In Between Glances

CHAPTER 1

"Giy, si Haris oh naglalaro, look " Nica said while pointing Haris back

I tiptoed to see the players

"Wow naka shoot siya" dagdag niya sabay palo sa akin

I didn't hear Nica's anymore, drowned out by the loud screams of the girls on the field. But as I kept watching, I spotted Haris looking handsome and sweaty

"Another 3 points from Lagdameo" the announcer said

The field erupted in another ear-piercing scream. It's clear he's famous here at Royal University. Some girls were literally screaming their heads off, their necks straining from the effort. I noticed that some fans had gone all out, carrying massive banners with Haris face. And they wearing matching outfit with "Lagdameo" printed on the back of their jerseys

He even have a fandom here in University. I guess his really a big deal here.

"I can't believe Haris is so popular here" bulong ko kay Nica

"What? Oh my gosh Giy, he's Haris Archer Lagdameo of course his popular" hindi makapaniwalang sabi ni Nica sa akin

"Ahh" tipid kong sagot

"Do you know him?"

"I don't know him. Who is he ba?" I lie. Gusto kung sabihin na kilalang kilala ko siya, crush ko pa nga eh. But I stop myself. I know we're I stantand for

Natawa ako sa naging reaksyon niya. Muli kung tinuon ang aking atensyon sa nag-iisang tao na hinahangaan ko.

"There's another game tomorrow Giy, let's watch again"

Tinignan ko siya ng masama " May long quiz tayo sa major"

"Edi mag cut tayo so simple"

Hinila ko ng kunti ang kaniyang buhok. Bad influence ka talaga.b

Humalakhak siya "Sige na"

"Papayag lang ako kung ikaw na magpapaaral sakin. Bawal akong bumagsak. Halika na nga baka mahuli pa tayo sa subject ni Prof Reyes "

After I finish with the plates, I started clearing my tables before taking a break and heading over to Nica's section. I say goodbye to her.

Then heading to my work place I work as a waitress at a five-star hotel, but sometimes I'm assigned to dishwashing it depends on what the manager wants.

A friend of mine who studied BSBA recommended this job to me, and I jumped at the opportunity since I was in a tight spot financially. I'm really grateful for the job, as it helps me cover my expenses as a student.

Ang maganda pa ako ang may hawak ng oras mo if gusto kung pumasok, ayos lang if hindi naman ayos lang rin that why it's very advantage talaga sa gaya kong working student.

After ng duty ko ay dumaan muna ako sa convince store para bumili ng noodles. Paubos na ang stock ko. Nakailang lagay na ako sa basket ng tumunog ang aking cellphone. Kinuha ko iyon sa aking bulsa.

"Ano naman kaya kailangan ng babaeng ito" tamad kung sagot

"Hello Giy!" Sigaw niya na tila excited pa

"Hmm?" sagot ko at pinagpatuloy ang pagpili.

"Birthday ni kuya Lukas sa Friday iyong pinsan kung Aviation ang course"

"Tapos?" walang gana kung sabi

"Invited si Haris, magkaibigan pala sila. Ngayon ko lang nalaman"

Napahinto ako ng marinig ko ang pangalan ni Haris may gusto ba si Nica kay Haris?

Sucks naman.

I close my eyes for a moment before asking her for clarification.

"Crush mo ba si Haris?" I ask nervously

"What?! ofcourse not! si Roy kaya ang gusto ko. Look since invited si Haris it means invited din si Roy kasi hindi mapaghiwalay iyong dalawa"

After she said that bumuntong hininga ako.

Hearing Nica's words was like a breath of fresh air, and I couldn't help but beam with joy. I wasn't aware about it until other customers started staring at me strangely. That's the time I realized how big my grin was.

I walked back to the dorm with a huge smile still plastered on my face. I was feeling so happy that I let my roommate borrow my iron, even though I had laundry to do.

As days goes on I woke up around 7:00 am. I head to the Cafe, where I meet up with my groupmates for our project discussions.

We're currently working on a sustainable housing design, and every detail matters. We spend hours brainstorming, sketching, and critiquing each other's ideas.

Nica and I have a separate group. Im sad about it actually. I miss her. I miss her kaartehan. I miss her loud voice.

After a few hours of planning, I grab a quick lunch break. Sometimes, I meet Nica at the cafeteria or nearby food stalls. We chat as always.

She rant about her groupmate but then Wala siyang magawa. Kundi tanggapin at mag-tiis muna.

The afternoons are usually filled with lectures. Our professors share their expertise on topics like building materials, urban planning, and architectural history.

I take notes and ask questions sometimes to clarify concepts.

When the sun sets, I head back to my dorm to work on individual projects. I spend hours drafting, modeling, and rendering designs.

Nang matapos hindi ko na malayan na nakatulog na pala ako ng mahimbing. I'm tired mentality and physically. I wish next week is not hectic.