Chapter 3

There is nothing scarier than looking at your childhood.

Mine is not a fairytale. I do not even know why I should be seeing this. I feel so hopeless, scared, and vulnerable; my throat is dry, and my body is shaking. I cover my eyes as my past keeps on being forecasted. Good thing no one is here with me.

Or so I thought,

A hand brushed my shoulder, and I flinched. Do introverts also feel the same if a stranger touches them suddenly, or am I just being paranoid? A child with brown locks and big beautiful eyes is staring at me; her hair is braided and adorned with beautiful natural flowers. She looks so alive and is just smiling at me. She holds me tighter, yanking me to remove my hand, covering my eyes and enjoying the view.

Oh, the innocence of a child! She is full of hope and curiosity about what will happen, while I refuse to see a replay of the past. She pleads and holds my hand, giving me the courage to accept what happened in the past. After all, there is nothing that I can do.

I was being bullied and avoided during my elementary days. They hated me for being different. But I am wrong. I can see my classmates gathering around and wondering why I am so quiet. It is as if something is bothering me, but I do not flinch.

"What is wrong with Sydney? She is so isolated in her world." The girls laugh in the comfort room.
Meanwhile, other females are talking about me. I am looking at one perception and different perceptions about me as a child. Some of my classmates are afraid of me because of how I speak. "Sydney, the commander!"

In the other room, guys are talking about me.
"Maybe that is why she was selected for our upcoming play. I know she is different from other girls, but I like her. What do you think, Dale?" he nods and smiles.
Suddenly, I remember my classmate Dale. He looks like a mini Edward Cullen with funny brown wavy hair and looks pale. He does not also have so many emotions being conveyed on his face. Is Paolo the one talking? Suddenly I feel so ancient seeing remnants from my past. Paolo, on the other hand, is also someone who likes Science, but Paolo has a warm aura to him. He is friendlier and much more enthusiastic compared to Dale. Paolo has small eyes and is smaller than Dale.

They were best friends.
Something between them changed because of me.


It was lunchtime, and they were arguing about a book. Dale gets it from Paolo, which makes Paolo nervous, and gives it to me. "How dare you, Dale, give it back to me!" Paolo says as he rushes to Dale, but too late. Dale already hands me the book. I open it and see a page with lines all over it. The words "Sydney" and "is stunningly beautiful" are underlined. I blushed and looked at Paolo, which made Dale leave the room.

So, that is how geeks like them used to express their love to me. It is so adorable and naive that I can't remember the last time someone dared confess their love for me.

I look at the child once more. She is wearing a necklace. Tally . My senses went numb, that name is familiar to me, but I do not remember why. "Tally, where are you?" My mom asks. My heart breaks. She used to call me that name when I was a child. It is short for talkative because I loved to talk a lot when I was young. Tally suddenly leaves and runs. I follow her and hear someone crying. The warm voice of my mom turns into tears. She is crying while holding a rosary. My father is near her, comforting her. They are both teary-eyed. I cannot remember the last time that I have seen them cry.

"Please come home to us, Sydney." Father pleads. He never begs.

Author's note: Thank You for reading another chapter of my short story. I have been so busy lately, but at, as they say, quality over quantity. :)


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