Twice The Trouble Book 2 of 2: Twice The Love

Chapter 5: The First Change

Sophia

Monday morning. June 19, 2017.

Outside, the sky is the color of robin's egg with no sign of clouds. Small brown birds are perched atop electrical wires. Jeeps, cars of different colors and sizes, tricycles and delivery trucks are stuck bumper to bumper due to a motorcycle accident along the highway, which I caught a glimpse of on the way to Orion University. Clusters of strangers and other college students are dawdling and dashing to various places, books in hands, phones pressed against their ears.

It is just another normal day in school. Lecture here, test there. As usual, I'm active in all of them.

My friends and classmates, Emily, Spencer, and Matthew cheered whenever I participated in oral recitation or board work.

We were about to exit the classroom because our last subject was over when suddenly, our male professor called my name.

"Miss Sta. Ana, you are summoned in the dean's office. It's an urgent matter." He gathered his books and left the classroom ahead of us.

Bidding my friends farewell,I also collected my stuff and sprinted to Dean Archie Cortes' office.

I wonder why I'm being called over, and why is it urgent?

Thirty minutes later..

I had just stepped out of the dean's office. He had good news and bad news for me.

The good news: I perfected the activities for majors 101 and 102 for this semester, and because of that, my grades are automatically flat ones. Starting tomorrow, I would be attending the major classes with the fourth year students. Dean Cortes was very proud of my achievements.

The bad news: He gave me new work sheets to answer. It was the quiz this morning and the assignment for tomorrow. He also sent me to the library because I need to get a textbook that we will use tomorrow. He warned me that there was only one copy left, so I hurried over to the library and found the right book.

When I stepped out of the university, hugging the thick book to my chest, I skimmed my brown eyes around the row of parked cars and campus vehicles, hoping to see a specific white mustang.

My heart sank in disappointment. Lucas had already gone home.

I haven't even talked to him all day.. it felt like he was avoiding me on purpose.

And it hurt.

"Hey."

I turned to see a tall handsome male with black shaggy hair and dark green eyes. My gaze traveled downwards and my brown eyes widened behind my rimless eyeglasses upon seeing that he wore a white, short-sleeved polo, a deep blue necktie and matching blue slacks.

"Xavier Smith!" I exclaimed, scuttling over to him. "You study here?"

The British teenager threw me a sheepish smile as he rubbed his nape. "You remember me."

How could I forget him? He was one of the many people who attended my first public book signing at SM Manila more than one year ago. He had flown all the way from Chicago to meet me and have his copies of my bestseller novels signed. He had also asked for my phone number.. but I didn't give it to him because I wasn't in a good place in my life to entertain anyone.

I said to him: "Of course I remember you! How have you been?"

"Good." His green eyes stared into my brown eyes. "Great, actually," he mended. "I just moved to the Philippines a couple of months ago. And as of last Friday, I'm officially a junior here in Orion."