The Perfect Couple (Short Story)

Chapter 2

Two Weeks Earlier...

"I'm sorry." Sophie tries to give a symphatetic smile as she turns down yet another guy who just asked her out on a date.

"But why? Come on, I've been asking you out for the past week. It's not like you've got anything to lose." this time, it was a Korean student who's asking her out. 

Sa Haylight International HighSchool, students come in different race and nationalities. May mga American, Nigerian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc. Nakumpleto na yata ni Sophie ang listahan ng mga iba't ibang lahi ng mga lalaking estudyante na nag aaral sa school na ito. Halos lahat, either niyaya na syang mag date o nagtangkang manligaw. But none of them, and I meant not even one, eh pinagbigyan nya.

"Sorry, I really can't. But we can be friends, if you want?" pilit pa rin ngiti ni Sophie dito

"Friends? What the hell?! Don't act so high and mighty! You're not all that!" sabay walk out ng pissed off na Korean student.

Isang malaking buntong hininga nalang ang nailabas ni Sophie ng maiwan nalang syang mag isa.

Even before, back in her old school, people will say na para syang isang Prinsesa based on her looks and the way she interacts with other people. Pero whenever they got to really know her..

"Anu ba yan, napaka lampa!"

"Akala ko matalino, di naman pala."

"Sorry, I never thought you're really like this. Let's break up."

Sophie didn't like the sense of defeat she felt everytime she wasn't able to meet those people's expectations of her. She realized, sa umpisa lang pala yung admiration na pinapakita sa kanya. And when these people really got to know the real her, lahat sila nadidisappoint. Lahat natuturn off. No one likes the real her, she thought.

Kaya naman laking pasasalamat nya ng matransfer ang father nya sa Manila because of his work. She took this as an opportunity to turn a new life. So she strived harder to become who people expected her to be. And it was when she transferred to Haylight International Highschool when she decided that she couldn't turn back. People like her based on what they think she was. Kaya naman for a whole year, Sophie pretended to be that Princess they all wanted her to be. At ang tanging source na lamang nya ng strength to keep this pretense is her pride. She doesn't want other people to get close to her heart. She doesn't want them to know the real her, only to be rejected again. That would totally break her heart for the last time.

"This is exhausting.." Sophie murmured after what just happened.

Paalis na sya ng biglang may tumawag sa kanyang pangalan.

"Sophie Morales." a male voice said.

Tono palang, halatang foreigner na. Slang eh. Pero Sophie wasn't surprised since halos naman lahat ng estudyante sa school nya eh from different countries at ang iilang mga Pilipino lang ay yung mga anak mayaman talaga. So yeah, you could say na well-off din ang family nya.

Humarap sa Sophie sa pinanggalingan ng boses na yun.