mom needed some money for her surgery," she said
I felt so sad for her
"So, is that my problem?" Aliya asked her in a sarcastic tone
Is she aware of what words came out of her mouth/
Tina just looked down and replied
"...No"
"Well, no party for you then," she said before grabbing my hand to went back to the room
I looked at her and I didn't expect her to be that rude
"Aliya, why won't you let Tina go to the party? It's a Christmas Party be compassionate" I told her
She looked at me and laughed
Gosh she's like mom
"Well, Lia she doesn't even have money for her dress, we won't be organized, remember we always are organized we've been nominated as the best party organizer every event that includes parties and decorations and we always won, I don' want her to ruin that," she said before she walks away from me
She changed
I can' see Aliya in her anymore
She looks like a clone of those popular girls
Mean, rude, impatient, and brat popular girls
That's not the Aliya I knew
*********
The last day of our event is now starting
They announced the winners already and our class won 1st place, we were so happy since this will be added to our English Grade
Time went past and it's already time to go home
Everyone was having their moment as a winner, I looked at them they were so proud, I saw each one of my classmates getting picked up by their parents, and some were picked up by their car service, I also saw Daniel and Aliya outside talking happily, Daniel didn't talk to me the whole day
Maybe he's shy
I just smiled and later notices a girl crying
I looked at her it was Tina, I approached her to ask what's wrong
"Hey, Tina you good?" I asked her, it looks like she's been crying for hours
"I...u-uh I w-wan-a g-got-to t-the party," she said while covering her face
"I don't.. you know I don't want to be different from you guys, I wanna ha-have some f-fun t-too," she said to me as she wipes her tears, I gave her my handkerchief
"Here, take this and wipe your tears," I said as she took the handkerchief on my hand
"T-hank y-you," she said
I looked at her, I remembered that I need to buy one too, I don't have enough money to buy to myself because my saving this month was too small for my other expenses
"Hey Tina, I just wanna ask you Uhm, ..am I chubby?" I asked her hoping she'll say no
She looked at me and
"No, you look fine, you'll look good in a dress too" she said
I was surprised by what she said, well was Mom lying to me?
I looked at her and thought of something
"Hey Tina, wanna come with me?" I asked her
She gave me a confused look
I whispered something to her which she couldn't believe
"Oh gosh, no it's alright really," she said but I didn't take her no answer, I told her that I want to
After 5 minutes of annoying her, she finally agreed and we went outside the school to go to the place I told her a while ago
No one gets left behind
-End of Chapter 5-