I'm in Love with My Enemy : A MaColet's Journey

02

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the school grounds as students made their way to their after-school activities. Colet strolled down the hallway, her bag slung over one shoulder, still feeling the lingering tension from the assembly. She had been running through scenarios in her head all day—ways to outsmart Maloi in the debate competition, strategies to maintain her position at the top. But no matter how hard she tried, one thought kept creeping in: *What if Maloi wasn't just a rival?*

She shook her head, trying to dismiss the thought. It was ridiculous. Maloi was her competition—plain and simple. The very idea that they could be anything more was laughable. And yet, the look in Maloi's eyes earlier kept replaying in her mind.

Lost in her thoughts, Colet didn't notice the small group of students gathered around the bulletin board ahead until she was nearly on top of them. They were huddled together, whispering excitedly.

"What's going on?" Colet asked one of the students.

"It's about the debate competition," the student replied, pointing to a newly posted announcement. "There's been a last-minute change."

Colet's heart skipped a beat as she pushed her way through the crowd to read the announcement. Sure enough, the inter-school debate competition had been updated. But it wasn't the date or the venue that caught her attention—it was the pairing.

**Team Sapphire High:**

- **Colet Vergara**

- **Maloi Ricalde**

Colet stared at the paper, her mind struggling to process the words in front of her. There had to be some mistake. She was supposed to be competing against Maloi, not working with her.

"No way," Colet muttered under her breath, her eyes scanning the paper again. But it was right there in black and white: she and Maloi were going to be partners for the debate competition.

"Looks like you and Maloi are teaming up," a voice said from behind her. Colet turned to see one of her council members, a sly grin on her face. "Should be interesting."

"Interesting isn't the word I'd use," Colet muttered. She couldn't believe this was happening. How was she supposed to work with Maloi? They could barely stand to be in the same room without arguing. But now they were expected to collaborate—on one of the most important competitions of the year, no less.

As the crowd began to disperse, Colet stood there, staring at the bulletin board, lost in thought. She needed to come up with a plan—fast. But before she could even begin to figure out how to handle this new twist, a familiar voice cut through her thoughts.

"Looks like we're stuck together, huh?"

Colet turned to find Maloi standing next to her, arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. She looked as calm and collected as ever, but there was a glint of something in her eyes—something that Colet couldn't quite place.

"Believe me, this isn't my idea of fun," Colet shot back, trying to regain her composure. "But we're going to have to make it work."

Maloi raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you'd give up that easily. Don't worry, Colet—I won't let you drag me down."

Colet's jaw tightened. "I'm not the one you need to worry about."

For a moment, they stood there, staring each other down, the familiar tension crackling between them. But this time, there was something different. It wasn't just rivalry anymore—it was a challenge. They were about to enter uncharted territory, and neither of them knew what to expect.

"Meet me in the library after school tomorrow," Colet said, breaking the silence. "We'll start planning then."

"Fine by me," Maloi replied, her smirk never faltering. "Just don't be late."

Colet nodded, then turned on her heel and walked away, her mind racing with thoughts of how this was all going to play out. Working with Maloi wasn't going to be easy—far from it. But there was no way she was going to let this twist of fate throw her off her game.

As she made her way out of the school, Colet couldn't help but feel a strange mix of frustration and excitement. For years, she and Maloi had been at odds, pushing each other to be better, stronger, smarter. But now, they were going to be on the same side. And that, Colet realized, might just be the biggest challenge of all.

One thing was certain: the sparks between them weren't going to disappear anytime soon. If anything, they were about to get even more intense.