Chapter 2 Adriana

January 4, 2018

The island of Mareta, a lone island thirty-four kilometers east of the coast of Tropia, where the city of San Juaquin is located. Adriana Velasquez packed her bags. She spent Christmas with her family in the small island. It is her father's hometown. Though her father had relocated to the city of Tropia, he still insist on spending important occasions such as christmas in the small island. According to him, one must never forget their root, no matter how high or far they have gone in life.

Adriana hated the idea of spending precious occasions in Mareta, she would rather spend it with her friends under the glittering city lights of San Juaquin. She can't find the pleasure and happiness in the small island that her father loves so much. The eerie stillness of the night and the few desolate roads around town, gives her the creeps. Her skin assaulted by numerous insects nearly pushed her to her limits. She often complained about it, but only got a good amount of scolding from her mother, who would often remind her, how she used to love the island.

Well, maybe she did, when she was a kid. But as she grew into a teen, she learned how to rid herself of the country bumpkin look and mentality. At the age of fifteen, she was so lucky to make it into Glamour high. A place that thought her how to use make-up and change her way of life. Her mother would often complain and remind her that beauty is only skin deep. But Adriana believes otherwise. Her mom lived in a time where its okay not to wear make-up or wear less expensive looking things. The world Adriana lives now is far from that. Physical appearance hold more value. It didn't matter to anyone if your smart. What matters is you look good. People will idolise you, love you, befriend you, and most importantly, be like you.

"Are you sure you don't want to spend a few more days here honey?" her mother asked.

Adriana scowled, "I would rather die than to waste another day in this wilderness." she retorted as she opened her phone.

She squealed when Kc's new tiktok post appeared on her screen. She brought the phone near her mom and moved the screen to her mother's face.

"Look at this mom, this is someone I want to be, isn't she perfect?" Adriana said while smiling brightly at her mother.

"She does look pretty honey, but I don't think it's advisable to wear too much paint on your face." her mother answered as she left Adrian's side and headed for the bedroom door.

"Make-up mom, that's what it's called. And it's art. Not everyone can do it." Adriana answered triumphantly.

"Well, the helicopter won't come until five in the afternoon. Its only nine in the morning, it's best if you leave that phone for a while and enjoy the scenery outside." her mother advised before leaving her room.

Adriana huffed and threw her phone on top of her bed. She stared at it a moment longer, then decided to put it in her pocket. We'll, if there is one benefit from staying in the small island, it would be the scenery. Not because she enjoys it, but because she can take photos that will be used in the school news paper. They used her photographs when editing pictures for the high ranking and glamorous teens of San Juaquin High, as means to lure more students into believing that their idols are often traveling to different places. It maybe deceitful, but who cares, as long as the kids at school and all those aspiring to attend the school remains in the dark, then it's okay. That is the motto Chantell, their school news editor lives by. She drilled those words inside Adriana's head when she first joined their club.

She wasn't always that happy about it though. She was furious when she first joined them and found out, how everything she thought she knew, was nothing but a lie. Chantell and the rest just laughed at her ignorance. They told her she was too naive and she will never survive their school.

Adriana proved them wrong. See, if there is one thing she was certain about herself. It is the fact that she is smart. She exelled in everything she did and by god she knew she will survive Glamour high. It only took her a year to learn the do's and dont's. Now at sixteen years old, Adriana is named, the best looking and smartest member of the news paper club.

You might ask why she joined San Juaquin high-school. The answer is simple, her name is Katherina Cecilla Sylvestre. Adriana idolised her so much, her perfection is something Adriana longed to achieve. She knew KC back in the day. They attended thesame primary and grade school. They weren't close, but they did have moments were Adriana felt a connection with her. Not in a romantic way but in a sisterly kind of affection. She is far from being a lesbian.

KC used to be as simple as her, despite being the daughter of a famous star. KC often wore simple jeans and shirts, but when she started to attend San Juaquin, she surprisingly changed her appearance and became an Internet sensation in a matter of months.

At first, Adriana only wanted to understand, then she fell in love with the way things worked at Glamour high. Her mother was appalled when she dyed her hair blond and started to wear make-up. But after a lot of arguments, her mother gave up, with only a warning about not losing herself while riding the tides. Adriana often wondered what her mother meant by that.

She left their small Inn and walked the side of a hill, something she hates to do. She once told her father it would be great if they could build an actual trecking road on it, but her father laughed and said "it's better to leave it as it is, the road moves with nature"

That's something Adriana can't figure out. What exactly did her father mean when he said move with nature?

She spent the entire day, walking along the side of the hill with her camera hanging perfectly around her neck. She was so absorbed by the numerous scenery that she managed to capture, her stomach failed to remind her of lunch, until the familiar sound of a helicopter flying above her brought her back to reality and her feet running towards the Inn. Finally she murmured, "I'm going back to the City."