JERSEY
Two months after my breakup with Paul,I was an incoming freshman at Greenwood University,taking up BA Communication Arts.I'd chosen the university because the former love of my life had decided to go there too.The fact that I was carying on a family tradition---my parents and both my brothers had all gone to Greenwood University too---was incedental.
My friends Sath,Amea,Paolo, and Jerro were going to the same school, and we were living in a rented bungalow in Sunny Heights Subdivision , whili Paul was by himself in a dorm somewhere .We'd moved in a few days before school started, and during lunch after moving day,Amea told me she had asked Paul to stay with us,but he'd said he wouldn't because of me.
"That stupid jerk," I muttered while cutting up my chiken."I really hate him.I wish I'd never met him."I started chooping up my chicken more voilently."Damn you, Paul Ivan Sanchez Ilagan!"
My chicken suddenly flew from my plate.I groaned."Darn it!
"Poor chicken."Jerro laughed."It wasn't doing anything wrong."
I buried my face in my hands."Can someone please just get me another one?
Once Amae got me a new plate of food and I started eating,Paolo spoke up."Seriously,it's been twi months since you guys broke up.Don't you think it's time to move on?Your reaction when you hear his name is just a little too much sometimes."
"Pao,I can't just forget that!Hello,that happened right on graduation day,and it totally ruined my valedictorian moment.And what was his reason?
"I'm a guy,Jersey.That's just how it is;"Jerro recited.
I grinned at him. "See? I get it if it was something like, I don't know, religious differences or because his parents hated me. Shut up, brain! I'm bitter, I'm better."
"Better my ass! You're still in love with him," Amae retorted. Sometimes my best friend just don't know when to stop.
"Quit it! I'm trying to move on, and you guys aren't helping."
They couldn't stop talking about it even when we were done with lunch, and to make things worse, Paolo said they were inviting Paul over later. Whatever. I wasn't sticking around for that. By 5 p.m.,after cleaning up,making the house look more presentable, and getting dressed, I left, taking my camera with me. I'd taken on gigs as a graphic artist and photographer/editor over the past two years, and I'd started making short films, too. The campuslooked gorgeous at his time of day, so I took a lot of pictures.
I walked over to one of the fountains on campus and saw a tripod and a camera like mine already et up in front of it. Out of nowhere, a guy said, "Excuse me , miss." Oh my god, hus voice sounded so hot. I couldn't even tell if he was cute or not when I turned to face him. I stepped away from his camera, and he started change the lens, but I could tell he didn't know how.
I said," Excuse me, but your doing it wrong."
He looked over at me." Am I?" I just got this camera, so I don't really know how to use it yet. Can you show me?"
I felt my stomach do a flip-flop----this guy was really cute.
I showed him how to attach and adjust the lens.
"Are you a professional photographer?" he asked me.
"No just an amateur. I started three years ago."
He tested the camera again. "Oh,
wow, that's much better. Thanks! I'm Edward, by the way. Are you a junior here?
Junior? Was he for real? But I said, "Nice to meet you . I'm Jersey. I'm a freshman. How about you?"
"Nope, I'm a sophomore. ComSci. Nice meeting you too!"
God, his face was just perfect---it made me goddy to look at him. I didn't realized I was staringv at him until he said, "You okay? Don't stare at me like that----you might fall in love with me."
That caught me off guard.Listen up, pal, just because you're cute and I nkticed that doesn't mean I'll fall for you was what I wanted to say. Instead, I answered, "Was I staring? Sorry, I think I need to adjust one of my contact lenses. Everything suddenly looks blurry." I made a show of turning around and pretending to rub my eyes.
"I see," he said with a smirk. "Well, I gotta get back to what I'm doing. Need to finish this."
Yeah, fine,whatever, dude. I know you're just trying to get rid of me.
"Sure. See you around." I walked off, gritting my teeth. He was cute all right, but his attitude was such a turnoff.
The next day, we were scheduled to go on a campus tour and attend our college orientatoon. Everyone was teasing me about Edward and Paul while we were getting ready to go----the night before, I'd told them about meeting Edward, and they all agreed that, yeah, it really sucked that he was a bit full of himself.
We were wandering around campus waiting for the tour to start when we noticed that the sky was growing dark."Do you think the tour's gonna push through?" Sath wondered. Suddenly, it started raining, and everyone rushed to the nearest shed or building. I was running after my friends, holding my umbrella close to drive off the rain, when I bumped into someone. My umbrella fell, and so did the umbrella of the person I ran into.
"Oh come on!" I shouted and picked up my umbrella. The guy was hunched over looking for somethin, so I picked up his umbrella and held it over him. "Are you okay? Can I help?" "My glasses," he said frantically. "I cant find them."
I looked around and saw his glasses a couple feet away from him. I handed them to him, and he slipped them on after he did his best to dry them off."Thanks," he said, taking his umbrella from me. Wow, this one was cute too! "Sorry for bumping into you. I was in a hurry. Oh, Im Glenn, by the way. Im in second year DevCom." "Jersey."
"Nice to meet you. Hey, I gotta run. I'm gonna be late," he said. He grinned and waved at me. I was just staring to walk away when I heard Glenn call my name. "Hey, Jersey! I think I left something with you,"
"What? I gave you your glasses back, didn't I?" I looked around, looking for something else he might have dropped.
"Yeah. My heart," he replied, waving again. My jaw dropped. This was too much! Someone kill me now, please! I thought, groaning silently.
Paolo was sunddenly at my side, grinning. "Looks like you two had a moment there."
"What do you mean?" I asked, pretending not to know what he was talking about as we walked back towards the others.
He laughed. "Dont deny it--we all saw what happened!"
We headed home afterwards; all activities had been cancelled beacause of the weather. They couldn't stop talking about my moment with Glenn, and Jerro even offered to look for him becaouse they were in the same course.
I couldn't help thinking about what a lucky break I'd been getting. Two cute guys in two days? What were the chances of that? Between Edward and Glenn, I'd choose Glenn. Why wouldn't I? He was cute and polite. Not like Edward, who was cute but just--bleah!
