From: Your Secret Admirer

Chapter Two

To Jha -- hey watty bestie! i wrote another story! hahaha :)

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As a college freshman at a state university in Western Mindanao, I should have been reviewing my lessons for Philo 103 for a possible recitation that our professor would often give us. The first time I attended his class he said something like: "What makes a chalk a chalk?" And I went something like: "Sir, the chalkiness of the chalk..."

Yeah well, I heard our professor was full of that kind of question and they said it was difficult to pass his subject. But I was a Nursing student, and Philo 103 did not belong in my major subjects. So I was not that worried to pass or fail the professor's philosophical question.

I was more worried as to who this secret admirer was. I was worried for his life, truth be told. I mean, what if the curse was really true? But like my earlier resolution, I needed to find out first if the curse was indeed for real.

And so I dragged my fellow nursing classmate-slash-best friend-slash-confidante, Mer, to accompany me "secret admirer" hunting. Ryan was a Biology major student and he was still having his class. So it was just Mer and me.

How should I start describing Mer? Mer was someone you would give all your attention to even if you didn't want to. She was loud, a bit obnoxious sometimes, but she was a Head Turner. A Head Turner was defined as someone who possessed great beauty and never ran out of admirers. Most often, when a Head Turner walked past by you, heads would turn. Head Turner.

So yeah, Mer was pretty. Mer was gorgeous. Mer was perfect. And I sometimes envy her. Was I a bad friend for feeling that way? But Mer and I were best friends since high school and I love her. So pretty or not pretty, Mer was a very good friend. And she was so clueless that she was a Head Turner.

"I think it could be Luke," she stated with conviction. We were both sitting on the stone bench that was facing the several snack stores, observing the passers-by while trying to scout for any suspicious behaviors from potential 'secret admirer' candidate. "He is definitely checking you out."

I cast a quick glance over where Luke Gregorio was standing. He was a fellow nursing student, only he was in his junior. "No. He is not checking me out. He is checking you out." See what I mean? Mer's totally clueless.

"Oh you think so? I mean, it would be nice to go out with a junior for a change. All those fellow freshmen guys are so immature, you know? But I heard that juniors are busy with all their duty in the hospital and stuff. I also heard that Luke is trying to maintain his grades so he could apply for Med School."

"And you know all of these because?"

"Because I listen to gossips. And gossips are half true, you know? Why wouldn't you even consider that he could be checking you out? "

I rolled my eyes. "Are we having this conversation again Mer? He is checking you out because you're pretty. He is not checking me out because I am not pretty."

"But you are an awesome girl!"

"Yes, yes. You are required to say that --you're my best friend."

"Why are you always like this? Why do you always think that you're not, you know, pretty?"

I paused for a moment to that question. Both Mer and I stand five feet and four inches tall, the average height for any Filipina I guess. We both have the same long black hair past our shoulders, which I often tie into a loose bun (kinda like I-had-no-time-to-comb-my-hair loose bun) while Mer just let it loose. But Mer was on the thin side, more of fit than thin actually. I, however, spent most of my growing up years inside the kitchen with my mother while she poured her heart out when she was in one of those post break-up hysterias. She cooked to express her emotions, I ended up eating her creations. I carried a few extra pounds since then.