CHAPTER 3: THE CRUVISE HOUSEHOLD

As soon as she walked towards the front gate of the school she saw an exhausted-looking Chase walk out of his class. His exhausted face turned to a fake happy face the instant he saw Celestina.

"Hey, Chasey! How was your school, bro?" Asked Celestina curiously.

"Um...yeah, it was uh...nice. Anyways, how was your day, little les?" However Chase tried to hide his exhaustion, he utterly failed. She was even more worried when he didn't say anything about the nickname she gave him, he just hated that nickname.

Celestina chuckled at what her brother called her. He always sees her as the 4-year-old Celestina with wild messy raven hair and rubbing her puffy red eyes after losing her fifth skittles packet in the same week and him comforting his little sister and saying he would buy her another one and also help her find her lost ones.

"It was awesome! I met these 2 new kids: Emily and Jayden, they were amazing. They asked me to be their friends and I said yes. Oh my gods! You won't believe me they were so happy and excited and I don't know why though." Said Celestina as she started jumping up and down while walking.

She could practically feel herself being that little kid who would be ecstatic when they got their favorite candy, but little did she know that her brother was thinking the same as her.

She heard Chase chuckle behind that's when she realized she was rambling and was a bit ahead of her brother. She smiled biting her tongue and closing her right eye as a practice she did when she realized something she did, whatever she tried she could not stop that practice. She turned, smirking.

"What is it, Chasey?" Said Celestina teasingly. Deep inside she wanted Chase to come up with a sassy retort or a stupid nickname for her or just pinpoint what she did right now but she was disappointed when he mumbled a small 'nothing'.

"Hey Chase," Celestina bumped her shoulder with Chase after catching up to him, "I love you. Tell me what happened"

Chase smiled ever so lightly. "I love you too les, it's just been an exhausting day." Replied Chase but Celestina was not satisfied with his answer. She stopped walking and turned towards her elder brother and hugged him, he was taken aback at first then relaxed and wrapped his arms around her knowing very well that she loved to give and take hugs when someone or herself was sad.

"Look, Chase whatever it is when you bottle up things in your heart, it would most likely remain there itself for lifelong and you will never be able to find a solution for it and when finally there is no more space for the things to be bottled up, it would be drastic." Advised Celestina.

"So, what you are trying to say is that I have to get better space to bottle up things?" Asked Chase with an innocent smirk in his face. Though Celestina was relieved that Chase got his humor back she was worried that he didn't get her point. She chuckled.

"No, Mr.Idiot! What I am telling is you Chase Cruvise," Celestina said poking Chase 's chest with her index finger "tell me, your beautiful little sister, the real reason behind your 'exhausting day'"

Chase sighed in defeat. "It's just that, when you grow up you feel overwhelmed with duties, responsibilities, and concern about your family and you work on how to solve any problems that arise and you would be engulfed in that and you become selfless. Besides, there were a few idiots in my class and I had to deal with them."

"Oh my gods, Chase. Are you alright? Do you want me to say this to mom? Did they hurt you? Do I need to break someone's bones?" Celestina bombarded Chase with her questions out of sheer concern.

"Jeez, Celestina calm down. No, you don't have to break anyone's bones, please the last time you did that I had to suffer a lot more than I suffered because of that bully. Besides, shouldn't I be the person asking you when you come saying you have this kind of problem?" Asked Chase

Celestina chuckled before answering "Oh, my brilliant brother for the first time in your life you squeezed your brain and asked a pretty worthless question. Now, to answer your question, it doesn't matter who is in which place it just matters how they handle the situation so, I can also ask and protect you"

Chase scoffed. "Hey little sis, do I have the honor of asking you from when you turned so sage-like and became this wise?"

"Yes dear brother, I have always been wise it's just that nobody noticed and no, I have not yet turned sage-like " replied Celestina

"Whatever." Said Chase dismissively. Celestina smirked knowing that she had won this argument.

*******

Just as Celestina entered her home she was greeted by a cute two-year toddler jumping into her arms. Celestina spun with her baby sister Charlotte still in her arms.

Both the girls were giggling as Celestina raised Charlotte in the air. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw her mother having a proud grin plastered on her face. Chase 's face had a similar grin.

When finally both the sisters calmed down and little Charlotte was back on her feet their mother walked towards her.

"How was your day, kids?" Asked Celestina 's mother.

"Oh my gods, mom, you don't know how much fun it was for me, I found 2 new best friends; Emily and Jayden and they are absolutely amazing, but the class was pretty boring and not-so-interesting Though, Chase 's day was-" "Just as nice as hers, mom." Said Chase glaring at her.

"Very good, kids. I am so happy you're enjoying your school." Said Celestina 's mom. "Now, go freshen up"

As Celestina was about to leave for her room, Chase grabbed her arm, stopping her. "You were literally about to tell her about what happened in school! You don't want her worried now, do you?" Asked Chase. Out of the corner of Celestina 's eyes, she saw her mother glancing at them skeptically, from the kitchen "Chase you know I would never do that. I mistakenly let that slip, though you cut me off before I did." Said Celestina, eager to drop the subject.

"But-" "No, Chase. I did not let that slip. Now everything is fine, yeah?"

Chase 's moment of silence was enough for Celestina to skip to her room.

She ran to her room. When she entered she was engulfed in the sweet scent of lily - the fragrance she loved the most - and threw her bag in the chair nearby her study table and fell in her bed looking at the ceiling and just savoring this peaceful moment.

After a minute or two, she went and freshened up and headed to the living room where she found Chase already there helping their mom. "Really, Chase? I come down here as fast as I can just to be here before you."

Chase shrugged. "That shows how you always get ready late and your super running skills," said Chase sarcastically.

Celestina rolled her eyes, slightly pouting. "That's false." she said. Chase merely hummed before answering: "Whatever sails your ship, sissy."

"I hate you, Chase."

"I love you too, Les."

"Shut up, you idiot."

Chase mock gasped placing a hand over heart as if the words Celestina spoke offended him.

"Me?" Asked Chase pointing his index finger at him. "Yes, you." Replied Celestina.

"Ok, kids. Enough of your arguments." Their mom intervened in their mini argument.

"Um...no, mom, this is not an argument, this is more like a...retort game?" Celestina 's statement ended more like a question.

Her mom laughed - truly without even a hint of fakeness in it - which made both her and her sibling crack a smile and look at each other as if they had won the world.

Once her mom regained her composure she said: "Whatever you two. You can go and do your homework or anything since today is your first day in school."

"Nah, mom, we got it. We can help you." Said Chase.

"No, not today. Go do your homework or play with Charlotte but do not come near me and disturb me." Said Celestina 's mom

Celestina fake gasped. "Mom! How can you!? Maybe Chase is a clumsy klutz, but me, your beautiful daughter, the most brilliant person is our family," Chase scoffed, she glared at him "however some stupid says otherwise that is the truth. Yeah, um...the most amazing daughter and sister...how can you, mom?" Celestina finished with a dramatic gasp.

Her mom laughed once again after her dramatic speech.

"However dramatically you speak with those gasps in between I am not allowing either of you to come down here until dinner. That's final" stated Celestina 's mom.

"But mom-" Celestina whined. "No means no. Now go." Her mother shooed them away. Both her and Chase sighed in defeat and went back to their rooms. But Celestina lightly enjoyed this free time rather than doing those tedious chores.

At times she did wonder why she was so eager in doing those chores when her mother didn't want her to do it and she found it tedious but that thought was easily replaced by her thinking: 'you're doing it because you want to help your mom'.

Celestina sat at her desk and opened her diary. She had this job of writing about what happened on that particular day of her life and she was more attached to this book than any other.

Dear diary,

Hola! Today was an awesome day, though at first, I was slightly anxious about how today's day was going to be but thankfully it was awesome. Where shall I start saying about my day? Ok, let me start with the nightmare: It looked like I was leading a battle - though I don't know whether I was leading the good or bad - and there was this one big army behind me with those green creatures - that was weird - with red eyes and different hair colors. The only fact that was good as I had a sword. Then in front of me was the army I was going to fight - I guessed it since that's how it was in the movies - it was having hideous monsters like vampires, lion-bull hybrids and hydras (if I am going to fight those things I need a lot of sleep, food and training. The sleeping and food part was good but the training...that's a no go). Gods, I could write a story on this. So, after waking up from that dream I went and got ready, to be honest, taming my hair took me more than half of my time to get ready. Then, I went to school walking. That was tedious. Now, the interesting part is when I met my new friends: Emily Lorus and Jayden Lume. They were particularly excited about this new blossom of friendship, which slightly scared me because my old school friends were so not happy about being friends with me, that friendship was out of pity and I loathed it. I genuinely liked them both like they were two different characters following the same road and I was happy that I am going on the same path as theirs. Emily 's eyes were mesmerizing and it had a special warmth like how mom 's blue eyes have. Then, Jayden, gods that kid, at first I thought he was the troublemaker then I realized that one is not just a troublemaker he is a klutz too - he and Chase will have a good rapport between them (I am wishing right now that neither Chase nor Jayden should never find this book, ever), he was tall and scrawny he pretty much looked like a stick. Do we consider this as backbiting or gossip? I don't know. Well, anyway I need to go now. So, let's talk tomorrow. Bye!

Oh and here is today 's quote:

'Dreams are not

what you see in your sleep

dreams are things

which do not let you sleep'

- Cristiano Ronaldo

Celestina has a habit of writing a quote at the end of her diary until she can write her quote.

She went back downstairs just in time for her mother to call her once more. "Hey, Charlotte!" She said as she picked up her little sister who stumbled towards her with her arms wide open and placed her on Celestina 's hips, and walked to the dining table to have a seat next to her brother.

After their peaceful dinner, Celestina went back to her bedroom and changed to her pajamas and laid on the bed in her back staring at the white ceiling and letting sleep take over her. And that was the first day in weeks she had a dream and not a nightmare.