AOTE 4

If I will have a choice. I will still choose to live like this.

I am independent, because I want it. Not because they abandoned me.

AppleOfTheEye

APPLEOFTHEEYE 04

CHAPTER 4

Arieza Avery.

I own that name.

But who am I?

Tsk! For the nth time. And stared at the draft I wrote. I rolled my eyes and scratched it again.

Pina-ikot ko sa kamay ko ang ballpen ko,habang naka-titig sa kawalan. I am thinking of so many things by now.

Who am I? What I am?

Yeah! I am Arieza Avery--- AHA!

I flipped the paper to another page and start writing the words I found with my own question.

AppleOfTheEye,who is the writer behind this penname?

I am Arieza Avery,I am a writer... And this is my story

I smiled.

Know I found it. I am happy. My plot was already completed. I keep my draft at the folder and fixed myself.

Maaga ang klase namin ngayon. And our first subject is Edukasyon Sa Pagpapakatao. Values. Family? I don't have any.

I stare at myself at the mirror for a minute and hold the strap of my bag. I locked my apartment before I turned my way to school.

Umaga pa lang,pero maingay na agad ang Alphabet High. Maraming naka-tambay ngayon sa Gazebo nang school. Maybe,morning classes students.

Dumiretso na ako sa building namin. Our class will start when the clock strike at seven in the morning. We have our first subject for two hours. Not bad,ugh! Still bad pala.

Dire-diretso ako sa upuan ko nang walang lingon lingon sa paligid ko. Nilabas ko muna ang draft ko at saka nag-sulat.

Who wouldn't be like me? I am a writer who caught everyone's attention. But who would be like yreat treated the way they do to me? No one,no one will love to.

I am just a simple writer of my own story. I am a journalist of Alphabet High,I am AppleOfTheEye. But the praises are not mine. The title was not mine.

They treat me,just like I am their side kick. Every hard documentary,was always assigned to me. I am doing everything not to disappoint them.

I do,impressing the readers with my works. With my faceless penname.

I sighed.

I kept my things when our instructor for this morning, Mrs. Agoncillo, came inside our class.

Everyone shut their mouths off. Her three inches heels create loud noise that echoes at the room.

"Good morning..."she said with her cold usual tone. Of all,valued instructor I met. Sya lang ang malamig ang pakikitungo sa lahat.

She's kinda weird. But she's good. Walang makaka-sipsip.

"Miss Avery..."she  called my name  after Alena Abellana. "What is the value of having a family?"I raised my head on her.

I just stare at her. Then I sighed.

"I don't know..."I said without standing. Her forehead creased.

"Enlighten us,please?"

I stand up. This time,I also raised my forehead. Looking at her, straight in the eye.

"I don't know what is the value of having a family. First of all,I don't have family..."I stepped forward without quiting our staring contest. "Second,they don't care, so why would I care? Just fair..."I rolled my eyes. "Third and last,I live my life for five years,living alone in this town. I was just twelve back then. I don't have my real family. I don't have anything before"

I stop. "I live my life alone,independently coz they abandoned me already. It's fine, though"I look at everybody in the class. "I live alone,that's why I don't know what is the feeling having your family beside you"

"Even if they didn't abandoned me,I know I will never feel it. Why?"I ask them. No one answered. "Coz in our family, everyone is a subject. Everyone was treated like a human  artificial intelligence. They expect to much from me. Those they expect?"I shrugged. "I can't have them what is it"

They are still silent. They are just staring at me. I sighed and sit on my chair. Without any permission from our instructor. This will be a boring class about values or family.

What I have? Nothing. So that. Is. Totally. BORING.

"Why did you choose it? Why didn't you choose to beg?"my instructor asked. I just stare for a minute.

I didn't mind answering her.

Nang makuha nya na wala akong balak sagutin ang tanong nya ay hindi na sya nag-abala pang ulitin ito. Instead,she choose to continue our lesson

After our class, dumiretso ako sa EIC. I will pass the draft for the election results. I've done it, yesterday night.

I knocked three times at the door before entering.

"What is it, Ms. Avery?"tanong sa akin ng EIC namin.

I opened my bag. Kinuha ko ang papel kung saan naka-lagay ang draft nang news. Ini-abot ko iyon sa kanya.

"Just leave it there..."he said to me. I just nod and left the room after leaving the draft at his table.

Napa-buga ako nang malalim. I am staring at my painting. Nasa art class kami ngayon. Our instructor told us to make an art that is connected on what makes our life complete. What makes us happy.

What I did is a painting. A painting of books. An island. I draw an island made up of books. A three made up of books, sea waves that was made up of book pages.

This is how I describe what I want. Books,I want books. I prefer the nature and the books' combination than a guy. Than my family,even though I need them. I didn't know them,now.

I was expecting that my paint will be plain on their eyes. To my surprise,ako ang unang mag-e-explain nang artwork ko.

I stand up, chin up,and eye to eye to my teacher. Waiting for his questions about my painting.

"What is the meaning of your cool paint?"he asked me. I smiled a bit.

"This is what I want. This is what I can. This is my life,my real home. The nature,and the books"I said to him.

"Why not your family?"

"Except of... I can't draw my whole family,they don't treat me the same. It's fine anyways. I choose this way. I choose the Alphabet Town,over them. I choose to live alone. To be with the books. To feel everything."I smiled on him and look a far. "I want to feel free. I want to feel the nature. I want to serve the nature"I look at our instructor,eye to eye. "Using my works"

"Why did you choose it? Why didn't you choose to beg?"it's like a déja vu. This question.

I shrugged and sit down.

The class ended without them knowing the reason.

Pag-pasok ko sa apartment ko ay binato ko sa kama ang bag ko at saka nilabas ang draft nang story ko.

I tapped the button of the ballpen and started writing what is the reason...

"Why did you choose it? Why didn't you choose to beg?"they asked.

I smiled at them and chined up.

"If I will have a choice. I will still choose to live like this." I shrugged my shoulders and laughed. "I am independent, because I want it. Not because they abandoned me..."