HER (UNDER MAJOR REVISION)

CHAPTER 1

1 Message received from Ivy ❤.

"Girl, let's meet later. I have something to tell you."

All her life, she never thought that these fluttering feelings like what she used to feel whenever she sees boys her age would spark again, but in another form. This is new to her. Something unfamiliar that made her think she's crazy. It never occurred to her at first that what she feels is normal. Until she met her.

Reese and Ivy have known each other since Grade 7. They were seatmates back then. Ivy's pretty, not gonna lie. And when Ivy talked to her, Reese's nose bled.

That's where their friendship started. Years passed, magkasama sila palagi. Parang may glue sa pagitan nila dahil hindi sila mapaghiwalay.

"Huy, nangingiti ka na naman diyan teh" Nawala yung ngiti ni Reese. Mahirap na, baka may maisip na namang kakaiba si Rem.

"Alangan umiyak ako habang naglalakad 'di ba?"

"Che, bilis na teh. Kapag na-late tayo, isasahog kita sa Adobo! May quiz pa naman si sir Pano--Panny."

The two sprinted towards their classroom. My gosh, hindi pa naman ako nag-aral para sa quiz, Reese thought. Tinapos niya kasi 'yong pinapagawa sa History subject kagabi kaya nawalan siya ng time para mag-aral. Naisipan niyang mag-scan na lang ng notes pagkaupo nila.

Nang malapit na ang dalawa sa building ng room na pupuntahan nila, Reese saw their History teacher walking along the corridor. She felt chills when she saw a familiar face. While holding hands, Ivy with her boyfriend was walking just behind her professor. Her long, fluffy hair is softly bouncing as they're walking beside each other. Her smile was so sweet as she's looking at the man he's together with. Ang ganda ng ngiti niya, Reese bittersweetly thought.

Lumiko ang dalawa kaya hindi nila nakita sina Reese at Rem. Mukhang alam na nga ni Reese ang sasabihin ng kaibigan niya mamaya.

Nagmamadaling naglakad si Reese dahil napansin niyang nauuna na ang kasama niya papasok sa classroom. She felt a knife being stabbed at her heart.

***

"Kung 'di siguro tayo nagmadali kanina, malamang na-zerohan na naman tayo ni panot," ani Rem bago kumagat sa kinakain niyang burger. After their quiz, Reese and Rem met with her friends and occupied a table near the food stalls in their campus.

"Kapag ikaw narinig ng prof n'yo, malamang bagsak ka na agad." Sabat naman ni Thirdy pagkatapos uminom ng buko juice at inilipat ang pahina ng kanyang binabasang libro.

"Eh totoo naman eh. Ang aga aga niya kanina. Biruin mo, 11 yung klase niya pero 15 minutes before 11, nasa room na siya at mags-start na raw ng quiz. Tas nakakaasar rin kasi yung quiz niya kanina teh. Yung content, ni-lesson namin nung June pa! Eh anong buwan na ngayon? Sis, November na!"

"So sinong may kasalanang hindi ka nakinig noong nag-lesson siya?" sabat ko naman.

"Hmp, basta panot pa rin siya" sabi niya na lang nang pa-surrender. Natahimik saglit ang mesa nang magsalita si Rem.

"Nga pala Ivy, may sasabihin ka raw teh?"

Oh, that... Reese almost forgot about that.

"Oh, yep. Nag-usap kami kanina and I wanna spill this to you sana through call pero I wanna tell you guys personally. Kami na ulit ni Ceru." With her sweet and innocent-looking smile, Ivy spilled what she's been keeping for days.

As easy as that. No one knows what Ivy ate that she's head over heels for Ceru. Cerulean Corporal. Ang "heartthrob" kuno ng campus. He has the looks, the brains, the brawn. Typical ideal man for most girls. But there are still people who do not belong to that "most girls". Their relationship is kinda rocky actually. And it's noticeable lately na napapadalas ang tampuhan nila.

Ceru was Ivy's boyfriend since their first year in college. Nabalitaan na lang ng grupo na sila na. Reese was shocked when she found that out. At the same time, she was also hurt because she did not tell a single soul, especially her best friend, that Ceru was already courting her. Umaga na nang nalaman niya na ayun nga... sila na.

But Reese did not hate nor took it on her kasi sino ba naman siya para pigilan ito? She's just her best friend and she has her own life and choices. Martyr na kung martyr but Reese still supported her all throughout.

After their lunch break, the four of them went to their regular coffee shop. All of them have no classes in the afternoon so they decided to study together. Their Midterm Examination is around the corner, and they need to study harder and smarter to maintain their academic achievements.

"Guys, can Ceru join us again? I promise, tahimik lang kami." Ivy pleaded. Wlaa naman itong kaso kay Reese. Masakit nga lang makitang magkasama silang dalawa.

"It's fine with me" ani Thirdy. Nakakapag-aral naman siya kahit saan kaya okay lang sa kanya kung sino man ang kasama niya. Thirdy is the most studious person that Reese knows. If there's a test that she expects him to fail, it would definitely be the drug test.

"G lang besh. Pero mag-aaral ha. Umayos ka sis, I know you." Sabi naman ni Rem. Halatang tinutukoy yung minsang kasama silang nag-aral. Sa loob ng ilang oras na nasa coffee shop ang grupo, nakabukas lang ang kanilang notes pero napapansin ni Reese na iba ang sinusulat nila nung sinulyapan niya ang ginagawa ng dalawa. They're talking through writing to each other. Minsan rin eh nakahawak sila sa phone nila. Hindi na lang sila nagsalita kahit lantaran ang ginagagaw ng dalawa dahil ayaw naman nilang magkagulo ang grupo dahil lang doon.

"Of course! Mag-aaral kami, promise. Ano ka ba, vying for cum laude tayo diba!"

"Sabi mo 'yan ha! Ipunin natin mga cellphone tas ipatago dito kay Reese para sure."

"Okay. I'll tell Ceru to go to our place." Ivy then went on her phone to text her boyfriend.

Reese can't help but to smile amidst the pain. Napaka cliché ng sitwasyon niya. Falling in love with her best friend who's in love with another man. Pero ano nga bang pinagkaiba niya sa ibang love story diyan? Ano bang espesyal sa kanya na kahit ilang taon niyang itinatago ang nararamdaman niya ay hindi niya pa rin ito makalimutan?

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