Elena Sergio.

"In your face! I won!" Karen couldn't contain the excitement as we all embarked on our way home. She kept on squeaking in the car, causing mom and dad to complain about her drama which they thought was unnecessary. I sat beside the window in the car. All I did was watch my sister being all excited about coming in victorious in the beauty pageant.

The way she played all the competition perfectly, made me wish for me to be in the spotlight. Her pose, her energy, and confidence throughout the competition. She was prepared for it. All of a sudden, silence filled the atmosphere in the car. The excitement which caused a lot of energy in the car died down when Karen focus on her phone. She pouted to take selfies to post on all platforms on her social media page to share the good news with everyone. If I was in her shoes, I'd do the same.

I was glad she was finally able to live her dream. I remember when we were little kids. We would always play pretense Queen and princesses. Anytime mom and dad went out to work, she'd sneak into their bedroom to take mom's clothes and pieces of jewelry to try them on. We would strike our poses, with the oversize gowns she got and act in a scene that talked about a queen or princess in any of the movies we watched then. It was all fun to remember.

Now I was brought back to the present. My reality was awoken in me. My feelings were still hurt about KJ not showing up and my family members were aware of him coming which he later didn't.

"No one bails on my daughter like that. No one!" Dad was being protective again. He couldn't keep himself from ranting about Kadjiri not showing up as my plus one to the event.

"That's enough honey. Focus on the road," Mom consoled him, and tapped him on the lap to keep his eye on the road.

My sister turned towards me trying to see answers in my eyes. She was already calm and her excitement energy was down the drain. I never wanted my feelings to be noticed by any of them but my face couldn't align with my brain.

"I'm sorry he couldn't make it Hun," She whispered to me and held my hands, rubbing them softly as she calmed me down. I sighed but I was troubled. My feelings were in compromise but I needed to know where I stand. At a point, it felt magical. I could see the future with him. The way he made me feel, the way I gaze at him, and the way he talked to me. For a long time I felt wanted and it had a meaning to it but suddenly it changed.

Maybe that was what love meant. Never having rosy moments all the time but learning how to act when the dark days appear. But it was giving me hopes I didn't know of. I couldn't tell if it was true or not. I just wanted to lay on the warm sand and stare at the stars in the sky. Just wondering how beautifully there were made and how lovely they look together. Couldn't my love life be like the stars? Twinkle like magical glitters, being together and seeing the world together. It wasn't much that I asked for.

I stared out the window looking above at the stars I wondered about. It was easy to gaze at them. They looked so beautiful at night but no one knew where they go to by day. I tried my best to keep my tears within myself, sucking them up and being tough but my heart won't let it be.

I needed to talk to him. I needed to hear from Kadjiri. I carried my phone from my lap to check if he responded to my messages but I still saw nothing. This was heartbreaking. Making promises you knew you'd not keep but you went on with it. I felt like a fool but I still need to hear from him, hoping I could get down at the next bus stop.

"Dad, could you pull over for me at the next bus stop? I need to see a friend of mine," I politely asked my dad with my voice still a bit shaky and low.

"Is everything alright? Couldn't it wait till the morning?" Dad inquired.

"It could but I need to see him now," I almost let the cat out of the bag. Telling them I want to see the guy who bailed out on me would cause a disagreement on their part. I had better come up with a good lie.

"Dad. Just do what she asks please," My sister added, trying to have my back as she could get the message from my manner of approach.

"Who is this person you want to see? It's past seven already," my mom was just about to give my dad a lifting hand in this matter.

"Mom honestly it's not that late. I'm eighteen. You're not about to be that mom right now," And when I meant 'that mom', I meant the kind of mom would was always paranoid about little things. Putting restrictions on outings and also being so overprotective about her kids.

All the times I grew up, she was always that kind of mom when my sister and I were little. She would monitor our movement in the house and at the park, making sure we were in a place where her eyes were covered. A place she could see our movement and know our whereabouts.

That made her a perfect mom. She cared about her kids and treated us equally, even though I got most of the attention. I was her last child after all.

"Come on Mom, let her drop at the next bus stop," Karen pleaded on my behalf to my mom. That big sis influence she had never went to waste.

"Is it bad for your mother to care about your safety?" Dad asked.

"Is it bad for me to have a little freedom?" I answered back with a question. It was more of who was going to have the upper hand in this situation. I needed to have the upper hand.

"Just let her drop. This car is getting a lot of tension already," Mom finally gave up on the argument and I had the upper hand. Dad parked when he arrives at the nearest junction and dropped me off. I waved as they left for home while I took a bus to see KJ.

Getting to his house, I noticed a crowd of people coming from his house direction. I couldn't tell if they were from his apartment and I never stopped them to ask. I arrived at his door mount and knocked. Standing beside the door, I could hear music buzzing from inside. It wasn't loud but it sounded like there was this kind of high energy which just died down immediately.

"I'm coming," he said in high pitch. The volume of the music reduced to the lowest and his feet was heard as he approached the door. His face was in awe and shock as his eyes met mine. Probably he wasn't expecting me to arrive at his house by this time.

"Elena," His voice was shaky. "You're here!" He sounded like he was caught doing something that he shouldn't do. He scratched his head and watch me stay quiet at his front.

"You didn't respond to my text messages, KJ. You told me you were coming," I didn't beat around when talking to him. I made sure to be real as possible and straightforward.

"Can you come inside let's talk about it?" He insisted while he opened his door a little for me to come in.

"No!" Declining before his actions were finished. I wasn't in the mood to be manipulated by him or anyone else. Looking at his environs, his actions were exposed. He told me about his celebration without telling me the reason behind it but he promised to make time to be my plus one which he bailed out on.

"I was about to come but something came up with my friends here and I needed to be here."

I wasn't sure if he was right or wrong but it wasn't convincing enough. Friends kept walking in and out of his apartment feeling hyped about the fun they had. My conversations kept being interrupted with KJ by his friends. Some barged in to give a hi-five or handshake as they took their leave. My irritation passed its peak. I couldn't contain what went on at that moment by everything in my mind had to be said.

"I get why you didn't show up," I could already pick out a few reasons and read through the lines. "You love being the popular guy. That's it."

I wasn't wrong in my point of view. The fact that everyone knew him so we'll without spending a long time in school and how they all wanted to have him around said a lot about his intentions. Maybe I was just a pond in his hand he wanted to play with, just maybe.

"Why would you even say that?" His expression changed. He wasn't getting me at all.

"Why wouldn't I? Giving me false hopes and leading me on when you knew you weren't going to show up? Nothing would have happened if you were being truthful with me about your whereabouts. Or you could have answered my text messages. Did you even check your phone at all?"

"I didn't but you can see, I was busy." His hands were spread, showing me around the environment how busy he was trying to keep everything in order.

"You were busy having fun and that's just it. You never thought about me."

"Why does it have to be all about you anyway?" The table got switched right there in my front and his attitude changed. "I don't treat you badly and I'm always available. Just this one time I get to hang out and chill, you're making me feel bad? How dare you?"

He began to sound threatening. I wasn't afraid nevertheless. I stood my ground and made sure I wasn't bodied in this conversation. I didn't mind if hurtful things were going to be said to be. I just needed to be heard.

"How dare me? You were hanging out once huh? Don't worry, I'd leave and you will have as much fun as you want." I had nothing else to say and I thank myself for that. I turned to take my leave when KJ grabbed me by the arm which stopped me from taking another step.

"You don't have to leave okay? I'm sorry," His voice changed in a few seconds like nothing happened and at that moment he sounded like he meant it. His eyes could tell he never wanted trouble but I wasn't ready to be gullible for the second time.

"You don't mean it. You always say that to me because you know how soft and gullible I could get when I hear that," I turned to him and jacked my hands off him. Having body contact at that point was going to trigger feelings I never want to feel.

I turned to take my leave fully with my arms wrapped around together. He proved me wrong by wrecking my feeling apart. For that moment, I felt pain like no other. I just wanted to lay in my bed and act like this that happened was all over.

**My apologies if you come across any typo errors**