Worth

"Sanara.. can you teach me this one? I really don't get it." Yuna, a friend and a classmate, sat beside me as she bites on her pen.

"I have already, right?" I replied and she pouted. "Come on, Yuna.. how are you going to get it if you give up halfway? You're so close to finding the answer!"

"Math really sucks.." I laughed at her comment. "Whoever invented Math is dead."

"They're already dead." I blurted as she rolled her eyes on me.

"Good morning, you two!" A high pitched voice greeted Yuna and I. It was Vene, another friend and classmate of mine. Yuna and I have been classmates for two years, Vene is new in my circle. I'm not really good with interacting with other people, aside from kids, of course. Whether it is someone as my age or older or younger but older than 10, I can really not socialize with them.

Maybe it has something to do with what had happened in my life, huh? I've lost my parents and worked at a very young age. I started off as an entertainer to get the coffee shop I work at customers. It's not easy to raise children on your own but I did it. A month ago though, my mother's younger sister had recognized me and decided to take me and my siblings in. But like I said, we can't stay there forever. I have to do something for us to not impose on others.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Vene." I smirked.

"Yes! I'm so glad you noticed!" She screams. "Clarence and I are now dating! Mhm~!"

"Clarence?" I repeated.

"The one she's been crushing on since freshman year.." Yuna answered.

"Oh.. you confessed?" I asked.

"Yes! Ah~ when he answered my confession, it almost felt like a dream.. I never imagined that he also likes me that way..!"

I rested my chin on the palm of my hand, watching Vene talk about the love of her life. She looks sparkly and very happy.. it makes me wonder.. is this really what love can do to a person? She's so excited about anything and jumpy.. why does it matter so much to a high school girl to find a boyfriend?

"Get back to your seats now!" Our homeroom teacher entered the room, smacking the door with his record book as he stands in front.

"You see.. Mr. Peter has resigned last month, right? And so, we have your new teacher- Mr. Chen."

Chen?

A tall man, dressed in a formal attire with a black tie appeared in the classroom leaving me with eyes wide open. I know that Deither was older than I am but what I did not expect is he was a teacher! Let alone, be my teacher!

"Students, this is Mr. Deither Chen, he'll now be your Math teacher."

"Hi kids.." he smiled. "I'm your new Mathematics teacher, Deither. I'll be in your care from now on."

"Are you single?!" Vene shouted and I immediately nudged her but she only glared at me. "What.. I was asking him a question!"

"Well.. that is not school-related!"

"But-"

"I am." Deither responded with a laugh, "Unfortunately."

"Oh my! I'm single too!" Vene yells.

"Shut up!" Yuna and I screamed, as she curled up into a ball and pouted.

"I see you're in my class as well, Sana.."

Eh?

Suddenly, all the students' eyes were on me. Even my friends. Crap.. I should have hid my face for this..

"You know Copley, Mr. Chen?"

"Yeah.. she takes care of me."

"What?!"

My heart started beating faster. What in the world is this teacher spouting?! He knows that he is not the one I am taking care of! What is with this sudden change of personality?!?!

"You're dating Copley?!?!"

"No!" I screamed. "I'm dating no one!"

"But he calls you by your name!" They teased.

"Then call me the same! Call me that! Call me Sanar-"

"Noooooo... you and Mr. Chen are hiding your relationship from this school..."

"No! You've misunderstood!" I turned to the new teacher in front as he softly smiled. "Tell them the truth! We don't have any kind of relationship! We don't even know each other!"

"Ehhh???" He sighs. "But I thought we were okay...?"

What the-

WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?!?!

**********************************************

"Come on, San.. don't mind him too much.." Yuna whispers as she was munching on her lunch. We are now at the roof, I am with her and Vene like always. Usually, we eat our lunches at the room but today... I gotta let some air out.

"He's just so irritating! You know?!" I shouted. "Why did he have to say that he was the one that I was taking care of when it was actually his little sister? Who just recently attended the kindergarten that I work in? That guy suddenly changed- gentle to infuriating!"

"So it is true that you know him?" Vene asks.

"Yes! We met at the market one night and then yesterday, his sister started school in my kindergarten. He was kind and sweet... today though, he's almost like... another person."

Vene suddenly brings her face close to mine as I gently backed away. "You like him?"

"What?" I rolled my eyes. "What does this have to do with that? I am clearly, stating, that I do not! He makes me, mad!"

"But do you like him?" Yuna added.

I growled. "Why are you asking me that? I'm telling you no! And I don't have any time for something like-"

"But you looked sad when you said that he almost turned into another person..?" Vene interrupted me, biting on the straw of her drink as she looks over to Yuna, who agreed with her.

"I don't like him.. I was just a bit disappointed that he was not like what I thought he was. Is it clear to you now?" I sigh. "You see girls.. I have my two siblings. I am their mother and their father. How can I have the time to be in love? Besides... I still haven't met somebody that is worth my attention."

"Damn..." Yuna blurted.

"You sounded like you value yourself so much," Vene giggled.

"I do. Because if I don't, who's going to do that for me? No one. If I don't love myself, no one ever will."

**********************************************

"Head, shoulders, knees, and toes.. knees and toes.."

School has ended and now I'm at work. Although, it is almost done and we're just waiting for their guardians to fetch them. This school is like a kindergarten and a daycare all in one haha.

"Kurt!" A girl softly yelled from the outside as the young boy ran to her. She looks like his mother, he has her eyes.

"Sana! Sana!" Cleo called and I immediately get to her. "Are you in school too?"

"Yes, I am. I'm in high school as of the moment."

"Will I be there too?

"Yes, you will, Cleo. If you study hard, you will get to a very good school and someday.. you will make your dream come true."

"Dream?"

"Mhm.. now tell me, what is your dream?"

Cleo placed her index finger on her chin as it made me chuckle, she looks so cute when she does that.

"I wanna be like Deither!"

"Your brother?"

"Yes! He teaches big kids! Bigger than me.. older than me!" She replied enthusiastically.

"So you want to become a teacher like him?"

"Yeah.. but, I don't want to be with big kids. They look dangerous.."

I laughed and gently touched her curly hair. "Big kids aren't dangerous. There are mostly good big kids in my school... I haven't met a scary-looking one just yet."

Well, except for your brother...

"Really?"

"Mhm.. I am a big kid. Do I look dangerous to you, Cleo?"

She smiles as she shakes her head from side to side. "You look really wonderful!"

I was almost moved to tears. Cleo is so cute!

"Thank-"

"Cleo!"

Speak of the devil... he is here! The teacher of mine who told everyone I was taking care of him and now, they think we were dating each other!

"Deither!" The little cute and adorable girl ran to her beloved brother as I walked behind her.

He turned to me. "Thanks for taking good care of her, I really appreciate it."

What? He's turned gentle again..

"What?" He asks.

"You're weird.."

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Excuse me?"

"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?"

All of a sudden, he bursted out laughing. Isn't it really weird though? He was obviously making fun of me at school earlier and now.. he's become kind to me again.

"I'm so sorry that I joked around at school," he admitted. "I just didn't want to seem like a boring teacher so I went and teased you.."

That made my blood boil. "What you did was more than teasing!!!

"Hahahaha.. I know, I know. I'm sorry, but everything is okay now. When you left the class first, I told everyone the truth."

"That you and I aren't dating?"

He nodded. "That you and I aren't dating."

I let out a sigh of relief, with a hand on my chest and back against the door frame. "That's good.. thank you."

"Are you going home by now?"

"Eh?" I stood up straight. "Um.. yeah. Cleo was the last student so yeah.. I'll be going home."

"Then, can we give you a ride?"

Huh?

"Yeah! Sana, we will take you to your house!"

I smiled down to the little girl. "I really am thankful, Cleo, but I would have to decline."

"Why?" The siblings asked.

"I still have to pick up my brother and sister from daycare so-"

"Then we'll take you there and go home-"

"Thank you, Deither. I really appreciate it, but I'll be fine."

"It's dark out though.. it'll be dan-"

"I can defend myself, Mr. Chen." I cut in. "You don't have to worry about me. Go on and get yourselves Chen's at home!"

"I will see you tomorrow, Sana!!"

I waved back to her. "See you tomorrow, Cleo!"

"Boyfriend?"

A man with a low voice spoke from my behind. Turning around to see, it was Sev.

"No, just someone I know." I answered.

"But he seems interested in you," he added.

I laughed. "Don't be ridiculous.. well, I'll be going now!"

"Let's go together, Sanara.."

"I told you to call me Sana, Sanara is too long." I replied. "And I still have to go pick up my siblings so, you might as well not go with me."

"We're going in the same direction though?" He responded. "My house is that way," he smirked.

"Okay then.. let's go."

It was dark, but the moon was bright enough to light up the path Sev and I are taking. Sev is 24 years old. I don't know why he had chosen to become a kindergarten teacher but I can see that he loves children, just like me. About his personal life, I don't know much either. I don't really just ask personal questions to someone whom I just met recently. Sev is a new teacher at Kids' Cove, he started a week ago and already got along with the kids. To be really honest, he was pretty impressive.

"How old are your siblings?" Sev asked out of the blue.

"Three years old. We have a very huge age gap, I am sixteen."

"You're younger than I expected, I thought you were at least eighteen. Because you already got a job," he put his hands inside the pocket of his jeans.

"I begged the owner to hire me," I shrugged. "No matter what.. I have to find a job fit for me. My siblings and I lost our parents years ago, since then, my aunt have been taking care of them."

"And you?"

"I live on my own. To be honest, I am really thankful to the owner of the school. If it hadn't been for them, I couldn't support the needs of Savannah and Sylvester. I am the only family they have."

"Why did you leave your aunt's place?"

"I can't depend on them forever, right?" I answered. "I have to become independent and move out of her place. Soon, when I am able to afford an apartment, I'll get the twins and we'll be together again."

"So they're twins?" Sev asks, running one hand through his soft-looking hair. "Your siblings?"

"Yep," I answered with a smile. "Adorable little twins."

"You're a good sister, Sana.." he whispers which stopped me from my tracks. I looked up to him, only to see him already staring down at me.

"I'm sure the twins feel really lucky to have you as their sister.."

That moved me to tears. Nobody has ever said that to me before.. but then, there are only few people who know about my life story. Still...

"Thank you.."

"Why in the world- Sana!" He shouts.

"I'm sorry! I'm just feeling overwhelmed right now... because of what you said," I cried.

*****************************************

"Sana! Sana!"

Sav and Yves came running to me with loving smiles across their cute faces. Attacking both of them with a bear hug, I closed my eyes shut. I love them so much.

"We have been waiting for you for ages!" Sav pouted as I snickered.

"Come on, Sav... I know it wasn't really that boring for you. You love being here."

"Savannah has a crush on Red!" Yves whispered against my ear as I turn back to my little sister with a teasing smile.

"What did Yves tell you?!" She screams. "I do not have a crush on him!"

"Oh really?"

"Really, really!" Sav exclaims making Yves and I breaking into fits of laughter.

"Oh.. dear sister, who is he?" Sav adds in as I looked up to see Sev standing behind me.

"He's someone I know from work, his name is Sev."

"It's actually Seven," he extended his arm to my little brother. "Seven Aris Peter, nice to meet you."

"I am Sylvester Jordan Copley. Brother of Sanara and Savannah, I love them with all my heart. I swear to protect them from anyone who tries to harm them!"

My brother is so brave and cute..!

"I can say that I don't mean any harm, sir Sylvester." Sev plays along as he looks at me with a smile on his face.

"You can call me Yves because you are my big sister's friend!"

"Why, thank you sir!"

Yves suddenly lets go of his hand and runs towards me. Hugging me from my waist as he glared back to Sev. "You can't take Sanara away from me!"

"What- Yves.. what are you saying? He is only here to meet with you and Sav," I say.

"Oh.. I thought he loves you too.."

I playfully flicked his forehead as he pouted. "

You silly.. only you and Sav are the only ones I love. No one but you two."

"That's right, your big sister has devoted her whole life to you. It would be really impossible," Sev added.

"Then, shall we go? Aunt Greta must be waiting for you!"

"Yes! Come on!"

Carrying my siblings' bags on both of my shoulders, I walked past by Sev but I whispered him something before leaving completely.

"Thank you for playing along with Yves, you're really good with children. I deeply appreciate it. I would never know what I would do if you had said that you really had the intention of taking me away.."

"What if I did say that?"

My eyes widened. "Well.. um.. I would probably start avoiding you. Because you know.. I don't really have the time for romances. And if I do find some time for it, I would like to date the one I can see my future with. Somebody who knows my worth and value. If not, then he'll just be wasting my time."

I heard Seven chuckling. "You're the hard to get."

I shrugged. "Maybe I am. Because I need to know myself first before I let anyone else in."

"You have walls around you." He stated. "Walls that are hard to break."

"I'll see you tomorrow then," I smiled with a small bow before disappearing from his sight.

Maybe I do have walls around me.. but it is to protect myself from getting hurt.