The First Meeting

It is Monday again. It's a fresh start for the new week. The weekend went well as I spent it with Mom and Dad. I wonder how my day will be like today.

It's 8am and I just got up from bed and I have to get dressed since school starts at 9:45 and I have two classes today so better get to school early.

A few minutes later, I came out of the bathroom wearing house clothes and went to my closet to find what I will wear today.

I wore my favorite light blue sweatshirt and black jeans, my usual Monday look. I decided to wear it with my light blue sneakers.

After getting changed, I fixed my backpack then messaged Karina..

Karina.

Good Morning. Want to meet up at the café on the way to school today?

Sophia

Sophia.

Sure. See you there in 30 minutes? I just woke up.

Karina

Karina

Okay then. See you.

Sophia.

"Nice! I'm finally going to meet up with Karina again. We haven't went to school together in months already".

After the chat, I went down to the dining room and saw my parents having breakfast already.

"Good Morning, Mom and Dad"! I said

"Good Morning, Sophia. Mom cooked your favorite waffles with bacon and cheese". Dad said

Mom surely does know how to make my day fun. It's been a while since I last had waffles for breakfast.

"How are you going to school today, sweetie"? Mom asked

"I'm going to meet Karina at the café then we're going to school together". I said

"That's good. You really spend so much time with Karina. Like you have been when you were in high school". Mom said

"That's true. Karina is like a very special friend of mine. She is also my sister and partner-in-crime. We always have each other's backs no matter what we are going through". I said

"I do see Karina as my daughter also. As your Dad and I are always busy, we are happy that you have a friend like Karina who you can spend the time when we are not there for you". Mom said

"That is very much true, Mom. I don't feel lonely when I'm alone because she is there for me". I said

After a fun time at breakfast, I went to prepare my water bottle before going out.

"Mom. Dad. I'll go ahead now. I'll see you later in the afternoon or by dinner". I said

"Okay. Take care". Mom said

So I went on my way to the café. On the way there, I wore my earphones and listened to music while walking to the café.

I really missed walking to the café. It has been a while since I last did this.

When I got to the café, Karina wasn't there yet so I went and ordered our favorite drinks.

After ordering, I sat down at our usual place and took out my laptop and searched for a good place to have lunch today.

Minutes later, I saw Karina's car approaching the café so I put my laptop back in my bag then took our drinks and rode her car.

"How long have you been waiting"? Karina asked

"I arrived a few minutes ago. Here's your favorite Iced Americano by the way". I said handing her drink.

"Thanks. I haven't had this in days. What were you searching while waiting"? Karina asked

"Oh that. I was looking for a new place to have lunch today". I said

"Did you find any"? Karina asked

"Well, I did find one. It's a café actually. It's in a mall that's 10 minutes away from the university. The reviews were really high and the food looks really good". I said

"I can't wait to try it. What's our class schedule today? I honestly keep forgetting that". Karina said

"We have a class from 9:45 am to 11:45am then break until 1:30pm then the next class is from 1:30 to 4:20pm". I said

"Oh okay. Any plans after classes this afternoon"? Karina asked

"Well, I've been doing the things I always do. Is there something you want to do or somewhere you wanna go"? I asked

"Hm.. Actually, there is a stationary store that I have been wanting to visit. It's in the same mall as the café you're saying". Karina said

I haven't been to stationary store since I went to Singapore a year ago. I really want to go visit one. Now that Karina told me about this, I won't have to spend so much time on online shopping just to find stationary. What can I do without Karina..

"We should go. It's been a year since I've been to a stationary store. Since then I've been spending so much time online looking for stationary. I won't have to do that anymore. Thanks to you". I said

"If I remember, you told me about your last stationary store visit. It was in Singapore, am I right? Even I didn't know there was such a store until I saw posts online by my friends who've visited the store". Karina said

"Yeah, it was in Singapore. We were so busy with our studies that we couldn't even keep up with what's new". I said

"That's very true. Then, we'll have to study after that. But where should we go"? Karina asked

Then I remembered about what Mom told me last Saturday.

"Mom told me to invite you over for dinner because she misses cooking for you and she hasn't seen you since high school graduation. We can study at home and have dinner. Let's not stay up too late like we used to back in high school". I said

"That's a great idea. My parents wouldn't be home early tonight because of work and I'd rather have dinner at your place than go somewhere and eat alone". Karina said

"By the way, how has your Dad been? I've met your Mom a lot when we go out but it's been a while since I saw your Dad". I said

"He's okay. He's been really busy these past months with tons of project offers here and there. He's been on the road everyday for the past eight months. He's been home only like five times during that time". Karina said

Right! Karina's dad works as a broadcasting executive and a well-known director in one of the biggest entertainment companies here. I've seen a lot of his shows with my parents and they were really fun.

"I'm really curious, have you ever watched any of the shows your dad produced or directed"? I asked

"Of course I do. My Mom likes watching Dad's shows either on TV or personally. She watches a lot of them when she's free or when she wants to relieve stress. I only get to watch it when I am free". Karina said

"I understand. I've been to a lot of events my dad hosted and I am really amazed by how much connections my parents have with big names in the industry. I really enjoyed attending those events with my parents since I get to meet their partners and colleagues which made me appreciate their profession". I said

"That's actually good exposure. I've been to a lot of events with my Mom and I really enjoyed the vibe they have. I also got to meet teenagers like us who are as interested in this industry as we are". Karina said

While we were enjoying our coffee and our conversation, we didn't notice that we arrived in school already.

When Karina parked the car, she suddenly asks me a question that I didn't realize.

"By the way, you have a car and a parking slot here but I've barely seen you drive your car going to school"? Karina asked

"Oh, that's because Dad had my car redesigned and all. He told me that he wanted to revamp the car and make it look better since it has been with him for a long time that he wanted to make it look much better. It's been two weeks since I got it again and I drove it last Saturday with Mom. But honestly, I wanted to come with you since it's been a while since we last did". I said

"Oh. Let me see your car tonight, okay". Karina said

"I will. Don't worry. I'm sure you're going to be amazed". I said

We got off the car then went in the campus.

Karina went to get some files in the administration office so I decided to go to the classroom alone first.

On the way to the classroom, I bumped into a schoolmate whom I have seen before but never talked with.

"Oh sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you". I said

"No, it's my fault. I wasn't looking on the way". He said

"It's okay. I'm Sophia Rivera". I said

"I'm David Sanchez". He said

David Sanchez?! His surname sounds really familiar. Wait?! Isn't he the son of Primea Ultimo Productions Inc? I've seen a lot of the movies made by the company.

"Nice to meet you". I said

"Likewise. Can we be friends"? He asked

The DAVID SANCHEZ asked me to be his friend?! What should I say?

"Okay. Wanna exchange numbers"? I asked

"Sure. Here's my number". He said handing me a piece of paper.

"Here's mine". I said

"I have to go now. I'll see you later. It was nice to meet you Sophia". He said

"Likewise, David". I said

When he left, I felt so happy to have made another friend.

On my way to the classroom, Karina caught up with me and I told her what just happened.

"I bumped into David Sanchez just awhile ago". I said

"The DAVID SANCHEZ?! As in the son of Primea Ultimo Productions Inc"? She said freaked out.

"Yup, him. We even exchanged numbers and became friends". I said

"Really?! Wait, isn't he the guy you told me about last year that you had a crush on"? Karina asked

Ah.. She still remembers that. I really have a huge crush on him. But, I don't know how to say it..

"Yeah, I do. But, I can't just blurt that out of nowhere when we just started to become friends". I said

"I am happy for you, Sophia". Karina said

"I am too. We better get to class. We have like 30 minutes left". I said

We went to our classroom as quickly as we could.

TWO HOURS LATER....

First class is finally over. I'm getting really hungry now and I've been waiting for Karina for about 20 minutes now. She said she had to go to the bathroom.

After a while, I finally spotted Karina running to me. I guess she went to another bathroom although there's one just few minutes away from the classroom.

"Where have you been? I've waited for 30 minutes now. I'm really hungry, you know. We have like an hour until the next class. We better get going". I said

So Karina and I immediately ran to the parking lot and drove to the mall where the café is.

At the café, I spotted someone familiar there also. It was David.

"Karina, David's here too". I said

"Really"?! Karina said

"Yup. Look behind you". I said

"Damn, he is really here". Karina said

We immediately sat down and ordered our food. While waiting, we were having a conversation when David suddenly comes over to our table.

"So, we meet again, Sophia". He said

"We do. By the way, this is my friend Karina". I said

"Karina! It's been a while". He said

"It has. Take a seat". Karina said

They know each other?! Oh, I remember now. Karina is part of the school newspaper committee too.

"David, try asking Sophia some questions that you really want to know about". Karina said

Karina really loves getting-to-know sessions. When we were in high school, she would always have sessions like this to meet new people.

Hm... I wonder what he's going to ask...

"What is your favorite color"? He asked

"All shades of blue, actually. How about you"? I asked

"I like the color blue also". He said

Wow. Just like that, we have some thing in common.

"What do you usually do during school breaks"? He asked

"I actually travel a lot. I do vlogging as well. I also play sports with Karina and my cousins". I said

"What sports do you play"? He asked

"I've tried almost every sport but I really enjoy snow sports a lot especially snowboarding and ice skating". I said

"I love snowboarding too". He said

Another thing we have in common.

"I've actually seen some of your videos and I was wondering why you chose a complete different field". He said

"I also asked myself about that, I thought that I could still enjoy vlogging even if I'm in this field. It's like I won't be traveling anymore". I said

"I also like traveling a lot. Could you suggest me a country to visit this coming summer break"? He asked

He's asking me for travel recommendations. I should know what he prefers to do when traveling.

"Well, what do you enjoy doing when you travel? Maybe I could recommend you something with that". I said

"When I travel, I really enjoy taking photos, eating good food, and shopping. I basically go for those kind of things". He said

"Then I can suggest that you visit Japan, Italy, or Paris. Those places would satisfy all those you said". I said

Did I just sound like a travel expert... hahahaha.....

"Thanks for the suggestion". He said

"Anytime". I said

"About your choice on coffee, which do you prefer more, hot or iced"? He asked

"Well, I prefer iced coffee more. I don't really like drinking something hot". I said

"I prefer the same too. It's something we can drink anytime of the day". He said

"That's true". I said

We really enjoyed the entire conversation we had over lunch. But, we had to get back to school since it is almost time for our next class.

Karina and I are on the way to the parking lot while talking about the chat we had with David.

"You two have so much in common. I didn't know that". Karina said

"I was surprised myself. I didn't know he watches my videos". I said

"Who wouldn't be. I'm sure you two will be really close soon (laughs)". Karina said

"Let's hope so. It already seems like we're getting along already". I said

"You surely are". Karina said

Few minutes later, we arrived back at school and went straight to our classroom for our last class.

2 HOURS AND 20 MINUTES LATER..

Finally, class is over. I'm free for the rest of the afternoon. Karina and I are going back to the mall to see the stationary store she told me about this morning.

"Karina! Aren't we going to that stationary store you were telling me this morning? Let's go"! I said

"Coming". Karina said

Karina usually loses track of time when she does something and that almost got us in trouble when we were in high school.

After a few minutes, Karina finally approaches me.

"You didn't change at all Karina. I thought you would check the time more often but you still act like how you were back in high school". I said

"Sorry, I just got very much into the lecture that I didn't keep track of the time". Karina said

"Really?! It seemed like you were thinking about something else (laughs)". I said

"Was I (laughs)? Karina said

We finally got to Karina's car in the parking lot and drove straight to the mall.

The moment we got to the mall, Karina ran in the mall so quickly that I had to run just to catch up with her.

She surely is excited to go to that store. Honestly, I am as excited as she is but I want to enjoy every moment of it.

"Karina, don't run too fast please. I'm getting tired already". I said running

"You're the fastest runner, I know. I'll slow down for you anyways. We've been walking a lot today so let's take it slow now then". Karina said

"I know I am but we should take our time. We still have like hours before dinner so nothing to hurry about". I said

"That's true. Should we get ice cream at least"? Karina said

I like Karina so much that she tries to find ways that would make me feel happy.

"Should we"? I asked

"Of course we should. Do you even remember the time you last had ice cream"? Karina asked

Honestly, I don't remember the last time I had ice cream. It's been a while since then actually.

"I don't. Has it actually been that long already? I should get some ice cream, really". I said

"It's been almost a year and half since you last had ice cream, you know. We were so into other things that we don't even notice that we are forgetting things that we have liked before". Karina said

"That's true. We kept focusing on our studies in college as well as with other things which we used to like and enjoy before". I said

After minutes of walking, we passed by an ice cream store. After ordering and getting our orders, we enjoyed it while walking to the stationary store.

Minutes later, we finally got to the stationary store.

"Wow! This is going to be my new stationary heaven". I said.

"It surely will be". Karina said

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the stationary store until we finished our shopping.

"This place is really awesome, Karina. We should come here more often soon". I said

"We should". Karina said

At that moment, I received a text from Mom asking me to get some groceries on my way home.

"I need to get some groceries. Mom's orders". I said

"Let's go. I haven't done groceries for some time now and I need to get some too". Karina said

We immediately went to the grocery to get the things Mom asked me to get and some things Karina needed.

After grocery shopping, we went straight to the parking lot and drove back home.

When we got home, we saw Mom at the garden having her afternoon tea.

"Mom, I'm home. Karina's here too". I said

"Sweetie. Karina. Come in. Let me help you with those". Mom offered

"We can do this, Mom. You should continue your tea, we'll follow after we put these groceries inside". I said

So Karina and I brought the groceries to the kitchen, placed them in the refrigerator and went up to my room to leave the things I bought.

"We should go down now, your Mom might be waiting for us". Karina said

So we immediately went to the garden and luckily Mom was still there.

We have a fun conversation until it was getting darker and Mom wanted to prepare for dinner already.

"Auntie, I'll help you cook. I want to learn more new recipes from you. I missed your cooking very much already". Karina said

Karina loves my Mom's cooking. Whenever she came over, Mom would always prepare food for us and Karina loves it so much that she even takes some home with her.

"Sure. I would like that. We could also bond over cooking". Mom said

Is Mom choosing Karina over me now? Nah, she just wants to spend more time with her.

"Mom , what could I do"? I asked

"Why don't you prepare your favorite dessert? The one you let me try before. Karina should try it too". Mom said

"Sophia cooks?! That's new, I guess". Karina said

"I'm not confident in cooking, really. I just like baking or making easy things when I feel hungry and no one's home". I said

"I should try that. You won't know if I would like it as much as I love your Mom's cooking". Karina joked

Is she threatening me? Or is she getting her hopes up too high? I should prove to her I'm the best in terms of easy cooking in this place.

"You will love it too, Karina. Sophia always makes it for the both of us when we have long conversations or just simply because she wanted to experiment on things". Mom said

Mom is making her expectations really high now. Never have I ever thought of competing with Mom's cooking. She's really the best chef for me.

When Mom and Karina went to the kitchen, I started making Mom's favorite dessert and snack, mango crepe cake and dark chocolate cookies. These were the first ones I tried making and I got really good at it (really?). It is also the easiest ones to make.

After awhile, I finished making them and placed in the refrigerator then took out some ingredients from the fridge then made vanilla and strawberry milkshakes for the three of us.

Few moments later, Mom and Karina were already finished preparing dinner and I also finished making everything I was making so I went to the dining table and watched them setting up the table.

They prepared my favorite spicy seafood pasta and grilled chicken with mashed potatoes and corn with butter. Nice combination with what I made.

As they sat down, I stood up and went to the kitchen to get the milkshakes I prepared.

I gave each one to Mom and Karina and waited for their reactions to it.

"You really made this, Sophia"? Karina asked

"Of course. The both of you prepared good food so I need to prepare good things too. This is just the first". I said

After dinner, I stood up and went to the kitchen to get the other things I prepared. Mom and Karina are really expecting a lot from what I prepared and I'm confident to satisfy it.

"Wow! My favorites. Can't wait to take a bite of it". Mom said

"You are really good, Sophia. I truly am amazed that you have such skills like this. You'll have to cook for me more now". Karina said

"Of course. Any time". I said

After our fun dinner conversation, Karina kept asking me to show her my car so I brought her to the garage to see my car.

When she saw my car, she looked really amazed just like how I felt when I first saw my car again.

"It's look amazing. I couldn't believe that it would actually look like this. I couldn't even restore my own car to look like this". Karina said

Karina really isn't the type of person who puts in a lot of effort into things.

"That's true. You really need to put in more effort into things like this. You don't know when you get to change it again". I said

"I should. Hope we get to do it soon.