Act 2

"Prologue"

Once upon a time there lived a girl who was sure she knew how the world works.

She lived in a house with her loving parents and is the youngest of their six beautiful children.

She spent her years growing up observing how the things around her move and flow with each passing moment. Seeing the changes grow and mature overtime, noticing her place around it all.

And with this thinking, she thought: This must be how things work.

People grow up, study, work, fall in love and do their own things.

Eventually leaving.

‘People always leave’

A sentence that had buried itself inside her mind through those years of growing up.

But one fine day, that thinking was changed.

Her family had to leave.

She didn't understand why. But her father said it was important, because it was for their own safety.

The little girl somehow found the reason true. She did hear bad things in the news:

Of people shouting.

Hurting each other.

Hunting each other.

So she thought that it might be good.

And she was right. It was good.

One by one her older brothers and sisters came back.

And once again they were one big happy family.

Maybe her thinking was wrong.

People don’t have to leave.

They can stay. As much as they want.

And so they arrived at a strange land.

With a strange language.

She had to re-learn and un-learn some things to function from day to day.

But she had fun doing so otherwise.

She met new friends and with them she learned new things, new cultures and new places.

Each day she felt more and more that the world she once knew was the opposite from the world she knows now.

People eat, sleep and enjoy each other's company.

They study and work together, fall in love and still keep in touch.

No one wanted to leave.

She likes this new way of living. She thought: If this is how the world really works, then I am glad to be a part of it.

Everyday was a wonder, and everyday there was always something new.

Her friends started growing, and the home she lives in started flourishing.

Her parents started a business selling computer parts, and some of her siblings helped in their spare time.

Her eldest brother and sister started growing their own families and found a place near their home.

Everything around her was growing and growing for the better.

Every now and then she’d stop on her tracks to see how everything fits.

And she could see quite well that she was becoming a part of something grand.

And thus she changed.

Once upon a time there lived a girl who was sure she knew how the world works.

She lived in a house with her loving parents and is the youngest of their six beautiful children.

She spent her next years growing up observing how the things around her move and flow with each passing moment. Seeing the changes grow and mature overtime, noticing her place around it all.

And with this thinking, she thought: This must be how things work.

People grow up, study, work, fall in love and do things for the sake of each other.

Eventually growing together.

‘People always help’

A sentence that had buried itself inside her mind through those years of growing up.

But one fine day, that thinking was changed.

She had to leave.

She herself came to understand why. But her parents felt like it was too soon, worried for her own safety.

The young lady somehow found the reason true. She did hear bad things in the news

But that did not stop her.

For months she was noticing odd things happening around her.

Her older siblings were fighting amongst themselves over something she never quite understood.

Her parents' business had been growing steadily. Enough for them to be able to purchase new land.

The new land became an expansion of their business, and from there it grew rapidly.

Now they were more than a computer parts seller.

They also ran a clothing store and a fast food franchise.

Everything that grew, grew faster.

Faster than they could ever imagine.

And her older siblings were fighting for control of things, thinking they could catch some of that growth for their own lives.

Thus becoming dependent on it.

The once laid back atmosphere became tense. And it slowly became quiet.

No one was talking to each other. And the home grew cold.

It still grew. But not for the better.

Every now and then she’d stop on her tracks to see how everything fits.

And she could see quite well that she was becoming complacent.

It was then she decided: I can not be part of this, I should not be dependent on this.

Which is why I am leaving.

I am leaving because I need to grow.

I still love all of you, but I cannot grow with you.

If I do I will depend on you and I already do.

I know I have friends, and it’s sad that I might not see them again.

But I have to do this.

Please let me go.

With a tear and an embrace. She moved onwards.

And thus she changed.

Once upon a time there lived a girl who was sure she knew how the world works.

She lived alone in a room, in a crowded city.

She spent the months figuring out and observing how the things around her move and flow with each passing moment. Seeing the changes grow and mature overtime, noticing her place around it all.

And with this thinking, she thought: I don’t know how things work.

People wake up, study, fall in love and do their own things.

With no meaning, no direction. Just barely trying to exist.

‘How do people live?’

A sentence that had buried itself inside her mind as she peeks out of her bedroom window.

But one fine day, that thinking was changed.

She met a boy. Or rather;

The boy met her.

She found the boy one day roaming around the school.

Clueless and lost.

Realizing he was also new, she decided to help.

Luckily they have the same classes that day.

Also she finds out they are in the same cluster.

Which means they are classmates.

Since the boy didn’t have anyone to talk to, he talked to her.

And only her.

She could understand as the boy came off as a bit of an anti social.

Their talks were nothing more than objective things.

Where to go, what to do, where to sit…

Shallow questions.

But beneath all this the girl felt something strange.

A strange sense of security she hasn't felt since leaving home.

Strange because she’s the one guiding him.

Strange because he’s the one making her feel safe.

It has been a while since she had felt this.

Everyday for the past months she lived in constant fear.

Everyday she made a point go home while the sun was still out.

Everyday feeling weary of the night, and dark alleyways.

She knows how to fight.

She had classes when she was young.

When other girls her age were starting to learn ballet.

She was already a yellow belt in karate.

But still the fear had crept within her, she knows for a fact that she’s all alone.

If ever anything went south, her nearest help is far at home.

She thought it strange that a complete stranger had made her feel so far from danger.

And yet they had only just met.

Was it the way he looked, or the way he talked? She couldn't really figure it out.

All she knew was it felt alright.

She had already made new friends in this new place. So she thought: What would I lose to know another face?

And the days went by but they never got close.

The boy was always distant.

And although there were times that they’d hang out. His demeanor was indifferent.

When the raid of chaos came and the boy lost his home, she was the one who first consoled him.

Well she sent a text. But what can she do? She was trapped indoors herself.

This time it was life that stopped her tracks so she could check how everything fits.

And she could see quite well that she was feeling something

It was then she decided: I shall pursue this feeling, no matter what it costs me.

And the very next day she called him.

It was a mistake.

Of course she wouldn’t open with a confession. But she did layout their topics in advance.

Hoping to steer him into a topic where she can tell him.

Tell him what she wanted to tell.

But it never made it there.

It turns out that the boy had met someone else.

Though he says it was friendly. She can feel it in his tone.

Or at least that’s what she assumed.

She doesn’t know anymore. Her feelings are in shambles.

It continues to break as he talks about that girl in their conversation.

She now regrets bringing the topic up.

About how he was doing after the chaos.

And now he can’t stop talking about this other girl that he met.

And on how similar they are on things he didn’t know he had.

And the more he talked the more she feared. And the feeling of loneliness had crept back.

She wants to put the phone down but she can’t. For he was still talking.

She wants to change the subject but she can’t. For he was still talking.

She wanted to unhear everything and tell him.

But she can’t.

Because they were both talking. As she pretended to be happy he found another friend.

They still talked for hours after that. A consolation in her heart.

But sadly she never got to “that” part.

She planned to say something. Her plan failed.

And now she feels uneasy.

A few days later another boy knocked on her door.

He is another friend of hers.

He told her he’d been texting. But she was distraught enough to not notice.

She checked his messages after he had left. It was about cars.

She couldn’t care less, but she remembered something.

Something about the boy, about how he talked about the cars that were around town.

How passionate he sounded when he told her about them.

And how similar his expression was, when he talked about the other girl.

That’s where she had her eureka moment.

If she goes to learn about these cars the boy was talking about.

Then maybe,

Just maybe.

She can get closer.

So she jumped from her bed, got dressed and met her other friend.

And together they went on an adventure.

An adventure to find these strange happenings.

In the end they did find out these happenings. Which made her feel strange.

Feel strange about her friend.

When they found these happenings he immediately changed.

He started acting and sounding like the boy.

The boy that met her.

The air around him had changed, his demeanor had changed, even his thinking had changed.

It was far from the friend she knew.

And for a moment she had forgotten who it was she was doing this for.

The adventure didn’t end well for most.

Authorities came swooping in to restore order. Luckily they escaped.

The way they escaped also surprised her. Made her feel even more strange.

And while the sirens wail behind them. She went in for a kiss.

She already forgot the details after.

That, or she’d rather not remember.

What she knew was she didn’t like it.

She felt guilty. She felt unfaithful.

She fought her friend after. Sent him out her door. She had regrets deep inside that had turned into anger.

It was anger at herself, that she turned anger towards her friend.

She blames him for acting like the boy. She blames him for letting her fall.

Even though she knows she jumped the cliff herself.

Every now and then she’d stop on her tracks to see how everything fits.

And this time she saw she was wrong.

This time she saw she was lost.

She finally tells her friends this.

They insist that no one was at fault.

She was emotional.

And her friend saw her as someone more.

From the eyes of an outsider. It was a picture perfect scene.

But Aida knew, it was her mind that made it wrong.

It was her mind that made things complicated.

It was her,

But she was afraid of being wrong.

And thus she changed.

Once upon a time there lived a girl who was sure she knew how the world works.

She lived alone in a room, in a crowded city.

She spent the months figuring out and observing how the things around her move and flow with each passing moment. Seeing the changes grow and mature overtime, noticing her place around it all.

And with this thinking, she thought: I don’t know anything anymore.

People fall in love, they fight, fall apart, do their own things and be happy.

And yet.

‘Why do people still fall?’

A question she kept asking over and over that night in the arms of the girl she was once jealous over, as Nica tried her best to comfort her tears.

It was at this moment when she decided to shed all her fears.

She sat up from Nica’s lap and faced her.

Yukino served her some sobering drinks while Tisha handed her tissues, as he straightened her posture and her eyes looking straight at the person she considered a threat.

‘Nica, are you sure there’s nothing between you two?’ She asked.

‘No, There is none.’ Nica replies clearly.

‘Then I’ll tell him then.’

There was an air of relief coming from her after saying those words.

And the people around her were smiling as they all huddled together, their friendship had grown stronger.

It was here on this fine evening. Her thinking had changed.

On this evening she grew, and she grew far from the home she was raised in.

She felt dependent on people she can depend on but grew the legs to stand on her own two feet.

She knew the reasons people leave and why it is good to do so.

But she also knows it is good to keep some company around.

But out of all this, most importantly, she was not afraid anymore.

She has friends she can call for help and she is dependable enough to help when she’s needed.

At this moment she stops to think to see how she fits in with everything.

And so far, everything was about to fall in its place.