Chapter One
“Gel, please come with me,” pakiusap ni Janice, complete with her signature puppy eyes.
“I don’t know, Ja,” nag-aalinlangang sagot ko habang kinakagat ang sandwich kong baon.
We were sitting on one of the bleachers, far enough to take in the entire view of the athletics track surrounding the massive football pitch at its center.
Jacob had invited Janice to his house party. And she was beyond thrilled. Of course, she was. Si Jacob ba naman ang nag-imbita—her one and only crush, at ang pinakasikat na football goalkeeper sa buong university. At heto siya, hindi pa rin ako tinitigilan para sumama. She simply wouldn't take no for an answer.
“Please, Gel! Just this once. I promise you'll enjoy it!”
“My Mom won’t let me. You know how strict my parents are.”
“They wouldn’t know.”
Her gaze shifted to Jacob, and mine followed. Pinanood namin siyang mag-jogging paikot ng track kasama ang Kingsford University Football Varsity Team. Basang-basa na ng pawis ang puti niyang training shirt, pero parang lalo lang iyong nagpalakas ng dating niya. Watching him, I couldn't blame Janice for being crazy about him. Napakapogi, matangkad, at may natural na karisma.
“You know I can’t lie to them, Janice,” I said softly.
“You don’t have to lie,” she said.
I turned my gaze back to her and found her flashing me her most convincing smile.
“We just won’t tell them. Besides, you said Tita Gina won’t be home. Promise, after this, I won’t ask you again. Just this once, and I’ll owe you one.”
She clasped her hands together, her eyes pleading again.
“I just need to tell Mom I’m going with you. Once she knows you'll be with me, she'll say yes. My mom likes you so much, and she knows I won’t get into trouble whenever I’m with you.”
Tinitigan ko siya nang mabuti. Tsk. Hindi niya talaga ako titigilan hangga't hindi ako pumapayag. And honestly? I had a feeling she was just using her mom as an excuse.
Aunt Elena was nothing like my mom. She wasn't the strict type. She believed we should go out, make memories, try new things, and enjoy being young—as long as we knew our limits and She'd even joked before, "If you ever get yourselves into trouble, at least be smart enough to avoid making a lifelong mistake. I'd rather buy you condoms than see you throw your future away."
The first time I heard her say that, I nearly choked on my drink. Janice, of course, just laughed like it was the most normal thing in the world. I could still picture the playful grin on her face when she said it. Her thick Russian accent somehow made it both hilarious and impossible to forget. She was obviously joking... but I knew she meant every word.
Still, that was just how Aunt Elena was open-minded, honest, and someone who trusted us to make the right decisions.
I had known Janice for only a few months. Siya ang unang taong nakilala ko sa school na ito matapos akong mag-transfer sa Kingsford University. Everything was still new to me here in New York. Kahit mahigit kalahating taon na akong nakatira rito, hindi pa rin ako tuluyang nakakasabay sa mabilis na takbo ng buhay at sa mga taong nakapaligid sa akin.
She helped me in so many ways—from showing me around the campus to helping me adjust to my classes and introducing me to people. Kung hindi dahil sa kanya, mas nahirapan siguro akong mag-adjust sa bago kong buhay dito.
Jacob was Janice's ultimate dream guy. The moment her eyes landed on him, she immediately declared that he was the one for her.
I almost rolled my eyes when she told me that.
Sobrang corny niya talaga minsan.
Janice was majoring in Journalism, and fortunately, one of her professors assigned the class to produce a feature story by profiling a member of the university community. Naturally, she seized the opportunity and used the assignment as an excuse to get close to Jacob. She asked if he would be willing to be the subject of her profile, and to her surprise, he agreed without hesitation.
What began as a simple interview gradually turned into regular conversations. They stayed in touch afterward, and eventually, Jacob invited her to his upcoming post-finals house party.
Well, who wouldn't notice her? Janice was beautiful—stunning, even. She had porcelain skin, long platinum-blonde hair, striking blue eyes, and delicate features that made her look like a real-life Barbie doll. Being half Russian and half American, she naturally stood out wherever she went. With her cheerful personality and confidence, it was almost impossible not to notice her.
In fact, She'd received more than a few offers to do beauty and cosmetics modeling. Honestly, I wasn't even surprised. With a face like hers, it was only a matter of time before someone noticed. but Janice turned them all down. It wasn't because she lacked confidence or was too shy to stand in front of a camera. She simply didn't want to be known for her beauty. She wanted people to recognize her for something she'd worked hard to become.
Her dream wasn't to see her face on billboards or magazine covers. She wanted her name printed beneath headlines that mattered. She dreamed of becoming a respected journalist—someone known for uncovering the truth, telling stories that deserved to be heard, and making a difference through her words.
That was just who Janice was. Beneath all that beauty was a girl who wanted to be admired not for the face she was born with, but for the name she would one day earn.
Even though she was a year older than me and already in her second year, that never stopped us from becoming close. She once told me I reminded her of herself on her very first day at the university—completely lost and trying to figure everything out.
Of course, she already had her own circle of friends back then. But that didn't last.
Rumors spread that she'd stolen one of her friend's boyfriends, and without even hearing her side of the story, they all turned against her. That experience taught her something the hard way: having a lot of friends meant nothing if they were quick to judge, driven by insecurity, or only around when everything was going well. Since then, she'd rather have one genuine friend than a dozen fake ones.
Janice was the kind of person who always seemed to have something meaningful to say. She was deep, wise beyond her years, and somehow always knew exactly what to do. That was one of the things I admired most about her.
As for me... I'd never really had someone I could call a best friend. well, except for Janice. She was the first person who had ever claimed I was her best friend, and somehow, without me even realizing it, she had become mine too.
Back in high school, I was too busy chasing grades to build close friendships. I graduated with honors, and between endless studying, projects, and trying to meet everyone's expectations, I barely had time for anything else.
Because of that, lalo pang naniwala si Mom na kaya kong tuparin ang pangarap na hindi niya nagawang abutin. she had always dreamed of becoming a doctor, but unlike me, she never even had the chance to try. My grandparents had too many mouths to feed. With so many siblings depending on them, sending my mom to medical school was simply impossible.
