The Wild Angel

Chapter 12: Not Your Guardian Angel

Who are you, Azra? Or better yet, what are you?

Day 16

The next morning, Maeve woke up feeling something strange on her face. She reached up to touch her nose and felt a bump. "What the..." she muttered sleepily, rubbing her eyes before looking over at Azra, who was still half-asleep beside her. As she shifted, Maeve noticed something odd on Azra's face too.

"Azra, wake up," she whispered, poking her suitor's cheek.

Azra grumbled, turning her head slightly. "Hmm... antok pa 'ko, love."

Maeve couldn't hold back her laugh. "May pimple ka... on the tip of your nose!"

Azra's eyes flew open, and she instinctively reached up to touch her nose. "What?!" she exclaimed, scrambling out of bed to find a mirror. Sure enough, there it was—a large, red pimple right on the tip of her nose.

"Oh my Dad—I meant God! Bat dito pa?!" Azra said, turning to Maeve with wide eyes. But when she saw the same thing on Maeve's nose, she burst out laughing. "Looks like we match! Parang couple lang."

Maeve, still in bed, covered her face with her hands. "Kamukha natin si Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer!"

Azra climbed back into bed, wrapping her arms around Maeve and pulling her hands away from her face. "You're still the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," she said, planting a soft kiss on Maeve's lips.

Maeve couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. "Ikaw din. Even with that giant zit on your face," she teased, giving Azra's nose a playful poke.

Maeve and Azra walked through the school gates, trying their best to blend in, but their matching pimples were impossible to miss. They tried to ignore the curious glances from the students, but when they saw Colai, Johansen, and Gwyn, they knew the teasing was inevitable.

Colai's eyes widened as she spotted the pimples. She nudged Johansen, barely able to contain her laughter. "Grabe! Parang may stoplight! Ops! Naka stop oh, walang maglalakad!"

Johansen snorted, trying to hold back her giggles. "Gagi! Anytime pwede kayong tumawid! Hihinto nang kusa ung mga sasakyan pag nakita mga ilong niyo."

Maeve rolled her eyes but couldn't help grinning. "Stop. Cute kaya namin."

Just then, Miley, always quick to join in on the fun, came over with a grin. "Uy, cous!" she greeted Maeve with her usual cheerfulness.

Azra, who had been watching the exchange, looked confused. "Cous?"

Colai, ever the reliable source of information, jumped in. "Cousins sila, duh! Bakit? Selos ka 'no? Ay, prof nga pala kita... joke lang po."

Azra blinked, finally understanding. "Luh. Di ako nagseselos 'no." She chuckled, feeling relieved and a little embarrassed.

Maeve shook her head, laughing softly. "Sus! Hindi raw. Laki nga ng pimple mo eh. Ganyan daw talaga pag in love. May tumingin nga lang sa 'kin parang sasapakin mo na."

"Eh meron ka rin eh. So in love ka na?" Gwyn said, teasing.

"Sakto lang," Maeve answered then winked at the professor.

Later that day, the group, with Miley tagging along, went to a cozy café to finalize their thesis. The place was filled with the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the soft hum of conversations. Azra, who had become an honorary member of the group, sat beside Maeve. Their fingers were occasionally brushing against each other under the table.