More Than This (A Niall Horan Fan Fiction)

Chapter 23

Thalia's POV

It's 2013. I already have graduated from High School last year. And now, I'm halfway through my first year of college.

"Come on, honey, go out with him! He's asked you for the Nth time already! Are you that hard? I know him and he's a nice guy, I swear. And obviously, he wants you!" My friend, Tricia, freaks out beside me.

"Tricia? Will you shut up? We're in a restaurant!" I kind of scolded my friend who just can't finish eating her lunch.

Tricia is a lovely girl I met when I enrolled at a university, in a new place, in a new country.

I have decided to continue my studies not just outside Ireland, but abroad. I wanted to be away from everyone; I wanted to be not that alone, but independent; I wanted a new place; I wanted something new; and I wanted to explore.

Thinking how much I wanted to get away, of all places, I found Philippines.

I met this slim, five foot something, long and black-haired Filipina beside me before I took an entrance examination. I was new to everything so I had a hard time for everything back then. I lost my way to the Entrance Examination Room and I saw her standing few feet from me. She seemed nice so I thought she could help me.

"Hi, excuse me, can I ask you something?" Shyly, I asked the girl standing a few feet in front of me. She was slim and shorter than me, her hair color was black and her skin color was light brown.

"Uhm, yes?"

"Do you know where do I get entrance exam here?"

"Yes! Actually, I'm going in there, too. I'm getting an exam." She told me with a smile. Her accent was so different than mine. "I'm Tricia, by the way."

"I'm Thalia." I smiled at her.

"You're new here." She stated and I nodded in response. "Where are you specifically from?"

I was aware that English is not the mother tongue of this country, I have researched a lot about the Philippines, but Tricia was fluent at it. "Ireland."

"Oh, wow, Ireland, Irish. What brought you here?"

"I wanted something new, I guess."

"Of course, you do." She chuckled. "By the way, are your requirements with you?"

"Yes, complete."

"Good." She smiled at me. "Okay, let's go there!"

After that exam, she invited me to a restaurant outside the campus for lunch and of course, I went with her. We talked and got to know each other. And I wasn't wrong of thinking that she's nice for she really is. If she's not, I wouldn't be sitting next to her right now. Eventually, we found out that we are both taking up Education.

"How can I shut up? You are such a bad girl, Thalia!"

"What? Bad? Me?"

"Yes!" She rolls her eyes at me. "God, you are frustrating!"

I look down at my phone and stare at the text message of Kevin Omar, a second year Culinary student; a classmate of mine in one minor subject; and the best friend of Tricia's brother. And I re-read it, "Can I take you out for dinner tonight?"