A LOVE STORY...FOREVER

CHAPTER 1

Angela quickly opened her locker. She tossed her P.E. uniform inside. And immediately closed it. She waved goodbye to her classmates and turned her back. And ran. To the nearest phone booth of the university.

She inserted two peso coin and dialed the number she have called at least a hundred times.

"Yes, good afternoon. May I speak with Mr. Robert de Chavez please? ", asked Angela to that familiar voice she assumed was Rob's secretary.

After several seconds, her so-called boyfriend spoke on the other line.

"Hey, Rob! I'm sorry. Yeah, I know I should have called  earlier ...our P.E. instructor sucks! She kept us all inside that gym until the bell rang!  I am so sorry. Busy?" she hurriedly explained.

"Wait a second. It's okay, Anj. Yes, I was waiting for your call but it's alright. And I'm not busy. Not at all. In fact, I'll be out in less than thirty minutes. Want me to pick you up?" Rob said.

Angela could clearly imagined Rob was smiling while talking to her.

They've been "on" for a couple of months now. Rob is presently working at a car company in Makati while she is a freshman student at Centro Escolar University. Their 10 years age gap never seemed to matter. As Rob put it, "We meet halfway. I don't have to act like a teen to understand you and on the other hand, you don't have to be so matured to get my point."

"No! I mean you can't pick me up here. I'm going out with my friends. Am just waiting for them and we'll go out. I just made this call so you won't get mad. Bye! I love you! ",she said, smiling.

"Okay then, bye. Have a good time. You take care and you behave, okay? I love you much.", that was Rob.

In the corner of her eyes, she saw her friends coming down from the gymnasium's stairs as she put down the receiver.

Angela is a first year Doctor of Optometry student, 16, when one of her high school friends introduced Rob. At first, like the usual love story begins, they started as friends. She enjoyed talking to him and Rob enjoyed listening to her thrilling  and full of !!!!!! (exclamation) stories. Time came, just like how the usual love story goes, they started showing interests and affection to each other. She found herself calling Rob more than the usual. Found herself telling him more about a lot of things. Found herself doing things, associating them with Rob. And just like the usual love story continues, one day, and it was 24th of July year 1998, Rob finally said those words Angela's been wanting to hear.

"I hope you won't get mad at me...I know this is somehow wrong...no, strange...but I think, no, I'm sure, I'm falling in love with you...Sorry. I just wanna be honest. I hope what I told you won't affect our friendship."

Angela remembered she stayed quiet for a while. She remembered she didn't know what to say. She remembered she twisted the telephone's cord after he said what he just said. She remembered a lot of thoughts run through her mind as if frightening her  to hold her emotions, to hide what she really felt that time. She remembered she wanted to shout and tell him "Damn! Don't be sorry! How could I get mad to a guy who just said he's falling in love with me when actually all along I was hoping he would say it???!". She remembered she kept those words to herself and instead said, "Why me? No..no..no, I mean it's okay..uhm, not okay..uhm I don't know what to say. I'll call you again. Bye!"

And she remembered too, that she stupidly put down the phone and stay awake the whole night till dawn.

But it was from that day on,that everything between them changed. Angela would call Rob first thing in the morning, before going to school, during her classes' break, every lunch time, before going home and before sleeping. They talked about almost everything. And everything was going along so well...