Chemistry on the Menu!

Kabanata 3

Ivy's POV

I AM SO EMBARRASSED!! HE KEEPS FLIRTING WITH ME. Ugh, can someone please invent a time machine so I can erase myself from existence?

After he stopped talking to me (thank goodness), I saw him chatting with Marcus—his ever-so-casual best friend. Gathering all the courage I had left, I approached Marcus. 

“Uh, Marcus…” I hesitated, fidgeting with the strap of my bag. “Do you happen to have... like, Ulysses’ number? Or maybe his Messenger account? Anything’s fine, really.” 

Marcus raised an eyebrow, smirking like he knew something I didn’t. “Wow, diretso ka na agad sa number? Big moves, Ivy. Gusto mo ba siya? Or just curious?” 

I felt my cheeks flush. “I—uh—it’s not like that!” Why does this feel like an interrogation?

“Sure, sure,” Marcus chuckled. “Okay, may number ako, pero ingat ka ha. Maraming babae ang nagkakagusto sa kanya. Medyo… complicated.” 

Complicated? What’s that supposed to mean? I pushed the thought aside and nodded eagerly. “Thanks! Can you send it to me?” 

He shrugged, pulling out his phone and handing it to me. “Sige, pero ako na bahala.” 

To Ulysses: 
Kiss me if I’m wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right? 

“What the—?” I stared at Marcus as he finished typing. “Seriously? Bakit mo 'yan sinulat?” 

He smirked again. “Trust me. Pick-up lines are his language. STEM boys are like that, lalo na si Ulysses.” 

Moments later, my phone buzzed with a reply. 

From Ulysses: 
Hmmm, sino ito? Hulaan ko ha—Gwen? Trina? Sabrina? O baka Carol? Sabihin mo lang kung gusto mong may kiss kaagad. Hehe.

“What?!” I groaned, burying my face in my hands. “Why is he this serious about a kiss?” 

Marcus laughed, crossing his arms. “Don’t know. But good luck—you’ll need it.”

Good luck? What’s that supposed to mean? I stared at him, trying to decipher the smirk on his face. Was he messing with me, or was there some kind of hidden warning?

I groaned and shook my head. Whatever. I’ll just clear this up before Ulysses thinks I’m crazy. I grabbed my phone, took a deep breath, and started typing.

To Ulysses:
It’s me, Ivy. Sorry, one of your friends told me to say that to start the conversation. Promise, I’m not weird or anything.

Send.

From Ulysses:
Ivy… So, ikaw nga. Akala ko pa naman may kabang nararamdaman ako kanina, pero siguro ikaw ‘yun. So, anong plano mo? Gusto mong patunayan na mali ka, o gusto mong maranasan kung paano humalik ang isang tulad ko? Kung game ka, sabihin mo lang. Baka matulungan kita.

Oh my God, what did I just read?

I stood there frozen, my phone clutched tightly in my hand, staring at the screen like it had just sent me into another dimension. Did Ulysses really just say that? My heart was pounding in my chest, and I felt the blood rush to my face, making my cheeks burn hot. Nope, not happening. This can’t be real.

The words he sent were running through my head over and over. “Patunayan na mali ka… maranasan kung paano humalik ang isang tulad ko…”

My breath hitched. What does he mean by that? Does he really think... that I...