Chapter 35 - June In May

June Wolez

"Happy birthday, my dear June," Camilla wished me.

I hugged her as tight as I could. "Thank you, Aunt." How could I forget her? She was my family, too. Mom and Dad left me alone, but she was the one who decided to raise me and be there for me. My aunt has been there for me for the past twelve—now thirteen years.

She caressed my hair. "Is something wrong, sweetheart? You don't seem okay, even though you were the one who was the most excited about your birthday this year."

I freed myself from the hug and made Camilla sit on the bed. Then, I lay on the bed, placing my head on her lap. She started caressing my hair, calming me once again.

A peaceful silence covered the room.

"Aunt?" I spoke up after a few minutes.

"Yes, honey?"

"I want to tell you something."

She nodded, motioning for me to continue speaking.

I sucked in a deep breath and sat on the bed from a lying position. "I am so sorry, Aunt." I burst into tears, unable to control myself anymore. "I couldn't live up to your expectations."

"What's wrong, June? What did you do?"

"I dated boys, I lied to you, and..." I continued telling her everything from the beginning, starting from the app named Connected to my soulmate hunt. I told her everything including what Ella did and my grades falling.

Camilla quietly listened to me the entire time, never interrupting me as I poured my heart out. It really felt good after I shared it all with her.

After I told her the entire story, all she asked was, "So you did all of that just to find your soulmate with the direction of that app?"

I averted my gaze and mumbled, "I know what I did was something really stupid, so if you ground me till I graduate, I will accept it without a word of protest."

After a minute of silence, she chuckled and said, "June, do you know that you have given me a brilliant idea for my next story?" I shook my head. "I'm going to work on a project on the bad effects of these sorts of apps and how they get people, especially teenagers like you, fooled through their sweet words." I hummed. "June, look at me."

I thought I would see the disappointment in her eyes, but when I dared to look, her eyes held care and affection.

"I did so many things and even hid it from you. Aren't you angry?" I couldn't help but ask.

She chuckled. "I didn't know how I should react. I mean, I knew you were going through your teenage phase, so I didn't bother you so much about it because I didn't want to force you to tell me about your teen life. I wanted you to share it all with me willingly, and that's why I was really happy when you yourself told me about dating Troy."

I was confused by her words. "So you knew I was going through something even before that?"

Camilla rolled her eyes. "Of course, I knew. Do you think I was dumb enough to not notice your crushes on Michael and Troy? I knew about you dating Methane even before the police told me. You thought you were so smart and all by hiding Mysteriel's post in Pictologs."

"That means, you saw the post?"

"I had already seen it before you hid the post."

"But you never said anything, so I just assumed you didn't know," I pointed out.

She shook her head with a smile. "I am raising you, June. I know you better than you know yourself. I knew I shouldn't say anything to you about it. I grew up with your mother, and she had a dramatic sixteen as well."

"Really?" I asked curiously.

She just laughed, probably remembering the past. "She wanted to find the perfect boy who would marry her in the future—that was her sixteenth birthday wish. But then she realized after dating a few guys that no one knows what will happen in the future or who is meant for whom. So she stopped searching for a boy and focused on her studies. Then, she met your dad one day in a library."

"Wow..." I couldn't help but let out. That was something new for me. Camilla never told me that Mom was like that in high school. She always told me how good my parents were in studies, that they were both geniuses and that I had their genes.

She took a deep breath and said, "Look, let me tell you something."

I stayed quiet and tried to listen to her quietly.

"Teenage life is filled with drama, especially high school. You will go through betrayals, heartbreaks, bad grades, and so much more. Some fall weak after their high school drama, while it makes some people stronger. If you can survive your high school years with a smile on your face, you can face any hurdle in life with that same smile."

She was correct. I should face all the problems, instead of crying and breaking down. A positive change would appear in my life only if I was willing to let it happen. It all depended on me in the end.

She further spoke, "Also, about your soulmate hunt, this is something fixed by destiny. No silly app can tell you who your soulmate is. Those apps just lure people with fake reviews and make them a victim of it. You are stronger and smarter than all of this, June. And with my upcoming story, I will make sure every teenager gets aware of how misleading these apps are."

She was right once again. How could I believe a goddamn silly app? Reviews could be fake as well nowadays. How did I fall into the dark side of technology? Just because a few of its predictions turned out true didn't mean it knew my destiny.

The more Camilla spoke, the dumber I felt. I was such a gullible person. Everyone thought I was smart, but I was the biggest fool ever.

"When the right time comes, you will meet your soulmate. Remember, June, while searching for diamonds, don't avoid the coals. Enjoy your youth, focus on your bright future, and be there for your friends. Ella has an issue, but as a friend, you should be the person to save her from the well, instead of being the person who pushed her into the well. Do you understand?"

I didn't nod at that, thinking over her words.

Despite what Ella did, I should be there for her. She only did everything out of blind jealousy, yet she never harmed me, rather she revealed the truth about Michael and Methane to me. Maybe her way of showing me love wasn't authentic, maybe she published a lot of wrong information along the way, but she only meant for everyone to know the truth.

Everyone should be given a second chance in life. Plus, Ella was always there for me. I shouldn't leave her at such a rough phase of her life. Keyword: should.

I should forgive her. That's what a kind princess would do. But I wouldn't. I didn't want to forgive her. I couldn't find it in me to be all chummy with her after knowing how many people she has hurt. Not to mention, she hurt me the most. She probably never even considered me her friend. Maybe all I was to her was an obsession, and the only way she would get over that obsession was by having some distance between us. If after everything that happened we went back to normal, then she wouldn't learn her lesson, just like Methane didn't. She would start acting on her obsession again, and before I knew it, she might be the one trying to assault my boyfriends or me like Methane did. Maybe she would have done it, if Methane didn't do it first.

"I'm sorry, Aunt. I can't find it in my heart to forgive Ella, at least not yet. She has hurt me too much," I said before leaning forward to give her a tight hug.

"It's okay, honey. While it's important to be there for your friends, some friends are better to be let go of." I nodded in agreement. "So are you feeling better now?" she asked with a smile.

I smiled back. "I never felt so good actually. I think I'm going to sleep all day tomorrow, considering it's already three in the morning."

"Okay, but don't forget your birthday party at six tonight." She took something out of her pocket all of a sudden. It was a small back box which she handed to me, while I stared in confusion. "When you were born, your parents bought four gifts for you."

"Four?"

"Your mom had a friend owning a pet shop. She paid her in advance so that as soon as you step into your teenage years, a Maltese dog will be gifted to you on behalf of your parents."

I gasp escaped my lips. "That's why I got Luna when I turned thirteen?" Luna was my dog who died last year from a road accident.

She nodded. "This box is the gift I was supposed to give when you turn sixteen."

I opened the box, only to find a pendant with blue stone. It had my initials carved on it 'JW.' It was so beautiful. I had tears well up in my eyes.

"I love it, Aunt."

Camilla caressed my back. "Your other two gifts will be given when you turn eighteen and after your wedding."

"How did they plan it beforehand?"

"Don't know, sweetheart. I used to scold them for thinking in advance, but they used to say, 'What if we weren't there for our baby?' So they didn't want you to be alone."

"Thank you, Mom and Dad," I mumbled.

Camilla wiped a tear that slid through my eye. "Get some sleep, June." She patted my head and walked out of my room.

I went to my desk and pulled my chair out to sit. I saw my soulmate hunt diary. I opened the diary and took my pen, as I started writing a letter.

'Dear Soulmate,

How are you? Or should I ask, where are you?

This girl here recently turned sixteen. For the past 30 days, I have been hunting for you, hoping I would find you and we would celebrate my sweet sixteen together. But destiny played such a cruel game on me. Ask why. Never mind, I will write it down anyway.

I believed a stupid app that told me I would find you before my sweet sixteen. Don't ask how I could be so stupid, because I already feel like the dumbest person on earth. I guess, being a top-scorer in school and being a top-scorer in life are two completely different things. I could ace every test in school, but I failed this big test in life. But you know, I am not disappointed. Rather, I am happy that I failed because I learned my lesson through this.

I chased random boys in a quest for you. I lost my own personality just to make sure you liked me, but thankfully I didn't find you. Wondering why I am thankful? That's because I want you to love me the way I am.

Did you know I had three candidates for my soulmate? Yeah, three. The first candidate I had was my male best friend, Michael, whom I actually liked for the last two years. But you turned out to be lucky because I found out that he is gay.'

I laughed at my stupidity when I kept remembering that time I actually thought that Michael was my soulmate.

I continued writing.

'Then, there was this handsome transferee in our school named Methane. Funny name, right? He treated me well and confessed his feelings to me soon enough, so we started dating. He really loved me, but I didn't, plus he was a psycho, so you got lucky here as well.

The third boy was the most lovable boy in town, Troy Brian. You didn't get much luck here because he was the most perfect guy ever. I actually liked him for years, too. You know, he liked me too for years. Crazy, right? We dated and everything was so perfect, not until I found out he was cheating on me. Well, he wasn't. It was a complete misunderstanding on my part. But due to my doubts, I ruined the little possibility we had of a long-distance relationship as he is moving away to San Diego tonight. The reason for us parting our ways is because he chose his career over me. I really respect his choice though, because that's what I am going to do now.

Aunt made me realize where I was going wrong. How could I let these future thoughts ruin my present? From now on, I will focus on my studies. I will never come second again. I will make sure my aunt and parents are proud of me. Also, when we meet, you will see a successful June Wolez. I challenged myself to be the best version of myself, and I love challenges.

I hope you love challenges too because I challenge you to face me only after both of us find success in life. So tell me, can you wait for that long? Because I can.

Anyway, I will tear the paper into pieces now, so see you when our fates get on the same path.

June Wolez.'

I smiled and stretched my back before tearing the letter and other pages of the diary where I had written the three possible names of my soulmate during my soulmate hunt.

I didn't tear those pages into pieces. I kept the pages over the diary and went to the kitchen for a drink as I was thirsty. Once I returned to my room, I would tear those pages into pieces, including the letter I wrote.

When I got into the kitchen, I checked my phone and saw that Ella and others wished me a happy birthday right at twelve, even Troy did.

I smiled at the texts from Michael, Violet, and Neil. Even though they were busy tonight, they wished me on time. Ella and Troy did, too. But it didn't make me feel like they cared for me. They only did it out of courtesy.

I sighed and filled a glass of water.

While drinking some water, my eyes grew wider in realization. "Shit, I left my window open," I mumbled and rushed to my room.

I watched a strong gust of wind making all those pages fly out of the window.

"No, no, no." I tried to reach for those pages, but I was too late. "Argh!" I groaned in annoyance, watching those pages fly away. Other pages didn't matter as I was about to tear them into pieces anyway, but I feared about the letter I wrote to my soulmate. I was supposed to tear that into pieces too, but now it flew away.

What if my letter reached someone else? I would die of embarrassment.

Well, what's done is done. I cannot go back and stop myself from writing that letter, now can I?

I sighed and decided to close the window, glancing at Troy's house with all the lights off.

Not getting bothered about anything anymore, I looked up at the sky from the locked window and mumbled, "Well, that was June in May."

THE END

A/N: Hey, loves! So this was the last chapter and now, "June In May" has come to an end. If you enjoyed reading the novel, then please follow me, trimagical_, and make me happy. 😄

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