A Best Friend's Betrayal

The bell rang as a sign of the start of the flag ceremony. All students were quick running off to the assembly area. Ann too, ran as fast as she could to reach the line of her class section. Lucky enough, she was able to fall in line seconds before principal speak on the mic. Her house was just right in front of their school so she can go to school even on the very last minute and never had been late ever. Well, except for today that she almost could not make it. As she was already in line, her best friend Denise welcomed her with the warmest gossip. "Why are you suddenly running out of time?" she asked. "I watched that reality show last night." "Guessed so." Denise and Ann were already classmates since elementary but we're never that close. Denise transferred to a public school on their fifth grade but went back to their school during secondary highschool. That's when the two of them unintentionally got close. The flag ceremony started but Denise can't hide her excitement still and kept talking as lowly as she could to Ann, whispering carefully so that they can't be heard by their teacher. "Have you seen Clayford?" "No of course not. Maybe he is late again. You know he was always like that." Clayford is Denise's crush. He is Ann's cousin and classmate of Clark. These two best friends got along so well specially in spying and stalking their crushes specially on vacant days and school activity programs. "He hasn't changed at all. What about your Clark?" Denise continued asking. "We haven't seen each other yet. You're more excited than I am!" Clark, on the other hand, is Ann's crush since elementary and became his best friend just last year, on her graduation in elementary. He was a transferee as a highschool student when Ann saw him at the school corridor with his cute smile that captured Ann's heart. From that day on, she always look forward going to school just to see Clark. She learned almost everything about him and did anything just so to get close to him. And so all her efforts, from doing stuffs she never thought she would do, even to the point of embarrassing herself so just Clark would notice her, paid off. She joined ever school organizations and clubs that Clark also belongs and so they see each other almost everyday until they became so close. After the flag ceremony, all students still in line walked off to their classrooms. Everyone can see that they do missed each other after two months of summer vacation. Gossips here and there, and so on. And lucky enough, Ann and Denise are seatmates again! The two just keep talking about how was their vacation and a lot of stuffs they missed about each other until their teacher came for their class orientation. First day of school is all about orientation so they don't have a formal lesson just yet. In the afternoon, during dismissal, Ann was walking at the hallway of their school building when she heard someone calling at her. She looked back and saw who it was. "Ann!" It was Clark who was running off to her. As he got right beside Ann, his faced was full of excitement and longing for his best friend. And so is Ann, who is happy to see her friend and crush again. "Oh, Clark. How are you?" "I'm good. And you?" "I'm good as well," and then whispered to herself,"I missed you." "What?" "Oh nothing. I said I'm good as well." Clark immediately noticed Ann's face turning red as she was getting all shy so he teased her. "You're all red!" "No I'm not! That's just pimples!" Clark just laughed off that made Ann even more shy. The started to walk slowly again at the school field. "So are you going home already?" "Yeah. I'm just waiting for Denise. What about you?" "I'm just waiting for our car." "Oh, I see." Denise came just in time when the two stopped talking. So Ann bid farewell to Clark and smiled while Clark head off to the nipa hut near the entrance gate to wait for his 'sundo'. When Ann and Denise were already outside the campus, Denise can't help herself teasing her best friend. "He said see you tomorrow huh? As if you two are already a couple?" "Stop it." Ann kept herself composed but deep inside she was squealing out of kilig. It keeps echoing in her mind what Clark had said a while ago that he was excited to see her tomorrow again and on the coming days, and that they have a lot to talk about too. She waited long enough for all these to happen so she too can't wait to bond with the person she admire the most. When she arrived home, Ann went straight to her room to do her stuffs and finish her assignments. While taking out her things off her backpack, a piece of paper fell on the floor. She picked it up and opened it, and stared at it for a while. She smiled while holding the paper. It was her love letter to Clark that she have written a long time ago. She remembers she was Grade 5 that time when she first saw him and confirmed that she was indeed had a crush on him. So out of her sudden emotions ,she wrote a love letter to Clark and still hopes to this day that she would be able to give it to him one day that's why she always carry it with her. "When will I be able to give you to him?" She then folded back the paper and puti to back to one of the pages of her favorite notebook. She hopes that soon, she might have the time to have the chance to give the letter to him finally. The next day was another ordinary day. Some of their subject teachers already started their lessons and some are still lazy to do so. During recess time, Ann went to the comfort room, and when she was about to leave, she saw Clark. "Good morning!" Clark greeted happily. "God morning too." Ann greeted back. "Are you going to the canteen?" "Ah, I guess?" Clark laughed at Ann again. "You seem unsure!" Ann played along. "Well if you're going to treat me then I'll go. But if not then I'll just go back to our room."she joked, Clark laughed again. "Sure, I'll treat you then! Because I feel like you intentionally wanted me to hear it." "Oh no! Not at all!" And the two started to walk and laughed together. "How was your vacation by the way?" "It was good," she whispered to herself again,"and I said I missed you." "You were saying something!" "No way! I said my vacation was all good. What about yours?" "Hmm, we went to Manila to visit our grandparents and other relatives." "Oh, that's nice then." When they arrived at the canteen, Clark went to the counter to order and buy their foods while Ann looked for a table for them to sit. Clark went straight to their table as soon as he had their food on his hands and the two started eating. "Hey, thanks for this. I was supposed to be just joking when I said you treat me but you literally really did treat me." "It's nothing. You're no different. And besides, I was the one who offered so just eat your food and enjoy." While the two were happily eating, a girl passed by their table with some of her friends. She giddily greeted Clark as she nears Ann and Clark's table. "Hi Clark!" "H-hi." Clark suddenly became shy as he greeted Kristel. As soon as they greet each other, Kristel left with her friends. Ann felt a twinge of irritation and asked Clark. "Are you two close?" . "Friends." "Friends?" Ann repeated what Clark said." You're friend with that flirty girl?!" "She's nice, Ann." "Define nice, Clark." Clark stopped from eating as he sensed that something is not right with her best friend. "Wait a minute, are you jealous?" As soon as Ann heard Clark's question, she coughed and almost was about to throw up what she eaten put of shock. Clark quickly stood up and rubbed Ann's back, looking so worried to his friend. "Ate you okay?"he asked, still running Ann's back. "Just what the fudge did you just ask a while ago?! I almost died out of shock!" Ann took a sip of her soft drink. "I'm sorry. I was just kidding."he laughed. "And then you even laughed at me?! What a nice friend you are!" Ann stood up from their table and started walking out of the canteen. Clark followed her immediately. "Hey! I'm sorry okay? I was just curious if you really are jealous." "Jealous?! Huh! Who am I to be jealous? I'm just a.. friend." Ann became sad suddenly."And besides, haven't i told you already before that her section and mine are rivals ever since!" "Oh yeah, I forgot. But she is nice, okay. And hey, you're not just a friend. You are my best friend okay?" "Stop me with that nice and promise of yours! I knew her before you even came here!" Ann ran off and left Clark their standing at the main door of the canteen. She can't help but get mad specially when it's all about that person she hates the most in school. She don't know why she really doesn't feel any good about that girl from the very beginning and specially that he is also close to Clark. She may be more beautiful than her as she is one of the beauties in the campus, but some also say that she also have some attitude. Though she really have something to brag, some schoolmates also find her hard to approach and get along with. That's why Ann is wondering how the hell did she and Clark suddenly became close? When Ann came back to their room, she sat immediately to her sit the same time that Denise arrived and seated beside her best friend. "Hey, what's that I saw at the canteen? Are you already an item?" "Item? Nah! He just treated me that's all." "He treated you?!" "I just said that." "So what happened? What did you two talked about?" "Nothing, boring topics." "Again?! Will it ever level up between you two?! You're so boring you know!" Denise was as if she was provoking her friend. "Ouch okay?" "Because! There's not even a twinge of flirt in you!" "Shut up! You know that's my most flirty side, okay?" "Psh. And then, what else happened?" "And then 'that girl's passed by our table. And they greeted each other. I asked him if they are close he said they're friends only. And then I told him not to befriend her because she has some attitude but then he said she is nice! And then he just teased me." Ann all frowned as she tells Denise what happened at the canteen a while ago. "Wait, who's 'that girl's you say?" "Who else?" Ann didn't even mention the name yet Denise already got who she was referring to. "Shocks! Okay I get it. Such an attention seeker she is." "You said so!" "And then what else? What did he say?" "He suddenly asked me if I'm jealous!" "Then you said yes right?" "Crazy! Of course I said no!" "You re the one who's crazy! Why did you not say the truth?!" "Nothing. I just want to say no." "My gosh! I don't know what to do with you anymore! Your lovelife is going to be nowhere I'm telling you!" "No way. We're friends, remember? Best of friends." "And he is also friends with that girl! For who knows, she might catch the fish first and then you're left their sailing to nowhere! "That's not going to happen." "Well goodluck to you then." Ann honestly felt a little pressure and stressed to what Denise had said, that Kristel might be able to catch Clark's attention more than hers. She is prettier and wittier and even more fun to be with that her. But she trust Clark too much that she just shrugged it off and ignored the thought.She is still sure that Clark will never leave her and that sooner, she will finally be able to give her long written letter to her crush.