Morning is slowly approaching. I don't even know if I slept at all last night — my mind kept doing random scenarios I made up for tomorrow. I never had a chance to sleep without thinking of a scenario that I'm already successful in life.
I'm Solleil, and today is just another day for school. I wasn't ready, as usual. Everyone thinks I'm the smartest, but they don't know — I have flaws that no one can really see… not even me.
I was about to open my eyes when I heard my mother's voice echoing faintly through the stairs as she approached my room. As the dound of her footsteps is being closer, I really have no choice but to got up.
"Leil, it's already 4:56 in the morning. You should wake up, you'll be late," she called out.
Her voice — soft and calm — filled the quiet air. That's one of the things I really love about her, that gentle tone that feels like home and made me calm.
"Yes ma, I'm awake already" I said rubbing my eyes.
With a groggy sigh, I sat up, feeling the cool morning air brush against my skin. I decided to take a quick bath, I can feel the coldness of the morning so I let the warm water takes a way the cold I felt and replaced it with a hot feeling.
After getting dressed, I went downstairs to eat breakfast.
As I opened the kitchen door, a familiar aroma wrapped around me — the warm blend of buttery sweetness and toasty vanilla filled the air, it felt comforting and inviting. The sound of sizzling batter and the soft clinking of utensils made the house feel alive.
I smiled when I saw my dad at the stove, flipping pancakes as usual. Yeah, my mom doesn't really know how to cook — but at least she has a kind heart that makes up for everything.
"Solleil, you should eat now. You'll be late," my father said, glancing at me with those sincere, deep-set eyes.
I couldn't help but follow his words. He wasn't angry — he just looked that way naturally, though sometimes his seriousness still makes me nervous.
After eating the yummy pancakes, I decided to go as usual—I have a lot of things to do at school.
"Dad, I have to go. Thank you for the yummy pancakes!" I said with a cheerful grin. He looked at me for a moment and smiled — just a small one, but it meant everything.
I quickly grabbed my bag and headed out.
I hurried to school, the sound of my footsteps echoing softly against the pavement. My section was assigned to lead the flag ceremony today, and I didn't want to be late.
When I reached the campus, a mix of scents hit me all at once — the sharp smell of every perfume of different people, too nauseating.
The strong odor of different perfumes surrounded me — floral, musky, citrusy — blending into something almost dizzying. I wrinkled my nose. It was too much, too early in the morning.
Still, I smiled faintly. Another day. Another story to finish.
As I walked up the stage, a sudden scent approached me through the air — bright, juicy, and fruity — like freshly sliced peaches mixed with the sweetness of morning dew. It lingered for a moment, making me pause without even realizing it.
I blinked, trying to gather myself, and glanced around. That's when I saw her — a girl with long black wavy hair cascading down her shoulders. Her big, gentle eyes met mine, and she smiled — that soft, effortless kind of smile that could stop time. I froze there longer than I should have. I talked like nothing had happened
"Uh— we'll start in a few minutes. We invite everyone to go down to our gym and proceed to your respective places," I finally managed to say, my voice trembling slightly. My hands felt cold, and I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.
"Hey, what are you doing? You look nervous and you're a bit pale," Ezekiel whispered as he came closer, his brows furrowing over his narrow eyes. His tone carried that mix of teasing and concern only cousins could pull off.
"It's none of your business," I muttered, brushing him off as I walked back toward the mic, trying to steady my breathing.
Taking another deep breath, I spoke again — this time with more confidence.
"We'll begin our flag ceremony. We, from Grade 11 JAENA, are hoping that everyone is in their respective places. We will start with the prayer, to be led by Ms. Eunice Sanchez."
My voice echoed through the gym, clear and composed — or at least it sounded that way. As I looked out again, my eyes automatically searched for her, the girl from earlier. She was still there, standing quietly among the crowd, her expression calm yet unreadable.
The flag ceremony went smoothly. The sound of the national anthem filled the hall, blending with the soft shuffle of students adjusting their posture.
As it ended and I dismissed everyone back to their respective classrooms, I could feel the rising heat inside the gym — heavy, humid, almost suffocating. Sweat clung to my skin, and the scent of cologne and damp uniforms filled the space.
Students began to scatter, their footsteps echoing against the polished floor as they chatted and laughed their way out. I stood there for a moment, catching my breath, still thinking about that fruity scent — and the girl whose smile lingered in my mind longer than it should have.
Classes were already starting when I walked through the aisle. I could feel every gaze following me — every classroom I passed, every student's eyes seemed to follow after me. It was as if I carried something special they couldn't identify—not even me.
"They keep on looking at you. I wonder why," Ezekiel said suddenly, appearing behind me with a half-smirk and that lazy, curious look in his eyes.
I gasped, startled. "You scared me!" Then I smirked back. "Well, I get them. I'm too good not to be admired."
He rolled his eyes, but I could feel his amused glance on me as we continued walking.
Then, as I looked down at the building in front of us, I saw her again — the same woman from earlier. She was on the second floor, leaning slightly against the railing, her long black hair swaying gently in the morning breeze. Her eyes found mine, and that familiar smile curved on her lips — calm, confident, almost knowing.
I tried not to assume anything, but something about her gaze made me wonder. What did she want?
I decided to just ignore it and go inside our classrooms.
Time passed too smoothly after that. I didn't even notice the hours slipping by until the sound of the other sections goodbye to their teachers echoed through the hallway. The chatter of students filled the corridors, footsteps and laughter blending together as the day came to its end.
I grabbed my bag, ready to leave, when suddenly — that scent again.
Bright, juicy, and fruity — the same perfume from earlier. It wrapped around me like a soft breeze, sweet and overwhelming at once. My body froze for a moment. The scent was playful yet intoxicating, like ripe strawberries under the sun. The longer I stood there, the stronger it became — the sweetness almost made my head spin.
I didn't know what it was about that perfume, but it had a strange pull, as if it could make me fall for whoever wore it.
I walked as fast as I could, trying to escape the smell before it got to me again. But before I could, I bumped into someone.
The impact made me clear my mind.
It was a woman — tall, with long straight hair that shimmered slightly under the hallway lights. She had sharp, well-shaped eyebrows and small eyes. Her expression was fierce but not unfriendly — more like she was used to be bossy or something
"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, her tone edged with annoyance but softened by concern.
"Uhhh— I'm sorry, I'm actually in a hurry," I replied quickly, hoping she'd catch the shyness in my voice. My palms began to get moist and I tried not to meet her eyes too long.
"Marianne!"
Another voice called out from behind me — soft, familiar, and warm. The scent around me grew stronger again, wrapping me in that strawberry-sweet cloud. I turned, and there she was — the same woman from the flag ceremony, Zia.
Her presence seemed to quiet everything around us.
"Hey, what are you doing? Is there something wrong?" she asked, her voice calm and melodic, almost like a whisper carried by the wind.
"Nothing to worry about, Zia. She just bumped into me," Marianne said quickly.
Both of them looked at me. But Zia's gaze lingered — her eyes meeting mine directly, deep and searching, with a faint smile. There was something in her look I couldn't quite read or explain — something that made my chest tighten for reasons I didn't want to understand.
"I'm really sorry for bumping into you," I said, bowing slightly. "I was in a hurry and wasn't watching where I was going. I have to go now."
Before either of them could respond, I walked away — fast — needing to escape not just the smell of strawberries, but the strange feeling it left behind.
I walked out and saw my cousin — Ezekiel — waiting near the gate.
"What took you so long? Dad's waiting for us," he said, his tone impatient but casual, like he'd said it a hundred times before.
I didn't reply. I just kept walking toward the gate, It wasn't that I was scared to talk — I simply wasn't interested in whatever he was saying. Silence felt safer than small talk.