Title: "The Frame That Caught a Heart"

Lagonoy High School brimmed with the chaos of youth and the hush of young love stories blossoming like the golden narra trees lining its pathways. It was the backdrop of many whispered confessions, quiet glances, and stories stitched together in fragments of giggles, notes, and glances.

Among the crowd of first-year students in the star section was Callie Ramos—a cool-headed, calm, and observant girl with a passion for photography. Unlike her classmates who joined academic clubs, Callie joined the campus paper as its photojournalist. She didn't speak much, but her photos did the talking. Her lens captured not just images, but moments: a perfect volleyball spike, Mara's twirl during dance practice, the gentle collision of Isaac and Ella during Levi's accident, and even the exact second a badminton shuttlecock met Alona's intense smash.

To Callie, nothing was too ordinary to photograph. Sunsets, unusual cloud shapes, teachers lost in thought, or friends laughing with abandon—each had a story frozen in light and angles.

One particular golden afternoon, she wandered farther than usual, down the quiet back path near the covered court, where most students passed only during intramurals. She was hunting for something new, something meaningful to capture. That's when she saw it.

There, beneath the giant acacia tree, a boy from section Emerald was crouched down, gently petting the school cat, a well-loved orange tabby named "Bebe." His bag was carelessly thrown beside him, and he had a lopsided smile on his face. He didn't know anyone was watching. The sunlight framed the whole scene, making it look like a page from a storybook.

Callie didn't hesitate. She raised her camera, adjusted her focus, and clicked. The shutter snapped the moment.

The boy heard it and looked up.

Their eyes met.

Callie didn't flinch. She walked over, her steps unhurried, holding her camera.

"I took a photo of you," she said, matter-of-factly. "It looked nice. You looked nice."

The boy blinked rapidly, color rising to his cheeks. "Uh… what?"

She turned the camera screen toward him. "See?"

He looked at the photo and froze. "You took a picture of me? With Bebe?"

"Yes," she said calmly. "What's your name?"

He was stammering now. "Uh… Jacob. Jacob Turalba. I'm in section Emerald. First year."

She nodded. "Callie. I think I might actually like you."

He stared at her, stunned.

Then he ran.

She didn't chase him. Just smiled to herself, checked her camera again, and walked away.

The next day, she told Mara, who gasped, clutched her heart, and squealed, "Girl, that's ICONIC."

Ella and Calista were equally amused. Levi laughed so hard he nearly tipped over his chair.

"You told him straight to his face you like him?!" Ella said in disbelief.

"Yes," Callie answered coolly, tying her hair back. "He ran."

"Boys," Calista said, shaking her head.

Despite the drama, Callie wasn't discouraged. She saw Jacob a few times after that. Sometimes he'd see her and immediately duck behind a group of friends or a post. She didn't mind. It was oddly charming.

She started leaving little photo prints near Bebe's usual nap spots. Pictures of flowers, clouds, and once even of Jacob with his back turned, gazing at the sky. On the back, she'd write things like, "Nice light today." or "Saw you again. You still looked nice."

Weeks passed. She caught glimpses of him during school events, always flustered. Once, he dropped his pen when he saw her at the science fair. Another time, she saw him trip near the water fountain.

"Are you bullying this boy with kindness?" Levi asked her one lunch.

"No," she replied. "Just... giving him time."

Then one afternoon, after a campus-wide clean-up drive, she sat near the back court fence, reviewing her photos.

Jacob was there. Again. With Bebe, of course.

She lifted her camera halfway, hesitated, then set it down.

He looked up.

And didn't run.

Instead, he stood and walked to her, his steps slow but sure.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," Callie greeted, shielding her camera from the sun.

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I ran that time. I was just… surprised. I didn't know someone like you would say something like that."

"Like what?"

"That you might like me."

"Why not?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just… a quiet guy who likes animals and science. People say I'm weird. I guess I didn't want to believe you were serious."

"I was. I still am."

He paused. Looked down. Then looked into her eyes.

"I like you too. I really do. But I was scared. What if I messed it up?"

She smiled. "Then mess it up beautifully. I'll take a picture."

He laughed softly. And she took his hand.

From that moment, things bloomed.

They were a curious pair—the calm, focused photojournalist and the shy, warm-hearted cat lover. Callie started photographing more of Jacob: during class activities, at lunch with friends, even one sneaky snap while he was sketching diagrams in his notebook.

He brought her wildflowers he found during clean-up drives. Sometimes, pressed between the pages of her notebook would be a hand-drawn sketch of something they both liked: Bebe asleep, or the silhouette of the school building during sunset.

They studied together in the library, sat beside each other during school programs, and often shared snacks under the acacia tree.

Their friends were thrilled. Kiara squealed, "I KNEW something was up with you, Callie! Your eyes sparkled whenever you edited photos at lunch."

Isaac said, "Now that's another great story to write poems about."

Levi, as usual, laughed and tried to mimic Jacob's shy confessions.

Rina, Mira, Jessa, and even Coach Cely had started gossiping about the couple who always walked the campus with a camera and a quiet kind of love.

Callie didn't mind. She kept capturing moments—but now, her favorite subject had a name.

Jacob.

Under the sun, behind her lens, she smiled. This was their frame. Their story. Their beginning.