MONDAY HEARTBEATS

THE FRESHMAN GIRL

All three of us were still stifling a laugh at Mariz, after the 15 minutes love knot date she had with Morris. We all saluted her when she managed to regard Morris with approving professionalism for the full 15 minutes. We're now at the cafeteria, with Reia setting up her cellphone's TV for Pacquiao's fight.

"There! You freeze your hand in that area, it got good reception." I heard Mariz saying while I excused myself to go to the comfort room.

"Hi ate Lindy!"

I was about to open the CR door when I heard someone calling my name, and really? 'Ate'? How nice to hear. I've always wanted to be called 'ate', well, who wouldn't? I grew up together with an all-older-boy-siblings. I turned around and found a smiling girl in a green P.E. pants. She must be a freshman.

I smiled, "Hello! Uhm, you know me?" The last time I checked, only Maris and Dana are the famous in our group because their faces are posted in the bulletin boards for qualifying in National Math/Science quiz bowls.

Instead of hearing a reply, the girl just continued staring at me while a big grin still pasted on her face. Seems like she found something that she'd been looking for a long time through me. I scanned myself, looking for that something but I'm not fond of jewelries, all I have is a pink watch on my left wrist. I suddenly felt awkward, I looked for the girls on the table but they didn't seem to notice me with this freshman.

"Uhm, baby, as much as I want to stay for a chitchat but my bladder is really about to burst anytime now." I smiled at her and secretly smiled at myself for the idea of calling her 'baby'. Yeah, I so wanted to have a younger sister but I know it isn't possible now that my dad's gone abroad for eternity.

And in a snap, she held my hand and said, "Sorry ate for delaying you. It's just that, uhm, never mind. Anyway, I'm Elle." I realized she gripped my hand for a handshake. "Please call me Elle. Bye!" She's still smiling and just like that she was out of my sight.

"Who was that girl?" Mariz asked me as I got back in the table with them.

"You saw her talking to me? Anyway, she's Elle, I think she's a freshman and I don't know how she knew me." I answered back.

The girls just shrugged the topic off and we're now busy cheering with every Pacman's blow to Bradley's face. Minutes had passed when I felt somebody staring at us. I looked at the doorway but students are just casually entering the cafeteria, I scanned the nearby tables but our schoolmates were just casually chatting and then I shifted my gaze outside through the glass panel of the cafeteria's walls but people were just casually passing by. What a weird feeling it is!

"What's happening to you? Are you looking for Grey?" Reia teased me when she noticed I wasn't at ease from my seat.

"Gosh, Reia! Would you stop that? It's just, I felt somebody looking at us."

"Oh – " Reia was cut-off by Demi.

"Yeah, I felt that too." Demi said while standing up and scanned her gaze around. I suddenly heard a sharp intake of breath from them or I think it was from me also, when somebody grabbed me from my seat.