NEW FRIENDS?

EMMY MENDOZA'S POV

Professor Acosta may be The Grinch but he could teach- as in, impact academic knowledge. It was the finer points that he was deficient in.

He was like a skilled doctor with absolutely no bedside manners. I could live with that.

I found it easy to tune into what he was saying. His words were precious; trade secrets I could implement in resurrecting 'Emilio's' account sheets. They were freely given answers to the questions he would ask in the exams.

This was why school was easy for me.

Most people I knew only started preparing for examinations when they were a few weeks or days away. I started my own preparations from the very first day...right from the very first class.

"The supply curve must always reflect the type of demand in play. Even an imbecile knows that-"

That was when the door swung open. I didn't hear a knock. There was no knock on the door. Who in their right mind would dare?

"Mr. Salazar! Once again, you demonstrate the etiquettes of a jungle ape. You are late to my class."

"Actually, Professor Acosta-"

"You have an excuse," the professor cut him off. "Of course, you have an excuse. But did I ask for it?"

A new voice spoke, "If I may, sir-"

"And who are you?"

"D. J Serrano. Mr. Salazar was asked by the principal to show me around, because I'm a new student here. We have signed slips."

The boy handed the slips to the professor.

"Well." From the expression on his face, anyone that knew him could tell that Professor Acosta did not like the idea of being denied this opportunity to take swipes at Cesar's self- esteem. He didn't like it one bit.

"This doesn't explain why the two of you barged into my classroom like zoo animals. Don't you have manners?"

"Don't you mean jungle apes, sir? Zoo animals are pretty much caged all the time."

No one could miss the intense eye contact going on between the new student and the professor. It was a staring contest. A pissing match.

"Get inside and sit."

"Thank you, Professor," the two boys chorused.

"Oh, not you, Mr. Serrano," Professor said with a sneer that promised retribution. For what exactly, I wasn't sure. I didn't think he himself knew what was happening here...I suppose some would call it karma. Or long overdue cosmic justice.

Those same people would also agree that at the moment, the boy was utterly screwed. Possibly for the rest of the semester.

"Miss Mendoza, could you please remind the class of what we were discussing before Mr. Salazar and...the new student forced their way into my sacred temple of learning?"

I stood up, extremely aware of the tension in the classroom.

Then something happened. The new student looked at me.

That was when it clicked. His name. D.J Serrano. D.J Serrano...

This was the boy I had followed to the beach. My childhood crush. I knew it was him. It had to be him. I remembered the weight of his stare. The way his eyes could bore into someone's soul stare with so much authority. He was practically issuing a challenge with his eyes, daring me to interfere in the battle between him and Professor Acosta.

'Speak now,' his eyes said. 'Speak now and I'll know which side you're on.'

I had only a spilt second to make my choice.

I was one of the best students in my class. I have scored marks on tests and examinations that put the school's records to shame.

I wouldn't call myself a genius, but I worked really hard at my studies. And everybody knew it. I was a life-long teacher's pet, so what I was about to do would definitely cause ripples. But I had made my decision.

"I don't remember."

I saw the professor's nostrils flare in anger. Like he could somehow smell the lie.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said I don't remember what we were discussing, Professor Acosta."

For a second, time seemed to stop. The classroom went dead quiet. Sara seemed to be holding her breath. Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths. Then the explosion came.

"Miss Mendoza! You are one of the brightest students in St. Lorenzo. If your attention span is truly so low, I fear for the future of our school!"

He gave me the stink eye and I resisted the urge to fidget. The anger I felt helped a lot.

"Well, does any other person want to give it try?"

Nobody spoke up.

"No?" He sneered. "I didn't think so. It sets a bad example when the brightest student in your class cannot even tackle such a simple question. I don't expect the rest of you to even understand what I'm-"

"From what you have on the board, you must be talking about demand and supply curves," D.J interrupted. "Figure A depicts a supply curve that starts at S2 and moves leftward to S1, the equilibrium price will increase and the equilibrium quantity will decrease as consumers move along the demand curve to the new higher price and associated lower quantity demanded."

His paused and took in the shocked expression on Professor Acosta's face.

"I think that's what you were trying to explain, Professor," he said with a small smirk. "Now, can I have my seat?"

He asked it so politely that Professor Acosta couldn't refuse him. Nothing he had done could get him into trouble with anyone except the professor. And Professor Acosta could hold a grudge.

MARIO GUEVARRA'S POV

I woke up with a pounding headache. Another day. Another hangover. Dad was off doing business in Shanghai. Mom was...wherever she was these days- probably on the set of a movie, or a commercial, in some other corner of the world.

I had the house to myself. Again.

It was the first day of school but I'd decided to go with homeschooling this year. Well, it wasn't really homeschooling if I had a private tutor that followed me all around the country.

I was a superstar.

A pop sensation.

A celebrity, like my mother.

Some people- including my manager- thought I got to where I was so fast because of my mother's name, or my good looks, or my father's money. They can't deny that I have talent but so did a million other guys my age out there.

My background made a difference, that much I could agree. One phone call from my dad was all it had taken too. I wasn't ashamed to admit it.

Now I was signed to one of the biggest labels in the Philippines - in the world - and everyone I've worked with automatically assumed I got signed without any form of audition- apart from my dad's credit cards. They weren't wrong. I definitely proved them right with my lifestyle, though; the incessant partying and all the girls...the type of songs I recorded.

I'm not going to lie, my personality sucked. But that's just the way it was; the sky is blue and Mario Guevarra is a douchebag.

I didn't mind it. It was all part of my image.

And this was the life I'd always wanted.

But between one show and the next, in those rare moments when I actually found myself alone, I couldn't disguise the loneliness I felt inside. Sometimes, just to keep my sanity, I had to pick up a pen and press it to paper. I'd write it down, let it all out in words...lyrics I didn't feel like sharing with anybody else- especially not the people that inspired them.

I felt the need again, despite my pounding headache.

So I let the ink flow out on the pages:

"I'm a douchebag.

All I think about is fun.

If I say this to you, it'll raise a flag,

And you may just shoot me with your father's gun.

I want to blame it all on jetlag.

Or the fact that I'm my mother's son.

But I'm really sorry, D. J;

The three words I'll never say."

When I finished, I crumpled the paper and threw it into the trashcan. Then, I walked over to trashcan and picked it. After straightening it out, I folded it into my pocket- I was still wearing the jeans I had gone clubbing in last night- then, I went in search of my housekeeper, Yaya. She should have made breakfast by now.

D. J SERRANO'S POV

When the bell rang, I watched her rise to her feet. There was a fluidity to the way she slung her bag over her shoulder and a stubborn, almost defiant expression on her face. There was no mistake. It was her.

Professor Acosta was watching me as well, with a disapproving frown on his face. I could almost hear the thoughts in his head. 'Who was I to come here and speak to him like that? Was I really that good at his subject or had I just been lucky?' Something told me that if I was going to make a good grade on Economics this semester, I was going to sweat for it.

It didn't really matter to me.

Business subjects came easy to me. I'd been sitting in on board meetings since I was twelve years old.

"Oh! Shit, dude! Did you see the way he destroyed Professor Acosta's lecture?" I heard Ces say to someone.

Now I regretted what I did. I didn't need the attention from my classmates. In my former school, I'd been one of the popular kids. And that sort of status was pretty hard to maintain in a place like Excelsior where ninety-nine percent of the student body had parents with private jets.

Now that I was away from Manila- in a new school- I didn't want any of the trappings of that life; the rules about who you could hang out with, and the status quo...I didn't want any of if. I wanted to fly under the radar, and just be...a kid.

This was what Enrique and I agreed on. And he was doing everything within his power to keep his promise. I wasn't about to flush all his effort down the drain by being the same old Daniel I had been in Excelsior. Mario wasn't even here to egg me on. So, I couldn't use him as an excuse if I somehow messed this up.

Then, there was Emmy.

"Hey, D. J!" Ces called. "I want you to meet a couple of my buddies."

There were two guys near him- one on either of his sides.

My gaze darted from one to the other, and then it rested on Ces.

The three of them were friends?

One looked like the cover of a GQ magazine, even in his uniform. The other was also good-looking but he had a black stud in his ear- I was pretty sure that was against school regulation. There was something about him that reminded me of the first guy.

"Meet my cousins, Marcus and Drew. I know what you're thinking-"

"You do?" I asked skeptically. That was highly doubtful.

"We're twins," explained the one with a black stud in his ear.

"And all three of us are in a band," Ces explained. "It's called the Slayers."

"He thinks it's a wordplay on Salazar. Our Surname," the other twin- Marcus? – said with a smile.

"And he keeps trying to find a cool "rockstar" name for himself. Today, he had the bright idea that he could make everybody call him 'Zar,'" the other one added smoothly. "How's that nickname going for you, cuz?"

"Everybody hates it," Ces said cheerfully.

I gave all three of them a once-over. It sort-of made sense that they would be in a band together; with the guitar pick bracelets they were sporting, and the rocker vibe emanating from them- Ces and Drew especially. Something about the latter gave me the impression that they might be into metal rock music . And if they weren't, Drew would be the one bringing the edge. He gave off that kind of vibe.

Marcus, on the other hand, looked like...well, the cover of a GQ magazine; with his easy smile, and the way he seemed to be sharing eye-contact with almost every girl that passed us by, making them swoon.

I was willing to bet my sizable inheritance on the fact that he was a Casanova.

I had no judgements- I mean, look at my life. Who was I to pass judgement on other people's lives?

However, in my experience, high school rock bands- especially ones with twins in them, identical or not- were trouble.

Ces alone seemed like a lot of work.

Then, I thought about the message I would be sending if I hung out with them on my first day at St. Lorenzo High School.

"I don't play an instrument," I announced. It was a white lie. I knew how to play the guitar, the bass drum, the French horn, the piano and the violin very well. I just didn't play anymore...for other people. The piano held too many bad memories for me. The guitar and bass drum reminded me of Mario. The violin was a personal hell for me and the French horn just wasn't something I admitted in public.

"Oh, no!" Ces clarified. "I didn't mean-"

"We're full," Drew said crossing his arms over his chest. There was a derisive smirk on his face. Combine that with the black stud and I got the feeling he was the evil twin.

"We still need a vocalist though," Marcus pointed out.

"I'm working on it," Ces said, rubbing his hands together and smiling gleefully.

I knew mischief when I saw it.

"I have to go now."

I turned in the opposite direction and walked away as fast as I could without raising red flags.

I was not getting into whatever Ces was planning.

She was in my next class as well- Emmy.

And the next one after that.

I think she knew I was watching her, on some level.

I wasn't staring openly, so as not to get caught, but it was hard not to let my eyes dwell on her. And just take in the changes.

Finally, I gathered the courage to talk to her...