CHAPTER 7

RHYME DIZON

On Saturday morning, I woke up startled by a slight tremor I felt beside me. I turned to the side to see what Leah was up to, thinking she might be teasing me again.

When I looked, I saw Night lying next to me, facing me and still fast asleep. So, it was actually Night who fell. Night ended up falling on the bed due to her restlessness. Wow! She didn't even wake up 'cause of that. What a silly girl! I got up from lying down and checked where my sister was. The kitchen light was on, and there she was, preparing breakfast. I went back to lying down again.

I turned to face Night. I stared at her face. I really hate the way she acts so persistently, trying to surpass me even though she can't in the first place. Even though the surroundings were somewhat dim because the light in the area where we slept was turned off, I could still make out her figure as there was a faint glow from the kitchen light.

I observed her closely. Since we were kids, this might be the first time I really had a chance to look at her properly. And she resembles someone, but I just can't remember who. Her eyelashes are long, her nose was sharp, and her lips had a slight hint of redness.

I swallowed hard. I didn't know why my heart suddenly started beating faster. I moved closer to her. For some inexplicable reason, it felt like I couldn't control my hand as it slowly reached out towards her. My index finger reached her lips, and I pressed it gently. "Soft," I whispered to myself.

"Rhyme." When I heard Leah calling me in a soft voice, I quickly withdrew my hand from Night. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. She approached me and gently shook me. "Hey, wake up, sleepy head," she whispered cautiously. She was being careful not to wake Night and Moryn.

I sat up, yawned, and stretched, pretending as if I had just woken up. "Why?" I asked, intentionally feigning drowsiness in my voice. "Help me prepare breakfast. Come on," she said, still keeping her voice low. I noticed a furrowed brow on her face when she saw Night next to me, but she quickly shrugged it off.

"Guys, let's hurry! We're going to the amusement park, right?" Leah suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence that had enveloped us while we were eating breakfast. I noticed Moryn and Night looking still drowsy. It seemed like their eyes weren't fully open yet, and their movements were sluggish. Perhaps that's why Leah reacted that way.

"It's still early in the morning, and we're already going to the amusement park?" I responded to Leah since the other two weren't speaking. "Well, of course. We should make the most of the whole day." So, she had planned to spend the entire day enjoying herself at the amusement park. If Dad finds out that we're just gallivanting around, I'll be the one held responsible, not her. Why did she have to leave our house? Now I have no one to accompany me while I'm being scolded by our parents.

"Wait!" As we stepped out of the apartment, Night suddenly stopped, causing us to halt and look at her. "Guys, I forgot my bicycle. It's at the university, I left it there yesterday," she said with concern. What! She joined us without even remembering her bike! I shook my head. How foolish.

Now we had to go to Destine University to retrieve Night's bike. If she hadn't been so careless, we would have been at the amusement park by now. After retrieving her bike, we split up to head to the amusement park. When we arrived there, Night was still not with us, so we waited for her for a while.

As expected, there were a lot of people, especially since it was Saturday. Even before we entered, we could already hear the screams of people riding the rides from here. I glanced at Moryn, who had an amazed expression on her face as she looked up at the main entrance. I couldn't help but smile at her reaction. She looked like a child who was incredibly excited to enter.

I understood her. From what I knew, her parents were always traveled to different countries. They had many investors abroad. So, she was always alone in their mansion, accompanied only by the maids and bodyguards. I knew she felt lonely. I saw myself in her before. That's why I promised myself that I wouldn't let her feel alone and that I wouldn't leave her.

Her parents are no different from my dad. When Mommy died of leukemia, I was only 3 years old and my sister was 5 at that time. Our father was frequently on business trips. Luckily, Mommy Vanessa came into our lives. Since then, she has been taking care of us, me and Leah. She treated us like her own children, and we loved her like our real mother.

After a while, Night arrived, riding her bicycle. "What's taking you so long?" I complained as she parked her bike. She was about to respond, but Moryn already grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the entrance of the amusement park.

Leah and I followed them. As we entered the bustling amusement park, the air was filled with laughter and the enticing aroma of popcorn. "Oh my gosh! I'm so excited to ride all the rides!" Leah exclaimed with delight. I turned to her. "Really? Even that roller coaster over there?" I said, pointing to where the roller coaster was located. It was so massive that even from a distance, it made us look up.

"I want to try that too!" Moryn said. As I looked at the long and winding track, I started feeling a bit dizzy. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to ride it. That's the ride I hate the most. How did they become excited about riding it?

Moryn and Leah approached the shooting gallery area, where rows of colorful booths awaited eager participants. Night and I followed them. Each booth was adorned with vibrant targets and equipped with toy guns. The air crackled with excitement as shots were fired and cheers filled the air. Leah was choosing which booth to try. Eventually, she picked the one with "Bunny Sharpshooting" written on top. It was the most challenging booth of all, but the prize made it worthwhile.

She joined the line for that booth, feeling a surge of excitement. The booth next to them was filled with a group of friends having a great time in a friendly competition, their laughter and jokes adding to the festive atmosphere. She stepped forward, ready to take on the challenge. The booth she chose was particularly difficult because the bunny-shaped targets were moving. They swayed back and forth, up and down, left and right, and there were many of them. Now, how would she be able to hit at least one of them?

However, I couldn't help but want to laugh at her because she had already taken five shots, but none of them hit the target. That's just how it goes. She's just like Night. It's obvious that she can't do it, yet she still tries. Why do women always have that feeling of being good at something difficult? I pressed my lips together to hold back my laughter. But I'm just a human. I made a small sound that caught her attention. Now, she's looking at me with her glaring eyes. Oh no. I'm in trouble.

"Can I try it?" Night asked. She shifted her gaze to Night, and I let out a sigh of relief. I almost got myself into trouble there. "Sure!" Leah replied enthusiastically. I shook my head. This girl again. She always acts like she's better than everyone else, but she has never beaten me. Sometimes, I just want to ask her to give up because no matter how the world turns, she can't defeat me.

"You can't do it. I swear," I commented as she was about to take her shot. She paused and looked at me. "Do you want to do it together?" she boldly asked, looking me straight in the eye. This girl, her attitude is like a tiger, but her height is like a kitten. "Whoever gets the prize will give it to Moryn," she added.

"Sure," I said confidently while smirking. I guess it's time to defeat her again. "Guys, can you please relax or at least make an exception for today? I mean, hello, we're in the amusement park right now. We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves," Leah said irritably. "It's okay, guys. You don't have to do that," Moryn said softly. But they couldn't do anything about it because we were already prepared. The prize would depend on the size of the bunny. If I hit the smallest one, I would get a large bunny stuffed toy. Maybe Moryn would be happy if I gave it to her.

With a firm grip on the toy gun, I position myself in front of the shooting range. The noise of the crowd fades into the background as my focus narrows solely on the moving targets. I take a deep breath, blocking out any distractions, and my heart starts to race with anticipation.  Time seems to slow down as I squeeze the trigger, the familiar "pop" echoing through the booth. A surge of satisfaction rushes through me as the target falls.

I glanced at my opponent. I chuckled, seeing her face filled with disappointment. I already knew that this would happen. That girl can never defeat me. I smiled when the booth caretaker greeted me and handed me a slightly larger bunny stuffed toy. They said I was the first one to win it this month.

And I was right, Moryn was overjoyed when I gave her the prize. When I looked at Night, I noticed that she was staring at the bunny plushy keychains hanging there, which also one of the prizes. Then she walked out. "Okay guys, let's go to the rides!" Leah said, following Night and holding onto her arm.

We rode all the rides that Leah wanted to try. I was starting to feel nauseous. Suddenly, Night disappeared. We searched for her for half an hour. After we took her to the Destine University Medical Center, our school's own hospital, I returned to the amusement park with Moryn and Leah. Afterwards, we dropped off Moryn at their house.

When we arrived at the mansion, Leah didn't enter. I took the keychain from my pocket and handed it to Leah. "Tell her that it's from you," I said before going inside. "What! Why don't you give it to her yourself!" she shouted as I walked away. "Shut up and do as I said!" As I entered, I saw my dad's personal assistant. His face was filled with worry. When we crossed paths, he quickly greeted me and hurriedly went outside. His name is Erwin Sebastian. I wonder why he was in such a rush?