THREE

The eyes are the most fascinating part of the body. We rely on them every day, yet we don’t really know much about them. There are thousands of reasons why I find the eyes the most wonderful organs in our body, but my favorite of all, is everytime the light touches the iris of my eyes every day. The ability to wake up and see the beauty of the world after a long deep sleep has always been one of the miracles we often took for granted.

I’m not a morning person. I hate waking up in the morning and battling with the cold water to wake my senses. But, being a high school student whose school lies far away from their house, morning is the greatest enemy, especially when the alarm hits five o’ clock.

The breakfast was already ready when I went inside the kitchen after preparing myself for the day. The housekeepers were the one who prepared our breakfast, which includes: pancake, fresh milk, bacon, eggs, and lots of fruits that I never really bothered eating. For the record, I want soup for breakfast. And, breakfast never became a must since my brother died. He was always the one who scolded me for not eating one, now that he’s gone, I miss him every time I wake up.

My parents were still asleep in their room and the dawn was almost breaking when I got outside of our house. I don’t drive, so I usually ride the bus going to school which is a two-hour trip, excluding the traffic.

Totally sucks!

I loved to thank the one who invented music because I would literally die of boredom without it, even though I only listen to one band which is the Mayday Parade -- an American rock band from Florida that I had discovered because of my brother named Zon.

I tuned in my Mayday Parade playlist as I watched the bus slowly move along with the other vehicles. I’m not sure how many songs I should listen to before reaching our school.

I am again stuck in the traffic, not that it’s new. I am often caught in the traffic even if I woke up before five o’ clock, so I’m always doomed because my class starts at seven in the morning. It’s now thirty-minutes after seven.

I already missed the first class which is Math. My adviser, and also Math teacher, is probably cursing me right now because I’ve missed a lot of activities and quizzes for the first quarter.

Why is even math my first class? It’s not motivating especially when I hate the subject. I’m one of those intelligent kiddos who never excelled in math. Why am I sleeping when God poured knowledge in math to the world?

“You’re late,” Charish, our class president, told me as soon as I stepped inside the room. “Our adviser is looking for you.” She handed me an envelope before going back to her seat.

I kept it inside my bag because I know it’s a letter to my parents. I need to go home early later and prepare for what they will say. I’m ready to be scolded, if that’s the only way for them to notice me again.

“Stuck in the traffic,” I replied. It’s my everyday reason that would make all my teachers roll their eyes.

“We told you, Zee. Get a home near here, so you'll be able to attend our math class," Gabriella, my best friend, uttered as soon as I sat in my chair.

She turned to me as she combed her long hair. Gab, her nickname, removed her eyeglass. She rolled at me which made her eyes narrowed even more.

“I’ll think about it,” I replied with a frown. I actually thought about it since we left the town and moved into our current hometown. I was actually wrong about listing is a non-priority in my life. I thought I could survive the distance, yet I was wrong.

“You can live with us,” Gab offered. “Our families are best of friends. At least, it’s only an hour drive.”

Gab turned to me and laid her chin on the back of his chair.

I am sitting in the back row, and she was in front of me. It has always been like that since seventh grade, for I am Zee Zamora, and she's Gabriella Tan. Blame the alphabet for A will always be the first, and Z will always be the last. Sometimes I wish I could even sit in front, but I love the back row because I can pretend I’m listening when I’m not.

"Where's Zack?" I asked Gab when I saw the vacant seat beside me. "I need to copy his math homework."

Zack is my guy best friend and my constant seatmate since seventh grade. He’s also close to Gab, so basically they’re my closest friends. He excelled in a lot of things which made me jealous sometimes, especially when he never put effort on studying at all. He’s that amazing!

"Football duties," Gab answered.

"Oh, right," I remembered. "Today's the start of the orientation for varsity players. Why aren't you there?"

Gab frowned. "I love volleyball, but I hate orientations. It's only for freshies, so I decided to skip it. After all, I'm not the captain unlike Zack."

"You got a point in there," I replied.

"How about you?"

"I still need to get the certificate and approval before I could dive to the team again," I sighed.

I was a part of the swimming varsity team, but I stopped last year due to a car accident. It didn’t only fractured my body physically, but also emotionally since my brother died and I lived.

He died saving me that sometimes I think if I am really worth saving.

The rest of the day went on with us - or maybe just me, pretending that I am listening to our lesson when my mind is floating somewhere. We finished mundane tasks until the bell rang, the sweetest music I always want to hear when I’m inside the classroom.

“Got to go to the practice. Are you sure you don’t want my driver to drive you home?”

“It’s okay. I’m already used to commuting,” I answered.

“Duh! It’s tiring. You should ask for a driver.”

“I don’t need one,” I assured her. I never really need one because my brother was always the one who picked me up after school. He died, and I had to learn how to commute alone.

I cried the first time, but I’ve seen things I’ve missed about life since I learned to mingle with people who spend all their time riding on buses or taxis.

“Okay. Take care! Text me when you get home!” Gab waved and ran to the court as I headed to the gate.

I am not yet part of the varsity team, so I can go home early. The rest of the varsity players usually stay for the night training. Our school is really focused not only on academics, but also when it comes to sports.

People were lined up while waiting for the bus. The last trip on my way home will arrive in twenty-minutes, so I still have time to spare. I sat on the vacant seat and browsed my phone.

“Uh,” I reacted. “Where’s my earphones?” I panicked.