The Secret She Kept

PROLOGUE As we settled into our usual spot in the cafeteria, I tried to focus on Rora and Min’s conversation, but Ethan’s voice cut through the noise. “Elara! Did your hair finally decide to show up today?” Laughter erupted around him, and I felt my face flush. “Seriously, Ethan? Is this your new hobby?” I shot back, attempting to sound nonchalant while irritation bubbled inside me. Rora raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained. “Come on, it’s just teasing!” “Teasing? More like he’s auditioning for a stand-up routine!” I replied, rolling my eyes as I pushed my scrambled eggs around on my plate. “Nandito ako para kumain nang tahimik, hindi para maging punchline!” Min chuckled, leaning in. “Bakit di mo siya sabihan na tumigil? You can’t let him get away with this forever.” “Maybe I should,” I said, glancing over at Ethan, who was pretending to fix his nonexistent hair. It was infuriating how much he enjoyed this. “Pero takot ako na mag-backfire. He’ll just come back with something worse!” Rora laughed. “Dapat bigyan mo siya ng rasa ng sarili niyang medicine! But seriously, just tell him it’s annoying.” “Yeah, like that’ll work,” I replied, shaking my head. “He’ll probably just laugh and make it worse.” Just then, Ethan caught my eye and winked, as if he could sense my irritation. It was clear he loved to push my buttons, and honestly, it was exhausting. With a sigh, I turned back to Rora and Min. “Alright, I’m done letting him get to me. I’m just going to ignore it from now on. No more energy wasted on his antics.” They both nodded, supportive of my plan. “That sounds like a solid strategy,” Min said, and Rora grinned. As I settled back into my seat, I felt a sense of relief. I wasn’t going to let his teasing ruin my day. After all, I was here to enjoy my breakfast, not to be his target. CHAPTER 1 The next day, I walked into the cafeteria feeling determined. I had decided to ignore Ethan’s teasing, and I was ready to enjoy my breakfast in peace. Rora and Min were already at our table, chatting animatedly about the latest gossip. “Hey, Elara! You’re looking extra fierce today!” Rora said, noticing my confident stride. “Thanks! I’m just trying to keep my focus on the important stuff—like this amazing omelet,” I replied, grinning as I plopped down at the table. As we started eating, I could hear Ethan’s voice from across the room. “Elara! Nice bun! Did you finally learn how to style your hair?” The familiar laughter followed, but this time, I just rolled my eyes and continued eating. “Are you really going to let him get away with that?” Min asked, glancing over at Ethan. “Yep,” I said, taking a big bite of my omelet. “I’m done feeding his ego. Let him have his fun.” Rora chuckled. “You’ve got this! Just act like he’s not even there.” As we chatted and laughed, I noticed Ethan glancing our way, clearly confused by my lack of reaction. The more he teased, the less I cared. It was oddly liberating. After a few more attempts at poking fun at me, he finally approached our table, his hands raised in mock surrender. “Alright, alright! What’s your secret, Elara? Did you finally join a meditation class or something?” I looked up at him, a smirk on my face. “No secret, Ethan. Just focusing on things that actually matter.” His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Wow, that’s... different. I’m not sure how to handle this new you!” Rora and Min exchanged amused glances, clearly enjoying this interaction. “Maybe you should take notes,” I added, keeping my tone light but firm. Ethan chuckled, backing off a bit. “Fair enough. Just know that I’ll keep trying until I get a reaction!” “Good luck with that,” I said, turning back to my friends. I felt a sense of satisfaction. He might have thought he could rattle me, but I was done being his punchline. I was here for my breakfast, and nothing was going to ruin that. Later that day, as I entered the classroom, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. The morning had gone smoothly, and I was determined to keep that momentum. I settled into my seat next to Rora and Min, who were still buzzing from our earlier conversations. Just then, Ethan sauntered in, looking way too pleased with himself. “Hey, Elara!” he called out, but this time, I didn’t turn around. I focused on my notes, pretending to be engrossed in my sketch. “Still ignoring me, huh?” he continued, pulling up a chair next to mine. I could feel the smirk on his face without even looking. “Wow, that’s bold,” I replied, barely glancing up. “What’s next, you’re going to start charging me for your comedy shows?” He laughed, clearly taken aback by my nonchalant attitude. “Okay, I deserve that. But seriously, why the sudden silence? I thought you loved my jokes!” I finally looked at him, trying to suppress a smile. “Actually, I love my peace and quiet more.” He pretended to be hurt, clutching his chest dramatically. “Ouch! You wound me, Elara!” “Good! Now you know how it feels,” I shot back, surprising even myself. Rora and Min stifled their laughter, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. “Touché,” Ethan said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “But I have to admit, this new Elara is kind of refreshing.” “Glad to hear it. Just remember, I’m not your target anymore,” I replied, feeling empowered. “So find someone else to bother.” “Challenge accepted,” he said, a playful glint in his eye. “But I can’t promise I’ll go easy on whoever that is.” As class began, I could sense Ethan shifting his approach. Instead of teasing, he leaned over to share random trivia during the lecture, clearly trying to engage me in a different way. I couldn’t help but chuckle at his attempts. By the end of class, I realized that I didn’t mind his presence as much as I thought I would. Maybe there was more to Ethan than just his endless teasing. But one thing was for sure—I wasn’t going to let him get under my skin again. Later that day, as I entered the classroom, I felt a wave of relief wash over me. The morning had gone smoothly, and I was determined to keep that momentum. I settled into my seat next to Rora and Min, who were still buzzing from our earlier conversations. Just then, Ethan sauntered in, looking way too pleased with himself. “Hey, Elara!” he called out, but this time, I didn’t turn around. I focused on my notes, pretending to be engrossed in my sketch. “Still ignoring me, huh?” he continued, pulling up a chair next to mine. I could feel the smirk on his face without even looking. “Wow, that’s bold,” I replied, barely glancing up. “What’s next, magcha-charge ka na ba sa mga comedy shows mo?” He laughed, clearly taken aback by my nonchalant attitude. “Okay, I deserve that. But seriously, why the sudden silence? I thought you loved my jokes!” I finally looked at him, trying to suppress a smile. “Actually, I love my peace and quiet more.” He pretended to be hurt, clutching his chest dramatically. “Ouch! You wound me, Elara!” “Good! Now you know how it feels,” I shot back, surprising even myself. Rora and Min stifled their laughter, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth. “Touché,” Ethan said, raising his hands in mock surrender. “But I have to admit, this new Elara is kind of refreshing.” “Glad to hear it. Just remember, hindi na ako ang target mo,” I replied, feeling empowered. “So find someone else to bother.” “Challenge accepted,” he said, a playful glint in his eye. “But I can’t promise I’ll go easy on whoever that is.” As class began, I could sense Ethan shifting his approach. Instead of teasing, he leaned over to share random trivia during the lecture, clearly trying to engage me in a different way. I couldn’t help but chuckle at his attempts. By the end of class, I realized that I didn’t mind his presence as much as I thought I would. Maybe there was more to Ethan than just his endless teasing. But one thing was for sure—I wasn’t going to let him get under my skin again. The following day, I walked into class feeling pretty confident. I’d managed to ignore Ethan’s teasing, and it seemed like he was trying to switch things up. But I should have known better. As class began, I noticed Ethan whispering to Min and Rora, a mischievous grin on his face. I raised an eyebrow but brushed it off, focusing on the lecture and trying to keep my thoughts clear. Suddenly, I heard a loud bang behind me. I turned around to see Ethan standing there, having just dropped a stack of books on the floor. “Oops! Sorry, Elara!” he said, his voice dripping with faux innocence. I shot him a look. “Really, Ethan? Is this your new tactic?” He just grinned wider. “What? I was just trying to get your attention!” Rora and Min were struggling to contain their laughter, and I felt my irritation bubbling up. “Well, you got it. Now stop being dramatic.” But he wasn’t done. Just as the teacher started the next slide, I felt something cold and wet land on my desk. I looked down to find a cup of water, somehow flipped over and spilling everywhere. Ethan was stifling a laugh beside me. “Seriously?” I said, exasperated. “Ito na naman, Ethan! Is this your big prank?” “Just a little splash to brighten your day!” he replied, still chuckling. “More like ruining it!” I shot back, grabbing some napkins to clean up the mess. Rora and Min were laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Ethan leaned closer, trying to contain his amusement. “Come on, it’s all in good fun! You have to admit, it’s pretty funny.” “Yeah, funny for you!” I replied, trying to hide my smile despite my irritation. “You’re really pushing your luck, you know.” As class continued, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes every time I caught Ethan glancing my way, clearly pleased with himself. But deep down, I knew he was just looking for a reaction, and I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction.