"Angel, can you tag that one friend of yours who thinks she's Miss Universe?" Trisha teased, laughing while nudging Angel's side.
Angel gasped dramatically. "Starting with an S, perhaps? Sera?"
"You two are the worst!" I snapped, my cheeks already burning red like I had been slapped. I'd been getting this kind of teasing since yesterday, all because of that single, stupid moment.
They were more thrilled than I was when Drev handed me that frappé. You'd think they were the ones getting heart palpitations, not me!
"Sera, the embarrassment on your face was so real," Trisha added with a wicked grin.
I gave her a flat stare. "Please, don't remind me. I've already tried to erase it from my brain."
"You really said I don't drink coffee—as if that's the real issue here," Angel chimed in, throwing her head back with laughter.
Both of them erupted into giggles while I sat grumpily in my seat, arms crossed, trying to disappear. To make things worse, our last class of the day was P.E., which meant there was a very real chance I'd run into Drev again.
I mean, come on. Out of all the people in our department, why me? Why not just hand it to our professor himself? Why make me the frappé messenger?
I groaned internally, remembering how Angel ended up taking the cup from him because I literally froze like an idiot. My cheeks had turned the color of tomatoes. Honestly, I wanted to body-slam him for putting me in that situation.
Ugh. Who does that?
My phone buzzed, interrupting my inner spiral. When I checked it, my scowl deepened.
Mother Dragon:
You have cell group later. Be at church. You're grounded if you don't go.
Wow. Church again. As if I wouldn't rather be dragged through an exam than sit through another sermon. No offense to heaven, but some people pray daily and still act like devils.
I didn't even bother replying. Resistance would just summon a holy war, and I wasn't in the mood for fire and brimstone today. Hopefully she wouldn't throw a fit if I wore my earphones during the praise songs.
There was still no teacher, so the classroom buzzed with chatter. Most of our class was girls, clustered into small groups. I got along with everyone, but Trisha and Angel? They were my ride-or-die.
Everything went quiet the moment someone peeked inside.
"The class president?" our dean asked from the hallway, still outside the door.
I stood up and raised my hand. "That's me, ma'am. Is something wrong?"
She smiled and nodded. "There's a meeting. Come with me."
Grabbing my phone and wallet, I followed her out—secretly thanking the universe for rescuing me from those two devils in disguise. I needed a break from the Drev Disaster Recap Hour.
I had no clue what the meeting was about. I hadn't even excused myself from my next class.
We stepped into the dean's spacious office, where a few other class presidents were already waiting. I took a seat and glanced around. The room buzzed with low murmurs until the meeting started.
"Our campus director, Mrs. Maria Eunice Maldraven, has been nominated to become the next president of the entire university."
I blinked, trying to keep up.
Our school had five branches scattered across Isabela, and this one—the main campus—was at the center of it all. So it wasn't that shocking that Mrs. Maldraven was next in line to lead them all.
"In two weeks, we'll be holding a campus-wide clean-up," the dean added.
"Ma'am, what about classes?" someone asked.
"No classes that day. But I expect everyone to show up and clean. Attendance will be checked."
"Yes, ma'am," we all said in unison.
"Good. We're also organizing fundraising events—a fun run, pageants, and other activities to support the canteen expansion."
I nodded even though the question in my head was loud: Are we doing all this just to boost Mrs. Maldraven's campaign?
The dean smiled, though she looked tired. "This will help our campus accommodate more students in the future. I know you'll all benefit from it. Thank you in advance"
I smiled politely, but inside, I was still stuck on the frappé, the weird encounter, and the fact that this day wasn't even over yet.
I was quietly tuning out, just letting the Dean talk, when the office door creaked open. Everyone's head turned instinctively—and when I saw him, my heart dropped straight to my stomach.
No. Not now. Not here. Not him.
"Good afternoon, Ma'am," his deep voice rolled through the room like thunder—rich, smooth, and totally unwelcome to my ears.
Drev.
I kept my eyes focused on the floor, pretending he didn't exist. If I didn't look at him, maybe he'd disappear.
"Drev, what brings you here?" our Dean asked, already walking over to meet him.
"Mrs. Maldraven asked me to pick up the notarized documents," he replied politely.
Mrs. Maldraven. His mother. That always made me wonder—if she's his mom, why does he talk about her like she's a distant dignitary?
"Ah, follow me," the Dean said, leading him out of the room.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind them, the room came alive with whispers and giggles.
"Did you guys see Drev's tweet last night?" a girl in a chem major uniform asked, all bright-eyed.
"Nope, haven't checked Twitter today. What'd it say?" someone replied eagerly.
Seriously? Was everyone in our department subscribed to the Drev fan club?
"If he gets 50 likes, he'll confess to his crush," the chem girl said, squealing a little.
The girls gasped in unison while the boys kept their heads down, either pretending not to care or too busy on their phones.
"He's got, like, 7,000 followers. That post reached 100 likes in under ten minutes!"
"I know, right? And he never crushes on girls from our department. It's always Allied Health or Tourism Management. But this time—it's someone here!"
"And he's been single for two semesters now. This would be the third."
I wanted to disappear. Could they be any louder? I grabbed my phone and started scrolling just to block out the noise.
Whatever they were talking about had nothing to do with me. And I intended to keep it that way.
Thankfully, the Dean came back. No Drev in sight. I nearly sighed with relief. If he had looked in my direction even once, I would've melted into my seat from secondhand embarrassment.
Back in the classroom, I relayed the meeting updates to my classmates. Everyone cheered when I mentioned the clean-up drive—because no classes, obviously—but groaned in unison at the idea of extracurricular activities.
I slumped into my chair, already drained. That was enough socializing for one day.
Then I remembered tonight's cell group at church.
Just great.
More fake smiles, more pretending to be holy with people who gossip more than they pray. I didn't even have the energy to roll my eyes.
"Sera! Did you see Drev's tweet?!"
And there it was again. That name.
I groaned. "No, I don't follow him. But yeah, I heard the whole like-to-confess gimmick."
"You don't follow him?" Trisha gasped like I'd committed treason.
"Am I supposed to?"
"You live such a boring life," she muttered dramatically.
I rested my head on the desk, closing my eyes. Where were our instructors, anyway? We'd been in a class-free loop since morning, and it looked like P.E. was the only thing standing between me and actual education.
"I just know I'm the one he'll confess to," Trisha said with complete confidence.
"Mendoza, please," Angel laughed. "Don't act like one of those pick-me girls."
I smirked at their banter but didn't move. I wasn't asleep—I could still hear them whispering and giggling like usual.
And yep, just as I suspected, their conversation was slowly shifting to more mature content. Their so-called 'stories.' I could already guess where this was headed.
"Kenzo really was your ex, huh? Girl, he was a walking red flag factory. Why did you even date him?" Angel asked.
I didn't even bother looking up.
Some days, it felt like I was the only sane one left in this department.
Trisha burst into laughter. "What can I say? He gave me flowers, so I gave him mine too."
I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.
"How'd you even manage to lick his—" Angel started, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Gross!" Trisha stuck out her tongue.
Angel nearly choked laughing. "Trisha, you're disgusting!"
I lifted my head from the table, amusement creeping into my face despite myself.
"You're nasty! I couldn't even sleep properly after hearing that," I muttered, trying to keep a straight face.
Trisha just rolled her eyes playfully. "Better to be nasty than be hopelessly delusional."
I groaned, slumping back down in surrender. I knew what was coming next—these two were relentless. They ganged up on me like hyenas the moment I showed weakness.
And of course, they didn't hold back. Their laughter practically echoed in the room while I sat there, quietly suffering through the chaos. It went on until it was finally time for us to change into our P.E. uniforms.
"This is ridiculous," Angel huffed as we walked out of the building's restroom. "This is literally the only class we're attending today."
Trisha rolled her eyes. "We had a five-hour break. Should've gone home instead."
"Well, I'm not letting this day go to waste without some eye candy," Angel declared with fake determination.
As always, I just trailed behind them. My legs were shorter, and they never slowed down for me. Not even once.
"Trisha," Angel whispered, eyes wide. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
I couldn't see anything yet. Their bodies were blocking my view.
"Yup… oh my god, thank you, Universe!" Trisha said with mock reverence. "That was fast."
"Miracles are real!"
Curious now, I finally stepped forward to catch a glimpse.
And there he was again—Drev.
Why does he have to be everywhere? I swear, he's haunting me at this point. I didn't sign up for this emotional whiplash.
He stood with two other engineering students—Jane and Adrian—both popular and undeniably hard to ignore. Adrian had his arm slung casually around Jane's shoulders while they laughed like they didn't have a care in the world.
And Drev? He was just there, smiling, watching them. His sharp jawline stood out even from across the hall.
God, give me a break.
"Hey! Hurry up before Coach loses it!" Sean's voice cut through the moment, snapping us all back to reality.
I blinked, suddenly remembering we were supposed to be heading to class. Trisha and Angel must've realized it too because they both jumped in place like they were snapped out of a trance.
What is happening to me? I'm seriously starting to absorb their energy.
"They're a feast for the eyes," Trisha sighed dramatically. "Especially Drev and Adrian. Too bad Jane's already there like a pre-installed girlfriend."
I scoffed. "Even if Jane wasn't there, he still wouldn't give either of you the time of day."
We were inside the biggest dance studio I'd ever seen—perched on the top floor of the Engineering building like a hidden gem. The floors were polished wood, the ceiling matched in texture, and the full-length glass walls sparkled under the bright white lights. The air conditioner hummed softly in the background. For now, it was just orientation day, so no pressure… yet.
From where we stood, we had a perfect view of the indoor basketball court just beyond the massive glass doors. The glass wasn't tinted, so I knew for a fact anyone down there could see us just as clearly as we could see them.
The Engineering building was bigger and more modern than ours, probably because most students belonged here. Honestly, they even had their own basketball court. Inside. Like, seriously?
"Hi, Coach John, I'm Angel Anne Reyes," Angel said with a mischievous grin. "I only specialize in lap dances, though."
The whole class burst out laughing. Typical Angel. We were used to her chaos, but poor Coach John was clearly not prepared. I tried not to laugh—but her timing, the deadpan delivery, the scandalized look on his face—it was all too much.
Next up was Trisha, who stood beside me, looking deceptively shy.
She twirled a strand of hair and muttered, "Hi, I'm Trisha Ana Mae Mendoza… I don't really dance, sir."
Cue the second wave of laughter. That girl could choreograph a flash mob in five minutes flat—everyone knew she danced better than half the department combined.
"Liar! You just want him to praise you!" someone called out.
Coach John cracked a smile, crossing his legs as he sat on the chair in front of us. He looked entertained, amused even, by our crazy little group.
When it was finally my turn, I stepped forward, only for him to raise a hand.
"Hold on," he said, glancing at the court. I followed his gaze.
Unlike earlier, there were now a few players on the court warming up. He stepped out of the studio and went over to speak with them.
While he was gone, I caught my reflection in the mirror—couldn't help it. The lighting in here was flattering.
My eyes were a soft mix of round and almond-shaped, my nose small, my lips full enough to match the rest of my features. I had the kind of cheeks that people always wanted to pinch—rosy and a little too chubby for my liking. People said I looked like a K-pop idol, though I wouldn't know; I didn't follow any of them.
I was busy admiring the illusion of confidence in the mirror when Coach returned… and my stomach dropped.
He wasn't alone.
"Go ahead and wait here, Drev, Tristan," Coach said casually.
A wave of dreamy sighs floated through the room like glitter bombs. I, on the other hand, felt all color drain from my face.
Trisha nudged my leg with her knee, but I couldn't even bring myself to glance at her. I knew who just walked in, and I was not emotionally prepared for this.
Drev gave me a brief glance before settling into one of the chairs beside the mirrored wall, right next to Tristan, who was already scrolling through his phone. Meanwhile, Drev just sat there, like he had all the time in the world, watching us.
Watching me.
Coach cleared his throat. "Let's continue."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. Peace and quiet was all I ever asked for. Just one uneventful day! I swear, God, I'll even go to that church group meeting tonight if you let me survive this without humiliating myself.
"I… I'm S-Seralyndra Veliriane T. Virellthane," I stammered. "I don't dance but… I'll do my best to comply, sir…"
Angel gasped dramatically. "Whoa, why the stutter, Sera?"
Right now? I wanted to shove her off the edge of the building.
Trisha added fuel to the fire. "She's shy because the eye candy just walked in!"
Kill. Me. Now.
Coach chuckled, clearly enjoying the spectacle. "Is that true, Ms. Virellthane?"
I shook my head rapidly, not daring to make eye contact with either guy beside me. I could feel Drev's gaze, hot and heavy like a spotlight on my soul.
I sank back into my seat, cheeks burning, trying to block out my classmates' teasing. The rest of the introductions continued, but I'd already checked out—my laugh was nowhere to be found.