“Ma, how could you possibly allow a complete stranger into this house? I mean, you’re always complaining that your kids are already too much to handle, why would you add a sixth child to the mix?” Kim asked hopping onto the kitchen counter and taking a bite of an apple.

Her mother laughed, “Baby, he’s not a complete stranger; he was your best friend when you were younger. Always sitting by the riverside together drinking your little juice box. You were the cutest together. Don’t you remember?”

Kim made a face, “No.”

“Well, you were five then, but still, you guys were best friends.” Her mom repeated.

“Were, you keep saying were. And I’m 17 now, going onto 18 in a couple of months, and I’m a senior this year, I don’t have time to think of anyone else but myself.”

“And how is that different from now?” Her sister entered the room.

“You know Ate, I think we could be a lot closer without those remarks, don’t you think?”

Her sister rolled her eyes. “So when is Gerald coming anyways? I can’t wait see him all grown up. Even when he was younger, I knew he would grow up to be attractive. Those dark, mysterious eyes and his smile could light up a room. You should remember this, Nay and Tay already arranged your future marriage.”

“Ano?!” Kim yelled.

“Why do you think he’s coming?” Her sister smiled and left the room.

Kim turned to her mom and saw her smiling. “Are you serious?! Ma! What the hell is Ate talking about arranged marriage!?”

Her mother continued to laugh, “Calm down, Anak. She’s joking with you. Gerald’s university is just fifteen minutes away from our house, rather than three hours from his house. His mom and I were best friends. It’s the least I could do for all the things she’s done for me.”

“Couldn’t you just buy them a present?”

‘Baby, she’s done so much for me.”

“So buy them a really expensive present.” She said.

Her mom sighed. “Things that money cannot buy.”

Kim rolled her eyes, “Everything has a price.”

“To you.”

Kim left the kitchen and went up to her room. Her sister was there trying on some clothes. “Are you still stressing about this guy coming over? Who cares, he’s not even going to your high school, you won’t have to worry about your popularity slipping.”

“Ate, it’s not about my popularity, it’s about everything else. He’s staying in our house, using our food, using our shower. I already have 2 brothers; I don’t need another testosterone in this house.” Kim explained.

Her sister laughed, this was the sister she was closest with, only a year older; it was her best friend, her favourite person in the world. “So that’s what you’re worried about? Another person to deprive you of a mirror in this house?” She laughed. “Well, he’s not even staying in this house, he’s staying in the pool house. You’ll have all the mirrors here to yourself.”

Kim sighed, “Ate, do you know how selfish you make me feel? I’m not all vanity, and even if I was, I’m the product of my upbringing, so whose fault is that?”

“Okay, so what’s the problem? Are you afraid you’re going to fall in love with him and it’ll disrupt your ‘relationship’ with Jake?”

“My relationship with Jake is none of your business, but no, it won’t. We are a very stable couple thank you very much.”

“Well, Gerald’s coming tomorrow, and from the picture I saw, he grew up. And talking in experience, the only thing that a high school guy is threatened about is a college guy living with his girlfriend.” She looked in the mirror and walked out of the room.

The next day, the family left and Kim was home alone for a couple of hours. It was around 4 in the afternoon, and the doorbell rang. Kim reluctantly got up and opened the door. She didn’t recognize the face in front of her, but then it all came rushing back, the dark brown eyes, the clear complexion and the smile that DID light up the room. She had to agree with her sister, he did grow up, but she was not going to let his new changed looks change the way she felt about him.

She was angry for him entering her life. Her best friend had a foreign exchange student stay with her and her family and she said that the student took over everything. Her parents treated him like their own child, and forgot about their biological child.

Kim was the youngest girl, so she daddy’s little girl and as much didn’t want to admit publicly, she was a spoiled little girl. And she wasn’t about to let that go to a stranger, no matter how close they were years ago, they didn’t know each other now.