THREE

My two weeks of staying at home are finally over. Thankfully, I got a call from Anne saying we could now get our grades and enroll for advanced summer classes. One of the scholars assigned to the registrar happens to be their neighbor, so she's always the first to inform us about updates. At last, I can finally leave my cave!

I'm not really nervous about my grades because I know I did what I had to do to make sure they wouldn't fall below the required average. I'm not a genius, but I'm not dumb either—I'm just average. What's important to me is finishing college and landing a decent job. After all, not all theories are applicable in actual jobs, right? That's why I'll give my best once I start working. There are a lot of people who may not be academically gifted but excel in the workplace because they're diligent, which helps them get promoted quickly.

We finally got our grades, our schedules, and completed the whole enrollment process. Voila! Waiting in line was exhausting, but it's all good. What matters is that we're done with it. Now, we can go to the mall and unwind a bit before heading home. We had ice cream—our all-time favorite. Then, we went our separate ways, making the most of the remaining days before summer classes start.

Time passed by quickly. It's Sunday—my last day of summer vacation—because tomorrow, Monday, is the first day of summer classes. I didn't wake up early, so I missed the morning mass. I decided to attend the afternoon mass instead. As usual, I went alone. After mass, I thought of walking home since our house isn't far, and there were a lot of other people walking as well. It felt nice to enjoy the cool evening breeze. The mass started at six p.m. and ended at seven.

As I was about to leave the church premises, someone poked me. I thought it was just one of my high school classmates, but I was completely taken aback when I saw a familiar face standing next to me. Guess who? None other than the mysterious, grumpy, boastful guy from the bus.

But I have to admit—I'm attracted to him. I don't know why.

"Hi," he said, expressionless.

"That didn't sound sincere. Ugh, whatever. But hey, at least he said 'hi,' right?"

"H-hi," I replied with the same lack of emotion. In reality, I was nervous. I remembered what I did. I'm not ready for a confrontation. Not now, please!

"Ah, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Crap, this is exactly what I was afraid of! Seriously, why did I even do that? Damn it!"

"Ah, okay. Just make it quick, alright? I'm in a hurry. I have classes tomorrow, and my parents might wonder why I'm taking so long." My heart was pounding like crazy.

"Yeah, this will be quick."

"What is this about?"

Might as well get this over with. As if I don't already know. I'm just playing it safe.

"Did you call? My dad said someone named Lui called looking for me."

"Ah, yeah. Sorry about that. It won't happen again, I promise. I was just curious when I saw the name Georje Peralta. I was wondering if it was really, you or just someone with the same name. Sorry, I swear it won't happen again." I explained in one breath, rushing to end this conversation as soon as possible.

Now, my embarrassment had doubled. I never expected this to happen. But I couldn't lie—I had just come out of church.

What made me even more nervous was his cold stare. I couldn't tell if he was mad or what.

His face is so hard to read—it's completely blank.

"It's fine. I just didn't expect you to call. My friends usually call me at my grandma's house, where I usually stay."

"Yeah, sorry again. Did you get scolded? Your dad sounded kind of angry."

"Huh? No, that's just how he talks."

"No wonder you're grumpy too. Like father, like son. Tsk."

"Alright, I'll get going. Sorry about that."

"Okay. Thanks. I have to go too—my friends are waiting for me. I rarely come home, so when I saw you, I took the opportunity to say hi. Alright, bye."

"Bye."

I changed my mind and took a tricycle home instead. There was no way I could walk—I was shaking from nerves and embarrassment.

"Shocks, Lui! Don't ever do that again if you don't want to humiliate yourself! That was so embarrassing! You've hit your embarrassment quota!"

Monday Morning.

I prayed hard that I wouldn't run into Georje Peralta on the bus.

"Please, Lord! Spare me! I don't want to see him again! I promise I'll be good from now on!"

But fate is such a bitch.

I had no idea that the very person I prayed not to see was sitting right behind me. Damn it!

I nearly jumped when someone tapped me while I was looking for a seat.

"Lui, it's you again!"

"Shocks! Lord, didn't I specifically ask You to prevent this from happening? Seriously?! Tsk!"

"Hey!"

"Lui, don't let it show that you're nervous. Chill, Lui! You might just faint from the pressure, and that would be even more humiliating! You've already reached your embarrassment quota—remember that!"

"What a coincidence!"

"Ugh! This is not funny at all!"

"Ah, yeah," I said, sitting down in the first available seat without even thinking. As long as I got to sit, that was all that mattered. Sometimes, the bus gets too crowded, and I have no choice but to stand the entire ride. It's not just me—many others have to stand too, so it's fine.

Just my luck—he sat right next to me.

"Damn it! What kind of luck is this? I can't take this anymore! I swear, this is the last time!"

"Would you mind?"

"Huh?"

I was completely stunned.

"I said, is it okay if I sit here, or are you with someone?"

Spaced out. Earth to Lui!

He snapped his fingers.

"Ah, yeah. It's okay."

"Move over, Lui. Closer to the window."

"Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I spaced out—just thinking."

"Don't make it obvious, Lui. Relax."

"Uh, yeah, it's fine."

"Try to act casual, Lui. Don't be so obvious."

"Are you taking summer classes too?"

"Yeah, some of my subjects didn't get credited at my new school from my previous one."

"Oh, really? That's a hassle."

"Yeah, right. It is."

And with that, I turned my gaze outside the window as if something interesting was out there—just to avoid another conversation with this damn guy. My nerves and embarrassment still hadn't faded, all thanks to my phone conversation with his grumpy dad, which he clearly inherited.

I was thinking of an excuse to escape when—

"Uh, Lui?"

I pretended not to hear.

"Why did we have to end up on the same bus today—worse, sitting next to each other?!" Instead of feeling excited that I ran into him, I feel like I need to use the bathroom! I'm sweating from nervousness.

As I was thinking of ways to avoid another conversation, he tapped me.

"Lui?"

"Huh? What?"

"You seem really deep in thought."

"Oh, uh, not really. I was just thinking about my friend. I forgot to call her before I left the house." I bit my lower lip.

"Lui, seriously? Making up stories now? At least convince yourself first!"

"Why?"

"Uh, I just remembered last Sunday."

"Calm down, self. You already got through that, right? Is there going to be a part two?"

"Why? I thought we already talked about that—"

He cut me off.

"No, that's not what I meant. I was going to ask if you know someone from St. Augustine named Jed and Ali. Does that ring a bell?"

"Oh, yes! They were my classmates in elementary and high school. They're actually dear friends of mine. You know them?"

I let out a relieved sigh. I thought he was going to bring up that conversation again.

"Yeah, of course. They're my friends too. Actually, they saw you last Sunday, but you had already gotten into a tricycle by the time they recognized you. They didn't know I had just chased after you to talk."

"Really? How did you guys become friends, if you don't mind me asking? We're not from the same batch, nor the same school, apparently."

"Well, we have the same interests, and a mutual friend introduced us. We ended up being part of the same group."

"Oh, really? Wow! That's cool! Small world, huh?"

"Yeah, small world."

I was grateful because the anxiety I had felt earlier was gone. I hadn't even realized how much we had talked. Though I was definitely the chattier one—he responded, but he still kept his words minimal. I didn't expect our conversation to go this way this time.

But even as we talked, his cold stare remained.

"Was he conceived with ice? Is that even possible—to be conceived with ice"

Good thing my stop was coming up soon—I had to drop by the bookstore to buy something.

Half of the summer classes had already passed. I hadn't even realized that my birthday was coming up—my debut, actually. It completely slipped my mind because I was so busy with summer classes, assignments, and projects. I really didn't want to throw a party for my debut, but my parents wouldn't take no for an answer. Since my sister had a debut, and we're the only two daughters, they insisted I should have one too.

To be honest, I don't even enjoy parties. I'd much rather go on a trip with my friends. The guests at the party aren't even my friends; most of them I don't even know, and they're the ones who actually enjoy it. I hate all the unnecessary drama! If you ask me, most of the time, people just attend parties to be fake. Honestly, all that pretentiousness is exhausting—it's fakeness to the max! The worst part? You're the one hosting, but the next day, you become the talk of the town, and the side comments? Brutal! So annoying!

But of course, my parents wouldn't back down. They said they'd handle everything, and I wouldn't have to do anything. The truth? They just used my birthday as an excuse to throw a party for their guests because they're the ones planning the entire thing, deciding who to invite and how it should go. I already told them I couldn't fit it into my schedule since I was taking a full load of summer classes. I did that on purpose, thinking I could use it as an excuse to avoid the party—but nope, it didn't work. My sister came home from abroad for her annual vacation, and she took charge of everything—my escort, my gown, all of it. The only thing I had to do was be present for the photoshoot since, obviously, my presence was required.

Everything was going well with my summer classes. It was fun, even though it was a bit stressful. At least I got some subjects out of the way for the first semester, which means I can take more advanced subjects again, so I'll still have a full load. It's better to stay busy with school, especially since I don't have a boyfriend. My friends? They're also busy with their academics. So, it's all good—just pushing forward for the future!

When my birthday came, I couldn't care less. Of course, my college friends were invited—only the close ones. My sister took care of inviting my high school friends and some of my friends from my hometown. Thankfully, my exams were over before my birthday, so everything was perfectly timed. Oh, and I had already enrolled, too.

Right after my debut, I started packing up my things because VM and I had already found an apartment near the school. Since we'd be busier, it was necessary to stay in the city. And yes, VM and I would be living together—along with two of VM's friends, who she introduced to me. They used to be her roommates in her previous apartment, but they decided to move out when they saw the place VM and I found. It's newly built, so we'll be the first tenants. Plus, the rent is cheap, it's accessible, and most importantly, the area is safe.

The party went well—I actually had fun because I got to see my old friends. My whole high school squad was there. I was surprised that even some of my elementary friends, whom I didn't expect, showed up.

And yes, Georje was there too, along with my former classmates, Jed and Ali. But there were way more people I didn't know—my sister's guests, my dad's guests, and whoever else they decided to invite. I stayed up late, but overall, it was fine.

Oh, and about my escort? I only met him at the party. Turns out, he's a friend of my sister—a family friend, actually. Apparently, everyone in my family knew his family except me. That's because I was always the one left at home whenever they went places—of course, it had to be me.

The day after the party, we had an impromptu outing with my family, my escort, and his family—one last hurrah before classes started. We enjoyed the sea breeze and the white sand. We went to a different resort this time, not the one my friends and I had previously visited. We went island hopping, played beach volleyball, and, of course, swam.