Zylene Suarez

After another test. As usual, Shan ranked first again. He teased her when they saw both scores. Zylene is always ranked second. Beneath, she's looked mad for not getting the first place, but deep inside, she's feeling fear started swallowing her. Not because someone's replacing her rank, because of the beating of her parents once they knew her score again. They need perfection, not second nor third.

As soon as she got home, her mother asked about the test, she can't make up an excuse and just took the beating. Luckily, her father is not so strict about being second, as long as she's one of the awardees, unlike her mother.

The next day, she wore a hoodie just to cover bruises to her arms and a little swollen split to her cheek, her mother almost end her that night, her father is right on time to stop it.

She's not in herself again, the situation last night kept replaying back to her mind. She didn't know the classes are suspended because of some kind of event for school personnels.

She bumped with someone, familiar cologne, familiar presence. She looked up and saw Shan, confuse and annoyed.