My Greatest Adventure

Chapter 5 - My Turmoil

Venice’s POV

After paying the taxi fare, I immediately get out of the car. I look up and see the familiar letters that I have seen every day for the past two years: Angeles University, the college I am currently attending.

I take a deep breath, let it out, and walk past the gate. I am instantly welcomed by the noise of students passing by and the shadows of the tall gray buildings in front of me. Just from these structures, you can instantly conclude that this is a prestigious university.

On either side of me are green grounds with various flowers and trees swaying in the wind. It is sunny today, so many students are taking the opportunity to soak up some Vitamin D while studying or chatting with their friends.

I begin walking to the room where my first class will be held. I only have two classes today; after that, I’ll be in the Student Council Office organizing, planning, and preparing for our intramurals.

I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. With Filipino parents, it was expected that I’d become a nurse or a teacher. But don’t get me wrong, they did not force me. Nursing has always been my dream since I was a kid.

Studying this course is tough, but it’s fun because it is my passion. I love learning about anatomy, physiology, microbiology—just name it. I love hearing about these subjects. I'm in my third year now, and the past years have been challenging. Every semester felt like taking an entrance exam. Like many other university students, I have cried because of how hard it was, but it will get better.

After walking for a while, I’m now in front of my classroom. I check the time on my watch. I am so late. I shut my eyes, hoping they would not notice me opening the door. Please, Lord, it would be so embarrassing. I silently pray, even gesturing, and in a split second, I shut my eyes again.

Anxiety is now flowing through every vein in my body. I really don’t like being late, but I summon my courage and slowly open the door. Our classroom is no different from any other university’s. It has brown interior paint, a large whiteboard behind the teacher, and seats arranged like rice terraces. The professor is speaking but only glances at me briefly before continuing. I laugh silently. Thank you, Lord.

I look for a seat. The whole room is packed with students listening and typing on their laptops, so it is a struggle to find a comfortable spot if you are late. That is why I hate it.

"Here, Press!" Someone calls out just loudly enough for me to hear but not for others to notice. I glance in that direction.

"You can sit here," she adds, pointing to the empty seat beside her. I immediately smile at her and walk to it. I sit down instantly.

"Thank you, Sierra," I express my gratitude. Sierra Sy Dela Montez, the Vice President of the Student Council Office, is the person I am closest to in the organization.

"No problem, Ven," she says, smiling. Her face lights up with the sudden curve of her mouth. Sierra is half Chinese, half Filipino—but a pure-blooded gossiper. She has an aura you do not want to mess with, even though she has gentle, small eyes, fair skin, and a petite body. She is also very sociable and knows every little thing that’s happening in this university.

For example...

"I heard you and Zedrick broke up. Are you okay?" She suddenly asks, not looking at me but at the professor, who is teaching how to properly do patient assessments and measure vital signs.

I continue typing on my laptop and then shrug. I’m not even surprised how she got the information. I look at her, stone-faced. She also looks at me, smiling, but it does not reach her eyes. How chilling...

"To be honest, I’m not okay," I admit, then proceed to type notes on my laptop. There is no point in lying about how I feel when talking with Sierra. We became honest and effective co-members because of that. She is brutally honest and does not judge.

Even though she knows everything about someone, she does not express her negative opinions bluntly. That is why she is good at giving advice and also a great listener. But my ex-best friend (who cheated with my boyfriend) always warned me about her, saying she was a bad influence on me. To the point that even though we are President and Vice President, we do not hang out outside the Council.

Realizing it now, Sierra and my ex-best friend always hated each other. They do not show it aggressively, but you can sense it. You know what I mean. She and Zedrick are also part of the Student Council. I sigh. I hate this.

Seeing my frown, Sierra suddenly says, "If you want to, you can leave the Council to me today. Take some rest for now." She still looks at me. I avoid her gaze.

"No, I can manage," I say, persistent. I don’t want to show how affected and weak I am just because of that breakup. I can’t lose my pride anymore. However, if they get together, I might lose my mind.

"They’re thick-faced if they go together, Ven. Those cheating bastards are horrible. I knew that bitch was fake." She rolls her eyes.

Upon realizing what she said, she glances at me. "Oh, I’m sorry. I can’t control my mouth anymore. I’ve been itching to say those words in front of you. Do you still consider her your best friend? You deserve better, Ven." She adds.

I stare at my professor and stop typing. You deserve better, Ven. Those words melt my heart. I know I deserve better than this. I know I deserve someone who only loves me, but I can’t ignore the fact that I’ve been with that man for five years. The only man I wholly submitted myself to, the only man who made me the main character of my life. I can’t just move on from that.

However, I’m not dumb enough to want him back. He cheated with not just a random girl but my best friend. I look up, stopping the tears that might fall. I do not look at Sierra nor reply to what she said. I continue listening to my professor—ignoring the thoughts in my head and pushing them to the deepest part of my soul.

After the two-hour lecture, Sierra and I proceed to our next class together. Upon arriving in the classroom, we find our comfortable seats. Nothing special happens in the second class. We talk more to each other than listen to our professor, who is babbling about things that are not related to nursing.

"Finally, the second class ended," Sierra says, stretching her arms mid-air, probably awakening her limbs and tendons.

"We still need to go to Council," I reply, reminding her that the day is still young. We still have lots of work to do. I’m now putting my laptop back in its bag.

Upon hearing this, Sierra puts her arms down, frowns, and sighs. "Mr. Marquez always makes me so damn lazy. His lectures are more like a talk show than a lecture."

I laugh. "Stop, Sierra, Mr. Marquez is still here."

Realizing this, we immediately leave the room. It’s now lunchtime. We stop at the canteen. Sierra buys a longsilog package—a meal consisting of sausage, fried rice, and egg. I only buy sweets and snacks for my co-members, who I hope are already working.

COUNCIL

Sierra opens the door and instantly grabs a seat to eat her lunch. The Student Council Office is a small room, nothing fancy. We painted it white, and within months of working together, we now have pictures that serve as decoration in this place.

"Pres, is that for us?" a representative asks. I smile at her.

I hand over the paper bag full of treats. "Yeah, you’ve worked hard today."

I can only say that, but I really appreciate them working on the letters and flowers as the stage decoration for the upcoming intramurals. Some of them are representatives of every course at the university, and others are official officers in the Council.

I feel very relieved to have members I can rely on. I scan the room and sigh in relief. No Zedrick or that girl is found.

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