Sofia approached Gabriella with a smile and immediately hugs her as if they were in a some kind of a close relationship. Sofia didn't notice the guy beside Gabriella so she starts telling Gabriella how hard it was for her to cope up on this new environment which is why Gabriella should feel responsible of helping her since she's a big sister for her already according to their family.
"And you what's worst? I enrolled here before exam. I thought I'd be exempted since I am a new transfer but guess what? Dad told the school that I should also be required to participate on the examination, Gosh! Oh why aren't you moving? Shouldn't you be walking with already?" Sofia ask when she notice Gabriella was not moving on her place when she takes a few steps.
It was only then Sofia noticed that Gabriella was with someone. Sofia's eyes widened when she saw Charles standing behind Gabriella as if she had seen someone she haven't seen for a long time.
"CHARLES?!" Sofia called Charles names in surprised. Gabriella turned her gaze to Charles and Sofia in confusion.
"You know him?" Gabriella asked.
"Of course! You know Cathy?" Sofia replied.
"Cathy?" Gabriella said. She doesn't who it was but the name seems familiar as if she had heard it from somewhere already but the memories were so blurry and she couldn't remember from whom and from where did she heard the name.
"Yeah! Cathy, a friend of mine. You've met her, right? Her boyfriend's name is Charles. Oh! No, I had forgotten. Charles has previously been her ex-boyfriend." Sofia went on without giving Gabriella a chance to reply. She even giggled at her own mistake. It was then that Gabriella finally realizes where she first heard this name, saying she first heard it when Jonas remarked that what Charles was offering her was her ex's favourite drink. The bitterness she felt at the time returned like a wave approaching the seashore.
"I apologize for my mistakes. Simply put, I couldn't envision the two of you as ex-partners because you two were so loving at the time. Everyone even anticipated that you two would get married!" Sofia said and expresses how disappointed she felt. Gabriella and Charles just looks at her as if they no like longer liked the words coming out of her mouth.
"We weren't as affectionate as you thought we were because we truly aren't, so stop exaggerating. Furthermore, as a gesture of respect, it would be preferable if you refrained from bringing up what happened from a long time ago." Charles said and placed her palm on Gabriella's back and slightly and gently pushes her to move.
Sofia was struck speechless as she watched the two of them walk away, but she soon developed a sneaky smile and lifted her right eyebrows at Gabriella when she turned her head to look at her.
When Gabriella saw Sofia's lips create a wicked grin, she felt something strange inside her, as if something was telling her that something she didn't want to happen again was about to happen. But instead of paying attention, she dismissed it, reasoning that they were too old for such instances to occur.
She remembered Sofia's words as she looked at Charles' face. She'd been attending the same campus since she was in junior high, but she'd never heard of anything like that. Given Charles' popularity, she should've heard stories about him being in the loveliest and most affectionate relationship. She wanted to question him about those things, but she stopped herself and continued creating her own stories on her mind.
"Is there something that bothers you?" Charles asked when he noticed Gabriella was zoning out.
"Nothing." Gabriella answered and shakes her head as she smiled at him to reassure him that everything is cool.
"Really? If Sofia's words bothers just tell me." Charles said and looks at Gabriella with so much concerned in her face. Gabriella almost laughs when she noticed how this guy worried for her just because she zoned out.
"It doesn't bother me at all. It's just that I am worrying for my exam. I wasn't able to review properly last night and the examination will already start tomorrow." Gabriella said. They were walking so slowly which is why it is really taking them long to arrive at their room.
"Don't worry, my instincts says you'll rock this examination so don't doubt yourself anymore." Charles said, even though Gabriella knew that Charles only said those words to comfort her, it still made her relax and smile.
They eventually arrived in front of Gabriella's room not long after. Charles waved farewell to Gabriella while gently waving his hands in the air, and Gabriella giggled slightly as she watched him. She feels as if she is watching her dog when she leaves their house, despite the fact that she does not own a dog. It's only that Charles appears in her mind like a dog saying farewell to his owner when he's within the fence and his owner is walking outside the gate at the time.
When Gabriella arrived at her seat, she saw her friends busy reading their books and reviewer so she didn't disturb them anymore. She took her book and her reviewer out from her bag and starts going through it until their lecturer arrived and their classes started immediately so everyone on the rooms starts keeping their books and reviewer inside their bags.
They didn't do much that day, and several of their teachers didn't show up to their classes, claiming that they could merely spend the allotted time for their subject to study because many teachers were busy preparing for their forthcoming exams.
"Can I study in your house?" Gabriella asked her friend Olivia after they were dismissed. She doesn't want to repeat what happen last night again this time since tomorrow is already their exam and letting her family members disturb her again will not be the best for her. Olivia already knew her friend got problems without even asking so she agreed without hesitation.
"Sure, you could sleep there if you want to." Olivia said while she was putting her stuff on her bag.
"You know I would not refuse your offer, right?" Gabriella replied and took her phone out from her pocket. She texted her mother, informing her about her plans for that fay. Her mother didn't reply but Gabriella knew her mother already read it.
Since Gabriella and Olivia decided to have a sleep over and Chloe and Vanessa heard of it, they also join. They first decided to go to their homes to get the things they needed and to ask their parents for permission as well.
When Gabriella arrived at their house, she kissed her mother's hand first and told her about her plans on sleeping over with her friends. Her mother just nodded her head and continued reading the newspaper she was holding.
Gabriella walk straight to her room and pack the thing she will need for their sleep over including her sleepwear, bags and her uniform for tomorrow. When she thought she packed all of her necessary things already, she looks around her room before walking out and looking her door.
"Mom, I'm leaving! She shouted on their living room before walking out of their house. She just walks her way to her friend's house since their houses were just close to each other. When she arrived at her Olivia's house, Chloe and Vanessa were already there.
"What took you so long to arrive when your house was just close to Olivia's?" Vanessa asked. They were already seated on the living room while holding a pack of chips. Gabriella sat beside them and pans herself as she leans her back at the sofa while fatigue was visible on her face.
"Did you run a thousand miles before you got here?" Chloe sarcastically asked and pouts a piece of potato chip in front of her mouth which she immediately took and puts inside her mouth.
"I just walked here." Gabriella replied and extended her arms to get another piece of chip on the pack of chips Vanessa was holding.
"And you got tired already?" Chloe ask again while Gabriella answered with a nod while chewing. "You got a very low stamina. I advise to do some exercise every morning." Chloe added as if she' some kind of a fitness instructor.
"Wow, coming from someone who almost spent their whole lives sitting in front of their computer because they gotta rank up before end season approach." Vanessa butts in while her full attention was focus on the monitor in front of them. They were watching a medical drama which Vanessa has been binge watching since last night.
"That's too personal to say for someone whose binge watching a drama whole night instead of reviewing for her upcoming exam." Chloe replied.
"At least it only happens like two to three times a week unlike you who have been in front of your computer almost every second of your life." Vanessa said as she rolled her eyes.
"I didn't play on my computer last night, I was reviewing unlike you whose lying on you bed and binge watching a drama instead of sitting in front of your study table and review." Chloe said. Before Vanessa could even reply, Olivia enters the living room carrying a bowl of snack.
"Turn that monitor off, we'll be staying on my room to REVIEW." Olivia said and put an emphasis on the last word she mentioned.
They all stand up carrying their stuff and walk to the stairs together while Chloe and Vanessa was still teasing each other, trying to explain their points. The two of them were the only one who's making noise until they arrive at Olivia's room.
"I'll take a quick half-bath first." Gabriella said as she carried her towel to Olivia's restroom.
When Gabriella exits the bathroom, she's already wearing her maroon sleepwear. She goes out of the bathroom and asks Olivia for a face mask as she forgot to bring her own. Olivia immediately gives her a pack of face masks and rolled her eyes at her to express how irritated she was to her for disturbing her while she was focusing on her studies.
Chloe and Vanessa followed her to the restroom once she was finished. After they were all done, they began silently reading through their individual books when Olivia abruptly played some instrumental song that made everyone wince since it was played in the middle of quietness.
"Do you really have to play that music while we were enjoying the silence?" Vanessa sarcastically asked.
"I just thought this would help us more since it always helps me when I am reviewing." Olivia answered and continues reading her books while the music plays in the background. After a few moments, Vanessa smacks her book on the floor since she was prone on the floor while reading her book. The noise she made was the reason why all her friends flinched again and turns their head to look at her.
"I can't focus. Can you turn the music off please?" Vanessa begged Olivia in which Olivia only made a sad face and continues on reading her book and the same goes with Gabriella and Chloe.
When Olivia realizes that Vanessa is unable to focus due to the noise, she switches off the music and plugs her headphone into her phone. She then began playing instrumental music that only she could hear.
It took them several hours before they decided to stop and eat. After supper, they all went to bed since Vanessa advised them to sleep early and resume reading their books the next morning because their brains needed a break. And reading first thing in the morning would be ideal since the knowledge would be fresh.
The next day, they all awakened quite early and quickly took their books after getting out of bed. They read their reviewer once before getting ready for class. And when they were seated at the dining table, they were silent and occupied, each with their own reviewer. When Olivia's mother realized how engaged these girls were on their studies, she didn't bother them anymore and silently fled the kitchen.
"It's time for you to go to your campus, ladies." Olivia's mother said when she noticed that time is passing and the girls were still at the kitchen.
Before entering the automobile, the four of them said their goodbyes to Olivia's mother. It didn't take them long to get to their college, and when they did, they went straight to their room. When they arrived at their room, all of their classmates were busy reading their books, so they tried to approach their seat silently, and they, like their peers, used the spare time to read their reviewers.
After some time, their instructor appeared with a stack of exam papers. Their instructor didn't waste any time and began distributing the test papers right once. Within minutes, they are silently answering their own test papers.
They answer test papers all day that after finishing all of the subject, Gabriella and her friends as well as the other students lets out a deep breath as if a very heavy burden was suddenly removed on their shoulders. They still have few subjects to take tomorrow so Gabriella and her friends didn't waste their time on the campus anymore and gets to their home. Since their examinations is not done yet. They still stay on Olivia's house.
Gabriella was in the middle of reading when her phone suddenly rang. And when she peeked at it, she saw her mother's ID so she answered it without hesitation.
"Get home at once." It was her brother's voice she heard from the other line. Her brows furrowed and she was ready to refuse when her brother spoke again. "Do you really think we wouldn't know? If it hadn't been for Sofia." Alex added.
When Gabriella heard her cousin's name, she felt shiver down her spine as she froze and, like a monitor flashing a news, everything happened in the past flashed in her head.