1 Chapter 1: Luna

"Goodness! What should I do?" It is almost midnight. I haven't written a single word. Every night, I always find myself struggling to find the words to write. Maybe I need inspiration or just fell out of interest in the story. But this wasn't the case. My imagination will never die. I will never run out of words to say. It's just that I can't help but feel nostalgic whenever I think about the past. It feels like a part of me was taken back to that pain that took me years to get over. It wasn't an easy feat to admit that I have finally let go of those painful times. Before I realize it, my tears are rolling down my cheeks. I put my fingers over the keys and pressed random letters. The next thing I know, I am almost done. I finished the most painful part and got my heart shattered. I started asking myself, 'Is it worth it? as I wipe my tears away, letting the weight die down. I walk towards the balcony and look up at the moon.

"Do you know that Luna means "moon? "Luna is the moon goddess." A boy wearing gray trousers, a white long-sleeved jacket, and a gray vest spoke.

"Really?" I was pondering whether I should start using my new last name as it feels weird.

"Yes! You are so beautiful. You shine brighter at night like the moon. Your last name suits you." The boy smiled formally. He looks decent and well-behaved. He was taller than I am and had a pair of beautiful almond eyes. It's like he was comforting me. I haven't even asked him how he knew my surname. I feel safe around him. Also, I realized that our clothes matched. I am currently wearing a gray dress with a white blazer, which I have chosen from the store.

"Look! Our clothes matched! I exclaimed.

"Yeah. In the future, you will be my queen." He just smiled at me and pointed at the door. He's weird. It feels like he was telling me to go back. I walk towards the door and get back in my chair. When I realized I hadn't asked his name, I was about to run back to the balcony. But my sister stopped me and said we were leaving. I can only look back and wish that he was outside as well. But to my disappointment, he wasn't.

That was a night fourteen years ago. I was ten when I met my prince. With just a few words, he made it easier for me to adapt faster to the new family I will be living with. Sadly, I wasn't able to ask his name. It was the moon that allowed me to meet him. I am thankful to him. He was then my first crush.

After I graduated from elementary school, my adopted parents decided to move to Panglao. It is a beautiful island in Bohol, the Philippines. We woke up at three in the morning and left at four. It took half an hour to arrive at the port. We waited for an hour and a half before we entered the ferry. It took off at 6:15. Though it wasn't my first time riding a ferry boat, It was the hardest part. I am only twelve and am about to leave the life I have lived for ten years. They said it would take us two hours to reach Tubigon port in Bohol. But two hours is enough for me to suffer a psychological dilemma. I felt like I was on the verge of breaking down. I felt stuck.

As the island where I have grown up, where my family lives, and where I have spent my childhood slowly fades into the horizon, I feel my heart being pierced by a thousand knives. I can feel my throat drying out and my face heating up. With this unbearable feeling, I can only pull out a notebook that was given to me by my uncle. It was the last present he gave me on my tenth birthday. There is also a pen attached to its side. I lay down in my bunk and began writing a poem entitled "Home".

After writing, I felt relieved. I just knew I couldn't live without a pen and paper. We arrived at the port, and instead of feeling down, I feel somewhat energized. I will never live my life with regret. I feel excited and hungry for more adventures. It will take another two and a half hours to reach Panglao, so we decided to grab breakfast at McDonald's. I ordered 'Sausage and Egg McMuffin'. I grew up independent and was always pushed to make decisions for myself. As everyone was chatting while eating, I focused on my food as I was thinking of the possibilities of me getting into a private or public school. It is May, and in the next two weeks, school will start. Based on my research, the probability of me getting into a public high school is sixty percent, and there is a forty percent chance that I will be entering a private high school. But knowing my adopted mother's thrifty attitude and the number of schools present in Panglao, I am 90 percent sure I will be enrolling in a public high school. The other 10 percent will be credited to my adopted father's suggestion, which is more likely going to be turned down by my grandmother or my adopted mother.

The way to Panglao was breathtaking. I was surprised to see how clean their surroundings were, with lush greenery and cultivated fields. The scene was quite relaxing, and no matter how sleepy I am, I can't miss this scene. Growing up in a city with high pollution, with garbage and plastic almost on every side of the road, the change of scenery is pretty relaxing. On the way were lagoons, rice fields, bridges, and beautiful landscaping. The mountain cliffs were made safe and wrapped. There are trees with fiery-looking flowers on the side of the road and parts where trees make it seem like you are entering a man-made forest. But if you have ever been to Bohol, you know what the most eye-catching view you'll get to see is—it's the Churches!

I can't help but be awed by the beauty of this island. We stopped by a mall to buy some groceries. They call it ICM. It was way smaller than the malls in Cebu, but it was spacious. It gives me a very familiar vibe. I always enjoy being in a mall, and it's pretty much because there is Chowking, Jollibee, and KFC! Food is life! Kidding Aside, There is a National Bookstore. It was way smaller than Cebu, but it still feels like home.

After an hour of walking around reading books with my dad and my adopted father, I decided to buy a Sidney Sheldon book entitled 'If Tomorrow Comes', and Dad has chosen a Stephen King book entitled 'Under The Dome'. We also buy some puzzle books for Mom, some pens, a scientific calculator, a 3.0 version of a USB Flash Drive, rulers, and some stationery. Dad and I seem to share the same interest in novels. While Mom is quite manipulative and bossy, Dad is supportive of my interests. I like books more than games.

We headed to the restaurant where everyone, including Mom, was waiting for lunch. I am currently wearing black pants paired with a loose white shirt and a striped Jansport Backpack. My Mom hates my style, but she buys my clothes anyway. She would rather buy me clothes that I will surely wear than dresses, which I will surely just stock in the closet. I hate looking all girly. I don't even remember when it started. I would rather dress simply and remain unnoticed than stand out like my cousins do. As we were walking towards the restaurant, Dad saw a cap he liked in Penshoppe and decided to buy it. I was looking around and bumped into someone. He is a head taller than me.

"I'm sorry." I almost fell to the floor, but luckily he caught my waist on time. That got me in shock. When I gained my footing, I freed myself and pushed his hand away. I turned around and walked out of the store, feeling embarrassed. He chuckled. I didn't even look at him. I got out first and stood outside carrying some of the stuff we bought. Too much for my first time in this mall. The one thing I hate the most is catching attention. Being clumsy does bring me misery. When Dad went out, he was confused to see me looking really uncomfortable.

"Hey, young lady, What happened?" Dad said with a confused look on his face.

"Ahh, I... It's nothing, Daddy. Let's Go!"

We ate lunch and headed to Panglao. I have slept along the way. So I fail to see the view outside. When I woke up, we were already close to the house. The house is more spacious than our former house and looks more modern. When we arrived, Mom asked our helper, Mrs. Cruz, to bring our luggage into our respective rooms. She leads me to my room while carrying my luggage bag. The room that I will be using for six years

I am someone who has gotten used to living in different houses. So, I can adapt fast. I've been in this family for two years. So far, I have only hated my Mom's nieces and nephews for leeching onto her. When the night fell, the waves from the ocean and the breeze seemed to echo outside. I have learned that 300 meters from the house is a beach.

I went to the balcony to feel the wind and the surprisingly starry night. Such is my nighttime routine. I feel bad whenever I can't see the moon, but right now it's a full moon. I hurried back to my room, grabbed my iPad and my notebook, and wrote a poem entitled "Calling Out To The Moon."

I stayed on the balcony until nine in the evening and finally decided to sleep for the next hour.