Chapter 2

"Basically, Aesthesia Serene, you're stuck here," Rasha implied, kept bringing it onto me.

Napabitaw na lamang ako nang malalim na buntonhininga. Napaikot din ang mata ko dahil totoo naman iyong sinabi niya. Like there's anything else I could do but look after Ate Quinn's children and good thing, Jackson's cute and sleeping so I only have to look after Kimberly who sprung out of her play area and do whatever she think she can do. She's just playing around.

And if something breaks or is shattered, obviously, I would be getting the blame for not looking after them. What a great summer for me.

"I'm glad you came here," I said. "I think I'll lose my mind."

"Did Henry left as well?" Rasha asked, simply examining the place around. Bahagya ko naman siyang hinampas sa hita niya at biglang binato sa akin ang tingin niya. She was startled, maybe really hoping to see him around, but it shows disgust all over my face. "You know how I'm so obsessed with Henry."

"You never used that word before," pagpunto ko sa sinabi niya. "I didn't know you were obsessed to him. Like, thinking of it alone disgusts me. Rasha, you could have all the men in the world and date any men, just not my brother. That's not something I would say, that's a piece of advice from your best friend."

But it seems like Rasha didn't mind what I say, she just shrugged it off and played with Kimberly on the floor. She pulled me close to as we will begin Kimberly's tea party with some of the stuffed toys and dolls she grabbed from my drawer last night.

"Have you heard about the lifeguard training on Bondi Beach?" I started.

Rasha looked up, creasing her forehead and that only tells she has no idea what I was talking about. "No... we were there last night. I could've known what you were saying if I did. But what about it? Lifeguard training? During summer?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I think so and a lot of people have nothing else to do. Probably they'll be targeting those young adult boys and not teens. But Kuya Emmett will be joining them. Oh!" I gasped as I've realized something else.

Rasha was shocked by my reaction. "W-what?"

"They all left. My brothers left so I guess they all went to the beach and supported Kuya Emmett there. I get it now."

"Maybe we should get there as well," Rasha suggested. "Support Henry—I mean, Emmett."

I shook my head. "Nope. We're staying here. We're not going after them. They should do whatever they wanted to do. I'm not going to the beach with them. Let's just look after the kids. And what else you could say to me earlier? We totally forgot about that."

"Yeah, I was washed out by Henry," she said, giggling. Shaking her head to wiggle her hair then fixed it. "I feel like I'm pretty today, but I'm just gonna say that I and my family will spend our vacation to Singapore until the new year. So I'm out of the country for three weeks or so."

"When did they plan it?" I asked, sipping the tea imaginably.

"Like... just when I called you earlier. They just told me we'll be going to Singapore and I was like... that's fine, we could go. I don't mind. Though we've been to Singapore before, but a good thing we're not going to India. Oh, don't make it sound bad, but I feel like it's best for us five to be there. And you've got your whole family here so you won't be bored."

"That's a fact," I said. "I'll be just annoyed for the rest of the summer."

"Well, I would love to do that if I was in your position," Rasha said, giggling. But I throw glares at her and she immediately shook her head, denying what she just said to me. "Okay, okay, fine! I won't say anything about your brother anymore. I'm just gonna keep everything to myself."

"Good because I couldn't listen to you gushing about my brother," I said to him. "Oh, gosh! What else I can do in this house?" I grunted, washing the palm of my hand on my face.

"I have an idea," Rasha said, stating a possible suggestion. Napakuno ang noo ko at inabangan ang sunod niyang sasabihin. "Do a live stream, let your followers ask you a question and answer it on cam. Of course, you'll only answer what's comfortable for you. Do that and I thought that's fun and kills boredom."

Napabuntonghininga na lamang ako at ginawa ang suggestion na sinabi ni Rasha. I scooped my phone out of my shorts and stood it on the table in front of me, placing a steady box so it won't fall.

"What are you doing, tita?" Kimberly asked.

"Oh, I'm doing a live stream video," I answered her while she's busy pouring imaginary tea on my little cup. "While you're playing there, I'll do my own thing here."

"Can you show my friends to your video?" she asked, pertaining to the stuffed toys and dolls seated around us.

I weirdly smile, nodding my head. "Of course, I will do that. Just let me do my thing first."

"Okay, tita!" she responded quirkily.

Rasha seated next to me so she could also see the messages that will pop up on the left side of the screen. When the live started, kaunti pa lan ang mga nanunuod at halos wala pa gaanong interaction bukod sa hello, hi, how are you and the usual questions. Siguro dahil on the other side of the world, America's are asleep and most of my followers came from there, but most are in the Philippines which is not weird because when I told once that I'm half-Filipina, a lot of them actually supporting me as it the least I'm expecting to happen which is odd because cancel culture is vastly normal there.

"Someone's familiar is watching you," Rasha said. "Cosette Calafiore?" Rasha muttered.

My eyes widened when she said that and I had to re-confirm it and check the people who are leaving messages on my live and I gasped so hard when it was a verified account from Cosette.

"Hi, guys! I so love you, Co. You and Cashel are both dream couples for me. I hope I'll be able to meet you both in the future! I'm so happy you're in my live right now. This is unexpected."

And then a minute later, Cosette sends a message with See you soon <3 on it! I was hysterically cheering for what just happened that ended up making my little nephew woke up from being bothered by my loud excitement. Agad namang dinaluhan ni Rasha si Jackson so I could continue doing my live.

Right after that, two notifications popped out saying that Cosette Calafiore and Cashel Corprew have followed me on Instagram. I'm freaking out and people watching me live were so confused and making me look so funny about my reaction.

"Cosette has been my inspiration that's why I'm trying to post more content on my profile! I love you, Cosette! Thank you, Cash for following me! I don't know what you will expect from you, but thank you!"

That alone boosted my views. From 150 viewers earlier now it jumps to almost a thousand! I'm so happy that I'm gaining much more attention now and people are requesting me to greet them and other things. Rasha couldn't come to my side as she's been busy herself taking Jackson back to sleep.

I know it's not her job to do that, but she put herself in that position so this is her moment.

"Oh, wait, there's someone requesting me something..." I muttered.

"What is it?" Rasha asked while patting Jackson's butt to sleep. This toddler is a heavy sleeper.

"I don't know yet... let me see."

@ReneeTulsa: Yay! You finally noticed my message! Anyway, what I was just saying, you're a journalism student, right? I'm sure you've mentioned to one of your lives before.

"Yes, I am..." sagot ko naman. "What does this have to do with me being a journalism student?"

@ReneeTulsa: Well, I know you're on summer vacation and got a lot of things to do rather than doing this stuff. But I'm challenging you to do an interview about that lifeguard boy at Bondi Beach.

"Who?" I uttered, trying to guess who she was talking about. I looked at Rasha to get somehow a confirmation. "Why she was asking me to do an interview about a lifeguard from Bondi Beach? Is there any special thing about that boy or is there something I was missing?"

Nanlaki naman ang mata ni Rasha. "Yes, yes!" she responded excitedly. She almost shook Jackson out of his sleep so she calmed herself down a bit. "I don't know why you haven't heard about this, but there's this famous lifeguard back in Bondi Beach who gets drowned. But before that, he was just a normal person who's going up for a swim until he drowned, almost didn't survive. That's what he told the news before so when he decided to take over the fear, he put himself back on the beach and trained himself to be a lifeguard. I don't know if that's the story, but maybe ask the person if it was the story."

"Is it the same person you're talking about? I asked my follower.

@ReneeTulsa: Yes! That's him! His name is Valerio Ratcher. I live in Perth so I kinda know things, but I'm far from the east coast so maybe this is a good opportunity for you to exercise your journalism skills! Valerio's famous so...

Nilingon ko si Rasha just to get an opinion because I'm kind of worried how this would go. I could just let it go since it's summer and I'm trying not to put myself with this stuff.

"I think you should do it," Rasha said. "Just like what she said, that could be a good opportunity for you. What do you think people would say about that?"

And then I checked the messages coming from my viewers and they told me that I should do it and make it like a documentary-style video and post it on my Youtube channel. All are anticipating that series of interviews already. Rasha quickly said she could help me edit some of the videos though it'll take her time while she's away for the next few weeks.

I even saw Cosette's messaged once again and said that I should go for it and do it. Mas lalo akong na-pressure since hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. But all these people leaving messages to me thought that I can do it and it will be a huge success and opportunity for me to build my career as of this today.

I'm just not sure how my interview with this lifeguard could change it since his story seems cliché and not interesting and unique at all. But I guess people love him. I haven't seen his face or know him at all so it's kind of an anticipating action to see how he looks like and why people are going crazy over him.

We continued the live by saying to them that I will think about it since I came home to bond with my family—whom most of them aren't around, but my priority is not to make any school stuff so I'll just lay the idea on the table and pick it up when I thought it's the right thing to do.

For the past hour, I answered most of their questions. Some are weird and some are just trolling on me. But now and then, people are talking about that lifeguard boy. When I heard my brother's coming in, Rasha and I panicked—well, Rasha panicked because Kuya Henry would be there and I panicked because they would just disrupt my live stream so I had to say goodbye and end it and as soon as I did, they all came and the house comes in chaos once again.

Kuya Craig even woke Jackson up so he carried him from the couch where he was sleeping and tried to calm him down.

And then I noticed Rasha's not talking, avoiding Kuya Henry. They all sat on the couch and told where they went. They went to the beach and supported Kuya Emmett to apply for the lifeguard training and I told them why do they all have to be there and they just ignore me. In the end, Kuya Emmett handed me over an application form in which if I decided to get on the training, I'll just submit it and I can finally join them.

Which I won't do. I have no plan on doing it.

"I've never seen Rasha here for a long time," Kuya Henry said, creasing his forehead as he talks about her.

Rasha giggled, fixing the strands of her hair blocking her face and put it on the back of her ear. "Well, yeah... I'm in college that's why..."

"I see..." Kuya Henry said, nodding. "You look nice," he complimented.

I was about to laugh, but I tried so hard not to break myself in the middle of this serious and awkward situation. But Rasha's blushing, avoiding any eye contact with him and to any of my brothers.

"Thanks..." she all could say and started acting busy on her phone.

I chuckled and I know she would kill me after this, but she likes him so much and I can't do anything about it. But I know she'll get over him soon. Once the boys left us on the living room and Ate Jenna took the kids outside, on the porch, we're left in the living room and then I get the form once again and shook my head.

It's just out of my interest... so I'm not doing it. I folded the paper and slipped it somewhere in some of the magazines under the center table. If there's anything I can do during summer that would be sleeping all day and eat a lot.

***

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know your thoughts! I would appreciate it so much

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