I opened my eyes and noticed that it was night already. Worse is, it's raining cats and dogs outside. I stood up and checked if there was something to eat because I'm as hungry as a wolf after sleeping for so long.

“Mom? Dad? There was nothing to eat, the fridge was empty!” I shouted after seeing the fridge.

No one answered. I suddenly remembered that they went on a trip with their colleagues, and they still haven't come back. They didn't let me know when they would be back.

I intended to go out and buy something to eat. I brought an umbrella with me because it was raining non-stop.

“Oh, It's as cold as ice,” I whispered to myself when the strong wind touched my face as soon as I went outside.

“Welcome!” The part-time worker welcomed me when I opened the convenience store door.

I rushed to buy instant noodles and eggs, so I could eat immediately. As I approached the cashier, I suddenly stopped because I saw someone familiar, I think I had seen that face before.

“It's been a long time, Kristen Danielle Alvarez,” the guy said in a nostalgic tone. I was too stunned to speak.

“D-do I know you?” I asked the guy, confused.

“Ouch! How could you forget about me?” He answered jokingly but seemed hurt at the same time.

I stared at his face for a few seconds. Because of his sparkling green eyes and attractive eyebrows, I suddenly remembered him. He was my childhood friend who went to America.

“Oh! What?! You are…” I hesitated to continue, ashamed that I didn't recognize him immediately.

“Clyden Steven Lopez, your childhood friend,” he introduced himself with a smile.

We talked for a bit, and we agreed that we would meet tomorrow to hang out together again after such a long time.

The rain stopped pouring, soI was able to get back home easily. After eating and washing the dishes, I got worried about my parents because they still aren't back. I'm used to being alone these days because my parents are busy most of the time, but they make time for me as much as they can, and they always make sure that I'm fine and safe.

I have a brother, although he's not always at home, because he's currently staying at a dorm near his university. He's a law student.

“Ding Dong! Ding Dong!” rang the doorbell.

“Who is it? Mom and dad?” I asked excitedly, hoping it was mom and dad.

“No, it's me, your brother!” the person behind the door answered in a joyful tone.

“Wow! Bro? Welcome back, Dennis Haze. I'm surprised that you came to visit me,” I said happily, after opening the door for him.

“How are you, little sis?” he asked after closing the door while removing his mask and jacket.

“I'm okay, but I miss mom and dad,” I answered dramatically and pouted. “What about you?”

“I'm good, but I still have a lot to do at school. Mom had called earlier and asked me to accompany you tonight so you wouldn't be sad and lonely. They'll be back tomorrow,” he explained calmly.

“Let's watch a movie,” I quickly suggested. I picked up the TV remote control and chose the movie titled The Battle of Jangsari.

“I've seen this movie a hundred times,” he complained, then took the TV remote control from me to change what we were about to watch. “Let's watch a Filipino movie this time,” he said determinedly as he selected the movie titled Goyo: The Boy General.

Afterward, I didn't realize that I had fallen asleep.

“Ding Dong! Ding Dong!” I woke up to the sound of the doorbell. It's morning already!

“Mom! Dad! I missedyou both,” I welcomed them with a hug.

“We missed you too. Something happened when we were on the trip, so we couldn't go back immediately,” my mom said softly.

“Don't worry, we're here now,” my dad patted my head.

I was about to close the door, but I was shocked when I noticed that there was a girl behind them, holding a suitcase. She is taller than me, has short curly hair, and has big eyes. She looked like a foreigner.

“Kierra, come in. Don't be shy, think of it as your home,” my mom persuaded the girl to come inside our house.

“You're welcome here, Kierra,” my dad added.

“Thank you very much, aunt Sashal and uncle Leo,” said the girl shyly as she entered the house.

I didn't know how to react, so I just stood there. Negative thoughts entered my mind. Therefore, I didn't try to talk to the girl. I just frowned and quickly walked away.

“Read between the lines, dear,” my mom whispered to me as I passed her.

“Kristen, come here. I have something to tell you,” I followed my dad into his room.

“She'll stay here for the meantime. Something bad happened to her family and she needs a place to stay. You better treat her well. I hope you'll be friends with her,” my dad warned me.

“Okay, I understand,” I answered, still confused and trying to make sense of the situation.

“Little sis, join me to buy food at the supermarket,” my brother commanded from the other room. “Hurry up! I will wait for you outside.”

I dressed properly, then wore a scarf because it's cold outside.

“Finally, you're here. I've been waiting forever!” My brother said, irritated. He looked haggard now but still managed to look handsome.

“Clyden! Have a nice day!” he shouted and waved as we saw Clyden from afar, down theroad.

He just smiled at us and waved back while holding a garbage bin in his left hand, then he continued walking towards the convenience store where he worked. It seems like he has a lot on his plate. I admired him for his hard work.

“You recognized him?” I curiously asked my brother while walking beside him. “Of course, he's my schoolmate and our childhood friend,” he smiled.

“Is that so?! I'm surprised that you two are schoolmates! But I almost forgot that he was also your childhood friend,” I said with a tone of laughter. “Actually, we agreed to hang out together today.”

“Just invite him to have lunch with us today at our house. I will invite my other three friends as well,” he suggested.

“Sure, I will invite my friends too,” I said, feeling content.

After we finished shopping, we went to see Clyden at the convenience store to ask him to have lunch at our house later, then we left to go home.

“Meow meow,” a cat sounded.

On our way home, I saw a cute little cat stuck in a small box. The poor animal was struggling to get out so my brother and I helped it. Then we decided to take it home.

“Mom, can you please allow us to raise a cat inside the house?” I asked desperately.

“It's okay, just make sure to take care of it properly,” my mom answered. I happily jumped out, and then named the cat Elliot.

“Mom, dad, we want to have a get-together here with our friends later at lunchtime. Is it okay for both of you?” My brother asked for their favor.

“Of course, that's great,” they happily agreed. “Thank you!” my brother gratefully said.

I texted my friends delightfully to invite them over for lunch, and they agreed right away. “How many friends will you bring?”My mom excitedly asked while preparing the food.

“We will invite our childhood friend Clyden, 3 friends of mine, and 3 friends of my brother, so a total of 7 visitors,” I replied, and then helped her prepare Filipino dishes.

“I thought Clyden was in America,” my mom asked.

“He just arrived here in the Philippines a few days ago,” I answered.

My brother and dad were busy decorating our house, so it will look presentable later.

I suddenly remembered the girl that my parents had brought earlier. I felt guilty, so I wanted to apologize to her and welcome her.

“Hi, I'm Kristen Danielle, and you?” I initiated the talk. “Hello, I'm Kierra Celestine,” she answered nervously.

“Your name is beautiful, just like you! I'm sorry for my rudeness earlier. I didn't even talk to you nor welcomed you here,” I apologized.

“Don't worry; it's just a small thing. It’s nice to meet you. Let's be friends from now on,” she said confidently and offered a handshake.

“Thank you! It’s nice to meet you too. It's a great opportunity to be your friend,” I thanked her and shook her hand.

“My friends will be here soon, let's be ready,” I invited her.

“Little sis, your friends are here now. Let's go!” My brother said in a hurry.

“These are my friends Sebastian Vince Marquez, Skye Seandrei Moralez, and Kalix Nathan Martirez,” my brother introduced his friends.

“Thank you for inviting us,” Kalix said in a soft voice.

I think I saw Kalix with my brother before, but the other two are unfamiliar to me. They are all good-looking, though.

“Do you know her?” My brother abruptly asked his friend Clyden because he kept staring at my friend Maureen.

“Yeah, I've known her for a long time now,” Clyden answered, not taking his eyes off Maureen. “What a small world!” I said surprised.

I noticed that therewas something between him and Maureen. I guess I'm happy for them. Clyden has matured and grown up so well. I'm proud of him.

“These are Maureen Sam Ramirez, Natasha Kierleigh Sanchez, and Avery Lianna Juarez. They are always there for me whenever I need help, and I treat them as family. They are my homies, my happiness, and my comfort,” I nicely introduced them.

“Here's the spaghetti for you, your favorite,” Natasha brought it for me. She really remembered my favorite food. How thoughtful of her.

“Here's a souvenir for you, it's from Baguio City.” Avery gave me a gift. She gives us souvenirs whenever she has the chance to travel. How nice of her.

“And a chocolate for you,” Maureen added cheerfully. She always gives me chocolates whenever we meet. How sweet of her.

“Thank you guys so much, you mean the world to me,” I hugged and kissed them all on the cheek. I'm very glad to have them in my life.

“Meow meow,” the cat joined us.

“Elliot, come here!” The cat marched towards me, then I gave it something to eat and caressed its paws.

We started eating, and moments later, I was full.

“Tell me what your favorite food is. I'll cook it for you tomorrow,” Kierra suddenly offered.

“Really? I have many favorite foods. As long as they are delicious, they will be my favorites,” I answered truthfully.

“I love all the food here. I feel very welcome now. It almost feels like it's a welcome party for me,” Kierra whispered, which made me giggle.

“Thank you for the food,” Natasha gratefully said. “It was so yummy!” Avery exclaimed.

“I really enjoyed it,” I said, pleased.

“You all ate very well,” brother Dennis simply commended.

After eating, the men arrange the chairs, sweep the floor, and throw the pieces of trash away, while the women clean the tableand wash the dishes. Afterward, we rested for a while and took a picture together.

“I had a great time, thanks to all of you!” Clyden said energetically. “I hope to see you again soon,” Maureen said, hopefully.

“See you when I see you,” Skye said charmingly. “See you later, guys,” Kalix said casually.

“Wait, I brought my wheels. How many heads want to join me?” Sebastian asked, after remembering his car parked outside.

We all agreed to join Sebastian, and we planned to go to the amusement park.

I learned a lot while spending time with them. In just one day, we became friends and continued to achieve our dreams together.