Chapter 1

It is not an easy thing to live a life when the past is still firmly attached to the memory. No day goes by fast, everything goes slow. Ears filled with noise, minds filled with worry, and hearts filled with fear.

Thea is not someone who is good at socializing, she is just an ordinary girl who is full of riddles. She doesn't have many friends at school. She prefers to be alone while listening to music in class, she also likes to read, that's why she is one of the smartest in her class.

High school is a time that can never be forgotten, a time that has a million meanings for those who enjoy it. But not with Thea. For her, high school was the worst time of her life. If it can be described, Thea has a very charming face, she is beautiful and that's true, her long black hair, doe eyes, thick eyebrows, curled eyelashes and plump pink lips, make many boys like her.

But unlike most of the girls there, Thea often wears a hoodie to cover her curves. She often lowered her head and was difficult to talk to.

That afternoon, the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Thea who was sitting by the window, just looking out the window, she noticed someone playing basketball in the field. The window from her classroom did lead to the basketball court and she often paid attention to that direction.

At that time there were five people playing basketball there, Noah, Julian, Harry, Sam and Ethan.

After feeling enough to play, Noah, who was turning around and facing the school building, accidentally saw Thea who was watching them. It seems Thea doesn't know that Noah is looking at her, because Thea's main focus is not him.

"Ethan, look who's watching you" Noah approached Ethan and whispered.

"Who?" Ethan said.

"School building, 3rd floor" Noah said and went to meet the other three friends.

Ethan immediately looked in the direction Noah had told him and he didn't see anyone there. He thought maybe Noah was just playing a prank on him.

•

Thea came out of her class, with her earbuds, a mask that covered her face and hands that she put in her hoodie pocket. She lowered her head while humming. Until someone stops her footsteps.

She raised her head and looked at the person in front of her. A pretty popular girl at school. The girl's name is Luna, she is the student council president, she is also so beautiful that's why she is very popular.

"Are you going home?" Luna said, but Thea just kept silent and didn't answer her question.

"Hey, open this" Luna pointed at her ears and Thea opened her earbuds.

"What?" Thea said in a cold tone.

"Are you going home?" Thea nodded.

"It seems we are in the same direction, do you want to go home with me?"

"No thanks" Thea put her earbuds back on and just walked past Luna.

"When Thea came down from the stairs, someone accidentally bumped into her and made her fall.

"Oh i'm sorry, it's my fault, I didn't see you" Thea raised her head and saw Ethan in front of her.

"Are you all right?" Ethan said and Thea was silent.

"Hey, can you hear me?"

Thea stood up and walked past Ethan just like that. Noah and his three friends ran and met Thea on the stairs and saw Ethan watching Thea.

"What happened? Why are you looking at her that way?" Noah said.

"I accidentally bumped into her and made her fall"

"She's going to be fine, she's a super girl" Harry said and Noah put an arm around Ethan's shoulder, leading him to class to collect their bags before leaving.

•

"I'm home" Thea arrived at her house and went straight to her room. She plopped down on the bed, and took out her earbuds.

"Thea, have you eaten?" Her mother called from outside her room.

"I'm not hungry" she sighed and looked up at the ceiling of her room.

Their lives have changed since her father died. The person she cared about the most had to leave for good.

They live only with the property that their father left for them, while their mother is busy meeting many men out there.

2 years ago, before Thea entered high school, her father died of cancer. They learned too late about her father's illness. Her father's death was the worst day of Thea's life. The world was shattered at that time, Thea continued to cry and chose to stay longer in her father's grave. She couldn't believe that someone she loved, who cared for and protected her from childhood, was now gone forever.

A month later, Thea caught her mother coming home with another man. She was very surprised to see what her mother did with the man before the man left. She couldn't believe what she saw, but she chose to be silent and didn't ask anything to her mother.

The incident kept repeating itself, for days Thea had to see her mother come home with a different man. She doesn't know what her mother is doing out there. While she was still down because of her father's death, her mother was having fun with another man.

Her mother never did anything bad to her, her mother really cared for Thea, because Thea was the only one her mother had. But for Thea she has no one. She's just alone.

That night after taking a shower, Thea came out of her room, she sat at the dining table, dinner was already available there, Thea's favorite fried chicken. It's not her mother's cooking, her mother buys their regular restaurant.

"How was your school today?" her mother said.

"Nothing special" Thea just lowered her head and focused on her food.

"Do you still have any money?" Thea nodded.

"Do you have homework?" Thea shook her head.

"Thea, can you answer with your mouth? I want to hear my daughter's voice"

"What?" Thea lifted her head and looked at her mother. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't that cold either.

"Did I do wrong? Why are you like this to me?" Thea just stared at her mother. It felt like she wanted to say everything she knew. But it's just a waste.

"No"

"Thea, is it because I always come home late and leave you alone at home?"

"Mom, I just want to eat" Her mother was silent and Thea continued eating her dinner.

Talking to her mother wasn't good for Thea. She doesn't like to hear whatever her mother has to say. It's such a pointless thing to hear.

After dinner, her mother invited Thea to sit in the living room, her mother wanted to talk to Thea, to talk about something that her mother considered important.

"Thea, I have something to tell you." Her mother said.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, maybe i hasn't been able to be a good mother for you, even i can't be a good wife for your father, I'm just an ordinary person who has many mistakes and keeps making mistakes. Thea, now, you're an adult, you grow become a beautiful girl. I'm sorry because I made you disappointed"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you often see me coming home late at night with different guys, but lately there's one guy who keeps dropping me off, he's Sean"

"And..." Thea said.

"He wants me to marry him"

Thea just kept quiet and looked away from her mother. She didn't know what to tell her mother.

"Thea, I don't want to marry him but--"

"But what?" Thea looked back at her mother.

"But.. but I'm pregnant" Thea was very shocked to hear what her mother said. She was a strong girl who rarely cried, her tears flowed only when she remembered her father but now, the tears just rolled down her cheeks.

"What?" Thea said.

"Thea.. I'm sorry, I--"

"No! Don't touch me" Thea got up from her sofa. She really didn't know what to do, this was too soon, this was so sudden.

"Thea.." her mother could only cry and try to grab Thea's hand.

"Why? Why are you like this? You know, this makes me hate you even more, i hate you!" Thea screamed before she walked into the room and locked it

She leaned her body against the door, sat on the floor while bringing her knees to her chest and crying.

"Dad..I beg you to take me, please"