Colliding Hearts

Three

Irene

Sitting across the table from Maggie, Natalia, and Liv, I tried to focus on the conversation, but my mind kept wandering back to the pool incident with Greggy. The way he'd looked at me, that stupid smirk of his - it was maddening.

"So, Irene," Natalia leaned forward with a grin, "tell us more about this weekend!"

I laughed, shaking my head. "Believe me, nothing happened. It was just one of those weird family gatherings. You know the drill." I shrugged, trying to brush off the subject.

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a group entering the cafeteria. It was Greggy with his usual group of friends, his laughter echoing louder than anyone else's. They made their way to the table right next to us. Instantly, I felt a prickling awareness that had nothing to do with how loud they were. My friends kept chatting, but I could feel the weight of their glances sliding over to our table. The boys' eyes lingered on me, making my skin crawl.

I shifted in my seat, fidgeting with my fork as I tried to ignore them. Maggie noticed, giving me a reassuring squeeze on my arm, but even her comforting touch couldn't erase the discomfort I felt. Greggy's gaze kept drifting over in my direction, his eyebrows raised in a way that made it clear he knew exactly how uncomfortable I was.

"Alright, guys," I said, trying to keep my tone casual but firm. "Let's go somewhere else. I'm kind of over this place."

Natalia glanced over, raising an eyebrow as if to ask if I was okay, but she didn't argue. Without another word, the four of us stood up, gathering our things to leave. I could feel Greggy's eyes following my every movement as we walked away, and just as we reached the door, I looked over my shoulder, our eyes locking for a brief, charged moment.

He had this look on his face like he wanted to say something - but I didn't give him the chance. Rolling my eyes, I turned my back on him, ignoring the twist of emotions his presence always seemed to pull out of me, and headed out with my friends. I wasn't about to let him see how he affected me, especially after what happened last night.

The air in the Financial Management classroom was thick with a mix of tension and boredom as the professor's voice droned on about investment portfolios. I sat up straight, already reviewing my notes. The last thing I wanted was to zone out and get called on unprepared.

Just as I finished my quick review, I heard my name.

"Ms. Marcos," Professor Tan's voice echoed across the room, and I looked up. He was peering over his glasses, gesturing toward me. "Could you explain the concept of risk diversification and how it benefits a portfolio?"

I nodded, shifting in my seat a bit, but I knew this one. "Risk diversification is a strategy that spreads investments across different financial assets to reduce the overall risk of a portfolio," I began, making sure to speak clearly.

The professor gave a small nod of approval, so I continued, "By investing in a variety of assets, like stocks, bonds, and maybe even real estate, an investor is less exposed to the risk that comes with any single investment. This way, if one asset underperforms, it won't drastically impact the entire portfolio."

Professor Tan's expression softened into a slight smile. "Excellent, Ms. Marcos. Now, can you tell us why diversification doesn't eliminate risk entirely?"

I felt a surge of confidence at his response. "Of course, sir. Diversification can reduce unsystematic risk - like company or industry-specific issues - but it can't eliminate systematic risk, such as economic downturns or inflation, which affect all assets to some extent."

There was a murmur of agreement around the class, and I caught a few impressed nods from my classmates.

As I finished my answer, I noticed the approving nods from a few classmates, and Professor Tan's smile widened.