We finally arrived at school. There were so many students here even though it's a private school. From the outside, our school looks nice, but to me, it's just normal—nothing special. While Gilbert and I were walking, he asked, "Hey, do you need help explaining things later?" He was clearly concerned about me.
"No need, man, I got this," I told him confidently.
"Just a reminder, okay? We each have a chapter in the research—chapter 3 is mine!" he added.
While Gilbert was talking, I couldn't stop thinking about my dream. It's surprising how vividly I remember everything that happened. One part I clearly recall was the voice by the window. Was it a woman's voice? I'm not sure, but I have a strong feeling it was.
"Hey! You're spacing out again!" Gilbert said as he hit me lightly on the head.
"Ouch! That hurt!" I complained.
"Was it a girl that got you thinking, huh?" he teased. But kidding aside, it's strange how accurate his guesses have been lately. I thought for about three seconds and just let it slide.
"What girl? I'm thinking about our research, you weirdo!" I explained—even though that's not really what I was thinking about.
A few minutes later, we arrived at our classroom. There were already quite a few people there. Wow, a lot of early birds today, huh? Well, it makes sense—the whole school has a research project, so everyone's busy.
Gilbert sat in his spot to check the stuff he bought, while I looked around to see if Sophia was already there. To be honest, I was really nervous. I didn't even know what excuse I'd use. Maybe I'll say there was a technical issue at home, and that's why I couldn't work on the project? Ugh, whatever happens, happens.
Sophia wasn't in the room yet, so I went to my seat near the back and tried to calm myself. As I was trying to relax, I started thinking about my mom again. It's been a long time since we've seen her. We haven't had any contact with her since she and my dad separated. I've always wanted to ask my dad if he knows where she is or if he still has a way to reach her—but he's always so busy with his business that he barely has time for us, his kids.
After a few minutes of calming down, Sophia finally arrived. I glanced at her and noticed how tired and sleep-deprived she looked—probably because of our research project. And since she's a top student, it adds even more stress. She sat down, and to my surprise, she looked at me sharply, like she already suspected I didn't do anything for the project.
I avoided looking at her because I couldn't hold her gaze for long. Instead, I stared out the window, watching the students walking by the gate. A few moments later, Sophia walked straight toward me, like she already confirmed her suspicion.
"Hey, Alex! Where's your Chapter 2? I need it now!" she asked, sounding both angry and rushed.
Panic hit me again. I'm doomed! What do I do now? While she waited for my answer, a wild (but funny) idea popped into my head.
"Uhh… Sophia, well… our Chapter 2 got messed up… by the cat," I explained, hoping she'd believe it.
"What??!! What kind of excuse is that? Ugh, fine! Just redo it. We still have five days left to finish this. This project's been taking forever, Alex! We can't move forward without Chapter 2!" she snapped.
Thankfully, she gave me a second chance—whew! "Yeah, I'll fix it right away," I replied.
While we were talking, our adviser suddenly arrived. Everyone fell silent and got back to their seats, even Sophia returned to hers. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit—she looked cute when she was mad.
"Okay, class! I have an announcement today!" our adviser began.
She wasn't even done talking yet when Gilbert raised his hand. You're dead, Gilbert, I thought.
"What's with you, Gilbert?! I'm not even done speaking!" our adviser scolded him, frowning.
"Sorry, ma'am! Is this about the school-wide research project?" he asked curiously.
Because of his question, the whole class laughed—everyone except me. One of our classmates, Kent, who's a bit of a smart kid, chimed in, "Seriously, Gilbert? That was announced just yesterday!" Then he laughed.
"Kent, everyone—enough! Listen to the announcement!" our adviser shouted to quiet the class.
Gilbert sat down, and for some reason, instead of being embarrassed, he was smiling—maybe because he got everyone's attention?
"You're getting a new classmate this school year, so welcome her properly, okay? She's from a wealthy family, so be on your best behavior!" our adviser explained.
A few moments later, the new student entered the room—and immediately caught my attention. I looked at her closely. She wore glasses and had a pendant around her neck. The pendant… it looked familiar. Silver, with a red rose in the center.
Then she spoke.
"Hi… everyone… my na-…me is Esthera," she said, stammering nervously.
I judged her right then and there. "Hmph, so dramatic", I whispered to myself, making sure no one heard.
I glanced around. It looked like others were already gossiping about her behind her back because of how she introduced herself.
"I… live… in Bulacan. Nice to meet you, everyone!" she said in an excited tone.
While she was talking, I looked around to see where she might sit—and of course, the only empty seat left was beside me. Just my luck.
I looked at our adviser, who was also scanning the room.
Please don't say she's sitting next to me.
"Okay, Esthera, go sit beside Alexander," our adviser said.
Without hesitation, she walked toward me. As she got closer and our eyes met, it felt like time slowed down. Her gaze was so sweet, and the color of her eyes—golden brown—was beautiful.
Before she even reached her seat, I quickly looked away. Sheesh, she might think I'm planning something creepy or weird.