There are situations that remain out of our control, no matter how much we struggle to grasp them. Sometimes, we just are not fit for them or is it perhaps them that are not fit for us?

Beep! Beep!

"Chiming of alarm"

"...me on! Come on! I'm leaving"

In a brightly lit classroom in a bustling city night, students are packing up to call it a day. Yet, a certain somebody stays cooped up in a corner of the hall.

"...la..ela...Vela! Wake up!"

Struggling to awake from her slumber, the student sways her head with her face still buried in her desk.

But the call lingers on.

"Hey, Vela! The teacher left already. It's time to go."

Still unable to raise her head, the student raises her hand to shoo away the disturbance.

"Five more minutes", the sleeping girl mumbles lazily while showing a five with her hand.

Shuffle! Rattle! Zipp!

Step!step!

Suddenly, the young lady hears the sound of footsteps getting quieter. At this moment, she finally raises her head to follow suit.

She rapidly packs up her things and rushes after her friend, "Lisa! Wait please!"

Her friend's light steps just get faster the more she tries to reach her.

"Lisa! Wait! Ahhh!"

She picks up the pace and runs to Lisa's side.

"Lisa!", Vela calls out with relief and a bright smile, then pounces on her friend's narrow shoulders.

She scurries around her, trying to calm her down. But all her attempts are met with a long pout.

Sigh!

"It's alright. Let's just go home", Lisa finally gives in.

"But seriously, for the thousandth time, get some sleep at night", she adds.

Vela looks away and responds with a nonchalant nod.

"Oh come on! You won't, will you?..", Lisa exclaims.

"..You're so invested in your goal, sometimes I --"

She pauses upon noticing a look of displeasure on Vela's face. "What's wrong?"

"Ah, no. It's nothing. Just...my feet....", Vela replies as she struggles to fix her footwear.

"...My feet are cramped in here"

"You still wear those? ", Lisa asks with confusion.

But her friend stays silent and keeps staring at her feet.

Sigh!! Lisa heaves a long sigh and pulls Vela on to the exit.

"We'll miss the bus if you keep dwelling on that. "

"Ouch!", Vela cries out.

At once, Lisa releases her hold and squats before Vela, "How even did you run after me in these?", Lisa asks as she gets hold of her friend's foot.

"Hehe!", Vela giggles innocently.

"What is so funny", Lisa asks.

"I just love you so much Elisa Thomas"

"I know. I love you too Vela", Lisa replies while taking out spare shoes from her bag for her friend.

"Okay. That should do. Can we go now?"

Vela takes a few steps forward, flexes her slender legs and replies, "yes, we can. Thank you".

The girls start on their way again and some minutes later, they board a bus home. The journey is a calm and soothing one with a blissful city night casting dazzling lights in the background. Upon peeking out of the window, it's an ocean of dashing stars that carry Vela's drowning thoughts away.

About 30 minutes later, Vela is back home, while Lisa had alighted the bus some time before. It is with a slouching figure that she walks up the silent stairs to her apartment.

With the clicks of her foot come the thoughts of her homeworks and with clacks come the thought of the eventful day she overcame.

Many more clicks and clicks after, she is finally at her door.

But before reaching out to open it, the young girl stays poised before the door and heaves a sigh lightly, then straightens her back and goes on to open the door.

"Hey! Hey! Stop that. Melissa, help your brother wear his pants".

"Ohh! Mom. I'm studying!"

"...Hm? What's that I heard? Leave those air pods and come and dress Nathan"

"Ohh! Mom! Come on!"

It is a chaotic, but familiar routine that Vela witnesses as she teeters into the living room like a culprit.

Light clack of door!

"Vela? "

Vela pauses in her escape attempt and replies with an air of discontent, "...Yes. I'm home..mom".

"Aww! My baby. How was your day?!", her mom yells from the kitchen.

"It was great mom! ", she replies as she picks up scattered books at her feet.

"Hey!", Melissa whispers in Vela's back.

Vela turns to see a little brunette with small and soft light brown face in dark jumpers smiling brightly at her. The back length hair is braided into beautiful pigtails and dropped upon her little shoulders.

"Why are you here? Where's Nathan?", Vela stoops and whispers back.

"He's wearing his pants", the little girl replies with a straight look.

"What'd you -", Vela hears her mom again and stops.

"....ure?", a question is howled at Vela from the kitchen again.

"Velary!"

She stutters shortly and answers hastily,"yes ma!"

"...Are you sure your day was *great*? "

A strange silence looms between the two ladies for a moment. Then Vela swallows and repeats,"It was great mom. Awesome!"

"....Okay my girl. Go and clean up and join us for dinner"

"Yes mom."

Then she turns back to whisper; with a knowing look, "Hey! What'd you do?"

"Nothing"

"....."

"Hmm..well, I just offered to complete his homework for him"

"Bribing already huh. You're learning so early; I fear for the future", Vela jokes sarcastically.

"Sheesh! Can't I atleast have some fun?", Melissa whispers.

Vela drops the books in her hand on a table near her and walks away slowly, "go ahead gurl! I support you. "

"Hehehe!", the little brunette giggles and moves on to the table to fulfill her ser side of the contract.

Vela gets to her room and yet again, she sighs,though heavily this time.

Then she drops her backpack and goes to clean up.

Some moments, later, the dining room is full with four happy faces exchanging over a beautiful meal.

"..so, your mock exams are..coming up...how are you feeling them?", this probably innocent question from mom pulls an already tense string.

It may have meant to keep their happy talk going, if it really was for that purpose, but it only served to knock a sealed door.

"..well, I'm..I'm studying as I should", replies Vela with a lukewarm composure.

Melisa sitting with a bright smile quickly hides her whites upon hearing that question.

"...Haha. you'd probably be sweating buckets in the hall when the paper is before you", she jokes as if to alleviate a tension. But..no response.

"Hm. Yeah, you probably wouldn't, given that you're studying hard. But still, I imagine you going bonkers before the question sheet", the girl adds desperately.

"Pfft. You bet. The math homework we corrected at cram school today alone was insane. I can't imagine the actual mock", Vela finally replies with a smirk.

Mom turns over to Melissa and responds,"But I trust my baby...".

She squints happily and adds jokingly,"she'll ace it".

"..yeah! Yeah! I'll channel my prayers accordingly", Melissa doubles.

"Mel!", her mom exclaims

"What?", she answers with a grin.

Vela laughs to the point of tears and keeps a little smile on.

She certainly walked into a noisy home, but the warmth of it made her forget it all.

Soon enough, it was bedtime and lights out in this bustling house.

Chirping of birds!

More chirping and sounds of foot steps fill Velary's calm morning.

"Hey, wake up! Wake up!", Melissa calls out to a sleeping Vela.

"Hmhm..", Vela answers lazily.

"Rise and shine giant slug. You're super late", the little girl jokes again.

This time, Vela hops out of bed and changes hurriedly. Then she dasher over to the livingroom for a bite of her breakfast.

With no seconds to spare on her meal, she leaves it almost untouched and goes searching for shoes.

"Boff! Such a boring day already", she says, drooping her shoulders. M

After letting out her frustration, she goes on to wear her shoes, but-

"Ahh..ah..ugh!"

Her struggle to get her right foot in is real, yet, she forces them to fit.

"Aight! That was hard", she jokes while panting.

"Velary! You're still here?"

"No!.."

"Yes mom", Melissa contrasts Vela's answer with a smirk.

"Come on! Shoo!", Vela whispers to her sister with annoyance.

"Hehehe! The brunnet giggles back innocently.

"I'm leaving mom!", Vela screams to overshadow Melissa's voice which only makes the kid laugh even louder.

"Alright. Take care my baby.. Have a nice day". Mom's voice gets lower upon saying the end of the sentence.

"Ohh! Tsk!", Vela cries out and clicks her tongue lightly.

"Those shoes again? Change sizes. Why are so fixated on wearing them particular?", Melissa asks.

"Ahh. Never mind that. I'll be late. Later mom! Nathan! I'll see you in the evening". Velary bids them all and leaves.

"Should I go for bigger shoes?", Vela asks herself as she leans against the door behind her.

To be continued...