Just an Average Joe (A KathNiel Fanfic)

Chapter 1

“Dj, gising na! Baka malate ka na naman sa klase mo!”, shouted Karla Estrada.

Daniel groaned as he rolled out of bed. “Minsan nagsisisi talaga ako dahil hindi ko tinanggap yung role sa Growing Up. Kung tinanggap ko yun, di ko kailangan pumasok”, he mumbled as he slipped into his uniform.

Meet Daniel Padilla, a normal teenage boy just like any other. Despite coming from the famous Padilla clan, he was driven away from a life in the local showbiz industry. His mom, Karla Estrada, wanted Daniel to focus on his studies. He had tried some television stints, such as Gimik 2010, but they had taken up too much of his time. Thus, Daniel was forced to focus strictly on his studies at Angelicum College.

Downstairs in the dining room…

“Wow, look at Enrique! He’s on the cover of Candy. He’s so cute!”, Daniel’s little sister Magui said as she flipped through a magazine while eating her cereal. Daniel slipped into the chair next to his little sister.

“Puro na lang Enrique, Enrique, Enrique ang lumalabas sa bibig mo”, Daniel said, swiping the magazine from his sister’s hands.

“Kuya! Ano ba? Ibalik mo nga sakin yan! You’re just annoyed because Enrique is working with your dream girl”, Magui teased.

“Hindi si Kath ang dream girl ko. I just find her … cute. Crush lang, that’s it”, Daniel said, trying to defend himself.

“Whatever Kuya!”

“Kumain ka nga!”

Due to his mom’s restriction, the sought-after role of Patrick Rivero (Kathryn Bernardo’s partner in Growing Up) went to another budding actor – Enrique Gil.  Now, KathQuen (the team-up between Kathryn Bernardo and Enrique Gil) was the nation’s hottest teen loveteam.

Daniel was staring hard at the cover of the magazine. Candy had labelled Enrique as “The Next Big Thing”. Suddenly, Daniel started imagining his face on the cover and his name alongside the title “The Next Big Thing”.

“Sana ako na lang ang nasa position mo”, Daniel thought to himself.

“Ay, oo nga pala. Dj, pwede mo bang ihatid yung lunch ko later sa set ng Princess and I”, Karla asked her son. “Kasi kailangan ko nang umalis. It won’t be finished cooking in time.”

Karla played one of Mikay’s (Kathryn’s character in Princess and I) teachers in the show. Even though his mom played a prominent role, Daniel never had the chance to actually visit the set.

Daniel thought to himself, “Baka ito na ang chance ko para makita ko si Kathryn”. His smile widened as he thought of all the possibilities that could happen when he visited the set.

“Ayos brad! You can finally get your poster of Kathryn signed”, teased Daniel’s brother JC while nudging his older brother. Daniel put a finger over his mouth, signalling his brother to “shush up”.

“Anong poster poster ang sinasabi mo JC?”, asked their mom.

“Wala Ma…”, Daniel said in an “obviously hiding something” tone.

All of Daniel’s younger siblings shouted “Echos!”, causing the house to burst into laughter. Behind Daniel’s embarrassment, he still held onto the hope that something good would blossom from his visit to the set of Princess and I…