My Lovely Delinquent

chap. 8 "First Love"

Kimberly's POV

I walked toward the gym, my mind preoccupied with one thing—reviewing.

Malapit na ang final exams, kaya kailangan ko pa mag-advance reading. Hindi ko kayang magpabaya ngayon.

As I entered the gym, I was relieved to find it relatively empty. There weren't too many people, just the basketball team practicing in the far corner. It wasn't too noisy either, which was a blessing. I needed silence to concentrate.

Hindi ko na tinanong kung nasaan sila Abby at Sab. Bakit? Kasi kapag sila ang kasama ko, mahirap magfocus. Sobrang ingay nila! Don't get me wrong, mahal ko sila, pero minsan, kailangan ko talaga ng katahimikan.

I took a seat by the bleachers and spread my notes out in front of me. Finally, some peace. Finally, I could study.

I'm ranked in the top 3 in class—no big deal, really. Abby's not far behind at number 4, and though she may not show it, she's brilliant. We both made it to the top, despite the distractions, despite the chaos that sometimes followed us. But for all my academic accomplishments, I wasn't just a bookworm. I had my fun moments too. Maybe they weren't always visible, but I had my moments.

As I sat there, flipping through my notes, trying to absorb the information, I started to lose focus. My mind wandered.

And then...

"Miss!"

I turned toward the voice, and before I could fully comprehend what had happened...pookk!

The sound of the basketball hitting me was almost surreal. I felt the sharp sting as the ball collided with my head.

"Araaaay!"

Grabe, sobrang lakas ng impact. Parang naalog ang utak ko. Was this really happening?

I blinked and looked up to see a figure rushing toward me, the same person who had called out to me earlier.

"Miss, are you okay?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

I stared at him in disbelief. How could I forget him? How could I forget my first love?

It was Ethan Angelo Arellano. My heart raced as memories from high school flooded back. He was... the one. The one I'd never really forgotten, even though time had passed.

"Miss?" he repeated, snapping me back to the present.

"Umm... Yes, I'm fine," I stammered, still reeling from the shock. I reached up to touch my head where the ball had hit, trying to keep my cool. "Just... a little shaken."

Ethan chuckled softly, that familiar, warm laugh that always made my heart flutter. "Sorry about that."