The first person to notice was the neighbor.
Mrs. Dela Cruz.
And Mrs. Dela Cruz noticed everything.
"Elena?" she squinted from across the dusty road. "Why are you glowing like you swallowed a light bulb?"
Elena almost dropped the tray of pandesal she was carrying.
"I–I changed shampoo, po."
"Since when does shampoo fix bone structure?" Mrs. Dela Cruz muttered.
By the time Elena reached school, half the barangay had already seen her.
And gasped.
---
School Chaos
When she stepped into the classroom, the room went quiet.
Too quiet.
Even the electric fan sounded nervous.
Her seatmate, Janine—the same girl who once said Elena's hair looked like a mop—blinked twice.
"Wait… what happened to you?"
Elena shrugged awkwardly. "Nothing?"
The boys in the back who used to throw paper balls at her suddenly sat properly.
One of them stood up.
"Uh… Elena, do you need help carrying your bag?"
She stared at him.
He was the same guy who once called her "Ate Gorilla."
Now he was smiling like he had discovered respect.
She almost laughed.
---
Lunchtime Drama
By lunch, the entire school knew.
Girls surrounded her table.
"What skincare do you use?"
"Are you mixed?"
"Did you get surgery?"
"Are you hiding a rich foreign father?!"
Elena blinked.
Yesterday no one cared what she ate.
Today they wanted to share her spoon.
It felt nice.
But also strange.
Very strange.
Her best and only real friend, Liza, sat quietly beside her.
"You look beautiful," Liza said softly.
Elena smiled warmly. "Thank you."
Liza tilted her head. "But you were still you before."
That sentence stayed with her.
---
The Boys
After school, three boys waited by the gate.
With flowers.
Flowers.
In this heat.
"Elena, I've liked you since Grade 8."
"You never spoke to me in Grade 8."
"I was shy."
She raised one eyebrow.
"You barked when I passed by."
He coughed. "Immature phase."
She walked away before she started laughing.
---
The Shift
By the end of the week:
• Her Instagram gained followers. • People from nearby barangays started messaging her. • A small local clothing shop asked her to model their dresses. • Girls who ignored her started calling her "sis."
And suddenly…
She was visible.
Too visible.
Men in town stared longer than they should.
Whispers followed her when she walked.
Her parents began noticing.
Her father frowned more.
Her mother stopped letting her walk alone in the evenings.
Beauty, she realized, was loud.
And attention was heavy.
---
At Night
Elena sat on her bed, holding the necklace.
The small star pendant rested gently against her collarbone.
No strange glow.
No scary effects.
Just quiet warmth.
"Why me?" she whispered.
She wasn't angry.
She was confused.
Her little brother burst into the room.
"Ate! Kuya Marco said he wants to marry you!"
Elena threw a pillow at him.
"Go do your homework!"
But when Mateo left, she stared at the ceiling.
For the first time in her life…
The world was looking at her.
And she wasn't sure if she liked it yet.
---
Outside their house, a motorcycle slowed down.
The rider stopped.
Stared at their gate.
And took a photo.
Elena didn't know it yet.
But her small provincial life was about to become too small for her.