Beauty Under the Lens

CHHAPTER 17

Amanda's POV

I blew air while covering my mouth with my hand. My tongue got burned when I bit into the whole kwek kwek. How many times have I done this?! Why is it still so hot?

Elara slapped Astrid's hand. "Hey, Astrid! You only paid fifteen pesos for the fishball, so why are you taking around forty pieces?!"

Astrid coughed as everyone, including the street food vendor, looked at her. "Manong," she coughed one more time. "Can you also give me a drink?" She handed twenty-five pesos to the vendor. "I'll add five pesos to the fishball so that makes it exactly forty pieces."

When Astrid received her drink, I quickly snatched it from her hand before her lips could touch it. "Let me, my tongue hurts," I gulped down three sips before handing it back to Astrid. Elara paid fifty pesos to the vendor. "Manong, give me ten kikiam and you can keep the change."

"Wow, miss. You're so kind. You always insist on giving me 'keep the change'. I always tell my son Luis about you. He's two years older than you. He's on a scholarship at Oakwoods University." The vendor said. Elara smiled.

"Really? So, he's now a first-year college student. I'll greet him when I see him. Unfortunately, I don't know what he looks like." Elara loves street foods. She isn't picky even though she comes from a wealthy family, and that's one of my favorite things about the three of us. Our preferences aren't limited by our social status. We enjoy things that people with simple lives like.

"I'll introduce you to him when he stops by here, I'll bring him," the vendor seemed very proud of his son. He has a handsome face. Despite his age, you wouldn't notice it, which is why I think his son takes after him.

As Elara cooked the kikiam, she pierced each piece with her stick and dipped it into her sauce. "How's the operation 'make Asher fall for Aria' going?" Elara asked me, attempting to put some sauce.

"Elara, that's the wrong sauce!" I stopped her hand, bursting into laughter because she almost poured water from the ladle rinse instead of the vinegar sauce.

She looked at her hand. "Oh shoot! I almost ruined my kikiam!" She returned the water to the ladle and opened the correct dipping sauce, pouring it into her cup.

"Anyway, what's the update? Is it successful?" Astrid inquired, almost forgetting our conversation.

"It's going okay. He's talking to Aria, but it seems like he's being formal. It's a bit challenging to crack him, but it's fine because it's just the beginning. Asher will soften up eventually."

"Hmm..." Astrid shook her head while chewing on the fishball. After swallowing, she continued, "He won't soften up. Do you know his reputation? When he sees a girl showing interest in him, he shuts them off. You saw what happened with Rose, right? He got turned off when she confessed her feelings."

So, he's turned off at Aria. My sister is too obvious. Just one look at her and you can tell how much she likes Asher. But what can you do with a guy who only pays attention to those who ignore him, right?

"My sister will change that," I may have sounded a bit arrogant. "No one can resist Aria Jade Velarde."

"Well, Asher Rowan Ledesma can," Astrid seemed unconvinced by my statement. "Because he already has his eye on someone." My eyes immediately widened.

"Really? Who?" I sounded more curious for myself than for Aria.

She raised her eyebrows and shrugged. "I can't tell you because he never confirmed it himself. But I have a good eye for these things. I know right away when someone has feelings for another person."

I should investigate that person. I have to observe who he's with, who he treats differently, and who he looks at so fondly. And then, I will find ways to turn him off from her. In the past few days, after our incident at the convenience store, Asher started being vigilant and perceptive of me. I tried to treat him normally as if nothing happened in those days.

"Good morning, Asher!"

"Do we have an assignment today?"

"How do you do this?"

I would ask him these questions so he wouldn't get suspicious that I'm slowly trying to distance myself from him to open doors to Aria.

"Amanda Callie! Here! Come over to our table!" Jasper called out to me one day in our cafeteria. I couldn't find Astrid and Elara, so I had no one to sit with. I smiled and looked at them, but my smile slowly faded when I saw Asher there. His eyes were sharp, as if he was locking me in. He challenged me to sit with them.

I bit my lower lip and started walking towards them.

"Amanda!" a savior's voice called out loud.

It was Zyna. I smiled at her. "Oh, what's up? Do you need to talk to me?"

She shook her head. "No, I-"

"Yes, I'll go there now, it might be important!" I cut her off with my own voice before turning to Jasper.

"Sorry guys, Zyna needs to talk to me."

As I walked away, I heard Jasper's surprise voice. "Huh? When did they become close?"

In the following days, I was always caught by Jasper, just like now.

"Amanda Callie," Jasper put his arm around me. "We don't talk anymore. I'm mad at you. Are you still angry at me because of the writing the name issue?"

I shook my head at him. "No way! I can't stay mad at you."

"Very good! High five!" he held out his hand to me. I high fived him as he wanted.

"Hands off, f*cker!" Asher pushed Jasper's arm away from me. "Amanda Callie and I need to talk." He put on his "game on" face, telling me that he wouldn't allow me to avoid him this time. So, I had no choice but to stay where I was.

"We'll leave you two alone. Let's go, Jasper," Axel said. Jasper jumped on Axel's back for a piggyback ride. Axel groaned because of Jasper's weight. Then they left.

After they left, Asher gave me his full attention. I took the lead in speaking.

"I'm about to visit Aria in her classroom, want to come with?" I pulled his sleeve so he couldn't respond.

But instead of me pulling ahead of him, he used this opportunity to pull me closer to him and pushed me against the wall. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the impending pain in my back, but it never came because one of Asher's hands was waiting on the wall to support me.

People walking in the halls stopped and gasped to watch the scene.

"Oh my gosh, Asher!" I gasped as well, my breathing rapid.

"It's like in the movies!"

"Asher is such a perfect male lead!"

"But the girl doesn't fit. In the movies, they even fix the face of the ugly girl. I don't think they can here."

"Take out your cellphone. This is so tweetable!"

"Cellphones are not allowed in school, i***t!"

"When did we ever follow the rules? As long as we don't get caught, there's no problem."

All of this was happening simultaneously while I stared wide-eyed at Asher.

"Are you alright?" Asher asked in a muffled voice. He was the one behind all these tricks.

"Yes, I think so," I replied breathlessly.

"I know what you're doing, Amanda Callie. And I'm not even a bit happy about it," irritation mixed in his voice.

"Why? What am I doing? I'm not doing anything," I responded innocently. "D-do I need to talk to you or be with you all the time?"

Asher arched his brows at me.

"O-of course.... y-you need...” my voice gradually faltered as he stared at me longer. "... another girl. I mean, another person!"

"Uh-huh," he said nonchalantly. "Another girl," followed by a chuckle as if he didn't quite understand this nonsense.

His face moved closer to mine. My head was pressed so hard against the wall because I had nothing to back away from or lean on.

"This is a final warning. Try doing this again, Amanda Callie," his eyes lowered to my lips. Unconsciously, my lips parted. He smirked. "I'll damn kiss you."

Was it that easy for him to give a kiss that he would give it to me?! Or maybe it's just an empty threat. He wouldn't really do it. Wait, why do I feel disappointed?!

Then I remembered what Astrid told me. Asher doesn't like girls who are forward, take interest, and make advances towards him.

I grinned. "Try, Asher," I felt embarrassed inside. I don't look attractive enough to be daring. It's not fitting for me. I just look like a loiterer on the corner looking for trouble.

"Stop with the empty threats. I'd like to see you try," my voice trembled but I tried to sound brave.

He licked his lips and grinned. "Yeah?"

He contemplated. His gaze shifted between my eyes and my lips. As he finally made up his mind, he pushed away from the wall and created some distance between us.

See? He couldn't do it. If he were to kiss someone, it would be someone else, not me. He would be missing out. Or maybe he's just too loyal to the girl he likes. I seriously need to be more observant. So, I'll be aware of who is being a threat to my sister.

I followed him everywhere he went and observed everything he did at school every day.

"Anne, give me a list of those who haven't paid you for the fund," Asher ordered Anne.

Anne got something from her bag. She took out a paper. "Tada! Here it is. I knew you'd ask for this from me. Oh!"

Anne extended her arms. Asher took the paper from her hand. "Thanks, Anne," he smiled at her.

Hmm.... he smiled at Anne. Suspect number one, Anne.