"Veronica! You're really annoying! Give it to me!" Kimmy chased after me, almost in tears, but I just laughed.

"Catch me first!" I yelled back, still laughing. I heard her wail, probably tired from all the running. "How will you lose weight if all you do is sit and eat! You need cardio exercise, you idiot!"

I quickly dodged a guy I almost bumped into, then hopped onto the stair railing and jumped off. I paused for a moment to look back at my friend, then smirked when I saw her panting heavily.

"You're such a cheat! What chance do I have against your agility?" she wailed again.

I just rolled my eyes at her before running off again.

My run away from that girl led me to the school's quiet garden. I even grinned when I noticed the pechay I'd planted a few weeks ago was growing nicely.

I exhaled before looking up at the sky. When I looked back the way I came, I still couldn't see Kimmy. She's probably super slow. Tsk.

I smiled before walking towards the big tree, carrying that girl's bag. When I got close, I immediately threw it, and it was perfect because the strap caught on a small branch.

Ha! She'll surely cry blood again and crawl on her knees to me just to beg.

"Why are you doing that?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at the voice of that guy. An unfamiliar student appeared before me, probably in college judging by his uniform style.

Definitely a rich kid. His complexion and appearance also showed he was well-off, unlike my male classmates who look grungy, especially after playing basketball on the school court. Behind him were seemingly his friends who also looked wealthy. They looked mestizo.

But I didn't care about them. I raised an eyebrow at the guy, then crossed my arms. "Doing what?"

"Why did you throw your friend's bag? You always do that," he said, making my forehead crease.

"Always do that? Why, do you always see me here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, which made his companions laugh.

The guy immediately blushed for some reason I didn't know. He must be crazy. Tss.

When he didn't answer, my gaze wandered over him. I also didn't miss his name carved on his perfectly ironed uniform.

G. Marquez . . .

So tacky, just like him.

"His name is Gabriel, Miss Pretty," one of his companions informed me, but I ignored him.

I don't care about his name. What would I do with it? Have it hexed? And what "Miss Pretty"? They're trying to fool me!

"Veronica! Stay right there!"

We all stopped when we heard Kimmy's voice, frantic, probably thinking I'd run off again. I just laughed at her and turned away from the guys.

"Yes, I'm just here," I replied casually, putting my hands in my pockets.

When she approached me, she almost wanted to pull my hair out of frustration.

"Where's my bag, huh? You're really crazy! Give it back!" she yelled, fuming and stomping her foot.

"Find it first," I teased her. I wasn't satisfied until she cried and knelt before me.

"Just give it back!" She was so annoyed. She was about to cry.

I grinned again before pointing my lips at the branch where her bag was hanging. "Get it if you can." Then I burst out laughing.

I was about to leave, if I hadn't noticed the guy who spoke to me earlier stand up, then show off. He looked for a long stick to play the hero, which made my blood boil.

"Here, Miss," he said, handing Kimmy her bag.

I was left standing there, speechless, my forehead deeply furrowed as I glared at the guy. Who did he think he was?

"T-Thank you, mister," Kimberly said shyly, grabbing my wrist.

"Sorry, my friend is just naughty. She always messes with me."

The shameless guy smiled at me and ignored my glares. "You can join us for lunch. My treat."

His calm voice further intensified the annoyance in my system. His face, actions, and tone were too kind. And I couldn't understand why I was annoyed by that guy's whole being. Maybe it was because of what he did earlier.

My gaze only shifted from him when my friend, still smiling, elbowed me. "Hey, it's his treat, Maria. Grab the opportunity, we're both hungry!"

A grimace formed on my face. Was she really going to join those rich kids? What if they were just perverts disguised as angels!

"No, you go alone."

"What's wrong with you! It's your first time refusing a free lunch!"

"We don't even know them!" I said firmly, trying to drag her away.

Fortunately, I managed to pull her, even though she was double my size. She always looks like she's hungry.

"That's a waste, Maria! We could have eaten lunch! I'm already hungry," she whined as we walked home. "I don't have money either. Hu-hu!"

I faced her and glared. "Are you crazy? You're going with people you don't know? If you're suicidal, don't drag me into it!"

She pouted because of that. "It's just in the canteen, though. But in fairness, they're handsome, aren't they? Their last name is Marquez. Probably rich."

"Who cares. Tss." I scoffed at her and adjusted my grip on the strap of my light bag. It only contained a notebook, a ballpen, and some trash.

"We're graduating students, but your bag still contains that," she commented, noticing my bag.

I scoffed at her again and said nothing more.

When I got home, I immediately washed my pencil skirt and long-sleeve blouse, which was my uniform. My father wasn't home, so he was probably with his friends again.

"Hey, your clothes are getting moldy! You're so lazy to do laundry!" I irritatedly told Damien and Damian, who didn't even glance at me. They continued playing cards on the floor.

I scoffed at them before going outside to hang the uniform. That's what I always do because I only have one uniform, and it's even free from the school.

I'm not just stressed at school, but also here at home because of the lazy people I live with. It's even worse here because I do all the work. My father is always nowhere to be found, only coming home drunk at night. My two twin older brothers just laze around. Those pests. Argh.

I frowned as I arranged the uniform on the drying rack, muttering to myself. I'm annoyed at the state of our lives. It feels hopeless to get better. I don't even have allowance for school or food most of the time.

We are the only Alonzo-Montehermoso siblings who are poor. Meanwhile, everything comes easy for my cousins.

I shook my head before finishing what I was doing. I went back inside when I noticed my pregnant visitor, who just comes to eat here, demanding attention.

"Swswswsw!"

I placed down her food bowl, which she immediately approached.

She's lucky I saved some fish for her earlier. It looked like she swallowed a small watermelon because of her round belly. She's probably close to giving birth, which is why she often hangs out and rests here. She sleeps on the roof because it's quieter and breezy there, and there's also a tree for shade. When she sees I'm here, she'll make noise for food.

"Oh, Rosalinda. Where will you house your kittens when they come out? I barely have food for myself, and you're adding more. You're a burden on my conscience," I said to the cat, who just continued eating.

I don't know why, but she just started hanging out here last month. And then she never left.

The next day, I went to school even though my stomach was empty. No money, incomplete supplies, and not yet fully awake.

Kimberly's better off, at least she's always full, despite being poor. Me? I'm getting ulcers. Just kidding.

I rested my chin on my hand, watching the hallway. I was seated at the very back, beside the glass window, so I could see outside the classroom. I clearly saw Thylane in the other section, quietly listening to their class. She's my cousin.

Our teacher wasn't here yet, so I felt like I was in a zoo again. Almost all my classmates behaved like animals, sounded like animals, and looked like animals. I literally heard turkey gobbling, chicken clucking, and all sorts of animal noises in here. My classmates are really crazy.

Meanwhile, in Thylane's section, the students were quiet. She's my age and started school at the same time as me here. We're both in twelfth grade. We're not very close because she doesn't acknowledge other people, except her friends. I also don't try to approach her right now because I just feel even smaller about myself, even though we're cousins.

"Hey, your Mom, Maria!"

I suddenly sat up straight because of what I heard from Kimmy. My heart immediately pounded with anxiety and shock. I looked around, only to be slapped again by the reality that it would never happen.

Why do I even hope she'll come back into our lives? She abandoned us a long time ago because she didn't want us. I don't even know what she looks like in person. In pictures, yes. But once I became aware, she was no longer in our lives.

My body felt weak, and I rolled my eyes at Kimmy, who was laughing hard at my reaction. She got her revenge for what I did to her yesterday.

"Uy, she misses her Mom!" she teased, making me roll my eyes even harder.

"Do you want your lips to explode?"

At my words, she fell silent. I was in a bad mood until class ended. I only drank water for recess. With no money, my temper was flaring up again.