14

BRIGHT'S POV

Mom and Ton didn't want us to spend all our weekend at the hospital and they kept asking us to go, I was set to go to Los Angeles tomorrow and I have all sorts of plans but I was researching on everything else I can do. All Win wanted was Malibu. I didn't know what to do there, but I promised Win to go watch the sunset there for him. 

"You have a girlfriend already? Did I missed that much?" Ton said when she placed her iPad down. 

"No I don't" I said and smiled at her. 

"Oh come on, you are following a list, you never follow a list when you travel." She said. 

"Not a GIRLfriend..." I told her hoping she'd get the hint when I emphasized on "girl".

She was confused for a while when it finally sink in... I smiled and she almost stood up in excitement. 

"YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND?!?!?!" She said. 

"Keep it down, I haven't told anyone yet... just you while you were sleeping and now that you're awake." I told her. 

"Not even your friends?" She asked. 

"It's been really tough lately and I kept taking spaces from people..." I said and scrolled through the places I could visit. 

"Oh... that's because of me..." She said. 

"Ton... none of this is your fault, we all have lives to live. What happened to you is never your fault, it was dad's. Don't blame yourself for this okay?" I told her and placed my phone down. 

We spent some time watching her favorite show until mom came and sent me home. 

"You enjoy your trip!! Make sure to get me something" Ton said and I smiled. 

I tried to contact Win, it would too early and I just hoped he was already awake and to my surprise he is. 

"Hey..." I said smiling at him. He looks tired though.

"Hey, you are going to LA tomorrow right?" He asked. 

"Yeah, have you slept already?" I asked. 

"A few hours, I need to study. I was taking more shifts, we had some stuff going on." He said and gave me a small smile. 

"You should take time resting, do you need something?" I asked. 

"I need you back... just kidding, I need you to be happy while you are there and not worry about me." He said and smiled again. 

"Oh Win, you're just human, what's the point of me being your boyfriend if I won't help you out?"  I told him and he just gave me a small smile. 

"Bright I gotta go, I need to really study this thing." He said lifting up his reading materials. 

"Okay, you study well and get some rest later okay?" I said. 

"Yeah, take videos and pictures for me." He said. 

I was supposed to respond but he already cut the call. He really is busy. I was hoping to introduce him to Ton virtually even with the struggles with the different time zones. 

I woke up early just in time for my alarm, Namtan wasn't though, I had to wake her up and drag her out of bed because she doesn't really wake up on alarms. There has to be somebody to pull her out of bed. 

"You better not run across me, I badly need a photographer, it's such a hassle bringing all these tripods and shutters." She said sipping on her coffee. 

"Trust me, I won't, if ever I do, I'd pretend I don't know you and I can run pretty fast." I said eating the last of my cereal. 

"You've gotta be kidding me, why do you have a list?" She asked. 

"My friends asked me to do all these, you know, it was a spur of the moment, and not all of my friends gets to be sent to the US." I told her. 

"Yeah, friends, or Win? What's up with you two?" She asked. 

"N-nothing... It's like... you find someone you vibe with? You know... therapy said it's good to find people that understands you." I said. 

"Oh, don't lie to me, you haven't been in that therapy, I haven't told mom but you have to go. Ton is alright... We are alright... I guess?" She told me. 

"We are far from alright, Mom is pushing the thought of dad away, I am a rebel... and probably the messed up depressed kid, you have been burying yourself with work... that is given by our father, funny, working for the person we despise. And Ton, physically she is... at the moment, but she's in a freakin' hospital on the other side of her home country. So yeah, we're not alright... and you can't make me go to that therapy, I will if I decide I need to." I tell her. 

She was quiet for a little while but then I sighed. 

"This day is an escape, we rarely get it, make the most out of it. It's a form of therapy, away from all the bullshit, we'd deal with all of it again tomorrow. Today, push those thoughts away, and focus on all the shopping and pictures that you will have." I told her. 

"You really should be the eldest child." She told me and we laughed at that thought. 

We got into the private jet and was transported to Los Angeles immediately. We said goodbye to each other and made deals we'd see each other at midnight to go back. I have pretty much a whole day, it was 8am when we landed so I decided to grab another breakfast. 

I will splurge on everything today. I will make the most out of the day so I pulled out my phone and started taking photos, the food, the restaurant, my self... 

"Hello, I don't know if I am recording... Hi Win! I'm at this diner... I went for another round of breakfast, I'm not gonna waste time and skip all these food, it's not there back home and I wish I could bring some for you... but maybe I'd pick some stuff up on Target for you, since you scroll through their page most of the time..."I laughed when I finished recording, it was funny. 

I never imagined myself to be like one of the vloggers that Win watches when he is stressed or something else.

After breakfast, I decided to check the time, it would be midnight in the Philippines, I tried to shoot my shots and called Win, it's okay if he didn't pick up, I can just record while I am here in front of hollywood. 

"Hey... you there already?" He asked. 

"Yeah... you're not yet sleeping?" I asked. 

"No, still studying..." He said lifting up some paperworks. 

"You've been studying a lot lately, are you sure you're alright? Are you failing or something?" I asked. 

"No, calm down, It's just really the bitchy professors, It's college, you know what it is, but I'd rather really be busy calling you like this while you go explore Hollywood." He said smiling. 

"Okay, let me screen record this so I tour you and also keep a record. I'd have to stitch everything for you, but I'll make it work..." I told him as I walked. 

"You're recording?" He asked and smirked at me. 

"Oh don't smirk at me, you literally told me you'd drop me if I don't, I couldn't deal with that right now." I told him. 

His smile dropped a little but I was busy walking so I didn't bother pointing that out to him. I went to several shops and several museums and such. It was about a good hour and a half when I decided it's time to drop the call. 

"Win, go get some rest. It's pretty late there, I got your list. I will get to as much as I can. You need to rest, promise me it's sleep time when we drop this call." I told him. 

"Yes I promise.... HI" He said and saw Chimon up as well.

"What is it with you both, go to sleep." I said and giggled when Chimon entered the frame. 

"Okay, bye... love you" Win said and mouthed the last words. 

I messaged Chimon and made sure they really slept after the call. There could be something going on or they could just really be great students for them staying up that late. I'll talk to him about it when I go back. 

I continued getting clips and buying all sort of stuff from the list of my friends... and of course, Win. I figured I could call Win when he wakes up, it'll be Sunday in the Philippines and he wouldn't have shifts or anything. 

It was a fun day, but not for my phone, I was killing the memory. I don't know how much I'd have left, but I just focused on making this day as memorable as I can. I was buying some film cameras on a shop when I saw my sister, oh she can't see me, I'm catching an express ride to go spend the evening at Malibu. 

I luckily escaped her, I know she saw me but I walked as quick as I can, I can't have her ruining my plans, I got into the express ride I booked and arrived at Malibu before the sunset. It should be around 10 in the morning in the Philippines already, Win should be awake... so I dialed him. 

"Hiii" He said when he picked up the phone. 

"Hello, oh don't talk, just enjoy this view with me." I said flipping the camera for him to see the beach and the sunset. 

"You made it to Malibu!" He said with the biggest smile on his face. 

"Yeah... It's the one thing I wanted to really accomplish for this vacation. I can't bring you physically but at least I could virtually." I said looking at the skies slowly turn into soft hues of pink, orange and red. 

"I miss you Bright..." Win said. 

"I miss you so much too, I wish I could always put you inside my pocket and just leave the shits we've been going through." I said. 

We were quiet for a while, I was looking at the screen, I know thoughts were running in his head, but I could also see how it all calms him down and just puts his mind at peace. Things are scary for the both of us, we just have to stick with each other. 

We talked for a little more before we said goodbye. I went to my dinner reservation and enjoyed the last few hours I have seating on the view deck with my earphones on. 

"Are you from here?" A stranger asked me as she sat beside me. 

"Oh, no, just here for vacation." I said and smiled. 

"Oh, hi, I'm Lexie, nice to meet you." She said and handed me her hand. 

"I know it's weird talking to strangers, but... I'm not from here either, well... I just moved here, and I intend no harm, I just wanna make friends." She said again and smiled. 

I took one earphones off and smiled at her. 

"Where are you from?" I asked. 

"Uhhmmm... I don't really wanna talk about that, bad... really bad memories." She said uneasily. 

"Oh, sorry about that..." I said. 

"Can I sit here, you seemed so at peace, I want to be at peace too." She said. 

"Of course." I said. 

We sat quietly watching the visible waves crashing into the shore. It was peaceful until I said goodbye to her. I need to go back to the meeting place Namtan and I set. 

I took a quick glance of Los Angeles before I finally decided it was time to say goodbye. I took all the bags and stuff I've bought and met my sister who also have a lot of things with her. 

"I lost control of buying." Namtan told me. 

"It's been a fun day, let's call it off, let's go back to Ton, we have a day left with her as well before we go back to hell." I told her as we fixed our stuff. 

We were asleep on the flight back, we did drained our energy at Los Angeles but an hour later, we landed back in Seattle. We settled everything in the apartment and tried fixing as much as we could. 

"It's weird that mom doesn't give us updates anymore ever since Ton woke up. She's really making the most out of the time she has making up for the time Ton is asleep." Namtan said scrolling through her phone. 

"Yeah... gotta get some rest though, we're bound to the hospital at 5am. We have to enjoy the whole day with Ton." I told Namtan.

We had a few hours of sleep, not gonna lie, I was actually getting more peaceful sleeps with the less time I actually sleep. Maybe, being away from where it all started is helping so much. 

"Bright... wake up..." Namtan woke me up... It was already 7am. 

"We slept through the alarms?" I asked her. 

"We did, come on, Ton has been messaging me already, she said we should come." She said. 

We got ready and immediately went to the hospital. 

"Hey, where is mom?" I asked when I noticed she wasn't there.

"She's at the cafeteria, what did you got me from LA?" She asked with the obvious urge to change the topic.

"Everything okay with mom?" Namtan asked when she saw that too. 

"W-well... promise me you won't get mad?" She said which got us concerned. 

"What's going on?" I asked. 

"Well, she's t-talking... to dad" Ton said which got me lost for a moment. 

"Please promise me we'll all talk it out, either they choose to get separated or what, the three of us are staying together." Ton told us. 

"Yeah, for your sake. I'm only gonna do this for you." Namtan said and they both looked at me. 

"I'm never leaving the both of you of course. Whatever you both want." I told them and faked a small smile. 

"Hello there, I'm gonna have to take Ton up for her scheduled therapy, you both can go check out what's in the cafeteria, and she'll back after an hour." Doctor Montgomery told us. 

Namtan and I were left in the room seating quietly. 

"Maybe we should go somewhere... you know... avoid it here..." Namtan said. 

"One way or another, whatever mom and dad comes up with, we have to face it, now or whenever" I told her. 

We remained quiet until mom and dad actually walked in. 

"Oh... where's Ton?" Mom asked. 

"They took her up to therapy." I told her not looking at my dad beside her. 

"We need to talk." Namtan said after the few minutes of deafening silence. 

They closed the doors and finally sat in front of us. 

"What are we gonna do with this family?" I asked. 

"Y-your father and I are talking about it..." Mom started. 

"First of all, let me say sorry----" Dad said. 

"As if it makes all the difference." I smirked at him. 

"I know you want me to go down, but I go down, you all will." Dad said and mom started crying. 

"How the fuck did that happen? What do we have to do with all of this" I asked him.

"We did errands for him... it was accounted to us... not him" Namtan said as she started crying as well. 

I was about to punch my father but mom stood in front of him. 

"Bright please." She said. 

"Make him leave. Right now." I told her. 

"Bright----" Mom said. 

"Just make him, or I will beat the hell out of him." I told her and wiped a tear that escaped my eyes. 

Dad said sorry again and left after that. I sighed and stood up but mom hugged me. 

"I want him gone as much as you do, but I'm figuring out a way to bring him down without dragging all of us. I despise him, I need you to help me, he threatened me that he'd give all our names and details if I file a divorce. He's not a father figure anymore, I just need you to stay with me, and far from him, so that we could figure out how to bring him down without us." She told me. 

I sighed and hugged her back. We were quiet until Ton came  and we all pretended to be okay.

"Mom I told them Dad came, did they meet?" Ton said, barely whispering the last few words. 

"We did. He had to go, he has stuff to deal with." I told her and distracted her with the stuff we got for her. 

We spent the whole day all about Ton. When it was finally time to say goodbye, I wanted to not go anymore but Ton assured me we'd call when we have time. Mom also made sure dad gets one last visit for Ton and she'll send him away. 

I got really busy and didn't notice the messages I got from Win, I tossed my phone away, I just couldn't today. I tried to distract myself packing, I turned the phone off in case our father will try to contact us, I don't want to see him again. Not until we find a way to bring him down. 

It was a long trip coming home and I took a day to myself to catch up with school works and practically pushed everyone away... 

until Win wasn't picking up his phone as well...

-------------------------------------------

Thanks for reading! <3