REFENCE OF PCITURES

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CUMBERLAND FALLS

SAN ANTONIO'S RIVER WALK

RAFAELA’S POV

I don’t really care. About the school, with dad, ending up here in this old town and staying with an old lady I never even met in my whole life. But I was the one who came here and searched for my mother’s mom. She immediately accepted— embraced me when I showed her a pic of me and mom.

 I ran away from my dad’s house. Everyone was awful back there. They were all full of .  Even Inigo, my step-brother. He’s indeed my dad’s son. I ing hate them. I’m so ed up because of them and for everything that my dad has done.

“Hell, yeah!” I yell in joy and lie carelessly on the green grass as I catch my breath. I’ve finally placed the last piece of this ing bench I’ve been working on this since yesterday but didn’t get to finish it when Bella called me over to their home just so I could meet her plants. Honestly, I used to think they’re . They waste our time taking care of them. Like, bruh, I’ve got a life, too. This ain’t about you. But, I thought why should I care? Bella loves them all. So, I just shrugged it away.

Anyways, I didn’t tell her about this place. I mean, she literally grew up here so she probably knows already about the falls. Honestly, it looks eerie because of the mist but whatever, the water sounds calming in the ears. But uh— I can’t dare to look down. Aside from having acrophobia, I’m also afraid of water. Back when I was a toddler, dad purposely drowned me at the beach in Jamaica. So, dad for that failed attempt. No matter how much I grow and how worse things will get, childhood with my mother was a terrifying horror. I don’t even know why I am still alive because for ’s sake, I’m not the one who needs to repent. May his soul rest in the kingdom of hell for selling out my—

I get up promptly as soon as I hear my phone ring. I looked at it, “👍” . It’s Bella, of course. She’s the only person who I ever gave my phone number to since we've been hanging out for weeks now. I just had that emoji as her name because it's kind of awkward, I guess? Bella means beautiful in Italian and I just don't want anything confusing for my Nonna.

“Sup.” I say, biting my inside cheeks.

“I'm gonna die!” Bella says in a loud voice. She sounded panicking but her words are what’s making me nervous at the moment.

“The you mean?” I reply vexedl