SZNS SERIES 1: Summer

by Maria Writes

  Finally, after waiting for a very long, agonizing, four hours, Jesse stepped out of the campus and went straight to his car. She let him drive first for a couple of seconds before she followed to make him not suspicious. Chloe is not familiar with the path they are taking, they head towards down town and it seemed that Jesse knows that she is being followed.

  So, to get out of that situation, Chloe made the most rational thing her made can think of and turned towards the drive-thru.

  She was forced to order something to eat, that's a good thing she guess since she'd been waiting in her car for four hours then drive without knowing her destination. Now, she has to figure out where Jesse is going. He's surely not going to his parents’ house nor to his father's office since she knows the way that place.

  Chloe is thinking of ways on how to follow Jesse when she realized that she has her phone connected to Jesse's, that means she can track his destination. She quickly took her phone and looked for his destination then drive over there. Still, she's not familiar to the place she's taking.

  The maps lead her to an abandoned warehouse and she's hearing commotions happening inside. It's creeping her out but when she saw his car park outside, she knows she'll be safe. She stepped out of her car and looked for the entrance. Chloe slowly opened the door and went inside. There were sounds heard from where she has standing.

  And what she saw next blows her mind. So, this is what he is up to lately, she can't help but feel pity of what Jesse is going through this past month. She and her friends has been having fun and relaxing while Jesse is here busying his self with whatever he's doing.

  "Jesse."

  Both of them were surprised of what happened next. She didn't expect what she was about to saw inside of that warehouse, good thing, Jesse was not mad and he understood why she did what she did. But when Chloe felt that he's uncomfortable with her presence, she left the place after giving him the extra food she bought on the drive thru earlier.

  Her drive was not that worth it but at least she now knows what Jesse is doing, and she can't help but pity him. If only she could do anything to help, but it was clear as crystal that Jesse doesn't need her help and will never ask for her help. He was very determined that he can do whatever he's doing on his own.

  With a heavy heart, Chloe was forced to leave the warehouse and swore not to tell a single soul about what Jesse is up to. Until Jesse is not finished with what he is doing, everything should stay between the two of them. No one should know, not their friends, not his family, and most certainly not their professors. No one.

  She drove her way back to the boarding house, thinking of anything to do just to help Jesse, of course without him knowing. It will surely lessen his worry and will make his job easier. That is her goal now, help Jesse in any way she can. She can do that. It'll be easy. Chloe will turn all her attention to him, and only him. If that is the only way to ease him of his burden.

  Chloe felt like a boulder was lifted from her heart now that she knows what's making him preoccupied these days. She parked her car on the school parking lot and made her way to the boarding house. The house is filled with lights so she knows that her friends are inside, having fun maybe.

  When she opened the door, all eyes were on her. She just smiled at them and head upstairs, to her room. She already had an idea that her friends will interrogate her about Jesse's whereabouts. It's better to stay out of their sight and say nothing than to lie, right. Just like what Jesse is doing.

  CHAPTER 27:

  Truth be Told

  Chloe is just a few weeks away from graduating. Her final examination was a torture but luckily, she surpassed it, as well as her friends. The career she wanted is just around the corner so she has nothing to worry about. Most of her friends who are graduating are already looking for a job. As for Jesse, he already accomplished what he needs to do and he's just waiting for the higher up's approval if he'll graduate. But surely, he will.

  She's on the way to her parents' house to get a few of her stuff and some papers. The job she's applying needs some of her documents that her mother is keeping. It's weird but at the same time nostalgic stepping in her childhood home. She'd been living here since her grade school years. Then she just moved out on her first day in college which was four years ago.

  Sometimes she'll visit but she never felt its peace unlike now because she's alone inside the gigantic abode of her parents. Chloe parked her car outside the house and went in. She didn't bother to have her car parked inside since she won't take long, she will just get everything she needs then she'll back to the boarding house.

  The house screams fortune from left and right. Her parents worked hard day and night just to give her a glamorous life when in fact she doesn't need it. But she just tried to suck it up. On her way up to her room, she can't help but laugh as she looks at the photos framed on the walls on the stairs. It's funny how her looks changes over the years but her parents seem like they'll be forever young. They never looked old. Or maybe they did when they were stress because she was being a pain in the ass which was a lot of years ago.

  Her room was near the stairs. She remembered asking her mother if she can have her room beside her parents' room because she is so afraid of the storm when she was little. But her mother told her to just be brave and everything will be okay. She can still remember everything that happened inside this house like it was just yesterday.

  Chloe walked towards her mother's office which was at the very last door on the end of the hallway. That is where all her files are kept, like her birth certificate and other papers she got from school since she started studying. She opened the door and was welcomed by tons of steel cabinets. She doesn't know where exactly her stuff was kept so she has to search it in all five cabinets.

  It was a hellish search, all of her mother's files were scattered on the floor as she looks for every document she needs. As she looks for her things, the doorbell rang signaling that someone is outside their house. Surely, it's not her parents since they could've just opened the door for themselves. Chloe went down the stairs to open the door for whoever is outside.

  She came face to face with a woman she's not familiar with. It looked like she's in her early fifties, probably the same age as her mother. The woman also has the same hair color as her mother and her, same eye color, but different face structure.

  "Hello, how may I help you?" she asked, she can be one of my mother's relative but she will not let her enter their house. Chloe is looking intently at the woman who is staring back at her. There is an emotion in her eyes that she cannot distinguish but she knows based on the woman's expression, she is surprised to see her.

  Finally, the woman finally blinked after minutes of staring at her and opened her mouth to speak. "My name is Mary, Mary Wilson. I'm looking for Leona King. I was informed that she lives. Can I talk to her?" The woman looked at her again, this time from head to toe. There is something in her that screams she's somehow related to her but she's afraid to believe that, maybe she's just bluffing.

  "My mother is not here, maybe you should go back some other time." Chloe was about to close the door but woman is so persistent. Mary blocked the door with her hand that forced her to open the door wider again. "You must be Celestia, her adopted daughter. I am Mary, your mother, biological mother. I gave you to Leona because you will not survive if you're with me. I am seeing photos of you everywhere in your school. I really wanted to see you and talk to you, and maybe spend some time but your mother said you don't want anything to do with me. But I came here hoping you'll change your mind when you see me."

  What is happening? She's confused of what she is hearing from her right now. She's adopted? Why is she hearing this now? Is her mother lying to her? Why is Mary saying that I don't want to see her when she doesn't have any idea that she exists in the first place.

  "I'm sorry, I don't know what you are talking about. I think it's best to come here next time when my mother is here. Or maybe you came to the wrong place. Yo
u should leave."

  "Okay, but here, have this. Maybe that can help you remember me, Celestia." Mary left without looking back. She finally shut the door not waiting for Mary to come back and say something. Chloe ran to her mother's office and continued her search for her stuff.

  Her talk with that Mary drained her. She doesn't know if she'll believe it or not. Maybe it's best to not believe it since Mary doesn't have any proof to support it. But she knows her mother's name. And she called her Celestia, only a few people know about that name of her. If she's not wrong, only her relatives, Caroline, and Jesse knows that her second name is Celestia.

  She opened the last cabinet in her mother's office and saw a binder with her name embossed on the spine. Chloe took it and opened the binder. All her files are inside of it, her school records, her birth certificate, more certificates that she got from her school and the competitions she joined, and an envelope at the end. She took everything and head down to the kitchen to eat.

  Chloe is sitting in the kitchen with all her stuff and waiting for her parents to arrive. She has a lot of things to ask, especially to her mother. After waiting for a few hours, she finally heard their car parked outside. When the door opened and saw her mother smiling happily, her blood instantly boiled. How dare she lie to her all these years? She could have just told her the truth, but instead she hides it and lie even more.

  "Hey Chloe, I didn't know you're still here. Have you found your papers? It's in the fifth cabinet at the very bottom." her mother said while putting out some foods from the paper bag she's carrying. She placed a ramen in front of her and some dumpling on the side. It's her favorite food but she doesn't have the heart to eat it after everything she discovered today.

  "Yeah, I found it, as well as some death certificate and an adoption paper. With my name on it. Is there something you want to explain? Mom?" she emphasized the word 'mom' for her 'mother' to understand what she wants to talk about. Chloe wants to know everything, the truth. She can't believe that she's been living her life full of lies.

  Her mother is gaping at her then at the binder on the table. Chloe thinks her mother already got her point. And to make things more interesting, she took out the envelope she found and took the papers inside. The first one is an adoption paper and the other is a death certificate, both with her names, but the death certificate was dated two years after her birthday.

  It is making her confused, surely she's adopted, that explains Mary's sudden visit earlier. But what about the death certificate? She's not dead, not yet, she's sure of that. But why does her mother have that paper?

  "I have a lot of questions, mother, it's endless. And it's messing with my head. Am I adopted? There was a lady who knocked on our door earlier, she said her name is Mary, she said she's my mother. But I didn't believe that because I know my mother's name is not Mary, it's Leona." She grabbed the adoption paper and showed it to her mother. "But then I found this, and I had this feeling that maybe Mary is telling the truth and you lied to her about me not wanting to see her. Do you know what I feel when I thought that Mary was lying but the truth is you've been lying to me the entire time."

  "Chloe, I didn't mean for you to found out everything this way, but we will talk about it, all of it. I didn't know Mary will be here. I swear, I have the plan to tell you everything but I am scared of what your reaction will be." Her mother went close to her and grabbed her hand. She can see tears are teasing her eyes but she decided to harden her heart. She'd have enough of her lies.

  "I had a baby before; her name is Chloe. But she died. That explains the death certificate you found, but that's not you. Then a few years after that, Mary came to me, she wants me to adopt you. She's suffering from a mental illness and she doesn't want you to suffer with her. Your mother was my high school friend, she got pregnant when we were in college, senior year, and she doesn't have anything to support you. So, your father and I agreed to take you and name you after our late child. Your mother doesn't want us to change your name so we decided to name you Chloe Celestia. Then after that, we helped your mother get into a mental facility."

  "What about my bio dad? Who's he? Is he still alive?" she needs to know if she still has her real family, and if she does, she's out of this house for good.

  Her mother shook her head "I have no idea who your father is, maybe ask Mary about that. But I think it was Robbie, he was her boyfriend when we were in high school, but I'm not sure if he's your father. Please don't be "

  "I'm not mad. I mean I thought I was mad, but I'm not. Maybe I can't just be mad at you, I owe everything to you and to dad. But I gotta leave, for good. And spend some time with my real mother."

  She already had enough. Chloe stood up and took all her things then head out of the house. She needs to find her mother, and if her mother number two is right about her hunch, she will find that Robbie next.

  Chloe sat inside her car and took the paper Mary gave her earlier. It was a picture of a young Mary carrying a child who looks like a three-year old toddler. It was a cute kid, and it kinda looked like her. But she cannot remember when the photo was taken since she was still little in the photo.

  There was a note attached on the photo, a phone number and an address. She ignored that phone number written and just drove to the address. It was a bit near in her campus. It didn't take her long to find the address. Chloe stopped in front of a small house with a red gate. She hopped off her car and walked toward the house.

  She knocked on the door and waited for it to open. it took a couple of seconds before it opened and she was welcomed by a smile plastered on Mary's name, her mother. Her real mother. She just notices know how her mother looks somehow like her. They both had the same hair color, same eyes, and honestly, same everything.

  And she just realized now why she's the only one in her family who has red hair. And why she never looked like her parents. It's because she is not really her child.

  "Hello, I'm here to talk to you about what you said earlier, mom." she took a step and hugged her mother. It's weird doing this, but she knows her mother needs this. All her life, she'd been in the arms of the woman who she thought gave her life, but that was a lie. Now, it's finally happening.

  Mary let go of her and stared at her for a while before dragging her to the house. It's very cozy. She loves the ambiance the house has. This is home, this is where she belongs, where her heart belongs. Chloe roam around the living room and saw a picture frame, it was Mary and she's carrying a kid who she thinks is baby Chloe, and beside them is a man who looked like the same age as Mary in the picture.

  He had the same eye color as her, but not the hair. His hair is black. This must be Robbie, her dad. Chloe's biological father. She turns around and saw Mary looking at her. She showed her the frame and walked closer to her.

  "Is this my father? My mom, Leona, she said something about a guy named Robbie, is this him?" She smiled at her hoping that she'll say something about her father.

  "Yes, this is Robbie, your father. But you will never gonna see him again because he died. Your father died when you were just little, car accident. I love him so much. I love the two of you so much, that is why I lose every bit of sanity I have when he died. I was so wrecked that time that I forgot about you, and I know in myself that if I stayed like that, both of us will not survive. When I heard the Leona lost her child, I thought it'll be a good idea if I give you to them. And it looks like I'm right, I mean look at you now. You look so beautiful, you're smart, you're so happy. And I am very grateful for that."

  Mary, no, her mom hugged her tight and she never let her go. Chloe cannot believe that her father is gone. But that will not stop her to make her mother happy, she's the only family she has and nothing can break them apart. Even her foster parents.

  She swears to every saints she knows that she will do everything to make her mother happy. And if that means she has to leave everything behind, she will. You need to sacrifice for your family, and this is her doing it.

  CHAPTER 28
:

  Get wasted

  She's just two days away from her graduation and she can't help but feel jittery. Finally, her college day will be over. After that, she will finally have the life she wants for herself. Now, the team is planning to hit the bar tonight to celebrate, pre-graduation special.

  Chloe is running around her room, choosing the right outfit to wear. A halter top on her closet caught her eyes so that is what she chose and paired it with a pants then she heads downstairs. Everyone is ready to party. All of them went outside the house and ride their respective cars.

  They had six cars in total and all of it are tailing one another. They were all hyped up to party that is why when the cars stopped in front of the bar, they all went inside to party.

  It's been a long time since they all partied, and the last time they did, tragedy happened. She went to the bar with Jesse and grabbed something to drink. It was so much fun spending time with her friends, but there is something missing. If only Caroline was here maybe it'll be more fun. But she just pushed out a big baby last week so she needs some rest. She was so proud of her friend to go through her pregnancy without everybody at school knowing. She was so good on hiding her bump until she exploded last week.