Butterflies inside my Stomach

A Taglish teen romance story showcasing the author's life as a student. A lot of parts are fiction but this is based on a real-life story.

I've always been the smart girl, the one who could do no wrong in school. Growing up, it felt like I was on the right path-getting good grades, earning my teachers' praise, making my parents proud. Everyone expected great things from me, and honestly, I believed it too. I had dreams, ambitions, and for a while, the future seemed full of endless possibilities.

But somewhere along the way, the excitement of it all started to fade. By high school, it was like I was trapped in a cycle of always needing to be perfect, always needing to do my best. The pressure kept building. My grades were still good, but the spark that used to light up my love for learning was gone. The late nights studying, the constant feeling of needing to prove myself-it was exhausting. I didn't even know why I was pushing so hard anymore.

Then, everything changed the day I transferred to a new school in the middle of the year.

It was a rainy day when I walked into my new classroom, feeling out of place and nervous. I was just another transfer student, a little lost in the sea of unfamiliar faces. But that day ended up being the start of something I hadn't expected.

Marc Jade Matias was the first boy I noticed. It wasn't because of his looks-though, yeah, he was handsome. It was more the way he carried himself. He was quiet, reserved, but there was something about him that made me want to know more. He wasn't loud like most of the boys. He didn't try to get anyone's attention. Instead, he sat at the back of the room, surrounded by a small group of friends, and had this calm, almost distant air about him.