~The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home~
~confucius

Photograph by Ed Sheeran👆

SERAPHINA'S POV
Ever been in a situation where you can't decipher your feelings? Like that moment when you're being hit with different waves of emotion, to a point of no return? That's exactly how I felt as I stared at Tyler. The guy who broke my heart into million pieces without a sting of remorse.

Tyler is a dark-skinned American. 6'5, striking hazel eyes, dark hair and a perfectly sculpted face. He has a body to die for, perks of being a football player. His smile, although rare, could sweep any girl off her feet, especially with those straight, pearly, white teeth. He's drop-dead attractive but too bad, the personality tainted everything.

I rolled my eyes and got up, dusting away imaginary dirt from my jeans. God, I hate feeling this way around him, but it's just inevitable.

Tyler had that intimidating aura that tends to make guys five times heftier than him to cower down, so what more of a tiny twenty-one-year-old girl?

It was a staring contest now, with me leaning on one foot and hands-on my propped hip.

I raised a quizzical brow at him. "Yes?"

The silence was irritating me but Tyler couldn't care less as he continued shamelessly ogling at me. Old habits indeed die hard.

I went to walk away but he gripped my arm and yanked me back in front of him.

" You didn't change a bit."
I cocked my head to the side in confusion. What does that mean?

"Same old Seraphina." He smirked and leaned on the wall behind him.

"What? were you expecting me to become trash after you left me for that bitch?" I don't know why I said this but it felt so good letting it out. Especially right in his face.

"I can see that you're more vocal now. The break-up sure groomed you into a motivational speaker." He winked. I suddenly regretted what I previously said. He made me look like a complete fool.

"So, what now? you wanna laugh in my face? go ahead, do it.  Just a piece of advice though, I'm not the same girl anymore. So, my sympathy if you think your words will move a hair on my body." I was trying my best not to succumb to the emotions.

"And still a very bad liar." But damn, he knew me better than my parents.

"You're no better than a manwh...

" Woah, careful there hun. It's still the same Tyler yeah. I don't tolerate insults and you know it, so I'd be more cautious if I were you."

I remained silent after the warning bells went off and yes, it's out of fear. Unlike most guys, Tyler's pretty violent and when he gets mad, nothing matters anymore. He just needs that outlet to let everything out on. Whether you're male or female, he doesn't care. Tyler's been battling anger management his entire life.

"This chit-chat is boring me to death so I'll just cut to the chase. Why did you hit Zara?"

The fact that he still took me as trash after two years broke something in me, but I remained neutral. I won't let some boneheaded ex bring my walls down.

" I want to believe I'm not talking to a bookshelf. "

Old memories came crashing down, rendering me tongue-tied. I couldn't help the pang of hurt I felt at the mention of Zara. The fact that she still owned the spotlight after so many years. This was one of those rare days when I'll be full-on hating on myself, and going over the countless reasons I shouldn't be born to this evil planet.

"I don't have time for this." He sighed. Stay calm Sera. Breath in and out. Don't say a word and everything will be fine.

"Look, neither do I know, nor care about what transpired between you and Zara but if you ever touch a hair on her head again, your hands will be the next thing in a butcher's shop. Are we good?"

I averted my gaze and ignored him, trying to control the grenade in me.

"I'll take that as a yes, ciao."

He bumped my shoulder as he passed. I turned and watched him sped-walked down the hallway.

I adjusted the straps of my bag and continued on my journey to the locker room, with so many thoughts coursing my head, so many emotions weighing me down. I felt so numb, so broken and I don't even know why. I've got a loving boyfriend for Pete's sake, someone over the top better than Tyler but I just can't fight the emptiness, the loneliness but overall, that lingering sensation of hurt and betrayal. I fought the lone tear which threatened to escape and reassured myself that 'everything was going to be okay.'

The day went by in a blur and it was finally the last period, a free period. The girls and I were seated on the bleachers, watching the football players.

"I still can't believe he said that. How immature of him!" Malu bolted in utter shock.

Like any other day, I met the girls gossiping in the locker room after my encounter with Tyler. My initial plan was to go with the happy-go-lucky face and act normal but Maya being a smart ass wasn't having any of it. They literally forced everything out of me, much to my disagreement. You might think I gave in easily but trust me you'd do the same if Miskha threatened to shave off your brows, and believe me the girl doesn't give empty threats.

Their reactions were priceless, which wasn't surprising and I'd to stop them on many occasions, from going to attack Zara. Specifically, Miskha. I genuinely appreciated their efforts but I don't need another milligram of salt on the wound. They eventually decided to let the issue slide after so much pleading from my part and Maya's.

They stayed by my side the entire day, throwing in jokes and cheering me up. I don't know what I did to deserve such people in my life but what I do know is that I couldn't ask God for more.

"Zara should thank her lucky stars this didn't happen in Severina's presence. Paramedics would've concentrated the campus today." Leila giggled. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at this. Severina of all people, yeah right.

"Severina? Really? You're a joke." Maya snorted.

"I mean, who wouldn't react upon their sibling being violated?"

"Are you nuts?" Miskha stated rather than asked.

"Am I missing something?" If there's anyone more aggravating than Leila, then they're yet to be born. I wasn't in the mood for petty talk.

"Sis, what we're trying to tell you is that Severina is more of a Zara 'fan' apparently. "  Lalia put air quotations on fan.

"No way!" Holy mustard.

"How could you not even know? We're together all the time. If not in school then online. You in fact live with Lalia under the same roof." Sophia uttered.

"She needs prayers." Lalia sighed.

"I swear I didn't know. I was caught up with school work and projects lately. The upcoming tes...

"Oh please, you're always trying to play the brainiac student." Malu cut in.

"And her GPA always disappoints. " Bia, who's been quite the entire conversation added.

We laughed at Leila so hard to the point where she almost cried. Bia can get savage when she wants to be.

"For once in my entire life of existence, I agree with you Bia." Lalia coughed out.

"I thought I was your favourite person B." Leila pouted.

"No favourite in truth Leila." Bia shook her head.

We stayed for some time until the bell went off, signalling the end of the day's lessons. We bid the girls goodbye and headed to the parking lot.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Maya asked for the thousandth time.

"Yes, Mom. I told you I'm fine." I exasperated.

"Rude. Something's telling me you're lying." She squinted her eyes and leaned in towards my seat, searching my face.

"Stop dude. What the fuck? private space." I smacked her hands.

"Private space Rat's boobs. This is my car and everything inside it is mine, so stay put."

"Fuck off weirdo."

We spent the entire car ride singing off-key to Billie Eilish's songs and talking about random stuff. We reached my home within fifteen minutes and just when I was about to go in, Maya's loud voice stopped me.

"Hey, Phina wait!" Talk about a walking microphone.

"Forgot to tell you, the dormitories are ready for use. Mr Harts announced it during Ecology."

I placed my bag pack on the doorstep and returned to her car. Interesting news at last.

"You're jesting right?" It was too good to be true.

"I'm not. Didn't you hear it? Or I forgot, your department will be informed next week. You guys are kinda far you know, so it'll be difficult for you to know sooner."

"Yes!" I screamed, startling a nearby passerby.

"Chill girl geez." Maya whisper-yelled, gesturing to the already prying neighbours. Nosy fucks.

"Sorry, sorry. So any information on when to move in?" I couldn't contain my excitement for the life of me.

"No. None yet, but I'm sure it'll be somewhere around next month."

My face visibly fell. We're talking possibly four to five weeks from now.

"And to think that I was imagining days." Maya's such a buzzkill.

"It's still days though. Thirty days  minimum." She laughed over the loud rustling of her engine and I flipped her the bird.

"Love ya honey!"

I slammed the door at the speed of lightning, saving myself from further embarrassment.

The house was empty, as per usual, except for the loud chattering of the cooks at the other ensuite. I inwardly laughed at the fact that they were enjoying the little time in their hands before going back to being robots. My mother's something else. How someone so petite intimidates grown-ass men, I would never understand. Money indeed is power.

I trudged to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of gluten-free orange juice before heading to my room.

"Wheeee!" I squealed and carelessly threw my bag pack on the couch. I went into the bathroom and ran a cold bubbly bath, all the while dancing to Ciara's level up blasting from the speakers. I discarded my clothes and got into the foamy bathtub, sighing in content when my sore muscles made contact with the cold water. Heaven.

I don't know how long I stayed in the bathtub but what I do know is that my peace was short-lived. I could hear voices coming from downstairs. I quickly threw on a bathrobe and rushed out, not forgetting my pen knife behind.

I silently tip-toed towards the source of the noise until I found myself heading to the kitchen. I halted just behind the door and held my breath, uttering a silent prayer. I was about to go in until a familiar voice spoke, rendering me both relieved and annoyed. Stupid Severina. I peeped in a little and realised that she wasn't alone, Asher was seated on the counter with his head lowered. His clothes were dishevelled while Severina relentlessly paced and cursed.

Something was wrong. I wanted to go in so bad but my subconscious stopped me, reminding me that maybe that wasn't the best idea, and for once, I complied.

"How can you be so stupid? Anyone could've seen you there, anyone, and the worst-case scenario being our schoolmates. What were you thinking Ash?!" Severina yelled, not caring that someone was in the house. Well she didn't know I came so, but I mean, they did found the door opened? Right? Or they had a spare key? Okay, Seraphina shut up.

"Would you quit the screaming already!" Asher retaliated. Shit was about to go down.

"You're so dumb." Severina slumped on one of the bar stools, pulling on her hair.

"Look, I wasn't thinking okay. She assured me we were in a secluded area."

"Secluded area with surveillance camera?"

Something doesn't sit well with me.

"What did you expect? It's a fucking underground parking lot Severina!"

"Of a fucking mall!"

My poor ears.

"Fine, you win. Happy?!"

"This ain't no competition boo. You're denying the hard fact."

"I say we bury this shit here and forget it ever happened." Severina lowered her tone.

"She deserves to know." Asher sighed and Severina although I couldn't see her face, knew rolled her eyes. She often does that when she thinks the other party was being stupid.

"Asher Del Varia, she doesn't deserve to know shit. We've been through this all day long. Don't get stupid!"

For some reason, I felt so suffocated and oblivious. Hiding behind the door for over ten minutes became useless. I couldn't grasp any clue as to what they were discussing. Except for meetings, malls and shes'. God help me.

"What's the big deal in telling her anyway! " Asher barked.

"The big deal is that the people she moves with have slippery mouths. She knows the best friend knows, they know, the school knows and before you know it, we've made the headlines on the tabloids. "

"We might as well buy tombstones if that happens. " Asher chuckled.

"Glad you caught on."

"But we ditched her today you know. We've still got some explaining to do."

what I felt at that moment was nothing compared to my incident with Tyler. I've always been suspicious of what the argument was revolving around but the unveiled truth stabbed hard. The fact that my siblings went behind my back hurts inexplicably. I swallowed the hard lump in my throat and forced myself to listen in on the now painful conversation.

"Duh, don't worry about that. I've got it covered. It's just Seraphina, she isn't a big deal." Severina responded in a bored tone.

"I know right, miss clueless. I trust you." Asher laughed.

I didn't even know I was crying until I felt the hand that had been covering my mouth wet. I silently tip-toed back to my room and locked the door.

I dimmed the lights and gently laid on my bed, hugging a huge teddy bear to my chest. So many questions rummaged in my head. So many thoughts. I felt sick to the core. I would've called whoever told me my siblings were going to betray me someday a well-credited liar, but too bad my own ears were those 'whoevers'. I picked my phone from the nightstand and scrolled through random apps just to get my mind off the last horrific twenty minutes but it was near to impossible.

I checked Enrique's profile but he'd been inactive two hours ago, just great. I called Maya and to my greatest luck, her phone was switched off. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Out of frustration, depression and hurt, I threw my phone at the mirror, cracking both the object and device. Guess that's rest in fucking peace to one of the many iPhones.

I buried my face under a huge fluffy pillow and sobbed, not caring that I was messing up the expensive cotton. I cried for what seemed like forever until I couldn't anymore. I looked at the clock on the wall and the time read 9:30 pm. I must have cried an entire ocean.

I lazily trudged to the bathroom and washed my face before switching off the lights. If I can't cry my sorrow out anymore, might as well sleep it off.
************************************
Thoughts on the siblings?

Next update coming up soon.

Don't forget to vote, comment and share.

xoxo,
mina.