Silent Heart, Hidden Desires

2

The sun-drenched courtyard of the university buzzed with activity. Mika, Jeo and I, busy discussing about the upcoming Battle of the Bands Competition. We're heading towards the cafeteria. The laughing echoed through the hallway as Jeo joked about the bossy History Professor awhile ago.

"Bakit laging masungit ang Professor natin sa History? Siguro, wala siyang nakaraan na gustong alalahanin." Hirit niya pa. Mika and I laughed hard. His jokes are literally what keeps the two of us alive. Oh my god, he his witty, sa katarantaduhan nga lang.

We're chitchatting about the plans for our weekend. Suddenly, two figures blocked our path. Ethan and Kai, stood before us with mischievous grins. Two of the most popular guys in school. Confused, I looked at them, as I've known they're heartthrobs. Hm.. handsome but not as handsome as.. My instuation whispered. Tsk, Amara! Don't talk about that gray eyed man again!

Jeo, recognizing them, greeted them with a nod and a handshake. I'm not surprised, he has a lot of friends.

"Pre! What's up broski?!" he asked, a hint of excitement flickered in his eyes. Mika and I exchanged confused glances. Why were these two heartthrobs blocking our way?

Kai, with his signature bad-boy smirk, leaned in close to Jeo, whispering something I couldn't hear. He winked at me, his voice a playful tease. Jeo, though visibly flustered, just chuckled, shaking his head. I'm fucking oblivious to their whispered conversation, I remained puzzled.

Jeo, clearing his throat, introduced us with each other. "Guys, this is Amara, and this is Mika. They're both my friend." Ethan, with his usual easy charm, extended a hand to me. "Hey, Amara, I'm Ethan. We're actually starting a band, and we were wondering if you'd be interested in joining us as a vocalist."

My eyes widened in surprise. I hesitated, unsure how to respond. I'm pretty intrigued by this opportunity working with them but I decided to give it a shot. "Okay, but I need to hear you play first. If you're really as good as you say you are, then maybe I'll consider it." I said, I take this seriously, I needed to hear them play first before I agree.

"Deal." Ethan said, grinning. "We'll have a practice session tomorrow after school. Come and check us out."

"Don't worry, Amara," Kai said, his voice full of reassurance. "You're going to love it, besides we're good looking too." His smile was a beacon of confidence. I shrugged my shoulder, that makes them all laugh hard.

They were definitely persuasive, and I couldn't deny that I was curious to hear them play. Maybe, just maybe, joining with them wouldn't be so bad after all.

As we walked towards the cafeteria, Suddenly, I felt a strange chill run down my spine. I looked up, my gaze meeting a pair of piercing grey eyes across the courtyard. The gruff man at the business party.. dressed in a sharp lawyer attire that exuded power and authority, was walking towards the administration building. Halatang kagagaling lang nito sa korte at diretsyong pumunta dito.

The weight of his stare settled on me, a heavy, suffocating presence. It was like he was drilling into my soul, analyzing every inch of me. I felt a prickle of unease, a sense of being scrutinized, judged. What was he doing here? Why was he here?

Jeo, sensing my discomfort, followed my gaze. Mika, Ethan, Kai, and Jeo exchanged confused glances. They, too, felt the weight of the good looking man intense stare. Jeo, with a raised eyebrow, muttered, "Beb kilala mo ba yan? Ang sama maka tingin ah."

I shook my head, unable to tear my gaze away from the man. He was unsettlingly handsome, with an aura of power that sent shivers down my spine.

Ethan, usually the witty one, remained silent, his eyes narrowed as he studied the man. He was the quiet observer, the one who always seemed to see things others missed.