"Did you know? I heard we have a new student this year? And it's a girl!"
"Really? In the middle of our semester?"
"Yeah. I heard from my trusted source that she is a friend of our school dean that is why they allow her to transfer and study in our school."
"Talking about connection, huh? So what course is going to take?"
"Same with us. She is also taking Mass Communication."
"Oh, I see. Hmm? Rhianne, are you still with us? You look so dazed just now."
"Huh? Ah... I am just a bit sleepy since I finished our individual project last night."
"Ugh! That one! I don't think our professor will like mine."
Rhianne pretends that she is listening to her classmates although she barely heard what they are talking about just now. Instead of listening to her friends in class, she still cannot focus because the image of Keith while blushing earlier keeps on popping inside her head. After that, her heart beats so fast that Rhianne will definitely suspect it as a heart problem if she is still oblivious of Keith's feelings for her.
That is not the first time Rhianne saw him blushing. She always see him flustered when they were still young. His face is also turning red every time Dr. Calvin tries to make Keith a victim of his prank or he decided to anger him out of nowhere. But earlier, Rhianne is now struggling whether to call him adorable or hot.
"Whether our professor gives me a good score on my project or not, I still know to myself that I did my best to finish it. Just forget it. Anyway..."
Rhianne's classmate suddenly moves a chair near her with a smile on her face.
"Rhianne, I heard that you and your handsome boyfriend are being publicly sweet in front of the students. Is that true?"
"...Keith is not my boyfriend." Rhianne said.
"Yeah, yeah. We already know that you are going to say that. But you did not deny the second part. So that means it's true!"
"Just imagine! Having Keith Lancester as your boyfriend is such a huge blessing to anyone! He is hot, rich, smart, sweet, and most of all, so handsome! Ahh! I will die happy if I can find a man like him who will become my boyfriend."
"Then you will definitely live a long life. Rhianne is the blessed one among us because she already has Keith with her."
None of them did not know that Rhianne is really close to Keith Lancester who is also the most popular guy in their school. A lot of girls are harboring secret feelings towards Keith. But unfortunately for them, the person they are pining for is only interested in Rhianne. Keith is either polite or distant with the other girls on their campus. They can only see him smiling or relaxed whenever Rhianne is near him.
Although Rhianne always tries to correct them about their relationship, no one still believes her. They are just thinking that Rhianne does not want to hurt the feelings of those people who have a crush on Keith by admitting their relationship in public. And the way they interact with each other is not something that two people who are just friends will do.
They are not blind. These people can see the chemistry between the two and they are really suited for each other. Rhianne's friends really love to say that the two of them have telepathic abilities because they think alike most of the time. They already have a deep understanding of each other's thinking and preference that no words are needed between them. If that is not proof that they are a match for each other, then they do not want to believe in love anymore.
Many people are jealous of them. Maybe that is natural because they are just humans. Some girls are jealous of Rhianne because she has everything they want in life. She has a pretty face that can be compared to a doll, a rich background, a loving family, and a handsome suitor who is obviously dedicated to no one aside from her. The boys on the other hand are envious of Keith because he can always be with their campus fairy all the time.
They can be jealous of them, but that's it. They are not that bad to do something to them just because of their jealousy. It will be unfair to blame them for something that they cannot control just like their family backgrounds and genes. At the end of the day, these people will think that some are just born lucky while others are born to face different challenges in this world all the time.
Rhianne is just listening to them rambling about her relationship with Keith. Does it make sense to gossip about someone who is just sitting next to them? But Rhianne is already used to it. Every time her classmates start discussing her or Keith, she will instantly become invisible as if she is not their main topic.
"Rhianne, share us some stories! How does it feel to become Keith's center of attraction?" One of her classmates asked.
"Right, right! I am also curious. Is he acting too cool about it or he is just blatantly showing his affections towards you?"
"Well..."
Rhianne is considering dodging their questions just like the usual. But when she sees their eager gazes towards her, Rhianne slowly changes her mind and quickly tries to form the words she will tell them. She made a soft humming sound for a moment while tapping her fingers on the desk.
"Keith is...such a sweet guy. He is very attentive and always cares for me. There are times when Keith corrects me whenever I did something wrong. But that is only because he cares a lot. He is also very supportive of me and always gives me more encouragement every time I feel a little doubt in my heart."
Rhianne suddenly realized something. When did their roles suddenly change? When she first met him, Rhianne is always acting like a clumsy auntie around him. She is worried that Keith will suffer a lot of grievances because of his quiet and timid personality.
But as they grow up, Keith becomes more reliable and more responsible than their teenage years. Keith becomes more stable and happier every day. He becomes more active and more vocal about his feelings instead of bottling it all up and ending up hurt in the end. He also gains friends and does not refer to himself as bad luck anymore.
"Keith is also a very caring guy. To say that he is more knowledgeable about my allergies and preferences is not a lie. Every time I tease him when we are still kids, Keith will either feel awkward or shy. But lately, he will just let out a soft sigh while shaking his head whenever I tease him. But I must tell you all that he looks cute every time he denies it in the past."
Teasing Keith is something that Rhianne enjoys on rare occasions when they were still kids. But unlike the childish doctor she knew, Rhianne never teased Keith to the point that he will become upset or suddenly make a declaration not to talk with her again. They are just used to having friendly banter all the time and exchanging witty words with each other. There are also times when she enjoys seeing him speechless every time they are talking or debating about small things.
"But that is not the only thing I like about him. I have a lot of things in my mind but it feels like a day will not be enough to tell you all the things that Keith possessed."
Rhianne thinks she can fill up a blank notebook about all the things she adores about Keith. Thinking about it, that idea is not completely a bad one. Maybe it is now time for her to use the journals she bought years ago because of their cute covers. Keith actually commented about it. He said those journals will just go to waste if she keeps refusing to write on the pages inside of them.
"Oh! Keith also looks more handsome when smiling. What kind of description is it again? Hmm... Ah! He looks like a handsome model that came out straight from the magazine!"
But she can bet that Keith is more handsome than those real models in the magazine. Haven't they seen his beautiful eyes? Not to mention, Keith possesses a face that can make the girl fall in love with him in an instant. Alright, Rhianne knows she is exaggerating now. But she can definitely use a lot of good adjectives to describe Keith to her friends.
"Rhianne." Her classmate called her.
"Yes? What is it?" She asked.
"...Are you sure we are still talking about the same person?"
"Aren't we talking about Keith?"
"..."
If they can only ignore the pure confusion on Rhianne's faces, her classmates will definitely think she is just bluffing at them. They can never imagine Keith Lancester will become a blushing mess just like what Rhianne is telling them right now. And they can also bet all the money in their wallets that no one had seen Keith smiling similar to Rhianne's description just now. They are already accustomed to Keith's neutral expression that thinking about him smiling can make them feel weird and complicated inside.
Surely, Rhianne is at a different level compared to them. She is the only one who can enjoy those special privileges from Keith Lancester. They should have known better before asking Rhianne those questions.
But there is also one thing they discovered from the way Rhianne answered their questions. She looks so happy and eager to brag anything about Keith Lancester. Her eyes are twinkling in delight every time she remembers something about him. Her expression is also getting softer the more she talks about Keith.
In the end, they just concluded that Rhianne and Keith are indeed in a secret relationship.
Soon, their professor finally arrives and they quickly go back to their seats. The smile on Rhianne's lips did not disappear as she put her notes and pen back inside her bag. Looking in front of their classroom, she finally noticed their professor is standing with a woman wearing a yellow dress.
"Everyone, she is a new student that will join your section this year. Ms. Delgado, please introduce yourself."
After saying that, their professor move a little to give a little space to the woman in front of them.
Rhianne cannot help but squint her eyes a little seeing that the woman looks familiar to her. When that woman looks around, Rhianne is a little surprised when their eyes met. Suddenly, a smile appeared on that woman's face before she return her attention to the class and introduce herself.
"Hello, everyone. I am Donna Delgado. I hope that we can all become good friends soon."