Gown

I was startled at Shain's question. His voice was soft and pure of worries, but why did my heart feel insulted at that?

Shain Ross Lupton was the only one I consider as my childhood friend. He was with me ever since third grade and we're the closest out of all the friends I have. We've known each other long enough to know each other's darkest secret.

We're close enough to play jokes and acts like a lover in front of many people. When we attended business party with our parents, we always got teased by the attendees. They were expecting us to get married or be in a relationship that everyone approved of. But after graduating junior high, he was kind of getting away from me.

From unknown reason, the Shain I know was slowly vanishing into thin air. He was known as the joker and jolly boy. We were partner in crimes. He even got scolded by my brother when we went out of the city for one night without asking for permission properly. He was there when I had my first period. He helped me to sort things out and he was like my brother outside the house.

And being with him in an unfamiliar state feels foreign to me. Good thing his class for the Senior High was different from me.

"Ha.." I can't help but to just smirk at him.

His face turns to a curious one but I just shrugged my shoulders to let his hands off of me. He called my name softly but I step forward to get away from him.

Anika was blabbering something while helping Louise to gather her coins and money. I rolls my eyes. Louise looks like a damsel in distress. Her posture was so pitiful that I almost want to help her. I closed my fist and glares at her.

Her head was bowed down covering her entire face, but even though her face wasn't visible to everyone, her shoulders was trembling as if she was crying.

Huh! Why is she crying? She just fell down due to her poor body composure. Is there a need to cry? Instead of gathering her stuffs immediately and stand up on her own, she just moved slowly and tremble at the ground.

Anika stood up after Louise closed her purse but she still didn't tried to get up. Anika stand beside me and nudge my arm.

"Help her, Sha. Your sin will be lessen if you do that," she whispers.

I turned my head to her immediately after what she said. My sin? Did I do something to have a sin?! I don't remember doing anything so why would I help her now? People already blame me so what is the use of trying to help her if it will just do me worse?

I rolled my eyes at Anika and was about to open my mouth to say something to Louise but a white cloth suddenly flashed through my eyes. It went slowly like a cape of a hero getting blown by the wind as it landed to the ground. The difference was this man was wearing a laboratory gown that looks like a cape a moment ago.

It was blown by wind due to his immediate and heavy steps towards Louise. He kneeled down and joined Louise on the ground who immediately lifted her head up and cry more.

"Who's that?" Anika asked to me.

Huh... That back... I took a step forward to get a clear view of that man's face. His back was wide and looks strong. His shoulders were wide enough to cover Louise upper body from my view. The long nape shadowed by his clean cut hair looks soft and hard at the same time.

My heart was thumping loudly as I stares at that back. I took another step as my breathing became heavy without tearing off or blinking my eyes. As I step closer to get a better view of his face, my throat just suddenly became dry.

I remember looking at him in the dim lightened room of the bar just a few days ago. He was undeniably handsome at that room that whenever I closed my eyes where ever I am, his face always pops up. My mind was forgetful but his face was made to be unforgettable. I can clearly described his face without looking at any pictures of him. And now that it's the middle of the day, where the sun was still up high added by the bulb lights of the cafeteria, his face was shining birghtly.

"P-pin," Louise gently calls his name.

Lepinius hands goes under Louise's knees and at her back as he gently picked her up like a princess. I saw his jaw clenching. He turned his back but his gaze meets mine for a split of second, and that moment feel like a whole day for me.

It was slow but fast. I saw him giving me a fast gaze before he left carrying Louise on his arms. I don't know but I felt like my throat was having a hard time swallowing my saliva.

"Wow.. I only heard about him, but he was definitely handsome, huh?" I heard Anika commented.

I looked at Anika who was stretching her neck to follow Lepinius and Louise way.

"You knew him?"

Anika turned her head to me as I asked her, "Who wouldn't? He was the ambassador of the medical course. You can see his large tarpaulin inside the hospital," she simply explained.

"Ah," Marwin who's always on hsi phone suddenly said, "Lepinius Villafuente is such a famous name. They are the founder of a big hospital at New York."

Ambassador? Tarpaulin? Founder of a hospital at New York? So all this time, he was just within my radar, and yet, I failed to notice that?

If I am correct, this university is the number one in the region when it comes to medicine. They have five biggest university in the country that contains of a prestigious hospital. As what I've heard from my brother before enrolling here for my Senior High, he said that this university's hospital is one of the best in the country.

Politics all over the country, and even some rich people from Asia, goes here at the Philippines just to be admitted at one of the University's hospital.

In truth, I heard that students who studied at this university has a higher passing grade at the board exam. Some even placed top 1 and offered a job to work at the White Palace or for the British Kingdom.

I planned to take a step to follow his step outside the cafeteria but the bell rings and echoes in the whole place.

Students went out while taking a glance at me and starts whispering. As usual, as soon as the second class ends, rumours are all over the place.

Most students I know who were standing in the hallway, stops by seeing me and my friends walking just to take a minute to asked for the real happenings. Although, they already heard some and altered parts, I just laughed it off and make a joke out of it.

Even my plan to go to the hospital building of the University was cancelled. That's why when I went home, I immediately called for Carding.

"I just want you to give me his schedule at the hospital. Don't tell me you can't even do that?" I raises my eyebrows.

I was staring at him while his face was almost cover by the shadows in my dim lighted room.

As usual, he was standing firmly in front of me. Although, he has a big body, his head was lightly bowed, he's being careful not to meet my gaze.

He just nods his head and murmured, "Yes, ma'am." After that, I dismissed him and lay down on my bed. Thoughts about the relationship between Lepinius and Louise flooded my mind. But I stopped myself from drowning too much on it. What's important right now is I can start a relationship with him.

After that night, I waited for Carding to drop off at my room in the morning before I went down to have breakfast with my family. He didn't failed me. He knocked after I put a make up on face and give me a folded white paper.

I opened it and can't help but to smile while reading it. It said that Mondays and Tuesdays were his duty at the hospital as a nurse. Wednesdays and Thursdays were his laboratory works and Fridays and Saturdays was his classes for his doctors.

He has like a schedule for a residential doctor. The schedule table for the whole week was full of names of patients and his subjects. I only saw breaktimes within his busy schedule. And if I will compare my schedule to him, I only have one same breaktime as him. And that is every Monday.

Maybe the reason why I saw him yesterday at the cafeteria. So, that's just his free time that I am also free huh? Shall I just wait every Monday to talk to him? If that will be the case, I will only have four to five times a month to see him then. Additional to the fact if he is a regular at the 8950.

So if he will not eat at the. 8950, the chances of seeing him will reduced to once a month. If that's the case, then why would I wait every Monday to just see him? That will be just a waste of time.

I shall come up with a good idea to see him often. Thrice a week will be enough to make the distance between us to close.