Love Letter

ANGELLE

When I woke up on Monday, I felt extremely unwell. I had a splitting headache, and my cold was getting worse. Mama told me not to go to school and just send an excuse letter, but I still decided to go. I didn't want to miss out on any lessons, especially since it's difficult to catch up on each topic.

"Are you okay, Angelle?" Kervin asked as we walked.

I nodded. "I just have a cold."

"Why did you still come to school?"

"I don't want to miss the lessons," I winced at my own reasoning.

"But Prof is your classmate, right? You can always copy the lessons from him," he suggested.

"Nah, I prefer hearing and learning it firsthand," I smirked.

"You're quite something, soon-to-be-girlfriend of Link," he teased, earning a glare from me.

Ever since they found out that I agreed to let Link court me, they've been teasing me. They always refer to me as Link's "soon-to-be-girlfriend."

"Shut up!" I retorted, and Kervin just flashed a peace sign.

"Hey! Kervin, what are you doing to Angelle? Link might get mad at you!" Prof said as he joined us.

Ate Jove, Andre, Lica, and a few Hype Beasts were with us on our walk to school. Link wasn't with us because he left early to practice basketball. They have a game against another school next week, so their practice is getting more intense.

I don't know why Prof decided to accompany us instead of practicing early.

"You all always think that everything I do is wrong. Have I ever done anything right?" Kervin said dramatically.

"Fool, stop with the drama," Wendell said, laughing.

"You idiot, Baldy. I'm not being dramatic. I'm just stating what I see," Kervin retorted.

"You're such an idiot, Kerv. You're always sticking close to Angelle whenever we're with her, making Link jealous," Russel chimed in.

"I know that, let that child get jealous. Let's see how much he really likes Angelle," I reacted, shaking my head at his comment.

"You guys are acting like fools. If Link really loves my cousin, he should put in the effort!" Ate Jove chimed in.

"Your words won't ruin this, Yam. Let Link try his best in courting Angelle. We all know that they'll end up together in the end," Andre said, sounding thrilled about Ate Jove's reaction.

"How do you know? Are you a fortune teller?" Ate Jove retorted.

"Tch! Even if I'm not a fortune teller, I know that Angelle and Link are meant to be."

"There's no forever!" Ate Jove exclaimed, showing her bitterness despite already having a boyfriend.

"It has, but it's just not for us," Andre fired back.

They're both definitely abnormal. Andre can't even pursue and cherish his girlfriend properly. Both of them should be tied to a tree infested with giant ants.

When we arrived at Maximo, we headed straight to our respective buildings and classrooms. Earlier, when we passed by the court, Link was really busy with his practice. I didn't even know if he would attend classes since it seemed like all the players were using "excuses." They were just being lazy, especially Kervin and Prof when it came to basketball practice.

"Do you want to talk to Link?" Prof asked as he looked at me.

"Huh? No, he's still busy," I replied.

"Okay, I was thinking of talking to him so the two of you can have a conversation," he said with a smile.

"It's okay, I understand that he needs to focus on practicing," I nodded.

When we entered the classroom, we sat down in our respective armchairs and chatted while waiting for our first period to start. While we were having a conversation, a Grade 8 student entered the room, catching everyone's attention. She smiled at me and approached.

"Hi," she greeted.

"H-hello?"

"He asked me to give this to you again," he said, handing me a pink envelope. I looked at it before accepting it and facing him.

"This is from your 'Handsome Brother' again?" I asked, smiling.

"Yes, he also wanted me to tell you that you two can have lunch together later." Really?

"Seriously? I don't even know him yet," I said.

"That's why he wants to have lunch with you so you can get to know each other," she replied, smiling. I looked at Prof for confirmation.

"I don't see anything wrong with trying to get to know your admirer," Prof suggested. "We'll keep an eye on you." I nodded and faced the student again.

"Okay, canteen 1. I'll sit near the counter."

"All right, Ate Ganda. I'll leave now," he said before running off.

I chuckled softly at his nickname for me, Ate Ganda.

"I wonder who this 'Handsome Brother' is," Prof asked.

"This is the second time he's sent something," I said.

"Now I'm curious to meet this person too," Prof said, resting his head on his hand.

"Not just you, Prof. I also want to meet this 'Handsome Brother'," I replied, laughing.

"The way he's addressed, 'Handsome Brother'." Prof laughed.

I opened the envelope and took out the letter inside, with Prof looking at it.

"Can I read it?" he asked, and I nodded before flipping it open.

Dear Angelle,

I'm sorry I couldn't join you in entering school. I needed to come early for practice. I don't want to disappoint my friends and batchmates.

I paused in reading and furrowed my brow. Link?

Last night, I went to your house even though I knew the curfew was in the ronda. I had a short conversation with Lica and your Mother. It was nice getting to know more about you. Let's talk more during lunch break :)

I smiled when I read the last part.

"Oh, shit. So, it's just Link as the 'Handsome Brother'?" Prof exclaimed.

"Yes," I replied.

"But, in fairness, he only made an effort to write now. He's lazy when it comes to writing, especially when it's about lessons," Prof said.

I just laughed and kept the letter from Link hidden. How can I still get excited about meeting Mr. Handsome when I already know who he is? Link is funny.

"Well, when you're in love, you can do things you never thought you could," I heard Prof murmur as he faced his notebook.

•~•~•~•~•~•

It wasn't yet time for the recess, but Sir Archie allowed us to take a break. So when I went to the canteen, there were only a few people there, and not many were eating at Canteen 1 yet.

Usually, I meet Link at Canteen 2, but since Lica and the others were there, I knew they would just tease us until the break is over. It's better for me and Link to have quality time together to get to know each other better.

I didn't bother asking Prof to keep an eye on us since we already know Mr. Handsome.

I was waiting for Link when someone covered my eyes, so I removed the hands, but the person was persistent. I glared at him and asked, "Hey! Who are you?"

"Give you a clue. The most handsome in the world."

"Link!"

He removed his hands and smiled, sitting next to me. I raised an eyebrow and gently pushed him away, so he wouldn't get too close. He chuckled and leaned closer, earning another glare from me.

"You're still too close to me!" I scolded him, and he just grinned and moved his face closer to mine, causing me to back away.

"What if I don't want to?"

"I'll kick you!"

He chuckled and moved away from me. "You just don't want them to know that I'm courting you," he said, sounding a bit sulky.

"Don't sulk over that. Boy, you might get rejected immediately!" I threatened him, and he looked at me with surprise and moved a bit farther away.

"Is that better now?" he asked.

"Just go to the other side so I can face you." I said.

Reluctantly, Link stood up and moved to the chair in front of me, a monobloc chair. I smiled at him, but he still had a pouty expression. He really has a lot of nerve, huh?!

"In the other side, please, so I can face you." I said.

Despite his hesitation, Link stood up and moved to the chair in front of me. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"If you really love me, you can keep some distance for now."

"But I love you; I just want to show you affection." He said.

"We're in school, Link. We're here for education, not just love life. Let's not imitate fictional characters." I laughed and lightly flicked his forehead.

"It's always romance with you; try reading some horror or mystery/thriller."

"I-I'm scared,"

Link raised an eyebrow upon hearing my answer.

"You're scared?"

"Yes, unlimited fear!" I replied, annoyed.

"Really? You're an Amazon, yet you get scared by simple readings?" he said, amazed that I could feel scared.

"You should experience having scary dreams,"

"Sus! It feels amazing to have dreams like that. Especially when it's about zombies, and we become warriors." I facepalmed myself.

"You look like a zombie, that's why you like it." I said, irritated.

"Tch! Who looks more like a zombie between the two of us?"

I glared at him. "Excuse me? You won't see any pores on my face. I take care of it!" I said, annoyed.

"I'm just joking!" he said, flashing a peace sign.

I rolled my eyes at him and looked around. More students had arrived. We needed to buy some food before the lines got longer.

"Aren't we going to eat? I'm already hungry!" I complained, placing my hand on my stomach.

He chuckled at my reaction. He stood up and pulled me out of the canteen, leading me towards the Lie Garden, which surprised me.

"Hey! What are we going to do at the Lie Garden?" I asked.

"We're having our lunch here." I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you going to feed me here, grass- asdfgh@#$" I was about to finish my sentence when we stopped in front of a big tree, where I saw a table and two monobloc chairs.

On the table were my favorite dishes, the ones I eat when I feel down. Did he...?

"This is the start of my courtship," he said with a smile, guiding me to sit on one of the monobloc chairs. "And this is also our first date," he continued.

Wait, isn't this prohibited? Did he ask permission from the school officers?

I was extremely impressed with what he did. Imagine the effort he put into planning this lunch date in the Lie Garden. He even decorated with paper cranes, something I wanted to do but couldn't because I didn't know how. It's impossible that he did all of this by himself. Who is his ally in this?

Not many people come to this garden because they find it eerie.

"When did you plan this?" I asked, meeting his gaze.

"Yesterday," he replied.

"Did you ask permission? Public displays of affection or scenarios like this aren't allowed in school." He smiled before answering my question.

"I already asked for permission, and if you want to see, I have the Principal's signature as proof that I informed them." Really?

"They agreed?"

"Would I do this if they didn't agree?"

"I mean, how did it happen? Based on the rules, PDA and courting are not allowed here."

"Yeah, but it's okay with them as long as you inform them properly," I raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Thanks, by the way," I said sincerely.

"For you, anything,"

I blushed and hid my face that turned red because of his words.

We started eating, and as we ate, Link told me who helped him set up this place. I found out that it was Prof and his other friends who helped him. Prof cooked the food, while Link did the design in the Lie Garden.

Prof lied to me earlier about not knowing Mr. Handsome because they didn't want me to know Link's plan.

I was puzzled by the choice of location. Why did he choose the Lie Garden in our school for our first date?

"Is it delicious?" he asked as I was chewing my food.

I gave him a thumbs up, and he smiled before pouring juice into my glass.

"Do you want me to bring you something tomorrow as a souvenir?" he asked, furrowing my eyebrows at his question.

I swallowed my food before answering. "Why, where are you going?"

"Baclaran. I'm meeting my mom because she's going to give me my allowance." I nodded.

"It's good to know. So you two can still communicate?" I asked. He nodded in response to my question.

"Even though my mom has another family, she never abandoned us, she is always there for us," he said, wiping his mouth. "That's already enough for us, we are like a second family to my mom." I nodded.

"Sorry to ask you this, but is it okay with your mother's first family that you are meeting?" I asked.

"My uncle is okay with it, but my mom and I still meet secretly. He doesn't want us to see each other." I nodded.

"Sorry to hear that," I apologized.

"It's okay, I should be open with you. So you know. I don't want my future family to be like my family." He replied and gave me a warm smile.

Link was assuming too early. We were just in senior high, and we didn't even know if we were really together or if we would become a couple.

"Where do you get your cheerful personality?" I asked.

"We, the Serrano family, are naturally happy-go-lucky, but it was Prof who told me that all problems should be faced with a smile." Really?

"Did you feel happy when you broke up with Gipsy?" he suddenly changed his demeanor and looked at his plate.

I shouldn't have opened that topic in our conversation!

"Truth is, Angelle, I loved every woman who became a part of my life. I find happiness even in pain because of my friends, and I don't want to see them sad because of me."

"You guys take care of each other. Sometimes, even the ants might get jealous of your friendship!" I said.

He smiled. "Friends are one of the foundations of a human life," I nodded.

"You're so blessed to have many friends like them."

"Yeah,"

"Let's get back to the main topic. Do you still love her? Be honest, Link."

He looked into my eyes and gave a small smile. "I loved her before, but not anymore," he answered.

I couldn't utter a word in response. We continued eating, and when we finished, I was about to volunteer to clean up when he pulled me back to the GAS building. He already assigned someone to clean up, so I didn't need to worry.

"Hmm, Link," I called him as we walked down the hallway.

"Hm?"

"Why do you do things that I like?" he glanced at me briefly before returning his gaze to the path.

"I have no idea about personal courtship. It's my first time courting a girl, and I went to the parents. I took some calming potions just to ask your parents for permission. I don't want to waste all my efforts and feelings for you... so as much as possible, I want to make you feel a more respectful courtship." I smiled and looked at the floor we were walking on.

"You should have introduced yourself to me earlier, Mr. Handsome." He looked at me, slightly embarrassed, and scratched his neck.

"John-john requested the nickname I should use."

"So, John is your accomplice?" he nodded.

"How were the cookies during Intrams? Actually, I made them to make things right between us. But I couldn't bring myself to reconcile with you because... I got shy,"

"You got shy?"

"When I have feelings for someone, I get shy around her." I laughed.

"You sound like a girl," I teased him.

"I could even kiss you," he threatened and I just smirked.

"As if, if you can?" I challenged.

He paused in his steps, causing me to pause as well. He looked at me intensively.

"Don't test me, Angelle. I mean what I say," I smirked at him.

"So, what?" I rolled my eyes and turned away from him.

He sighed and followed behind me. When we reached the room, he waited for me to sit in my armchair before saying goodbye to me. Where's Prof?

When he left, I looked around and then returned my gaze to the armrest, smiling. OMG! I HAD A DATE WITH LINK~

I was busy reminiscing about our conversation when I overheard a conversation between two classmates.

"They said that the Streetwear group challenged the Bros to a fight last night."

"Really? Why would they do that?"

"I have no idea. According to one member of the Bros, they had a confrontation with the Streetwear group last night,"

Wait, isn't Streetwear the term for Hype Beasts?

"They're just showing off because they have style,"

But Prof and Link aren't like that, right?

"If the Tornado group finds out about the challenge from the Streetwear group, the Streetwear group is in for trouble."

What are they talking about, Bros and Tornado?

"Couzie!"

I turned to the door of our room when I heard Ate Jove's voice. I stood up from my seat and approached Ate Jove.

"What brings you here?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing. I'm getting bored in my room, especially since we don't have a next period," huh?

"Oh, so just stay in your own room."

She sat on the floor and pulled me down to sit beside her, so I did.

"Couz, I'm planning to break up with Andre," she said, raising my eyebrow.

"Why?"

"I'm starting to feel cold in our relationship,"

I lightly smacked her, and she flashed a peace sign and smiled. Is she trying to fool me? They just had a date last Sunday and now she's planning to break up?

"You can't fool me,"

She smiled. "I know, I was just trying it out. Anyway, I hope Link won't deceive you either."

"Ate Jove."

"I'm just saying, Couz," she said. "Why Link? What about Isiah?"

I looked down, realizing that I haven't told Isi

ah everything yet.

"Isiah is my best friend, I know he'll understand me when I tell him the truth," I said.

"Couz, I don't want you to get hurt because of Link."

"Why, Couz? Isn't it that we try everything? It's my fault if I get hurt in the end... because I tried." She smirked.

"Sigh, I'll just support you, Couz,"

I sighed. I need to talk to Isiah about us.