Chapter 5

After the Christmas party, Rowie was soaking wet. The icing that Jennica put on her face was still there. She felt the stickiness all over that's why she decided to change her clothes and wash her face. Jennica and Charlotte already went home to have their other plans – like get together with their other squad.

On the other hand, Rowie didn't have any other friends aside from her schoolmates. But, in the end, she chose not to go home yet. There's nothing to look forward at home. Though, she's kind of worried about her Mom and her little sister.

Looking at her reflection on the mirror, she sighed. She picked her phone and called her sister to know how they were.

On the third ring, her sister picked up and answered in a jolly tone. "Hi, sis! How's the party? Did you enjoy it?"

"Of course, Raven. How about you and Mom?" Rowie asked worriedly.

"We're fine. Mom's cooking snacks for me because I'm craving for a pancake."

Rowie frowned even though she couldn't see her. "You should help Mom, Raven. At least give her the ingredients while cooking."

"I am helping her. Don't worry about it too much and enjoy your party," she said to her older sister.

"Okay. Take care, okay? Give Mom the phone so we could talk. Just call me if you need anything."

"I will. Bye!" She heard her sister called for her Mom and in a minute, her Mom spoke on the other side.

"How are you, baby?" she asked Rowie.

"Mom, I'm not a baby anymore." Rowie pouted and almost rolled her eyes.

"Ow, you really liked it when I call you baby every time," her Mom teased.

"It was years ago!" Rowie exclaimed but laughed in the end.

"Okay, okay, I get it. So, why'd you call? I told you to enjoy the party and don't mind us here. We're fine!"

"I know. I'm just – I'm just a little worried, that's all."

Janice, her Mom sighed on the other line. "You know we're fine as long as your Dad is not around, right?"

Rowie sighed as well. "That's what I'm worried for. What if he comes in there without me?"

"I'll call you, then. Don't worry too much and enjoy. This is your last day before the Christmas break, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Just – just call, Mom, okay?" Rowie asked again. She couldn't help but feel worried from time to time.

"I will. I will. Really, this girl."

Rowie smiled to herself after the call. Just listening to her little sister's voice calmed her. Her worries just disappeared whenever she heard Raven's jolly voice. On the other hand, if she heard her Mom's voice, she couldn't help but be worried about her.

It's Christmas break already and this was the kind of time where her evil of a father came home. Rowie sighed as she heard her Mom's voice on her head; don't think of something like that, Rowie! He's still your father! And the good daughter that she was, if she's still considered as a good one for calling her Dad an evil, would just sigh and say sorry about what she said.

While walking on the covered walk, she paused. She was having a second thought about playing Basketball alone. It's only two in the afternoon and she still had three hours until the school finally closed. She wanted to release some steam before going home. She wanted to exhaust herself.

She continued walking, her eyes looking down her feet, counting her steps. She decided to do what was on her mind. Her house was too far from school but one bus ride would save her from the hassle. It was not as if this thing was new to her.

She stopped on her track. He saw a pair of hands in front of her. Her eyebrows furrowed out of confusion. She immediately lifted her head to see who was in front of her. Her eyes widened and her mouth almost dropped after seeing who it was.

"W—what... are you... I mean why—?" Unable to finish her sentence, she pursed her lips into thin line. She didn't know what to say after confirming who was standing in front of her. To think that he was offering something, which was undeniably a ticket, she just couldn't find the right question to ask.

It was Shintaro Yamazaki.