Chapter 2

I returned to my dim, cramped apartment.

I found several missed calls and messages on my phone.

Two were from Chris, a friend from high school, and one was from Andrea.

Andrea, our cousin, always sweetly called my brother Tony while I was just her cousin Kylie. Others might think they were full siblings actually. I pulled a wry smile and scrolled through my phone. They had called about the same thing. They would be having a gathering.

Suddenly, my stomach churned, and without having time to reply, I rushed to the bathroom and threw up continuously. But I hadn't eaten anything the entire previous day, so there was nothing to vomit. Still, I couldn't suppress the nausea inside me. It was only after I finally vomited a mouthful of fresh blood that I collapsed, defeated, next to the toilet.

The sweltering summer after high school ended was a nightmare I dared not revisit. My body had also developed a PTSD for it; any thought of high school made me vomit and tremble. After a while, I gradually calmed down.

I returned to the couch, picked up my phone, and instinctively thought to decline their invitation. But when my gaze inadvertently caught the medical report on the table, I paused again. When I was eighteen, Anthony had thrown me out of his house. Seeing him was ever since a luxury I could hardly afford. Yet, he adored Andrea so much and would certainly accompany her to the gathering. Since he wouldn't let me return home, this was my only chance to see him.

Gathering courage, I suppressed the discomfort in my heart and asked Chris for the time and place. Then, I placed my medical report in a file folder. I planned to present it to Anthony as a gift, hoping to bring him some joy.