“Auckland! Oh thank God!” Pham shouted.

“Hazelynn!” Someone called out. Pham looked every inch of the airport and saw her bestfriend waving at her.

“Althea? OMG! You’re here!” Pham screamed as they ran towards each other. They were like two long lost friends. “Why are you here?” She asked as they hugged each other.

“My mom enrolled me at Harvard University of Auckland. I got a scholarship there! Isn’t it great?”

“Harvard University of Auckland? Hey, I got a scholarship there, too!”

“Really?!”

“YEAH!”

“Awesome!” They both screamed as they exchanged high-fives. Later on, the three of them went home to unpack and organize. Althea helped, too, to ease the work and then went up the attic. She put down their bags there and suddenly, something popped out from Pham’s bag. A scrapbook?

“What’s that noise, Althea?” Pham urged.

“Oh, nothing! That’s, uh, nothing,” Althea replied.

“Oh, okay.”

… no, a journal. What? Since when? Althea went very excited to see what’s inside. “Pham?!” She called out.

“Yeah?!” Pham responded from outside of their house.

Althea popped her head out of the window sill, feeling the warm autumn air. “Can we, uh, you know, talk… for a sec?”

Pham dropped her toy box on the grassy ground, her mom raking the fallen autumn leaves. The cold breeze swiftly drifted from all around, making the atmosphere an early Christmas. “Yeah, sure! Why not? What is is that you want us to talk about?”

“Oh, no. Just the two of us… privately,” Althea insisted.

“Oh, sure. Be up there just a flash!”

“I’ll be waiting!”

Pham ran into the house and up the attic. She surprisingly opened the door and asked, “I’m here! So, wha—-“

“`Spellbound Chronicles by Princess Hazelynn Anne Merin Witchton`!” Althea clamored as she read the title of the journal.

“OMG! Where did you get that?!” Pham jeered as she chased her best friend.

“WHA! It just popped out from your bag, don’t chase me!” Althea gaily screamed back and then she tripped while running away from Pham. They ran about the open-spaced attic and suddenly, they fell off the stairs. In spite of the pain, they still laugh about it.

“Ouch! Ha ha ha!”

“Whoa, that was a nasty fall, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah… oh, my back!”

“My head!”

“The agony! Oh, I forgot… you slut! Give back my journal!”

“Catch me first! Ouch…” They both rolled over the floor and laughed all around the house. And finally, Pham got back her journal.

“Hah! Take that!”

“Aw, no fair… lemme read, lemme read!”

“Say the magic word…”

“… pretty please?” Althea happily grinned.

“Well…” Pham hissed.

“Oh, come on!” Althea jovially shouted.

“Alright, alright! HERE!” Pham said and gave the journal to Althea. “Oh, wait!”

“What?” Althea asked.

“Let’s read that up on the tree house that we’ve built.”

“Sure! I miss that spot.” Althea remembered the two of them building the tree house three years ago, with the help of Pham’s dad. They would always jam and bond very time they went up there.

Pham’s dad. He never should have answered that call. She never could have called him. For over a year, she’s been regretting for what she have done. She called him, trying to know how’s he doing. He said he was fine, better than he was before. Suddenly, he over-turned and a light grasped his sight… gone…




Althea and Pham went up the tree house and memories flashed back from their minds, beautiful ones. The ran here, they ran there, until they got tired from playing… those sweet young precious moments.

“I miss this tree house… how about you—-?” Althea paused as she look back at Pham, seeing her shedding some tears.

“Yeah… miss this, too…” Pham keened.

Althea hugged her best friend. She started to weep, too. They both comforted each other while looking at the journal. “Pham, promise me something…”

Pham sniffed and asked, “Sure, what is it?”

“STAY STRONG! DON’T WORRY! I’m here, okay? Remember that.”

Pham got curious. “What do you mean?”

“Your dad’s a great man, Pham. Forget about what happened to him—-“

Pham stood up and wiped her tears. “My past’s still a part of my life.”

“Yes, I know that but—-“

“But what? I just broke up with Ivan and my dad died! What more could God take away from me?!”

“Pham! LISTEN TO ME! I’m still here! Forget that horrible pasts and try to remember every wonderful moments of it. I don’t want to see you like this, Pham… ‘coz it’s not you. You used to be… the gleefully girl in class, in the group… that I’ve met… and I know your pasts are burdens but would you let those burdens pull you down?”

Pham stopped crying and clamored, “No… NO!”

“Would Ivan be your downfall?!”

“NO! NEVER!” Pham out-cried once more.

“Would you want me to kill Ivan?!”

“Althea,”

“What?! He ruined your life…”

Pham smiled and explained, “Let him go… he’s got issues.”

“True that, girl!” So there goes their conversation. After that, Pham’s mom went up to their tree house, carrying a plate of Pepperoni and Parmesan pizza, and two glass of lemon soda juice. “Oh, snack! That smells so good, Mrs. Witchton,” Althea said.

“Why, thank you Althea. I made it myself,” Pham’s mom said.

“Cool!”

“That’s amazing, mom. Thanks for the snack,” Pham added.

Pham’s mom smiled and went inside the house, leaving the two go on with what they were talking about. The feeling of the autumn breeze caressed their skins.

“Pham! Hurry up!”

“Yeah mom, I’ll be down there! I’m just checking some… err… stuffs,”

“Oh, okay. Just double your time, dear,”

“Sure thing, mom!”

Pham still sat down on her bed, starring at her journal, looking back at those memories together with her friends. Seth, Dmitri, Keith, Niq, James—- these were her guy friends. And, of course, her girlfriends—- Chandra, Kylee, and Oralie. They’re inseparable!

And, of course, how could she forget her best friend whom she treats as her sister? Althea and Pham had been the best of friends in the group since they were in their Second Grade.

Oh yes, Pham’s boyfriend Ivan. They’ve been together for three months now and still stood strong… yet.

Ivan’s been the cutest guy in Blenheim School when they were in Sixth Grade. Awkward it is because every time he opens his locker, a dozen of red papers would fall onto his feet.

♥ Call Me :) ♥

555 - 1432

~Jamie~

“Uh, yeah right… but you’re cute. And thanks but… no thanks,” Ivan would say every time this happens.

He’s hard-to-get, as Blenheimers would say. He never had a girlfriend before… until he met Pham. Oh, they were so cute together!

Back to Reality.

They broke up a month ago. Pham dumped him, saying he’s so irritating every time he brags about their relationship like,

“Okay, so she’s now unavailable and preoccupied ‘coz her prince charming is here! And, yeah, don’t try to steal her from me,”

“Ivan, shut up!” Pham hissed.

“What are you so worried about, baby?”

After that, she slapped his face and shouted, “Just because you’re rich and I became your girlfriend doesn’t mean that you own me, okay?! I’m not a plaything! I don’t care that you’re rich, I care about how our relationship’s going!”

“Hey, hey, easy! Just relax, baby, or else a wrinkle would ruin your pretty lil’forehead,” Ivan mocked and then kissed Pham’s forehead. Suddenly, she punched him so hard that his nose was bleeding and stumbled on the floor. “OUCH!”

“Whoa, man! Stand up for yourself!” Dmitri said.

“WH— WH— WHY?! WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!” Ivan hissed.

Pham knelt and held Ivan’s hand. “I don’t want this, Ivan. I never did…”

“Well then, don’t! No one’s forcing you, b*tch!” He shouted and threw her hands back.

The crowd was shocked, thrilled. A lot of girls fainted, guys exchanging whispers and hisses, and all were astounded.

“Well, in that case, Ivan Jefferson,” she said and stood up.

“What dumper?” He said.

“Auf Wiedersehen!” She added and went through the crown and out of the school. He was puzzled with what she’d said.

“What?”

“It’s an act of `farewell` in German,” Niq explained.

“… thanks for the info… not,” Ivan replied.

“Tryna’ help here…”

“It’s between me and her, Niq,”

“… well, she’s gone now and we’re friends so, we care, too, you know,”

Seth added.

“It’s none of your business guys,” Ivan said.

“… we care and it’s now ours,” Keith added.

Ivan stood up in rage and said, “You guys are so pathetic! I mean, who needs her, anyway?!”

“Ivan…” James tapped his shoulder. “WE DO!” The five chorused.

The six of them were so happy until she met Ivan. Everything went right if it wasn’t for him. And now she’s there, sitting in the cafeteria far away from her annoying self-centered BF. Their memories together faded and…



“Pham? Are you ready to go?” Pham’s mom asked as she suddenly opened her daughter’s bedroom door.

Pham dropped her journal. “Huh? Oh yeah… yeah mom,”

“Okay, let’s go. Our flight’s about an hour now so we need to hurry,”

“Yah, let’s go…” Pham replied sadly. As she went out of their front door, she looked back and bid her home and Blenheim goodbye.

Pham and her mom arrived at the Christchurch Airport for about thirty minutes and headed to the counter.

“Two tickets, please,” her mom said.

“Fly to where, ma’am?” The stewardess asked.

“Auckland please,”

“Yes ma’am, here you go. Thank you and have a safe flight.”

“Thank you,” the stewardess handed her the plane tickets and the two went on to their assigned plane. “Ah, first class!”

“Yeah, feels great…” Pham added. She put her bag on the bag counter. And then a steward came towards her.

“Anything to eat or drink?” The steward asked Pham.

“Oh, no thanks, I’m fine,” Pham answered.

He went puzzled and whispered, “Well, a beautiful girl like you with feelings and thoughts so deep might want a… uh… chocolate shake?”

She blushed and said, “Well, I guess so… maybe, I’ll try one,”

“Glad to hear—-“

“Oh wait!” She shouted and asked her mom, “How about you, mom?”

“Oh, no thank you,” her mom said. Pham went puzzled.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, of course, kiddo. You go on,”

“O… kay…? One Chocolate Shake please,” Pham requested to the steward.

“Gladly. Here! Enjoy the flight,” the steward said and walked away.

“Thanks!” Pham said.

Her mom smiled and starred at her daughter.

Pham sipped at her shake and noticed her mom staring at her. “What?” She asked with a smile on her face.

“You know, he’s cute,” her mom winked.

“MOM!” Pham clamored. Her voice echoed and everyone in the room stared and then, she went red from the embarrassment.