Not yet

ANGELLE

AFTER THREE WEEKS.

Everything is fine now. We have adjusted to our new house and new way of life. It's simple but happy. Papa can only come home on Sundays because he works as a company driver in Makati, while Mama stays at home to take care of us. We also live close to some relatives, so whenever we get bored at home, Ate Jove and I go out for a walk where there are plenty of food options. And Isiah? Well, he confessed to me last week, and we're in the stage of courtship now. We're content with our current status and I know he's just waiting for me. Mama even thought that Isiah and I were already a couple, but I told her the truth that he's still courting me.

Isiah doesn't know about what happened during those days. I didn't tell him; I buried it in the past.

As for the hype beasts, I don't even acknowledge them when I see them on the street. Before I left the Batang-Buras group chat, I told them that I was distancing myself to avoid getting involved in their problems. They understood how I felt after being disrespected by Link's girlfriend. And as for that jerk? We went back to being strangers/enemies. Whenever we see each other, we no longer exchange glances like the first time we met. That's fine with me, so I don't have any more problems and won't get involved with them again.

"Angelle, are you listening?"

Shit.

"Huh?... oh, sorry. What was that?"

Gosh, why did I get lost in my thoughts? I didn't even realize that I was talking to Isiah on the other line.

"I said we still have one week of vacation left, so why don't we go to Tito Ion's beach resort?"

Beach resort?

"That sounds nice, but I need to ask permission from my mom and dad first."

"Yeah, I'll ask for permission for you too to make sure. Anyway, bring your cousins and friends with you."

Friends? Who does he mean, the hype beasts?

"I don't have friends, just let Ate Jove know who she's bringing." I said.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."

What?

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we're going there tomorrow so we can catch Tito Ion before he leaves for Macau." Seriously?

"But—"

Before I could finish my words, he cut me off.

"No 'buts.' Angelle, don't worry. Before I go there, I'll ask for permission from Aunt and Uncle."

"Okay."

"Pack for two days, alright?"

"Yeah,"

After talking to Isiah, I went to the kitchen to talk to Mama and ask for her permission. She was okay with it but wanted me to ask Papa for permission as well.

Before I started packing, I called Papa. At first, he didn't agree because it's far and it would just be the two of us, but when I mentioned that Ate Jove would be with us, he agreed. Like Mama, he reminded me of something I've heard many times whenever I ask for permission.

"Couzieeee!"

I almost closed my eyes when Ate Jove suddenly appeared and her voice pierced my eardrums. I was packing for our two-day vacation at Tito Ion's beach resort (Isiah's uncle) and I also invited Lica and my cousin Joel and his girlfriend.

"Can you please lower your voice? The neighbors are sleeping!" I scolded her, and she just smiled and flashed a peace sign. "Anyway, what brings you here?" I asked.

"Isiah called me and told me that we're going to Tito's beach resort. I'm so excited!" she said and rolled around on my bed.

"Tch! Who did you invite?" She straightened up and looked at me.

"It's none of your business," she pouted, then left my room, leaving me here.

What's her problem? Is she on drugs? She comes here and suddenly acts grumpy?

I just shook my head and continued packing.

•~•~•~•~•~•

It was only three o'clock in the morning when we woke up to get ready. Isiah said he would pick us up at four. After we finished eating and getting ourselves ready, I went outside to wait for Ate Jove, who said she had something to do. Maybe she invited Andre to come along.

"You're lucky to have Isiah, be." I looked at Cacai when she said that.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Every time he comes to your house, his purpose is to see you. You're lucky because he makes the effort to visit you no matter how far he lives." I raised an eyebrow at her statement.

She has a point. Even though Isiah is busy with work now, as he manages his father's business, he still finds time to visit me. Just seeing him and feeling his sincerity in courting me makes me feel lucky.

"You're also lucky with my cousin, right?" Cacai suddenly blushed when I mentioned my cousin.

Joel Gallardo is her boyfriend, who is also my cousin and Ate Jove's brother, you know?

"Not really. He used to hurt me." I chuckled softly.

"Well, in a relationship, problems are inevitable."

She pouted. "He's just so flirty."

"Oh, maybe I'll be surprised and you two will become enemies again." She smiled at what I said.

"I doubt it. He might even break up with me suddenly," she said.

I just shook my head at her statement.

"Anyway, why is Ate Jove taking so long?" she shrugged in response to my question.

While we were waiting for the others, Cacai and Joel went to talk to Mama, who was waiting for us before going back inside.

We looked towards the gate as we saw Paps Justine and Link with Ate Jove. Did she invite them?

When they finally approached us, they smiled, and I returned the gesture with a forced smile before facing the direction where the van that Isiah arranged for us would pass. He wouldn't be the one driving since their family driver would be taking us.

I remained quiet as they chatted, just as I said, I kept my distance from them.

After a while, a gray van arrived and stopped in front of us. Isiah got out of the passenger seat, smiling and in a good mood. Well, he's always in a good mood anyway.

He approached me, gave me a hug, and greeted Mama with a bow. Then he looked at the others who were with us.

"Thank you for coming," he said with a smile.

He invited these people who are with Ate Jove? I thought he wanted it to be cheap? What happened to Isiah that suddenly changed his mind?

"We couldn't refuse, and it would be a waste if we joined later," Timothy replied.

"Well, yeah. Let's go?"

They nodded and got inside the van. We said goodbye to Mama before Isiah and I took the passenger seats.

"Take care, Angelle. Remember my instructions," Mama nodded as I acknowledged her words.

The driver started the van's engine, and we began the five-hour journey to Tito Ion's beach resort.

I glanced at the rearview mirror to see what Ate Jove was doing. But I caught Link looking at us through the mirror, and if I'm not mistaken, he was looking at me. He quickly averted his gaze and closed his eyes. I just shrugged it off.

"Get some sleep, and I'll wake you up when we arrive," Isiah said. I nodded in response and rested my head against the headboard of the seat, closing my eyes.

Before I could fall asleep completely, I felt Isiah gently lay my head on his shoulder. I smiled and comfortably embraced the darkness.

•~•~•~•~•~•

WOW! The first word that came to mind when we entered. This is not just an ordinary beach resort. It's evident that Tito Ion spared no expense in building this resort.

"'Welcome to Ion resort, Ma'am and Sir. Enjoy!" greeted us a woman standing by the hotel door. We smiled and nodded in response.

"Wow! The people here must be fancy. Maybe there are celebrities here." Lica suddenly exclaimed, scanning the surroundings.

"This Ion resort is one of the most influential resorts, Lica. You might encounter some celebrities on the beach," Isiah replied.

"Really? OMG! I hope Kentooo is here!" I rolled my eyes upon hearing Lica mention the name of her Japanese crush.

"Later, Lics," I said.

"Isiah, ma boy!"

We turned our heads towards the direction of a handsome voice. OMG! It's Tito Ion. For your information, Tito Ion is one of the most sought-after bachelors, so it's not surprising that many women are crazy about him. Aside from being handsome, he's also kind and smells really good, hehe.

As he approached Isiah, Isiah immediately hugged his uncle, and Tito Ion returned the gesture.

"How are you?" he asked with his accent.

"Fine, Tito. Anyway, I told you I'll bring Angelle here. Here she is," Isiah said, motioning towards me.

I had met Tito Ion before, back in high school when Isiah and I were classmates. He even baked cakes for us when we were working on a project.

"Angelle, why so pretty?" Tito Ion commented, giving me a cheeky smile as he hugged me. He quickly let go and messed up my hair, something he always does. "Do you want me to bake a cake for you?" I nodded shyly in response.

He then looked at our companions, who were smiling at us. "Who are they, Isiah? New friends?"

"Yeah, soon-to-be-new-friends," Isiah replied with a smile.

"Okay then, let's go to the cafeteria so you can have a meal and enjoy the beach here."

We quickly finished our food, chatted for a while, and then Tito Ion escorted us to our rooms. The girls, including me, shared a room with two beds, while the hype beast guys shared a room that Tito Ion arranged for them. They should have had their own separate rooms, but they preferred to be together. Isiah, on the other hand, had his own room.

"Enjoy your stay here, Angelle," Tito Ion said before leaving to get ready for his trip to Macau.

Since some of us were already excited to swim, Isiah told us to change our clothes before heading down to the beach together. I just wore shorts and a swimming bra since we're minors and not allowed to wear bikinis or two-pieces. Correction: Except for the two couples and some of the hype beasts.

When we reached the beach, we were greeted by the guys wearing only briefs... just kidding, trunks.

I couldn't help but look at Link, who looked extremely handsome in his outfit. I mean, he was half-naked, and you could really see how amazing his body was at the age of 18. How did he achieve that?

"Couzie, you might drool and Link might see it," Ate Jove whispered, giggling.

I felt my face flush as Ate Jove said that. I quickly averted my gaze and bit my lip. Did Link see me?

"Guys, Angelle." I turned to the voice and saw Isiah, who had just arrived.

He approached me and brushed away a few strands of my hair. Then he faced our companions who had been eager to run to the beach.

"Let's go," Isiah said, reaching for my hand, and we walked ahead.

When we reached the beach, the others immediately plunged into the water, including Isiah. They even played volleyball, while I just sat and happily watched them. I was glad that Isiah wasn't the first person they met.

"Timothy is so competitive!" Russell shouted, referring to their teammate, Ate Jove.

"What do you mean competitive? I just scored!" Timothy retorted.

Their teammates laughed at the different interpretations. "Hey, don't be so vulgar," Prof said.

As I smiled at what I was watching, I noticed someone looking at me, so I turned to see Link quickly averting his gaze when our eyes met. Was he looking at me? Oh yes, girl, that's why you looked at him.

"Angelle, join us?" Isiah called, approaching me with a smile. I smiled back and shook my head.

"No, I don't feel like swimming yet. Just enjoy yourselves," I replied.

He nodded and went back to playing.

After they finished playing, the sun was setting, so the crew served us food at our cottage.

While we were eating, Isiah looked at me, causing me to pause in my eating.

"What's wrong? Do I have something on my face?" I asked, confused, while the others were busy eating.

He smiled and pinched the tip of my nose. "Nothing, I'm just happy to be on vacation with you again." I smiled back.

The last vacation I had with him was when one of our classmates invited us to go to Boracay, and we agreed.

"I'm also happy, especially since my cousins are here and... new friends," I said.

I thought that would be the end of our day. I excused myself briefly to go to the bathroom, and when I came back, there were alcoholic drinks on the table in our cottage.

"What are those?" I furrowed my brows, pointing at the drinks on the table.

Suddenly, someone hugged me from behind, and I turned to look at who it was. "Justine invited us to drink, and I didn't refuse," Isiah said.

We might get in trouble for this. Some of us are still minors.

"You're not going to drink," I told him.

"Just this time, please let us. Promise," Isiah said. I sighed in defeat, what else could I do?

"Fine," I said and sat next to Lica, who was busy munching on snacks next to Cacai.

They started drinking, and the conversation turned to exes. We just laughed because some of them couldn't handle it and ended up falling down. They had some sort of drinking game going on, and that's why they all ended up falling.

After they finished drinking, we asked the staff to help us bring the guys to their rooms.

I carefully stood Isiah up since he could still walk, and I took him to his room. When we arrived, I was about to lay him down, but I got pulled down with him onto the bed. He seemed to be asleep due to the amount he drank.

I was about to move away from him when someone lifted him up. He adjusted his position and I looked at the person who did it and unable to speak when I see him.

I took some clothes from Isiah's bag and helped him change and wiped his face to make him more comfortable while sleeping. I sighed because I wasn't comfortable with Link being here. Why didn't he leave?

After I finished taking care of Isiah, we left the room without saying anything and walked towards our respective rooms.

"Can I talk to you?" Link interrupted the silence as we walked.

"Yeah, sure," I replied without looking at him.

"Anyway, I just wanted to clarify—" I didn't let him finish his sentence as I immediately understood what he wanted to talk about.

"Don't worry, I'm not thinking about that anymore," I said as we descended the stairs.

"Sorry," I stopped walking and stared at him when he said that.

It's so easy for him to say "sorry," but I would think twice before saying sorry to someone. Well, I don't have any complaints because he did something wrong to me.

When we reached the seaside, we sat on the white sand and felt each other's presence. I didn't plan on going back to our room yet.

"Are you and Isiah together?" Link asked, causing me to briefly look at him.

"Not yet," I answered and looked back at the sea.

"Not yet? So, are you planning to say yes to him?" he made me look at him again.

I have a crush on Isiah, and I want him to be my boyfriend. So, yes, I do plan on saying yes to him.

"Y-yes," I stammered.

He laid down on the sand, and I smiled at him, which made him smile back as he pulled me down with him onto his chest.

"Oh, you!" I exclaimed as I fell onto his chest.

"So, I'm gay now," he said, laughing. I got annoyed and stood up, giving him a glare.

"Why are you pulling me?!" I asked angrily.

"I just missed having someone next to me," he said.

"Oh, really?" I smirked.

"I want to be next to you,"

I couldn't immediately respond when he said that. Is he on drugs or something?

"Excuse me?"

He laughed. "I said don't make excuses because you're not passing by." He said, still laughing.

"Don't ruin the mood, and don't act like you're close to me. We're not yet okay," I said as I was about to stand up, but he pulled

me back down.

Damn!

"Sorry, I didn't really want Gipsy to disrespect you. Even if you ask Prof—"

"Okay, let's make up!" I exclaimed.

"Really?"

"Just like that?"

He laughed, and I let him pull me down onto his arm. "Don't worry, I won't take you away from Isiah." He whispered.