Gabriella literally felt like her heart had shattered and felt as if someone had kicked her in the stomach repeatedly. The truth seemed to slap her and she couldn't breathe properly. She should have never expected Charles to like him back just because they are getting closer. The fact that Charles approaches her because of their deal, seem to tear her heart into tiny pieces.
She felt jealousy towards his ex-lover and even wished it was her. She also wanted to be part of Charles' life for real and not just because of a nonsense deal. Gabriella is well aware that she shouldn't dwell for such emotions for someone who doesn't even belong to her. She knows for a fact that as soon as she agreed to this agreement, she have to prefer herself for she is the only one having such interest in this partnership.
"Gab?" Gabriella comes back to her sense when Olivia suddenly called her by her name. Gabriella turned her gaze to her friends who are now looking at her with worrying expression. She smiled at them to reassure them that she was not affected at all even though she's already breaking inside.
"Are you okay?" Chloe asked while patting her in her back softly.
"I'm totally fine." Gabriella answered while trying to laugh so she could hide her pain. "But can we just go through the other stairs?" She asked with a strained smile. Her friends agreed without hesitation. They could feel that Gabriella doesn't want to talk about it so they just continue talking about their school project. Vanessa and Olivia would sometimes joke about how their lecturers could give them pile of assignments but doesn't have time to discuss topics on their subject.
Not long after, they finally arrived at the cafeteria. After buying their food, they all sat on the vacant chair at the far end of the cafeteria where fewer students go.
"So when are we going to make our chemistry project?" Chloe suddenly asked while in the midst of their meal.
"Huh? What project?" Olivia asked with her face full of confusion.
"We were tasked to create a 3D miniature of the VSEPR type our group have chosen. And if ever you have forgotten, we were given the freedom to create our four member group and as the legendary ninja teenage turtles that were always together to finish a task, we are all in the same group." Chloe explained before putting the spoon on her mouth. Olivia as well as Vanessa was devastated by what they heard and at the same time lowered the spoon they were holding and leaned back in their seats.
"It is the molecular geometry thingy, isn't it?" Gabriella asked.
"Yes, it is. And it'll be turned in next week." Chloe relied that cause a tremendous breakdown for their two friends, Vanessa and Olivia.
"I haven't even finished our laboratory report in physics, I can't do it anymore. I just want to have a weekend free from school works." Vanessa complained while Olivia followed up and supported her.
"Like for real! We all have the same sentiments." Olivia said as she gets up from leaning on her chair and picking up her spoon again. "But I'm not certain about the woman here who always finishes her school works days before the deadline." Olivia added while pointing her thump towards Gabriella's direction. Vanessa and Chloe turned their head towards Gabriella who was peacefully eating her lunch. Gabriella looks at them while she was chewing her food with a confused look on her face.
"You're done with the laboratory report?" Vanessa asked in surprised and suddenly lifted up from leaning back in her chair. Gabriella gazed at her and scowled her brows at her while chewing her meal.
"Neither of us is done." Gabriella lied and continued eating her food in peace while Vanessa signed in relief as though Gabriella's answer were some kind of comfort for her.
"If you have so much time to complain then there should be no problem completing your school works, right?" Chloe said. Gabriella and Olivia just nodded while still busy chewing their foods. Vanessa let out a loud groan before continue eating.
"Should we do all of it on Saturday?" Gabriella suggested which everyone on their group agreed on. After they all finishing they all decided to come back to their homeroom.
As usual they began their lectures as soon as their subject teacher arrived at their room. At the end of their afternoon classes, Vanessa and Olivia were already ranting while they were fixing their things. A piled up task were added to their to-do list, their contemporary arts lecturer gave them an activity where they have to create an art work that showcases the beauty of the Philippines and many more artwork that have the connection with the subject.
"My mind may have the creativity needed but my hand doesn't." Olivia complains as they were walking together on the hallway.
"Gosh, same!" Vanessa agreed on her. "Do our lecturers think we're robots?" she added.
"No, but they were preparing us for our next journey as a college student! Should I just get myself a rich husband who is close to death then act as if I was badly hurt when he dies when in fact I was actually celebrating as all his assets will all fall on my name? And so I can finally enjoy my life to the fullest without worrying for my future." Olivia said without stopping as if she was rapping as her wild imaginations starts comforting her.
"Shall we?" Vanessa and Olivia look into each other's eyes and a mischievous smile appeared on their lips as they laugh synchronously.
"I didn't know you also have fetish for rich man. I think I should work three times harder from now on and get rich as soon as I can if I want to live with you for a longer time." Chloe butt in while looking straight to Vanessa. Vanessa turns her gaze to Chloe and squealed while covering her mouth with her right hand.
"Don't be like that! I might fall for you not minding the fact that you're still broke and can't afford how expensive I am and then we'll end up starving." Vanessa said while acting like she's actually in love.
"But at least we love each other." Chloe replied while dramatically caressing her chest. They continue narrating their story while laughing together and were stop when a guy suddenly approached them. He politely greeted Gabriella's friends before turning his full attention to her.
"Do you still have things to do?" Charles asked with a soft expression on his face. Gabriella saw him holding a key on his left hand. Gabriella's friend all look at her and waited for her answer.
"We're about to finish our group project, sorry." Olivia butt in before Gabriella could even speak.
"No, it's fine. There's still next time." Charles hide the disappointment he felt and answered her without making her feel guilty. Gabriella left with no choice just smiled at him before walking away, following her friends.
"Why'd you reject him like that? We don't even have plans today?" Gabriella asked her friend, Olivia, when they were already quite far away from Charles.
"What? Don't tell me you still want to go around with him after what you've just heard and witnessed?" Olivia asked in disbelief. Gabriella was lost in words so she just kept quiet and walks behind Olivia until they arrived outside the campus where you can find variety of small stall.
"It's the girls again, honey!" a woman on her mid-forties shouted when Gabriella's group approached their stall. A mid-forties man carrying a chair approached them and greeted them politely with a gentle smile in his lips.
The two owners of the little booth are a married couple who are no longer blessed with a child, so they treat every student that purchases from them as if they were their own child, especially Gabriella and her friends, who come there frequently. Gabriella and her friends enjoy spending their leisure time at the stall since the pair is courteous and the meal is wonderful.
"It's the power puff girls version 2.0 with four members, auntie." Vanessa corrected while the aunt just laugh at her.
"I thought we were the legendary ninja teenage turtles." Chloe added.
"Aren't you aware that we all have multiple personalities and we can shape shift anytime we want? So apparently we are the power puff girl version 2.0 as well as the ninja teenage turtles!" Olivia butts in.
The aunt takes their orders and started cooking it while still chatting with them.
"How's school this days?" the uncle asked them while helping her wife cook the foods.
"Uncle, you know those teachers who really love giving home works but are too lazy when it comes in discussing their lesson to the whole class?" Vanessa asked while the uncle was just listening at her and nodding his head some times. "They are making us suffer as if they don't want us to graduate! Are we that pretty that they don't feel like sending us off the campus?" Vanessa added with frustration being visible in her face while acting as if she has been enslaved by the lecturers.
"For real! They're making me feel like wanting give up! Like we have mountain of works we have to finish until next week!" Olivia while waving her hands in the air explaining how miserable she is.
"You have so much to complaint as a senior high school student, what more in college?" Chloe said.
"Girl, you know me, I always have something to say about life 'coz life fuck me so hard that I don't want to get off my bed anymore!" Olivia replied at her while dramatically rubbing her forehead with her right hand.
"That's tough but you guys should not forget to take some rest some times." The aunt said while handing them their orders. The stall owner sells famous street foods as well as sweet chilled beverages they personally made.
"Aunt, your kwek-kwek is the best!" Vanessa said while fanning her mouth after swallowing a whole freshly cooked kwek-kwek. Kwek-kwek is a popular street food in the Philippines, it is a hard-boiled quail eggs in orange batter that are deep fried and served with a sweet and sour sauce.
"Is it? Of course my husband and I preferred it with love." The aunt said before walking inside their stall wile giggling. Gabriella and her friends started teasing them while fanning their mouth synchronously.
"I think your sweetness flavored the sauce! OMG! If my future relationship wouldn't be like yours then I don't want it." Vanessa said.
"I can be the sweetest if it's for you." Chloe responded which made every one of them laugh even more. Vanessa acts as if she was a teenage girl that just receives a confession from her secret crush while screaming in thrill.
All of them continue eating their foods while teasing each other until all of them were done and decided to go home as it is getting late already and they all still have to review for an upcoming quiz on some of their minor subject. They all ride in one tricycle since their subdivision was not far away from each other.
Time past quickly until Saturday came, Gabriella was putting all the papers she needed on her white tote bag when her door suddenly opened.
"Where are you going?" her mom asked in a strict voice while looking at the tote bag she was holding.
"I'll be going to my friend's house, we'll be finishing a group work." Gabriella answered in a respectful tone. Her mom nodded her head while scanning her clothes as well as her belongings.
"Come home early." Her mom said before leaving her while she continues fixing her things. When she's done transferring all her things on her tote bag, she immediately send a message to the group chat her friends created before putting the tote bag on her shoulder and carries her tote bag using her left hand.
"Mom, I'm leaving!" She shouted before going out of their house.
It didn't take her long to arrive at their meeting place since there's a lot of public transportation she could take outside their subdivision. When she arrived at Teaboba, her friends weren't there yet so she decided to seat on a vacant chair first and send a message on their group chat again.
'I'm already here.' –the text message she sent to their group chat. She finally received a reply from her friends after a few minutes.
'I'm on my way.' Vanessa replied.
She decided to order a milk tea for her and for her friends first while she's waiting so she stands up and walk towards the counter.
"Four large Okinawa and a strawberry cake please." She announced at the person opposite her. When she's done paying for her orders, she turned around to start walking back to her seat and wait for her orders but by an unexpected chance, she bumps in into a lady behind her.
"I'm sorry." Gabriella said while repeatedly bowing her head to the lady in front of her.
"It's you, ain't it?" The lady said and gently held her Gabriella's arms. Gabriella was shock by the fact that a stranger from a milk tea shop knew of her so she raised her head to look at the lady and was even more shock to see the lady's face.