Epic Love (Triangle)

Chapter 2

That was the first part of my first encounter with the man of my dreams. And as my mind snapped back to present, I turned all dreamy again as Peter (drop the Sir) passed by.

I gave a start as I realized he was already entering a room. And because I was late for class with Miss Sandy, I snatched up my things and nearly raced down the corridor, passing so fast the one Peter just entered into. I ducked my head para hindi niya ako makilala. As if naman he'd remember me in the first place.

On my way to the theater, my mind did a rewind of the second part of that first meeting. After his amazing and surprising invitation that he'd tour me around, I accepted like a zombie who just realized I was alive pala and should not be playing dead. He asked me about me, my family, my friends, and whoa! Tawa ito ng tawa, na parang may nakakatawa sa mga kwento ko. Me, I was kilig lang naman. My first day wasn't disastrous at all.

We toured all the buildings that day, that I kept on asking him, "don't you have anything better than me to do?" which he'd answer with "Oh, I'm good." Kaya naman I didn't ask again and merely relished the idea of being with him even if that meant his pande-deadma afterwards.

Okay lang. What do I expect, Moon down on Earth?

And he was very funny to begin with. He asked me the weirdest questions which I'm sure I didn't answer smartly enough. I had hoped the magic moment wouldn't end but like Sleeping Beauty, I had to be pricked by a needle to realize I can bleed after all.

In this case, that I was just one of the admirers on the sidelines.

Back to present, I entered the theater with a gasp.

"You're late again, Miss," bungad sa akin ni Miss Sandy, a very young-looking professor with spiky hair, whom I adored since Day 3, because the woman happened to comment on my "expressive eyes... films now go for expressive eyes and not emoting faces", but her You're-late-again-statement was followed with a wink.

It was obvious that I, Kristine Shanni Gregory, all-Filipina except my surname, was Miss Sandy's favorite.

"Ay, Miss... I waited for a director to pick me up and exclaim that I'm his nawawalang protégée."

A few snorted at my lame attempt of a joke, and though she looked stern, Miss Sandy's eyes were twinkling. "You sit down na," she ordered briskly, and I, being the favorite, had to fumble at my seat by the front, a wide grin on my face.

Life is just about fun, I thought as Miss Sandy was teaching us about some theater performances back in the past, because though I have no friends in campus, I was amiable naman with the others. I didn't need to be too close to anyone because I usually just hang out by that bench near the post-it wall, and that's not exactly fun to those who wanted to hang out with me. My batch mates, if not into academic activities, are either into booze or smoke or barhopping, gimmicks now and then while I... well, I just stayed alone.

I preferred it that way, actually. When I was a kid, I used to be afraid of rejection so much I'd risk being alone na lang then have somebody pick on my faults and flaws from time to time. Rejection-phobia, I think. And don't ask me how I got that in the first place because that would mean talking about my parents.

Ugh.

In truth and all honesty, I wanted to be the best student, the best actress of Miss Sandy so maybe someday, she'd boast about Shanni to anyone within hearing range, Peter included. (How pathetic!)

"Ay, Miss Shanni is again back to wonderland," commented Miss Sandy as I sat up with a jerk after being caught with a dreamy-look in my face, the look that most of my batchmates said was one of frustrated desire, whew!

Whatever.

"Turn the sheets on Act Three..." Miss Sandy began, and I stopped daydreaming-slash-reminiscing and was about to be serious na with my favorite subject when, at the theater entrance, a group of teachers erupted in good-natured laughter, Peter among them.

Stop. Major awkward stop.