章 1: A Distant Memory

"Mother? Why do you look so scared?" I asked my mother who was shaking with fear, her beauty couldn't be hidden despite the dread.

"Sister!" a little girl shrieked in fear

"..." The two of them were shrieking in fear, but I was mysteriously calm...

"Arianrhod!"

"Seraphine! Forsythia!"

Voices were heard out of our range, but we heard the voices, it was father and my brother, but then again, who was Forsythia? And who was my brother?

"Phine..."

My reverie got interrupted.

Someone was shaking my shoulder with a bit of force than needed. I blinked once, twice.

"Seraphine!" it was Gabriel, my guardian, and doctor, he was both

"Are you alright? You aren't fatigued are you?," he asked me, I shook my head as a response.

He visits my house once a week. He also does surprise visits now, and then his here because of an event and that event is my graduation.

My parents, who are working in America abroad, they left me here in Manchester U.K. they give me everything but then again, I feel empty despite all the gadgets and other material stuff.

"You've been dazed this past few weeks, have you been taking in your prescribed medicine?" I nod.

I had anaemia, so I had to intake vitamins and medicine that makes me sleepy but it wasn't alarming or anything although Gabriel always fusses about me...I was overall healthy.

"Seraphine~"

We heard the entrance door open and a shuffle of footsteps echoed inside the house, three people entered the house and went to the kitchen where Gabriel and I were talking.

"How are you feeling?" Laurrie, one of my best-friends, shrugged and answered, I was fine.

"We brought you this" Phil says with a cheeky grin Gabriel frowned at him, he was holding a box of sweets

"It's too early for sweets" he scolded

"I also told him that" Max added, Phil gave a look of displeasure at Max and Gabriel

"These guys are no fun at all" Phil says

Phil and Max joked around while Laurrie and Gabriel scolded them Max is the responsible type unlike Phil who's always playing around treating everything like a joke, but his serious side comes off as a surprise every once in a while.

Right, as I've said before Gabriel Tyler is my guardian and doctor when my parents moved to Las Vegas, he was the one that took care of me, and he visits me once a week to check up on me.

The three idiots are Laurrie Caireen Alson, my girl best-friend she's very pretty and nice but has a harsh tongue when criticizing someone, then there's Pamphilos Evans, and Maksimos Chrysanthemum White,

Phil and Max in short since saying their names is a waste of saliva, Gabriel, Phil, and Max are good-looking but, you know the saying when you spend too much time with someone you get sick of their faces, That's how I feel, but then again I will miss them once I move out of here...who am I kidding? It's a pain moving somewhere else.

"Seraphine!" I jumped at the voice that shouted "Miss blank face are you okay?" Phil looked concerned, all of their faces were of concern, I inhaled and exhaled and gave a wry smile.

"I'm fine, just lost in my thoughts" I honestly told them

"What are you thinking?" Max asks curiously, I just shrugged at him.

"You know, I wish we can read your mind, Seraphine so that it would be easy for us to understand you" I chuckled at Phil's remark

"Shall we?" I asked them, getting out of my seat.

It was very early in the morning and maybe I am still sleepy but it is my graduation from the University of Manchester.

Gabriel drove me to school and the three also tagged along in which I'm already used to, they would grab attention from the people since they look like celebrities.

Well, they are charismatic people and when I'm with them I'm just a bloated potato in the background.

"We're here" I got startled I mean it wasn't a far place from where I live but still, that was pretty soon "come on Seraphine, try being a little happier since it's your graduation day," Gabriel tells me

"I am happy" I sigh

"You don't look happy," Laurrie remarked with a raised brow

"I don't know, maybe I'm tired..." they exchange curious glances

"You said that you weren't tired a moment ago"

I don't know, maybe I'm tired of life?

I shook my thoughts and got out of the car.

Why am I being gloomy on my graduation day?

Is it because of my vivid memory that randomly appears at random moments?

Gabriel said that I had amnesia because of a car accident that made me lose half of my childhood memories, the memories I now have, are my parent's and when I was in twelfth grade other than that was a blur.

We went inside the building and headed to the designated place for graduation when a voice made me stop.

"Seraphine!" I turned around a smiling James stopping in front of me "I'm worried that I would be late again," I chuckled "Come on, I want to introduce you to someone" he pulled my wrist, and we ran across the hall.

"Seraphine wait-" I thought I heard Phil's voice but since I didn't hear anything any more I ignored it.

He stopped running, I ran out of breath, he apologised for pulling me around, when I caught my breath we went towards his parents, he introduced me to them, he was quite flustered since his parents were saying embarrassing stuff about him.

"Seraphine!"

My other classmates also arrived, and they went towards me we were now in a group circle chatting with each other

Asking about what they would plan in the future and whatnot, I just had a light conversation with the others, we huddled for group shots and selfies when someone on the podium came up and spoke, everyone sat on their designated seats and I did the same.

The Graduation Ceremony wasn't that long but it was boring. Everyone was already chatting half of the ceremony and I sigh, remembering that this was the last day of me being in school,

Although I had part-time work in Rose Café, and I'm not particularly in a tight spot since my parents are still providing for me, even after College which is a little strange.

if you think about it, it is a little sad not being able to see your goofy classmates any more but that's just life I guess...

"Armaclei" Since it was in Alphabetical order, I was already up in front and aligned with the students that also have the letter A of their surnames

The professors, heads, and directors congratulated me and I thanked them in return and then went down to the podium where Gabriel and the three of them were waiting for me to take pictures, murmurs were heard throughout the students and parents.

"Can we do this later?" I'm already uncomfortable.

"Nonsense, Seraphine! I'm going to send this to your parents" they took shot after shot until they felt satisfied, I just groaned and went back to my seat.

After the Ceremony, James, as well as my classmates, went towards me asking me questions about the three handsome guys and that one pretty girl but before I could answer any one of them.

Laurrie interrupted with a gentle smile but with a threatening aura, she pulled me towards her and dragged me away from my classmates and out of the University where the three were waiting beside Gabriel's Car.

"As I thought that three of you were too conspicuous," I said to them my brows furrowed

"We can't help it if we're too charismatic and charming Seraphine" Phil retorts

"Come on, let's go" Gabriel beckoned, I rolled my eyes at Phil, and we entered Gabriel's car, he started the engine when Laurrie spoke.

"We prepared a small celebratory feast for you at Rose Café Seraphine" I got surprised

"You shouldn't have bothered" she shakes her head

"But I insist!"

She's the owner of the business, surprisingly Laurrie, Phil, and Max are rich, but they all work at Rose Café, I remembered when I applied for Rose Café just out of my boredom perhaps.

My parents are already loaded, and they just dump money on my account in which I barely touch since they also pay for well, pretty much everything. I feel like a pampered Princess, so I decided to work if somehow they decide to cut off my allowance in which they never did.

"We're here!" Laurrie excitedly shouted and got off the car first, everyone else followed, but I was left in the car checking my phone for messages,

A lot of my classmates are asking me to come to the Graduation After Party, I sigh getting off the car, Gabriel wouldn't let me come in the first place so that's impossible.

As Laurrie said it was just a small celebration, where there were drinks and cake and a variety of food,

The staff congratulated me and I conversed with the others, after a while of talking, Phil surprised everyone with a party game, Max didn't want to join since he has bad luck with games but Phil insisted Gabriel also joined in and it became livelier, the time went by and it was time to go home.

"Are you sure that you don't need my help?" I asked the three standing before me. They just smiled. Phil ruffled my hair and Max pinched my nose "I'm not a kid you know" I said annoyed.

"Your height is pretty much a kid Seraphine" Phil teased

I furrowed my eyebrows at him and the three just laughed, HMP, being 5'4 is alright but it's annoying when tall people tease you, not to mention constantly looking up straining your neck.

Laurrie is 5'6, Phil was almost a 6'0 and Max's is a 6'0 Gabriel and Max share the same height and I'm the smallest among them all, I'm like a Chihuahua among a group of Labradors and Doberman.

"You should drink milk before you go to bed Seraphine" Phil teased with a grin

"You should stop blocking people's view, Phil"

I retaliated, Laurrie and Max cheered and Phil looked away embarrassed.

"You win this time," he says, I laughed in triumph

"Seraphine!" Gabriel called out and I bid them farewell.

"Did you have fun?" he asked, I nodded in reply, it was a silent drive home and my mind wandered around, when I got bored I opened my phone to see messages and texted a few classmates "after you get home lock the door, take a bath and get some sleep" I widened my eyes and exhaled

"Seraphine?" he glances at me

"Yes, Sir" I replied with a hint of sarcasm

"Have you messaged your parents yet?" he asked, I raised a brow at him and shook my head

"They're expecting you to send an email or message you know," I didn't say anything,

I feel awkward messaging them first, we haven't seen each other for five years already and I honestly don't know what to say to them, he didn't say anything anymore and I got home early

"Remember what I told you"

I gave a short, yes, then headed towards my house, locking the door as instructed, taking a bath after which I wore my pyjamas and checked a bit of a message before I dozed off.