Chapter 3: Josephine

"How dare he? How can he say that to my face? Does he have a poor eyesight? Gosh! He must be blind!" Joy said, blinking her eyes a million times and stomping her feet angrily while remembering the scene that had happened on the rooftop with the person who called himself Light. She was walking in the road brushed by the rain when it suddenly poured harder than before, and it destroyed her entire mood as she walked. She stopped for a moment to look at the sky with her moon-like silver eyes. Everything was so peaceful that tears started to cloud her vision. She looked around and felt nostalgic as she noticed the beauty of the wet trees and grasses, and the leaves of autumn that were scattered all around the place, the sound of the calm wind, the rain..... .

She wondered how can the sight be this wonderful when five years ago, all there was were destruction and doom. Moreover, how can there be rain in an approaching autumn?

She let the tears fall freely from her eyes and she started to stride onto the wet road again, attempting to think positive things to cheer herself out from the desperation. She is wet now, and as she approached the newly-repaired bridge she had walked at this morning, she saw some flowers blooming, and there were still meadows.

"I guess summer hasn't ended yet, but the rain is no joke. Climate change is really hitting hard I can no longer understand it." she said, chuckling because of the thought. Suddenly, she saw a yellow bell flower growing from the side of the wooden Mahogany bridge, making her remember Light's eyes. She walked towards it and picked it up.

" Saving the people, eh? I can't even save myself." she said, half laughing at the idea. She looked at the flower as if trying to magnify something, but she found nothing.

She finally arrived at their home after her 15-minute journey from her school. On normal days, it would have taken her an approximate 8-10 minutes to go back and forth school, but due to the unexpected weather that slowed her down, she was standing on their front door, soaking wet.

A woman about 80 who had pure white hair, aged skin and wrinkled face welcomed her with a soft light green towel. She had light blue eyes which always reminded her of the ocean- but it did not come from genes but from fat that accumulated in the area instead of her body. She always told Joy how she had silver eyes like her in her youth and was completely delighted with it. Joy was happy everytime she hears the story of her grandmother, even though she hears them every time.

"Thank you, Grandma..." She said, taking the towel her grandmother has prepared for her and started to wipe herself with it. Her grandmother, whose name is Josephine smiled and went to the kitchen to make dinner. After making sure that there was no water left dripping from her, Joy went inside and changed her clothes on her room upstairs, and when she was finished, she went down to see her grandmother preparing dinner and her cute little 5-year old brother, the also silver-eyed Ray, sitting happily on the seat reserved for him. He had his appendix removed from his body when he was just a poor 3-year old kid, and the medicines he took and was injected with greatly affected his brain- and now, he has an IQ for a 5-month old baby. Her grandma was always sensitive about his health after that.

Joy looked at her grandma with sad eyes. She wasn't able to comprehend why there was a deep pain that constinuously pounding her chest every time she looked at her beloved grandma.

"How was school, Hope?" Joy's full name was Hope Joy and her grandma always called her Hope eversince she was a kid because it was her that named her that.

"The usual, still boring," she said as she ate the delicious adobo her grandmother had prepared. "This is so delish!" she exclaimed while tears started streaming her face. "w-why?" she asked herself and wiped the tears away.

"You must have been very delighted to have been able to eat such nice food!" her grandmother said, and then she began to stroke her grandchild's head. "You must have had a hard day, my beloved child... Cheer up, I am always here for you!" she said, then she finished her meal while Ray ate happily.

"Oh, I forgot. You are the Editor-in-chief this year right?" her grandmother suddenly asked which made her almost choke on her food. She was talking about the school paper because she was the Assistant Editor last year and it was automatic that she is the EIC this year.

" Y-yes, that, I suppose. " She said, stuttering because she hasn't been able to think about that. Her grandmother just smiled.

Soon after dinner, she went to her room and locked herself in it. She remembered the necklace she has been wearing all along and noticed the intricate pattern it has on the reddish heart shape on the center.

"What a drag." she said to herself and chuckled as she remembered the first time she was called 'not pretty'. It was quite acceptable to her because the person who told her that was really good-looking like an out of this world creature. Remembering his words that he will meet her in their frontyard, she said , "See you tomorrow, I guess."