GUYS, I ADDED AND MADE SOME CHANGES IN THIS
CHAPTER)

The Tuan family were our family friend.

But I had one big problem—I was in love with Mark Tuan, the only child of the Tuan family. Oh, make that two problem. The second problem was that Mark knows. And sadly, it was unrequited.

All I ever wished for on my birthday was for Mark to please, PLEASE, like me back. I made sure to sound extra sweet and extra polite so maybe God would hear and answer all my prayers. I even blew the candles hard enough so my wish would blow quickly Up There. But nah, I guessed the roof was a big hindrance to my wishes. So, for the next birthday, I begged my mother to let me blow out my birthday cake outside so it’ll blow straight up. I would gather all my heart and mind as I intertwine my fingers together—pressing them to my chest in a praying manner and look up to the sky, wishing so hard,

“I wish for Mark Tuan to like me back, please, please.”

But damn, it never worked.

Mark was—as cliché as it sounded—he was our neighbor but to make a difference, his house wasn’t next to mine where we could see each other through our bedroom window. His house was behind us, my backyard and that stupid fence dividing us. But it was so much easier and unnoticeable to try and look over at his house. I thanked parents, for having a clotheslines at our backyard where the sun shines so bright. It was an opportunity for me whenever I were to do laundry. It was my favorite chores in the entire house chores history.

That was until dad got us a new all in one machine, both washer and dryer combined. He planned to make a garden where the clothesline were and I never cried so ha rd over a pole for clothes.

“Honey, why are you so upset over that rack?” My reply was the most shocking sobs I had ever let out in my entire 13 years of living as I glared at my dad, crazy, I know. I shocked my parents but there was no other way for me to explain why I was crying over that stupid rack.

As if.

“I think it’s puberty.” I heard my dad whisper to my mother. And I cried even harder.

In other words, goodbye to spying with reason.

Mothers knows best is definitely correct, after I ran up the stairs, my mother foll