At Arcelo's residence...
"Go and change your clothes, so we can have the dinner", Jareed said with a blank expression on his face.
JA was so sure that her brother was mad at her.
She went upstairs and freshened up in the bathroom. Then, she went to the dining area.
"Darling, what happened? Jareed seemed so angry" Nanny asked.
She did not respond seeing that her brother is coming.
The whole place was so silent while the three of them were having their dinner.
"Boo?", she uttered.
"Finish eating, and we'll talk later", Jareed said in a rough voice, turning away his gaze.
This time, he is so serious. And JA knows her brother is really angry.
After they're done eating she went inside her room, preparing herself for something to happen coz she knew any moment from now, her brother will get inside, and she will get scolded.
After waiting for some time Jareed came in, looking at her with a hostile glare.
"How many times I've told you, Jannah Arianne not to do that again, because it would definitely harm you! You don't keep your promise! ", Jareed yelled at her.
"You would have called the school guard or anyone to look for the kid. The school has CCTV cameras, and it's working 24-hours!
JA lowered her gaze and remained silent.
"What if something bad happened to you. What if anyone in the school would find out that you have the ability to read minds, do you think, they would understand you?"
Tears formed in her eyes, until they rolled down in her cheeks.
"I'm sorry boo, I'm just worried about the kid. I was desperate at that time, thinking what might have happened to him. I forgot about the CCTV boo, all I wanted is to run and save the kid who was planning to jump from the rooftop", she started weeping.
"There's no question about how worried you were for that kid. I am not angry because you saved him. I am getting mad because you broke your promise again! ", he shouted so loudly with his eyes burning in anger.
"Boo, I'm very sorry"
"Jannah", he said trying to control himself.
"Jannah Arianne! Did you not remember the reason why we moved here in Manila? Tell me! And now, I'm reminding you why we are here because we wanted to forget all those painful memories in the province!", he shouted angrily with his voice a little quavered.
JA looked at him and his eyes were getting red.
Painful memories...painful memories...
She closed her eyes trying to bring back those old times.
************************
"Is Ryle living with us dad?", JA asked.
Her father shook his head.
"What happened to his stepfather dad?", she asked curiously.
Her father told her that after a thorough investigation, Ryle's stepfather was put in jail. But since Ryle was already an orphan, he would be living with his aunt (mother's side).
JA was glad upon knowing that justice was served for Ryle.
"Thank you so much, JA. Because of you, my stepfather was put in prison. If not, my life would have been miserable until now", Ryle said when they were having a picnic at the beach.
He used to go with them when they're having a family outing.
"Do you believe me then?", she asked.
"Yes, since the first time you read my mind when I was planning to bully my classmate before. And sorry for pushing you away, when you said you knew what I was planning to do that time."
She just smiled at him.
JA was happy to hear those words from him. She did not expect that aside from her family, there would be someone who would believe her without even thinking that she had gone crazy.
Since that time, JA and Ryle became the best of friends, sharing jokes, stories, and other things.
Until they entered Junior High School.
Ryle has good looks as he went through the ages of puberty, he became more handsome. He had semi-wavy brown hair, deep and expressive eyes where everyone could get lost when they stared long enough. He had a straight-edged nose that was attractive to look at, and he had that rare smile that made girls swoon over him.
Aside from that, he was an intelligent student in their class, and he always stood next to JA in ranking. He was the "darling of the crowd" for the girls, while JA was the most hated one.
And that's because she and Ryle were closed to each other, and Ryle had no time for anyone of them.
One day, when they were taking a Periodical Exam, one classmate of them shouted.
"Excuse me, teacher, JA is cheating. I saw this in her bag. I think she took it beforehand so she could study it. Look at this!"
That was the voice of Sophia, JA's classmate who was sitting at the back of her. The girl was holding up a teacher's copy of the test questionnaire.
Everybody turned around to see what happened.
"I did not do it, Sophia, you're wrong!" JA said with her voice quavering.
The class became noisy. And others accused her already.
"Cheater! Cheater!", the girls shouted.
"That's why you get highest scores because you are a cheater. You have stolen the teacher's test questionnaire!" said the other girl.
She was shocked in a moment because she couldn't believe that they're calling her a cheater.
"No, I am not!", she started to cry.
"Let me hold that paper", she said.
But Sophia did not give it to her instead to the teacher.
"Why would I give it to you? So that you can have the best excuses in the world, telling us that you did not do it, and someone has put the questionnaire in your bag because you read his mind?", the girl was so sarcastic upon uttering all those words.
"You are crazy Jannah, you may be intelligent, but you are crazy!", she added and burst into laughter.
Others were laughing too.
"Can read minds? Oh, that's totally insanity!", said the other girl.
"Class, quiet!", the teacher shouted.
JA was already sobbing when the teacher told her and Sophia to go to the principal's office.
Ryle approached her and held her hand.
"I believe you JA. I know you did not do it", Ryle comforted her and patted her back as he followed her way out of the classroom.
Ryle talked to the teacher and asked her to let him see the test paper. He promised to return it later when they are already inside the office.
"Um, ma'am, I think JA needs to drink water first", he said.
The teacher just nodded and headed first to the principal's office.
"JA, can you do now the mental telepathy? Try to hold this paper", Ryle said.
"Please don't cry okay?"
She did what Ryle had told her and found out that the one who put the test paper in her bag was Sophia.
"Is it Sophia?", he asked.
She just nodded.
"Now relax, I will go with you to the principal's office", Ryle said still holding her hand.
When they entered the office, Sophia and their teacher were already there sitting in front of the principal.
"And why you're here Ryle? Stay out of this.", Sophia said.
"I think I am needed here Sophia because I am the only witness that proves JA's innocence"
Sophia smirked and rolled her eyes.
The principal told them to take their seats.
Sophia began telling all the lies.
Then the principal asked her.
"Is this true JA?"
"No sir, I did not do it.", she said in a soft voice.
"Don't you know that once it's proven that you're really cheating, you will have a one-week class suspension?" uttered the principal.
"Excuse me sir", Ryle butted in.
"JA did not do it, Sophia was the one who put the test paper inside JA's bag. I saw her", Ryle explained.
Sophia was shocked upon hearing it.
"Sir, I am telling the truth. JA is intelligent and always the top-notcher in our class, so why would she cheat?" Ryle added.
The principal told the teacher to give JA another set of exams and to investigate if it was behind Sophia's doing.
JA took a sigh of relief as they went out of the principal's office.
"You're unbelievable Ryle!", Sophia said angrily as she headed her way going back to the classroom.
"Thank you so much for saving me Ryle. Thank you for believing me", she got teary-eyed as she said those words.
Ryle smiled and pinched her nose.
"You're always welcome JA, I'm always here for you", he said.
"But what If people will hate you as well, because you are my friend"
"I will not leave you JA, I'll not gonna leave you. Never.", he said emphasizing his words.
They were about to get inside the classroom when they heard a group of girls gossiping somewhere.
They were not their classmates but from other sections.
She paused for a while and listened to what they were talking.
"Do you know Jannah Arianne guys? from the Crack Section?", asked the girl.
"Is it true that she could read minds?', another girl asked.
Others were laughing.
Ryle held her hand.
"Don't mind them JA, let's get inside"
But she did not move, she continued listening to the girls' conversation.
"Of course not! Unless she has the mind of Aristotle and Einstein", said the other.
Or... (They said in chorus)
"She is crazy", everybody laughed.
"Oh my gosh...she is pretty but crazy.", another girl said.
'Well, she may be rich, intelligent, pretty but that would all be useless because she is crazy", said the other one.
Upon hearing all those words, tears welled up in her eyes, so she ran hurriedly, heading her way out of the school.
Ryle was following her, but she hid somewhere.
"JA, where are you?"
She did not answer.
Crazy...
Insane...
Cheater...
Pretty but crazy...
Useless...
Those words keep popping in her mind.
She couldn't suppress her emotions anymore.
She whimpered.
She wept until weeping becomes sobbing.
-End of flashback-
"Sweetie, sssh...please stop crying. I'm sorry." Jareed comforted her and caressed her back. He called Nanny to bring a glass of water.
"It's okay sweetie, everything will be alright"
Jareed was silently crying upon looking at his sister. He loves her so much and he doesn't want her to suffer anymore.
"Just forget those painful memories sweetie. I'll stay here with you until you fall asleep".