Fly High To Survive

"I would like to thank everyone who attends this event tonight. I am not here in front of you without all of your works and efforts. I was with you when I built this company. You made me what I am right now. I dedicated this company to all of you. Thank you very much, and let's work hard to achieve our goals!"

Everyone stood up and applauded after I said my speech. I smiled sweetly in front of the cameras before I went down off the stage and went back to my seat. Some of the business persons came to congratulate me. I thanked them and accompanied them a little. I felt so happy today. All of my dreams came true! Right now, I am already a successful businesswoman.

"I envy you for being so workaholic. I mean, you became a flight attendant for three executive years and now you already have your own business. How is that even possible?" I laughed at one of the businesswomen that talked to me.

"Well, it's just a strategy in life. I just set my goals and achieved what I want."

What I said is true. I was just dreaming then and I just fulfilled the dreams I wanted. It's because I am determined to be successful for myself and also I want to prove to everyone that I can be on the top.

"Miss Deveas! Congratulations on your new achievement! You look more stunning." I smiled again, but this time it was another businessman that talked to me. "Thank you, Mr. Marky. I hope you're enjoying the dinner?"

"Yes, of course!"

I excused myself to go to my friends' table. Some were my business partners and some already have their own professional jobs.

"I can't believe that you are already on top, Joy! I mean, who would have thought that the war freak Joy during high school and college would be successful like this, right?" Brielle said proudly. I sat on the sofa and grabbed a bottle of wine. "Heck year, But I believed in her, I know that she achieved all of her dreams," Sheryll added. I drank my wine first before talking.

"Guys, it's just me," I bragged. We laughed because of that. How I missed the good old days wherein we always chill and have bonding. We still can do it now but it's not just like before.

"So now, what is your next goal girl?" Trisha asked. I think first before answering her question, "Hmm, I am planning to have branches in different places."

Since this building was my first ever branch, I am aiming to have more branches all over the country. I have my own hotel with a bar and restaurant. It's a restaurant from 8am to 9pm then 10pm until midnight is a bar. The restaurant was located on the first floor while the bar is located on the second floor of the building. My bar is very spacious and the designs are really admiring. I spent millions to build this. The third floor is a gym then fourth floor to eighth floor are rooms of the hotel.

"How about a boyfriend? Don't tell us that you still haven't thought about that. Girl, you're already 28 years old! Maybe you thought you were still young?" Jane teased so I rolled my eyes at her.

"I'm still so lazy to flirt." They laughed to my answer, "Because of that, you will grow old as single, stupid!"

I just ignored them since they won't stop teasing me if I will continue to talk to them. The opening of my business will be tomorrow and tonight is the opening party. I went to the restaurant to check if everything was ready for our first day tomorrow.

I asked the head chef if the menu was already set and he said that everything was ready. Next is the bar, I checked if all the liquors are completed and they said yes.

"How about the bartenders?" I asked, while looking around the place.

"Ah, yes Ma'am Joy, I already hired two bartenders." The manager answered, her name is Jezreel.

"What are their names?"

"Caleb Gonzales and Prince Alejandro, Ma'am Joy."

My eyes immediately widened when I heard the names that Jezreel mentioned. "What the fuck? Did I head you wrong? What is the first name again?" I am still shocked, I hope she said it wrong.

"Caleb Gonzales and--"

I cut her off. I rubbed my forehead. Is he joking with me? Why would he apply to my own bar? "Did you interview them?" I asked again. Jezreel was already confused about my reaction.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Has no one else applied as a bartender?"

"There are many who applied to this position, Ma'am. But they are the only two who have a good background and are qualified for this job. The others were--" I immediately stopped her from speaking, "Okay fine. Thank you." I left the place after that.

Why am I even worrying? Maybe he doesn't have any job to work with that's why he applied to my bar. Also, I don't always come at my bar so there's no chance we would meet. Ugh! The audacity to work in my own bar after what happened years ago. Is there nothing left to him?

"I heard my phone ringing and saw that Mr. Jaa was calling me. I immediately answered the call, "Hello?"

["I'll see you tomorrow at your bar in the afternoon.']

"Okay! Thank you."

I am so excited that finally, I will be able to meet him in person. It's been years and yet I still don't know who he is in person and what is the reason why he's always helping me throughout the years that passed. Thankfully, he agreed to meet me in person.

After the event, I went straight to my condo. I saw my two sisters there. Next to me is already 24 years old and still taking up a medical course while the youngest is still in high school, 16 years old. "Did you guys already eat?" I asked.

"Not yet, Kate doesn't want to cook our food!" Tin complaint, she is my youngest sister. I rolled my eyes, "How about you? You're already in tenth grade and yet you still don't know how to cook?" I glared at her.

She stopped watching on Netflix and went to the kitchen, "I am always wrong here," she rants.

"Maybe Kate was busy in her reviews. You don't have anything to do so you should be the one cooking your food."

Dixie got out from her room, "Oh? The event was already done? How was it?" she asked. I sat on the sofa and removed my heels, "It went good."

"So are we already rich? As in super rich? When are you going to buy me a car?" Tin asked so I stared at her, "I will buy Kate a car first and you will get your when you turned 18," I answered. She just pouted her lips and continued cooking.

Kate sat beside me, looking so serious. "What is it?" I asked. She sighed before answering me, "Daddy sent us again a letter."

"What does it say?"

"I haven't opened it yet. Read it first and it has money inside the envelope." I laughed because of that. Maybe they still wasn't aware that we don't need their money anymore. We are already richer than them.

"I'll handle it. I will give back their money and I will probably add more to it. I think they need money more than us." I said before going to my room. Memories came back to my mind. They tortured me by hurting me physically and emotionally when I was in their hands. I am still thinking on how I survived and did things because I was desperate.

What exactly is a parent's duty? Will they hurt you because they discipline you and love you? Are they hurting you because you are wrong? Or are you hurting because they are always tired and you all turn to you? Everything that happened to me since college, I overcame through it. I did my best to change myself. To change for the better. And here I am now, successful with my life. I don't need any help. I can be successful on my own.

I don't need money from my parents. I want their love for me. But it's too late.... they are too late to give love and affection to their daughter. I've already survived my life.

I was so desperate that I even prayed for a miracle to happen in my life. Who would have thought that a time machine really exists in this world? I managed to go back to the past but it didn't change anything, my life became worse because of my own decisions. But I stayed and face the challenges that I need to overcome and right now, I am not regretting my decisions anymore. Because it led me to where I am right now. I am already successful enough to handle my own life. And I must say that I've learned my lesson and every page of my life is worth it and meaningful.

"Mom! Did you saw my eyeglasses?!" I shouted from my room, "Oh, never mind! I already found it!" I shouted again when I found my eyeglasses and putted it in my eyes. I was so irritated because I have poor eyesight. My eyes has 400 degrees and the astigmatism was also high. I am ready to go to school, I am a grade twelve senior high school, at last!

"When is your first class?" Mom asked. I have the same school as Kate and Tin, which are my sisters. Kate was already grade eight in high school while Tin is kinder.

"Eight am," I answered.

"It's already seven:thirty am, you still need to face the traffic. You're too slow to move." "It's okay to be late, Mom. It's just our first day of school and I am an old student."

I opened my cellphone and saw in our group chat that Gia, Jane and Shaicy was already in the room. They are my friends since first year high school. I finished my food immediately, "Where's my pocket money, Mom?" I lend my hand and waited for her to give my money.

"Oh." Mom gave me my money and I immediately ran to her. She gave me fifty dollars only! "Mom, this is not right. I will go to school using a public transportation and this wasn't enough to cover my lunch and snacks in school--" Mom cut me off.

"Do you think it was easy to earn money, Joy?! Leave the house now!" I just sighed and wore my shoes before leaving the house. I was late for five minutes in our first class but Lei said that our teacher still wasn't in our room.

Our school is not that big but I am studying here since elementary, same with my two sisters. I went inside the classroom and I saw some familiar faces to me and only two students are new. I sat beside Jane. My other classmates was just talking to each other until our teacher entered the room. She's also a college professor in our school.

"Good morning everyone, I am Miss Medrana," she greeted us. We stood up and greeted her back like a high school students. "Good Mornnniiiing, Ma'am Medrana."

"You guys don't act like a grade twelve student. Again, good morning everyone." We greeted her again and this time, it was more proper. Time flew so fast and it was already our lunch break. Our classroom was located in the fourth floor and we were so lazy to go down in the cafeteria.

"What? Are we going to eat or not?" I asked my friends. "Of course, let's go! Think about seeing your crush to cheer you up," Jane answered.

"Stupid, find a crush first to cheer you up," I teased and then we got out of our classroom. I thought that my friends were just joking, but they really did a boy hunting in the high school department.

"You know what guys, students from STEM are so handsome!" Gia said, sounding so excited. "STEM? Grade eleven or grade twelve?" I asked. Among the four of us, I am the one who really always attracted by younger than us. Well, I find them attractive but I still don't have a boyfriend since birth.

"Grade twelve, sis! Gosh, I saw them earlier when we passed by on their classroom."

"You're so selfish, you didn't inform us about it! We would have seen them too, tss," Shaicy sadly said.

"I hope all has a crush," Jane told us, she already have a boyfriend.

"Look at her, bragging again about having a boyfriend." Her boyfriend is Paul and he was also our friend and classmate since grade eight. We looked for a table that was available after buying foods. We even looked around to find someone handsome.

"Oh there! He looked like in his grade ten." We looked at what Shaicy pointed out and then there we saw a guy with a pointed nose and has fair skin.

"I'll follow him later on twitter," I said. I also made friends who were lower years with me because of twitter. I'm also pretty famous here at school. Not because I look good, but because I have a lot of fights. I always got involved. I am fighting especially if I know I am the right one. But it's not really a physical fight.

"You have a cute friend Joy, right? The one with a twin brother in tenth grade." I looked to Gia when she asked me about that. "Oh yeah, Rhobe and Rhome? Who's your type between the two?" We often hang out especially on our house, without my parents knowing it.

"Is Rhome already have a girlfriend?"

"Find another one, Rhome is a fuck boy," she rolled her eyes when I said that, "Duh! That's more hot!" I glared at her but then she just laughed at me. She talks like she already have experience in that kind of topic. While me, I haven't had my first kiss yet. A guy approached me and when I saw him, it's Rajay.

"Joy, let's hang out tomorrow in your house. Surs set it up," he said. I nodded, "Sure, just chat me in our group chat later. I will inform you if mom and dad won't be in our house."

We always drink at home. We have a bar in town and then our house is in the subdivision. Mom and dad is always sleeping in our bar and my mom only going home at about six in the evening and also left immediately after two hours. They are with Pia at the bar because they are the ones taking care of when Pia enters the school since she's just going to school for half-day.

"Stupid, it's Ney's birthday tomorrow," Jane said. "Oh shit, I almost forgot about it. What's the plan?"

"I think we will have a drink near our school," she answered. After eating our lunch, we went back to our room because the next teacher will be there shortly.

**

The next day, the class in the afternoon has been suspended because the teachers had a meeting. It was in favor for us because we will celebrate Ney's birthday early.

"Come on, I'm so excited!" I shouted.

"Let's spend Ney's money until there is nothing left." We went to the Loft, which is the bar's name near our school, and it was fine if we are wearing our school uniform.

"What should we drink today?" Ney asked. I looked at the menu, "Let's try this Black label with lemon," I suggested. They agreed to me then Ney also ordered nachos and fries. When the orders were served to us. I immediately pour my glass with the liquor.

We only use one shot glass and cheers are round. My alcohol tolerance was low but I was able to be sober before going home. We are having fun and the music is so loud here. Around five in the afternoon, we already had five towers of black label with a lemon. I opened my phone and saw that Jay and others are chatting in our group chat.

Rajay: Joy was still drinking in The Loft.

Rhobe: What time do we have to drink in their house?

Aira: I am not sure. Me and Jaycee are together now and we'll go to Joy's house together.

Carl: Are the drinks free tonight?

Joy: Rajay will buy alcohols later.

Rajay: Deal, I will buy two whisky later, you take care of the foods.

It was already six in the evening and we decided to stop drinking. Jane and the others are already drunk. I am just a bit tipsy because I used the secret technique in drinking. Since I was the one delivering their shot on them, they didn't notice that I cheated on them.

"I think Joy cheated on us! Look at her, she's not even drunk!" Shaicy pointed on me.

"Come on, no one will help you if you guys fall to sleep so even if I'm also drunk, I am maintaining my balance," I said, lying.

"You have the same way home, right? Take care of her," I said to Ney. He just nodded and I called a taxi for them.

"I'll take care of her."

"Thank you and happy birthday again, Ney! I hope you enjoyed your day with us."

When they already gone in my sight, I massaged my head. Shit, I hope I don't vomit. When I got home, I greeted my mom and showered so that I would not smell like alcohol. I'm feeling a little bit dizzy from drinking too much. My alcohol tolerance sucks! When I was done showering, I laid to the sofa and scroll on my phone. Then Mom started to get mad at me again. It has always been like this.

"What now? When you got home from school, you won't do anything and just lay there and hold your phone all night?!" Mom shouted from the outside. She was doing the laundry and waiting to be done in the washing machine.

"I'm already done showering. I was home for about thirty minutes now, Mom," I answered back.

"Hang the clothes here!" she shouted again.

"Yes, I will go there when you're already finish the laundry."

"You're so lazy!"

She's always pick a fight between us whenever she's tired. "Mom, you're not done yet, are you? You'd better finish it first before I hang our clothes outside," I told her.

"You're really rude and too lazy to move your body here in our house!" she shouted. It's embarrassing for the neighbors because they heard my Mom swearing at me again. Our quarrel did not end even though I was already hanging the clothes outside, she was still saying a lot about me. To my annoyance, I shouted too.

"What now?! I'm already doing what you told me earlier, what else are you complaining about?!" She angrily approached me and me on the thigh with a hanger. I immediately complained of pain.

"You can't even respect me huh!"

"You're always like that when you're tired! You always pile your anger on me!" I couldn't hold my emotions anymore because of what she did. And because of my answer, she got even angrier and hit me with the hanger until she broke it. My like has been always like this. Since I was a child, this is how I have experienced it. I am already immune to her abusing my body.

Joy: Let's go now to my house, Mom already left.

Rajay: I'm on my way with Rafael now.

Joy: How about the others?

Aira: Me and Jaycee are also on our way now. Carl together with Rhobe and others will go later.

Joy: Okay, take care. Just enter the house when you arrive. Rajay buy alcohol first before going here.

Rafael: Angelo is with us, he said he would buy foods because he wouldn't drink.

Joy: Nice one!

I got thrilled to know that Angelo will be here later! He is my boy best friend. He has never really drink alcohol because he preferred to drink coffee. I just fixed the house before they get here. Kate was just staying in her bedroom. Our house is not that big though, just a typical house in a subdivision. There are two bedrooms upstairs, then a terrace, one comfort room downstairs next to the living room and dining area, then our kitchen was outside then a gate. Kate also did not know what our mom did to me earlier. It was ten in the evening when mom left the house.

I just played mobile legends on our terrace to ease my boredom and while I am waiting for my friends to come. I can see from here who is coming. Kate already knew that we have another drink here at home, she don't care at all since she also knew my friends. My body hurts so much, I also feel like I have wounds or bruises on my thigh but I just ignored it. I was wearing a pajamas as if I was already going to sleep. Just so I can cover my legs and thighs. While I was playing, I heard someone entered our gate. I didn't bother to look at it since I already knew that it was my friends. Rajay, Rafael, Angelo, Carl and Rhobe entered the terrace. Aira and Jaycee was still on their way here.

"Hey, did you brought alcohol?" I asked while looking to Rajay.

"Yes, it's on the table downstairs. I brought two whiskey with coke," Rajay answered me. My game ended well and it was victory. I approached Angelo and put my arm around him. I haven't seen him in a long time, "BFF, I heard that you will drink later?"

"In your dreams, BFF! I will never drink alcohol," he defended immediately so I laughed. "There are also food downstairs."

"It's fun to drink when it's free," Rhobe said. "All right, there's ice in the refrigerator. We'll start later when Jaycee and Aira arrived," I said.

Someone suddenly chatted me, it was my crush when I was in eleventh grade and he was my partner in prom last year. "Hey, someone wants to play with us. Five versus five, do you want to play?" I asked them after reading what he chatted me.

"Oh sure! Invite us, Joy," Carl answered. They are already connected to our internet and I know that it will slow down so I just used my mobile data since I always have load. Carl, Angelo, Rafael, Rajay and me will play the other five. Rhobe doesn't want to play because he wants to chat with his girlfriend. When we're already completed, we started picking our heroes.

"Who's hero will you use, Angelo?" Rafael asked my BFF. "I will be the marksman!" I shouted. They already picked their own heroes and after that, they asked me questions about the other team.

"Joy, how old are our opponents?"

"My former crush said that these are his cousins. Maybe they are just a little older than us."

"Fertilize first, Joy while you Carl will invade to the other side. Then you will take the top, Angelo. Rafael is in te middle. I will be on the bottom," Rajay ordered us. He's so serious as if that this game has a bet.

When the game started, we obeyed Rajay's command to us. After two minutes, the fight is heating up. "Hey, help me up here! I don't want to be the first blood!" Carl shouted to us.

"Don't you want that, you're not a virgin anymore." Rhobe teased him even though he was not in the game.

"Stupid, what am I? A girl?" We laughed because of them and Carl got killed so he was the first blood.

"Joy, here." I just followed the tank and when I had a build, I started to push and destroy tore.

"Push first and later we'll have a clash when the item is ready," I said. When I broke the middle tore, they started the clash.

"Joy, back out!" "Stupid, use your third skill. "Set, Rajay!"

After the set of Rajay along with the third skill of Carl hero, Rafael also went for his third skill and followed by Angelo's third skill and he was able to kill our opponents.

"Nice one!" I said at the same time, pushing. After twenty minutes, the game ended and we won. Just in time when Aira and Jaycee arrived. I chatted my ex crush saying 'Good game' before inviting my friends to have a drink downstairs.

"Let's start" We went down and arranged all the necessities. They started to mix the whiskey with the coke and I got the shot glass. The speaker has also been adjusted so that we can party here at home. This is how we always drink. It was already eleven in the evening when we started drinking.

"Okay, I will handle the shots!" I immediately took the whiskey. We have the right first policy and Aira was on my right so she will be going to take the first shot.

"I still have a hang over with the alcohol earlier then now, I am drinking again. I will fall to sleep immediately later," I said. "How many did you drink earlier?" Rafael asked me so we will have a topic to talk to.

"We had six towers in the Loft."

"The mix of alcohols there was so delicious but it cost too much," Jaycee added.

"It doesn't cost too much though, let's have a drink there sometimes," I offered but the others shook their head.

"Don't bother, it's more cheaper when drinking at home," Rhobe laughed when he said that.

"Not when my parents caught us here, drinking," I joked. Rajay and Rhobe started pulling out their cigarettes. I opened the exosfan to let out the smoke of their cigarettes. The shot just went around, we talked a lot as we played the music together. When the first whiskey was already done, I felt dizzy because of what I drank earlier.

"Whiskey makes me feel like I'm going to vomit in no time!" Aira complained.

"You should just brought a Mojito." I said, sitting down at the table, "Clean up later here at home, okay?"

"Joy, you're already drunk?" Carl teased me. I glared at him, "I drank a lot earlier and we still have class tomorrow."

"We also have class later and we need to go home by five in the morning. I will just sleep in the class room tomorrow."