Chapter One

I WONDER where on earth I was. My vision is blur and I realized it's because of this thick smoke around that is quite cold. I think it's a fog. Or should I say, uh—a smog? The sun is not up yet, so I guess it's still dawn. I'm starting to freak out especially that it is still dark. I hate it when it's dark. Though, there is the slightest sign of light around. I walk through, curious of where I am. I am surrounded with huge trees and ferns and bushes. And all the sounds of insects. As I walk further, I smell of some gunpowder. My eyes darted on what I've been holding and wearing all along. Oh my great heavens. I stopped in front of a tall tree as I realized what I'm wearing. I'm actually wearing a soldier's battle uniform. A pair of fatigue and combat boots that is just amazingly fit on me. My eyes almost popped out when I see what I'm holding. A gun! No—it's not just a gun! It's a shotgun! Woah, dude. Wow. Just. Wow... You have no idea how happy I am, but imagine me floating in cloud nine. Wherever that happy place is. I'm so happy I'm glowing like a firefly! And I see my fellow fireflies moving towards me. I mean, co-soldiers. Oh man, I'm one of them! Yes. I'm with the coolest dudes ever! I'm so happy. I'm indeed so happy you guys. This is too much. I don't wanna cry. "Soldier Pip! Hurry up! We've got to run before they reach our base! Move! Move!" Said the one that is already near me, with his voice that is deep and authoritative. I nodded and started running. It fascinates me how light the combat is, so does the shotgun. I know. I know. I'm so awesome right now, I thought. And when I was like having my moment-of-thought while running, I bumped on someone ahead of me and so, I lost my balance and fell to the ground. "Hey!" Ouch. That really hurts you know! "Hey! You—" I struggled getting up. "Hey," she said. Wait, he's a 'she'? I mean, 'she' is a 'she'?! The ground started shaking before I could be able to stand and go back to what I was doing. OMFudgeCookies! Not an earthquake!! No— "Darling," I suddenly felt a hand reaching my face. "Darling, wake up now," I realized it wasn't an earthquake. It's my mom shaking me to wake up. "I'm—" I was cut off when she opened the windows near my bed. I frowned. "I'm awake, Mom," I mumbled, my eyes still closed. The sunlight went straight to my face and it hurts as if I'm a vampire. I know you know it. Geez. "Gah. Really?" I slightly rubbed my eyes to remove the remnants of my sleep and sat straight for vampire's sake. "Get ready now cause you're gonna be late if you keep your butt long enough in there," she said. "Alright, I was having one of the best dream that you just cut off with, Mom. And I feel very inspired to move now." I mumbled sleepily and let out a yawn. I was on top of the world you know. "Stop with the mumbling, Erielle. You better get moving. Thirty minutes left and it's your first day of the month! Move!" "To our base?" "What?" Her face in complete confusion. "Yes, to the bathroom! Okay. Laters, Mom!" I hastily get up and fixed my bed. Then I'm in and took a bath. I exhaled as I started heading outside to wait for a jeep. Summer died three weeks ago. Yet I'm still mourning. Sigh. So far I've been in Grigori University for a month now. And ever since that first day, I have never get used to our new house that is quite far which needs me to wake up even earlier than before. Life is horrible sometimes. I only got twenty minutes to ride for school. I might be late or not or maybe. Who knows? And it's just the first day—of July. Our university started the classes on June. Oh man. Why do I feel like it's the first day of classes?! I don't want to be late and be the last one to enter the room. The focus will surely be on me if that happens. I've seen it. I don't like the thought. So I walked while waiting, since it was like hopeless waiting in front of our house and so that the travel would be faster. It normally takes fifteen minutes of jeepney travel. When I turned in the corner of the sidewalk I bumped on someone and I stumbled down. "Hey! you—" It was quite a hard bumping-moment cause I struggled with my head. "I'm sorry! Here, let me help you," he said, reaching his hands to help me recover my posture. So, I grab it. "Really sorry, bro," and he choked. "Aye, uh—miss." His voice clearly sounds like unsure of what he just saw. Or said. Ehrm. I cleared my mouth. "You should watch your way next time," I said, dusting up my jeans and hoodie. Though I lowered back my hoodie and that it covered almost half of my face, I was still able to see his mouth drop in disbelief when i was like making an eye contact with him. He is wearing a white folded long sleeves tinted with gray at the bottom. I'm not sure if it's tinted or printed though. Just try imagining it, okay? Or... should I draw it for you? Kidding. I don't draw anymore. I just continued walking and he did the same, too. We went to opposite directions. "Your hoodie is too big it almost covered your whole face, that is why you didn't see me coming," he said. He's not yet that far for me not to hear it. I found myself walking back toward him, quite pissed of his reasoning, "Well, you were walking too fast that you didn't pay attention to people coming!" But then I only get to see an empty street. Ugh. Don't mess with my day, please. Especially, don't ever mess with what I wear. I suddenly thought of my dream. It was like a dé javù when we bumped each other. Weird. But no! He pissed me. He's never going to be my co-soldier for that. Not cool. Not cool! So, I proceed walking and stop by the waiting shed. There are few students there waiting for the jeep too. Luckily, a jeepney stopped in the waiting shed not long after I went there. I popped in my earphones to listen some of my favorite Paramore songs to kill the travelling time. I'm already inside the jeep and just so you know, I'm relieved. I then checked my cellphone to check the time. I still got seventeen minutes to go. Though I might still need to go for a marathon to make it inside our classroom in the third floor. "Hi! Are you going to the Grigori University?" "Uh—what?" I unplugged my earphones, knowing that the girl beside me is trying to ask me something. She is in ponytail, wearing eyeglasses and a royal blue fitted t-shirt with a big print of the 'like' logo of Facebook. Girl, that's a cool shirt. I thought while scanning her. "I said, are you going to the Grigori University?"

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