Anne's Pov

"Hi miss, can we dance?" I turned my back and raised my eyebrows when I saw the man who had just been dancing at the top of the stage approaching me. He smiled at me with his sparkling eyes .

"Sorry, but I don't know how to dance." I said coldly as I took the wine I had just ordered and was about to turn around when he stopped me by grabbing my arm.

"Not so fast babe." He said smiling. I looked at his hand holding my arm and glared at him.

"Get your filthy hands off me." I said as I squeezed his hand and quikly turned away. I heard him chuckled afterwards.

"Hey Annie, maybe next time!" He shouted but I didn't pay attention to him coz maybe I'm not the one he called because my name was Anne and not Annie.

When I reached the VIP room, which we occupied, the tension between Jake and Say was obvious. They are my couple friends.

Today is Jake's birthday so he invited the gang here to JayBar owned by his cousin.

"What's the problem?" I asked Sam who's pretending to be busy on his cellphone but obviously listening to the two.

"What took you so long?" He quietly asked in return.

"Someone blocked my way and annoyed me. So what's going on with those lovebirds?" I said as I looked at the two people silently arguing with each other.

"I don't know. They were just sweet like ants a moment ago and then Say just go to the restroom and Jake followed her but when they're back it seems like there's a wall between them." He said softly.

I gasped at what I heard and looked at the two guys, Bryce and Glenn who's being quiet at the side.

I gave them a 'why are they fighting?' look. But they just shrugged.

"Let's finish this!"Jake yelled and scram the room.

"Jake wait!" Say shouted and followed Jake.

Jake?

She never called him in his first name because their endearment was Hubby and wifey.

Something's not right here.

After Say followed Jake, we got along and followed them.

"Are they going to break up?" Sam asked innocently.

"No, they love each other so much so it won't happen." I answered him with a smile. He just pouted his lips and I couldn't resist to pinch his cheeks.

"Stop it Anne." He grasp my hand annoyingly. I just laughed at him and continued walking.

"Jake can you just slow down your driving." Say shouted.

The four of us just sat quietly in the back while looking at the two in the front.

Our car is moving fast. But for me this is normal because I played car racing even Bryce, Glenn and Sam. But not Say. She's girly and like a fragile thing that needs to be taken care of.

"You told me you didn't talk anymore, right? But what did I saw? Fuck Say! Did he offer his dick to you again ?!" Jake shouted angrily.

We can't interfere with them because it will only make Jake more angry. He never take order from anyone except Say but I think not anymore.

"How dare you say that to me? We just talked because we haven't seen each other for a long time." Say answered.

"Really? That's why he almost kissed you and you didn't even stop him?!? Damn!" Jake said while accelerating the vehicle.

He often stepped on the gas. It's a good thing there's no other car at the same time.

"Anne, can you drive. I don't wanna die yet." Bryce said next to me.

"Jake, maybe it's better for Anne to take the wheel." Glenn said to Jake.

Jake sighed and then looked at me in the rear view mirror.

I give him a 'let me drive' look and in less than a second he suddenly stepped on the brake.

Say even cried out in shock except for us who expected Jake to do that.

We switched places. I first looked at Say who was crying quietly before I started driving.

Suddenly everyone fell silent and only Say's weak crying could be heard.

Awkward.

I stopped the car when the traffic light turned red.

"Just hit the gas Anne there is no other vehicle here." Jake said a little irritated behind me.

"It's red light Jake." I answered.

"Fuck the traffic light. Just hit it!" He was annoyed and glared at me.

"Fine! Just don't ever dare to blame me if something's happened to us!" I answered as I felt becoming annoyed too and turned the steering wheel and then quickly pulled the car over.

"Anne please slow down!" I heard Sam shouted in the back of the car but I did not listen to him.

Which I truly regret.

It was too late to avoid the fast sports car that suddenly appeared on our side. It was crossing the line on the side of our car and it collided where Say was sitting and Bryce was in the back.

It was as if the surroundings were suddenly in slow motion because I could see firsthand how the glass of Say's window was broken and our car spinned along with the sports car we collided with.

I don't know how many times our car spun around before it stopped for a while.

I could feel the pain in my body and head as well as the numbness of my hands.

I even lowered myself before forcing my seatbelt to be removed.

But I was stunned to see a human body in the middle of the road where we interrupted.

I also smelled the gas dripping from our car so I was suddenly alarmed.

"G-guys, we need to get out of here now." I said trembling then turned to my friends.

But my eyes widened at what I saw.

Say's face and body were full of blood, one of her hands was cut off while a long tube stuck in her chest penetrated her back.

Oh God!!

I quickly looked at my friends but I could not see them clearly. I got out of the car and opened the back.

And that's how shocked I was by what I saw.

The tube pierced by Say penetrated Bryce's throat. They were full of blood. Jake is on the floor because he does not have a seatbelt. He broke one of his legs and neck.

I covered my mouth when I saw Glenn sitting in my old seat. His head was cut off.

I was twice as nervous and afraid of the situation we're in. I looked for Sam who was behind Bryce and Glenn earlier but I could'nt find him.

The rear of the car was flattened so I looked at the road and my eyes widened when I saw the prostrate man earlier.

An intense throbbing throbbed in my chest as I realized who it was.

"Sam! No!" I shouted then quickly headed to him.

And that's how I get trembled in fear when I saw that his head has cut on the side as if it was cutted by something. He was full of blood and obviously he's dead.

"S-Sam!?" I slowly approached him and there I burst into tears.

I held his hand and knelt beside him.

"Sam! Please wake up! I'm sorry!" I screamed then hold his bloody body. I put his head on my lap.

"Sam, Sam please wake up! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Sammy please wake up. I didn't mean to. Sammy!"

But no matter how loud I shouted I got no answer. My brother was dead and so as my friends.

The news spread quickly throughout the school and the city. Because our families are known.

It was a horrible event that I will never forget. I want to kill myself for surviving that accident and blaming myself because it is my fault why we got involved in that terrible accident.

If I could only listen to my brother that time. He wouldn't have died at such a young age.

Sam was only 13 years old and because dad did not allow me to go out at night alone I forced him to accompany me to go to Jake's birthday treat.

But if I only knew that this would happen, I would have just let him play on his computer.

Our accident turned out to be noisy at school. And even five months later our whole class is still mourning. Especially the fans of Jake, Bryce and Glenn. Because they are the heartthrob of the school.

If the loss of my friends made everyone sad, it was the opposite of how they treated me.

I had a lot of haters. Even my softball fans hates me.

They're all blaming me for what happened to my friends and my only brother.

I wish I was the one who died and not them. Because in those five months, they didn't even let me sleep every night.

Everyone is right.

It's all my fault.

And even if I apologize a million times to everyone, my friends' lives will never be restored.

I killed them. I killed my friends and my brother.

I should kill myself too.

That's the only way to clear my conscience.

So I did.

I killed myself.

***

Summer is coming to an end. School has begun in the new year, but I did not continue to enroll in my previous school. I don't like that school anymore because it's full of memories of my friends and Sam. Now, as a senior high school student this year, I can't help but think that if that accident hadn't happened, they would have been here enrolling with me today.

It's been eleven months since that accident happened, and now I'm unpacking my things in my new home.

After a long trip, we arrived at Aunt Abby's house. She's my deceased mother's sister. We didn't see much of her before because my mom's family didn't like my dad. I am also not very close to my mother's relatives because I am closer to my dad's family.

Since Dad was in another country, I decided to go to Mindoro with my aunt.

She is alone in her house because she does not have a husband or children. She's 35 years old already, but she just doesn't care if she becomes an old maid.

She's kind and caring. I was with her for a long time when my mom passed away.

"Anne, have you finished with your things?" Auntie shouted from downstairs. Her house is cool and relaxing because it's made of cement and wood.

"Yes, Auntie!" I also shouted and then left my room.

"Come on, let's eat. I know you're still dizzy from the trip, so eat first before you rest. You're going to school tomorrow. I'm sorry I can't be with you. The school here is good, and I know you'll like it. Even though it's public, the quality of education is high," she said as I prepared my food.

I just nodded and then started eating.

"By the way, Anne, after you leave school tomorrow, we will go to the seaside to visit your grandparents."

I was stunned by what she said.

"Do I need to go there?"

"Of course. I think you only saw Mama and Papa once, so of course, they missed you too."

"I thought they hated us?" I mumbled.

"What? Of course not. They didn't like your dad because he was a well-known playboy in his youthful days, but we knew he changed when he met my sister. But of course, you know Mama and Papa are very conservative, so they thought your dad would never change."

"Okay," I answered sparingly and then continued eating.

After eating, I went up to my room to take a shower. Our trip was long, and instead of boarding an airplane, my aunt and I traveled by land. I wanted to experience their ship, which is why I requested we travel this way.

Feeling dizzy from boarding the ship, I slept for a few hours during the journey. After a refreshing shower, I quickly straightened my hair, then lay down and promptly fell asleep due to exhaustion. I woke up around five in the afternoon. With Auntie not at home, I stepped outside to admire the yard. Her home has the charm of a modern province, with lovely plants adorning the front and vegetables growing in the back. A quaint gazebo sits beside the garden, sheltering a serene pond with koi fish swimming below.

I sighed, then sat down in the gazebo and looked away.

"If only they were here too. This house would definitely be very noisy."

"It's hard to get rid of what you're thinking."

I was shocked to hear that and looked around, but I saw nothing.

"Up here," said the voice, so I looked up at the mango tree on the other side of the fence.

A man was there, lying on a large tree branch. He was wearing a plain white shirt, a blue jersey jacket, and a baseball cap. He looked like a varsity baseball player.

"Who are you?" I asked in surprise.

He smirked at me and got up slightly.

"I guess you're my neighbor. Is that where you live?" he casually asked as if we were just friends.

"Yes."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Nope. Why do-!"

"Are you going to study here?" he immediately asked, cutting off what I was going to say.

"Yes. Why-!"

"When did you move here? How do you like living there?"

I raised an eyebrow at the number of questions he asked. He seems close.

"Why do you ask?" I asked with a tinge of irritation.

He just smirked and shrugged.

I was even more annoyed with his behavior, so I got up to leave. I don't want to waste my time with him.

"Hey Annie!" I was stunned when he called out.

I faced him with a frown.

"I'm not Annie."

"But that's what it says on your shirt," he said, smiling.

I glanced slightly at the back of my shirt and saw my name painted on it.

"It's Anne," I corrected.

"I know, but I prefer Annie."

"Tss, dumbass," I said annoyed, then turned my back on him.

"Hey Annie! I'll see you at school. My name is Danny," I heard him shout, but I ignored him and continued inside the house.

It was getting dark when Auntie arrived from the church that was also nearby.

"You should come with me to the mass tomorrow. The young people here also love to go to church," she said while we were eating dinner.

"Is the mass here every day?"

"Of course not. The festival is tomorrow, so there will be a mass. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we have mass and on Sunday."

"But I'm not used to going to mass," I answered lazily.

"Well, you may get used to it now," Auntie persuaded.

"I'll try."

-

I stopped walking when I reached the gate of Gen. E. Aguinaldo University. It was simple and only three floors high. However, the field was wide, and many students were scattered in every corner.

The school ranged from pre-school to college, and students from almost five barangays participated.

After glancing around, I sighed and took a step forward, just when someone grabbed my arm.

I turned around in surprise to see my neighbor's smiling face.

"Hey Annie," he said, waving his hand.

He looked foolish.

"Get your filthy hands off me," I said firmly, pulling my arm away. He laughed at my reaction.

"Still the same," he whispered while still laughing.

Annoyed, I left him and continued walking. I needed to find the registrar so I could enroll. I had heard that the entrance process started early, and I was a week late.

"I know where the registrar is. Do you want me to accompany you there?" he appeared again.

"Thanks, but no thanks," I replied. I noticed that the students were looking at me as if they had just seen someone unusual.

Well, maybe it was because I dressed differently. They wore blouses and long skirts, while I was wearing ripped jeans and a crop top with my navel exposed. There was no uniform here, so this was what I decided to wear. This was also my style in the City.

"If you want, I can give you a tour," he offered, following me like a persistent dog.

"I can handle myself," I answered coldly.

"You know I can-!"

"Will you please shut up and leave me alone?" I couldn't help but get angry and confronted him. He laughed, drawing everyone's attention. Even the man behind him seemed surprised when I shouted.

Geez, I hate this attention! Is it the first time they've heard someone scream?

Annoyed, I turned my back on him and continued walking, but the whispers of the students did not escape my hearing.

"Who is she?"

"I think she's new here."

"Why did she yelled at Daniel?"

"Yes! She looks like a City resident."

"She looks rich."

I ignored what I heard and kept walking.

When I found the registrar, I immediately filled out the registration form and paid the cashier.

"This is your class schedule. You're a week late, so you'll need to adjust and borrow notes from your classmates to catch up," the registrar clerk said, handing me my class schedule. Her careful look at my clothes did not escape me.

"And FYI, in case you haven't noticed, Miss Smith, just because this school doesn't have a uniform doesn't mean you can wear whatever you want. There are suitable dress codes that the school follows, so hopefully tomorrow, you won't be wearing that kind of dress. This is a school, not a bar," she said with a sigh.

Tss!

"I'll try. Thanks anyway," I replied rudely and then turned my back on her.

While walking, the students continued to stare at me. There was a mix of chaos and silence.

"Hey Annie."

"Shit!" I startled when my annoying neighbor suddenly appeared beside me.

"What the hell are you doing?" I couldn't stop shouting at him.

The professor in the classroom beside us looked at me.

"Is there a problem, Miss?" the teacher asked.

"No, sir," I said and then glared at the annoying man who was just laughing beside me.

I passed him, but he continued to follow me.

"I'm sorry if I surprised you. Are you in the Diamond section too?"

"None of your business!" I glared at him.

He smirked and played with the hem of his jacket. That was still what he was wearing. I think he was too proud to be a varsity player.

"Did you know we have the same schedule of classes?"

"So what?"

"Nothing. I just wanted you to know that you can be with me wherever you go," he said, the annoying grin still on his lips.

"I don't care!" I was so angry that I went straight to my room.

Our teacher and the students were surprised when I entered.

"Sorry for being late. I'm Anne Smith, a transferee, and I'm enrolled in this class," I quickly introduced myself. Our stunned teacher, who didn't yet understand what I was talking about, just stared at me.

"Oh..ah, new student. Hi, so you're Anne Smith. The principal told me about you. Please take your seat, Miss Smith, so you can catch up with the class," the teacher said, still looking confused. He then looked around and searched for an empty seat.

"Ah, there, beside Mr. Sarmiento," he said, pointing to my annoying neighbor who was sitting in the back. He was the fourth one sitting there, and that was the last vacant seat, so I had no choice but to sit next to him.

"Hey Annie. You can be with me anywhere," he said with a smile.

I just glared at him and sat down in the first row.

"Ah, Miss Smith, don't you want to...ah, never mind. If you are comfortable there. Okay, let's start our class," the teacher said, looking perplexed. He seemed so confused that he didn't know what to do or that he was always like that.

Our class went well, and somehow I was able to adapt even though I was a week late.

After the second class, we had a fifteen-minutes break and another class before lunch break.

Classes resumed in the afternoon with four subjects.

That day ended as if nothing had entered my brain. My friends often came to mind. If they were with me, our class would probably be chaotic. Aside from being famous, Bryce, Glenn, and Jake were also smart and loved to argue.

But they're gone. And it's my fault.

I was walking home when I felt my annoying neighbor's presence again. Earlier in class, he was quiet and didn't bother me, but in all my subjects, he was always beside me.

"Hey Annie. Let's walk home together," he said, smiling again.

"It's up to you," I said to end the conversation.

"Are you going to your grandparents today?" I turned to him.

"How do you know about that?" I asked in surprise.

"From your aunt. She said you were going to the waterfront later."

And why would Auntie tell him about that? Are they close? Well, at least they're neighbors, so they might be.

"Because your aunt and I are close," he said proudly as if he had already guessed what was on my mind.

"Tss! So what if you're close? And why does it matter to you whether I go to my grandparents or not? We're not close, and I don't talk to strangers," I said angry and then passed him.

"I told you my name is Danny, and I'm your neighbor and classmate."

"So?"

"Well, that's enough reason for us to be close, isn't it?"

I glared at him. "Can't you see that I don't want to be close to you or anyone here?"

"You know what? It seems like you really need a friend now because I heard that your aunt asked you to forget the painful memory that happened to you and-!"

"Enough! Don't you dare talk to me again!" I was very angry and left. I noticed an old man who was confusedly staring at us. Maybe he wasn't used to seeing someone fight in front of him.

When I got home, I immediately locked myself in my room. I just told Aunt Abby that I wasn't feeling well, so I couldn't accompany her to the beach and church.

I needed rest.

But no matter how hard I tried to close my eyes, that nightmare wouldn't let me sleep.

I got out of bed and went out onto the terrace of my room. I looked up at the darkening sky.

"I'm sorry, guys. Wherever you are now, I hope you will forgive me."

I whispered loudly as my tears flowed.

"Sammy, forgive your sister. I'm so sorry, little bro." I cried even more when I remembered my brother. His innocent face and his funny laugh.

"~ Hush now don't you cry...there will be a better day...I promise you... ~ We can work it out...but only if you let me know...what's on your mind! ~"

I stopped crying when I heard the guitar playing and someone singing from the house next door.

I immediately wiped away my tears and peeked at the other house from the side of my terrace.

It's him again!!

My sadness was replaced by annoyance when I saw that annoying guy sitting on the railing of his terrace, playing the guitar.

He seemed to be practicing a song.

But in fairness, he had a good voice.

It would have been nice if he hadn't ruined my day. He's really Annoying.

Annoyed, I went back to my room and changed my clothes.

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