A Night's Mistake

Part 2: Frequent Coincidences

Keira was looking for a spot to park her car but it seemed like the car park was full.

She kept going around to see if there are any available slots and upon reaching the last floor, she finally finds an empty slot.

She carefully parked her car and went out. While fixing her clothes, she notices a smoke coming from the other side of her car.

She got a little nervous, thinking that her car might have been burning so she immediately ran towards where the smoke was coming from just to find out that the smoke was coming from the man from the other car.
He was apparently smoking.

Keira lets out a deep sigh of relief. The man sees her from the side mirror and looks at her.

"Uy, Ikaw pala" the guy said.

With her vision still unclear because of the smoke, Keira carefully tried to remember whose voice it belonged to, but there's no one registered in her mind.

The smoke slowly cleared out and she finds Patrick looking at her smiling.

"Uh. Hi." greeted Keira.
She honestly wanted to get out of there as soon as she can.

"Napapadalas pagkikita natin no?" asked the guy, na parang inaasar pa siya.

"Yeah. What luck." Keira sarcastically replied as she lifted her hand, signing that she's going.

Patrick smiles at her as he inhaled smoke from his cigarette.

Keira walked away as fast as she can. She doesn't want to have anything to do with that man.

She got in front of the school lobby where Gabby was waiting for her.

"Keira!" shouted Gabby, as she waves her had.

"Hey"

Gabby grabs her arm and they started walking to the Laboratory.

"Gabby.." Keira shyly said

"Yep?"

"Uhm.. hindi ka naman transferee, diba?" tanong ni Keira.

"Oo, bakit?" Gabby laughed.

"Uhm.. kilala mo ba yun si Patrick? Friends ba kayo nun?"

Confused, Gabby looked at her,

"Bakit mo naman naitanong? Nagkausap ba kayo?" tanong ni Gabby.

"Uh. No,no.  I'm just curious, that's all."

"He's a nice guy, actually" said Gabby.

"You'll get to know him more sa mga susunod na araw."

"Kaya lang... he's a fuckboy." pabulong na sinabi ni Gabby.

Tumango si Keira, as if agreeing on Gabby's words.

Few minutes after hey arrived in their room, the class started.

"Please wear your protective equipment."
Reminded Mr. Enriquez, their Microbiology professor.

"We will need to divide the class into groups para sa laboratory experiments ninyo. We'll do the groupings alphabetically."

The group distribution started and apparently, Keira was made the leader by the rest of her groupmates. They were discussing about the division of work for the day's activity when Patrick came in the room.

"Mr. Navarez, late again?" Mr. Enriquez said jokingly

"Sorry, sir!" Patrick said, laughing.

"That annoying brat"

"Will there be a time when this man will ever be on time?"

Keira thought.

"Na divide na namin yung klase into groups. Since your surname starts in N, dun ka sa grupo ni Ms. Mendoza''

"WHAT?! HE'LL BE IN MY GROUP?!"

The coincidence is just too frequent. Why is this guy always around me?!

Keira had nothing to say. She just had to accept that this guy is going to be in her group for the rest of the semester.

Sana lang talaga magparticipate 'to.

The experiment started. Keira was expecting Patrick to just sit and watch them do all the work. Besides, nandun lang naman sya kasama yung mga barkada niya and the prof, nagkkwentuhan at nagtatawanan.

It was a simple experiment after all, so losing a member isn't a big deal.

Upon finishing the experiment, lumapit si Patrick sa group table at nagtanong kung tapos na silang gumawa.

"Oo. Linis nalang ng gamit." sabi ni  Jen, one of their groupmates.

"Ako na maghuhugas." Volunteered Patrick.

He puts on his gloves and cleans the table. He gathered all the glassware and placed them in the sink and started cleaning them.

Keira looks at him with respect.
He's not baggage after all.

I'll have to wait for a few more days. She thought.

Days passed and she slowly gets to know more of her classmates. She met more friends and was able to get along with the rest of the class.

She also found that Patrick isn't as bad as she thought. He was friendly and he makes the whole class laugh. The only thing that she doesn't really like about him is his girls as he gets to change girls from time to time. Indeed, a true fuckboy.