THE REWRITE || Mystery Romance

Assuming The Expected

Few days later…

While finishing some of my homework, I couldn’t stop thinking about how good it felt to finally communicate with people, especially friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. I smiled without realizing it.

Huh. Who knew communication was this nice?

Suddenly, the notification bell rang.

Friend request from: Bryan Murada.

I read the name carefully. It sounded familiar.

"Bryan Murada?" I murmured, trying to recall where I’d heard the name before.

Another notification popped up:

“Hey, Piggy! It’s me, Bryan. The cutest person you ever knew.”

My eyes rolled automatically.

Oh, great. That Bryan. The childhood nemesis.

He had been one of the bullies back in elementary school. I was fat then, that’s why he called me “Piggy.” I really hated him.

But… honestly… he was kind of cute. Could even pass for a campus crush. If only it weren’t for his annoying personality.

Another notification:

“Do you hate me so much that you won’t even accept my friend request? I thought I was your crush back then. Too bad, I thought wrong.”

Annoyingly funny, as always.

This guy. Still full of himself.

I accepted the request anyway.

Right after I hit confirm, the phone rang. A video call. From Bryan.

Oh heavens!

This was going to be annoying.

(Video Call)

“What’s up?” I asked, answering without looking at the screen. I pretended to arrange my notebooks and scribble something.

There was silence. I glanced at the screen. He was just staring at me.

Oh crap!

Face, don’t betray me now. Please, filter, do your magic. Make me look like a model. Or at least not an overcooked potato.

“Hey!” I interrupted awkwardly. “What are you staring at?”

He snapped,

“So… Piggy finally accepted the friend request. Does this mean I’m forgiven for stealing your stuff back then?” he said mockingly.

I glared at him.

Great!

We just reconnected after seven years, and the first thing he does is mock me. Classic Bryan.

“You look different,” he said.

I raised an eyebrow. “Different?”

“I mean… you look smart, pretty, and sexy now.” he said.

I frowned. Compliment or sugar-coated insult?

“No, no. I mean smarter, prettier, and sexier than before,” he added, flashing a wide smile.

Now I understood why Cyra hates it when I smile like that. It’s creepy. And honestly, mine might be worse than his.

“Okay…” I replied flatly, not sure what else to say.

“That’s all you’re going to say?” Bryan’s tone carried disappointment, as if he was expecting a different reaction.

“Uh… thank you?” I tried, though it came out uncertain.

“Fine. You’re welcome,” he muttered, pouting ever so slightly.

Silence fell between us, not the comfortable kind, but not entirely awkward either. Then, just when I thought he’d stay quiet-

“Uhm…” he hesitated.

What now? I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Piggy, how’s life?” he finally asked.

Of course. Trust Bryan to throw the simplest question that somehow feels like the most complicated one in existence. How do people even answer that? Is it supposed to be casual? Deep? Or something in between?

“Life is good,” I answered quickly. Seriously, Ley? How good? Like good-good-good?

“All the time?” he pressed.

“Yeah,”

I wish.

Life is good, all the time.

I laughed awkwardly. “I’m good. I’m with my family. They’re happy. I’m happy too.” I said it proudly, smiling.

Though my words came with a smile, I couldn’t hide the bitterness behind it.

“Ahh,” he nodded and let out a fake laugh. I laughed too. We laughed, pointing at each other on the screen like we were both crazy.

“Why are you laughing, Piggy?” he asked.

“Then why are you laughing, Chocolate?” I snapped back.

He laughed again. He knew I was annoyed. I used to call him that because of his dark brown complexion, just to get back at him.

“I thought you’d be married by now. What happened? Did your future husband run away after seeing how scary you are when angry?” he teased.

His words hit harder than I expected. Married. Married? That’s exactly what my family expects of me now.

And speaking of runaway husbands…

The image flashed again:

Engagement of Dr. Raymond Vergara and Atty. Layla Rivera.

No. Stop thinking about him, Ley. He was never yours.

“Hey! Are you okay, Piggy?” Bryan waved at the screen.

“Y-Yeah!” I stammered, then tried to recover. “Scary? I was the only one brave enough to protect people from bullies like you!” I declared proudly.

“Wow! That’s the hero!” he said, laughing. “Admit it, you chased me every day because you liked me.”

Seriously? That’s what he thought back then? Oh heavens! Humiliating every cell in my body. What a jerk.

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“No way! I chased you because you stole my headband and… and dignity!” I snapped.

“But I gave it back… most of the time,” he laughed harder, clutching his stomach.

A revenge idea popped into my head. I smirked. Ready to strike back.

“Aha! Maybe you did it on purpose,” I said. “So I’d chase you. Maybe you had a crush on me.”

He suddenly went quiet. I thought he’d hang up. But he just stared off-screen, expression serious.

“Honestly, I was such a brat. You didn’t deserve that. You were tough, but kind. I still remember that,” he said.

Was he being serious? Or was this another prank?

“You’re just saying that because you want something, right?” I asked bluntly. No more wasted time.

“I do. I want to know who you’ve become now. You were unforgettable, even then.” he admitted.

If only he knew… I’ve become someone who lives for everyone else’s expectations.

But I didn’t say that. I just gave a faint smile.

While savoring the moment, my sleeping alarm rang.

“It’s 9 PM. Sleeping time. Bye,” I said with a wide smile and hung up.

Bryan: “Good night, Piggy. See you in my dreams.”

I didn’t reply, not because I was offended, but because it was so corny I didn’t know how to respond. It was the first time I’d received a message like that.

Who am I kidding? Of course, this was the first time. It was also the first time I had my own phone, so I guess it made sense. Still, I couldn’t help but smile before falling asleep.

Three months later…

Things went back to normal. Or at least what counts as normal in my life. School. Family. f*******: Messenger chats, especially with Jhane and Bryan.

School? Ugh. A rollercoaster from boring to unbearable. Between the endless, mind-numbing class discussions, we also had community service like feeding programs, which was a nice escape from the usual chaos. But after that, it was back to academic torture: Detailed Lesson Plans, Class Demonstrations, Thesis research, Bookbinding, and the ultimate horror, Thesis Defense.

How I wish we could just graduate without going through all this. I found myself staring blankly into space, my thoughts drifting. Something was bothering me, though I couldn’t quite pin down what it was.

"It's okay, Ley. We're in this together. And when we pass the Demo and the Defense, we'll finally be fourth-years! No more thesis!" Jhane said enthusiastically.

"Yeah. No more thesis," I echoed weakly.

I wanted to share her excitement, but deep down, I knew better.

"Just OJT and more Lesson Plans," she added with a wide smile.

Oh, great!

I hate writing so much. Detailed Lesson Plans feel like legalized torture. And don’t even get me started on OJT, getting bossed around by power-tripping teachers (not all, but definitely some), while trying to teach kids without losing my sanity? Oh heavens, grant me patience… and strength… and maybe invisibility.

* * *

At home, life felt a little lighter. Grandpa was finally home and healthy again. Everyone was happy. But they still never forgot our previous life plan discussion.

“Ley, my dear,” Grandpa said one evening. “I’m looking forward to seeing you in a beautiful white wedding gown, walking down the aisle.”

I just nodded. A part of me was annoyed, but another part felt a tiny pinch in my heart.

I mean, it’s not a bad dream. But where exactly am I supposed to find a groom? It’s not like I’m unattractive, but marriage? That’s a big leap. Right now, I’m just agreeing to make them happy and hoping my fate does the rest.

Speaking of a man, there's one who’s been surprising me.

I thought he’d grow tired of my cold replies after a few weeks, but here he is… still popping up on my screen, still annoying, still Bryan.

“Chocolate, what do you want now? Just send your message. No need for a video call,” I complained one night.

Like clockwork, every time I turned on my data, there he was. Annoying… but oddly comforting. Having someone to talk to every night somehow made my room feel less lonely. Maybe this is how I forget something, or someone, that didn’t really exist to begin with.

“It’s been months. But you’ve never once talked about your love life,” he said one night during a call. His voice was soft, curious… almost hurt. He looked down for a second before meeting my eyes again.

Well, he’s cute when he pouts. I almost want to keep irritating him just to see it more.

“What’s the big deal?” I asked, eyes fixed on the screen but pretending to be bored.

“Ley, we’re not kids anymore,” he said seriously.

Wait. Did he just call me Ley?

I looked at him and he's looking at me too. His eyes were focused, sincere. Was this what they called eye-to-eye contact? It was like his eyes were speaking directly to me, waiting for my answer.

Should I lie and say I’m taken? Or confess that I’m single and desperate for love like it’s a job opening?

"Busy studying," I finally said—the most famous, overused excuse in student history.

He smiled. His dimples deepened. That nose, those eyes, that smile... why is he so cute?

"You mean, you're available?" he asked, eyes lighting up.

Fantasy over. Reality check.

"What? No!" I blurted out. Then after a pause, I sighed. “I mean... yes. I am. But now is not the time for this. I need to sleep. Bye. G...night,” I stammered, and ended the call in panic.

Then I quickly turned off my internet.

I know where this is going.

I need to think straight before I make any life-altering decisions that’ll have me crying under my blanket at 2 a.m.

When did I become the type to think before making big decisions? Who even am I?

Bravo, Leyanne.

* * *

That night, my mind wouldn’t rest. I kept thinking about what he might say next. What if he asks me directly? What if it gets serious?

I know it’s a bit much to assume he’s that into me already… but still. It’s better to be mentally prepared.

And simply because of that, I didn’t sleep a wink.

"Girl, what happened to you?" Jhane asked the next morning.

I stared at her, zombie-eyed.

"Are you auditioning for a panda mascot role?” she teased with concern.

"I'm okay... I just need to sle-" I mumbled, and then promptly fell asleep on the table. Good thing the next subject was canceled due to a faculty emergency meeting.