On Sunday Gabriella went to the church with her mom to attend morning masses and then she help her mom on household chores when they got home. She then spent her remaining time finishing her unfinished school works. She kept checking her phone for notification and would always feel disappointed to see nothing and then she would open her instagram account to check whether Charles is online but he wasn't.
The next day, she woke up early and checks her phone again to see no one have texted her, she felt so disappointed as if she was expecting for something. Her days pass as usual. Reporting, experiment, group study, and cramming for an exam was all she did for the past few days. Time passes so quickly, it has been three days since she last saw and talk to Charles. For no reason, she didn't see him at the campus no matter how hard she tries to look for him whenever she got the chance to look around. She's starting to feel like he's trying to avoid her because of the last conversation they had or was it because she doesn't need to pretend as his fake girlfriend anymore. She kept overthinking things until her mind was filled with worries.
Before, she starts her days energized because of Charles' apple juice. It wasn't actually her favourite drink. In fact, it was her least favourite but because of Charles she feels like her taste for drinks suddenly change. She's now longing for an apple juice, an apple juice from Charles. She tried buying an apple juice at their cafeteria thinking it would fill the longing she felt for Charles but it didn't. Charles' apple juice is different from the one she got from the cafeteria, it's as if he was putting something on it to make her feel addicted to it or it was just because he like Charles that she also starting to like anything that came from him.
It has been a dull and a very tiring three days for Gabriella, she wanted to at least have peek at Charles appearance to feel recharge after stressing herself out from trying to gain more recognition so she could maintain her grades.
She was eating on the cafeteria with her friends when a cold bottle suddenly touches her cheeks. Her heart skips a bit, she excitedly turned her head. Her sentiments were filled with dissatisfaction, and the broad smile on her lips had vanished. Her cousin was standing at her back while holding the cold bottle.
"She will come." Gabriella said with a straight face. She knew what was his reason why he suddenly approached her. He will just probably ask about her friend, Olivia, if she'll be able to come or not. Her cousin, Carlos has a secret crush on her friend but he wasn't able to convey his feeling so up to now he would just ask about her to Gabriella since they are best friends.
Carlos looked at where Olivia is and started teasing her. "You look like you have been beaten up by your paper works." Carlos started laughing hysterically while Olivia was just looking at him as if he was just one of the worthless dusts around. When Gabriella heard him, she just rolls her eyes as she doesn't understand why would he use such ways to approached someone he like. And mind you, Olivia has been stressed recently due to tons of school works.
Gabriella knew her friend wouldn't fall for a guy who keeps on bullying her, too childish. It even took her a lot of persuasion before she could convince her friend to come with her. While she doesn't need to persuade Vanessa because Aiden has already asked her to come with him and she's kind of close with Carlos so she tag Chloe along. Chloe doesn't like parties. In fact if both of their experienced a life and death situation and were only given two choices, one is to party and second is give up their life. Chloe would just choose to give up her life while Vanessa would choose to party without hesitation. In short, Chloe is her introvert friend while Vanessa is her super extrovert friend. But Chloe agrees to come with Vanessa this time because Vanessa almost got into an accident the last time she was left drunk. Gabriella sometimes wonders how the two of them became friends because for her, she became friends with Chloe because of Vanessa.
Their afternoon classes continue. As the amount of time they spend in school grows, so do the number of assignments they must complete. Their lecturers will more task even though they haven't finished the previous task given to them. It was a hell week for them; actually it is always a hell week for them. Gabriella felt so exhausted with all their school works but she still tried to finish them all up at night so she could have a good time at her cousin's party without feeling guilty of not choosing her task over the having a good time.
Weekends came and she hasn't seen Charles yet, she's starting to miss him while all she could do was reminiscence the moments she spent with him. Though she felt a light bitterness on her chest, she tried to brushed it off and focus on preparing for her cousin's party this evening. The party will be held in Carlos' house and will start at 5:00 pm in the afternoon. His parents were not their as they were on a business trip.
Gabriella came to the mall with Olivia to buy her cousin a gift. She just bought a Lush Dad's Garden Lemon Tree body spray while Olivia didn't bought anything because according to her she doesn't feel the need to gift her bully. After buying a gift they both decided to eat and look around before going home.
When they got home, Gabriella immediately washed her body and starts preparing to go to her cousin's birthday. A side of her was expecting to see Charles at the party but whenever she remembers their last conversation she would always felt sourness in her chest.
Gabriella wore a one shoulder cut out crop top partnered with wide leg high waist jeans, and black stiletto pump heeled sandals. She also wore a gold choker necklace and a big circle hoop earrings. While she simply wore her long, wavy hair loose. She also wore a light makeup to hide her big eye bags that's slowly turning into eye luggage.
She waited for Olivia at her house as they have planned to go together. Olivia was wearing a white strapless lace-up A-line dress with powdered blue cropped cardigan on top. They decided to just walk their way to Carlo's house since it was just 5 houses away from them.
There is already a quite few people when they arrived since it's still early. Carlos welcomed them with backhanded compliments while his eyes were all on Olivia. Gabriella rolls her eyes and just walks away while Olivia was left with Charles. She put her gift on one of the tables inside Carlos' house and sat on the couch.
Her cousin's house has a luxurious interior design. They have two living rooms, one has sophisticated furniture which they only use when they have visitors and the other one is what they are using now. It has a simpler design compare to the first one but still has a large space. It has a grey corner sofa with a small study table placed on its center. A chandelier was hanging from their ceiling, there is also an elevated curtains that are slightly wider than their windows. And plenty of paintings from famous painter were hanging on their walls.
After a few minutes, Vanessa finally arrived with Aiden and Chloe. Vanessa was wearing a black skirt with black bralette topped with chic black leather jacket and a black stiletto while Chloe was wearing a black wide leg pants, a black oversized t-shirt with a neon green print on it and Air Jordan 1 neon green as her footwear.
Soon after, the party finally starts as the population of the people on the party has increases. A loud music was on the background while everyone was enjoying each of their own company. Some were playing games, some were chatting while drinking, and some were just flirting. And there is Carlos with a lot of girls beside him and his teammates enjoying their company while dancing.
Gabriella saw Olivia were sitting on a high chair at the corner playing with her phone, she thought was being lonely so she gets two glasses of juice and handed one to Olivia.
"Sis, I thought you're supposed to have a good time at the party but you're just here in the corner. What is it that's bothering you?" Gabriella asked out of concern as she realized her friend's mood suddenly changes after talking with Carlos. She thought that maybe Carlos has said something that offended Olivia. She was ready to attack Carlos when Olivia suddenly jumps from the chair she was sitting.
Olivia looks at Gabriella and laugh when she sees her expression. "Gosh, it's nothing to be concern of." Olivia put her mobile phone back to her sling bag and pulled Gabriella to the crowd where Vanessa was dancing.
"Oh! Olivia, Gabby where have you been?" Vanessa asked when she saw them walking towards her. Vanessa was holding a flip cup full of champagne on her left hand while swaying her body along the beat of the music. They all started dancing while Chloe was sitting on the bench alone while watching them. They were all enjoying the moment when the music suddenly changes to Twerk by City Girls. The three of them stop for a minute, look into each other's eyes and started laughing.
Vanessa started twerking her ass while Gabriella and Olivia were hyping her up and slapping her ass. When the music ends they decided to take a rest for a minute since they have been dancing for a long time. They continue drinking while they were all sitting on the sofa. A few moments later, Vanessa was called by some other people to play the games with them. Vanessa tried to pulled Gabriella and Olivia's hands to come along with her but they both refuses. Gabriella excuses herself to go the bathroom while Olivia was sitting on the couch trying to get herself drunk.
When Gabriella finishes using the bathroom, she walks out while stumbling around and almost fell out but was immediately caught by a warm and rough arm. She looks up to the person owning the arm and suddenly felt butterflies on her stomach. She stares at the guy's face for so long trying fill her eyes with his appearance, her heart was beating so fast and loud as if they were shouting the man's name as many times as they could. She holds his face with both hands not wanting to let him go. She feel like if she didn't hold him the way she is holding her now, he would suddenly vanish and won't come back again.
"Gosh, where have been for the past few days? I've been missing you." Gabriella said. She has a low tolerance and could get drunk with just less than five shot of rum. She probably got the courage to say those words due to alcohol intoxication.
"I was away for badminton match. Stand up properly first and we'll talk." Charles answered as he helps Gabriella to stand up properly. Gabriella can't still walk in a straight line so Charles was supporting her back as they walk towards one of the vacant couches there. Luckily there is still a vacant sofa even though Carlos has invited almost half of the student from the campus. A lot of them were outside since they were playing games while there is only a few inside. Even Olivia and Chloe cannot be seen inside, probably playing outdoor games with the others.
He let Gabriella sit there and left her to get something. When he came back he is already holding a cup of coffee. Gabriella was leaning on the couch with her eyes closed. Charles just stares at her for a moment until she slowly tries to open her eyes. She stares at Charles back.
"I must've been missing you terrible that I kept on seeing you everywhere." Gabriella said in the midst of them staring into each other's eyes. She closed her eyes and a drop of tears suddenly dripped down her cheeks.