The Secret She Kept

CHAPTER 2

Ugh, sobrang nakakainis ka ethan, You know there are days when I don;t want to go to school just because of Ethan, he's just.... annoying. I've been busy the whole week.. I mean, we. Tambak ba naman ang assignments.

The next week, I walked into the cafeteria with a feeling of anticipation. I knew Ethan would have something up his sleeve. As I sat down with Rora and Min, I could see him whispering to them, a mischievous glint in his eye.

As I took a bite of my lunch, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Ethan, grinning. “Hey, Elara! Quick question—can you check your hair for me?”

“Bakit? Anong ginawa mo?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

“Nothing! Just check!” he insisted, trying not to laugh. I rolled my eyes but reached up to check, only to find nothing there.

“Seriously?” I said, exasperated.

He just shrugged, clearly enjoying the little moment. “Just wanted to see if you’d fall for it!”

Later, while we were waiting in line for dessert, Ethan slipped a fake bug into my dessert cup when I wasn’t looking. I didn’t notice until I took a spoonful and saw it staring back at me. “Ugh! Ethan!” I exclaimed, shaking my head in disbelief.

“Just wanted to spice up your dessert!” he said, laughing.

“Spice it up? More like ruin it!” I shot back, but I couldn’t help but chuckle, even as I pushed the cup away.

Meron pa last week, when we're at the cafeteria

As I sat down, Ethan leaned over with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Hey, Elara! Did you hear about the new ‘mystery flavor’ of the cafeteria pudding?”

“No, but I’m not sure I want to find out,” I replied, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Oh, come on! Just one bite!” he urged, pushing a cup toward me. I hesitated but took a spoonful anyway. The moment I tasted it, my face contorted in confusion. “What is this? It tastes like… pickles?”

Ethan burst into laughter. “Gotcha! It’s actually pickle juice pudding! Hope you enjoy the flavor!”

“Ethan! That’s gross!” I said, shaking my head, but I couldn’t help but chuckle at his creativity.

see? Ethan is just such an annoying scumbag.

I hate him for life.

I also remember after school, I thought I’d finally have a moment of peace, but as I walked toward my bike, I noticed it was covered in sticky notes—hundreds of them. Each note had a different doodle or silly message.

“Ethan!” I yelled, looking around for him. He popped up from behind a nearby tree, unable to contain his laughter.

“Just wanted to make your bike a little more… colorful!” he said, clearly proud of his work.

Buti na lang maraming assignments this week. Mas okay na maraming homework kesa makita ko pa siya

As I was seated in class, Ms. Claveria announced a project. “Okay, everyone, listen up! We’ll be doing a partner project for the next few weeks.” My heart sank a little—of course, I was hoping to avoid partnering with Ethan.

“Ms. Elara Cruz and Mr. William Castro,” Ms. Claveria announced. I sighed deeply; hindi nga si Ethan, pero yung kaibigan naman niya. William had a knack for teasing just like him, and I could already feel the chaos brewing.

great.

“Okay class, sit beside your partners and start making preparations for this project,” Ms. Claveria instructed. William sat beside me, his usual soft smile in place. “Hey, Elara! I hope we can make this fun,” he said, genuinely excited. I couldn’t help but relax a little; at least he wasn’t like Ethan, always up for trouble.

Nagtatawanan kami ni William, halos hindi na nga kami makapag-start ng prep. He’s not bad naman—he’s chill and easy to talk to, unlike Ethan. I couldn’t help but wonder bakit naging kaibigan siya ni Ethan. Parang magkaibang mundo sila!

Nagtatawanan kami ni William, halos hindi na nga kami makapag-start ng prep. He’s not bad naman—he’s chill and easy to talk to, unlike Ethan, who’s always up to some mischief. William had this soft, friendly vibe that made it easy to relax. I found myself enjoying our conversation about random stuff—favorite movies, music, and even silly memes.

But while we were laughing, I couldn’t help but wonder bakit naging kaibigan si William ni Ethan. Parang magkaibang mundo sila! Si Ethan, always the jokester, habang si William, parang gentle giant na laging nandiyan para sa lahat. It made me curious about their friendship. Maybe they balanced each other out?

“Do you think they’ll let us present our project on how to survive a prank war?” William joked, his eyes twinkling. “Because it feels like we’re already living it!” I couldn’t help but laugh, imagining the chaos if we actually did that.

“But seriously, I wonder how you became friends with ethan,” I said, tilting my head in thought. “You seem so different from him.”

William shrugged, looking thoughtful. “I guess opposites attract? He’s always been there for me when I needed a laugh or a boost of confidence. I think he just enjoys having fun and doesn’t take things too seriously.”

“True,” I admitted, nodding. “Pero minsan, sobra na talaga!”

“Yeah, I can see that,” he replied, chuckling. “But that’s what makes him entertaining, I guess.”

Just then, Ms. Claveria called out to us, breaking our concentration. “Alright, class! Let’s see some ideas!” We quickly shifted gears, pulling out our materials and trying to focus on the project. But even as we worked.

As we started brainstorming ideas for the project, I realized how easy it was to work with William. He was patient and listened to my thoughts, which made it a lot more enjoyable. “What if we do something related to teamwork?” I suggested. “Like how different personalities can work together?”

“Great idea!” he replied, his eyes lighting up. “We can use examples from sports or even group projects like this one.”

Just then, Ethan walked by our table, and I could see that familiar smirk on his face. “What are you two plotting? A secret escape plan from my pranks?” he teased, leaning over to peek at our notes.

“Just some ideas for our project, Ethan,” William shot back playfully. “Huwag kang mag-alala, hindi ka kasama sa escape plan namin.”

Ethan laughed loudly. “I wouldn’t want to be part of something that boring anyway! But just so you know, if you need any prank ideas, I’m your guy!”

I rolled my eyes. “Thanks, pero I think we’ll pass. We’re trying to be serious here!”

“Serious? With William? Good luck!” Ethan chuckled, looking at us like we were the funniest thing he’d seen all day. “I can already picture your project: ‘How to Survive When Your Partner Is a Softy!’”

William tried to suppress a laugh. “Hey, being a softy is a strength, okay?”

“Sure, if you say so!” Ethan winked at me. “Just remember, if your project flops, you can always blame it on your partner!”

I shot Ethan a glare, trying to maintain my focus. “Stop being so annoying! Just because you have nothing better to do doesn’t mean we do.”

Ethan held up his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright! I’ll leave you to your boring project. Just know, I’m watching. And I have my prank arsenal ready if you need inspiration!”

As he walked away, I turned to William, trying to hide my smile. “See what I mean? He just can’t help himself!”

William chuckled. “Yeah, pero at least nakakatawa siya. Just don’t let him distract you!”

“Easier said than done,” I said, shaking my head. “Pero tama ka. Let’s focus on making this project great. I want to show him na kaya naming gawin ito kahit walang chaotic input niya.”

With that, we dove back into our brainstorming, determined to create something that would impress everyone—even Ethan.

Madalas kaming nagkikita ni William for projects, at finally, no Ethan for this week! It felt like a breath of fresh air. “Okay, let’s make the most of this,” sabi ko kay William. “No distractions, just us and our project!”

“Agreed! Let’s show everyone what we can do,” he replied, flashing a bright smile na talagang nakaka-inspire. I couldn’t help but feel a little giddy, especially with that grin.

As we dove into our work, our conversation flowed naturally. “Masaya akong kasama ka,” I admitted casually. “Parang ang saya ng vibe natin ngayon.”

“Same here,” he said, with a slight blush on his cheeks. “I really look forward to our meetings. You make everything more fun.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Really? That’s nice to hear!” I replied, trying to play it cool, pero ang saya saya ko na.

While brainstorming, our hands brushed while reaching for the same paper. “Oops, sorry!” I said, pulling back quickly, but I couldn't help the smile creeping up.

“It’s fine! Just an accident,” he said, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “But you know, accidents can be fun.”

“Right, just accidents,” I teased back, trying to keep it light, but I could feel the heat in my cheeks.

Every laugh and shared glance made time fly. “I think we make a pretty good team,” I said lightly, looking into his eyes.

“Definitely! And maybe we can celebrate our success with ice cream after?” he suggested, a hopeful grin on his face.

“Sure! I’d love that,” I replied, feeling a thrill at the thought of hanging out more.

As we wrapped up for the day, I felt a sense of anticipation for our next meeting. It was refreshing to work with someone who made everything enjoyable, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something special brewing between us.