Despite her anxiety, Gabriella tried to look normal in front of her pals. She eats her lunch quietly while the other people at her table chats, and she butts in or answers questions as needed.
"Dude, aren't you going to invite my cousin?" Carlos asked Jonas and their friends look at Jonas while Jonas was looking at Gabriella with a bright smile on his lips. Gabriella uncomfortable do instead to looking straight into his eyes, she lowered her gaze to her foods and starts playing with it using her pork.
"Would you like to watch our game tomorrow?" Jonas asked. Gabriella didn't answer, she continues eating as if she didn't hear anything. On the other hand, Olivia and Vanessa simultaneously rolled their eyes as if they had planned to do so in preparation.
"Don't you have an upcoming exam? Do you want me to ask Tita Isabelle if we could go?" Sofia tried to look sincere in her question, but in reality, her words had a concealed meaning that only Gabriella was aware of. Gabriella was aware that Sofia had something in her pocket that she had planned to use to irritate Gabriella in various ways, but instead of reciprocating her cunning energy, Gabriella just raised her head and looked at her cousin.
"You don't have to, I don't have plans to go either. My time is already devoted to reviewing." Gabriella calmly answered. In a split second, Gabriella saw Sofia's eyes sparkle before she tried to hide it by expressing how unhappy she is, the inner corner of her brows pushed up together, her eyelids drooping, her eyes looking down, and the corner of her lips pulled downward. Sofia even makes delicate touches with Gabriella's shoulder, and each touch appeared to leave a mark. Gabriella attempted in secret to move her shoulders away from Sofia because she felt as though Sofia's hands were making tiny punctures in her shoulder. Her friends weren't aware of this, and only the two of them knew.
"That's sad." Sofia said as she glares at Gabriella before turning her gaze to Jonas. She gave him the sweetest and brightest smile she had. "Although it's disappointing, I can go in my lovely cousin's place. Rest assured that I can cheer you on better than she can." She added.
Jonas looks at her and response with a faint smile before turning to his food continue eating. Their chat went on as time passes by, while Gabriella didn't feel like joining their conversation so she was quietly eating her food the whole time.
When they were done eating, Carlos and Jonas was the first to leave as they still have to attend a practice while Sofia followed them. The four of them stayed on the cafeteria for a few minutes before they decided to clean their table and stay on the open field with their books instead.
They were seated under a narra tree and quite far from the noises which is an advantage for them since they were going to be reviewing for their upcoming exam.
"Who was the girl next to you earlier, Gabriella? Was it Lucia?" Vanessa asked out of the blue. Chloe, Olivia, and Gabriella all turned to face their puzzled friend.
"Sofia." Gabriella answered.
"Right, Sofia! What's with her? I feel like she's been trying to cut you out, earlier." Vanessa said and closes her book to focus her attention on their topic.
"Yeah, I also noticed you felt uncomfortable with her." Chloe butts in.
Gabriella and Olivia exchange glances. Since Olivia and Gabriella have been friends longer than their two friends have, Olivia was aware of what Sofia had done to make Gabriella feel uncomfortable around her. However, Olivia chose not to speak up because she wanted Gabriella to respond on her own behalf because it was her friend's story and not her own. Gabriella smiles as she turns to face Vanessa and Chloe.
"Sofia is my cousin, but since she moved away from me, we don't get along well. She doesn't really make me feel uneasy, though. Simply put, I wasn't feeling well earlier." Gabriella lied, trying to reassure her friends that there is nothing they should worry about.
They sat in the open field reading their books until Olivia's phone alarm went on, indicating that they needed to get moving for their afternoon classes. They ran across Sofia and her friends on their way back to their homeroom, and Gabriella attempted to look the other way, pretending she didn't see Sofia and walk faster.
"We're getting late, bitches. Walk faster!" Gabriella said and pulled her friend who got no choice but to run with her.
When they arrived at their room, their lecturer weren't there yet so they sat on their chair and continue chatting with each other discussing various of things such as their upcoming exam, their preferred course, and university they plan to apply for.
Their lecturer arrives a few minutes later and immediately begins discussing. They are all paying close attention and taking notes. Their lectures concluded with a quiz before announcing which topics they should focus on in his subject. When their lecturer leaves the room, the next lecturer followed immediately and just like the first lecturer, they started their discussion and ended with their lecturer announcing topics they should pay more attention on in her subject for their upcoming exam. It happened again for their other subject that afternoon till their classes ended. Since they don't have any other activities they have to finish on their campus, they all decided to get home already and starts reviewing since their final exam will be held in a few days.
When Gabriella arrives at their home, she immediately kissed her mother's hand and also told her mother about her plan on spending her night to review and so she doesn't want to be disturbed which her mother agrees and didn't pay any more attention on what her daughter was saying. Since Gabriella had already told her mother about her agenda, she hurriedly walks to her room.
Gabriella took a quick half-bath and change to her night gown before positioning herself on her swivel to starts reviewing. She first finishes her unfinished school works before going through her notes and creating her own reviewer.
Time passes quickly without Gabriella noticing and dinner has come. Alex was unaware she doesn't want to be disturbed since she only told her mother about her desires while her mother didn't even listen to her words. Alex walks upstairs insisting on calling her sister himself since their mother was busy.
Gabriella's room was so silent that she flinches when she heard a knocked on her door. She turns her gaze on her closed doors and glares and starts cursing at it as if it was the one who disturbed her.
"Dinner's ready, come out and eat with us Gab." Alex said in a sweet voice. Gabriella had no choice but to rise up and leave her room. When she opened her door, Alex was waiting for her with a brilliant smile on his lips, while she glared at him. She walks ahead of her big brother, with Alex trailing after her. And when they arrived at the dining table, their mother was already seated there, waiting for them.
"Mom, didn't I told you I don't want to be disturbed?" Gabriella said with a bit of irritation on her voice which made her mother raise her head and stare at her.
"Mind you voice, lady. What's the matter anyway? Your brother called because its dinner time, you should be thankful at least." Her mother said.
"But I told I'd go out and eat if I am done so you guys don't have to call me." Gabriella replied, still feeling irritated as she starts eating her dinner.
"Look, don't be mad at mother. I was the one at fault." Alex said and even tried to laugh.
Gabriella became even more annoyed. She was attempting to focus all of her attention on what she was studying, but she was having difficulty and questioned whether she was truly grasping what she was reading. She is becoming irritated since she is having a difficult time studying the lesson she did not fully comprehend because she was unable to attend some of the discussions due to events she must go at their school.
"If only mom listen to me like how she listens to you." Gabriella said and lowered her head.
"Gabriella, mom listens to us fairly." Alex replied with a more serious voice. Gabriella felt her eyes watered and feel like she was swallowing a stone with lots of nails around it every time she swallows her foods.
"Oh really?" Gabriella responded sarcastically. Her older brother turned his gaze at her abruptly and was about to say something to her when their mother spoke.
"Let her be, she's just experiencing her rebellious phase as a teenager." Their mother said and let out a deep breath.
Gabriella didn't speak anymore as she felt even more annoyed every time she heard something from them. She didn't raise her gaze at them anymore and just look on the food on her plates while she was trying her best to hold back the tears that has been threatening to fall from her eyes.
Frustration and annoyance filled her chest, so she ate as quickly as she could. And after she's through, she excuses herself and walks out of their dining hall, her tears falling as she walks away. Her brother tried to call her several times, but she never looked back and just walked straight to her room.
When she arrived at her room, she locks her door and immediately drops her body on her bed. She hugs her pillow as she cried and poured her annoyance on her pillows by punching it a bit. After a few minutes of crying, Gabriella gets up, tied her hair again, and wipes all the tears that had spread on her face. She sat on her swivel chair and continues working to her reviewer. She read and wrote few more before she finally decided to lie down on her bead and take some rest.
The next morning Gabriella woke up early and get ready for classes as fast as she could so she wouldn't have to ride with her brother. But when she walks down their stairs, she saw her brother at their living room waiting for her.
When Alex saw her, he immediately stood up and walks towards her. "Eat your breakfast before we go." He said.
Gabriella got no choice but to follow her brother so she walks to the dining hall and eat her breakfast while Alex was observing her. She didn't eat much because she wasn't feeling well. And when Alex saw it, he wouldn't let her leave, so she merely told him she'd bought the bread with her since she'd be late.
While they were on the car, Alex lectures Gabriella on how she acted towards their mother last night to which Gabriella just nodded her head and didn't refute anything her brother was saying until they arrived at the campus. Gabriella immediately gets down and walks towards the gate.
"Good Morning." Charles greeted her while she was walking on the hallway. She was shock to see him as she was expecting that he'd be away foe a tournament.
"I thought you'll be away for a tournament?" Gabriella asked.
"Not yet, we still have to take the examination before we'll be allowed to go. I saw you walking alone so I decided to walk with you. Have you reviewed already or do you want to review with me?" Charles asked with a smile. Gabriella didn't answer but she smile back.
Gabriella is already telling herself in her mind that her frustration and annoyance last night was the reason why God allowed her to meet Charles today because she believes that God may have thought that she had already gone through enough hardship that she deserved to be with her crush that would surely make her heart jump.
"If you offered then I don't have reasons to refuse." Gabriella jokingly replied. Charles looks at her with a bit wide eyes.
"I hope you were not thinking the same thing on my question. Think of it twice as I do not want you to feel obliged to say yes just because I ask you to." Charles said and smile at her. Charles' smile was so refreshing that she forgets what she had to go through last night, all those frustrations was wiped out with his smile.
"Of course not! I was squeezing my mind to think of the pros and cons when once I answered your question." Gabriella jokingly replied again and laughs softly. Charles laughs too and his laugh was like music to Gabriella's ears that she was ready to joke more just to hear him laugh.
"Gabriella!" just like someone listening to a gentle song on while trying to sleep being interrupted by an unexpected loud sound, Gabriella felt annoyed when she turn her head to whom the voice came from.
It was Sofia, she was waving her arms while she was walking towards them. Gabriella rolled her eyes and when she realize she was still with Charles, she felt nervous of what could Sofia would think when she saw them together knowing how Sofia's brain works.
Gabriella felt like a bucket of ice was poured to her when an image of her mother fuming mad while Sofia was beside her flashed her mind, at that moment she knew she needed to do something but her feet can't move.
'Oh no.' Gabriella said on her mind.