Chapter 2

•

Angel wasn't able to stop Paolo. In the end, she just gave up and let him leave and transfer to Manila. Not that she can change his mind, but at least she tried.

She's beginning to think this day sucks. First is her aching foot because of that 'incident' earlier. She now regrets wearing those stiletto sandals today. She also forgot to bring comfy shoes in the car, so she is really annoyed with herself right now.

Then the dreaded eating-lunch-in-the-cafeteria-alone. Yes, she eats lunch alone at the university cafeteria. Alex used to be her lunch buddy, but since she started college and Alex was left in high school, their schedule could just not match. She can't ask anyone else to join her because unlike her sister who can befriend anyone, she doesn't have friends.

And to add to that, there is this certain professor in one of their accounting subjects who launched tirade about students whose parents are friends with the school's dean. Obviously, she's referring to her. Everyone knows that her mother is Dean Elvira Sison's friend. As if she used that influence to improve her performance in school. She just happened to be really good, making her a consistent honor student and a dean's lister.

After her class, she went straight to The Echo. Jessie was there when she arrived.

"Hey, what happened to you?" Jessie asked as she watched her walk.

"I fell down when I ran after Paolo," Angel replied. She sat down by her desk as the editor-in-chief of The Echo.

"But still, nothing happened," Jessie said, obviously disappointed. "It seems like Paolo really wanted to leave. We can't do anything about it."

"There are only four of us left, Jess. There are a lot of activities lined up just this month, especially by JPIA."

"We need to find new members," Jessie said. "As in ASAP."

As if on cue, someone knocked at the office door. The two of them looked as it opened and Bryan de Vera entered the office, in his usual get up when he's not in uniform – t-shirt and jeans and rubber shoes. His backpack is clinging on his right shoulder and a white G-shock is on his left wrist.

Bryan is one of those few men who look good even in his white t-shirt. It's not just once did Angel admire the way he carries his clothes, like he is a high fashion model every time. Maybe it's because of that exuding confidence he has.

If only that smirk is not on his face.

"Hi!" Bryan greeted them.

"What are you doing here?" Angel asked quite prickly.

"How is your foot?" Bryan asked instead.

Angel was taken aback.

"I saw you limping earlier, after... what happened to us..." Bryan gave her a meaningful look.

And that made Angel more angry. "It's fine and it's none of your business."

"Good. Actually, I came here for this." He took out Paolo's resignation letter and showed it to Angel. "You left this earlier."

"You shouldn't have bothered," Angel said. "We don't need that anyway."

"Isn't this important? I mean, for documentation purposes."

"This is not a company that needs a resignation letter when a member leaves."

"Ah... I just thought it might be important," Bryan said. "Anyway, aside from bringing that back to you, I'm here to apply for the position." He pointed to what was written in the letter.

"You want to join The Echo?"

"Yup. I can draw, and I'm good at it. I also take good pictures, and I know a lot about IT stuff so I can help you maintain The Echo," answered Bryan.

Angel smirked. "What we need are writers, Mr. de Vera. We need contributors. It's not just about taking care of the website. We write news articles and that is what we post in The Echo."

"There are drawings and pictures, too," said Bryan, which made Angel even more annoyed. "But, I could write, too."

"Really?" Angel asked sarcastically. "All right. Let's try your writing skills." She took out a piece of paper and a pencil. "Write any article you want, or any literary piece - poem, short story - whatever you like. And then, draw something about it."

Bryan picked up the paper and pencil. "Okay."

"And you only have an hour," Angel said.

"Okay," Bryan said nonchalantly. He went to a table and laid down the bag he's carrying. "Can I sit here?"

"Sure. Do what you want," Angel answered.

Bryan started working. For a while, it seems like he's thinking what he will do. Then he started working on the paper given to him.

"Are you sure about this?" Jessie whispered to Angel. "Bryan doesn't seem to be the writer type."

"Let him. He's too conceited," Angel replied.

"I think he was just being nice. He found out that we don't have enough members, so he volunteered. What if he's good?"

"Then we'll get him," Angel said. "But I'm very positive he won't get in. You said yourself that he's not the writer type."

Less than an hour later, Bryan finished working on his article. He gave his output to Angel.

"You made a comic strip?"

"Not just a comic strip," Bryan replied. "It's an informative comic strip. Come on, read it."

Angel read what he did. Jessie came closer to look as well. The drawing is about freshman students and how they can join various organizations in the Business School.

"I could actually imagine that on The Echo page," Bryan said.

"Is that Angel?" Jessie pointed to a female character. The example given is how the students can join The Echo, and Angel is the one assisting the applicant.

"Yup," Bryan replied.

"That is so cute," said Jessie. "I wish I also was included."

"Okay." Angel laid the paper on the table.

"Okay? What do you mean okay?" Bryan asked.

"Okay," Angel replied.

"Okay as in well done... good job..."

"Okay."

Bryan decided to just let it go. "Okay."

"Let's see if you're good at taking pictures." Angel took the Sony DSLR camera out of the drawer. "Here's our camera and be careful, because if this break then you have to pay for it."

"Okay," Bryan said as he took the camera.

"Take pictures of anything you like," Angel said.

"You won't come with me?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't you worried that I might just ask someone to take the photos for me?"

Angel contemplated on that. Nice point. But it just gave her the idea that Bryan is capable of cheating.

"Okay. Jess, go with him."

"Uh, my next class is about to start. Sorry Angel," Jessie said as she picks up her things. "Bye, everyone. I'm really sorry, Angel."

Jessie left them. Angel wasn't able to do anything but look at her.

"So..." Bryan hinted.

"I can't believe this day could go worse." Angel stood up. Upon stepping her foot on the floor, it ached again. She leaned on her desk for support.

"Are you okay?" Bryan asked worriedly.

"You should have thought about that before you gave me the idea that you might cheat."

"I was just being nice." He grabbed her arm to help her.

Angel pushed it away. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to help you."

"I can manage- Agh!" She leaned back on the table.

"No, you can't."

Bryan tried to hold her again and this time, she let him. Though she feels a little awkward, she still felt safe. For the first time since she met Bryan, she felt she could really trust him.

The two went out to the student lounge. The place looks like an outdoor restaurant where the students can hang out during their vacant period. The seats and tables are covered making it a good place for the students to study, rest or talk with each other.

Bryan led Angel to a chair.

"Just sit here. I'll be nearby to take pictures so you can see me even if you're just sitting there."

Angel sat down and Bryan started taking pictures. She watched him intently. He seems to know everything that he's doing. He looks like a professional photographer.

Bryan looked at her and smiled. Angel was caught off guard by what he did. She looked away, suddenly embarrassed that he caught her looking at him. But, that's really why she's there, right? She needs to watch him take pictures because he might cheat and get someone to take the pictures for him instead.

But she could not make herself look back to him. Bryan might think that she likes him, and just thinking about that makes her feel embarrassed... Wait, why would she feel like that? Any guy would be lucky to have her as his girl. She is Angelica Simone Pascual Martinez, the daughter of two of the owners of MPCF and Associates. She was a consistent honor student and the valedictorian of their batch in elementary and high school. She's a dean's lister, the executive vice president of JPIA and editor-in-chief of The Echo. Those who are not impressed with that might not be from Earth, but from Mars or any planet in the universe.

She smiled at the thought. Sometimes, it's nice to brag about yourself to yourself. Her smile widened. She can only brag about herself secretly, because considering all those mentioned credentials, she is still a very humble person. She doesn't talk about herself to anyone. Actually, she doesn't talk to anyone that much.

She was startled by the flash of the camera. She looked in front and saw Bryan standing there. He is looking at the camera he's holding.

"You took a picture of me?"

"I just tried the auto-flash," Bryan said. "It's bright out there so the auto-flash didn't work. So I tried it in here because it's a bit dark because of the shade-"

"Delete that photo!" she commanded as she stood up.

"As you wish."

Bryan once again helped her get back to the office.

•

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•

An unexpected guest was waiting when Angel and Bryan returned to The Echo's office.

"Sweetheart, where have you been-"

Alice was stunned to see Bryan holding Angel's arm. Angel immediately moved away from him.

"Ah, I just watched Bryan," Angel replied hesitantly. "He is applying as Paolo's replacement in The Echo. I watched him take pictures."

Alice looked at Bryan, who looked nervous as he saw her raise her eyebrow.

"I was just helping her. She hurt her foot," Bryan explained.

"Yah, that's true," Angel said.

"Let me see the pictures." Alice held out her hand. Bryan gave her the camera. She looked at the photos. "Not good. Sorry Kid, but you can't be part of The Echo." She gave the camera to Angel. "Get someone else."

Angel quietly took the camera. She wanted to look at Bryan, but she resisted.

"If your foot hurts, just go home. I'll call the driver at home to pick you up."

"Yes Mom."

Alice looked at Bryan. "What are you still doing here?"

"Ah... Yeah, I'll go now. Angel."

Angel just nodded, though she still could not look at him. Bryan just left.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"You should've said no from the beginning."

"I know... I guess I'm just... desperate? There are only four of us left and there are a lot of things we have to do. I don't know if we can handle it."

Alice went to her child, then held both of her shoulders to console her. "You can do it, Honey. You're a great girl. You're a very good editor-in-chief. You were just on your second year when you became the EIC of The Echo and you handled it very well. You prevailed among your seniors, and that's because you're great."

"Thanks Mom." Angel hugged her mother. She's just so glad she didn't totally get mad.

"Now, what happened to your foot?" Alice looked at Angel's foot.

"I tripped earlier while I was chasing Paolo. But I'm fine, Mom. It just hurts a little, and I only have two more subjects left."

"Fine, if you think you're good. But if you need help, just call me. Okay?"

Angel nodded. "Yes Mom."

"All right, I'll go now. I just visited Elvie, and I just wanted to check if you're okay. Alex as well. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Yes Mom."

After the mother and daughter hugged again, Alice left. Angel was left alone in the office. She glanced at the DSLR camera on the table. She sighed.

Her mom's the sweetest, but when it comes to the issue with the Quintos and de Veras, her fierceness comes out. She doesn't know why, and she doesn't dare ask. Angel just took the camera, then went to her own desk. She was sitting down when Bryan came back.

"Hi!" he said as if nothing had happened earlier. He walked directly to her. "I brought you this." He showed her the ice pack he's holding. "Cold pad for your feet."

Bryan took a chair and placed it in front of Angel. He sat down, then he held her foot.

"Wait!"

Angel was not able to stop Bryan as he took off her sandals. Then he massaged her foot.

"You know, you don't have to do this."

"Your ankle was not sprained. Maybe the muscle just stretched. It will heal soon."

"Why, are you a doctor?"

"Nope. But my mom is a doctor," Bryan said. He smiled at her, then he put the cold pad on her foot.

"Where did you get that?"

"From the clinic," Bryan replied. "It's a good thing it's just near your office. And fortunately, I know the doctor there. So, I got it right away."

"Thank you."

"Don't you have any other shoes?"

"No, I don't."

"Oh… Well, we only have two more subjects, then you can go home. You just need to endure a little more." He smiled at her again.

"I'm sorry, Bryan. Sorry for what happened earlier."

"It's okay. I totally understand. I also forgot that our families have... something."

"If it's any consolation, I think your drawing was fantastic."

Bryan smiled. "Thanks. Anyway, I also would like to have a copy of the pictures I've taken. I hope you don't mind. I love taking photos. I post them to my Flickr account."

"Sure. There's the camera."

Bryan grabbed the camera and then sat down at a table nearby. He took out his own Macbook Pro from his backpack and opened it. He then took out the camera's SD card and puts it in his laptop.

"How about your picture that I took earlier?" Bryan asked her.

"Just delete it."

"Okay."

After copying the pictures, Bryan put back the SD card to the camera. He then handed the camera to Angel. "Here. Thanks."

"Thank you also."

"I should be going. Your mom might suddenly come back."

"I don't think so. She just visited the dean." Angel smiled shyly.

"See you around. Your foot will heal in no time."

"Thanks."

And then, she's alone again. She picked up the DSLR camera and looked at the photos. The SD card was blank when Bryan used it so the photos there were all taken by him. Angel was amazed at what she saw. Bryan really knew what he was doing. All the photos there are so beautiful.

She looked at her aching foot. "Why do you have to be so good in everything, Bryan? And why do you have to be a de Vera?"

•

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•

It was Richard's last subject for the day. So far, everything is good. This is his first day as a student in Tarlac. He just moved here last month, as per his parents' request. He graduated from high school in Manila where he has lived since he was six years old. He was sad that he had to leave his friends there, but he's glad he moved here to Tarlac, with his parents and best friend.

He's now in the School of Arts and Humanities because his last subject is Philippine Literature. He suddenly remembered the girl he had been with earlier in Philippine History. He wished she could be his classmate in all his subjects. His classes became boring after Philippine History. Funny but for the first time, he didn't feel bored in history class.

As soon as she entered the classroom that morning, she already caught his attention. Maybe it was the yellow blouse she's wearing. She literally brought the sun inside the room. And then the awkwardness. She was obviously embarrassed when all the students in the classroom looked at her. How could she not be looked at? She was like an angel in a sea of ​​mortals.

Richard looked at the entrance and was stunned. In a good way. For in the light of the afternoon sun, there she is. The girl named Alex. And just like that morning, it looks like she's looking for a seat again. It's like a déjà vu; it made Richard think it wasn't real. Maybe he was just hallucinating because he really could not take the memory of that girl out of his mind? Or was it for real, like the smile she just gave him when she finally caught sight of him?

He smiled back. Yeah, maybe this is for real.

And it was really real. The next moment, Alex was standing in front of him.

"Excuse me. Is this seat taken?" she asked, indicating the seat next to him.

"Nope."

"Can I sit there?"

"Of course."

She smiled at him and then she sat down next to him.

"Can you believe it? Our first and last subjects are the same," Alex said.

"Maybe that's what they call fate." Then Richard thought of what he just said. 𝘈𝘸𝘸!

Alex looked at him innocently. 𝘋𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦, he secretly begged.

Alex smiled. "Maybe you're right."

Richard felt the world suddenly got better.

"Welcome to our school," Alex said.

"Thanks. I'm actually starting to like it here."

"Really? Are you transferring?" she joked.

He laughed. "If only I can. Do you have pre-med courses here?"

"So you're taking your pre-med? BS Bio, right?"

Richard nodded. "My parents are both doctors."

"Wow! You guys are a family of doctors."

"How about you? Your dad's also into Arts?"

"Business," Alex replied. "But I have no interest in that. Unlike Ate. She's taking up BS Accountancy. As for me, Arts is really my passion. It's good that my parents allowed me to take this course."

Richard was about to ask what their family's business is, when their professor arrived, and their class started.

After class, Richard continued wooing Alex. He will not allow it to just end that way. He must make a move as early as possible. He has to make a move now.

"I really don't enjoy Literature that much," Richard said, just to start a conversation.

"I actually do," Alex said.

𝘖𝘰𝘱𝘴! 𝘞𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦. "Really?"

"You know what? I understand you. Completely."

"Enlighten me."

"There are two kinds of people, right? It's based on the two sides of our brain. You should know that."

"I guess so." Of course, Richard heard about it, but he wants to watch her speak. He likes watching her facial expressions while telling stories and he likes the sound of her voice.

"First are the logical people, those scientists, philosophers, mathematicians... The next one is the creative people. Artists, writers, composers..."

"So you're saying that artists are not logical?"

"It's not like that," Alex said." They're just more inclined to things that have more to do with the Arts. Like me. I'm an artist and I also love literature. But the memorizations, reasoning and all those stuff, I hate them. Then there are people like you, you hate Arts. You don't like Literature. But you love memorizing History stuff."

Richard laughed at the expression on her face. It's like she dislikes History very much.

"I thought you said you love hearing what happened before?"

"Yes but... I guess I just love gossiping."

They both laughed. Richard was enjoying so much that he did not notice his cousin arrive to pick him up. Since he just moved in to Tarlac last month, his mother still does not allow him to drive his own car. So for the meantime, he was told to go home with his cousin Bryan. As for going to school every morning, his parents drop him off before they go to the hospital owned and managed by their family - the Tarlac General Hospital.

"Hi Cuz!" Bryan greeted upon seeing him.

"Cuz!" They did a high five.

Bryan looked at Alex.

"This is Alex. Alex, this is my cousin and best friend, Bryan."

"You look familiar," Bryan said.

"You too," Alex said.

𝘖𝘩 𝘯𝘰! What does this mean? Serendipity? Bryan and Alex having that soulmate moment? 𝘕𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦!

"Gosh! I know I know you," Alex said trying to remember.

Bryan's expression suddenly changed. "I think I already know."

But before Bryan can explain, a girl suddenly approached them.

"Alex!"

They all looked at her.

"Ate!" Alex was still as jolly as ever, even with the girl's obvious grumpiness.

"Now I clearly remember," Bryan said.

Richard looked at Bryan. He gave him a questioning look that the latter immediately read.

"Richard, this is Angelica Martinez. She is the daughter of two of MPCF and Associates partners, Mr. Benjamin and Mrs. Alicia Martinez. They're from Moonville."

And Richard clearly understood. This grumpy girl is a part of their family's nemesis, the Martinez. But, if Alex called her Ate...

Richard looked at Alex. She is also looking at him.

"Alex is her sister," Bryan continued. "Alexandra Martinez, if I'm not mistaken."

"That's right," Alex said. Her demeanor has also changed. Maybe because she felt like something's not right.

"This is Richard Quinto," Bryan told Alex. "He's the son of Dr. Ricardo Quinto, from the Quintos of Moonville."

Richard was just looking at Alex, who is also staring at him. They both refuse to believe what is happening.

"Alex, let's go!" Angel commanded.

Alex just continued staring at Richard. He could feel like the world is starting to crumble.

"Alex!"

Alex finally gave up. She looked at her sister.

"Okay," she said softly.

Richard felt Alex wanted to look at him for the last time, but she held back. He watched her go to her sister and leave. Then he felt Bryan's tap on his shoulder.

"Yes Cuz. Unfortunately, she's a Martinez."

Richard can't believe it. He still doesn't want to believe it. Out of all the girls that he could like, he fell for the one who came from their family's nemesis. So how is it then? You and me against the world, just like Romeo and Juliet?

𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘑𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘵. Yes, that's how it feels like. A pair of star-cross'd lovers, from two families with ancient grudge. But like those two characters, only their families are the enemies. 'Tis but her name that is his enemy. And with the help of the powerful forces of love, they were able to express their feelings to each other, even if it means Romeo climbing up the high balcony.

𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. A thought suddenly struck him. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰.