1. The Spencers

I put My earphones out as the car stops in front of a beautiful lawn. Our new home.

"Put your shit together, Snow white" Harvey said as he steps out of the car. I didn't respond to him. I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone. I put My own things out the car.

"Honey, food is ready!" I closed my windows shut as I heard my mom calls me. I looked outside My window for a second before I closed My curtains.

"We'll go to school tomorrow..." Harvey said before he chewed the food inside his mouth. Pizza. I feel My mouth watered as the smell runs under My nose. Eventually My stomach feels twitched.

"I'm not hungry, I-I think... I want to take a walk..." I excused Myself and walked out of the kitchen. They didn't even try to stop. I don't want anyone to stop Me.

The rain is about to fall. The wind is a bit chilly. I stop walking and sit at the nearest bench right along the park. My eyes started to roam the area. A typical park. With playground and all. My phones vibrated. It's Harvey. My older brother. My only brother. It's just the three of us now.

My Father passed away a month ago. My eyes became watery in an instant as I remember all the memories. All the happy memories became painful now. I feel like, no matter what happened I won't be able to accept the fact that my father is gone.

"What is it?" I asked Harvey. He didn't answer right away after I answered the phone call "I'll be back in a moment. Don't worry" I said. Flatly. I knew he's calling because mom told him to. He trusts me more than mom. Calling me right away is not the brother I know.

I dried My tears away. I stop in the middle of crying as I heard a slow footstep. I turned my head slowly at the direction. I didn't see anyone. My heart starts to beat faster when I heard thunder. I slowly stood up to My seat and stare directly at a tree not more than twenty steps away from where the bench I am sitting is. I had a glimpse of a silhouette. A man's silhouette. Facing towards me. Another lighting strikes and I saw a clearer view. It's a man. Definitely.

I stare at the man. And he did the same. My eyes start to water again. I cried. I cried under the pouring rain.

"Audrey!" Harvey calls me out. The moment I looked back at the man, he's already gone. "What are you doing? Try to get yourself sick as absent excuse?" Harvey said sarcastically. My head can't put a word to answer his sarcastic remarks at the moment.

"I-I..." I didn't manage to speak a word clearly after that. I just went from being a crying lady to a mute one. I closed My mouth. I knew he won't believe it if I say there's someone beside that tree just now and he disappeared just like that.

That was crazy.

I closed my eyes for a moment and looked back at the same spot, but the man was not there. I looked around and there's nothing. There's no one. No one except me and My brother.

"Hey, are you okay? Audrey!" Harvey calls me out again. I immediately look back at him and give him a big slap in his shoulder "Aw! That hurts!" he exclaimed.

"Let's go..." I said and walked ahead, leaving him behind. I didn't mind being soaked under the pouring rain. I looked around the park as we walked back to our home. Maybe I'm hallucinating? Gosh. I hope not.

I'm grieving but to the point of being hospitalized is not My thing, definitely not in a Mental institution.

"We're home!" Harvey shouted as he we enter our house.

"Shhh. You're too loud!" I hissed and run back to My room, dripping wet.

"Snow white! You should mop it yourself!" Harvey said loudly. He's calling me Snow white again. Basically speaking, I have fair white skin. That's why he's calling me Snow white. My brother and I were quite closed. I'm a Daddy's girl so, I'm much more devastated with My father's death but that doesn't mean they're grieving less than I am.

Bang!

I opened My glass window after I changed into My sleeping attire after shower. The rain stops. I opened My desk lights and put My art materials on top of the table. I started drawing the tree and the silhouette earlier. I'm good at sketching, by the way. This is what my late father and I do for bonding. After drawing the scenario that happed today, I closed My sketch book and go get to My comfort bed forgetting the opened window.

As the night swallow the city of Sta. Ynez, I slept like a kid hugging the small throw pillow on My bed.

---

"Hey! Take this, Snow white!" Harvey shouted as I walked past him.

"Nah" I declined and put My earphones back to its proper place. My ears. I didn't hear anything he says after that. I just made a face after he bumped my shoulder intentionally. He looked back and wave his ass like a kid after getting back at me for ignoring him. I smirked and just let it pass. Okay. Fine.

After finishing our legal papers on registrar, my brother took me with him in the university cafeteria. There's a lot of students. I didn't think this university is this big. I knew it is big, but not like this. 

"Pick this, and this!" Harvey just shoved food to My hands like we're at a grocery store. All he felt was joy. And I felt anxious. I don't like crowded places. Definitely.

"I think... I'm about to throw up" I said. Harvey stops in the middle of shopping free he's doing at the cafeteria.

"For real?" He asked. Not wanting to let me go.

"Hmm." He stared at me like he's battling in his head but ended up nodding "Do it fast, then we'll head out" he said. I smiled at him.

"Thank you!" I spoke. Beaming with a smile at Harvey. He knew it. He knew if I'm just making excuses, but he still let me go.

I exited the cafeteria quietly not looking back. I slowly walk in the quiet corridor. I stop walking on the corridor as I heard woman squealing not that far from where I stood. They're like excited for something or someone. I didn't know what it is or who is it. I took a quick glance at the corridor and I'm right, there's a lot of people clogged that area. I immediately go to the opposite area.

Too big for me. This place is a whole damn level. I didn't even want to enroll in this kind of place. I can just go to cheap college, but mom insist on sending us to this one.

Well, what can I do. I'm not the one paying My tuition fee. And I don't like to be apart to My only family just because I don't want to be in this University. I don't want to lose any of My family anymore. I don't want to lose anyone anymore.

After I went to the bathroom, that definitely looks old. I walked back straight to cafeteria. I'm only ten steps away from the door when I bumped into someone. That short moment I make a physical contact with that person I felt cold. I almost tripped but that person didn't even flinch, he looked back for a second and looked straight ahead like nothing happened. I didn't get to see his face. All I know is he's damn tall and if I'm clumsy I'll be like a fly thrown away on the walls. My forehead knotted. Jerk. Didn't even apologize for that rudeness.

"Audrey!" Harvey shouted My name that make the other student looks at My direction. I must make Harvey remember how to manage his loudmouth after we get back at home.

"Can't you be anymore louder?" I sarcastically said after I sat in front of Harvey's seat.

"Well, I can---" I immediately cover his mouth when he's about to shout again. I knew him, he's really going to do it loudly this time. He laughed drastically after I removed My hand that covers his loudmouth.

"Shh! You, big mouth!" I hissed at him. He just shrugged it and took a bite of his sandwich. I heard laughter around us after he did that. This dude is really annoying sometimes. He's like a ray of sunshine and I'm a night owl. We're kind of opposite. He's bubbly, I am not. He's friendly and athletic, and I am not. He's the crowds favorite, and I definitely didn't want that.

"Can I take a sit?" We both looked back at the person who asked permission. My brother nodded and the guy sit beside him. He's definitely tall. He's tall, tan and with brown curls. He's smiling. I almost threw up again. He's like my brother. Smiling dog.

"Hi, I'm Harvey. And this is My sister, Audrey. We're new here. Are you... what year are you now?" My brother asked. Striking a conversation. Wow. Not a dull moment, Harvey Spencer.

"Ow, Me too. I'm just new here. Freshman. I'm Carter. Carter Smith" he introduced himself formally, extending his hand to My brother.

"Harvey Spencer" Harvey said taking his hand out for Carter. 

"Carter Smith, Miss Audrey" Carter said turning to Me. I extended My hand and greeted him casually.

"Audrey"

I regretted walking back to cafeteria. Carter and Harvey have a good chemistry. They talk like a machine guns. I should've walked back alone and leave Harvey the big mouth, here. With his new friend Carter, the walking sunshine. I'm looking at the two guy eating quietly all the food, Harvey ordered for himself. They're talking nonstop. I bet they can talk about their whole life right now.

"You do? Oh my, that's a great coincidence! we lived in that same area!" Harvey said beaming like a kid. Like Carter did. Gross. These two sunshine blinds my eyes.

"That's great! we can go to university together, everyday!" Carter said beaming, my ears almost bleed after hearing what he said. Did he just say, everyday? Like I would have to endure these two dudes? everyday? Uh, hell nah. I stood up. Nah. No.

"Oh, you're going?" Carter asked. Like a puppy. I stared at his hazel brown eyes. Those eyes were lively. I blinked. What the fuck. I snap My fingers and turn my back.

"Yes, I'm going. I'm...I'm going to run...some errands" I lied. I just want to run from the two of you. Enough of the sunshine dudes today. I'm done. That's enough.

"Then let's go! I'll drive you home" Carter smiles. I almost blurted out no, but my brother says otherwise.

In the end, we really get to ride his car. Nice. He has a car. I can't escape these two dudes. They're still talking while he's driving out in the parking lot. My head turns automatically as I saw a tall man walking pass by, that figure is familiar. Just like the man I saw last night. I almost roll down the window when Carter stops me in the middle of staring that man.

"You know him, Audrey?" Carter asked. Harvey looked back at me while he was sitting at the passenger seat in front. I'm at the backseat. 

"No. Of course, not" I said "How would I know that man" I simply added. Harvey looked back in front again. Satisfied with my answer. Harvey may look a cool brother, a sunshine boy. But he's very protective to me. No one ever sees my brother getting angry except for that one student before who tried to harass me. After that, no one dares to attempt to get closed to me nor cross my path. They're didn't see it personally but that one student who tried to harass me makes sure everyone knows what Harvey did to him.

"Okay, I'm giving you both a tip" Carter said not even giving as a look "Curiosity kills the cat, but sometimes it's the cat that kills" he said seriously. I even heard a small sound of grip. He gripped the stirring wheel. Then he started laughing. That moment Harvey started laughing too.

I looked at Carter's reflection on the mirror. His eyes were smiling. But I felt like he's really giving us a warning. He said he grew up here. So, I believed he knows this place better than we do.

This is the new place we're going to stay for long. Even for the rest of our lives. I hope this city won't bring us something to grieve. I hope we met new people with good heart and not someone who'd caused betrayal, again. Just like what happened to My father. I clenched my fist.

My father's death caused us too much pain. Not just because he is dead, but because he died because of betrayal. Because someone closed to him choose to betray him. My father trusted the wrong person. We trusted the wrong person. I grab My crucifix necklace that was given My late father.

I will never let my guard down, ever again.