Mirror Mirror

Chapter 9: Reunited

"Haist. May work nga rin pala ako. Sa 'yo nalang kaya ako pumasok ulit?"

"Huy! Late ka na!" Shania teased, sitting beside Sabrina.

Shania was a college friend of Sabrina and Martina, though she was doing her internship at a different hospital where her girlfriend was a resident doctor. Shania was also a second cousin of Martina.

"Oo nga, dapat ata sa condo mo na 'ko magstay palagi para magising kita," Sabrina added, smirking.

"Hindi pwede!" Martina whispered urgently.

"Omg! Chikinini ba 'yan?!" Shania exclaimed, pointing at a kiss mark Martina had tried to hide. She had put a bandaid over it, but it was too big, and part of the mark was still visible.

"Shania Cordova!" the instructor called out, snapping her attention back to the lecture.

After their intense encounter the previous night, Martina couldn't stop thinking about Alex. She tried to focus during the lecture, but her mind kept drifting back to the moment they shared. As the session ended, Martina packed up her things and walked out with Sabrina and Shania. Shan had been chatting about random things throughout the lecture.

"Uy, Martina, are you even listening?" Shania asked, waving a hand in front of her friend's face.

"Sorry, Shan," Martina replied, snapping back to reality. "Ano nga ulit sinabi mo?"

"I was saying, ang dami kayang nagkakagusto kay Alex. Kahit sa hospital namin pinag-uusapan siya sayang daw hindi siya dun natransfer, pero mukhang ikaw lang yata ang pinansin niya," Shania teased, giving Martina a playful nudge.

Martina blushed, remembering the way Alex made her feel. "Ewan ko ba. Parang ang bilis ng mga pangyayari."

Before Shania could respond, a sleek car pulled up in front of them, and Dra. Gabrielle Apostol, Shania's girlfriend, stepped out. She was dressed in her usual crisp, professional attire, her aura commanding yet approachable.

"Hi, love!" Shania greeted Gab, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hey," Gab replied, smiling warmly at Shania before turning to Martina and Sabrina. "Marti, Sab, nice to see you again. How was the lecture?"

"It was good, Dra. Apostol," Martina said politely, while Sab just gave the doctor a smile.

"Just Gab, please. No need for formalities," Gab chuckled. "So, ano nga ulit pinag-uusapan niyo?"

"We were talking about Alex," Shania answered, smirking. "Mukhang close na sila ni Martina."

"Alex?" Gab raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "Si Alexandria Quinn ba yan?"

"Yes, you know her?" Martina asked, surprised.

Gab nodded. "Of course, we were schoolmates in Stanford. She graduated with a Master of Science in Clinical Informatics Management. It's a unique program that combines medicine, business, and technology. She's brilliant, but I'm sure you already know that."

Martina's heart skipped a beat. She didn't know Alex had such an impressive background. "Stanford, huh? That's... wow."

Gab nodded, smiling. "Yeah, she's the type who excels at everything she does. But she also has a good heart, kahit na minsan she comes off as too serious."

Shania chimed in, "Mukhang serious nga about you, Martina."

Martina just smiled, feeling both flattered and overwhelmed. "We'll see."